Living In Creativity...

I would love to have some form of artistic talent. The ability to create a beautiful scene onto a blank canvas leaves me envious.  My brother is an artist.  His sketches are so detailed and life like, I just stare at them in awe.  My daughter inherited his talent...YES!  I love to watch her sit on the couch with her lap desk and work on her drawings or take leftover yarn and knit saddles for her stuffed horses.  It makes my heart sing!  I have zero artistic ability.  ZERO!  I'm even afraid to paint my walls, that is how little talent I have.  How I wish my parents had been able to share that DNA with me.  But alas, my little brother holds all of it...along with the beautiful strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and long eyelashes.  But I'm not bitter or anything...

What I have learned from living with two artists, is that they are a bit...messy.  I remember as a child my brother having a drawer in his dresser filled with the pieces of broken toys.  He would pull the drawer out and have the pieces spread all over his bed, putting different parts together to create a new "invention."  He once combined a Barbie brush, a steering wheel, and a magnifying glass to make a moustache comber for our dad.  Dad has always had a thin moustache.  His bedroom walls were covered with portraits of his favorite musicians.  He once sketched a portrait of Jerry Garcia that looked as though he would speak to you!  Amazing.

Now I am grown and my daughter is the house artist.  You know those pictures that you see in magazines of perfectly manicured homes devoid of all clutter?  That will never, and I mean never, be my house.  Currently, there is an entire corner of the dining room devoted to art supplies and display.  I'm not just talking pencils and paint, I'm talking boxes of every shape and size, empty paper towel rolls, and duct tape.  Duct tape is a fact of life, artist or not.  The walls and refrigerator are covered with pictures of horses and various dogs and cats.  I remember being a new single mom and not having a lot of money for decorations, so I took my daughter's drawings and decorated our great room with them.  Made for such happy surroundings. The other rooms of the house have a corner that contains drawing supplies, large books or a lap desk to draw on, and of course...boxes of various shape and size.  You see, a Dairy Queen box may be handy for holding your lunch...but they also make great giraffes.  Couches, end tables, entertainment centers, can all hold a number of pencils, crayons, and yarn.  Need a pencil at my house?  Just look beside you.

Now granted, I have tried to organize this all at various times.  But it is as though it has a life of it's own!  To the naked eye it may appear as clutter, but to my daughter, they are tools.  Not only tools, but creations in the making.  Oh to be inside that mind!  To be able to look at a box and see it's potential.  I get a panic attack planning to paint two colors on one wall.  Can it be done???  The ceiling too?  ARGH!!  Sometimes the mess may be frustrating, sometimes I may sigh as I look around me; but when push comes to shove, I would have it no other way.  I am held captive in creativity, and it is glorious!

Is Social Networking a Bad Thing...

I...love...Facebook.  Love it.  When I approached this in the beginning, I thought it was a great way to share pictures of my family and my growing children.  I also liked to use my status updates as a way of making people laugh, a form of entertainment.  What I discovered was a platform for people to insult my beliefs, my political stance, everything about me!  Sometimes it takes everything inside of me to not argue back or prove them wrong.  But I don't.  I just scroll on and look for more recipes and kid pictures.  I really hate election time when it seems like everyone thinks they will sway my vote by posting propaganda all over the place.  In case you are one of those people...you won't.  I am educated, I am informed, nothing you say can or will persuade me otherwise.  I make it a point to post nothing that shows my political affiliation.  I do, however, post things that make fun of both sides because...well let's face it...both sides are pretty hilarious. 

I think what bothers me most is the anger and resentment I sometimes feel.  I have, at times, felt so degraded by so-called "friends" that I have "deleted" them because, seriously, who needs that??  Remember when we used to talk on the phone or meet at a restaurant or hang-out?  Remember when we had an ounce of decorum when we stated an opinion?  With social networking comes a blind courage.  A courage normally not shown except through the use of tequila.  When you are staring at a monitor, it is so easy to just spill your opinions, insults, whatever for the whole wide world to see.  Face to face it is not quite so easy.  You may still do it, but you may also get punched in the nose.  It is so much easier to run your mouth when no one is staring at you.  That is how I try to approach my replies, statuses, disagreements...would I say this to your face?  That does not make me a coward if I would not.  Sometimes it is best to leave things to yourself.  If you want to challenge me, face to face, let's go.  I won't back down.  But aren't we all entitled to our own opinion?  If you think differently than me...who cares??  I don't.  You have your reasons and I have mine.  Respect that!  Geez.

I miss sitting on my front porch and talking to my neighbors.  I miss phone calls about the day's adventures.  I miss respect and discussion without insult.  Some say the art of conversation is dead.  I tend to agree.  If not dead, then dying a slow agonizing death.  There IS an art to discussing opposing opinions, an art to discussing the world's problems without degrading someone else's opinions.  An art to just...talking.  Step...away...from the...technology...Call a friend.  Meet them for lunch.  Sit on your porch.  Talk!

Out With the Old, In With the New...

Ah, it's the beginning of a new year!  A time for reflection and plans, plans for a better more fruitful year ahead.  A time to let go of unwanted habits and adopt new ones.  Resolutions will be made and resolutions will be broken, it's the cycle of life.  The year 2013 brought about so many new and wonderful events and some we would rather forget.  I have been thinking about some of the things I would like to keep and some of the things...well, that I could do without.

Vocabulary

2013 offered some interesting new words, like selfie, twerking, cray cray, and hashtag.  I read something the other day that said the "selfie" was making us narcissistic.  No way!  Do you mean to tell me making fish lips and taking a picture of yourself to post online so that everyone can tell you that you look hot is a sign of narcissism??  Nooooooooooo...But that is not my concern with the selfie, my concern with the selfie is all of the pictures I observe with disgusting scum on the bathroom tile behind them.  Here's a word for your vocabulary...bleach! 

The one word that I detest, that makes me cringe, that drives me insane...grrrrrrrrrrr...twerking.  Argh I hate that word!  I hate the act of it, I hate the sound of it, and I hate that Miley Cyrus had to ingrain that image into my mind.  Shiver!  Dancing should be a flow, a beautiful sexy movement; not your rear end gyrating inexplicably.  Ew. 

Hashtag...what an interesting concept.  A concept that was originally meant to categorize a status on Twitter, but has now become a form of communication on all correspondence.  I don't understand the use of hashtags outside of the Twitter world, it confuses me, and I have a hard time reading phrases without spaces so please make this go away!  #makemeinsane #stophashtags #bloggingopinionsrock #amItooold

I love the word cray cray.  It embarrasses my kids when I use it.  I love to drive my kids cray cray.  #embarassingmom #craycrayrules

Television

Is it just me or is creativity dead?  Everything that you see new on television is some kind of new reality show.  Now I don't dislike all of them, but some of them are just getting out of hand.  I remember when the concept first came out with Survivor, Cops, and Amazing Race.  I still like Cops and I like the similar show The First 48, this is closer to reality.  I do not keep up with the music shows but the concept seems fair and understandably entertaining.  But seriously...Monsters Inside Me...I can't even watch the previews without taking a dose of antibiotic.  Then there is Amish Mafia...really?  I imagine a dude in a black brim hat and a woman in a bonnet speaking over me in German dialect and threatening me with a sharp icicle...or maybe a knife that they made themselves...without power tools.  I saw a commercial for an upcoming series, Sex Sent Me to the ER.  Apparently, I have been doing it wrong all of these years...

What I am looking forward to is Season 3 of Sherlock!  I...love...this...program!!  I am ready to celebrate January 19th as though it is my birthday!  I haven't been this excited about a series since Northern Exposure in the early 90's.  Now THAT is good television!  This also tells me that I am getting old.

Kindle or Books?

This is a serious question for many people.  Do you give up the feel of a good book for the technology and convenience of a Kindle.  I am wishy-washy on this because I like both.  For Christmas I received the book Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger and I love owning it, seeing his name on it, and knowing that my kids and husband picked it out and knew I would like it.  Books are awesome!  Open up an old book and inhale deeply...intoxicating.  On the flip side, going on vacation and packing some reading material, you cannot beat having all of your books in one handy tablet to slide into your suitcase or purse.  A suitcase full of books is heavy.  I don't like heavy.  I am on the fence with this one, just call me Charlie Brown.

We look at the world around us and want to throw out the junk and hold on to the treasures.  We do the same for ourselves.  I am hoping that next year when I am reflecting on 2014, I am healthier, skinnier, smarter, and kinder.  I also hope I am not twerking or taking a selfie with moldy tiles.

Christmas Thoughts...

It's that time of year again.  Usually, I like to write a silly thought or observation about the holiday season.  This year, however, I just can't find it in my heart to do so.  I read the headlines and see the arguments on Facebook and it is just too difficult to make light of any of it.  So I won't.

I found myself caught up in the "Duck Dynasty" scandal and getting all in a tither over it.  I mean it has everything...freedom of speech, freedom of religion, gay rights...  It is an absolute gold mine for debate. It has made me think and I have learned so much from it, but, I'm not going to write about that.

I read the headlines and they are covered with child abuse, rape, violence, murder, drugs.  I read them and wonder to myself if the entire moral fiber of mankind has completely disappeared.  It all haunts and disturbs me.  I'm not going to write about that either.

Christmas is four days away.  We are stressed, we are angry, we are fed up.  In June 1994, I lost a very dear friend of mine suddenly.  His death left me heartbroken.  I remember that following Christmas being in the mall doing my Christmas shopping when a carol came over the speaker that touched me deeply.  I had to leave the store to find a quiet place to weep.  The song reminded me of how I longed for a simpler time.  A time when my worries and fears and sadness were not in the forefront of my mind.  That song is what I want to share with you...

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light.
From now on,
Our troubles will be out of sight.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the yule-tide gay.
From now on,
Our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together,
If the fates allow.
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself, a merry little Christmas now.

I wish you Peace, I wish you Love, and of course, I wish you a merry little Christmas.

Why So Mad Bro?

Have you ever noticed how people tend to get infuriated over the silliest things?  It seems like the slightest occurrence can throw us into a tantrum that would make even the brattiest 2 year old look like an angel.  But then on the flip side, the things that should make us livid; we take with a grain of salt.  How did we get so confused?  People all around us are going hungry, living in poverty, addicted to drugs and we seem to just blow it off.  We say, "Isn't that sad..." or "How pathetic..." and go about our day as if nothing happened.  We read about a game where teenagers will run up to you on the street and hit you as hard as they can, knocking you unconscious and we just read on and say, "What is this world coming too?"  But if you get a game request on your social network...oh my.  "I WILL END OUR FRIENDSHIP IF YOU SEND ME ONE MORE GAME REQUEST!  I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL!!!"  Really?  Is it that much of an inconvenience to you?  I get them all of the time and guess what I do...ignore them.  It's really easy.  Just glance and move on.  Just like that.  I wouldn't lie to you.  Then there is the Merry Christmas debate.  Is this actually a problem?  I mean, isn't the holiday actually called Christmas?  Just because you are an atheist, do you not still celebrate in a secular way the holiday of Christmas?  But we are worrying ourselves silly about how to wish someone a happy holiday by the use of the actual name of the holiday??  We say "Happy Halloween," "Happy Thanksgiving,"  "Happy Easter," but when we get to Christmas we go, "Uhhhhhhh..."  Personally, I think this is a problem that is fed by the media.  I have always said Merry Christmas and everyone I have said it to has always said, "Merry Christmas to you."  Is it because they are Christian?  Not necessarily.  Is it because they are making a political statement?  No.  It is because that is the name of the holiday.  Christmas is not called Holiday, it's Christmas.  The whole argument is just silly and everyone seems very up in arms about it.  Yet I wonder, how many people have actually said, "I find that offensive. Do not say that to me."  I doubt many.  My response to that reaction?  "Oh.  Then I un-Merry your Christmas and Happy New Year."  Or should that be Happy Year Change?  Hmmmmmm...

There are things in this world worthy of getting angry over.  Sometimes I think if we put the same passion into the real injustices of the world that we put into the things that do not matter, maybe just maybe, the world would be a better place.  What if instead we took a stand against (in no order of importance) prejudice, sexual abuse, drug trafficking, poor education system, degradation of women, human trafficking, child abuse, elderly abuse, hunger, goodness sakes I could go on and on.  If we stood up for these things with the zeal of rejecting game requests...wouldn't this world be a better place in which to live?  Oh yeah I think so...

Thanksgiving Memories...

The holiday season is upon us yet again.  In a few days we will be sitting with our families devouring turkey, dressing, and pumpkin pie until we pass out.  I absolutely love this time of year!  I love the fall season and the coming weeks following Thanksgiving full of Christmas decorations and music.  It always makes me think of holidays past and memories of family gatherings.  None are Norman Rockwell worthy, however, (unless Rockwell had a comic strip I didn't know about) but beautiful just the same. 

I saw a cartoon once that read, "Thanksgiving, bringing out the best in family dysfunction since 1863."  Ha!!  That is perfect!  Does that mean I have bad memories of Thanksgiving past?  Absolutely not!  I have wonderful memories, wonderful, hilarious memories.  Growing up, Dad would always go hunting early that morning while Mom prepared dinner.  My brother and I would watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade and stay out of the way.  That was our job.  My Dad would return around lunchtime with my grandparents and uncle to have dinner.  This was always exciting because that was the only time they came to our house.  My uncle would usually have had a little to drink before arriving so he was just a bit tipsy.  We didn't mind though because these were the times he would get on the floor with us and play and laugh at all of our never ending stories.  I thought I was hilarious when I talked with him.  Sober or not he was always kind, but when he was drinking, I became a comedian.  We would sit down to dinner and Dad would say grace, then the devouring began.  Papaw could not hear a thing which drove Mamaw insane!  "What was that?"  "HE SAID IT'S SUPPOSED TO SNOW THIS WEEKEND! He can't hear himself fart,"  she would say annoyed.  My brother and I would giggle at them because it was certainly giggle-worthy.  My uncle would giggle too which made us laugh even more.  Mamaw would continue without notice and observe my Papaw again, "Wipe your mouth."  "What?"  "WIPE YOUR MOUTH!  Good lord you are deaf."  By this time my uncle is giggling again and we are snorting cranberry sauce out of our noses.  It may sound odd to everyone else but to me, it was great.  I still laugh when I think of it.  After dinner, we would sit around and listen to the adults talk and hear the latest gossip from "back home," as my parents called it.  I never knew who was who and how they were related to me but the stories were still interesting nonetheless.  I loved to listen to Mamaw tell a tale and then laugh her big, infectious laugh.  It was a beautiful laugh that I can still hear in my mind.  Oh how I miss that lovely laugh.  Those were the days.

Time passed and so did family.  My uncle and grandparents have passed on and now it is my brother and I driving to see Granny and Papaw with our families.  The kids steal the show with their antics and funny sayings.  My brother listens to his niece and nephew's endless stories with the same interest that my uncle listened to ours (wishing he had a little to drink too I'm guessing).  I do miss the antics of my grandparent's yearly tiffs.  All couples relate differently, they had their ways that some may find strange.  Strange or not it was certainly entertaining.  Occasionally, my brother and I will share a memory at the table and begin laughing hysterically and once again snort cranberry sauce out our noses.  Mom and Dad just look at us like aliens and wonder how they brought such strange people into this world and at least there is still hope with the grandchildren.  Oh how I love Thanksgiving!

So what will I be thankful for as I sit around the family table this Thanksgiving?  Wow there is so much it is hard to list everything... But one thing is for sure, I will be thankful for family and for the beautiful dysfunction that carved such wonderful memories that are still as clear in my mind today as they were 30 years ago.  Happy Thanksgiving!  Enjoy the beautiful dysfunction!   

Pets, pets, PETS!!

We have so many pets.  So, so many...  Don't get me wrong, I do like them and in some cases I love them.  I am not, however, Jack Hanna.  I do not find the same joy in pet ownership as some do.  When I started this excursion, I had 1 dog, 1 cat, 1 guinea pig; it was like a version of Noah's Ark, a representation of every species.  But then my daughter developed into an animal lover and then I married an animal lover, so now we have expanded.  Over the years, we have had 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 2 rabbits, 1 fish, and 1 ferret.  Whew!  That is a lot of poop.  We now have 2 dogs, Rex and Daisy, 2 cats, Pip and Tiger, 1 guinea pig, Coco, and 1 ferret, Gypsy.  Still a lot of poop.  My job has fallen on poop patrol.  This may be why I am less excited about the growth of our furry family.  My daughter and husband feed them so they are both the favorites of all the animals.  Me?  I am guessing that as they watch me scoop, wipe, and clean up their fecal gifts, they are thinking to themselves, "Look at that weirdo messing with our poop, how strange."  I am so under-appreciated.

I do enjoy all of their funny personalities.  Tiger the cat is the owner.  I say that because that is the attitude he emits, "All of you 4 legged members?  I own you.  All of you 2 legged members?  I own you too."  Tiger perches atop the back of the couch and surveys his domain.  It's good to be king.  Daisy the dog is always happy, and I mean ALWAYS.  She greets everyone as though she has not seen them for ages, even if it is just for a couple of minutes, "You're home!  Oh thank God you are home!  I missed you!  I thought you were gone forever!  I love you!  Love me!  I need to lick your face!  I missed you!"  She is one of those dogs that actually smiles.  I love it when a dog smiles, makes them almost human.  Adorable!  Dogs love so unconditionally.  As my husband likes to say, "Lock your wife and your dog in the trunk of a car for two hours and then open it up and see who is happy to see you."  Yeah, it would be the dog, but I don't suggest he test that. 

I find it amazing how pet ownership has changed since when I was growing up.  When I was a kid, if you decided to get the family a dog it was a simple process.  Pick out dog.  Build doghouse.  Buy food and bowls.  Take to vet once a year.  Love.  Pretty simple, don't you think?  Not anymore!  Now we are no longer pet owners but pet parents.  Need a toy or food bowl for Fido?  There are now whole department stores for that.  You can take your pet for a day of pampering at the spa.  Really?  I want to go for a day of pampering at the spa...all I get is poop duty.  You no longer just go and pick out a collar by color, this is now serious business.  Your posh puppy deserves more than just that nylon boredom from Wal-Mart.  What kind of pet parent are you??  I have to be real here folks.  I have yet to see a dog throwing a temper tantrum because the collar given to them was not a Coach.  Let me give you a little insight here...DOGS...DON'T...CARE!!  They love you!!  Period.  They do not love you more because you take them to the spa, or give them designer collars, or dress them in the latest fashion.  They love you because that is what they do.  Take them for walks, feed them well, let them sit on your lap and rub their furry little bellies and they will love you.  And no matter how much money you spend; you will never, ever, be able to out-love them.  Never.

Maybe I led a sheltered life, I'm not sure.  I have seen a huge increase in dog breeds.  I have always been partial to the "mutt" myself and highly recommend your local shelter for your next pet.  Some, however, love that pure breed.  It used to be, when my Chihuahua mated with your Yorkshire Terrier, there was going to be a neighborly feud because I have now "ruined" your precious Fifi.  These days, you now have a Chorkie!  My favorite is the Dachshund/Yorkshire Terrier combination...the Dorkie!  I am waiting for the day that the Dorkie is allowed in the Westminster Dog Show.  What a glorious day!  Can you imagine? "We will now be seeing the toy breeds.  Here you see Mr. Pickles a registered Dorkie.  My what a fine specimen of Dork he is!"  I promise I will have a party that day...pretzels, cake, Chex mix...mark it on your calendars.  One type of breed that I just cannot wrap my head around are the hairless breeds.  Shiver!  My daughter wants one of those Chinese Crested hairless dogs.  I just do not understand.  One of the great things about having a dog is snuggling up to that soft, warm fur.  If I wanted to snuggle up to something bald and bristly, I would snuggle up to my husband's butt!  And have you seen those bald cats??  They look like that creepy little guy from "Lord of the Rings" remember him, "My precioussssssssss."  Yikes!!  It is an ever-changing world folks.  Indeed.

I have to admit that these pets do add to our lives: companionship, unconditional love, a constant friend.  There is never a dull moment around here, that is for sure.  And maybe, just maybe, I love them a little more than I let on.  I mean really, I spend every day cleaning their poop.  I wouldn't do that for just ANYBODY...