Women in Art

Okay, maybe it's because I'm in love with art history - but this video is absolutely the coolest...

Flugtag - Don't Miss It!

Flugtag's free...fun...and well, free. What else do you want from me??

Gates open at 11:00.
First flight is at 1:00.

See you there!

Britain's Got Talent...

Seriously, if you can watch this without getting misty eyed...well, that's just sad...

Good night, sleep tight...

I was tagged by LeBlanc in a meme to create a list of six things I do before heading off to sleep. While this changes drastically depending on my sleeping location/situation at the time…this is my "alone" routine.

First I feed the beast….Mr. Darcy. God forbid, that little devil run low on food or water during the night because I will be woken up…bitten…and aggravated until I go into the kitchen to feed him.

Second I decide if I want to sleep sans apparel…or sleep in my pjs. If I decide to sleep sans apparel, I skip to the third step. If I decide to sleep in my pjs, I pick out what I want to wear…shorts, t-shirt, tank top, negligee…cough…just kidding.

Third I’ve got all the bathroom duties to do. Brush my teeth, floss, gargle and rinse. I wash my face, put on some moisturizers so that I don’t look too old, too fast and then I go to the bathroom in hopes of heading off a trip to the loo in the middle of the night.

Forth I get a glass of water to take with me to bed and take my vitamins. By the way, the GNC Hair, Skin and Nails formula…oh, it pretty much rocks my world. That’s right. My entire world. I believe I have told everyone I know this, but I used to have these ridges on my fingernails and I knew, from diligent research, it was from some vitamin deficiency. Though, I couldn’t figure out which one! Even the Centrum Performance wasn’t enough to get rid of them. Oh…those dang ridges were no match for the GNC Hair, Skin and Nails formula! Freakin’ miracle drug, that’s what it is.

Fifth I settle in for a good read. I like to read a fiction and a non-fiction at the same time. Right now, I am reading The Memory of Running and Reefer Madness. They are both good…and recommended.

Sixth …I turn on the fan that sits on my nightstand, put some chapstick on, and well...turn out the light...

My mom read my blog...

...you know, the one about decisions. Well, she had a few things to say, tried to post them but couldn't quite get the knack of posting a comment down...

Well, ladies and gentlemen, here is my mom's response to "Decisions". I have the best mom...ever (Hi, mom!).

"First and foremost, in this life, the only life we will have, I want you to be incredibly happy, self fulfilled, motivated, assured of your decisions, creative, and, believe that no matter which route you chose, as long as you are happy, that I will be completely happy. And, that will be because you have found yourself and are satisfied within yourself. After all, that is what happiness is. It's not how much money you make, but, if you are happy in doing what you do in life and with the money you make can you do the things that bring you happiness. It's a blend.

And, as to having children...that is absolutely personal. Not everyone can be a mother, or do a good job at it, or even want to be. I don't believe when I was in my teens Iwas ever even asked that question or even considered whether or not I did or did not want to be a mother...I just was. It was just there, maybe, even expected. I don't know, I just never really thought about it. However, later, I did. I wanted to be a mother...it was a choice, a decision. I know I made the right choice...because you are here. And, oh, how I love you. But, I will assuredly not be disappointed if you choose not to have children in any fashion..that is your choice. I love you just the way you are. With or without grandchildren. That is truly how I feel.

And, if you were a barrista... were happy, taught yoga , lived your dream, were safe, and I could be a part of your life that would make me complete. That is truly how I feel. I want you to feel free to be you. That is why I value education so much. It helps you to see "outside the box"; to find out what is in this huge wonderful world that I have no clue of; to teach me new and wonderful things....we are never too old to learn, to create, to change...never.

I am happy that you found role models that establish interesting concepts to be included in the person you are...just me would have never been enough. I knew from an early age that you were going to be and are gifted and that I could only go so far with what I knew. You know so much and are growing smarter every day...and, I hope to learn as much as I can from you. I do believe we will always learn from one another. Maybe in different ways. I have been many places in my lifetime...and learned a lot from just living...that you can't get from a book. And, you have been places I have not been....so, we both learn. Everyday."

The Luckiest

Have you ever had that one song, poem, quote…that one thing that was able to put into words…that was able to capture the essence of what you’ve felt, what you’ve bumbled though…what you want?

That’s the way the song “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds is to me. I’ve always loved it, but rediscovered it when I found my CD stashed away in a box from when I moved.

Anyway, my favorite parts of the lyrics follow. Enjoy!

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know
That I am
The luckiest

And in a wide sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know
That I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you
Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away
I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong
That I know
That I am
The luckiest

Never wonder about a song's meaning again...

Browse by song title and artist...it's pretty much awesome and it's made my day.

Ruth Graham passes away

Now, I haven't followed her life and I don't know much about her; however, watching her story this morning and listening to who she was and how she will be remembered touched my heart.

Watch the story here and here.

Billy Graham - "I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together. We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Ruth was asked in an interview with Diane Sawyer back in the 90's about the secret to her marital success. She responded that a Chinese writer once wrote that "In the West (America), marriage starts at a boil and gradually cools. In the East, marriage starts cool and gradually reaches a boil."

Perhaps that was their secret.

Browsing around Border's

And I saw some interesting books I thought I would share.


Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson)

Some failures lead to phenomenal successes, and this American nurse's unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, is one of them. Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Coauthor Relin recounts Mortenson's efforts in fascinating detail, presenting compelling portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims Mortenson met along the way. As the book moves into the post-9/11 world, Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls. Captivating and suspenseful, with engrossing accounts of both hostilities and unlikely friendships, this book will win many readers' hearts. Publisher's Weekly

Rebecca's Tale (Sally Beauman)

April 1951. It has been twenty years since the death of Rebecca, the hauntingly beautiful first wife of Maxim de Winter, and twenty years since Manderley, the de Winter family's estate, was destroyed by fire. But Rebecca's tale is just beginning.

Colonel Julyan, an old family friend, receives an anonymous package concerning Rebecca. An inquisitive young scholar named Terence Gray appears and stirs up the quiet seaside hamlet with questions about the past and the close ties he soon forges with the Colonel and his eligible daughter, Ellie. Amid bitter gossip and murky intrigue, the trio begins a search for the real Rebecca and the truth behind her mysterious death. Book Description.

For those of us who have read and loved Rebecca, this looks like the book for us!

Decisions

I caught up with my friend Tiffany last night and we talked about many of the issues that concern (see also - bother) us on a regular basis.

As women, we are stuck in very difficult situations. We are forced, rather encouraged, to consider so many different and conflicting influences before making decisions that concern our lives. The key word there is our lives. The decisions that I choose are mine and mine only. At least at this juncture…

Whatever we, as women, choose to do is met by scrutiny, admonishment and scorn by one side or another. If I choose to get married, I am subscribing to archaic rules and values. Wasn’t I aware that women could make it solo? Perhaps I was, but didn’t want to go it alone…perhaps I wanted someone to share it with a long the way. And if I don’t want to get married, well, then naturally I am a career-ambitious bitch who doesn’t value family or family values.

Then there is the issue of children. Do I want them? Does he? If I decide I don’t want them and he does, is that a deal breaker? I tested the waters the other night while having dinner with my mom and dad.

“I don’t think I want to have kids,” I said to my mom.

“Sure you do, sweetheart! You’ve always wanted kids!”

“Yeah, I did. But I was younger then. Maybe I’m just not cut out for them. What if I’m a bad mom? And isn’t the world already populated enough?”

“Sarah, you’ll want kids when the time comes. You’re just in a phase right now.”

Yeah…that’s it, I’m in a phase. I think what she meant was, “Sarah, you’ll want to have kids…because I want you to have kids…and I’m your mother and mother knows best…”

Perhaps.

I don’t know. It sometimes just seems that no matter what side I choose, someone winds up disappointed. And I wonder, why can’t people just back out or pitch in and just make the decisions for me.

It would be a lot easier.

Sometimes I long for a simpler time. When there was only one car, a Ford, and it only came in one color, black. A time when women got married and had children early and they were “happy”…at least on the surface.

But I think they were happy. I think, maybe they didn’t know any different…maybe they didn’t know they were unhappy. Being married and having kids was what they were supposed to do and that was supposed to make them happy. They didn’t have a choice. The grass can’t be greener on the other side if another side doesn’t exist, right?

These days women actually have to figure out what makes them happy amid swirls of dissension. Thanks, women’s lib! Thanks a lot.

And this makes me think about my job and what I do, toiling day in and day out over what really are absolute frivolities.

I work to have money because I am scared to be poor. I work five days a week so that I have money to do something on the two days that I have off. I am working to contribute to the “system” because that is what I am supposed to do…this is what is supposedly good and respectful.

So then I think, what I really want to do is finish my degree, move to Seattle, work in a coffee shop and be a yoga instructor.

But I’m told I am too educated for that now. Silly me, here I was thinking that getting a Master’s degree would open up more doors.

I don’t want to be “wealthy”, I just want to have enough money to do the things that I want to do…to afford the things I want to afford. That’s it. I want to be comfortable and happy. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for, really.

I look up to my philosophy professor from Belmont. She never told us much about her personal life, so what I know about her, I have pieced together to make my ideal Dr. O.

She is in her 40’s or 50’s, never married but had, in her life, encountered and possessed many loves. She has no children and this sometimes creates a void, but she knows that if she truly wanted a child, she could have one.

She has a fantastic body, one that has not by spoiled by age and unhappiness. Life hasn’t gotten the best of her, her spirit or her body.

Which is more than I can say for people half her age.

She has fabulous salt and pepper hair and doesn’t attempt to hide it with colorings and dyes. She expects people to understand and accept her for who she is…not for the person she used to be or wish she would become.

Dr. O taught me that the important questions in life, the questions worth asking, are the ones you can’t answer. The questions that dig deep into your soul and, upon investigating, allow you to discover who you truly are.

For some reason, to me, she embodied both the conservative and the modern view of women. Somehow she was able to reconcile them both…in theory and in practice.

I think what made that possible is that she had found who she was, who she wasn’t and, in turn, was infinitely happy.

It might be the best day of my life...

A screaming Paris was sent back to prison today to serve her original 45-day (minus the "five" days she has already served) sentence.

Praise be to the LA court system; my faith has been restored!

Here's a round up for your reading pleasure -
The Superficial
I Don't Like You in That Way
TMZ
MSN
Yahoo
CNN

Spelling Bee Champion

Om. My. Gosh. That poor anchor woman! Seriously, I feel so bad for laughing because I have the distinct feeling that this kid might be mentally handicapped. But then again, he's a good speller. Is there a disability that makes one a phenom speller...but by all other accounts...act like an idiot? Or is he just socially awkward because he's home schooled?

Awesome Nationwide Ad

Location: Downtown Columbus, OH

I'm assuming those cars below the giant ad are part of the whole thing, but like the site the photo links to, I kinda want them to be innocent bystanders' cars.

From my visit to Columbus last year, I believe this is the building that had a giant poster of a young Fabio pictured in a romance novel sort of way. On the other tower was the old Fabio. Here's the video.

The Nationwide "Life Comes at You Fast" campaign is pretty awesomely clever.

What you reading this summer?

Having trouble deciding? Let your favorite authors give you a hand...

See what books they're reading, have read, and loved in this NY Times article.

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