Friday, August 6, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
May Days
*IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT*
If you read my last post, you may (pun intended!) have noticed that I am no longer even talking about some of the categories of this project. It's because we simply don't do them. In fact, we haven't been doing them for so long that I decided to just carry on with out them. Therefore, for it's final months, this project will be whittled down to just the following categories:
Color, Music, Shape, Medium, Location
Therefore.....
MAY is:
Color: Red
Music: Country
Shape: Crescent
Medium: Theatre/Acting Arts
Location: MCA
Grey Days (i like them.)
There were so many things I liked about April. I liked the break in the weather. I like the first tentative steps of spring. I had the best Easter ever. It was a story-book perfect easter and my heart swells just thinking about how great it was.
I liked Grey. I didn't love Grey. I just liked it and that's o.k. I like grey in so many forms, gray-scaled b/w photos, grey kittens, sidewalks. I like Grey through Jack's eyes. ( Have I mentioned that my friend Jackie sends me pictures every week day filled with the color of the month? They are almost as amazing as she is.) My wifey gave me this great warm grey sweater. I wore it nearly every day in april. I asked Max what he thought about Grey. He said.. ."It's CUTE!" So...there's that.
We love stars and star shaped things and I really wanted to like the planetarium. We were lucky and went on a free day, otherwise it would have been quite expensive. The kids area was fun, the show was somewhat disappointing (although we chose a kids movie and felt it was lacking but maybe a normal show would have been better?), the other exhibits were almost non-existent but the part I most enjoyed was the lovely little lunch we had in the museums cafe. There is a LOVELY view of the lake and the skyline and we had delicious little sandwiches. If you ever hear of another free day there, it would be worth it to go just for lunch.
Now for a confession.....I like Motown. Motown and 50/60s music in general makes me nostalgic for my summer camp days. I like dancing to Motown music. Max LOVES barry white. (no...seriously...he LOVES barry white.) and we did listen to a lot of Motown. However, Vampire Weekend's new album "Contra" took up most of my listening time. This album is SO good that just when I decided a particular song was my favorite, I'd decide another song was my favorite. This happened more than twice. I really didn't want to like this band, in fact, i'd go so far as to say I was rather disdainful of them but it is SO GOOD. I'm not going to post a youtube video. If you care about my opinion, just go and get the entire album. It's going to make you have a great summer.
I'm really looking forward to a great summer.
I liked Grey. I didn't love Grey. I just liked it and that's o.k. I like grey in so many forms, gray-scaled b/w photos, grey kittens, sidewalks. I like Grey through Jack's eyes. ( Have I mentioned that my friend Jackie sends me pictures every week day filled with the color of the month? They are almost as amazing as she is.) My wifey gave me this great warm grey sweater. I wore it nearly every day in april. I asked Max what he thought about Grey. He said.. ."It's CUTE!" So...there's that.
We love stars and star shaped things and I really wanted to like the planetarium. We were lucky and went on a free day, otherwise it would have been quite expensive. The kids area was fun, the show was somewhat disappointing (although we chose a kids movie and felt it was lacking but maybe a normal show would have been better?), the other exhibits were almost non-existent but the part I most enjoyed was the lovely little lunch we had in the museums cafe. There is a LOVELY view of the lake and the skyline and we had delicious little sandwiches. If you ever hear of another free day there, it would be worth it to go just for lunch.
Now for a confession.....I like Motown. Motown and 50/60s music in general makes me nostalgic for my summer camp days. I like dancing to Motown music. Max LOVES barry white. (no...seriously...he LOVES barry white.) and we did listen to a lot of Motown. However, Vampire Weekend's new album "Contra" took up most of my listening time. This album is SO good that just when I decided a particular song was my favorite, I'd decide another song was my favorite. This happened more than twice. I really didn't want to like this band, in fact, i'd go so far as to say I was rather disdainful of them but it is SO GOOD. I'm not going to post a youtube video. If you care about my opinion, just go and get the entire album. It's going to make you have a great summer.
I'm really looking forward to a great summer.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Star Star
I've been thinking about stars a lot this month. Thinking about what I want to say to "you" about stars. What stories I want to share. Don't we all have lovely star stories? I've realized that i'd write here more often if I didn't feel the need to edit what I say to keep this family friendly but here I am...human.
So, three star stories:
Driving in the Desert with my brother at night. The sky is....endless. That amazing limitless-ness of driving in the middle of the desert creates.....the sky is seems so - close. As if you can pluck a cloud out of the sky and put it in your mouth and let it melt there. We were driving in Nevada near where the super top secret government testing occurs (ie: aliens, hovercrafts, etc) and so we were watching the sky really closely huddled up on the dashboard, crazy high. Giggling and believing all the conspiracy theories we are imparting on one another. Then we saw this amazing series of shooting stars......and at that moment it seemed like they were there just so we could see them.
Michigan Peace Fest - a few years ago - we put this blanket I've had for years in the main square/stage area a little ways back and it stayed there all weekend. Folks were welcome to sit on it, nobody moved it, it got damp with dew in the night but by high noon the sun dried it........and we'd sit back there drinking and dancing and talking and taking in the sky......Shiny and Bright or clear and starry. At one point, I was out there by myself staring at the sky, listening to the band, twirling and feeling truly happy. I layed back and watched the stars and I dozed off for awhile until some folks arrived to share the blanket. It's such a small moment, a tiny microscopic moment in a big life but it is one that I will always cherish.
There are two songs in my family that we all sing to each other and our children: "You are my sunshine" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". My mother taught Max "Twinkle, Twinkle" right from when he was born. So, This month we (of course) went to the Planetarium. In another entry, I will tell you things about the planetarium and our experience there but here I want to talk about one moment. We saw a show age appropriate for max with Sesame Street characters. At one point they started singing twinkle, twinkle and max started singing and all the people in the theatre were singing and my husband was singing and things have still been so rough lately and my heart finally felt so full of love for my family and I was so glad the three of us were there together and that felt really good.
Teeny, Tiny little moments that will always loom large in my heart.
So, three star stories:
Driving in the Desert with my brother at night. The sky is....endless. That amazing limitless-ness of driving in the middle of the desert creates.....the sky is seems so - close. As if you can pluck a cloud out of the sky and put it in your mouth and let it melt there. We were driving in Nevada near where the super top secret government testing occurs (ie: aliens, hovercrafts, etc) and so we were watching the sky really closely huddled up on the dashboard, crazy high. Giggling and believing all the conspiracy theories we are imparting on one another. Then we saw this amazing series of shooting stars......and at that moment it seemed like they were there just so we could see them.
Michigan Peace Fest - a few years ago - we put this blanket I've had for years in the main square/stage area a little ways back and it stayed there all weekend. Folks were welcome to sit on it, nobody moved it, it got damp with dew in the night but by high noon the sun dried it........and we'd sit back there drinking and dancing and talking and taking in the sky......Shiny and Bright or clear and starry. At one point, I was out there by myself staring at the sky, listening to the band, twirling and feeling truly happy. I layed back and watched the stars and I dozed off for awhile until some folks arrived to share the blanket. It's such a small moment, a tiny microscopic moment in a big life but it is one that I will always cherish.
There are two songs in my family that we all sing to each other and our children: "You are my sunshine" and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". My mother taught Max "Twinkle, Twinkle" right from when he was born. So, This month we (of course) went to the Planetarium. In another entry, I will tell you things about the planetarium and our experience there but here I want to talk about one moment. We saw a show age appropriate for max with Sesame Street characters. At one point they started singing twinkle, twinkle and max started singing and all the people in the theatre were singing and my husband was singing and things have still been so rough lately and my heart finally felt so full of love for my family and I was so glad the three of us were there together and that felt really good.
Teeny, Tiny little moments that will always loom large in my heart.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Half Way There.......
April is:
Number: 7
Letters: NO
Color: Gray
Shape: Star
Music: Motown
Medium: Cooking
Location: Planetarium
Habit: No Meat
I kind of like the sound of this. I also kind of like the idea of trying to do more cooking without meat. I'm a little worried about what an entire month of gray may do to my spirits. Hopefully the weather stays as lovely as it's been.
Happy Spring!
Number: 7
Letters: NO
Color: Gray
Shape: Star
Music: Motown
Medium: Cooking
Location: Planetarium
Habit: No Meat
I kind of like the sound of this. I also kind of like the idea of trying to do more cooking without meat. I'm a little worried about what an entire month of gray may do to my spirits. Hopefully the weather stays as lovely as it's been.
Happy Spring!
In like a Lion and Out like a Lamb
Right now, we've been making art in life for exactly 1/2 a year. The structure has taken over our lives and I don't even know what i'd wear if I could wear ANYTHING! And this Month? I liked this month alot. In fact, there have been discouraging moments wherein I thought about throwing in the towel, but I'm so glad I didn't. March has been the most enjoyable month yet. Let's talk about it:
Blue - robin's eggs, Max's eyes, my husband's eyes, blue skies, sapphires, blueberries, my favorite blue handbag, indigo dye, the color of the bedroom wall in the first apartment my husband and I shared, turquoise and silver necklaces - we are kind of blue people. We have lots of blue clothes, so many in fact that this month was an enjoyable pause in the "do we have to do laundry, again?!?!" crisis. Blue has been a standout throughout my life. In fact, my grandmother's favorite color was a specific shade of blue. Some call it "country blue" and whenever I come across that blue, I instantly think of her.
Musical Instruments:
I played the piano every single day. It was nice to re-embrace my daily piano playing. It has kind of fallen to the wayside with this project, working and my yoga practice. Most days, we'd also drag out this basket filled with musical instruments and have ourselves a little jam session. Those days are my favorite days.
Peggy Notebart Nature Museum:
I absolutely ADORE this place. It's a lovely little museum that is perfect for children Max's age. They have a water play area, a little playground/ climbing area and a room filled with butterflies! Currently they are running a "critter cam" exhibition that allows us to see the world for various animals points of view (sharks, whales, penguins) that I found fascinating. It's also set on lovely surrounding grounds. And it's cheap! I imagine Max and I will be spending some time there in the upcoming year.
Pop Music:
Oh how we loved pop music. I mean we really LOVED pop music. Thankfully April is Motown (which is also fun) because otherwise we'd have a hard time letting Pop go.
Letters, number, shape:
Listen, I've been doing this project for 6 months now......and some things are holding true .....this letter thing? Not working out. Max is crazy confused and calls every letter "B". And you know what? He already can count to something like 13. He also knows all his shapes and color. I think going forward, I'm going to just focus on teaching him the alphabet separately from this project.
Habit:
The minute you tell me I can't do something is pretty much the minute I'm inclined to do it. Besides, we don't eat out all that much anyways. ;)
Blue - robin's eggs, Max's eyes, my husband's eyes, blue skies, sapphires, blueberries, my favorite blue handbag, indigo dye, the color of the bedroom wall in the first apartment my husband and I shared, turquoise and silver necklaces - we are kind of blue people. We have lots of blue clothes, so many in fact that this month was an enjoyable pause in the "do we have to do laundry, again?!?!" crisis. Blue has been a standout throughout my life. In fact, my grandmother's favorite color was a specific shade of blue. Some call it "country blue" and whenever I come across that blue, I instantly think of her.
Musical Instruments:
I played the piano every single day. It was nice to re-embrace my daily piano playing. It has kind of fallen to the wayside with this project, working and my yoga practice. Most days, we'd also drag out this basket filled with musical instruments and have ourselves a little jam session. Those days are my favorite days.
Peggy Notebart Nature Museum:
I absolutely ADORE this place. It's a lovely little museum that is perfect for children Max's age. They have a water play area, a little playground/ climbing area and a room filled with butterflies! Currently they are running a "critter cam" exhibition that allows us to see the world for various animals points of view (sharks, whales, penguins) that I found fascinating. It's also set on lovely surrounding grounds. And it's cheap! I imagine Max and I will be spending some time there in the upcoming year.
Pop Music:
Oh how we loved pop music. I mean we really LOVED pop music. Thankfully April is Motown (which is also fun) because otherwise we'd have a hard time letting Pop go.
Letters, number, shape:
Listen, I've been doing this project for 6 months now......and some things are holding true .....this letter thing? Not working out. Max is crazy confused and calls every letter "B". And you know what? He already can count to something like 13. He also knows all his shapes and color. I think going forward, I'm going to just focus on teaching him the alphabet separately from this project.
Habit:
The minute you tell me I can't do something is pretty much the minute I'm inclined to do it. Besides, we don't eat out all that much anyways. ;)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
On Traveling in Circles:
I've studied buddhism for many, many years. Perhaps someday I will write about how my first sips of this lovely way of living was spoon fed to me but today I want to talk about circles.
Please forgive my paraphrasing of this buddhist concept. I remember distinctly the day I read it while on the el in a book that was given to me (sadly the name of the book escapes me) it changed my life and that very day, I left to book on the train.
The story goes that our souls travel in circles until we reach enlightenment. Anybody who was significant to you in a past life will also be important to you in this life and you will always meet them again in all of our future lives. No relationship is a mistake, not even the person you brush on the street. (The Universe doesn't make mistakes.) These people may not always show up in the same incarnations (mother, sister, lover, friend, child) but they will ALWAYS be there. We need these people to keep working out our karmic bullshit with each other. It is also exactly why some people just immediately touch us, hit us right at our soul. Why those people feel like they are instantly on the inside.
It's because we've been traveling a long way together.
Please forgive my paraphrasing of this buddhist concept. I remember distinctly the day I read it while on the el in a book that was given to me (sadly the name of the book escapes me) it changed my life and that very day, I left to book on the train.
The story goes that our souls travel in circles until we reach enlightenment. Anybody who was significant to you in a past life will also be important to you in this life and you will always meet them again in all of our future lives. No relationship is a mistake, not even the person you brush on the street. (The Universe doesn't make mistakes.) These people may not always show up in the same incarnations (mother, sister, lover, friend, child) but they will ALWAYS be there. We need these people to keep working out our karmic bullshit with each other. It is also exactly why some people just immediately touch us, hit us right at our soul. Why those people feel like they are instantly on the inside.
It's because we've been traveling a long way together.
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