Halloween Twisted Mix-Tape

It’s the 31^st Twisted Mix-Tape blogging link up and it’s falling on Halloween week!

How apropos!

Technically Twisted Mix-Tape is a Tuesday thing and today is Thursday, but I have never been on time or apropos in my life.

This week’s theme is Scary Songs.  I enlisted the help of everyone in my house which resulted in quite a long list.  Then I checked the parameters of the link up over at Jen’s My Skewed View and realized I had way, way too many songs.  

This created another challenge—editing.  I am about as good at editing as I am at being on time (or apropos).

 

Here’s my five song playlist for Halloween and Twisted Mix-Tape Tuesday (in no particular order, play it on shuffle):

1. God’s Gonna Cut You Down – Johnny Cash

I was going to go with Long Black Veil, then I remembered Cash's God’s Gonna Cut You Down and chose the latter.  I grew up Catholic with a grandmother who did not much appreciate Vatican II and a few nuns for teachers who did not seem to appreciate children.  I remember as I was preparing for my First Reconciliation in the second grade that I was freaked out by the fact that God could not only see everything I did, but God also knew my thoughts.  I lived in complete fear.  I’m older now and understand that as a child there is no way I was thinking about anything requiring God to strike me down.  But still, the song creeps me out.

2. Bugs – Pearl Jam

I love this song.  I especially love that when I played it for my daughters to get it approved for this list, they asked me to turn it off.  Apparently bugs creep them out as much as God did me in my youth.

3. Forty Six and 2 – Tool

Lyrics: 

My shadow's
Shedding skin and
I've been picking
Scabs again.

I'm down
Digging through
My old muscles
Looking for a clue.

It’s for dark moments only, obviously.

Forty Six and 2 got the thumbs up from everyone in the house, even my Chihuahuas who know a little something about shedding. . .fur.

4. The Stone – Dave Matthews

Another one for darker moods.  Another one that I like due to being raised Catholic and always feeling like I had done something wrong.  It’s a beautiful song, really.  Especially this version.

5. Secret – The Pierces

This is the theme song for the show my daughters are obsessed with, Pretty Little Liars.  I find it scary when my girls sing it in unison in their pretty little voices.

Be sure to check out Jen and the rest of the bloggers who participated in this week's Twisted Mix-Tape Tuesday to see if your favorite scary song made it onto anyone's list!





Happy Halloween!

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Hello Again

Wow.  Where have I been?  I took the summer off from blogging in order to spend more time with the kiddos.  Summer turned into autumn.  Swimsuits and shorts into jeans and sweaters.  So much has transpired.  So much in my life has been fixed and much more is in need of fixing. I don’t know where to begin.  I’ll start with a welcome back to me!

It’s easy to stop blogging.  Especially if one has a gift for procrastination, which I do.

“Oh, I’ll do that link-up on Tuesday.”

Tuesday rolls around and I say, “Well, I don’t think anyone really wants to hear about that.  I mean really.  Next Tuesday.”

And so on.  And so on.

It’s difficult to start blogging after a long hiatus.  It’s very difficult.

I mean, what do I say?

“Sorry it's been a while, I’m a lazy bum?”

“I’m afraid you won’t like what you read?”

Dribble, dribble, droll.

Fear.  Fear.  Fear.

Plus, my story is not only my own, but also belongs to the people in my life—my partner, my daughters, the people in my community that may read Sperk*.  I feel a need to protect them, their privacy.  Plus, as far as my daughters, I don’t want to embarrass them.

I've missed having a voice, though, which is the most precious gift of blogging.  Not all in this world have a voice.  I do.  I should be using it.  Forget hiding in silence.  Forget fear of judgment.  Forget thoughts like, “I’m not where I should be at this point in my life.”

“If I really share my opinion, I may be ignored at the next school function.”

And so on.  And so on.

Furthermore as I was searching for stock photos to include with this post I came across this:

And to that I say, "whatever," because I then came across this:

My blog’s layout needs updated.  My bio needs to be rewritten.  The tabs need to be made relevant. 

So much to do.  So much to say.

I must proceed with patience.

I must acknowledge that the hard part is done—getting started.

Here it is.

Blog post number one, after a very long, lonesome hiatus.  I've missed my blogging connections.  I've missed you.

Hello, again.

 

"Hello again, its been too long, too long, too long, hello again" DMB



I have been consistently taking mobile photos and posting on Instagram.  In case you missed me there:

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Off the Cuff

I am still participating in BlogHer's NaBloPoMo for May.  But, I haven't blogged everyday.  AND I am going to make-up for it.  There will be 31 posts in May.

I haven't been too busy.

I am no longer depressed.

I could blame it on my having ADHD and not being medicated.  However, ADHD is a disability that shows itself in one being unable to get started on something they do not like to do.  I can use it as an excuse for my house that needs cleaned or the trip to the store I need to take.  But, I like blogging.  So, what's the deal?

Am I lazy?

I don't think so.

Last Friday I woke up at 4 am to go to my gig as a nanny, picked up my daughter who was returning from camp from school at 3:30, did her laundry and packed her for her dad's pick-up at 5:30, then concluded the day volunteering at the high school for the OMEA state choir adjudication from 7-midnight.

Not all of my days are like that.

And my word for the year is "patience" so I'm trying not to beat myself up for leaving things on my to-do list unchecked.

But, I'm thinking I need an intervention. Like Tabatha-Takes-Over-style.

I think I am simply stuck in the old behavior of depression--choosing to sit idly while watching "interesting" things online or on cable TV--because it's comfortable.

It's 2:41 pm.  I need to shower, get to the store for my daughter's allergy medicine and pick up both daughters from school by 3:20.  The shower probably won't happen.

My daughter's clarinet lesson is here tonight, in this house, and it desperately needs cleaned.

I've always been last minute.

But I've always worked to change.

I've been patient enough.

So, blogging?  I procrastinate maybe because of ADHD, but mostly because I'm afraid.

"Do I sound stupid?"

"Does anyone care?"

Anyway...I'm writing this post totally "off the cuff", right in the Blogger "create new post" window.  No Word document and editing.

Fearless?

I'm leaving you with the shows and videos I watched all morning instead of blogging.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did and I totally understand if you do not have time to watch two full episodes of NOVA.

Thanks for listening.

Beautiful Day U2

Bert and Ernie on Family Guy Madeline Kahn sings with Grover (I love this so much) Bert gets carried out of his bedroom by dancing sheep Oh, yes, Stravinsky I now understand God The dancing I get, the biology, not so much NOVA - Doctor's Diaries

NOVA - Life and Death in the War Zone

Linking up with:

and:

I will be commenting.  Soon.  I promise.

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10 Things I Love That Cost Nothing

Today’s theme for Monday Listicles is 10 Things I Love That Cost Nothing.  I thought about how much I love watching movies on HBO, playing games on my smartphone, and eating hummus from Trader Joe’s.  But when considering the cable, Sprint and grocery bills, those all technically cost something.  So, for today’s list, I tried to choose things that bring me joy that are not linked to any sort of recurring payment.  

10 Things I Love That Cost Nothing
(In no particular order)

*Listening to music

*Exchanging smiles with a stranger

*Writing

*Taking naps

*Hearing my girls practice their music—Sophia sings, Antonia plays clarinet

*Laughing, dancing, talking, anything with my kids (the video below is old, like at least two years old. Yay! for this post which has reminded me that I need to make more).

*Dancing  (this video is also old.  It's from last June.  I promise more in the future because I know you love them.)

*Feeling the warm sun on my face

*Sitting with my dog, Frodo, on my lap

*Tucking my girls into bed at night

What brings you joy?

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Really?

“Isn’t this bag cute?” I asked her.

“If you’re a grandma or a 7^th-grader,” she replied.

Really?

Really?

The five year old that I watch always says “Really?!  Really?!” to her 15-month-old little sister when she snatches her Barbie dolls.  She’s a tiny little thief who just can’t wait to get caught.

All smiles.

Sometimes there are hot tears of anger from the five year old who gets fed-up with the toy snatching.

But generally it’s all smiles, all around.

 

I left the 15-month-old’s diaper bag in my car, so it came home with me.  When I showed it to my teen daughter she scrunched her nose and said, “Mom, you’re a bad nanny!” 

It was cute.

Then I asked her to confirm the cuteness of the bag.  

She’s not mean.  She’s just honest.  I’m not as cool as I think.

I’m 43. 

I do not wish to be a 7^th-grader or a grandma. 

I sometimes wish to be somewhere in between, or, maybe, farther along.

I am uncomfortable.  Sometimes the thoughts swirl: “I should be more successful.  I should have saved.  I should have a career.”

The celebration of another year is on the horizon.  I feel it in the unseasonable heat of the day.  Summers end will bring me to 44.

Perhaps I’ll settle into now.

Really.

What type of bags are the 40-somethings carrying?

I've committed to blogging everyday in May with BlogHer's NaBloPoMo.  The theme this month is 'comfort'.  

Why would I do such a thing?  

To challenge myself.

And because I was inspired by Xiomara who did it three months in a row.  Yes, she blogged everyday for three months in a row!

This post is included in her new weekly link up called 'Your Place'.  Click the badge above to check it out.

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Monday Listicles Make Me Proud

I made it through January and February.  I'm proud.  

Here's a list of 10 other things for which I feel pride and have nothing to do with winter in Ohio:

1. and 2.  My daughters, Sophia and Antonia (in no particular order) 

3.  Graduating, Magna Cum Laude, from college

4.  Working to end the cycle of abuse within my family 

5.  Being recognized by the Columbus Museum of Art for two Instagram photos

Sperk* on Instagram

6.  Mad SongPop skills

7.  My ability to dance

8.  Somewhat neglected as of late, Sperk* (especially Wednesday’sWoman)

9.  My ability to apply full make-up in five minutes

10. You

All These Things That I've Done

On Mondays, I typically participate in Monday Listicles, which I love.  However, today's theme of things found in your closet....my closet is a tiny hole in the wall.  I live in an old house.  There's not much in there of interest--mainly hanging shirts and a pile of shoes on the floor.  But, I'm still going to participate with a list, just one of a different topic.  I hope you'll forgive my bending of the rules.

Do you have a constant internal dialogue discussing all the things you need to do or should be doing? I do. And yet, there is so much that I have done.

Yesterday I came across an inspiring list created by Kerstin Auer honoring the things she has done. She was prompted by a blogging link-up by Andrea B  Now, I’m inspired.



In lieu of the closet, here's a few things I've done:

*Attended a presidential rally. Forward!

*Saw my favorite rock icons in concert: Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and U2.

*Traveled from coast to coast to over 25 Dave Matthews Band concerts.

*Met my significant other online—MySpace to be exact.

*Survived two C-sections and was rewarded with two beautiful daughters.

*Survived the terrible twos, twice.

*Put my foot down and said “no” to my daughters several times, surviving the excruciating pain of knowing they were disappointed.

*Watched my oldest daughter star in her middle school musical (oh, the nerves. She did so well).

*Listened in amazement to my younger daughter practice her clarinet. She’s so talented.

*Read many poems of praise written for me by my daughters.

*Tucked in my girls at bedtime most every night for 14 years. 

*Visited Las Vegas three times.

*Traveled to London, Paris, Nice, Florence, and Lucerne.

*Taken the 3 1/2 hour boat tour around Manhattan.

*Saw Bebe Neuwirth play Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago on Broadway.

*Had “the talk” with my daughters. We aren't done, it is ongoing.

*Was runner-up in Junior Miss Ohio in 1987, which allowed me to go to college with the scholarship awards.

*Graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Early Child Education in 2012.

*Have had many jobs: cocktail waitress, daycare worker, fitness center manager, pizza server, telemarketer, wardrobe consultant, retail merchandiser, and stay-at-home mom. My favorite has been stay-at-home mom.

*Confronted my perpetrators. I am a survivor of child sexual abuse.

*I've asked for help.

*I've received help.

*Gained and lost 60 pounds.

*Danced with a professional dance company.

*Danced in my living room.

*Gained and lost ten pounds.

*Recovered from an eating disorder.

*Had two photos selected by the Columbus Museum of Art to be included in their Photo Hunt installations.

*Was honored as a BlogHer 2012 Voice of the Year.

*I've been a wife and an ex-wife.

*Lived in Chicago, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Louisiana, Northern California, and now Columbus, Ohio.

*I've done punk rock karaoke.

*I've been to Bonnaroo, twice. And I want to go back!

I leave you with one of my favorite songs, so apropos:

  photo credit: the camera is a toy. via photopin cc

Under Construction

I'm under construction AND started worked outside of the home on Monday.  Please be patient. . .
Working to incorporate everything into my new schedule and looking forward to catching up soon!

10 Foods for Depression Fun

Some people fall into depression and lose their appetite.  Unfortunately, this is not the case for me.  As some of you know, I've been battling depression for the past several months.  When I’m down, I eat.  This causes a terrible cycle of feeling terrible.  See, I’m a firm believer that if I was one of those non-eating depressed people, at least I’d have a nice slim body to admire in the mirror and possibly this would lift my mood.

Please know I am not saying that slim depressed people have it better.  Depression in all of its manifestations of behavior is a harrowing existence.  Even more distressing is when one knows what makes one feel better and is unable to do it…due to the paralysis of depression.  It’s an evil, evil thing. 

This leads me to this week’s topic for Monday Listicles: Food.  The topic was suggested by blogger extraordinaire, Beth.  The leader of Monday Listicles, Stasha, has instructed that the topic is open to interpretation.   So, I chose to share with you the 10 foods that keep me physically filled-out while I am depressed.

10 Foods for Wallowing in Depression

1. Salt and Vinegar Chips

I seriously considered moving 55 miles east to Zanesville, Ohio where Conn's Salt and Vinegar chips are made.  They are by far, the best Salt and Vingar chip ever made.  I know, because I've tried them all.

2. Peanut Butter

My favorite way to eat this creamy goodness is with a spoon right out of the jar, but there are several ways to enjoy this luscious nut meal:  on warm toast, as an apple dip, smothered on top of an Oreo cookie.  Ironic that this spread was first introduced in the United States to sanitarium patients by Dr. John Harvey Kellog.  If those patients had the same experience that I do when eating peanut butter, it was the one time during their day in which they felt sane.

3. Nutella

                                                                                 Source: annies-eats.com via Sperk* on Pinterest

Nutella has become quite popular as I have noticed many Nutella based goodies, like the fudge pictured above, posted on Pinterest as of late.  But I've been digging into jars of Nutella for years.  I don't have the discipline to cook or bake with it.  The most patience I have is waiting for the toast to pop from the toaster and quickly getting that spread applied to assure a tremendous amount melting of the chocolate-hazelnut goodness onto my hot flaky bread.  (Did you know Nutella was created by a pastry maker during World War II due to the shortage of chocolate?)

4. Hummus and Pita Chips

When I bring home hummus and pita chips from the grocery store on Monday, they are gone by Monday night.  I've turned out the entire family.  And if the pita chips are gone before the hummus, scooping it out with your finger not only gets you more of the yummie goodness, the rest of the family runs away from the table in horror, leaving you alone with your hummus.  Perfect.

5. Fancy Creamers

Coffee-mate has made luxurious dairy flavorings accessible to the common folk and I couldn't be happier.  My condition of lactose intolerance is not a hindrance to me enjoying these feel-good flavors added to my favorite anti-depressant, coffee.  Oh sure, there's tons of sugar and fat, but remember, I'm depressed.  And, if you look carefully in your grocery's dairy section, there are now a few fat-free and sugar-free varieties   Plus, if you can't figure out how to make these yummie liquids work for you, the Coffee-mate website has recipes.  Yes, recipes.  I see no need to go beyond "pour half the bottle into coffee and stir", but whatever.

6. Pizza

My lactose intolerant gut always fails to send the "DO NOT EAT" message to my eyes when I see pizza flashing in a television commercial, staring from the grocer's freezer, or delightfully offering coupons via the mailbox.  And there are always excuses to order pizza: no time to cook, the girls would love me more, the football game is on, girls have friends coming over, etc.  My pizza of choice: The Works from Papa John's.

7. Ice Cream

Yes, there is such a thing as dairy free ice cream, but it doesn't taste good.  Yes, you have read correctly in the above points.  I am lactose intolerant.  I love ice cream.  It makes me feel good.  And the tumultuous gas it causes provides me an excuse to hide away alone in my room, which fits perfectly with being depressed.  Of course my favorite ice cream is Ben and Jerry's Chubby Hubby due to the "fudge covered PEANUT BUTTER filled pretzels in vanilla malt ice cream rippled with fudge & PEANUT BUTTER."

8. Bomb Burritos

These belly killers are for when I am at the lowest of my lows.  Brought to you directly from the convenient store just a few block away.

9. Stouffer's Grandmas Chicken and Vegetable Rice Bake

This one I can pass off as a good meal choice for the entire family.  Really, it's just creamy-good comfort food.

10. Stouffer's Chicken Enchiladas with Cheese Sauce and Rice

This one can also be passed off as a good meal choice for the entire family.  The key is to only make it when family is around.  Otherwise, it becomes and over-sized pan to enjoy on my own during a marathon of America's Next Top Model (if I actually watched such a horrific soft-porn flick being passed off as a reality show).  

What are your go-to foods when you're feeling bad?

See how other fabulous bloggers interpreted "FOOD" for Monday Listicles!

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10 Fictional Facts about Me

One of these fictional facts about me is true.  Can you guess which one?

1.  I wear a size 2.

2.  I exercise daily for 60 minutes.

3.  I practice Transcendental Meditation.

4.  I love vegetables.

5.  I can read my teenager's mind.

6.  I am very confident.

7.  I once won the lottery and gave it all to charity.

8.  I have perfect skin.

9.  I know you love me.

10. I have no interest in NASCAR.

I love Monday Listicles! This is true!

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If I Say It, It's True

I haven’t opened my laptop since Friday.  Night.  My legs started aching and I started sweating.  Thought I was going to vomit.  But didn't.  I had a fever. Hot like a light bulb to the touch, but I was freezing.  How does something like that just wash over you?  Like out of nowhere? 

It’s lingering.  Going on five days.  No fever today.  But I’m tired, weepy, and have a hell of a cough.  I feel like I’m writing from the front line of Armageddon, the day the flu takes over the last survivors.

Such drama.

Drama is exhausting.

My finest parenting moments have occurred during this bout. 

My thirteen year old came home from her dad’s and said, “Mom, I watched the movie Juno and loved it!”

I said, “Don’t get pregnant.”

Unfortunate that I failed to seize the moment, taking the opportunity to discuss teen pregnancy within the context of something that interests her.

This evening I drove my 12 year old around for an hour searching for this mysterious place wherein her softball instruction was to take place.  I had the directions.  They weren't accurate.  I called.  I was so close, but too late. 

Now she can’t sleep.  It’s possible that our viewing of John Carpenter's Halloween right before bedtime wasn't the best parenting choice.

It’s great to be here and I’m great.

I’m just going to keep saying that until it’s true.

Damn you, flu.

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Five Ways I Am The Same, Five Ways I Am Different

I love Monday Listicles (the blogging meme created by Stasha at The Good Life) because on a day like today—cloudy, rainy, and windy—I could easily crawl back into bed and blow off writing all together. However, Monday Listicles makes it easy to flow back into my weekly blogging routine.  It’s always fun and the community of writers is simply great.  

Today’s theme comes from Christine who has a thoughtful blog called Random Reflectionz.  Her theme, 10 Ways You Are Different Than or the Same as Your Younger Self, sent me in several different directions and possibly proved that simply writing a list isn't always easy.  Each point on my list carries with it a lengthy explanation.  Each would make a decent blog post in and of itself.  Today, you're getting the list sans the thought behind it.  For the rest, stay tuned.  If you can't wait and you desperately need some insight into Sperk*, check out this letter I wrote to my 18 year-old self.

Five Ways I Am the Same as My Younger Self

1.  I think I am fat, but I am not

2.  I would rather be doing anything else other than washing the dishes or doing the laundry.

3.  Music makes me happy.

4.  I wait until the last minute to do things I do not want to do but have to do.

5.  I have a dream.

Five Ways I Am Different Than My Younger Self

1.  Drinking is not a good time.

2.  Learning is fun.

3.  I now understand that everything is not about me.

4.  Doing nothing with the person I love always trumps doing something with the person I love.

5.  I know I’m OK even if everyone says I’m not.

Great topic, don't you think?  How are you different than or the same as your younger self?

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Proceed with Caution

There was a welcomed chill in the air this morning that allowed my thoughts to be crisp and driving.  They jumped from having an idea for this to wanting to finish that.  There was much to read, many people to catch up with via social media and blogging, and chores I actually felt like doing.

I took a moment to be with the high-spiritedness in the tingling of my fingers and toes.  It made me laugh.

I was wise enough to take step back.  I remembered to embrace the feeling of lightness and not let it overrun the day.  It could lead to more new tasks being created before I finished the ones I abandoned at the onset of my depression.  Like a prisoner being released from a lengthy sentence, I needed to proceed with caution.  The new free world could be a danger.

I took one more step back and looked around to see what had been going well.  I discovered that even when I had the shades drawn to the brightness of life, I did okay.

Two stars remained in my sky.  Their forward-spin towards adulthood did not stop even when I did.

With relief, I noticed my daughters were well, and for that I was grateful.

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10 Songs That Rock

I planned on composing today’s Monday Listicles earlier this morning but was sidetracked after my daughter, a freshman in high school, sent me a text.  Apparently she has to stay after school and write on the chalkboard, “I will not forget my Spanish binder” a number of times as a consequence for, you guessed it, forgetting her Spanish binder. 

I spent a few hours looking for credible research that supported my instinct: writing lines is an ineffective and demeaning form of punishment.  More on that in a future post.

Now for the fun stuff, a great topic for today’s Monday’sListicles: 10 Songs.  That’s it.  No explanation and left open for interpretation.

I’m going for 10 Songs That Rock. 

You may ask, “What’s the criteria for rocking?”  The answer:

~Any song, if you heard it on the radio, you wouldn’t change the dial.

~A rock anthem (Still ambiguous, I know. Now you’re asking, “What’s a rock anthem?”)

~Any song with a driving beat that brings you to your feet.

~Any song that makes you feel empowered.

~Any song that will help alleviate my anger for forgotten binders and punishments given as consequences.
~Any song that fills in for anti-depressant medication.

10 Songs That Rock

Why Go - Pearl Jam

Elevation - U2

Paradise City - Guns N Roses

Baba O'Riley - The Who

We Will Rock You - Queen

Under Pressure - Queen
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
Killing in the Name - Rage Against The Machine
Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
Infinity Guitars -Sleigh Bells

The above were ranked in no particular order.  It was challenging enough to choose only 10.  Ranking them would have taken days of research and statistical analysis.  Which songs are on your list of Songs That Rock?

Be sure to check out Monday Listicles to see how other bloggers interpreted 10 Songs:

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A Very Informal Wednesday's Woman

It’s my birthday!

I love birthdays—celebrating the anniversary of the day of my arrival onto the planet as a being no longer requiring life support from her mother’s womb.  It’s an important day.  It means this:   I am meant to be here.  And for that reason alone, I should live well, celebrate life, contemplate making it better, take action, and so on.

As a birthday present for myself, I am quitting smoking.  Smoking is gross.  It kills.  It’s socially unacceptable, which makes me a shameful outcast.  It’s a vice I use to stuff feelings and escape.  It’s … well…

Heart Disease is the number one killer of women in America.

It’s Wednesday!

I thought about honoring myself for Wednesday’s Woman because it’s my birthday.  My judgmental inner-coach told me that would seem very prideful and vain. 

On second thought, maybe not.

Hmmm….

Today’s Wednesday’s Woman is every woman who has ever stopped smoking!

For more interesting reading, check out last week’s Wednesday’s Woman, by Anna Mahler, spotlighting Christy Turlington Burns who is a former smoker and founder of Smoking is Ugly.

Another interesting read about women and hot off the press is from Forbes: The World's 100 Most Powerful Women 2012. 

I didn’t make the list.  But Forbes hasn't figured out just how powerful I am.  I will give them a few years.

Enjoy your day!

Wednesday's Woman is a weekly feature spotlighting women who are positive role models for our daughters and the world. . .

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Did I Miss Summer?

Did I miss summer?

Technically, no, I did not. 

I watched the Summer Olympics, traveled to two concerts, and weathered a severe wind storm that brought a three-day power outage.  I also sweated my tootsies off without central air for the third year in a row. (You know, I don’t think I will ever get central air.  I grew up without it, and this year, we survived without it during the hottest summer ever.  And my electric bill is nice and minimal during the summer.  So there. I’m living green).

Even with proof that I experienced summer break, it seems it flew by like a Peregrine Falcon.  (The Peregrine Falcon is known for its speed which can reach over 200 mph.  Yes, I watched The Big Year several times over break). 

During the time I was watching movies, complaining about the heat, sitting in self-abomination because I couldn’t make it to BlogHer ’12, and reminiscing about my high school graduation that happened 25 summers ago, fellow-bloggers gave me awards.    

I’m grateful, therefore I am going to share.  Also, my daughters went back to school, which means I need to get back to . . . doing . . . something.

The lovely writers at Ladies Holiday bestowed upon me the Liebster Award.  Have you checked out Ladies Holiday?  You should.  It’s a great collaborative site.  I personally guarantee you’ll enjoy visiting their space.

The amazing women who are the Sisterhood of the Sensible Moms bestowed upon me the Very Inspirational Blogger Award.  Talk about inspiring!  These women are smart, witty, feeling, thinking moms with tons of kids between the two of them.  They have been an authentic voice of support in the comments at Sperk* and I hope to continue seeing them here for a very long time. 

And last, but certainly not least, Carrie, who is at a new space called Written Ramblings, offered me the Very Inspirational Blogger Award way back on June 29^th.  I was right in the middle of the power outage and planned to respond as soon as AEP worked its magic.  But then I did something else--something much less important than saying “Thank you.” 

To accept the awards, I must pass them along to other bloggers and give random facts about myself. 

First, the facts:

* My Chihuahua, Frodo, is always on my lap when I am writing.

* I have a serious problem with procrastination.

* Tomorrow is my birthday.

* I think kids rule.

* Music makes me happy.

Now, the awards (if you accept, proudly display the honor on your blog, pass it onto others, and give some random facts about yourself):

Liebster Award (up and coming with less than 200 followers):

~One Funny Motha

~From Tracie

~Single Working Mom and Other Funny Stories

Very Inspirational Blogger Award:

~The Mommy Padawan

~Time Out for Mom
~The Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker

10 Things Car

My car is old and not pictured above.  That's a fantasy car.  My real car is paid for and I like the lack of monthly payments.  But I do have moments where I daydream about driving around in a shiny BMW or a sporty new mini-van. 

Here are the cars, listed in no particular order, I fantasize about driving:

1.  2013 Mustang Shelby GT500 Convertible – For speed, hotness, and being an American woman.

2.  1967 Mustang Fastback – For when I am nostalgic and wearing my best vintage attire.

3.  2012 Volvo XC70 – For carpooling from school and heading to the softball tournament.

     

4.  Volkswagen Beetle (any year) – For shopping trips in the trendy Short North.

5.  2013 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class – For valet parking at Hyde Park Steakhouse

6.  Volkswagen Samba Bus – For going to Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival..  

Bonnaroo

7.  New Honda Odyssey – For when I am being practical.  I have wanted one ever since my sister put herself on a waiting list for one in 2000.  A waiting list?  Really?

8.  BMW X5 – For driving across the country to visit my friend Corrie in Oregon.

9.  Range Rover Evoque 5-door – For Sophia.  I asked her what kind of car she’d replace ours with and    she replied, “A small SUV.”

10. 2012 Mitsubishi I – For Antonia.  I asked her what kind of car she’d replace ours with and she doesn’t    care.  So I chose an electric car for her.  She’s hip and environmental like that.

If you could choose any ONE car to own, what would it be?

photo credit: Orethorn via photo pin cc
photo credit: Bob I Am via photo pin cc