Note to Self: Relax! November 30, 2004

How many times do I need to learn that human beings were not created to run full throttle every waking hour of every day? Maybe I’ve never really learned since I keep neglecting to put it into practice.  I recently re-experienced this lesson over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, my wonderful husband sent me an email outlining our family agenda for the four days off – full of surprises and fun. He even coordinated details with my parents! That was a treat on its own because logistics and planning often frustrate me.  But, the highlight was a romantic Friday night for just the two of us.  After Thanksgiving dinner, my parents took Ben home with them for two nights and Brian arranged for us to stay at a luxurious local hotel.  We also got a chance to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Ferre, where I love the ravioli with artichokes and lemon butter sage sauce.  After dinner, we had lots of time to relax like you can only do in a hotel room – fluffy bathrobes and maid service go a long way in helping me unwind   As the evening progressed, I shook my head with amazement, astonished that I had once again forgotten how good it feels to slow down. 

I seem to operate under the impression that crossing things off my list is going to make me a happy person.  While it does bring a sense of short-term satisfaction, it’s not the enduring route to a well-balanced life.  God literally commands us to rest, yet I foolishly persist in my zeal for productivity.  My wise leader, Terry Storch, clued me in to the concept that your greatest strength can become your greatest weakness and nowhere is this more true for me than my unending quest of getting-things-done. I love living in a clean, peaceful house and enjoying creative projects and will go to great lengths to make those things happen.  I’ll cook, clean, and craft, working to make things special for our family.  But when I never hit the stop button, even the pause button, in this cycle of busy-ness, I end up being one strung-out Krabby Patty! I am much more fun to be around when I’ve had regular doses of relaxation.  I find that the special moments just happen then – my laugh comes quickly and the annoying parts of life roll off my back.  I enjoy life more and am more enjoyable to be around.

So knowing that this is a shortcoming for me (there are plenty more where that came from!), the trick is not falling into the same trap again.  Should be no problem during the holidays  

Love That Boy – Complete Poem November 15, 2004

Finally – the complete poem, Love That Boy by Walter Dean Myers.  Many thanks to Astrid for supplying stanzas 2-4! Here it is in its wonderful entirety:

Love that boy,
like a rabbit loves to run
I said I love that boy
like a rabbit loves to run
Love to call him in the morning
love to call him
"Hey there, son!"

He walk like his Grandpa,
Grins like his Uncle Ben.
I said he walk like his Grandpa,
And grins like his Uncle Ben.
Grins when he’s happy,
When he sad, he grins again.

His mama like to hold him,
Like to feed him cherry pie.
I said his mama like to hold him.
Like to feed him that cherry pie.
She can have him now,
I’ll get him by and by

He got long roads to walk down
Before the setting sun.
I said he got a long, long road to walk down
Before the setting sun.
He’ll be a long stride walker,
And a good man before he done.

Real TV November 8, 2004

Remember when TV used to have plot lines?  When Mad About You, Frasier, Seinfeld and Friends were all on the same night?  I was flipping for a few moments tonight and could not get over the freak show that has become standard TV fare.  Circus acts of old couldn’t hold a candle to what we call reality TV.  Tonight’s menu included someone eating an eyeball (I think) and another channel featured a big box of worms – I didn’t stick around to see where that was going.

I heard a TV critic say that reality TV is a genre that will be around for a while longer, but will eventually fade – kind of like the Western.  This gives me hope that I’m not just out of touch and curmudgeonly, but that this really is just a phase that we will grow out of sooner or later. 

Until then, it’s easy for anything truly original to shine.  We just watched our tivo-ed season premiere of Arrested Development.  Quirky and fun, this unique show is far from reality – a breath of fresh air on our TV landscape.

Halloween Sweeties November 4, 2004

This Halloween marked our seventh year that we’ve shared trick-or-treating with our friends Jennifer and Stephan.  They joined us first when Ben was a turtle at 3 years old.  Now they have an adorable 3-year-old, Seguin, who provides me with a girly fix whenever I’m in need. 

We had a great evening once again as the kids loaded up on candy and we relished some of our traditional stops – the spooky-porch house near the end of the street and the haunted house a wonderful couple creates in their garage every year.  Halloween is a Norman Rockwell experience in our neighborhood.  Everyone throws open their doors, little ones scamper from house to house, and we finally take the time to catch up with neighbors we haven’t seen in months – a truly sweet evening in our small town.