Shooting Prague

Wanderlust Wednesday

'Check' This--A Game for You. Category: Weekend Travel (no kids) The Clue: *sounds like*:

Frog.

click here for the rules.

D'ya know where I am? Wish you were here?

Leave your link if you're playing.
And a comment with your guess (and expressions of envy) of course.

1. Soccer Mom in Denial 2. citizen jane 3. Flower Child

4. Kate Forsey 5. Allie 6. Jen of a2eatwrite

7. CableGirl 8. Goofball

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Begs the Question

Last Friday when I posted the flashback to that long ago (okay, it was a year ago) interview, I left a tagline with the invitation to ask a question in the comments section.

I got one.

I think it was a good one.

The question, asked by 1 picture a day, is this:

If you had to choose between
1.) no more wine (alcohol) the rest of your life
or
2.) no more coffee the rest of your life
which would you choose?

My first, rather flip, answer to her was that I am currently on hiatus from both substances in my life so there wasn't a contest really.

But then we talked about it.

And talked about it some more.

And a little more after that.

And I kinda started thinking.

I have an answer for this question, but before I divulge that answer (while reminding you that this is how I feel about coffee); I am asking the same question of you.

Go ahead, wax poetic in your comment today and tell me which you'd live without and why you choose what you do.

And if you are not a coffee and/or wine drinker then please answer this question:
Chocolate or Chips?

Or even this one:
Starburst or Skittles?

Or, hey, you could pose your own question and then answer it. I don't mind.

I just want to hear what you have to say.

It's Spring--Fo Shizzle

View from my garden Wednesday

Looking for Someone?

You'll find me here today.

Come on over and play.

Whatever it Takes

The ingredients necessary:

• A set of enthusiastic, energetic, forward thinking, selfless teenagers (do they make those?) who use the project requirement of their International Honor Society and turn it to an opportunity to make the world a little better. They plan and carry out a benefit concert for the organization Dance 4 Life (a group which mobilizes and unites young people to push back AIDS and HIV 4Life)
  
  Kids like this, perhaps:
  

• A song, introduced to me via Allison of Soccer Mom in Denial, who seems to be on the cutting edge of all things cool. She blogged about it once, and we've been singing it in this house ever since (Andrew knows every word).
  A song such as this:
  
  

• A friend like this who introduces me to the selfless, forward thinking, energetic, enthusiastic teenagers. We collaborate. We brainstorm. I create. (I like doing that)

• A group of willing, or perhaps not so, youth participants (Emma among them) who are surprised by my presence one week during their weekly meeting. "Dance? Us?" They ask. I answer. "You better believe it."
  
  They do.

The product rendered:

• An enjoyable, uplifting afternoon for all involved.


• More than 650 euros raised for the cause.


• That little rush for all of us that something good just happened here.

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More music links at Soccer Mom in Denial.

(Click the button. It can transport you.)

Blowing Through My Open Window

breeze.

click here for the rules.

Leave a message, leave your link. I'll be sitting in the sun.

1. Soccer Mom in Denial 2. Flower Child 3. Anneke

4. citizen jane 5. Goofball 6. Res

7. Jen of a2eatwrite

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I Still Have Something to Say

So for the first time in about a million years, I am playing Flashback Friday hosted weekly by Cablegirl at 42. And the way I am doing it today is this: I am flashing back to exactly approximately one year ago. This post that follows sits in my archives and was written when I had been blogging just over a month. As you will read, at that writing I had about 80 posts on this blog. At this writing today, as my blog just recently passed its one-year-in-production mark, I have 373 posts sitting in the archives. I suppose I am making good on my title. I do have something to say. And you can trust me that there is still more to come.

This is an interview style post, with questions posed by Allison of Soccer Mom in Denial. I have other pressing questions sitting in my email inbox from both Jen of A2eatwrite and Goofball of Goofball's world. I am confident both women think I have long forgotten about those interviews. I assure them I have not and intend (honestly!) to answer some of those probing questions in the coming days. You want to know what I have to say. Right? Am I right?

Yeah, you'll be back.

Now then, finishing this ultimately too long lead, I now give you last April's post. Original date: 19 April 2007.

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I am going to confess something here. I like to talk. I know this comes as something of a shock to you as there is no evidence to support that statement. I mean, it's not like there are already close to 80 posts on this 50-day old blog. No, wait. There ARE nearly 80 posts here. I must have been thinking of somebody else.

But since we are on the subject of me, let's just linger awhile.

My new mentor and greatest cyber supporter Soccer Mom in Denial has recently been interviewing friends and fellow bloggers. I have so enjoyed reading the answers to her questions and actually have been tickled by the questions themselves. So much so, that I just couldn't stand it anymore and I asked if I could join in and play. I like to be included in what all the cool kids are doing. She happily complied and sent me the following questions.

Here is what I have to say.

1. If you could go anywhere with your family (and money and time were not a factor) where would you go?

At the very moment I am typing this I am listening to my youngest son squeak and grunt as he cavorts around the living room attempting to elude the ride to bed in his daddy's arms. My oldest son is gyrating through an impromptu Napoleon Dynamite dance on the rug in front of me; and my daughter is asking if she can have 30 Euro for a lunch card at school. So in answer to the query, if I could go anywhere right now, (and the return time were not a factor) it would be WITHOUT my family. To anywhere.
Seriously, my answer is anywhere. And everywhere. I have an incredible wanderlust and I absolutely love to go. Go and see. And there are myriad places to go and see in this big, wonderful world.
Where shall we meet?

2. What is your typical Friday like?

It seems so trite to respond this way, but my Fridays are complete TGIF days. Friday is the one day of the week that I don't have a destination first thing in the morning. No school for Andrew, no dancing class, no coffee groups, no Mom/Tot meetings. It's a day made just for me and my special guy and our pajamas.
There is NO SCHEDULE on a Friday and after the morning wake up ritual of munching breakfast in front of the BBC, we make it up as we go along. The big kids are out the door by 8:00 to cycle to school and Don leaves shortly after that for work. Andrew and I indulge in watching The Tweenies and checking email (you can make your best guess about who does which) and just take the day as it comes.
Friday nights are reliably date night with my husband. I never turn that down. He's a great guy to hang out with.

3. Why Arizona before the Netherlands?

Why Arizona? Because I was born to be barefoot of course.

Why Arizona before The Netherlands is a longer story. Our convoluted path since we married began in Southern Utah, and then a stop in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both were education related moves. Most of our moves have been education related, as a matter of fact. With undergraduate school tucked away we were faced with some choices for Don's law school education. Initially we were set to return to Utah for that three-year course of study but then a letter arrived from the University of Arizona, with an offer we couldn't refuse. We moved to Tucson with our Honda Civic and a 10' trailer which held EVERYTHING WE OWNED and became desert rats for essentially the next twelve years. Eight of those years we spent in Phoenix.

4. Do your kids have the same life-is-an-adventure attitude as you?

Uh... yes. Maybe. And no.

My daughter is one of the most adaptable people I know. She seems to take anything and everything in stride when it comes to moves and changes and adventures. I have joked that we could move to Mars in the morning and by evening she would have found alien playmates and would have already scheduled her first sleep over.
My youngest of course doesn't seem to mind whatever it is we are doing or wherever it is we are. As long as he can "do it myself-okay?" and count on his peanut butter, then it's all good for him.
My oldest is my most routine oriented child. He just likes things the way he likes them, and though he has adapted beautifully to this experience and has grown immensely, I believe his preference would be to settle and stay somewhere. I picture him years from now, living a stable life IN ONE PLACE while he rolls his eyes to the top of his head as his parents pull up to his driveway in a ramblin' RV. We are a little on the flitty side and he is deeply rooted.

5. What were you in high school (e.g. jock, dramaclub, studious)?

I was a drama clubbing, madrigal singing, poetry writing social butterfly. And by the butterfly part I mean that I was (and still am) able to find a comfort spot with all kinds of people. Like a chameleon I can blend in with my environment. The bottom line is I really like people and I believe we all have more in common than what we sometimes perceive. It's all about spending time with each other and finding out just what that may be.

6. What did you expect when you started blogging?

I expected that I would find it to be cathartic and a worthwhile creative exercise. I hoped it would help me hone my writing skills. I also hoped it would help me process and record some of the experiences here. Both of those hopes are being satisfied as I blog. What I didn't realize was that it would bring me such deep satisfaction to write and share all of this every day. In addition I have been most surprised by the sweet support out there from readers and other bloggers. I didn't expect at all to find a group of terrific and loyal friends because of it. But I did. And that is a perfect sweep of icing on my blogging cake.

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Do you have questions for me too? Ask away, by email or in the comments section. I will be happy to wax forth poetically on all things me for as long as y'all think you can possibly stand it. Bring it. I can take it.

Pass it to Me

The other day, I was assisting Andrew in his nightly disrobing (always a production, believe me.) After the removal of his socks, I balled them together and shot them toward the open laundry hamper standing in the corner of the bedroom. As previously revealed here at this blog, my hoop shooting skills are not what you would call superstar or stellar. Of course, I missed.

"Oh! You missed Mom! You missed!"

"Yeah, buddy, I missed."

"Yeah, you lose!"

"I what?"

"You lose, Mom, you lose!"

"I lose, huh? Tell me what you know about that."

"Well, Mom. Sometimes that happens. Sometimes you lose."

"Yes, bud, I suppose that's true."

"Yeah, it's okay Mom. Just sometimes you lose. That's all. Sometimes you lose."

He patted my hand and walked away. Chalk it up to life lessons from a nearly five-year-old. Reflecting on this logic I follow the thought to its completion and figure if sometimes you lose, then other times you win, right?

Am I right?

Send in the Clowns

Chillin' Wednesday

Nothing But

Friends,
Something you should know about me: Sometimes I write for you. Most of the time, I write for me.

Love,

Jenn

********************************

Yesterday, I met a man 58 years married and 3 years a widower. He smiled warmly at Don and I across the table in the waiting room. He tentatively began a conversation with us. He was a kind man, you could see it in his face; the way his eyes sparkled as he spoke and the easy laugh which echoed his words drew me in. He began to natter incessantly as if he was in a hurry to talk to someone, since as he explained he didn't have much chance to do so nowadays. He grinned as he talked away with animated hand gestures and dramatic expressions. He talked about everything, and he talked about nothing. I had a hard time joining in the conversation fully (the Dutch was a little fast for me) but I found myself captivated by his monologue and fascinated by his speech. He spoke about his life, his language, his wife. We asked questions, he answered. After a few minutes, suddenly more earnest than before, he looked at me and with definitive gesture, his hand pointing between us and circling us in, said "You must remember, you have him and he has you. That's what's important."

I believe he spoke the truth.

********************************

Listen for Awhile

It's Music Monday, friends. Visit Soccer Mom in Denial for more.

*************************************

When I was eight years old, I remember sitting, delicately perched, at the end of the piano bench as my mother played, and learning every word to Killing Me Softly made popular by Roberta Flack. In 1974 I was far too young to really understand the nuance of the lyrics but I loved singing alongside my mom as she worked through the melody and we sang out a life in the words. That's a song that kind of sticks with you.

This is another one.

I was directed to this piece by a good (amazing, kind, beautiful, wonderful, compassionate, incredible+) friend the other day. As I googled it and found both lyrics and video for this tune, I was stunned and overwhelmed. Someone was singing my life with her words. Suddenly, every passion that Ms. Flack had ever embedded in the words she sang in her tune in that 70's hit, made perfect sense to me. Clear and perfect sense.

(This is the moment in time wherein you label me as a maudlin, sappy, idealistic and overly romantic little girl, and I will wear that badge proudly, because at my core I know I am all that and I am okay with it. Really.)

Hold me love, you know I can't sleep again
You know I have to kiss your lips-
I wanna lay here next to you

I remember walking in the rain
Rain was falling on my hands
I don't wanna live through that again, love.

Outside it hardly gets dark now
Lovers walking in the park now
Children singing songs that
Will now make all our dreams come true
I'm in love with you

I know it takes love
Love is a healing thing
When you give everything
You're loving the world
The world gives you love to hold onto
Remember who, when summer is over

Just give me many chances
I'll see you through it all
Just give me time to learn to crawl

In September, when the rains come,
and the wind blows, I will see you walking in your coat,
And if you let me, I will keep you here inside the stars
I will love the sound of my sheets
Since you have moved beneath them

Just give me many chances
I'll see you through it all
Just give me time to learn to crawl*

Written and originally recorded by Rickie Lee Jones, the following video was recorded by Jasmine Whenham. (I like it best of all that I could find on Youtube) It touches me in ways I can hardly explain. So, if you have a quiet minute to get carried away, by all means press play.

I know it takes love.

*RICKIE LEE JONES Stewart's Coat

*************************

+ The friend of whom I speak is our guest today at Looking Into.

Please pop over and say a little something to her. It's worth the trip click.

I promise.

Shooting Spring

(It all gets bigger than life with a click)

Surely Seems It's Here to Stay

Spring.

click here for the rules.

Sun touching your skin? Celebrate with me!

Leave a comment and leave your link if you're playing.

1. citizen jane 2. Flower Child

3. Goofball 4. mariposa

5. mentalmosaic

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Music and Medicine

laughter.

click here for the rules.

Is it echoing in your ears?

Join the play. Leave a comment and your link if you've posted.

1. Flower Child

2. Mariposa

3. Anneke

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And Then the Tears Fell

I woke up this morning to a sweet surprise in my inbox. A surreal surprise really, but a welcome one all the same.
Judd Corizan of The Rising Blogger dropped me a line, a warm message, and a code for this button:

It is an award for this post. Someone pointed it out (who are you? I thank you kindly) and he picked it for the post of the day.

So I cried. Not only when I read his words in the email, but also when I read the post at his place. I don't have words enough to say thanks enough for the kindness shown. Perhaps you can help by popping by his and leaving a comment. Tell him I sent you.

Thanks and thanks and thanks again.

All my love,

Jenn

Apply Within

As I am writing this I am staring straight on at my eldest son, who, perched in front of me, hand outstretched in hopes of some money sliding across his palm, is wearing a t-shirt with a single sentence written across the chest.

I didn't do it.

Kind of the perfect sentiment for this kid, I'd say. It may fall just short of Do I have to? if you were actually looking for the mantra most repeated.

I am suddenly thinking I should take up t-shirt writing and design. And start a screen printing business.

I could start simply with just the most oft spoken phrases around this house. Things like:

'We gotta get us a cool car!' (Andrew)
'Okay, okay, hang on a sec.' (Emma)
'Is this a paid job?' (Ian)
'I'll be there directly' (Don)
and 'Seriously, dude, where are your pants?' (that's me)

I'm thinking there just might be something to this.
Feedback for market research now being accepted in the comments section.

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Sunshine on display at the photo blog.

Come on over, bask in it.

Tell me you stopped by.

My Office: Fridays 4 p.m.

Stop by anytime.

Red Wine Wednesday