Friday, January 30, 2009

Something Good To Say

Blogging is such a compulsion for me, I don't think a day goes by when I am not thinking about posting something on Chickenblog.
But. Well, lately all of my posts have been sitting in a draft file. My thoughts, feelings and other musings have been too morose,
sad, frustrated, cranky, angry, bitter, funky and junky for daylight. I know, it hasn't stopped me from sharing before, but I find that
even my brilliant insights and reflections on the economy, our government, housing woes and the trials of being a rental
rat in a high brow neighborhood are just too depressing to print.

Yet, still, here I am. Here I am trying to think of something to share, something to extend to the world or to mark for our own memory banks.
And I got nothing. No pictures. No insights. Nothing. Do you think it's true, the old adage... if you can't say something good, then don't say anything?

Every thing I think of seems to come from someone else who is doing it, or saying it or sharing it better. So, I will fall back on the very essence and
core of what blogging is all about... creating a web... logging strands and connections between people and ideas, art, creativity, news.

Turkey Feathers has put up her banner for February, a bit early, but she's a busy talent and she
knows that some things are "now or never." This is the blog I visit
for eye-candy and reflections on life in a creative home. I am looking forward to ordering her book, "Blanket Statement." I know I won't find (much) time to start new projects... no matter, her inspiring ideas and beautiful photographs are a heartwarming tonic.

I have been abroad, in Belgium, exploring a whole new country and adapting to life far from my Georgia home... oh, wait.. not me, Dallas! Dallas, "For The Journey," is in Belgium, exploring a whole new country and adapting to life away from her Georgia home. She's brought her amazing photography skills, her sewing machine and her husband, so there are the familiar subjects I knew from her old blog, but now they are living in Europe and I have been enjoying the sights and following along as she navigates new paths.

Another adventurer I visit is Tara, of "TinyGlutton." She's a Canadian mother of 3 and she is a super quilter and skilled thrifter, living in Idaho. I love the light, bright and fresh looking quilt she posted about today. She played along in the "Interview Me" posts that "Chapter III" got me started on. Tara answered all of the questions posed to her in this post. I think the interview posts have been very interesting.

Recently I have been visiting a new to me blog called, "Wonders Never Cease." I think I should go to this blog whenever I am on empty. She posts a variety of links and her own reflections on a single subject, including a variety of related images and videos. It's like a mini explore, with tangents, of an idea, or a word, or a person, or a name... Just go see for yourself. I am realizing that I am running out of time, before I should be cleaning, cooking, driving, organizing, filing etc and I won't be able to highlight as many blogs as I had hoped, so I am not saying as much, as well, as I would like... Don't assume you know what she is going to say about a subject... ready for Change?

My time is up. I really am going to walk away from the computer and get busy with clearing messes and even making new messes.
Have a good weekend. Get inspired. Find a view. Come by and share some news.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

On My Mind

So, lately I have felt that I have little to blog about besides my same ol', same ol'. But today I have fresh(er) material. Ha. It's not really so fresh, but I'm sayin' it anyway.

I love praise. Gold stars, high-fives, abject awe and wonder... any of that stuff makes me buzz and swell with inspiration to do more good. Heavy praise and flattery also makes me uneasy and suspicious, and causes me to look around and wonder, who are they talking about?



Hold on I have a point.

I cleaned my car yesterday. I consider time to clean a vehicle to be a luxury, and one I don't grant frequently. We live in our car. We are Southern Californians, living with summer heat, winter breezes and heavy showers all in the same day. We have 4 children all running in different directions and at different speeds. These facts are often reflected in the look of my vehicle, particularly the interior. It's the age of lunch, breakfast or dinner, on the go. We need paper and pencils, ketchup, empty buckets, spare shoes, books, erasers, yarn, water, towels, scarves, talcum powder, sunblock, hair brushes, and hats. Yes, Need. And every so often, when it is not raining or blazing hot, when we are not on our way out again or it isn't 9:30 at night, I divide and conquer. I drag the trash and recycling barrels to the sliding doors of our Jet Puff. Good stuff goes in a bag, and the rest is either tossed (like the apple core and the stiff sock with no heal) or recycled. I pack one tidy little box with pens, the hair brush, sunblock and talcum powder and any other indispensables.

Ta-Da! The car is clean(er). If fate is kind, I will even go so far as to visit the car wash, which is something I love to do.

Here comes my point.

When I drop Max off at school we are often met by the amazing and dedicated school volunteers that stand at the curb and direct traffic and remind us not to peel out after we drop-off our precious cargo. This is a painful time for me, and not just because I will miss my son and wish we were enjoying a holiday, but because the amazing and dedicated volunteers open the car door to let children out. It's like kid valet, and I guess it's nice. Or at least it would be nice, if I wasn't mortified. I see it... the long slow, nonchalant stare glance, the slight pursing of the lips the subtle eyebrow shift. And I know just what they are thinking: Good grief woman, clean your vehicle! And I bet they remember that I am the mom that never volunteers, willingly, and that I have yet to bring punch or cookies to a class party. They probably wait for me to peel out drive away and then huddle to discuss the fact that I did not buy wrapping paper, chocolates or refrigerator magnets at the the fundraisers. I drive away in shame. I rationalize all the way home, then I vow to change my ways and be Super Mom. Of course I forget my hasty vow by the time I am back in the house, clearing breakfast, dressing Maria and preparing for part 2 of my 6 part chauffeur shift.




It was with certain glee and relaxed shoulders, a modicum of healthy self-esteem, that I took Max to school this morning, gently pulling up to the curb and the morning volunteer. My car is clean. My conscience clear. I am Super Mom. And she... She didn't open the door! She didn't step up to my conestoga and take that causal survey of the interior... I was robbed of my moment, my non-funky mom moment.

BTW the photos are from our Rancho days, and serve to remind me that I once did have my act together slightly better than these days. They are brain and soul candy for me.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Post # 1,296: BFTC


This could have been a post about chili, but my picture came out blurred. This could have been a post about a conversation I overheard, but I suspect you would not believe it wasn't me, talking to a paid professional. This could be a post about the Bloggie nominees for 2009, and my total indifference to the significance of that... hmph. Suffice to say, I am not feeling "squirmy." I even debated not posting. Yes, actually accepting that I don't have anything newsy or bright to share and leaving it at that. Then I vetoed posting about how I have elected not to post, again, about my same old stories with the housing market and feeling utterly hopeless and forlorn, and decided instead to just let my silence reflect my calm maturity, my evolvement. Why is that 'calm maturity' and 'evolvement' are so unsatisfying, unless people are aware and impressed with one's calm maturity and evolvement?

This is post # 1, 296. There is no giveaway. No prizes. No awards. The children are well. The adults are, well, adult, or nearly so. We have no grand vistas, vacation plans, rants, crafts, surveys, memes, quizzes, puzzles, announcements, proclamations, recipes, coupons, or tech advice. The chicas are laying, and they do not like the organic, crumble food in the 50 pound sack. The chili I made for dinner was delicious, and it's gone, which is good.

So, why am I posting, if I have nothing to say? That is a mystery. That is blogging and the Internet... sometimes it is just pointless.

Unless...


Sometimes blogging is pointless, unless, as my dear friend Campbellgirl points out, you have a BFTC.

That is all.