Friday, March 31, 2006

Weekend Assignment #105: Poetry in Motion

Yet another great challenge from the Blogfather.

Weekend Assignment #105: Share a favorite poem.

Irish Poet...natch. I love this poem and at one time had it memorized.

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), Irish poet, dramatist and prose writer, one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century. Yeats received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.

 
He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven
 
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

 

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Skipping Around the Rules

RULE 7 -- After the age of 30, it is unseemly to blame one's parents for one's life.

Easy for Roger Rosenblatt to write in Rules for Aging.

Let him put on a satin green skirt and dance the jig with ones Mother in front of the most distinguished constituents of the community. Including your friends. Let this happen to you year after year! While you wait for your cue to get up and make a dancing fool of yourself, your Father is signing old Irish love songs in the spot light.

Let Roger compensate for being shipped to another town to attend high school because your parents are hell bent on you receiving a Catholic education! (if only they knew this was not the Catholic schools of their generation!!)

Let Roger cope with his parents being involved with most every aspect of our lives from the time we were in the cradle till we were kicked from the nest...with our walking papers.

Coaching the swim team, car pooling to school, taking us and friends to camp, dragging us to museums, making us go to Mass, and for God's sake, limiting the amount of television we watched.

No No No ... I can never give up blaming them for who I am today!!


 

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

The fun part of aging is pretending you are wise......You can quote me on that one.

And I shall....the fabulous Angela of the equally fabulous Life As I See It.

I suggest we change Rule Number One to read "Knowing what Matters and What Does Not"

On to Rule Number Two from the book RULES FOR AGING by Roger Rosenblatt...

NOBODY IS THINKING ABOUT YOU.

"Yes I know, you are certain that your friends are becoming your enemies; that your grocer, garbage man, clergyman, SIL, and your dog are all of the opinion that you have put on weight, that you have lost your touch, that you have lost your mind; further more, you are convinced that everyone spends two-thirds of every day commenting on your disintegration, denigrating your work, plotting your assassination.I  promise you: Nobody is thinking about you. They are thinking about themselves - just like you."

Hmmmmmmmm.......

Then I have this other quote I read this week-end (thanks to Cynthia Heimel, author extraordinaire)

"When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap."

Here is the connection. I am certain that when I have one of my moments...such as telling Leo of Saw Doctors a complete fib and gushing as I babbled on about it....or the time I spilt a drink all over the lead guitarist of Tempest and his girlfriend, those two leap to my mind immediately....that I am mortified for days.

It is nice to know that it is just a fleeting moment for them, and they never will think about it again. If they perchance ever spot me at another once of their concerts, they will not turn and run in the opposite direction.

I know this rule is riddled with cracks regarding its truthfullness, just like the first rule.

They might not think about you, but they will remember!!

This afternoon as I made my way back to the office I made a mental list of all the people I had thought of during the day.

The guy I met at IPFW, who was born in Harlan, KY. The guy I met today who went to school in Morehead, KY. My Mom, my Dad, the Angel Genie, my daughter Bridget, both my sisters, my pal G. in Florida, and then D. in Florida. My husband, dogs in general, my boss, my co-workers, A. who got her hair cut and it looks so nice and Don Johnson.

I threw in good old Don becauseI use to fantasize about him all the time years ago and he just popped into my head.

I was so busy thinking about everybody else, that I had little time to obsess about myself.

It was a relief, because I never ever should have gone through MacDonalds and got that double cheeseburger! I wasn't even hungry. 

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

RULES FOR GROWING OLD (and senile)

Rules for Aging

This afternoon at work I shuffled through the mountain of papers on my desk no less than three times. While I was in the middle of the second or maybe the third time, looking for an errant sheet of paper I had already found and absentmindedly misplaced again, I prayed that no one in the tight quarters (one small office barely large enough for one person is shared by four of us...the heat generated is something else!) noticed what I was doing.

Which brings me to mention the book I am reading.....Rules for Aging by Roger Rosenblatt.

Rule # 2......Nobody is thinking about you.

Thank God.

Actually, I am finding this book immensely entertaining in several regards. First, because it so full of common sense. Secondly, why didn't I learn these things long ago when it might have counted. It could have changed the direction my life was taking. It's incredible how many times I broke these rules.  And I still do!

Each rule is like a little nugget full of wisdom. A light goes off in my head and I think, "oh yea....I sure broke that rule the time I............. (fill in the blank).

Rule # 1 .......... IT DOES NOT MATTER.

"Whatever you think matters - it doesn't."

I can not possibly agree with this one. Sure, I see the possibilities that it is inconsequential if you are late, early, there or not there in the BIG PICTURE of things. 10 days from now let alone 10 years from now, what will it matter if I was at that meeting? Or made that dental appointment? But in the short run, it sure as hell matters.

I see the domino effect.

I wish it didn't matter so much. Maybe that should be the belief that I can age gracefully with. It does not matter as much as I think it does. Or possibly, there are things that I think matter....making a lot of money, living in a big house, driving a nicer car...it is the material things that are not important. If I loose my job, I will not die or starve. I found that out this summer, that I can find another job. It might not be the same, but I will find another job.

Yet, so many things matter a lot to me. I guess the trick is to have the knowledge and experience to know what is important and  which is not.

So, the fact that I shuffled through my disorganized mess of paperwork that I drag from my desk to the car and then from the car back to the desk.....it matters that I found what I was looking for.

And it matters that the guys did not notice, or comment, that I am one disorganized chick.

Monday, March 27, 2006

TEN THINGS

Lisa's Ten Good Things Weekly

This is Lisa's idea and a pretty darn good one. On every Monday she is going to come up with ten good things that happened to here during the past week.

Pretty cool to focus on the good things in life. I carried a piece of paper around, tucked in my purse and when something nice happened, I would jot it down. Even while I was driving down the road. So some of them are difficult to read!

1) LSU beating Duke!! I will never forgive Duke and Christian Laettner for hitting the miracle shot at the final buzzer of the Regional tournament in 1992. If I see it one more time on TV I will scream. Sure, it was a great shot and he was 100% from the field and on the free throw line. A perfect game. But this was our Un-Forgettable UK Wildcat Team!! Anyone who beats Duke gets my total support!

2) I made a promise to myself a long time ago when I first started the journal that I would not write a hair entry. Oh how I have wanted to write a hair entry since then!! So many times!! This is not a hair entry, this is to just acknowledge that I walked into Great Clips and took my chances! You never know what might happen to you and your head. I got a very nice cut. It looks great. For that, I am so grateful.

3) I participated in the 10K (six + miles) in Louisville this week-end. Around mile four, my hip went out of joint.  Oh the pain! The pain!!  I did not quit as much as I wanted to. I finished it. Barely, but I finished it. I really need to practice more...

4) I lost five pounds in two weeks. Yea!

5) After the race Bridget and I drove around. I always take them out to eat. I wanted the delicious fish at the Suburban Women's Club Fish Fry. A great place that use to be a hole in the wall in the South End of Louisville. It was only open from April until November and then, only on Saturdays. When the Papa John stadium was built for the University of Louisville football team, eminent domain was the finish to the Fish Fry. A brand new modern building was built in the same neighborhood. The fish is still wonderful and scrumptious. And it was open this Saturday!! I purchased two pounds of it. There goes my diet...but I had just hobbled through six miles (+)!!!

6) Reading this great book...can't remember the name, something like The Fairy Princess of Brooklyn...and in it was this great story about her meeting Mick Jagger. I wish I had lived in NYC during the 1960's.

7) The sun was shining brightly on Sunday morning and I was able to take a few pictures with my new camera.

8) I made a trip to The liquor barn in Louisville for a "b double e double r u-n" for Joe. I found a bag of candy assorts that I love. I carried it around the store and then right before I checked out, I put it back. Shocker.

9) I couldn't remember the exact birthday of my long lost pal C., but I knew it was sometime last week. I put together a surprise birthday box of goodies and sent it off! It arrived on the right day! Her birthday!


10) Border Book store and their fabulous CD selection. I was able to find exactly what I was looking for, an Ibrahim Ferrer album. I have listened to it about 100 times since I found it. I love this guys voice. I was so crushed when I found out that he passed away in 2005.

This was a great exercise and I look forward to doing this every week!!

Thursday, March 23, 2006

......And I will sing a lullaby

 

Bridget and Tinkerbelle

While reading Coming to Terms with Middle Age by one of my favorite authors on AOL, Lisa, I saw where she has a wonderful idea of listing ten good things that happened to her over the past week. She is going to repeat this exercise every Monday. An call it TEN GOOD THINGS WEEKLY.

I think this is a great idea and I am going to join in and do it too!

Most this stuff happened last week. I noticed that I began with the most current stuff and worked backwards. So I rearranged it from the last week end through this past one. I'll play more fair this Monday!!

1)  I got to finally meet Tinkerbelle! The grand baby. She is beautiful and I have fallen in love immediately!

2) I got to see my baby Bridget and spend time with Mom and Dad and most of the rest of the family.

3) I sent the pictures of the St. Paddy Parade in Louisville to my sis and her husband, who neglected to bring a camera. My B-I-L left a message on my cell phone that said, "I wouldn't trade two brother in laws for one you."  It really touched me. So sweet.

4) I was im-ing with my long lost gal pal K. for hours one evening! Catching up on people and girl stuff.

5) I got that wonderful Nikon Digital SLR camera I have wanted for a long time!!

6) My boss D. is a great guy. I am realizing how good he is...for me. He does not let SH** run downhill. He does not call you into the office and close the door when you have screwed up. It is a real change from the Lex. office.

7) University of Kentucky almost beat U-Conn Sunday. There were moments that I thought it just might happen! That it was going to happen! My brackets are ruined! I should know better than to ever count out the SEC teams! Never doubt they will make it past the first round!  I shot myself in the foot.

8) The week-end in Cleveland and the Saw Doctor concert.

9) My fabulous sister Omega. For a birthday present to me she burnt several Irish CD's and I am having the best time listening to all this new music.

10)  Joe....the other night he was channel surfing and called tome, "The Buena Vista Social Club" is on Sundance. I had no idea that a documentary had been made describing the men and the music behind the Grammy winning album.

It was absolutely wonderful to see the faces of the men who made this music that I love so much and play all the time. And I do mean all the time!

The music is so sweet and so old school. I love them all, but Ibrahim Ferrer has stolen my heart. He is referred to as the Nat King Cole of Cuba. His voice is like silk.

As I looked over at Joe....he was out like a light.

That type of music is like a lullaby to him. He had to start watching Lost in Translation at least three times before he stopped falling asleep to the dreamy music.

This is a wonderful exercise to focus on the good things in your life. The tiny things (and at times not so tiny) that make up the sum of a life.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

So Not the end...

BANG A GONG GET IT ON

The lights were turned up. The roadies  took the stage now.

We were left with  HAY  HAY  HAY ringing in our ears.

Magic hung in the air.

We called our limo ride. He informed us he would be there at 1130. We retired to the bar to wait. We ordered two more gigantic 32 ounce beers to split between the four of us.

We were talking of non-important things and suddenly Linda stands straight up, points and announces. "THERE IS LEO!!!" (guitar player and cutie-extraordinaire.)

By golly he had entered the bar to talk and meet the fans. How cool is that? I mean really, how cool is that??

Linda and I go running over there and she asks if she can take his picture with me! He immediately puts his arm around me and she snaps this occasion with my cell phone!

Then I begin to babble. "Leo, our cousin in Galway is the God-father to your child." He looks terribly confused and frowns. "You don't have any children, do you?" He shakes his head no.

Damn.

I go back to the table. I tell Omega what I have done. "You big dummy! It's not Leo! It one of the original band members who is no longer with the band. It's not our cousin, but the brother of the man she married." She shook her head in sympathy of my Larry David-ness.

"Do you think I should go apologize to him. Tell him I was confused, it was Bono and not him?"

Then, she asked if she needed to save the picture. I stupidly told her it saved automatically.........

It's gone.

But the magic lives on.

And I found out they are head lining at the Irish Festival in Dublin Ohio this August.

I'll set things straight with Leo then.

MAY I PRESENT.........

THE SAW DOCTORS

There was not a soul anywhere! Only a guy outside standing on the street yelling "Tickets! Tickets!"

Are we at the right place!!? Where is everyone! Les was gone. The streets were deserted. It was pitch black, except for the Agora sign. The "O" was burnt out.

With some trepidation we went in. Down a dimly lit hallway and one turn to the left...there it was, the double glass doors to enter the Agora.

As soon as the doors opened, the heat, the smell, the noise engulfed us and sucked us in.

I heard them! They were already on stage. I ran into the ballroom blindly without looking back. I ran right into the back of the theatre into a thickly packed crowd. "How long have they been on stage?" I screamed, because he could not hear me any other way over the crowd, "About 20 minutes.", he relied.

Oh hell.

They were great. They were marvelous. They were wonderful. They sang and sang. N-17 was performed very early. We all sang along. As we did to most the songs. New ones were intertwined with all the classics.

I wanted to call Joe and let him listen to SHARE THE DARKNESS, one of the songs he likes....

Why don't we share the darkness tonight
Ah life's too short for wasting
For ifs and might have been's
Life's too short for wondering if
You could have lived your dreams
And its way too short for loneliness
We don't have to be
Now that we trust each other
Why don't you stay with me?
Why don't we share the darkness tonight
Make it warm and burning bright
I'll not say nothing
I'll be polite
Why don't we share the darkness tonight

........but I knew all he would hear would be people around me singing along with the dreamy lyrics.

So I enjoyed it meself, with a 32 ounce beer in one hand and waving my other arm in tune with the music and in a brotherhood with the others in the room.

They left the stage and naturally we coaxed them back on chanting/singing the soccer anthem that is a major part of the show, provided by the concert goers.

And they returned!! And did about six more songs.

Things get a little blurry here. And loud and sentimental. A big delightful surprise was their performance of  BANG A GONG....!!

And they finished with HAY WRAP.

Then, they left the stage and the magic lingered.

Photo's courtsey of Saw Doctor's web site

LUCK OF THE IRISH

I handed over the concert tickets to Omega, knowing she would never misplace nor lose them. I breathed a gigantic sigh of relief with the passing of the tickets. That type of pressure is a real Buzz Kill.

We went to dinner at a marvelous restaurant down around the corner called John Q's. We had thick juicy wonderful steaks. We knew that it was imperative that we have a large substantial meal in our stomachs before heading to the Angora Ballroom for the concert.

We had called ahead to check on the number of bands to determine our departure time. The time on the tickets was 8pm, but Omega thought that they would take the stage a lot later if there was an opening act. There was, so we were going to take our time and not get there too early.

No front row for us. Omega has been there before and assured me I did not want the front, because a trip to the bathroom would be almost impossible, if not life threatening.

We arrived at the hotel lobby and they immediately asked for taxi service. The doorman  went to action jumping out into the street and whistling! Omega handed over the tickets to everyone. I had my ticket clutched tightly in my hand. My money was in my right pocket, my cell phone in the left. I was not going to take the camera. Boo-hoo.

No taxi's were available. It was a grand night for the taxi cab business and none were near!

Suddenly, there appeared our savior! Les! We were going to take a limo to the Angola!!! Since there were no taxi's at large, the doorman asked Les, who was a regular operator at the hotel, to take us!

It really wasn't a limo, but it was a beautiful ride in a brand new Towncar.

"Where are you going?"

"To the Agora!!"

"What!! I thought they closed the Agora! Only homeless are there now!"

We arrived in style and asked Les if he could pick us up after the concert. He wanted to go drink a few soda pops too...but he was picking up customers from the Airport, he might maybe could retrieve us. He handed over his card.

"How much?" we asked.

"Hell, I don't know." he replied.

I love this guy.

Omega took care of him, and into the Agora we went.

It was pretty scary looking.

DELIGHTFUL DISPENSATION

If the Bishop says so.......

It was so bitter cold! So cold that I watched the end of the parade from inside the building sheltered from the elements.

It is little fun when you are not part of the crowd, so I made my way to the bar and began to watch the NCAA tournament games and ordered an Irish Coffee.

Because.......of dispensation. The Catholic Bishop announced from the alter last Sunday that God understood about St. Paddy Day. (I have given up alcohol for Lent).

The bar became totally crazy in time. Omega called me asking how to find the hotel...at least that is what it sounded like she was asking. It was difficult to hear her over the roar of the masses huddled together bellied up to the bar.

I met her in the room a little while later.

"Where is your luggage?" she asked as I sat on one of the beds with a Sam Adams in one hand, and the tickets to the Saw Doctors in the other.

"In the car!"

"And the car is.........????"

"I'm not sure. I left it with someone at the front of the hotel."

"You mean you just handed over your car over to someone????!!!!!!"

"Yes......gosh, I sure do hope he works with the hotel!!!"

Not to fear. He did.

 

Third Largest St. Paddy Parade in the World!

Going into Cleveland I knew that the St. Paddy Parade was starting around 1pm in the downtown area. By the luck of the Irish, it was going to be ending right in the vicinity of the Marriott hotel, where we were staying.

That was the good news.

The bad news is that the weather was beautiful, through a trifle frigid, and close to a quarter million people were expected to converge to the downtown area.

I was trying to time my arrival to avoid being re-routed by the parade, thus ruining my Map Quest instructions and throwing everything into a flux. I was successful and rolled into the Public Square area a little before noon. Yet, too early to check into the hotel!

I did have to drive around downtown and circle the area to find the hotel! I was on the verge of rolling down a window and asking help from one of the many police officers (now they are my friend) positioning around the parade route area. As I located the nearest office, lo and behold, he was standing underneath the (suble) Marriott signage. I had to circle the block one more time, looking for a parking structure. There was none to be found, so I entered the front of the hotel and was immediately pounced upon by a guy with a clip board. He opened the car door for me, asked if I was staying at the hotel, informed me that it was crazy (duh) and too early to check in, the lot was full but they would park my car, return it when I wanted to retrieve my luggage, I could charge valet parking to my room (which I still did not have), here is your ticket.....have a nice day.

I grabbed my camera, the wonder hat and my make up bag. Silently offering up a prayer to God that I had pulled the rollers out of my hair moments after exiting the Expressway.

If you ever see a woman driving down Expressway with a ton of rollers in her hair, looking like a space alien, it is more than likely me.

I hit the streets and began to mill with the crowd forming to watch the parade.

It was bitter cold, and I was in awe of all the highschool age kids who are immune to sub-zero temperatures. There were literally thousands and thousands of them running about with nothing more that green t-shirts over another long sleeved t-shirt, walking huddled forward, laughing and yelling at each other and blowing those large green plastic horns that are inevitable at these venues. And the teenage girls with short mini skirts and knee high green socks!! Arms crossed over their chests for warmth.

Oh to be young!

To describe the crowd and do it justice is beyond my capabilities. It was like a living breathing thing, constantly changing and growing...and crossing the streets.

As the crowd reached critical mass, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to see the parade unless I climbed up on something, like the shoulders of a six foot ten strong (very strong) super man. Not going to happen.

So I wandered back to the hotel area knowing that the parade was going to make a turn after marching down Superior and end at the Public Square, directly by the Hotel.

It was there I got some nice photo's with my new camera.

Every single Pipe and Drum band in the Ohio area was in the parade. It was fantastic!

WAY TO GO OHIO

Since moving to Indiana I have put in a considerable amount of windshield time. Either we are traveling back to Our Old Kentucky Home or heading to some new, always exotic location. It is some sort of phenomenon that so many major cities are only two to three hours away from Ft. Wayne!!

I traveled alone to meet my Sister, Omega, and her friends in Cleveland on Friday St. Patricks Day. We had  MAJOR  plans. The first of which, for me, was to get there.

Thank God that on the eighth day He created Map Quest. Map Quest has yet to fail me. I marvel each time I land at the correct destination in one piece. The trip to Cleveland was no different.

I started driving about an hour later than I wanted to leave, but all was cool. The sun was shining and I was stoked and excited. I had the tickets to the show we were seeing that night in the zipped pocket of my purse. I knew this for a certain fact. For two days I had worried that I was going to leave the tickets behind...or lose them. One of the various neuroses that I harbor in my otherwise perfect self.

One of the other neuroses (or maybe one and the same) is my obsessive compulsion to read the directions over and over until I have them memorized, then I fear I have memorized the wrong thing, so I look at them over and over again.

The Map Quest mile by mile instructions were laying on the passenger seat, under my magnifying glasses for quick reference.

And so I traveled from Indiana down Route 24 to meet up with I80/I90 East in Akron and then a straight shot into Cleveland.

Once I hit the Ohio Turnpike, I wanted to put the pedal to the metal. Anyone who has traveled Route 24 will understand. It is a connection from Ft. Wayne to the pathways of America. And it is a two laner. A miserable excruciating ride when you are behind semi trucks and too chicken to pass because your eyesight ain't what it use to be and God knows where you put your long distance glasses since the move last June!!!

Everyone that has ever traveled through Ohio knows this...there are cops everywhere on the Expressways and they mean business.

I was speeding along at a pleasant 75 passing everyone and knowing that I acting irresponsible and tempting the Speeding Ticket god's to zap me down. I was relieved that half way through the trip a SUV came speeding past me!!! Hurray!! I was just waiting for someone to do just that so I could catch a ride on their tail!

And so I did. I was reluctant to keep up with him at the 80mph clip he was zoned into. I just kept him in sight the entire last leg of the trip.

As I drew closer to Cleveland I had the incredible urge to re-read the Map Quest instructions again. Exit 141, I'm certain it has to be exit 141, but I will check just the same.

On go the glasses, I place the instructions on the center of the steering wheel and run my thumb down the side to find the line I am searching for....and then I see them! Two State cops sitting on the center mediums each pointed in an opposite direction. My stomach fell, my adrenaline began pumping and I quickly glanced at my speedometer.

Thank God my obsessive-compulsive behavior had caused me to slow down to under 70. I was safe!!!

But not the lead SUV. The police pulled out moments after I passed by and headed around me and in short time had the SUV pulled over.

I did feel bad for him. A ticket on St. Patrick's Day. Bad Luck. He must not be Irish.

But I am.

I obeyed the speed limits as I cruised into downtown Cleveland. Map Quest came through for me once again, and landed me right where I needed to be.

In the midst of the St. Patrick Day Parade in Cleveland.

Friday, March 17, 2006

DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?

I BIT THE BULLET

After months and months of indecision and anguish, I finally worked up the courage to say, "I'll take it." to a Nikon D-50 DSLR.

It was my birthday present to myself. 

I read the start-up manual (gasp!!!) and crossed my fingers as I slid in the battery! It worked!

Quick!! Give me something to photograph. I headed down to Headwaters Park and walked about a quarter mile in the brisk, numbing wind looking for something, anything. 

As I headed back to the car, after taking several shots of murky water and frozen geese...I noticed this blur of.......color!

Yes!!!!  The first little glimpse and promise of spring!!!!!

The sun came out, briefly. Beautiful.

Then it began to snow. 

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

ST PADDY PARADE 2006

I Love this Picture

I hate the fact she has a cigarette dangling from her lips. I like the colors.

For the entire parade, a picture(s) is worth a thousand words.

Go look at  my Flickr.

Monday, March 13, 2006

How I spent my Week-end

First leg of the Triple Crown

I have never run a race in the middle of a thunder storm. It was pretty crazy and thrilling. I figured in the midst of 5,000 people, that lightening strike was not going to hit me.

Bridget and I got there early because I had yet to pick up my packet and running chip. It was like a ghost town, with very few people milling about. I warmed up walking around the concourse of the baseball field keeping an eye on the light show going on above the Ohio River to the North.

As we lined up to begin the race, the heaven opened up and everyone was drenched. We chanted, "START THE RACE!!! START THE RACE". And they started the race!
 
It poured at times, it drizzled at times. I overheard a runner imitating Forrest Gump, "Sometimes it was stinging rain!!!" as the water hit us straight in the face coming in hard from the North!

Despite the lightening and the OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG and AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHINNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG when the flashes and cracks were particularly close, it was wonderful and exhilarating.

I ran the whole way and had a terrible race time. Humiliating race time. Demoralizing race time.

Yet, I loved every minute of it.

On to the 10k (six miles) in two weeks. This time, I am going to practice more.

Thursday, March 9, 2006

THESE ARE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

ONE TIME AT KINDERGARTEN........

I mentioned my storage space in a previous entry which propelled me to go on a visit. The idea was to take some items and leave them there.

What I ended up doing was to drag a huge box of photographs home with me. As I was beginning the delicious task of digging through them I immediately laid my hands on this gem

Bridget's first day at school. She is on the right. Two buddies from the day care are to the left.

New dress for first day at school.........$25

New tennis shoes................................$15

Picture from poloroid camera (circa 1985).............Priceless.

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

Monday Photo Assignment

Your Bookshelf

Could not resist this challenge. I grabbed the camera and snapped my small (one and only) stash of books in the house. The remainer of my book collection (obsession?) rests in the storage area I have been forced to rent!!!

You can see my...Italian addiction, Irish addiction, travel addiction...those who I love on top, and my old Nikon F camera in the left bottom corner.

 

Sunday, March 5, 2006

GIFTS OF INSPIRATION

Me with the "Irish Twins"....from my Mom's collection

My Mom began going through her collection of photographs. Photographs that span many decades and include many generations. She divided them into six piles for each of us.

I have mixed feelings about this turn of events. The pleasure of covertly spending time alone in the guest bedroom, among the many boxes of treasures holding the jewels of our family's history has been weakened. The "stash" has been wildly diminished.

I am suspect that she is going through the seemingly millions of snap shots. My Mom is a first class pack rat. Not once in our monthly family gathering has she failed to produce an article from the 1960's highlighting some significant event relating to our family, or a picture drawn in first grade by one of us that she just happened to run across. Or a contract that she has unearthed that one of us signed in our irresponsible youth promising aherence to the family rules.

I groan inwardly when I am the focus of her reminiscing. But how would I feel if I weren't!!! My sister Omega silently stews. Sometimes not so silently. It is tough to be the youngest of six. She feels that Mom and Dad were worn out by the time she hit her wild teenage years.

What she had were five older brothers and sisters!! To learn from. To emulate (oh God!!) and tag along with. Some of the stories the two youngest girls can tell!! My brother taking them to a R rated movie at a young tender age (Saturday Night Fever). The wild rides in the car with teenagers being delivered to ballet or piano lessons! Who could have had a more colorful childhood.

Alas, not enough pictures.

I ache over the dividing up of her memories. I feel tremendous denial and sorrow when my mother asks me what I would like from the house when they pass.

"I want you to live forever....I want nothing."

What I really want is to go through all the remaining pictures, letters, postcards, newpaper articles, souvenirs, diaries (my mother is a note book junkie having several laying around in various rooms), her stamp collections, her precious memories from the years that she would not, could not bear to part with.

And I want them to live forever.

Friday, March 3, 2006

JUST A HIPPIE GYPSY

"There was a star danced, and under that was I born."
                                                                          William Shakespeare

Happy Birthday to Me (one day early)

I am the first child of six. My parents laugh about my Grandfather saying, "Have the girls first, make all the mistakes". There was barely time to make mistakes as two of my three brothers were born within two years two months of my beginning.

I barely had enough time to be the only child. Forever I shall be the eldest as this fact lies in constant remarks from my mother, "You are the oldest.....(fill in the blank)..."

I was born in a town in New York. My parents moved to a small village called Jefferson Valley where I have my first memories. Memories of cold long winters with lots of snow. Hunters hanging a deer above my sand box. My "can do no wrong" brother knocking over a yard jockey and I getting the blame, falling down stairs, the sunlight spilling through the window into my bassinet.

If I try hard, I am certain I can squeeze out several more, but these memories are burned into my memory as real events. There are dozens of other memories, mainly stories that have been repeated so often that they are almost memories but I can't be certain. Each once deserving of its own entry complete with embellishments from the years following.

When I was four or five we moved to Kentucky due to my father's employment with IBM. I am certain this is the beginning of my love affair with traveling to places unknown just for the thrill of traveling.

My mother bordered the train with my two younger brothers for the trip.

I was given the honor of traveling with my father in the car!! I was wearing a hat. It blew out the window.

That is all I remember about the trip.

Perhaps it is family legend about the hat and not really a memory. I wonder if I had my head sticking out the window. Or if I innocently rolled the window down and the naughty hat caught flight and began a journey of its own.

I wonder if I innocently (or not) allowed the hat to fly out and escape.

That was  the beginning of my love affair with getting from here to there. The anticipation of packing, of arriving at the airport, or leaving the outskirts of town.

It all began way back when, when I was born a second time, as a Southerner.