No matter what anyone says, I'm getting older. And this blog is dedicated to the most annoying parts of this "journey" that I've encountered so far.
* BATHROOM CONCERNS: I find that I have to really think twice about whether or not I can have something to drink before hitting the road. This really irritates me!
* WORKING OUT BLAHS: With all my heart, I've not wanted to use gimmicks to get and stay healthy. I've seen the numbers go down -- when I'm going hardcore -- but I've also seen them slide back up when I try to get back to real life. And it just sucks that the older I get, the harder it REALLY is to lose even a couple of pounds. This SUCKS!
* VISION PROBLEMS: I always had 20/20 vision, but once I started to see blurry, it went downhill fast. I have reading glasses but I don't really have to use them. It's just most annoying when I can't see what that tiny speck on my hand is!
* MEMORY / SPEECH ISSUES: This one REALLY sucks. More and more, I've realized that I've said the wrong thing when giving my family direction (like mistaking the boys shirts or putting the wrong snack in the wrong backpack). Nothing major, but I fear this is just the beginning.
* FEELING TIRED: Another big one that I hate. I've always felt pretty young at heart, until now. I exercise, I'm tired. I rest, I'm tired. I take it easy, I'm tired. I do hard work, I'm tired. I stay indoors, I'm tired. I volunteer, I'm tired. I do exactly what I want to do, I'm tired. I eat whatever, I'm tired. I eat more healthy options, I'm tired. I skip caffeine, I'm tired. I drink coffee, I'm EVENTUALLY tired again.
There is no upbeat wrap-up to this blog. I guess I just either wanted you to know you aren't alone OR I wanted to share the glory that is yours to come!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
cinnamon apples are a recipe for life
With my boys home sick today and tomorrow, I find it rather easy to put off more pressing chores (laundry!) in order to tend to their needs and keep them comfortable. I guess if they were destined to get strep throat, might as well knock it out two-fer style!
I made them cinnamon apples yesterday and today. Jack Johnson might sing about banana pancakes and how they have the power to make everyday seem like a lazy weekend (no wonder my three Ds love this song), but I realized something about life while peeling sliced apples today. It's a little recipe that isn't hard to follow if we'll just take the time...
Take fresh apples... because they're awesome and simple, perfectly sweet and juicy, and available in enough varieties to keep you interested. If it's really good for you, do it!
Slice and cut them... with a slicer if you have one. Nothing wrong with adding a bit of convenience when laboring in love. If not, work that knife. Be careful, but don't be afraid!
Peel them... unless you want that extra "good for you" factor. See, this is the part that takes so long for me. I could peel it first, but either way this is the slow part. It can get tedious, trying not to waste too much apple, while also doing the chore of removing what the kids don't want. They'll eat the peel, but sometimes, you just gotta give in and give them what they want. It's ok!
Add them to a little bubbling water... which also took a little time but only very little since there isn't much water to boil. And is there anything more perfect and refreshing than water? It's life-giving, pure and simple.
Throw in some sugar... we use the raw stuff around here. It's the sweetness of life. Personally, I think apples are sweet enough, but to ensure you're more picky eater consumes all this goodness, why not? A little sugar goes a long way, and a little sugar doesn't take away from the nutritious value of apples. Neither do laughter and smiles take away from life's responsibilities, but it can sure make them more bearable.
Top off with cinnamon... because whatever you consider the spice of life, the spice is what keeps it all balanced. Not too sweet, not too tart. Life needs this, and so do warm apples to give them just that little bit of variety.
Serve and let them eat as soon as they can. It takes a little time to make, but seeing my boys eat something they like that's also so good for them is well worth the little extra effort. That I took the time to make a snack for them myself makes it even that much more valuable.
Such can be life, really. Some work, some patience, some sweet and some spice, and a whole lot of love. This was today's recipe for life!
I made them cinnamon apples yesterday and today. Jack Johnson might sing about banana pancakes and how they have the power to make everyday seem like a lazy weekend (no wonder my three Ds love this song), but I realized something about life while peeling sliced apples today. It's a little recipe that isn't hard to follow if we'll just take the time...
Take fresh apples... because they're awesome and simple, perfectly sweet and juicy, and available in enough varieties to keep you interested. If it's really good for you, do it!
Slice and cut them... with a slicer if you have one. Nothing wrong with adding a bit of convenience when laboring in love. If not, work that knife. Be careful, but don't be afraid!
Peel them... unless you want that extra "good for you" factor. See, this is the part that takes so long for me. I could peel it first, but either way this is the slow part. It can get tedious, trying not to waste too much apple, while also doing the chore of removing what the kids don't want. They'll eat the peel, but sometimes, you just gotta give in and give them what they want. It's ok!
Add them to a little bubbling water... which also took a little time but only very little since there isn't much water to boil. And is there anything more perfect and refreshing than water? It's life-giving, pure and simple.
Throw in some sugar... we use the raw stuff around here. It's the sweetness of life. Personally, I think apples are sweet enough, but to ensure you're more picky eater consumes all this goodness, why not? A little sugar goes a long way, and a little sugar doesn't take away from the nutritious value of apples. Neither do laughter and smiles take away from life's responsibilities, but it can sure make them more bearable.
Top off with cinnamon... because whatever you consider the spice of life, the spice is what keeps it all balanced. Not too sweet, not too tart. Life needs this, and so do warm apples to give them just that little bit of variety.
Serve and let them eat as soon as they can. It takes a little time to make, but seeing my boys eat something they like that's also so good for them is well worth the little extra effort. That I took the time to make a snack for them myself makes it even that much more valuable.
Such can be life, really. Some work, some patience, some sweet and some spice, and a whole lot of love. This was today's recipe for life!
Friday, March 4, 2011
so, what's with...
My hope is to have more "meaningful" blog posts of substance. A fellow writer, whose opinion I value, encouraged me to be true to myself in what I write and that I can't go wrong. He echoed my own sentiments.
Having stated this, I can promise you (my unknown reader!) that sometimes my blogs still will be about the somewhat superficial, the evidently elementary, and the mind-boggling maddening and moronic! Moronic might be a bit harsh... I was on a roll.
So, what's with...
*All those smirk-pout non-smiles girls of a certain age are doing for pictures ALL THE TIME nowadays? For one thing, it's so done by now, I can't believe any of them think it's even remotely "cool" (that is, unless cool actually means that every other girl and her puppy is posing in this EXACT same way). Also, I've seen REALLY cute girls look REALLY not cute when assuming this face pose. Eww! Stop it already!
*Letting your kids be loud at the library? Hey you... it's a LIBRARY! If you want to let your kids run around like the world is their own planet of the apes, take them to a Barnes & Noble. Better yet, take them to a park! Whatever you do, tell them to be quiet while you're in the library. Three crucial words to all who are or would be parents: WATCH YOUR KIDS!
*People STILL texting and driving? Who or what is THAT important? I'll tell you who or what... no one or nothing, that's who or what.
*Brooke Burke? I find that while I want to like her, I also want to hate her. Did she really just "write" and publish a book trying to relate to me in written form just because we both happen to 1) speak English and 2) share the same gender tag? The title of her book has the word "naked" in it. Relate to me? I don't think so, sister!
*Tolerance? I think I'm pretty tolerant. However, I find that lots of people who call themselves tolerant are among the first to get pissy when THEY decide someone else (usually someone who disagrees with them) is INTOLERANT. Hello? YOU'RE the one being intolerant by criticizing someone else whose opinion doesn't sit well with you. Come on!
*Ghetto-speak in writing? Look, I'm not perfect. I don't claim to be. I drop caps all the time (thank you, e e cummings) and use the occasional "u" or "b" (though NEVER in that sequence!). But sometimes, I can't even read it, much less make sense of it all. Maybe that's the point... almost-40-year-old women aren't supposed to be reading it. All I know is, ah cant haaang wit aw da stuf ah cant b reedin, boo. id b makin me krunkd uppp muh peeeeeps. (That was exhausting, and it made me shudder like the thought of breaking my leg!)
*Racist people? I have a friend who is racist! Right then I really wanted to write, "I have a friend who is kinda racist" but we all know either you are or you aren't. Old school generation people stick to their discrimination stories, new generations claim "I was brought up that way," and people in between form their own prejudices. I know it's going to happen, but it's almost the 20-teens! Racism is as outdated as cassette tapes and dot matrix printing.
*Alcohol? Is this an acquired taste? Do beer and vodka and deep red wines really taste good to some people? Did it taste good from that first sip? Is there a gene for that? Cause if so, I didn't get it, even though there was a time long ago when my parents liked their booze. Alcohol, to me, is far behind the likes of Coke, sweet tea and berry lemonades when it comes to taste. I just can't believe people like alcohol so much!
*Sports parents? I love sports as much as the next crazy mom. I really do. I love to watch my husband, my boys, pro and college sports, and even play when I get the chance. And I'm quite the fan! But I just don't understand how grown people think it's ok to be mean or aggressive with kids in the name of team sports and WINNING! I also don't get parents who place too much emphasis on sports and generally overlook reading, the arts, family time, communication, volunteerism, church, manners, life.
*People who refuse to recycle? Sometimes it's not convenient. Some cities still charge extra to get a curbside recycling bin. Some people are old or stubborn or stuck in their ways, or all of the above. Understandable, I guess. But to outright NOT recycle when it's an easy option is as acceptable as a 9-year-old stomping his feet in public. Yuck! We hear you... your ONE plastic water bottle might not make or break the earth's ecosystem... but if your lousy attitude caught on, it could be one messy planet. Ever see Wall-E?
*Getting old? It's like marriage and parenting. No one can prepare you. People don't even really try. They don't tell you how life-altering, exhausting and difficult any and all of these can be. It's like there's this secret code among married folks, parents and old people that says, "Don't tell 'em! In an effort to continue the species, for the love of God, don't tell them!"
Having stated this, I can promise you (my unknown reader!) that sometimes my blogs still will be about the somewhat superficial, the evidently elementary, and the mind-boggling maddening and moronic! Moronic might be a bit harsh... I was on a roll.
So, what's with...
*All those smirk-pout non-smiles girls of a certain age are doing for pictures ALL THE TIME nowadays? For one thing, it's so done by now, I can't believe any of them think it's even remotely "cool" (that is, unless cool actually means that every other girl and her puppy is posing in this EXACT same way). Also, I've seen REALLY cute girls look REALLY not cute when assuming this face pose. Eww! Stop it already!
*Letting your kids be loud at the library? Hey you... it's a LIBRARY! If you want to let your kids run around like the world is their own planet of the apes, take them to a Barnes & Noble. Better yet, take them to a park! Whatever you do, tell them to be quiet while you're in the library. Three crucial words to all who are or would be parents: WATCH YOUR KIDS!
*People STILL texting and driving? Who or what is THAT important? I'll tell you who or what... no one or nothing, that's who or what.
*Brooke Burke? I find that while I want to like her, I also want to hate her. Did she really just "write" and publish a book trying to relate to me in written form just because we both happen to 1) speak English and 2) share the same gender tag? The title of her book has the word "naked" in it. Relate to me? I don't think so, sister!
*Tolerance? I think I'm pretty tolerant. However, I find that lots of people who call themselves tolerant are among the first to get pissy when THEY decide someone else (usually someone who disagrees with them) is INTOLERANT. Hello? YOU'RE the one being intolerant by criticizing someone else whose opinion doesn't sit well with you. Come on!
*Ghetto-speak in writing? Look, I'm not perfect. I don't claim to be. I drop caps all the time (thank you, e e cummings) and use the occasional "u" or "b" (though NEVER in that sequence!). But sometimes, I can't even read it, much less make sense of it all. Maybe that's the point... almost-40-year-old women aren't supposed to be reading it. All I know is, ah cant haaang wit aw da stuf ah cant b reedin, boo. id b makin me krunkd uppp muh peeeeeps. (That was exhausting, and it made me shudder like the thought of breaking my leg!)
*Racist people? I have a friend who is racist! Right then I really wanted to write, "I have a friend who is kinda racist" but we all know either you are or you aren't. Old school generation people stick to their discrimination stories, new generations claim "I was brought up that way," and people in between form their own prejudices. I know it's going to happen, but it's almost the 20-teens! Racism is as outdated as cassette tapes and dot matrix printing.
*Alcohol? Is this an acquired taste? Do beer and vodka and deep red wines really taste good to some people? Did it taste good from that first sip? Is there a gene for that? Cause if so, I didn't get it, even though there was a time long ago when my parents liked their booze. Alcohol, to me, is far behind the likes of Coke, sweet tea and berry lemonades when it comes to taste. I just can't believe people like alcohol so much!
*Sports parents? I love sports as much as the next crazy mom. I really do. I love to watch my husband, my boys, pro and college sports, and even play when I get the chance. And I'm quite the fan! But I just don't understand how grown people think it's ok to be mean or aggressive with kids in the name of team sports and WINNING! I also don't get parents who place too much emphasis on sports and generally overlook reading, the arts, family time, communication, volunteerism, church, manners, life.
*People who refuse to recycle? Sometimes it's not convenient. Some cities still charge extra to get a curbside recycling bin. Some people are old or stubborn or stuck in their ways, or all of the above. Understandable, I guess. But to outright NOT recycle when it's an easy option is as acceptable as a 9-year-old stomping his feet in public. Yuck! We hear you... your ONE plastic water bottle might not make or break the earth's ecosystem... but if your lousy attitude caught on, it could be one messy planet. Ever see Wall-E?
*Getting old? It's like marriage and parenting. No one can prepare you. People don't even really try. They don't tell you how life-altering, exhausting and difficult any and all of these can be. It's like there's this secret code among married folks, parents and old people that says, "Don't tell 'em! In an effort to continue the species, for the love of God, don't tell them!"
Thursday, March 3, 2011
what's crazy
Some of the very names we call upon in the name of genius and trailblazing are those of people once viewed as crazy. In one day, I might hear a couple of people call other folks "crazy," and it can mean various things: funny, intense, outgoing, hardworking, risky or truly insane. It's a term we use rather lightly.
Let's take a look at what some of the great minds in history and of our time (some of whom were called crazy, or worse!) had to say on the topic. (*YES, this was inspired by all the Charlie Sheen hoopla. How does one watch virtually no TV, spend less than an hour online, and listen to no talk radio, and still know about the mental breakdown this random person might be having?)
*"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule." -- Friedrich Nietzsche
*"It's crazy, right? To love someone who's hurt you? It's crazier to think that someone who hurts you loves you." -- Jodi Picoult
*"We have psychologized like the insane, who make their insanity greater by striving to understand it." -- Charles Baudelaire
*"Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence." -- Edgar Allan Poe
*"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -- Albert Einstein
Let's also look at a few quotes from some of those very influential minds that, you might agree, sound kinda crazy... or brilliant!
*"To destroy is always the first step in any creation." -- E. E. Cummings
*"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." -- Edgar Allan Poe
*"Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?" -- Jane Austen
*"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." -- Albert Einstein
*"I think that people at the high end, people like myself, should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it." -- Warren Buffett
*"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -- Edgar Allan Poe
*"It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so." -- William Shakespeare
I'm not saying Sheen is or isn't crazy. Neither am I saying that in my opinion he should be cast among the aforementioned greats (he shouldn't!). But, is narcissism insanity? Is fantasy? Because at the very least, he seems consumed by these. Charlie Sheen aside, may I simply suggest, keep an open mind...
*"Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtaxed." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
*"The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success." -- Bruce Feirstein
*"Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one." -- George Orwell
Let's take a look at what some of the great minds in history and of our time (some of whom were called crazy, or worse!) had to say on the topic. (*YES, this was inspired by all the Charlie Sheen hoopla. How does one watch virtually no TV, spend less than an hour online, and listen to no talk radio, and still know about the mental breakdown this random person might be having?)
*"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule." -- Friedrich Nietzsche
*"It's crazy, right? To love someone who's hurt you? It's crazier to think that someone who hurts you loves you." -- Jodi Picoult
*"We have psychologized like the insane, who make their insanity greater by striving to understand it." -- Charles Baudelaire
*"Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence." -- Edgar Allan Poe
*"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -- Albert Einstein
Let's also look at a few quotes from some of those very influential minds that, you might agree, sound kinda crazy... or brilliant!
*"To destroy is always the first step in any creation." -- E. E. Cummings
*"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." -- Edgar Allan Poe
*"Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong?" -- Jane Austen
*"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." -- Albert Einstein
*"I think that people at the high end, people like myself, should be paying a lot more in taxes. We have it better than we've ever had it." -- Warren Buffett
*"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." -- Edgar Allan Poe
*"It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so." -- William Shakespeare
I'm not saying Sheen is or isn't crazy. Neither am I saying that in my opinion he should be cast among the aforementioned greats (he shouldn't!). But, is narcissism insanity? Is fantasy? Because at the very least, he seems consumed by these. Charlie Sheen aside, may I simply suggest, keep an open mind...
*"Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtaxed." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes
*"The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success." -- Bruce Feirstein
*"Perhaps a lunatic was simply a minority of one." -- George Orwell
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