I think I've mentioned before that C.S. Lewis is my favorite author. He's also the person I always choose when presented with the question, "What famous person, living or dead, would you most want to have dinner with?" I love this guy. He has the most brilliant mind, and can express the most difficult ideas with clarity and elegance. I think I own almost everything he has ever written, and several things that have been written about him.
Today I was surfing the web and came across a quote of his that I have somehow never seen before. And, of course, I loved it. It's simple and profound all at the same time. That is a frequent paradox of his work.
"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." -C.S. Lewis
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Music Monday
I had heard a movie was coming out about one of my favorite rocker's life, but unfortunately I think the movie is stalled out right now. I hope it gets made because I would love to learn more about Janis Joplin. She had a unique style that I have always admired. Her voice is the perfect mix of gravely, soulful, and rich. She could really rock out. One of my favorites is Me and Bobby McGee, but I also like the song I chose for tonight. I chose Piece of My Heart because I think it shows off her vocal range the best. Is there a better female classic rock singer than Janis? I don't think so...
Piece of My Heart (1968)
Piece of My Heart (1968)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Memories
I may be opening Pandora's Box here, especially for those of you that have known me a long time.
In fact, I am a little nervous about this post, but ever since I saw it on Brooke's blog I figured I would give it a try. Please, be gentle.
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot-- or just from blogland-- anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
In fact, I am a little nervous about this post, but ever since I saw it on Brooke's blog I figured I would give it a try. Please, be gentle.
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot-- or just from blogland-- anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I Need Boxes
Maybe you can help.
Do you have a lot of boxes laying around that you can give or let me borrow?
Do you know a store that regularly has boxes in the back that people can take?
Are you a box manufacturer willing to trade merchandise for my hearty recommendation to all my friends and family?
I'm expecting to hit at least 2 out of 3 of these...help me folks!
Do you have a lot of boxes laying around that you can give or let me borrow?
Do you know a store that regularly has boxes in the back that people can take?
Are you a box manufacturer willing to trade merchandise for my hearty recommendation to all my friends and family?
I'm expecting to hit at least 2 out of 3 of these...help me folks!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Music Monday
Know what? I think I skipped music Monday last week. Oops.
But I'll make up for it with a soft, sexy, lovely song tonight.
I, along with millions of others, went through a huge Norah Jones phase when she first hit the scene several years ago. I could listen to her CD over and over without growing tired. I haven't thought of her much recently, but for some reason tonight I was reminded of how much I used to enjoy her music. It's soothing, wistful, romantic, sensual.
Come Away with Me (2002)
And let me take this chance to say hi to Amanda, whose blog I've been reading lately, and who has decided to do a musical Monday (with a twist) of her own. I enjoy finding out what kind of music people are listening to and loving. So if anyone else out there wants to jump on the music Monday bandwagon...please do!
But I'll make up for it with a soft, sexy, lovely song tonight.
I, along with millions of others, went through a huge Norah Jones phase when she first hit the scene several years ago. I could listen to her CD over and over without growing tired. I haven't thought of her much recently, but for some reason tonight I was reminded of how much I used to enjoy her music. It's soothing, wistful, romantic, sensual.
Come Away with Me (2002)
And let me take this chance to say hi to Amanda, whose blog I've been reading lately, and who has decided to do a musical Monday (with a twist) of her own. I enjoy finding out what kind of music people are listening to and loving. So if anyone else out there wants to jump on the music Monday bandwagon...please do!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
What a Moment
I just had an out of body experience.
Really! I did. I typed my name and suddenly became overwhelmed while looking at it. It looked so foreign to me. It was like I was seeing it for the first time. I thought, is this me? Is this what other people see when they look at my name? This name is sort of short and cute and bouncy. It doesn't even seem like my name. Have I been called this my entire life? Is my person somehow wrapped up in this 5 letter word?
For a few minutes I felt completely separate from my name. It was like it was not a part of me at all, and I was only a casual observer thinking about the look, feel, and sound of the name Becky. It's hard to describe exactly what was going on in my mind.
I've had this feeling with other words before. Sometimes if I use a word too many times, too quickly, it starts to look and sound strange. But that had never happened with my own name.
Has this ever happened to you?
Really! I did. I typed my name and suddenly became overwhelmed while looking at it. It looked so foreign to me. It was like I was seeing it for the first time. I thought, is this me? Is this what other people see when they look at my name? This name is sort of short and cute and bouncy. It doesn't even seem like my name. Have I been called this my entire life? Is my person somehow wrapped up in this 5 letter word?
For a few minutes I felt completely separate from my name. It was like it was not a part of me at all, and I was only a casual observer thinking about the look, feel, and sound of the name Becky. It's hard to describe exactly what was going on in my mind.
I've had this feeling with other words before. Sometimes if I use a word too many times, too quickly, it starts to look and sound strange. But that had never happened with my own name.
Has this ever happened to you?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Traumatized
I'm covering two incidents of trauma...and both involve hair.
First, Cody was traumatized when I showed him this photo I took of Nate yesterday.
Nate put this get-up on himself and came in to show me. I was a little surprised, and couldn't resist snapping his picture. He will probably hate this photo one day. Yep, I can almost guarantee he is going to hate it. Maybe almost as much as Cody does.
Then this afternoon we traumatized our youngest by using Cody's beard trimmer to basically shear the back of his head. (I know, I know, Cody doesn't have a beard. But he did grow one as an experiment about a year and a half ago so we still have the trimmer left over from that time.)
Lucas was NOT happy about his first hair cut. He was highly suspicious of the beard trimmer before we began. Then suspicion turned to terror. I tried to hold his screaming head still while Cody quickly trimmed. I should probably mention that neither of us had a clue about what we were doing. We just had a theory that the trimmer might do a pretty good job of removing the little blond mullet from our child. And I admit that we didn't even really care about how good this was going to look when we were done. I took the other two kids to a fancy kids' salon for their first cuts. I decided that this time, instead of forking out $20, we would just try it ourselves. Especially since at 18 months, we figured he probably doesn't really care what his hair looks like. Besides, if we messed it up too bad, we could always fall back on the fancy kids' salon to mend our efforts. Fortunately, it turned out cute (not perfect, but cute.) I am always amazed how that first cut can transform a child from baby-ish to more kid-like instantly. He looks so grown up!
First, Cody was traumatized when I showed him this photo I took of Nate yesterday.
Nate put this get-up on himself and came in to show me. I was a little surprised, and couldn't resist snapping his picture. He will probably hate this photo one day. Yep, I can almost guarantee he is going to hate it. Maybe almost as much as Cody does.
Then this afternoon we traumatized our youngest by using Cody's beard trimmer to basically shear the back of his head. (I know, I know, Cody doesn't have a beard. But he did grow one as an experiment about a year and a half ago so we still have the trimmer left over from that time.)
Lucas was NOT happy about his first hair cut. He was highly suspicious of the beard trimmer before we began. Then suspicion turned to terror. I tried to hold his screaming head still while Cody quickly trimmed. I should probably mention that neither of us had a clue about what we were doing. We just had a theory that the trimmer might do a pretty good job of removing the little blond mullet from our child. And I admit that we didn't even really care about how good this was going to look when we were done. I took the other two kids to a fancy kids' salon for their first cuts. I decided that this time, instead of forking out $20, we would just try it ourselves. Especially since at 18 months, we figured he probably doesn't really care what his hair looks like. Besides, if we messed it up too bad, we could always fall back on the fancy kids' salon to mend our efforts. Fortunately, it turned out cute (not perfect, but cute.) I am always amazed how that first cut can transform a child from baby-ish to more kid-like instantly. He looks so grown up!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Spontaneous Please
Lucas has figured out the magic of the "magic word."
After grunting and motioning with his hand for a few seconds, he is apt to toss in a "please" in hopes that it will get him what he wants. Know what? It usually does. Dang it if that child doesn't say please in the cutest way. I just can't resist. So as long as the item he is wanting isn't a knife or something, I like to go ahead and let him have it. That reinforces it, so he keeps using the word "please" more and more. And it melts my heart every time.
I definitely prefer his cute little "please" to what I refer to as "the summoning." When he wants a drink of milk, he stands by the fridge and starts yelling "MAMA MAMA" at the top of his voice until I come. When I enter the room he looks up and calmly says "milk." I'm thinking, can you not come find me, calmly say milk, and just skip the abrasive yelling? Is that too much to ask? I would still get it for you, baby. But it's kind of hard to change the method after one is already so embedded.
After grunting and motioning with his hand for a few seconds, he is apt to toss in a "please" in hopes that it will get him what he wants. Know what? It usually does. Dang it if that child doesn't say please in the cutest way. I just can't resist. So as long as the item he is wanting isn't a knife or something, I like to go ahead and let him have it. That reinforces it, so he keeps using the word "please" more and more. And it melts my heart every time.
I definitely prefer his cute little "please" to what I refer to as "the summoning." When he wants a drink of milk, he stands by the fridge and starts yelling "MAMA MAMA" at the top of his voice until I come. When I enter the room he looks up and calmly says "milk." I'm thinking, can you not come find me, calmly say milk, and just skip the abrasive yelling? Is that too much to ask? I would still get it for you, baby. But it's kind of hard to change the method after one is already so embedded.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day
Yes, I stole my title from a children's book. I think it sums up my day quite well.
I must admit there were a few good moments, but overall I went from one bad event to another.
It began when I left the house at 9:30 AM. A bird flew into the front windshield of my van. Smack! Birds often swoop around and seem to be in danger of hitting the car window before pulling up to safety. This bird didn't pull up quickly enough. It hit so hard that I flinched, closed my eyes and shrieked. I'm glad I didn't have a wreck. I felt terrible about it. I almost cried.
I made it to the church building to purchase tickets for Hawaiian Falls tomorrow evening. But I was greeted with the horrible news that the tickets were sold out. There were more tickets coming later. But I was really bummed, as any mother of a 5, 3, and 1 year old would be, at the prospect of having to load everyone up for another trip to buy tickets. I really just wanted to be done with it.
So we headed to Office Max instead to buy the copier paper I need to print a newsletter this Friday. I had the church's tax-free and credit card. But Office Max was sold out of the heavy weight ledger paper I need. This was my only chance to purchase this, so I had to buy a lesser weight paper which will not look as nice. That's no-good.
We drove through Sonic on the way home. When I unloaded the food I realized that they had forgotten to put in the honey mustard dipping sauce for my popcorn chicken. I know that isn't the worst thing that could ever happen. But it continued to dampen my already darkening spirits.
Then something very bad happened. Nate started screaming and crying that his mouth hurt too bad to eat. He and Ava both had some fever yesterday but no other symptoms. Now suddenly their mouths were hurting. So I looked inside to find blisters. My regular pediatrician was not open today (of course) so we got an appointment with his back-up. The doctor had to do strep tests on both of them. I ended up paying $290 for him to tell me that they have the hand, foot, mouth virus that is going around and there is no treatment. We are now trapped inside the house for a week.
During dinner, I spilled spaghetti sauce on my shirt, so I grabbed the tank top I had just gotten from the dryer to change clothes. I found that it was covered in mottled blue stains. Something else in the wash must have bled. It's ruined. And I'm going to go ahead and make a guess that the spaghetti sauce isn't going to come out of the other shirt. My record with stains is deplorable.
We did have a nice rain this afternoon. I stayed inside because I felt certain I was in danger of being struck by lightening today.
I must admit there were a few good moments, but overall I went from one bad event to another.
It began when I left the house at 9:30 AM. A bird flew into the front windshield of my van. Smack! Birds often swoop around and seem to be in danger of hitting the car window before pulling up to safety. This bird didn't pull up quickly enough. It hit so hard that I flinched, closed my eyes and shrieked. I'm glad I didn't have a wreck. I felt terrible about it. I almost cried.
I made it to the church building to purchase tickets for Hawaiian Falls tomorrow evening. But I was greeted with the horrible news that the tickets were sold out. There were more tickets coming later. But I was really bummed, as any mother of a 5, 3, and 1 year old would be, at the prospect of having to load everyone up for another trip to buy tickets. I really just wanted to be done with it.
So we headed to Office Max instead to buy the copier paper I need to print a newsletter this Friday. I had the church's tax-free and credit card. But Office Max was sold out of the heavy weight ledger paper I need. This was my only chance to purchase this, so I had to buy a lesser weight paper which will not look as nice. That's no-good.
We drove through Sonic on the way home. When I unloaded the food I realized that they had forgotten to put in the honey mustard dipping sauce for my popcorn chicken. I know that isn't the worst thing that could ever happen. But it continued to dampen my already darkening spirits.
Then something very bad happened. Nate started screaming and crying that his mouth hurt too bad to eat. He and Ava both had some fever yesterday but no other symptoms. Now suddenly their mouths were hurting. So I looked inside to find blisters. My regular pediatrician was not open today (of course) so we got an appointment with his back-up. The doctor had to do strep tests on both of them. I ended up paying $290 for him to tell me that they have the hand, foot, mouth virus that is going around and there is no treatment. We are now trapped inside the house for a week.
During dinner, I spilled spaghetti sauce on my shirt, so I grabbed the tank top I had just gotten from the dryer to change clothes. I found that it was covered in mottled blue stains. Something else in the wash must have bled. It's ruined. And I'm going to go ahead and make a guess that the spaghetti sauce isn't going to come out of the other shirt. My record with stains is deplorable.
We did have a nice rain this afternoon. I stayed inside because I felt certain I was in danger of being struck by lightening today.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Simile
Nate's been a little under the weather today. So tonight, I was cuddling with him a bit. He was sitting on my lap, leaning back against me while clutching his blankie. We were talking about the day and enjoying each other's company when he suddenly turned to me and said,
"Mama, you're like a giant marshmallow."
Um, thanks. Just what I like to hear. I really appreciate that.
Ok, ok, so it's not that bad. I often secretly hope that I will always be a soft place for my kids to fall. I don't want to be harsh. I want them to feel safe and comfortable leaning on me literally and figuratively. But, if I'm going to be a marshmallow, then I am going to be a strawberry flavored one. Those are so good. Really.
"Mama, you're like a giant marshmallow."
Um, thanks. Just what I like to hear. I really appreciate that.
Ok, ok, so it's not that bad. I often secretly hope that I will always be a soft place for my kids to fall. I don't want to be harsh. I want them to feel safe and comfortable leaning on me literally and figuratively. But, if I'm going to be a marshmallow, then I am going to be a strawberry flavored one. Those are so good. Really.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Moving Stinks
In two weeks, we will be able to move into a beautiful new home. This new home has a large kitchen (with soon-to-be upgraded counter tops), the laundry room I've been dreaming of for 7 years, a hot tub that will quickly become my best friend, a stunning yard with tons of room to garden, play, and entertain, and a sweet sun-room that will be our family's new hang-out. The problem is that I can't close my eyes, wrinkle my nose, and magically transport all our things. The other major problem is that we have to sell our current house, and it needs tons of small repairs before we can list it. Today was "Major Work on the House Day Number 1." Cody, his dad, and I worked like crazy today (Cody especially). We did accomplish many items on our check-list. I can see a big difference in the house because of our work. But, there is still plenty to do.
Too bad we don't already have that hot tub. My shoulders could sure use a soak tonight after all the scrubbing I did in the kitchen. Those cabinet doors have never looked so bright.
But all this work is worth it. I already know it is. It's nice to have the goal of moving into a new house. Sometimes we have to do a bunch of dirty work without knowing if the end result will be worth the effort. In this case, I can clearly think of the reward to come. It's keeping me motivated. That, and the fact that Cody is a relentless task-master. Just kidding.
Too bad we don't already have that hot tub. My shoulders could sure use a soak tonight after all the scrubbing I did in the kitchen. Those cabinet doors have never looked so bright.
But all this work is worth it. I already know it is. It's nice to have the goal of moving into a new house. Sometimes we have to do a bunch of dirty work without knowing if the end result will be worth the effort. In this case, I can clearly think of the reward to come. It's keeping me motivated. That, and the fact that Cody is a relentless task-master. Just kidding.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Ava's Art
There are always about 3 million papers scattered over our house. The highest concentration is on the dining room table where the kids routinely draw on white printer paper. Every day I throw lots of papers into the recycling basket. I have to hide them down under the newspapers because the kids can't stand the thought of me throwing away their pictures. I don't like throwing them away either, but I really don't have space for billions of papers. I do keep some of their artwork, however, like this wonderful story I found today. I didn't even know Ava had made this. She did it completely on her own.
Notice the small box in the upper right corner. Ava likes to pretend that the books she creates are part of a series. She often writes on the back of the last page "See these other books" and then lists some other titles. Apparently this is the "Wild Petz" series. So I would imagine there might be some sequels to "Wild Pet Town." Perhaps "Wild Pets on Parade" or "Wild Pets at the Grocery Store." You just never know. Also, please note the bows on the cats ears. I am digging those.
A few more interesting observations. First of all, I was a bit surprised at the plot twist at the end when dog "got kids." That came out of the blue! I asked Ava what happened, and she told me he had puppies. It's nice to able to talk with the author and get a sense of what exactly she had in mind while penning the story. Secondly, I don't know why she always draws a large colored-in circle under "the end." It's the same with every book. I haven't asked her about it because I had already asked several questions and didn't want to bug her. You know how authors can become testy when they feel that someone doesn't "get" their work.
Notice the small box in the upper right corner. Ava likes to pretend that the books she creates are part of a series. She often writes on the back of the last page "See these other books" and then lists some other titles. Apparently this is the "Wild Petz" series. So I would imagine there might be some sequels to "Wild Pet Town." Perhaps "Wild Pets on Parade" or "Wild Pets at the Grocery Store." You just never know. Also, please note the bows on the cats ears. I am digging those.
A few more interesting observations. First of all, I was a bit surprised at the plot twist at the end when dog "got kids." That came out of the blue! I asked Ava what happened, and she told me he had puppies. It's nice to able to talk with the author and get a sense of what exactly she had in mind while penning the story. Secondly, I don't know why she always draws a large colored-in circle under "the end." It's the same with every book. I haven't asked her about it because I had already asked several questions and didn't want to bug her. You know how authors can become testy when they feel that someone doesn't "get" their work.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
I Love Food
I've had lots of company over the past week, which means I've done lots of cooking. I don't mind doing lots of cooking because that means I get to do lots of eating. Eating good food is one of my favorite activities. Let me share a few highlights:
Brisket. Slow-cooked in the oven, this is hard to beat. My secret ingredient was my choice of BBQ sauce. I'm sorry to say that the kind of sauce I used is amazingly delicious and also impossible to buy. Cody's parents' long-time friends' son created, marketed, and sold a certain number of bottles of his family's special recipe BBQ sauce. It was only available for a short time and is no longer in production. Cody's mom gave me a few bottles, which I only use on special occasions. I used it on my brisket last week and almost cried because I know my supply is quickly coming to an end. That stuff is so good. Maybe I can get the family recipe...if it isn't a top secret.
Now here's where things get really interesting. I shredded the left over brisket and used it to make brisket nachos the following night. Spread refried beans on tortilla chips. Lay them out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle heavily with shredded brisket, cheddar and monterey jack, jalapeno and whatever else sounds good. Broil. Serve with guac and sour cream. Then make another cookie sheet full because these are addictive.
I purposefully made many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes while my friends from Seattle were here because I wanted to give them a taste of the South. I served fajitas one night, which were delicious. But the best part of the meal was the appetizer I made to go with the fajitas. I first tasted this Mexican Corn Dip at my in-laws' house. I was sure not to leave without getting the recipe because it was one of the best things I have ever tasted. Seriously, if you only try to make one thing from this blog post, let this be it.
Mexican Corn Dip
Mix together:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBS picante
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
Add:
12 oz drained can of Mexicorn
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilis
2 finely chopped jalapenos (I only put in one and thought it was plenty.)
One morning I made migas for breakfast. This traditional Mexican breakfast is a hearty meal. Heat oil in a skillet. Coarsely chop 12 corn tortillas and brown in oil. Stir in chopped green onion, or green chilis, jalapeno or whatever sounds good. Add 4-6 beaten eggs. After the eggs are almost set, add cheddar or monterey jack cheese. Just flip it all around until everything is cooked. Serve with salsa and/or avocado.
Another night, I used a recipe from the BAD Girls recipe blog. I turned a side dish of Rachel's into a main dish. Just double the recipe for the Garlic-Zucchini Orzo and add about a pound and a half of grilled chicken. I bought garlic pesto marinated chicken from Central Market. It was a big hit. Serve with a salad and some good french bread.
I had a lot of fun planning the menu and cooking for my friends. We ate really well. So well, in fact, that the jeans that were getting loose on me are now snug again. Dang it.
Brisket. Slow-cooked in the oven, this is hard to beat. My secret ingredient was my choice of BBQ sauce. I'm sorry to say that the kind of sauce I used is amazingly delicious and also impossible to buy. Cody's parents' long-time friends' son created, marketed, and sold a certain number of bottles of his family's special recipe BBQ sauce. It was only available for a short time and is no longer in production. Cody's mom gave me a few bottles, which I only use on special occasions. I used it on my brisket last week and almost cried because I know my supply is quickly coming to an end. That stuff is so good. Maybe I can get the family recipe...if it isn't a top secret.
Now here's where things get really interesting. I shredded the left over brisket and used it to make brisket nachos the following night. Spread refried beans on tortilla chips. Lay them out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle heavily with shredded brisket, cheddar and monterey jack, jalapeno and whatever else sounds good. Broil. Serve with guac and sour cream. Then make another cookie sheet full because these are addictive.
I purposefully made many Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes while my friends from Seattle were here because I wanted to give them a taste of the South. I served fajitas one night, which were delicious. But the best part of the meal was the appetizer I made to go with the fajitas. I first tasted this Mexican Corn Dip at my in-laws' house. I was sure not to leave without getting the recipe because it was one of the best things I have ever tasted. Seriously, if you only try to make one thing from this blog post, let this be it.
Mexican Corn Dip
Mix together:
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 TBS picante
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
Add:
12 oz drained can of Mexicorn
3/4 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilis
2 finely chopped jalapenos (I only put in one and thought it was plenty.)
One morning I made migas for breakfast. This traditional Mexican breakfast is a hearty meal. Heat oil in a skillet. Coarsely chop 12 corn tortillas and brown in oil. Stir in chopped green onion, or green chilis, jalapeno or whatever sounds good. Add 4-6 beaten eggs. After the eggs are almost set, add cheddar or monterey jack cheese. Just flip it all around until everything is cooked. Serve with salsa and/or avocado.
Another night, I used a recipe from the BAD Girls recipe blog. I turned a side dish of Rachel's into a main dish. Just double the recipe for the Garlic-Zucchini Orzo and add about a pound and a half of grilled chicken. I bought garlic pesto marinated chicken from Central Market. It was a big hit. Serve with a salad and some good french bread.
I had a lot of fun planning the menu and cooking for my friends. We ate really well. So well, in fact, that the jeans that were getting loose on me are now snug again. Dang it.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Music Monday
I'm a bit rushed on Music Monday tonight, but I can always think of a good song. Don't worry!
Who doesn't love the Allman Brothers Band? They're famous for Ramblin Man and Midnight Rider. But, I've always liked one of their other songs most. In fact, I have a secret to admit. The song I chose tonight really makes me wish my name was Melissa.
A few things I like about this song: The slow and steady build in a couple of places. The idea of a woman that a man just can't leave or forget. The opening guitar chords. The mellow vocals.
This music is smooth and easy.
Melissa (1971)
Who doesn't love the Allman Brothers Band? They're famous for Ramblin Man and Midnight Rider. But, I've always liked one of their other songs most. In fact, I have a secret to admit. The song I chose tonight really makes me wish my name was Melissa.
A few things I like about this song: The slow and steady build in a couple of places. The idea of a woman that a man just can't leave or forget. The opening guitar chords. The mellow vocals.
This music is smooth and easy.
Melissa (1971)
Friday, July 4, 2008
Happy 4th
My best friend, her husband, and her two sons are here visiting us for 5 days. They live in Seattle, and years go by without us getting a chance to visit with them. We are so thankful they could come spend this time with us. All of the kids have become fast friends. And don't they look cute in their matching t-shirts? I think the four boys look as though they could be brothers. Ava is feeling a little out-numbered. She came downstairs this afternoon complaining that "boys play too rough." We are having a great time eating some fabulous food, playing outside, doing crafts with the kids, and seeing some sights in town. I hope everyone else is having a great Fourth of July weekend also.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Up EARLY
I had a lot of trouble sleeping last night. I laid awake in bed for an hour and a half before finally drifting off. Then I kept waking up every hour or so. Finally, at 4:00 AM I woke up and was wide awake. I knew there was no way I could fall back to sleep so I got up and read a book for about 30 minutes. Then as I was walking back by the bedroom Cody called out to me. Apparently he was wide awake too. So at 4:30 AM he got up, too, and we just started our day. We quickly got dressed and went to work cleaning our house. He cleaned out and mopped the garage while I cleaned both bathrooms and various other things. We had both accomplished so much by the time it was only 6:30 AM. I don't think that has ever happened before. I don't think one of us has ever gotten up that early and started our day, much less both of us! It was really weird.
I continued to clean all morning and by the time 11:30 rolled around I had been working for 7 hours. I was feeling proud of my accomplishment until I remembered how much there still was to do. See, there's a reason for all this cleaning. We're going to have company for the next 5 days, but that isn't the entire reason. The kind of cleaning I am doing goes beyond even cleaning for company because we are going to be putting our house on the market in a couple of weeks. We are really trying to get it into shape.
We found a house only 2 streets over from ours that we really liked and should close on it on the 24th. So, we're about to own TWO houses. Come to think of it, maybe that's why we can't sleep. It's going to be a hectic couple of months, but I am really looking forward to the end result.
I continued to clean all morning and by the time 11:30 rolled around I had been working for 7 hours. I was feeling proud of my accomplishment until I remembered how much there still was to do. See, there's a reason for all this cleaning. We're going to have company for the next 5 days, but that isn't the entire reason. The kind of cleaning I am doing goes beyond even cleaning for company because we are going to be putting our house on the market in a couple of weeks. We are really trying to get it into shape.
We found a house only 2 streets over from ours that we really liked and should close on it on the 24th. So, we're about to own TWO houses. Come to think of it, maybe that's why we can't sleep. It's going to be a hectic couple of months, but I am really looking forward to the end result.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)