Thursday, February 23, 2006

Other Blogs Do It Better...

Enjoy... not martha

Vegan Lunch Box... there's so much out there. I was going to write about the immunization cards once again spontaneously disappearing, and about how much work is not getting done, even though I am working. Forget it.

Guess what... Maria is walking. Yup. She took her sweet time about it, but as I suspected she's a natural. She simply had to decide that she wanted to walk. Today she has been cruising all over the house. She moves so smoothly it's almost like floating. Her balance is refined and graceful, which is not the typical image of a new walker.

I keep thinking that Chickenblog has run its course. It began in a faraway place, a long time ago. Maybe it just needs to go on hiatus. I don't even know what hiatus means, but if it means take time off to regroup and find new purpose, then it's the right word. In the beginning I was not sure what blogging was for. Sometimes it seems like the right vehicle for getting across a message, sharing some news, but most recently it's felt somewhere between useless and self absorbed. There are millions of blogs out there. So many photos and words and opinions, talents, views, gifts, and useless things too. I think I need to step back for a while. I'll sit quiet for a bit, then I'll probably be overcome by the irresistible urge to spout deep thoughts and other musings...

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Take A Bow



Pieced with love, hand quilted, Anne's art is completed.



Look at what my friend Anne made! I want to say "Ta Da!"
I want her to take a bow, the way small children do, unselfconsciously, and gleefully.

We all love that Maria claps for herself. She knows the joy of pride. She wants everyone to join her celebrations, when she walks, when she dances, when she sings a song; she wants to share the pleasure of success, of accomplishment, of happiness. It seems like somewhere in our life journey we lose a bit of our thrill in our accomplishments. Maybe we become modest, less boastful. Maybe we can't see the simple pleasure of our lesser achievements. Balance. I know we don't need to take a bow every time we load the dishwasher. Let's not seek standing ovations for emptying the trash, but I think it would be nice to feel a little giddy about what we do, even for our lesser accomplishments. And for something like finishing a first ever quilting project, I would like to applaud loudly and give Anne a standing ovation.




And for Alex, another round of applause please.
He is entering a Lego contest with his original BIONICLE creation, which he named Jim.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

I So Random

Sorting.
Assorted stuff:

1. Holly and Rich will very soon be holding a baby. We were at a baby shower for them, and enjoyed the celebration, the anticipation of new life.

2. Maria can walk. When she wants to. She doesn't often want to.

3. You don't have to walk to get around. Maria is all over the place. She's also very, very messy.

4. I am very, very messy.

5. Another baby is anticipated. This one is arriving in September, and as soon as Bill and Alison ask, I will flood them with my happiness, spare baby goodies, loads of wisdom and free advice... they may not ask... but I'll be ready if they do.

6. Cristina and Spencer won't need any advice from me when they welcome #4 in October!

7. We move in June, if you haven't heard. No, we don't know where we are going. No idea.

8. Geoff is still going to work at Healthmediinsuronet. They're swell.

9. Years ago while waiting for an appointment I read a story in the New Yorker, "Brokeback Mountain." I thought it was a surprisingly horndogger* story. *Horndogger means: Highbrow Porn. I remember thinking "Dang this is so horndogger, who gets the idea to write this stuff?" So, was I just reading the dirty parts? Am I a total ignoramus? Critics are falling all over themselves for the movie and for the short story that inspired it. When I read it I completely missed the true reflection of mountain ranching life, the story of love that will not fade. I did not pick up on the deepness, the richness, the literaryness. What else am I missing? What other treasures of art, literature, culture, discovery and science am I failing to comprehend? Dang.

10. We saw Eight Below Friday night. That was a good movie. I could quibble over details and I don't expect to see Cannes clamoring to show it, but it was an entertaining family movie with a good message.

11. The same good message is in another good movie: "Never give up. Never Surrender." Galaxy Quest.

12. Max is hungry.