Spring Breakdown

Dear Mother Nature,

Due to my personal belief that under normal circumstances you would never behave in such a reckless manner as you have done today, I am now convinced that you must have forgotten to tear the past two or three months off your calendar at home. It's a common mistake; one I myself have made from time to time. That being the case, I thought perhaps you might appreciate, as I believe any person of great responsibility such as yourself would, a gentle reminder of the date.

IT'S APRIL 15TH!!!

IT'S THE MIDDLE OF SPRING BREAK!!!

Why, then, one has to ask, is it
SNOWING LIKE CRAZY?!?!?!

Please cease and desist from the distribution of this unseasonable snow immediately, and return us to our regularly scheduled spring forthwith. Thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Cyn

I LOVE FRIDAYS!

Here's what I'm LOVING today!

* First of all, that today is the first official day of SPRING, and this morning the big tree in my front yard did THIS! ------------>



* Mocha Latte Freezes at Costco. That's right... Costco. If you love the taste of coffee (like I do) you should pick one up sometime! Mmmmm... delicious! And for $1.25, it's the cheapest coffee treat in town.

* Everything is Amazing, and Nobody's Happy. I laughed and laughed when I saw this, because comedian Louis CK is talking about MY childhood! My kids are so spoiled, and they don't even know it! So hysterically funny, because it's so very true...



* Zen Habits. "The Power of Less. Do Less. Get More Done." Insightful, inspiring articles on every aspect of life that you could imagine. Start here, and ENJOY!

* Dominique.
I adore her! She is the oldest of our four daughters (and the oldest of Jon's four children). In the years since I have known her, I have watched Dominique grow from a cute little girl into a beautiful young woman of 12. She is brilliant (an honor student), responsible, playful, generous (loves to give to and serve others), and so talented! We have so much fun together... shopping, crafting, camping, talking... whatever we're doing, I absolutely LOVE to hang out with her! (Check out this 9-minute video that she and I made for her Spanish class last weekend! She did such an awesome job!) I cherish our affectionate relationship, and I am so deeply honored to be her stepmother. Love you, Nikki!!! Love you, love you, love you!!!

* SAVERS. I LOVE finding a bargain, and Savers is the ultimate bargain hunter's paradise! I know what you're thinking... thrift stores can be nasty. Is it messy? Honestly... yeah, kind of. Does it smell funny in there? Sure, a little. Is it mostly junk? Absolutely. But, there are hidden treasures lurking everywhere in there! Some of my favorite finds: a pair of sexy Mark Jacobs shoes without a single scratch or scuff mark, a BCBG denim mini for Emilie (with the TAGS STILL ON IT), a Whirlpool Gold microwave (as good as brand-spankin'-new!), a Vera Bradley backpack, a gorgeous Donna Karan leather jacket for ME... I could go on and on! The best thing about Savers is that they have longstanding relationships with over 120 nonprofit organizations, and they pay every one of those organizations a percentage of every sale and every donation they receive. Even better, your money will stay in your community... each Savers store supports charities in their local area.


* Warm Vanilla Sugar Anything! I have never really liked vanilla scented things... for some reason they always remind me of Play-Doh. But THIS smells fantastic... subtle, rich, sexy, delicious... and Bath&Body Works makes it in everything from body soap to candles to moist hand towelettes. FABULOUS!



* Texty kids. When I gave my teenagers each their own phone two months ago, it was mostly because the phones were free, and I thought they would enjoy staying connected with their friends. I never imagined they would be voluntarily connecting with ME! I LOVE getting messages from my kids throughout the day! Sometimes it's a question, sometimes it's a funny story, sometimes it's an important news flash (like the pic Derek sent me of a quiz he aced), and sometimes it's just a hello. I feel much more a part of their day, and have realized how much they want me involved in what they're up to.

* SIGNS - One of my favorite YouTube finds EVER! A touching short film (part of the Schweppes Online Film Festival) created by advertising agency Publicis Mojo, and directed by New Zealand's own Patrick Hughes. The film stars Nick Russell (Neighbours) and Kestie Morassi (Satisfaction), both of whom display a wonderful range of facial expressions and emotions throughout a film which contains remarkably little dialogue. This lack of dialogue isn't the least bit distracting; in fact, it was the only approach that would have made sense. It underscores how disconnected we are from the people who surround us. We are, so often, completely alone in a crowd. The story occurs to me as more of a romantic comedy than anything else, but in it's 12 minutes it runs through a full gamut of emotional (and beautifully human) experiences, from loneliness and isolation, to curiosity and excitement, to disappointment, fear, and love...

Where do you find love? Sometimes all you need is a sign......

Thursday's Thoughts - One Word Tag

Another Facebook tag, but before you groan and roll your eyes (or after, in case you've already done that before you read this far) you should know that this was a lot harder than it looked! All of you should do it... I think it's a great little exercise in simplifying your thoughts. I have a tendency to over-think everything, so having to pare each answer down to the one word that says it all, actually shed a little light on who I am for myself under the layers of what I like to call "blah-blah-blah." Most of them are no-brainers, but a few of them... DANG! I mean, seriously... my biggest regret in ONE WORD? What my kids mean to me in ONE WORD? I think I might have even invented a couple of words. :) It's fun... try it, and send it back to me!!!

1. Your significant other? Gentle
2. Your children? Everything
3. Your hair? Clean
4. Your eyes? Hazel
5. Your favorite person? Jon
6. Your favorite drink? Chai
7. Your favorite thing? Family
8. Your dream/goal? Fulfillment
9. Favorite room? Studio
10. Your hobby? Photography
11. Your greatest fear? Accidents
12. Your dream last night? Wonky
13. What you are? Loving
14. What you're not? Organized
15. On your wish list? House
16. Your childhood? Educational
17. The last thing you did? Bills
18. Favorite thing to wear? Jeans
19. Your TV? Off
20. Your pet? Several
21. Your computer? Communication
22. Your mood? Stressy
23. Missing someone? Stepkids
24. Your car? MINE!
25. Something you're not wearing? Shoes
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Why? Eclecticness
28. Love someone? Everyone
29. Your unreasonable want? Baby
30. The last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Yesterday
32. Last time you said "I love you"? Minutes
33. You wonder what happened to? Ray
34. Your life? Disorganized
35. Your friends? Busy
36. First love? Tracy
37. First kiss? Awkward
38. First job? Babysitter
39. Favorite food? Mexican
40. Favorite sound? Music
41. Favorite smell? Jon
42. Favorite season? Summer
43. Favorite number? Eight
44. Favorite day? Friday
45. Favorite author? Austen
46. Favorite color? Purples
47. Talent you admire? Marie's
48. Way to unwind? Art
49. Biggest regret? Shyness
50. Best time of your life? Now

Thursday's Thoughts

Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and try to love the questions themselves...
Do not seek the answers,
which cannot be given you because you
would not be able to live them.
And the point is to
LIVE EVERYTHING.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will...gradually, without noticing it,
live along some distant day into the answer.

Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters to a Young Poet, Letter No. 4

Alive and Awake

Just a quick note to say that I FINALLY got my blog back! Someone decided my blog was a "potential spam blog" and the powers that be shut me down until a determination was made. I was finally given the green light several days ago, but didn't know it until last night.

I hope the powers that be feel foolish now... ;)

Say What???

Yesterday afternoon I said to one of the kids, "Close that door, and don't bother the snake while she's having her bath!"

I had to giggle to myself. Who would've ever thought I'd have the opportunity to say such a weird, random thing, and have it make perfect sense?! It just proves what I have believed for many years now... that of all the people on the planet, no matter where they're from or what language they speak, MOMS get to say the coolest things! Here are just a few of the sentences I can actually remember using over the past couple of decades. Some I explain below; some are either self-explanatory, or defy explanation. (Who puts pancakes in the dryer???) Imagine saying these things in a business meeting, at a cocktail party, or just tossing one or two into any intelligent adult conversation. I'd love it if any of you other moms could share some of yours!

"Stop painting your sister! And why is she wearing an eye patch?" (1)

"Spit out that bolt and eat your taco!"

"I'm pretty sure iguanas don't like Tootsie Pops." (2)

"Could someone come get this pancake out of the dryer for me?"

"Next time you decide to crack your head open, try to do it at home." (3)

"Did anybody notice there's a baby in the freezer?" (4)

"The second I stop the car, everybody pee!" (5)

"Did you put dead frogs in your pockets?"

"It's simple logic. You have to keep flesh-eating pets and vegetarian pets in separate jars." (6)

"I need you boys to put away all these body parts and vacuum up the powder." (7)

"Last time I checked, you still had six eyes!" (8)

"Wait, let me pull his skin off before you put him in his cage." (9)

"Who glued Mikaela to the sidewalk?" (10)

"If you don't like the taste of that, eat your leg instead." (11)


(1- Zack had dressed his sleeping, 4 month old sister as a pirate and was attempting to paint a rakish mustache on her.)
(2- My stepson actually did offer my iguana, Irwin, a taste of his lollipop. Irwin declined.)
(3- When Zack split his ear open on the playground at school and had to have stitches. I wasn't actually hoping he'd ever crack anything open again...)
(4- "The baby" was their sister's doll, which the boys had soaked and were trying to freeze solid, but the way I said it gave them all a fit of the giggles.)
(5- On a road trip to UT when the boys were 6, 4, and 3. And I didn't mean it literally.)
(6- We woke to discover that, during the night, Jordan's pack of wolf spiders had eaten the cool grasshopper he found. The few remaining bits and pieces told the tale.)
(7- I was referring to Lego Bionicle body parts, but the neighbor I was speaking to on the phone didn't know that.)
(8- Said to three boys at once.)
(9- Said in reference to our shedding lizard, but again, the person on the other end of the phone didn't know that.)
(10- It was actually a photo of Mikaela, but the kids laughed hysterically at the thought of Mikaela actually being glued to the ground.)
(11- Chicken leg, of course.)

Thursday's Thoughts - How Much Can a Koala Bear?

I have always had a fascination with Australia. I have longed to visit there since our class did a huge International Fair project in the 6th grade, and my teacher assigned the Australia portion to my team. It seemed to me the most wonderful place imaginable... beautiful, diverse, friendly, honest. I felt an affinity; a pull... at 10 years old I was convinced I belonged there. :) I briefly considered moving to Queensland after my divorce in 2003, and even looked into buying a home on the Sunshine Coast, just outside a town called Caloundra. After all, hasn't Australia always been the ideal place for starting fresh and reinventing one's life? In the end, I decided the time and circumstances weren't right. If I ever move Down Under, I want it to be because I'm running towards something, not running away from something.

Because of this long-standing affection for Australia, and also because it's now my sister's home, I have followed the news of the raging wildfires in Victoria with deep concern. I have been unable to keep my mind off those people who have been injured, lost their homes and possessions, and worst of all, lost their loved ones. My heart aches for them. More than 200 people are confirmed dead, and over 100 are reported missing. Even as some of the fires are brought under control one by one, the news continues to be grim.

Just this morning, I finally watched a video that made me smile. The footage, shot well over a week ago on a cell phone camera, shows CFA volunteer firefighter David Tree giving water to an injured koala he spotted while participating in a backburning operation at Mirboo North.

"I could see she had sore feet and was in trouble, so I pulled over the fire truck. She just plonked herself down, as if to say 'I'm beat'," Tree said.

"I offered her a drink and she drank three bottles.

"The most amazing part was when she grabbed my hand. I will never forget that."



The most remarkable thing about this footage is that, despite their incredibly cute and cuddly appearance, wild koalas are not typically friendly. They have impressive claws, and no qualms about using them. They will also bite. A friend of mine, who once encountered a large koala on his grandfather's property, told me "He made a terrible racket and let us know straightaway that we weren't to come any closer. Koalas would as soon tear your face off as anything." They certainly wouldn't be inclined to approach a human for hugs or a little hand-holding! :)

The thirsty koala, now nicknamed Sam by her rescuers, had second degree burns on her paws, and is being cared for at the Mountain Ash Wildlife Shelter in Rawson, VIC. Her carers say she is doing well, and has even found a boyfriend named Bob, who follows Sam around, and hugs her from time to time. Bob is also being treated for burned paws. The shelter staff expect both koalas to be returned to the wild in 4-8 months. As busy as they are, wildlife rescuers had anticipated more injured animals than they have seen so far. They fear that means most have not fared as well as Bob and Sam, and officials are now estimating that the number of animals perishing in the fires will reach into the millions.

So, the news from Australia is still grim, and will likely continue so for some time. My prayers go out to everyone effected, not only by the fires, but the floods as well. The reason this particular story touched me, and so many other people around the world, is simply that it inspires hope. It does one's heart good to know that not every story out of terrible circumstances has a tragic ending. With thousands and thousands of goodhearted people serving and supporting one another so generously through this disaster, Australia will most certainly pull through. She always does.