I've posted often in the past about the little, everyday things that I cling to in times of slipping sanity. I don't post about these things because they're constantly before me; I post them because I need the constant reminder, to draw my own attention to them as much as to draw the readers'. This morning when I read Jordana's list, I realized how much I've been overlooking and underappreciating the little things again. Time to remedy the situation. Thanks for the reminder, Jordana.
Five Little Things that Bring You Satisfaction or Pleasure
1. Stroking the Great Golden Sun Cat
2. Sitting on a pond or creek bank in the sun.
3. The sky. In any weather.
4. A warm husband upon whom to place my cold feet at night.
5. Green, growing things.
I know it's easy to say, "If you've read this, consider yourself tagged," but I really mean it. I want to know everyone's simple pleasures. Leave a comment or just post. I'll be watching for them.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
Writing Fun
Writing can be a lot of fun. Especially if it's someone else's. Below are two excerpts by Great Scott's students, who are turning in papers on To Kill a Mockingbird.
"Mr. Ewell, Mayella's father, attacks Jem, Atticus son, who is a layer for Tom Robinson. Mr. Ewell whines up getting stabbed and dieing."
And
"Tom Robinson...has a trail for the rapping of Mayella."
"Mr. Ewell, Mayella's father, attacks Jem, Atticus son, who is a layer for Tom Robinson. Mr. Ewell whines up getting stabbed and dieing."
And
"Tom Robinson...has a trail for the rapping of Mayella."
Friday, February 24, 2006
Friday Quote: On Choosing Between Evils
"Whenever I have to choose between two evils, I always like to try the one I haven't tried before."
--Mae West
--Mae West
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Life on the Coporeal Plane
Great Scott commented recently that I'd not been blogging very much of late. He's right, of course. Part of the reason is that there's a lot going on in my head right now, and I don't like to talk or write about things publicly until I've sorted them out in the interior. I need a lot of space that way, and I've ceased feeling guilty for taking it. The blog has been neglected of late, though, so here are a few of the things that have been happening on the coporeal plane of existence here at PossumBox Lane:
1. We spent eight dollars on corn syrup yesterday for the older daughter's science project. For those of you who have never seen an eight inch deep layer of shocking red corn syrup in a giant pickle jar, topped with an inch of styrofoam peanuts, a layer of moss, some upright eucalyptus sprigs and a couple of tiny dinosaurs, well...I pity your educational deficiency and offer my deepest condolences. Her presentation on the asthenosphere (the layer of earth directly beneath the lithosphere, in case you're wondering) is today around 2ish. She is frighteningly well-prepared. Her little sister, the owner of the dinosaurs, was anxious that the upright dinosaur's toes might be dangling through the moss into melting rock. "He could start a volcano!" was the voiced concern.
2. Because Great Scott's school was canceled for snow yesterday, he went with me to purchase the aforementioned corn syrup and other sundries at a Stuff-Mart a couple of towns away. On our way out the doors, the security alarms went off, and I was instructed by a recorded voice to, "Please pull [my] cart to the side and wait for an attendent." The offending article turned out to be the generic suphedrine (a.k.a "Pseudo-Fed" in PossumBox lingo), a quantity controlled substance here in Missouri due to our state's high rates of methamphetamine production. Evidently the package hadn't been sufficiently demagnatized at the counter when my driver's license number and signature were recorded. Maybe if they'd taken a blood sample...
I suggested to Great Scott that it might be fun next time I set off an alarm, for him to immediately make a dash for the door and see if the security people follow him. He didn't think much of this suggestion. Sometimes he displays a significantly disappointing lack of adventurousness.
3. We've been watching the Olympics. Watching the Olympics at our house is a whole sport in itself, since the younger daughter is apparently unable to view a sport without bodily acting it out. Figure skating and ice dancing become entirely new experiences with an eight-year old twizzling and triple axel-ing between you and the screen. The best solution we've found is for her to sit on my lap. Now I just have to dodge her head as she leans into the curves during the bobsledding. I should just be thankful there's no sumo wrestling or fencing this time around.
4. I have been playing with my dip pen again and remembering how much I love the physical act of writing this way. I'm currently stalking a fountain pen, so I can take it with me to do journal writing in the car while I wait for the girls to get out of school. Ah, ink!
5. Admiring the Christmas tree.
6. Considering taking the Christmas tree down.
7. Admiring the Christmas tree some more. See the pretty lights!
8. Taking my grandmother on errands, sweeping snow off her walk and helping get her house ready for the delivery of a new bed and a hardwood floor installation in one room. Spending time with her is always worth multiple missed blog entries. She is an exceptional person.
9. A friend of ours gave us a book on having tea that included a scone recipie which has proven easy enough for after-school scones and tea to become a very real option. The older daughter even traded one of her extra-special Valentine's chocolates to me for a promise to make scones for her breakfast the next morning. I think eating scones while she sits barefoot on the floor in front of her Saturday morning cartoons makes her feel civilized. :)
10. I caught a mouse. A live mouse. Then I threw it outside along with the cat (Tongue Depressor Kitty) that had brought it in and turned it loose in my dining room. She'd "prrrt"ed to call me to come and see it. I can only suppose she wanted to teach me how to put some decent food on the table.
1. We spent eight dollars on corn syrup yesterday for the older daughter's science project. For those of you who have never seen an eight inch deep layer of shocking red corn syrup in a giant pickle jar, topped with an inch of styrofoam peanuts, a layer of moss, some upright eucalyptus sprigs and a couple of tiny dinosaurs, well...I pity your educational deficiency and offer my deepest condolences. Her presentation on the asthenosphere (the layer of earth directly beneath the lithosphere, in case you're wondering) is today around 2ish. She is frighteningly well-prepared. Her little sister, the owner of the dinosaurs, was anxious that the upright dinosaur's toes might be dangling through the moss into melting rock. "He could start a volcano!" was the voiced concern.
2. Because Great Scott's school was canceled for snow yesterday, he went with me to purchase the aforementioned corn syrup and other sundries at a Stuff-Mart a couple of towns away. On our way out the doors, the security alarms went off, and I was instructed by a recorded voice to, "Please pull [my] cart to the side and wait for an attendent." The offending article turned out to be the generic suphedrine (a.k.a "Pseudo-Fed" in PossumBox lingo), a quantity controlled substance here in Missouri due to our state's high rates of methamphetamine production. Evidently the package hadn't been sufficiently demagnatized at the counter when my driver's license number and signature were recorded. Maybe if they'd taken a blood sample...
I suggested to Great Scott that it might be fun next time I set off an alarm, for him to immediately make a dash for the door and see if the security people follow him. He didn't think much of this suggestion. Sometimes he displays a significantly disappointing lack of adventurousness.
3. We've been watching the Olympics. Watching the Olympics at our house is a whole sport in itself, since the younger daughter is apparently unable to view a sport without bodily acting it out. Figure skating and ice dancing become entirely new experiences with an eight-year old twizzling and triple axel-ing between you and the screen. The best solution we've found is for her to sit on my lap. Now I just have to dodge her head as she leans into the curves during the bobsledding. I should just be thankful there's no sumo wrestling or fencing this time around.
4. I have been playing with my dip pen again and remembering how much I love the physical act of writing this way. I'm currently stalking a fountain pen, so I can take it with me to do journal writing in the car while I wait for the girls to get out of school. Ah, ink!
5. Admiring the Christmas tree.
6. Considering taking the Christmas tree down.
7. Admiring the Christmas tree some more. See the pretty lights!
8. Taking my grandmother on errands, sweeping snow off her walk and helping get her house ready for the delivery of a new bed and a hardwood floor installation in one room. Spending time with her is always worth multiple missed blog entries. She is an exceptional person.
9. A friend of ours gave us a book on having tea that included a scone recipie which has proven easy enough for after-school scones and tea to become a very real option. The older daughter even traded one of her extra-special Valentine's chocolates to me for a promise to make scones for her breakfast the next morning. I think eating scones while she sits barefoot on the floor in front of her Saturday morning cartoons makes her feel civilized. :)
10. I caught a mouse. A live mouse. Then I threw it outside along with the cat (Tongue Depressor Kitty) that had brought it in and turned it loose in my dining room. She'd "prrrt"ed to call me to come and see it. I can only suppose she wanted to teach me how to put some decent food on the table.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Friday Quote: On Writing Poetry
"8. Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work regular hours."
--Jane Kenyon
an excerpt from "Everything I Know About Writing Poetry (Notes for a lecture)"
from her book, A Hundred White Daffodils
--Jane Kenyon
an excerpt from "Everything I Know About Writing Poetry (Notes for a lecture)"
from her book, A Hundred White Daffodils
Friday, February 10, 2006
Friday Quote: On Curiosity
"Satisfaction of one's curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life."
--Linus Pauling
--Linus Pauling
Thursday, February 09, 2006
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Thirteen Vices of Lucinda's 1. Amazon.com
1. Dawn |
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