A Family Holiday involving Mint and a River

Yesterday was one of those kind of nice holidays with no agenda...no familiy reunions to get to, big meals to prepare--nothing like that.  While we did make a point of mentioning ancestors and family members who served in the military during wars, that was only a moment of our Memorial Day.  Most of it, actually, was spent just chillin'. 

Fiona and her best friend, Kasi, helped me to harvest the abundant mint in the front flower bed.  I planted just one or two mint plants a couple of years ago, and it's taking over (what I'd hoped for).  We washed the mint and dried it in the food dehydrator, which made the house smell like mint for the day.  I'm fairly certain Fiona did more than I did with it all!  Late last night she helped me to crush all the leaves, standing right in front of me at the counter.  She's so sweet that I don't mind having her in my way!

I actually did the same thing last year, and I still have mint from then...I suppose I need to try to remember to use it!

Michael meantime, as ever, had a very busy day.  After seeing patients all morning, he ran to about five different stores and then spent much of the afternoon working on the lights for the boat trailer--and he made some progress, but, finally, in the evening, we just decided to go.  We embarked on an adventure across the Savannah River last night.  It was actually quite fun paddling across the river.  Of course all manner of sensible folk had already left, but we watched the sunset and enjoyed our time out there.  We climbed on one of the islands and saw on alligator pretty darn close in the river. After the spectacular sunset, we sat in our little boat under the bridge at night while cars went overhead--all was lit up just like a Disney ride!  So fun!

It was a good day to just exist with the family and appreciate them.  The kids are actually big enough now to enjoy that sort of thing.  Believe it or not, but a couple of years ago neither was interested in canoeing, and we've only ever dragged them out there.  Now that they actually like it, well, a whole new world of possibilities is opened up to us!

A Reluctant Hipster?

I took another of those cutesy quizzes on Facebook a couple of days ago.  My FB friend had gotten a result that called her, loosely, a 'wanna-be' hipster.  I thought it was cute, so I took the quiz and got 'so hipster it hurts', and, you know, I've been thinking about that result ever since.  The quiz claimed I was intensely counter-culture and all, but rejected 'owning' that, flatteringly saying that only a true hipster does that.  The last line of their analogy said that the only thing I hate more than Wal-Mart is another hipster, which is the topic of this entry.

What brought this up for me were strong feelings of embarrassment today at my church.  We attend a Unitarian Universalist church, as it's the only church whose creed I can comfortably accept.  However, our church has a predominance of eccentric people.  I'm kind of okay with the eccentricity, but it's the DESIRE for eccentricity that repels me. 

We were asked to repeat an affirmation today, including the statement that we were a liberal religious community.  I was really upset about that, and I'm wondering about why.  When pressed, I guess I have to admit that we are 'liberal' in our religious views.  I guess I just don't like 'owning' it.  And the obvious pleasure that the speaker had in saying this, in his wish to present us as 'dissenters' and all, just rubbed me the absolute wrong way.  I was embarrassed, frankly. 

Which brings in the Walmart/hipster statement of the analysis.  Yes, I'd rather shop at Wal-Mart for a month than be seen as some eccentric liberal religious person who DESIRES to be seen as a dissenter and wants to confront a backlash.  I don't--and, frankly, I'm quite embarrassed when my visiting friends see that side of my church presented as a source of pride in and of itself.   

P.S.  Oh, the Wal-Mart bit may not have been addressed in my blog previously, but I do try to avoid shopping there somewhat  (I think I've gone years without shopping there).  I've actually eased up on that quite a bit lately--for the sake of convenience, and because they've had a little better PR lately.  Of course, you probably know that large numbers of their employees receive welfare checks to make ends meet, and every new Wal-Mart generally puts many, many small businesses out of business.  Just felt that was pertinent to the discussion.

Smug, so Smug!

Okay, I'm asking for it, aren't I?  Honestly, I owe a couple of folks big 'Thank you' and 'Congratulations' and 'Job Well Done'.  What, oh what, am I talking about?
Well, I'm ecstatic over the absolutely fantastic performance that Alex's classmates and he wrote and finally put on yesterday.  The topic was 'The History of Language'.  The kids choreographed, wrote the script and lyrics, created the sets--everything.  It was hilarious and informative. 
A couple of years ago, I was heavily immersed in PTA goings-on for just a time, but I couldn't handle it for too long.  I ended up spazzing over the budget, whigging that thousands of dollars were being paid to hire outside folks to put on the annual 'opera' for the 4th-6th graders.  Mind you, they did a great job, but the school was in need of very basic supplies and improvements, from my viewpoint.  Anyhow, I suggested that the kids would learn more and get more out of writing and performing their own stuff.  In fact, the pretty neat shows that were taught to them starred adults playing piano and singing, which I thought took away from the kids a bit.
Okay, I'll admit that the change may have virtually nothing to do with my letter and assertions, BUT I am gloating that I was right, because the kids just SHINED last night.  They were so funny and so cute.  It was truly a delight to watch. 
AND I have to say that the enthusiasm and the optimism and the brains and the spunk of the teachers totally showed.  You could just see how proud they were of their students, and you just could tell how much heart they'd thrown into the project.
Let me also clarify that I deserve zilch credit--I didn't lift a finger to help in all this.  THEY did it.  The teachers, the students, and other fantastic parents who are more selfless and giving than me.  But I am so satisfied and pleased with the results.  KUDOS to Ellis folks!  So, so, so proud!  

P.S.  Alex was one of four or five students to write his 'section' of the play.  He was a main character named Rudolf the Red.  When another caveman asked him how he knew about the reindeer, he answered in a gruff, cavemanly voice, "Rudolf the Red KNOWS Reindeer!".  Ha!  So corny! 
Another line that will exist for a long time at our house is the reply to "What is that (deer)?"  He threw a spear at it and announced, "Dead!"  Yes, the answer to every question in our household was 'Dead!' last night!
Oh, and I also just loved the line when he tells the other cavemen, "Let us drag these animals home so our wives can cook the meat."  How appropriately ironic for my little, sweet vegetarian guy...
 

You Know What Assuming Does...

I'm totally shocked.  I know I mentioned that Fiona 'successfully' auditioned for Ellis Has Talent.  Well, that was true.  She said it went well, that she was told nice job and all.  However, we just found out today that she didn't get into the show.  No, Ellis is not loaded with a bunch of unbelievable talent.  Yes, she does sound FANTASTIC.  I can't fathom it.  Anyway, she'll be fine...my little girl rarely has been disappointed in that way and is really pretty self-assured about her talent.  She's going to be singing with the children's choir on Sunday and has an upcoming art show and dance recital--and she always receives wonderful feedback, so all will be fine.  In fact, I think she's already fine--'tis I' who can't handle it! 

On a related note, though, Alex will be a sort of between-acts speaker (jokes in mind!) at the talent show, which I'm looking forward to seeing.  I wonder how that will go over...

My Little Girl turns Nine!

Just a little while ago, the clock ticked past midnight and May 18th arrived.  It's Fiona's birthday!  It was also my Granny's birthday, too...and a couple other people of my acquaintance!  Anyway, I have just a couple of presents wrapped for her, and I slipped a ring on her finger after she was asleep.  No, we didn't go all out for this birthday, but I think things will be nice for her anyhow.  She's getting a dress and a couple of books and maybe a fashion design kit that I plan on picking up today.  We'll go out to dinner, of course!  Her big present is actually supposed to be horseback riding lessons at some point in the near future, but those won't start until at least after school is out.  She's way too busy in the moment with her fencing and piano.  In fact, she successfully auditioned today for Ellis Has Talent, which is a really big, exciting deal for her.  She's quite the performer!  Oh, I'm to go to Ellis today, actually, to watch her dress rehearsal for her dance recital, too...and she's to receive her two new dance costumes today, too--conveniently on her birthday!  Anyhow, yes, it sounds good, right?  Good enough to get by with no party once again!  (Whew!)  Yes, I know I'll have to succumb soon.  I suppose 'ten' is a good age for a party, right?  She hasn't had a big party since...well, a long time!  I know she had a huge one when she turned six, but it's all hazy since then...
Anyhow, it's her birthday, and she's the most wonderful nine-year-old ever!  (Excepting Alex, perhaps...but I can't even remember that long ago!)  Happy Birthday to my sweetheart! 

CEU quiz spazzing

Hello...  Gosh, I haven't been regular with the blog postings, I know, but I'm just using it to vent now!  I've been sidetracked from writing novel #3, as I have CEU's due before I'm scheduled to finish the first draft of my novel (my own scheduling, that is!).  So, I've been working on those and am tres irritated at getting wrong answers on my CEU quizzes!  If I'm not focused, I miss them, and then, more recently, it seems as though I picked good answers that are somehow wrong anyway--but there's no forum to discuss why the answer is wrong.  Oh well...they give me credit anyway, so I suppose that's what's important, right?  UGH.  So nice to be done with school, isn't it?  You know, I had let go of those nit-picky tendencies to get upset at wrong answers in ND school and laughed at my classmates that spazzed about it...but I'm doing it myself now!  Oh well...I suppose it's my percentage-operating brain.  If I take a test and miss one of 20 questions, no big deal--but one of two is upsetting!
Okay, that's it for now...one day I'll get back to posting normal blog entries, maybe!

Another Year and Even More to Do!

Life is a whirlwind!  I am in the midst of working on novel #3--yes, the final installment of the Silk trilogy.  Meanwhile, we are working on my grandparents' home--and loving it.  I have grand plans for a writing parlour, which is the first serious renovation.  Today involved coats of Killz latex primer on al the trim (takes forever to apply, just like the paint will!). 
Mother's Day was a beautiful, wonderful day.  Fiona wrote a lovely poem and I was given gifts and petted and given space to write...it was perfect.  I realized that it has become my very favorite holiday, as it's the only holiday where I'm not worried about making it nice for everyone else!
Michael and I will be celebrating our 18th Anniversary on Sunday...yes, we're relics!  Can you believe? 
The kids are currently busy with running back and forth to their Greeleyville home, school, a fencing class, and their ever-present piano practice.  Speaking of that, we have a wonderful old turn of the century piano that we found at the ReStore--that's been an exciting process of moving it, tuning it, and looking it up.  I still hope to get it dated, and we're suspecting 1890's-ish!  I've been loving it in the old home. 
Looking forward to Fiona's ninth birthday this week as well.  My baby's growing up!
Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring.