Friday, August 3

15 Consolations

We have counted it down, crossed off the days on the calendar, torn the rings from the paper chain, and finally it is here! My Mom and Dad arrive today!
It is impossible to sum up the excitement we are feeling about the touchdown of that airplane they are aboard.

Ecstatic?
Thrilled?
Eager?
Keyed Up?

Yep. All of that.

We will give them exactly one night to adjust themselves to the European clock and tomorrow morning the seven of us will be piling into a rented van to take a road trip through Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Our ultimate destination is the village of Praz sur Arly where we spent Christmas 2006. We have rented two chalet style flats for our stay and plan to spend our time exploring the area, taking in the countryside by foot, and enjoying the week away together.

When I say away, I mean that in a very literal sense. There will be no television, no phone and no wireless hookup where we are going. Obviously, I will be out of touch.


For your pleasure while I am away, and ultimately mine when I return, I leave you with this list of links to ME.



  • Things maybe you haven't read because you weren't here yet.

  • Photos you might not have seen.

  • Posts which are crying out for your feedback, your opinions, your comments.
Even if you've read them before, tell me you stopped by. It will make me feel all tingly inside. Really. Just share a little love won't you?

It may look like a long list, but take it in just like you'd face an elephant on your dinner plate: One bite at a time friends.

First the posts:

Then, the photos:

It's something to do right? You'll visit every day while I am gone, yes?

I can't wait to see what you have to say.



Friday Fifteen

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*quickly! an update before I leave for the airport*

Still shameless self-promotion here. Scribbit's Write-Away contest for August has been posted. I get to judge the entries. You should give it a go! Come on, you know you want to.

And now, because Fourier Analyst asked, and because I said I would, here is another Haiku. It will be my last entry to Leslie's Haiku Buckaroo contest. (Really, Leslie, I am done inundating the inbox with entries!) If you haven't entered YET--and I know you will--you have until Friday, August 10 to get it done.

speaking the sublime
in complete coherent thought
is pure poetry

39 comments:

  1. Oh no. Oh no. I'm starting to shake. A whole week without you? Eep. Find the tissue box.

    But very slick use of the 15 list. But then you are pretty slick.

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  2. Gone for a long week.
    Have fun with the family!
    So, where's the haiku?

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  3. Sweet FA-

    No more Haiku here
    I fear I may be tapped out
    Nah! I only josh

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  4. SMID-
    Ah, dangit. I already miss you. Pass the tissues please.

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  5. Have a great time Jenn, that sounds fantastic. You will be missed. (off to read and browse old stuff)

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  6. Oh no, Jenn. The haiku cannot end! Can.NOT. I think you need to add a daily haiku to your blog or something. You have a gift for it! It's awesome.

    I know you will have so much fun with your family. It sounds like you have a wonderful trip planned, but oh how I will miss you. I'll be back to do my recommended reading, but I hope you'll still be composing haiku from the heart with me in mind. I'll be writing I MISS YOU poetry while you're gone.

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  7. P.S. Thank you for helping to make the Haiku Buckaroo contest such a success. YOU really got something going there!

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  8. Well, I'm starting at the top and working my way down. :)

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  9. Well sweetie, so you're outta here, eh? Sheesh! :)

    Since I just spent a gruelling week in the company of family and friends (in this case, I was the "visitor") it made me recall my old rule about being a visitor and/or a visitee. After years of doing that thing that you're doing (resting a night and then off to see the sights), I concluded that I much prefer to stay at home and be with the PEOPLE I'm with! (And they always find that they do, too!)Yes, we could do a little here and there. And yes, it's terribly hard to resist seeing the sights, especially when in another country.

    But I have found the sweet spot is in the spending time with the loved ones doing my (or their) every day mundane things.

    I'm gonna get back on that track.

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  10. I remember well the anticipation when my family would come to visit me in Italy. Enjoy every minute!

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  11. Oh, crap! I miss you already. To think that if I'd done things just a little bit different, I might have been able to stow away in your Mom's suitcase. Well, I guess I'll just have to go through your list to keep from going into complete withdrawal.

    Have a GREAT time!!

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  12. Hi Jenn,

    I might see you on the way, we head back tomorrow, so watch out for us...

    Cheers Mark

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  13. Have a wonderful trip, Jenn! It sounds heavenly!

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  14. Miss you already.
    Thanks for the consolations.
    Have a lovely trip.

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  15. Sounds like a GREAT trip! Enjoy your holiday!

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  16. Actually I think getting away from the phone, the net, the television and spending some REAL time with your loved ones sounds completely AWESOME.

    Enjoy!! And we'll 'see' you when you return.

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  17. Have a great time! Can't wait to hear about all of your fun!

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  18. Hi jenn! Please accept your award as Rockin' Girl Blogger.

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  19. hope you have fun with your parents. i bet it will be great! post photos.

    i've been spending all week with mine and it has been great. late next week i'll be back and around like normal.

    <3

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  20. *sniff*

    *gulp*

    *sob*

    I miss you desperately. But I hope you have fun, despite the empty hole you've left in your wake. Miss you. And yes, I'll totally go back through this list... at some point. You are a sneaky little devil, aren't you!

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  21. Crap! I snuck back in to check, but you really are gone. OK, back into the archives ...

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  22. Ok..almost halfway through while you are galivanting around Belle France.
    I wsh you sunshine and happy days Jenn

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  23. I am so excited for you and for the time you get to spend with all your family - and in great places!

    Can't wait to hear all about your adventures and memories you will have to share.

    Sending hugs :)

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  24. Despite the fact that your absence has meant that folks like Jami and SMID and Brillig have probably visited my site more, I am still not really happy that you are gone and keep checking you site to see if you had snuck out to an Internet cafe just to let us know you were thinking about us. No such luck. (sigh)

    I read all this archive stuff already and now have done it again. Good stuff, but not the same. Miss you.

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  25. Jenn? *sob* Jenn?

    YOUR FRICKIN' BRACKIN' TIME IS UP!!!!

    GET YOUR FRICKIN' BRACKIN' BACK-END BACK HERE!!!! (oooh, try saying that five times really fast!)

    And, what I mean by that, of course, is that I hope you're having a lovely time. Yeah, that's what I meant. Yeah...

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  26. Yeah, hi. Me again.

    I just wanted to tell you that I think this is the best of your haikus. Well I'm not a big fan of the haiku, this one is excellent. So, yeah. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

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  27. Nothin' ... still. Yanno, I think some folks are kind of obsessing about this. Not me, of course. Just some other folks.

    Dang - sure is quiet around here.

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  28. Omigod! How long are you going to be gone? Oh, I guess Friday... tomorrow... HURRY!

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  29. Jenn...

    Jenn?!

    JENN!!!

    It's already Friday. (sob. sniff.)


    jennifer?

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  30. too weak ... dizzy ... must find Jenn ... too long without ... don't know if I can go on ... Jenn? ... jn? ... j

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  31. *Teri gives Jami mouth to mouth ~ then slaps her on the ass*

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  32. Are you back yet??
    :)
    I am sure you had a wonderful time!

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  33. Jami - now TOTALLY! aroused - wonders where the hell Jenn is...

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  34. And JiH feeling a little bit more than aroused and amazed says: Hi y'all! I'm back.

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  35. I know you're enjoying your visit with the parental figure, but TAG! You're it!

    Manic Monday – Drop (The Middle Name Meme)

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