Friday, June 30, 2006

In a library with Amy...

in high school studying for a test, I copied this poem and through all my many moves I have kept it. It gets stuck in different boxes and different files but somehow I never lose track of it. It is by far one of my favorite poems and now I am going to share ~

Lament of a Normal Child by Phyllis McGinley

The school where I go is a modern school
    With numerous modern graces.
And there they cling to the modern rule
    Of "Cherish the Problem Cases!"
From nine to three
I develop Me.
    I dance when I'm feeling dancy,
Or everywhere lay on
With creaking crayon
    The colors that suit my fancy.
But when the commoner tasks are done,
    Deserted, ignored, I stand.
For the rest have complexes, everyone;
    Or a hyperactive gland.

Oh, how can I ever be reconciled
    To my hatefully normal station?
Why counldn't I be a Problem Child
    Endowed with a small fixation?
Why wasn't I trained for a Problem Child
    With an Interesting Fixation?

I dread the sound of the morning bell.
    The iron has entered my soul.
I'm a square little peg who fits too well
    In a square little normal hole.
For seven years
In Mortimer Sears
    Has the Oedipus angle fourished;
And Jessamine Gray,
She cheats at play
    Because she is undernourished.
The teachers beam on Frederick Knipe
    With scientific grattitude,
For Fred, they claim, is a perfect type
    Of the Antisocial Attitude.
And Cuthbert Jones has this temper riled
    In a way professors mention.
But I am a Perfectly Normal Child,
    So I don't get any attention.
I'm nothing at all but a Normal Child,
    So I don't get the least attention.

The others jeer as they pass my way.
    They titter without forbearance.
"He's Perfectly Normal," they shrilly say,
    "With Perfectly Normal parents."
I learn to read
With a normal speed.
    I answer when I'm commanded.
Infected antrums
Don't give me tantrums.
    I don't even write left-handed.
I build with blocks when they give me blocks,
    When it's busy hour, I labor.
And I seldom delight in landing socks
    On the ear of my little neighbor.

    I sit on the steps alone.
Why couldn't I be a Problem Child
    With a Case to call my own?
Why wasn't I born a Problem Child
    With a Complex of my own?

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Happy Birthday Carrie!

Actually, I am a day late but in my defense, I was at her party last night! And now thanks to the modern world... all of my loyal readers can see the fun that was had!
Here is Scott (thrower of said party and husband of said birthday girl) and Carrie, the birthday girl!!

Carrie's mom surprised her by coming in from out of state to see her!

Trying to blow out the candles... they may have been trick candles ;~)

Random pics of the evening...


Hope you had a good day Carrie!!!

Friday, June 23, 2006

Adam got a FT job!!!

Adam has been offered a position at a law firm in Towson! Let's just say the fit is kinda like this...
I like to think that the job is a direct result of how well I dress him
but alas, I think it is due to his skill, determination and overall "Adamness"... a quality that many strive for and only few achieve.


He starts July 3rd which gives him a full week of relaxing
and enjoying time off, something like this...


Congrats Honey!!!! I am so proud of you!!!! I love you ~

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

A haircut for a worthy cause...

My friend Rose decided a while ago that she was going to grow her hair out to a substantial length and then donate it... Last night was the big event and I was on hand to document the whole thing... Since there are more than a couple, I thought I would keep them small ;~)


The "Before" picture.


Now that is a face of someone losing over 10 inches of hair!


Somewhat like a trophy, wouldn't you say?


Now comes the styling part...


Feeling free and lighter!


Back in her apartment modeling the latest and greatest in headwear! It's a little hard to see but she looks amazing! Trust me ;~)

Awesome job Rose! My mom would be proud and pleased ;~)

Monday, June 19, 2006

Sorry about the lack of posting...

it's been a busy week and it continued straight into the weekend! Adam and I went to Hagerstown Saturday and stayed overnight. Adam went to a few meetings at the AA convention and Sandy (mom-in-law) and I made anklets all evening long! What fun... we ended making 2 for ourselves and 1 for Rob and 1 for Danielle... it was only fair, they supplied us with the handmade glass beads.

What you say... Danielle and Rob have homemade glass beads! They do and they handed them over to have anklets made out of them. Actually Danielle, in her 'get rid of everything before we move' bequeathed the glass bead making kit to me.... so she came over Friday night and taught Adam and I how to make glass beads. It involves a blow torch and patience... yeah, awesome combo...

Oh and Paco... I swear, I was supposed to go to Hagerstown Friday night... it was a last minute decision to go Saturday morning... ask Danielle, she was peeved that I didn't go to the pool with her!

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the bead making extravaganza...


Adam working on his masterpiece.


Spinning the glass over the flame.


Danielle and I - always up for a photo op!

Anyway... Sandy and I made anklets out of hemp rope and homemade glass beads... it was a lot of fun! Then we hung out with Adam's dad Sunday morning, headed home, did a mad cleaning frenzy and had my dad and his girlfriend over for dinner. It was a great night and Adam made a fantastic meal! Lemon butter caper orange roughy, edamame, wheat pasta with tomatoes, garlic and lime and strawberry salad with poppy seed vinaigrette dressing! Good times... and I married a great man!

Oh and Paco - (lots of shout outs for you!) tell wifey that we had berries with balsamic vinaigrette over vanilla bean ice cream for dessert and it was fantabulous!!!!

Life is good ~

Monday, June 12, 2006

Comments

Just a note that I am not entertaining anonymous comments any longer. I will not be used for childish middle school games. If you don't identify yourself by your name or if I can't immediately identify who you are, then I will delete the comment.

Thanks

Survivor Harbor 7

Ok, it's my bragging time... Rob, Danielle and Adam ran the Survivor Harbor 7 this past weekend. Rob ran the 7 mile portion and Danielle and Adam ran the 3 mile portion.

I was supposed to run the 3 mile with Adam and Danielle but had to pull out about 2 weeks ago.... so I dropped Adam off at the 3 mile start and waited at the finish line...

Rob came in first out of the 3 of them. He then circled around and joined up with Danielle for her last mile... yeah, he ran 7 miles and then thought, I have more energy, I'll run another mile... Ahhh, to be that in shape.

Here is a pic of the 3 of them very shortly after they ran across the finish line...


And here I am being very proud of my man!!! (complete with Starbucks coffee mug attached to my purse ;~)


To Adam, Rob and Danielle... I couldn't be more proud! You guys were awesome!

Monday, June 05, 2006

I apparently will never outgrow high school

My friend Jaime's bridal shower was yesterday and I spent a solid hour fretting about what to wear. Seriously… I was going back and forth trying to decide what the 'popular girls' would wear. Keep in mind, I have been friends with Jaime for years and I am in her wedding... she could careless about what I wear... regardless....

A little background... In middle/high school I wasn’t what you call popular… I was a wallflower, of the grandest proportions. Admittedly I spread my wings a little more when I went to a smaller Christian school my last 2 years, but from fifth grade to tenth grade, my greatest goal was to be invisible. And for the most part I succeeded.

Flash forward to present day and I am much more comfortable with myself. More confident so I take greater risks… certainly risks that I wouldn’t have taken in school. I wear what makes me comfortable and what have you... or so I thought.

Back to yesterday when I worried about what to wear. Brown pants, hippie tank top, black guachos, gray 'rebel' shirt, flowery skirt, pink shirt.... as it turns out, pink was the color of the day ;~)

Looks like school be damned... I am popular.

That is Kelly, Heather, Jaime and I looking fabulous!

Kelly - if you read this post and don't leave me a comment, you're in big trouble! I know where you sit and I can hold your contracts hostage ~ j/k ;~) Love ya!

Friday, June 02, 2006

Ok, Ok... I get it... ;~)

I wanted to respond to everyone's comments but putting all of this in a comment seemed a tad excessive so....

Kathi - I couldn't delete you if I wanted to ;~) Thanks for the kind words... and the reminder of the difference between sad and disappointed. That was an excellent point ~

Dad - Thanks for everything... not just this comment but everything, I don't know what I would do without you. God definitely had a plan there ~

Tom - Anytime you want! I am always ready to talk about that boat ;~) You actually gave me a good idea for a project (and eventual blog)... and my dad is pretty awesome ;~)

Johnnie - Thanks for the insight. I try to remember that, I swear I do!

Leesa - I have had that thought too, like maybe there is a bigger reason why I am here... haven't figured out what it is but I have had the thought. I stay because of the $$ and the benefits... I know $$ isn't everything but it is a factor right now. While my husband can command WAY more money then I will ever make and does bring home good money, right now I am the one with the steady income and I am the one who provides the benefits... I do like your idea of finding someone that does what I want to do ;~)

Thanks to everyone for the comments. I do appreciate them. I know in my heart of hearts that my mom was (and would be if she was here) proud of me. I just get a little stuck in my head sometimes and can't seem to shake the funk.

I do wish that I had taken more cues from her... listened a little more... given her ideas more credence... done more with her... asked her more questions...

It's just one of those things that death takes from you. I am realizing that I knew very little about the woman that raised me. Now, at the age I am, is when I was supposed to be asking questions about her life. (I only recently figured out that my mom had a life before me, who knew ;~)


I do have journals, pictures, documents and memorabilia to go through, when the time is right ;~)

Thanks again to everyone ~