A green thumb is nothing more than hard work
and the desire to make things grow.
- Albert E. Tuttle
When it comes to gardening, I have a desire to make things grow, but I must not invest enough work into it. I want plants that tend to themselves. My lantana is fabulous because it thrives with little support from me. Until Hurrican Ophelia, my roses were exquisite....with hardly any attention from me. My beds have not looked their best this year, but I also have not invested much time and energy into them. The remedy for the black spot that has invaded has overwhelmed me. I know what I need to do, but just have not rolled up my sleeves to do what it takes to eradicate this illness from the bed. Wah. Wah. Wah. In the interest of getting to the point.....I have been buying mint at the grocery store for over a year in order to mix up one of my favorite summer drinks: the mojito (mint, sugar, lime juice, rum, and club soda - delightful). My fellow consumers of the mojito (avid gardeners by the way) have been telling me how easy mint is to grow and assured me that I would have to be really horrible to kill it. A few weeks ago Clementine ripped a clump of mint out of her own gorgeous plant. Oh how fabulously aromatic that mint is!!! I want to grow the mint to satisfy my olfactory senses as well as my drinking pleasure. Anyway, Clementine carefully wrapped the roots in wet papertowels and sent me home to nurture and care for this sprig of mint. I repotted my new ward and tended to it religiously. I also had a stem with leaves which I popped into a small glass jar in the hopes of sprouting roots so I would have two mint plants. I was rather devastated to watch the stems and leaves of the mint with the roots (and that I had so lovingly planted) turn brown and wither. I had succeeded in killing the hardy mint. I even whined to Clementine about my poor mint-growing skills...although the stem has produced miniscule roots. She assured me that I would be able to plant the one I had rooted. For some reason, I visited my pot of dead mint today and to my complete surprise and delight I found new stems and leaves bursting forth from the soil!!! Yay! I have NOT killed the mint! By this time next summer I envision a bushy, fragrant mint plant able to supply all of the mojito drinkers I know with more than enough mint to satisfy their drinking needs. Yes, lofty goals for someone with a brown thumb...but a girl can dream, can't she?
Sunday, August 27, 2006
WTF
If you can't say something nice... don't say nothing at all. ~ Thumper
Have you ever had one of those days (or weekends - as in my case) where so many occurrences left you with the simple question of WTF (just in case you weren't sure, WTF IS short for What the f***)? Several things happened this weekend that left me asking this simple question repeatedly...as well as in amazement. I am not going to detail since I am going to take Thumper's advice as well as remain vague in order to preserve the guilty and the innocent. I guess that's it. Short, sweet, done.
Have you ever had one of those days (or weekends - as in my case) where so many occurrences left you with the simple question of WTF (just in case you weren't sure, WTF IS short for What the f***)? Several things happened this weekend that left me asking this simple question repeatedly...as well as in amazement. I am not going to detail since I am going to take Thumper's advice as well as remain vague in order to preserve the guilty and the innocent. I guess that's it. Short, sweet, done.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Smile
Brass Monkey - that funky Monkey Brass Monkey - junkie That funky Monkey ~ Beastie Boys
I love my XM radio....especially when I can catch what is now considered an "oldie" that is just so much FUN!!! This morning the Beastie Boys filled my car with such a jovial aura. I cranked it and bebopped my way to work. For a few moments I forgot that I was on my way to another day of reality rather than celebrating freedom in youthful fashion. :0)
I love my XM radio....especially when I can catch what is now considered an "oldie" that is just so much FUN!!! This morning the Beastie Boys filled my car with such a jovial aura. I cranked it and bebopped my way to work. For a few moments I forgot that I was on my way to another day of reality rather than celebrating freedom in youthful fashion. :0)
Friday, August 18, 2006
Last Hoorah
It's kind of the last hoorah for the vacationing public. ~ Eric Walker
It's definitely over. The last hoorah before I return to school on Monday. I must say that this has been the best summer I have had in quite some time. I have adored the lack of responsibility that I have had. The lack of deadlines and stress associated with work-related life. No grades to obsessively check numerous times each day. My OCD-like tendencies have actually abated for a bit. I still sweat the small stuff at times, but overall I have become a less frenzied and more easy-going person. We just returned (yesterday) from our whirlwind trip to Baltimore and Chesapeake (VA). We left early Monday morning and arrived in Baltimore Monday afternoon. Mapquest said the trip would take 7 hrs and 59 min. They were pretty accurate....I guess they sensed that we were traveling with three children (Girlfriend - 13yr.old niece, Daughter- 10, and Son - 4). Thank the Lord for my expansive, gas-guzzling SUV!!! Divide and conquer is one strategy we enlisted to help ease the horror of long-distance driving with the brood. Of course a myriad of other issues arose that could only be solved through the use of individual padded cells within the car.
1. We borrowed a portable DVD player to ease the children's misery of traveling hrs. in the car...a luxury I never had as a child. (The next line must be read using the voice of Dana Carvey acting like the crotchety old man from SNL) In my day, we rode in the car quietly with no form of technological tools to use as entertainment. We drew, looked out the window at the scenery, and listened to music mandated by those driving....AND WE LIKED IT!! or at least we didn't complain about it. :0) Not having traveled with a DVD player in my car before, I did not anticipate the caliber of whining that would take place over movie selection (mainly the protests of Son). The girls, being older, understood the concept of taking turns. The boy...not so much. Next time I will devise a precise and elaborate movie selection process involving the alignment of celestial bodies....apparently that's what is needed to make this simple luxury work well.
2. How many stops to the bathroom can be made on a single trip?! I feel like I have visited every bathroom between here and Baltimore! After this venture....I NEVER want to hear males bash females over bathroom usage! Son had to "GO SOOOO BAD" (said in a pained voice with an equally pained expression on his face) at least 18 gazillion times! Finally, he agreed to pee in an empty drink bottle. How I convinced him of this, I will never know. Of course the girls were more than eager to help in the coercion since they wanted to witness the show. Do you even know how hard it is to convince two girls to not look at a four-year-old pee in a bottle? Do you even know how hard it is to carry out this process without laughing? I had to make sure the girls were not looking, try not to laugh while they were snickering, hold the bottle containing my son's "private" (as he called it at that moment - he had many other terms throughout the trip: weenie, banana, sausage, palooza {another tale from the trip}, etc. - where does this come from?!) while he relieved himself, and make sure the pee didn't go everywhere. Then I had to store the bottle where nobody could get to it to drink. Good times. We had to perform this maneuver once more on the trip up. The second time was even better because he pressed himself into the bottle further, preventing air from escaping as well, leading to a "farting" noise as the bottle filled with liquid. Farting noise + laughing girls + angry boy = near accidental spillage of urine. For the trip home I found a bottle with a larger opening to prevent this situation...thank goodness he did not require this service on the return trip however.
After completing the first leg of this endeavor, we arrived at the hotel. Son has two basic noise levels: loud and louder. He still does not understand that in a hotel there are people above, below, and to either side of us who do not wish to hear the screaming of a child whether it be in horror or delight. The ride had frazzled us a bit, so after a brief rest we strolled down to the Inner Harbor. We hadn't really had lunch, per se....we didn't want to stop yet again during the ride....so we ventured over to The Gallery (a small, but very nice mall) and took advantage of the food court. The walk over was quite interesting. It was a bit scary for the kids to cross the streets with traffic moving about. I wasn't very hungry, but helped Hubby eat his chicken and broccoli over fried rice - yum. Girlfriend got a Happy Meal while Son & Daughter stuffed themselves with Sbarro pizza. On a side note, did you know that the Happy Meal box is just the right size to hold several DVD's in the car? On the way home it served just that purpose!! Then it was on to gaze at the Harbor. We pointed to all the cool points of interest that we remembered from our honeymoon trip: the ships, museums, World Trade Center, the USS Torsk, the National Aquarium, etc. Then we took in the newer sights: the enormous Barnes and Noble, the newer shops & restaurants, AND (grunt like Tim Allen in Home Improvement) the ESPN Zone. I am not a fan of game rooms. I do not play video games....basically because I suck at them and deem them a waste of good money. This is one area where Hubby and I differ. He loves a game room. Needless to say, we had to enter man-paradise before leaving the Harbor for that day. For those unfamiliar with the ESPN Zone, it is a bar/restaurant/game room. The game room is on a floor by itself. It is filled with a wide variety of sports games like basketball shooting, football throwing, baseball something-or-other, hockey, golf, bowling....games that involve physical activity. All of the video games are sports-related, interactive games: rafting, cycling, ping pong, jet skiing, snow skiing, snowboarding, racing, horse racing, hang gliding, etc. These are not violent, kill others in a bloodbath kind of games...which put a smile on my face. We bought a few of the "swipe cards" and let the kids go. The cost was rather reasonable for the amount of time we spent there and the caliber of games. I, not a fan of the game room, even had fun. I wouldn't say I was converted over to the Dark Side (you know....a fan of all game rooms), but I definitely had fun at the ESPN Zone. At this point it was getting to be early evening....not a good time to be roaming the streets. I know some people have no problems with being out in the city at night, but it's not for me. I am a small-town chick and am not comfortable with roaming dark streets in an unfamiliar city with children. Hubby feels the same way...not to mention that he was exhausted from driving. We started back across the Harbor. Daughter, a lover of all things girlie, spotted a jewelry stand. There was no way we were getting out of there without checking it out. Fortunately, the others were able to watch a street magician while Daughter and I perused the stand. Oh, how she loves the sparkly things! I was finally able to get her to leave the stand (with a promise that we would visit again) and watch the end of the magic show. The magician was doing the "rope trick" where the rope is cut and then suddenly one piece again. The volunteer that he had was a boy about 7 or 8. Each time he cut the rope and then saw that the pieces were still uneven he was absolutely amazed....his face was priceless. The kids were able to sit on the bricks on the sidewalk and watch the rest of the show. The Inner Harbor is really clean and well-kept. At the close of the show Daughter spotted one more sparkly booth. We decided to check it out before leaving the Harbor area. It didn't take long...the baubles were mostly dog tags and bulky chains....not the shiny bracelets and rings on display at the other booth. Now on to the CVS we had spotted on the way to the Harbor. Girlfriend needed something to alleviate some orthodontic work and I needed to pick something up myself. As we approached, we were shocked to find out that it was closed! We had only missed it by 15 minutes! Someone directed us to a 7-11...three blocks in the other direction from our room. Hubby opted to take the boy to the room and I got the girls. As it got later and we walked further from our hotel, the surroundings got a bit creepier. I had to keep reminding the girls to just walk and not look about pointing. Maybe I was being overly cautious, but I was not really fond of the idea of us girls walking the streets of Baltimore....did I mention that I also did not want them to sense how uneasy I was? As we walked on our third block (without seeing the 7-11) I noticed a neon sign on the 4th block. There, in bright color, was the word HUSTLER. Girlfriend noticed this sign too and let me know that she was skeptical about our surroundings. I had already mentally decided that we were NOT going onto that next block. I shared my plan with her: "If we don't find the 7-11 on THIS block, we are going back." That's when we found the door to the 7-11. YAY! No mouth stuff for her. I had to request my need for supplies from the cashier as the glorious items I needed were kept behind the counter. yay. I know I am an adult, but having to ask a clerk for tampons is still embarrassing....I purposefully waited for the female clerk to be available. I almost wish I hadn't. Before we could get out of the store a man, who I assume was homeless, came into the store with a street security person. We had seen the man earlier digging in the trash. Daughter was pretty upset because she recognized him and was able to see that he had open sores on his arms. It was shocking for her to see considering the sheltered life she leads on our little island. I know it is an image that will stay with both her and Girlfriend as they both referenced it several times on the trip. When we were safe and sound in the hotel, the children decided it was pool time. So, down to the pool we went. They had a super time swimming and splashing around. I was so tired! The early departure combined with the ride, sightseeing, and speed-walk back to the hotel was beginning to take its toll. I finally drug the water rats out of the pool. It was after 9 and we still hadn't eaten dinner. We took the easy route and went to the hotel restaurant....kids eat free at the Holiday Inn. :0) The rest of the night was rather uneventful....pajamas, tv, snuggling, and sleep. I am needing some beach time SO.....I am going to end for now. I will leave you with a realization that was discovered on our trip.....do you know how many knees boys have? (This is better verbally....when spelling isn't involved) four: the right knee, the left knee, the hi-knee, and the wee-knee. Oh, the things we can learn from children. :0) Yes, we are a sick bunch...but boy do we laugh.
It's definitely over. The last hoorah before I return to school on Monday. I must say that this has been the best summer I have had in quite some time. I have adored the lack of responsibility that I have had. The lack of deadlines and stress associated with work-related life. No grades to obsessively check numerous times each day. My OCD-like tendencies have actually abated for a bit. I still sweat the small stuff at times, but overall I have become a less frenzied and more easy-going person. We just returned (yesterday) from our whirlwind trip to Baltimore and Chesapeake (VA). We left early Monday morning and arrived in Baltimore Monday afternoon. Mapquest said the trip would take 7 hrs and 59 min. They were pretty accurate....I guess they sensed that we were traveling with three children (Girlfriend - 13yr.old niece, Daughter- 10, and Son - 4). Thank the Lord for my expansive, gas-guzzling SUV!!! Divide and conquer is one strategy we enlisted to help ease the horror of long-distance driving with the brood. Of course a myriad of other issues arose that could only be solved through the use of individual padded cells within the car.
1. We borrowed a portable DVD player to ease the children's misery of traveling hrs. in the car...a luxury I never had as a child. (The next line must be read using the voice of Dana Carvey acting like the crotchety old man from SNL) In my day, we rode in the car quietly with no form of technological tools to use as entertainment. We drew, looked out the window at the scenery, and listened to music mandated by those driving....AND WE LIKED IT!! or at least we didn't complain about it. :0) Not having traveled with a DVD player in my car before, I did not anticipate the caliber of whining that would take place over movie selection (mainly the protests of Son). The girls, being older, understood the concept of taking turns. The boy...not so much. Next time I will devise a precise and elaborate movie selection process involving the alignment of celestial bodies....apparently that's what is needed to make this simple luxury work well.
2. How many stops to the bathroom can be made on a single trip?! I feel like I have visited every bathroom between here and Baltimore! After this venture....I NEVER want to hear males bash females over bathroom usage! Son had to "GO SOOOO BAD" (said in a pained voice with an equally pained expression on his face) at least 18 gazillion times! Finally, he agreed to pee in an empty drink bottle. How I convinced him of this, I will never know. Of course the girls were more than eager to help in the coercion since they wanted to witness the show. Do you even know how hard it is to convince two girls to not look at a four-year-old pee in a bottle? Do you even know how hard it is to carry out this process without laughing? I had to make sure the girls were not looking, try not to laugh while they were snickering, hold the bottle containing my son's "private" (as he called it at that moment - he had many other terms throughout the trip: weenie, banana, sausage, palooza {another tale from the trip}, etc. - where does this come from?!) while he relieved himself, and make sure the pee didn't go everywhere. Then I had to store the bottle where nobody could get to it to drink. Good times. We had to perform this maneuver once more on the trip up. The second time was even better because he pressed himself into the bottle further, preventing air from escaping as well, leading to a "farting" noise as the bottle filled with liquid. Farting noise + laughing girls + angry boy = near accidental spillage of urine. For the trip home I found a bottle with a larger opening to prevent this situation...thank goodness he did not require this service on the return trip however.
After completing the first leg of this endeavor, we arrived at the hotel. Son has two basic noise levels: loud and louder. He still does not understand that in a hotel there are people above, below, and to either side of us who do not wish to hear the screaming of a child whether it be in horror or delight. The ride had frazzled us a bit, so after a brief rest we strolled down to the Inner Harbor. We hadn't really had lunch, per se....we didn't want to stop yet again during the ride....so we ventured over to The Gallery (a small, but very nice mall) and took advantage of the food court. The walk over was quite interesting. It was a bit scary for the kids to cross the streets with traffic moving about. I wasn't very hungry, but helped Hubby eat his chicken and broccoli over fried rice - yum. Girlfriend got a Happy Meal while Son & Daughter stuffed themselves with Sbarro pizza. On a side note, did you know that the Happy Meal box is just the right size to hold several DVD's in the car? On the way home it served just that purpose!! Then it was on to gaze at the Harbor. We pointed to all the cool points of interest that we remembered from our honeymoon trip: the ships, museums, World Trade Center, the USS Torsk, the National Aquarium, etc. Then we took in the newer sights: the enormous Barnes and Noble, the newer shops & restaurants, AND (grunt like Tim Allen in Home Improvement) the ESPN Zone. I am not a fan of game rooms. I do not play video games....basically because I suck at them and deem them a waste of good money. This is one area where Hubby and I differ. He loves a game room. Needless to say, we had to enter man-paradise before leaving the Harbor for that day. For those unfamiliar with the ESPN Zone, it is a bar/restaurant/game room. The game room is on a floor by itself. It is filled with a wide variety of sports games like basketball shooting, football throwing, baseball something-or-other, hockey, golf, bowling....games that involve physical activity. All of the video games are sports-related, interactive games: rafting, cycling, ping pong, jet skiing, snow skiing, snowboarding, racing, horse racing, hang gliding, etc. These are not violent, kill others in a bloodbath kind of games...which put a smile on my face. We bought a few of the "swipe cards" and let the kids go. The cost was rather reasonable for the amount of time we spent there and the caliber of games. I, not a fan of the game room, even had fun. I wouldn't say I was converted over to the Dark Side (you know....a fan of all game rooms), but I definitely had fun at the ESPN Zone. At this point it was getting to be early evening....not a good time to be roaming the streets. I know some people have no problems with being out in the city at night, but it's not for me. I am a small-town chick and am not comfortable with roaming dark streets in an unfamiliar city with children. Hubby feels the same way...not to mention that he was exhausted from driving. We started back across the Harbor. Daughter, a lover of all things girlie, spotted a jewelry stand. There was no way we were getting out of there without checking it out. Fortunately, the others were able to watch a street magician while Daughter and I perused the stand. Oh, how she loves the sparkly things! I was finally able to get her to leave the stand (with a promise that we would visit again) and watch the end of the magic show. The magician was doing the "rope trick" where the rope is cut and then suddenly one piece again. The volunteer that he had was a boy about 7 or 8. Each time he cut the rope and then saw that the pieces were still uneven he was absolutely amazed....his face was priceless. The kids were able to sit on the bricks on the sidewalk and watch the rest of the show. The Inner Harbor is really clean and well-kept. At the close of the show Daughter spotted one more sparkly booth. We decided to check it out before leaving the Harbor area. It didn't take long...the baubles were mostly dog tags and bulky chains....not the shiny bracelets and rings on display at the other booth. Now on to the CVS we had spotted on the way to the Harbor. Girlfriend needed something to alleviate some orthodontic work and I needed to pick something up myself. As we approached, we were shocked to find out that it was closed! We had only missed it by 15 minutes! Someone directed us to a 7-11...three blocks in the other direction from our room. Hubby opted to take the boy to the room and I got the girls. As it got later and we walked further from our hotel, the surroundings got a bit creepier. I had to keep reminding the girls to just walk and not look about pointing. Maybe I was being overly cautious, but I was not really fond of the idea of us girls walking the streets of Baltimore....did I mention that I also did not want them to sense how uneasy I was? As we walked on our third block (without seeing the 7-11) I noticed a neon sign on the 4th block. There, in bright color, was the word HUSTLER. Girlfriend noticed this sign too and let me know that she was skeptical about our surroundings. I had already mentally decided that we were NOT going onto that next block. I shared my plan with her: "If we don't find the 7-11 on THIS block, we are going back." That's when we found the door to the 7-11. YAY! No mouth stuff for her. I had to request my need for supplies from the cashier as the glorious items I needed were kept behind the counter. yay. I know I am an adult, but having to ask a clerk for tampons is still embarrassing....I purposefully waited for the female clerk to be available. I almost wish I hadn't. Before we could get out of the store a man, who I assume was homeless, came into the store with a street security person. We had seen the man earlier digging in the trash. Daughter was pretty upset because she recognized him and was able to see that he had open sores on his arms. It was shocking for her to see considering the sheltered life she leads on our little island. I know it is an image that will stay with both her and Girlfriend as they both referenced it several times on the trip. When we were safe and sound in the hotel, the children decided it was pool time. So, down to the pool we went. They had a super time swimming and splashing around. I was so tired! The early departure combined with the ride, sightseeing, and speed-walk back to the hotel was beginning to take its toll. I finally drug the water rats out of the pool. It was after 9 and we still hadn't eaten dinner. We took the easy route and went to the hotel restaurant....kids eat free at the Holiday Inn. :0) The rest of the night was rather uneventful....pajamas, tv, snuggling, and sleep. I am needing some beach time SO.....I am going to end for now. I will leave you with a realization that was discovered on our trip.....do you know how many knees boys have? (This is better verbally....when spelling isn't involved) four: the right knee, the left knee, the hi-knee, and the wee-knee. Oh, the things we can learn from children. :0) Yes, we are a sick bunch...but boy do we laugh.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Dot Com's
Some women hold up dresses that are so ugly and they always say the same thing This looks much better on. On what? On fire? ~ Rita Rudner
Want some fun? Check out Ugly Dress.com. People have sent in pictures of prom and bridesmaids dresses trying to prove which one is the ugliest....my my my - fashion faux pas run amok! Of course, for me, the best part is the sarcastically witty text that accompanies many of the pictures. No, it's not necessarily nice, but remember that these people have submitted the pictures to the site knowingly. At times, the text contains spelling or grammar errors....not a problem. If I had access to these pics, I could easily see myself getting tipsy with some girlfriends and writing about the horrors displayed here! Who has time for spell check or grammar check when they are slammin' on fashions such as these. By the way....how many of you wore or admired similar styles? I know I wore a dress the same color as the one entitled Pole Dancer Pink. My dress was a bit more tawdry....it only went over one shoulder and had black netting that not only made the dress "pouf"...but it also was exposed, adding to the sexiness of the dress. Thanks, Jazzy, for the laugh!!! You were right, I had fun with this one.
Another fun one I found is called the Travisty. I am a huge fan of comedy. I adore laughing. This site has clips from SNL (Pete Schweaty, the Cow Bell, Bathroom Monkey, Matt Foley, etc.), In Living Color, Mad TV, etc. and is a fabulous place to see some of your favorite comedy clips. Not for kids, though.
Yes, I'm still into the Monk-E-Mail....though not quite as obsessively. I have taken the next step and have actually called the phone number to record the messages rather than just using the 'text to speech' feature. I even got Daughter involved. One day she started singing this song that she learned at camp. I felt like Steve Martin in Parenthood when he heard the Diarrhea Song that his kids had learned...."that was money well spent". No, I'm not bashing the camp and I have been known to make up many a verse to the Diarrhea Song. I just have a mind that can go into the gutter in 0.1 seconds (I bet some of you didn't think it was that slow - hee hee). The lyrics are as follows:
I know a weenie man. He owns a weenie stand. He sells most anything from hot dogs on down. Someday I'll join his life. I'll be his weenie wife. Hot dog, I love that weenie man.
The second verse uses the word "sausage". Am I the only one who took this little tune to the gutter? Anyway.....I had Daughter sing the cute little ditty onto the Monk-E-Mail phone line and sent it to a friend. It made for a very tasty little greeting.
So, there is my commentary on Dot Com's for now. Amazing how I can go from a thoughtful post about a book I adored to an evaluation of ridiculous web sites. Just call me Sybil. :0)
Want some fun? Check out Ugly Dress.com. People have sent in pictures of prom and bridesmaids dresses trying to prove which one is the ugliest....my my my - fashion faux pas run amok! Of course, for me, the best part is the sarcastically witty text that accompanies many of the pictures. No, it's not necessarily nice, but remember that these people have submitted the pictures to the site knowingly. At times, the text contains spelling or grammar errors....not a problem. If I had access to these pics, I could easily see myself getting tipsy with some girlfriends and writing about the horrors displayed here! Who has time for spell check or grammar check when they are slammin' on fashions such as these. By the way....how many of you wore or admired similar styles? I know I wore a dress the same color as the one entitled Pole Dancer Pink. My dress was a bit more tawdry....it only went over one shoulder and had black netting that not only made the dress "pouf"...but it also was exposed, adding to the sexiness of the dress. Thanks, Jazzy, for the laugh!!! You were right, I had fun with this one.
Another fun one I found is called the Travisty. I am a huge fan of comedy. I adore laughing. This site has clips from SNL (Pete Schweaty, the Cow Bell, Bathroom Monkey, Matt Foley, etc.), In Living Color, Mad TV, etc. and is a fabulous place to see some of your favorite comedy clips. Not for kids, though.
Yes, I'm still into the Monk-E-Mail....though not quite as obsessively. I have taken the next step and have actually called the phone number to record the messages rather than just using the 'text to speech' feature. I even got Daughter involved. One day she started singing this song that she learned at camp. I felt like Steve Martin in Parenthood when he heard the Diarrhea Song that his kids had learned...."that was money well spent". No, I'm not bashing the camp and I have been known to make up many a verse to the Diarrhea Song. I just have a mind that can go into the gutter in 0.1 seconds (I bet some of you didn't think it was that slow - hee hee). The lyrics are as follows:
I know a weenie man. He owns a weenie stand. He sells most anything from hot dogs on down. Someday I'll join his life. I'll be his weenie wife. Hot dog, I love that weenie man.
The second verse uses the word "sausage". Am I the only one who took this little tune to the gutter? Anyway.....I had Daughter sing the cute little ditty onto the Monk-E-Mail phone line and sent it to a friend. It made for a very tasty little greeting.
So, there is my commentary on Dot Com's for now. Amazing how I can go from a thoughtful post about a book I adored to an evaluation of ridiculous web sites. Just call me Sybil. :0)
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
I knew then that no matter how hard you tried, no matter how many jars of honey you threw, no matter how much you thought you could leave your mother behind, she would never disapppear from the tender places in you. ~ Lily Owens in The Secret Life of Bees
I am quite behind in reading the latest and greatest...most people have read this book already making me one of the last in the free world to do so. It was a fabulous story that I thoroughly enjoyed devouring. The last 30 to 50 pages were the most meaningful to me. Throughout the book the main character, Lily, is searching for clues about her deceased mother who died when Lily was merely four years old. She often looks for divine signs that prove to her that her mother loves her. On this level I truly related to Lily. As I intently read these last pages, I, myself, felt that the words were intended for me as a sign from my own mother. No, I don't think she was "speaking" to the author....I just believe that I was intended to read the words at a particular point in time, reassuring me that she is with me and sending her love. The above quote struck a particular cord. Unlike Lily who became temporarily angry at her mother at the climax of the story, I have not tried to leave my mother behind. Nonetheless, I found the quote extremely meaningful. Some days when I think of her I question whether or not I think of her every day. Initially (following her death), I thought of nothing BUT her. I was consumed. Gradually, as life evolved into its new form (since life as I had known it would never return), the majority of my thoughts no longer were devoted to her. It wasn't out of disrespect, but was the product of life moving ahead. I know I cannot think about her all day every day, but I DO want to at least think of her every day.....reliving a happy time or thinking about how she'd react to one of the stories about the grandchildren. As the days of summer have drifted by and I have finally begun to destress from the life I was living the past few years, I find myself questioning whether I DO think about her; I fear that one day I won't think of her (which I KNOW in reality is not likely - I just need something to worry about). Anyway, with this notion arising every so often, the affirming quote from Lily was a sign to me that no matter what I cannot leave her (or her memory or love) behind.
I am quite behind in reading the latest and greatest...most people have read this book already making me one of the last in the free world to do so. It was a fabulous story that I thoroughly enjoyed devouring. The last 30 to 50 pages were the most meaningful to me. Throughout the book the main character, Lily, is searching for clues about her deceased mother who died when Lily was merely four years old. She often looks for divine signs that prove to her that her mother loves her. On this level I truly related to Lily. As I intently read these last pages, I, myself, felt that the words were intended for me as a sign from my own mother. No, I don't think she was "speaking" to the author....I just believe that I was intended to read the words at a particular point in time, reassuring me that she is with me and sending her love. The above quote struck a particular cord. Unlike Lily who became temporarily angry at her mother at the climax of the story, I have not tried to leave my mother behind. Nonetheless, I found the quote extremely meaningful. Some days when I think of her I question whether or not I think of her every day. Initially (following her death), I thought of nothing BUT her. I was consumed. Gradually, as life evolved into its new form (since life as I had known it would never return), the majority of my thoughts no longer were devoted to her. It wasn't out of disrespect, but was the product of life moving ahead. I know I cannot think about her all day every day, but I DO want to at least think of her every day.....reliving a happy time or thinking about how she'd react to one of the stories about the grandchildren. As the days of summer have drifted by and I have finally begun to destress from the life I was living the past few years, I find myself questioning whether I DO think about her; I fear that one day I won't think of her (which I KNOW in reality is not likely - I just need something to worry about). Anyway, with this notion arising every so often, the affirming quote from Lily was a sign to me that no matter what I cannot leave her (or her memory or love) behind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)