I've been hearing a lot about the erosion of family in this country lately and how it's due to all the "changes" our nation has gone through in the last few decades. When this subject of erosion arises it is typically followed with the reasons being gay marriage, pro-choice or women working more.I'm sorry but I fail to see how two men or women getting married and possibly starting a family to be an erosion of any sorts. If anything the erosion is that we simply lack the selfless behavior and feelings of charity and goodwill towards other human beings who think differently than we do. We used to have them. We are so busy filling our homes with items that we want other people to see us having that we have become too preoccupied and fail to see and converse with the people who share that … [Read more...]
Musings to Avoid a Thankful Post
As I sat in church yesterday and listened to the pastor talk about how many of us might feel that this year we don't have much to be thankful for I couldn't help but agree with just a small twinge of regret. It's not that we are in bad shape. We aren't. We have two healthy children. We have a roof over our heads and friends and family nearby. Yet, somehow I just haven't felt that thankful. In some ways it has been a bit of a rough year and I'm ready for it to be over. I'm happy the holidays are upon us signaling the end of 2009. In hopes that 2010 brings better things. While I construct my list of what I am thankful for (yes, I'm doing that kind of post.) I leave you with these musings.I think the the new 2010 white Jeep Liberty's looks like Storm Troopers. The picture doesn't do it … [Read more...]
The 10k FAIL?
So...I'm supposed to run this thing called a 10k in a few weeks. December 13 to be exact. A few weeks back this seemed like a fabulous idea. Then I got sick. The cold from hell descended on our humble abode and took all of us, minus TD, under. It was like some Kraken from the deep. Everyone got better except me. Two weeks later, still sick and crying from the sheer sick of being sick syndrome I headed to my local Urgent Care one night this week.Sinus Infection. No wonder I felt like my face was imploding, cracking and generally falling apart with pain. Throughout this time of plague I haven't been able to run. Weeks of no running have gone by. I got three miles in, maybe. There's been no cross-training, no training runs. No nothing. The coughing, the body aches, the lack of … [Read more...]
Overheards- Hmph!
Scene: H, the girls and I are celebrating The Comedian's birthday with a dinner out. TD is dismayed at our choice of venue. TD: Hmph! This isn't a good restaurant. It's not pretty and it smells!H: What does it smell like? TD: (She grumbles) Smelly. It smells like hot dogs....A little while later-TD: (Surveying the restaurant from our table.) Hmph! No one is looking at me! This is a birthday. People in the restaurant are supposed to be looking at The Comedian and they aren't! She continues to give the restaurant the stink-eye and refuses to eat her macaroni and cheese. Later she tells us that, "This place is NO Red Robin." … [Read more...]
My Take on Review Blogging- Good or Bad
Most of you know that I also write a review blog, Mummy's Product Reviews. Initially, I didn't set out to write product reviews. It all started right here back in 2006 when as a weekly feature I did 'The Product of the Week'. People were always asking me about places to go, brands, beauty items, I could go on. As a self-admitted "product whore" and advice columnist wannabe, it seemed a likely fit. 'The Product of the Week' was simply my take on a product I tried, loved and wanted to share. That's all. Nothing was sent to me, no one pitched me. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Just items from my house. Review bloggers didn't hold much world wide web space if any back then. Over time things have obviously evolved. An Arbonne consultant sent me a slew of stuff and I joined the Parent Bloggers … [Read more...]
The Comedian, One Year Later
Just think, a year ago today I was tweeting it up and doing this. One minute I was watching Oprah, the next The Comedian, formerly known as Dash Two had arrived.You looked up at me with those big, unblinking eyes and I instantly fell in love. While you are named The Comedian for laughing at all the wrong times and reasons you are also my little cuddle bug. As a 'no-touch, non-cuddler' I am powerless to resist you. When you burrow into my neck it is like kryptonite.In the past year you have been the bruisin' Blutarski of the house. You have learned to crawl with your head ducked down to avoid licks from the dog and you can topple your sister in a simple headlock. You like to yell at the neighbors from your kitchen window perch. You climb head first into the shower regardless of who is in … [Read more...]
The End of Silence
Last week I conducted a little bit of an experiment. I took myself out of the world of forever Twittering, using Facebook and the rest of the 24/7 social media frenzy. I used it for only work purposes and that was that. I did it because I wanted to see if I noticed a difference in myself and how my week played out via work and with family. Here's what I noticed-Initially, it wasn't that hard to cut myself off from Twitter. I still posted items for work but I didn't 140 character it up all through the day. I got annoyed when people made fun of me for doing this whole #week of silence. Or when they called me to ask why I was still blogging. Um...work. Gah. By the middle of the week I felt like I was missing out on things. I missed my friends who I talk to through Twitter and know IRL … [Read more...]
A Bit Gaga Over Here
I'm addicted to this right now. Thanks Mamapop! In my moments of insanity today I just want to watch this over and over again then run to my make-up collection and start painting away until H comes home to something truly beautiful yet terrifying. Way more than this, that's for sure.Except I can't.I'm planning a first birthday party for The Comedian for tomorrow. Apple cupcakes seemed like a great idea at the time, all cute with pretzel stems and green jelly bean leaves. Then I caught the death that was hanging in the petri dish that is my doctor's office and I've been down for the count all week. Work has been left by the wayside, the house went insane and the non-stop rain has both kids acting like escapees from the local asylum.The vacuum is glaring at me from the corner. Says she has … [Read more...]
Veterans Day
On February 15, 2003 I dropped H off in a parking lot. I fiddled with the necklace he had given me for Christmas only a few months before as I tried to figure out what to say to him. He stood before me, we hugged and kissed one last time and he said, "OK, so I will see you....whenever..." He smiled and I smiled but they were worried, nervous smiles. We knew that we had no idea when or if he would ever come home. Our future was a giant question mark.Over the next six months I lived on a separate plane of existence. War was declared. Letters trickled in out of order. I lived for a dusty envelope to arrive in my mailbox. Flowers arrived for my birthday through H's best friend. I chuckle now that the florist sent yellow roses tied with a red, white and blue flag ribbon. At the time I was not … [Read more...]
Got a case of Twitter Twitches?
Yesterday, Day 1 in my 'week of silence' turned out to be better than I thought. The fact that The Comedian, H and I are all down for the count with a horrific phlegm-producing monster that destroys tissues in a nanosecond is probably the reason. When your nose is on fire, dripping like a hose and your whole body feels like it was an extra on Night of the Living Dead, well, being offline isn't too difficult.I had my moments though. 7 a.m. - I put up my blog post and that was all. I didn't even check my work email. I felt so proud but the feeling was fleeting when I owned up to the fact that I could just as easily grab my phone to check my email. Also? I felt like I had been hit by a maniacal Thomas the Train. So there's that.8:45 a.m.- Normally I am in the car line at TD's school … [Read more...]