Here is a post I wrote several weeks ago and neglected to publish then…so, as a Flashback Friday post, here it is!
No, Christmas isn’t here yet (though the retail market has been gearing up for Halloween since August…and I am certain that Christmas decoration sales are fast approaching)…it’s time for an annual office visit that I find terribly perplexing. So perplexing, in fact, that I’ve been singing these words to the tune of LL Cool J’s “Going Back to Cali” while loading the dishwasher this morning:
(In case you forgot the tune, you can listen here. DISCLAIMER: I wouldn’t let my children watch this video–and I won’t watch it again. It’s definitely not Miley Cyrus at the VMA awards, but it still isn’t really appropriate…FYI. If I were you, I’d minimize the video and just take a little listen.)
I’m going to the Gyn-o
Gyn-o
Gyn-o
I’m going to the Gyn-o
No, I don’t think so
🙂
Well, I did confirm my appointment last week…so from a monetary standpoint (and from a health-related standpoint), I probably should keep the appointment.
I am thinking this morning, as a distraction, though, that I will go into the experience as a writing exercise. I have been trying to approach each experience as possible research for writing, and that helps me find value in whatever I am doing when I might ordinarily focus on fear. (And, singing a parody of an old 90’s song helps a bit, too.) 🙂
So, I am off to my day…to face my fear (and the stirrups).
I remember laughing so hard my insides hurt when I first watched Peter Cook recite these famous lines:
I laughed even more when a dear friend of mine, who I dare say captured the essence of Peter Cook’s delivery of those lines, along with her own comedic flair, would recite those beloved lines.
I am not a big Twilight fan. I haven’t read any of the books; I never waited in line or paid for a ticket to see any of the films. I did, however, out of respect for cultural literacy, decide (maybe at about the time New Moon was released) that I would probably ClearPlay most of the films by the end of the series. As of last night, I have completed watching the films (mainly due to one of my children’s unlikely fascination with the franchise)…and as I have pondered what I have learned and the attraction of the story, I have some thoughts to share.
I believe in eternal love. I believe that relationships exist beyond this life, and that we can be with our loved ones again who are currently separated from us because of death. I also believe in the immortality of the soul. I do not, however, believe in the reality of vampires (no matter what history might say about Abraham Lincoln hunting them) :). Still, I think the medium of vampire culture serves a purpose to paint a picture of a loving, supportive family, with couples who honor vows to one another.
Could our disposable society learn anything from these messages? (Here I would like to insert my belief that I do support the option of divorce in particular circumstances…but I think people often throw away relationships that could be saved with effort and work much like they throw away their fast food wrappers and paper plates after dinner….)
I am also captivated by the story found in The Time Traveler’s Wife. While I found the abundant profanity in the book offensive and skimmed over some graphic sex scenes, I felt compelled to finish the book. As I read, the power of a committed relationship that did not bend to time taught me again and again. Now, I do not believe in time travel (though I do find the Back to the Futuremovies highly entertaining). What draws me to this story is the decision two people made to be together, to grow together, to live through challenges together, and to love each other fiercely.
I have heard that any two people committed to each other and committed to God can make a marriage work. Not to say that some people aren’t more well-suited to each other…some are. Still, committment is key in making a relationship work. And, every day anyone in a relationship wakes up each morning and makes a decision to stay with that person (or not). This decision may not be consciously made, but it is made nonetheless. And the decision is yours to make your love…[a] true love that will stand the test of time (and maybe even eternity).
So, I didn’t get to watch any “chick flicks” during Valentine’s week…in fact, I’ve been on a movie-watching hiatus for the last several weeks (except what I end up viewing with my little people)…& so, after my workout this morning, I thought, “I’m going to watch Shall We Dance? before I have to take it back to the library this week.” Then, I remembered the scene when Richard Gere’s character says to his wife (as he’s confessing why he didn’t tell her about his dancing lessons) something about feeling guilty for being too happy.
Have you seen this film? Here is the love song played over a scene toward the end of it….
I have seen the movie several times, not just because I love the dancing (which I do), and not just because I love the love song in it (which I do), but because his words during that scene are meaningful to me.
I have been blessed repeatedly in my life…not that my life has been “perfect” (is anyone’s?)…I’ve had my share of troubles and adversities…but my joys have been sweet and my blessings have been many…and sometimes, I do feel a little guilty for wanting to be a little happier…to change something in my life for the better.
Am I alone?
When I think of all that I’ve been able to accomplish in my (relatively) short life, I wonder if I should be able to want anything more…if wanting more is right…if wanting more is good….
I’m not talking about things, mind you; I’m talking about accomplishing goals–like publishing a novel or taking a certain trip with certain loved ones or raising my children to be well-adjusted, happy, responsible citizens. Sometimes I think I don’t deserve any more happiness…like I’ve had my allotted share and I don’t deserve any more. Maybe I need to take some dancing lessons…?
So, with February here and Valentine’s quickly approaching, I thought I would share some happy, loving thoughts (after I wrote a little rant that I might post next week sometime…). 🙂
I would love to quote The Help directly, but the grammar kills me, so I have paraphrased (and added a bit).
YOU ARE LOVED.
YOU ARE STRONG.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
YOU ARE IMPORTANT.
And, just to get you in the mood, some LOVE SONGS (one of my favorite genres of music…could you call it a genre?…well, it’s one of my fav catergories of music, anyway…)!
So, I made a Spotify playlist for a friend in celebration of her upcoming birthday…and I was wondering if I could post it here…so I’ve been experimenting. And I don’t know how to do that yet. I guess you’ll have to enjoy the songs on my Favs playlist on the sidebar….
Do you have traditions that you do for friends on their birthdays? Do you wish them well via email, text, FB message or wall post? Do you blog or create a slide show of your memorable times together? How do you show them that you love them on the commemoration of the day they entered this world?
I don’t have a set way to gift my friends…and the miles that separate me from some of the dearest friends in my life prohibit me from actively doing more (like a visit, balloons, etc.)…but I do like to do something to show I care.
Like make a playlist. Because sometimes music says “thanks for all the memories” in ways that I cannot with words…and I am a writer.
Here are some lines I posted last year, along with links to the songs from whence they came! How many do you know? 🙂 (Several of them match my mood today…a little sad, a little somber…just not the first one.)
“Who knows how long I’ve loved you?” Sugar Ray – “Fly”
“I felt so symbolic yesterday.” Counting Crows – “Mr. J0nes”
“Letters that you never meant to send get lost and thrown away.” Goo Goo Dolls – “Name”
“Worlds without end couldn’t hold her.”
This line is from Toad the Wet Sprocket’s song, “Windmills.” I actually used this song for a paper I wrote (I think in high school) about Biblical allusions in popular music. The paper was pretty cool. It combined two of my loves: music and writing.
Monday’s post brought out a little bit of impromptu fiction…and I feared to post it for sounding sacriligious…or something. Not sure what my hesitation was.
Still–it’s TUESDAY–and I’ve been thinking about songs, and words, and lines….(and, before I forget, the new iTunes now lets you copy links to songs…and here is the free one this week: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/twinkling-lights-feat.-syd/id583601337 …which I actually really like).
Since December began, I could probably sum up most of my month’s activities in two words–baking and cleaning. Baking because, well, it’s Christmas!!!! And I did little baking during November (mainly because I was writing a NOVEL for NaNoWriMo)…and, as a good friend once said accurately, baking is my therapy. And cleaning because, well, my house really needed a good scrubbing (did you notice the mopping story yesterday?–well, that’s because cleaning has been on the brain and in my bones for the last several days) since I spent several hours of last month taking care of sick people and WRITING!!!!! Huzzah!!!! 🙂
So, when I clean, (and sometimes when I bake, too), I often turn on iTunes, or Spotify, or Pandora to enjoy some flavorful music (the real truth is so I can dance) and give me some motivation to keep moving. On my cleaning spree last week, I recalled some of my favorite one-liners from songs that I love. Here are a few I jotted down for fun:
“Who knows how long I’ve loved you?”
“I felt so symbolic yesterday.”
“Letters that you never meant to send get lost and thrown away.”
“Worlds without end couldn’t hold her.”
Are any of those familiar to you? Care to guess? I’ll post the answers in a few days. 🙂
And, who has been following the free music on iTunes? You can get free Christmas songs–a new one each Tuesday–if you care to head on over there (see the link above for the new one for this week)…or you could just enjoy Spotify‘s library and make your own Christmas music playlist…or you can add a holiday station on Pandora…or you could be like me and do all three. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it, too?!?!?!?! Certainly not my preschooler…he’s been asking for cake again…and we all know what that means, right? More baking. More baking=more cleaning. More cleaning=more music. December is looking promising already!
Is Tuesday here already–again? I’ve been wrapped up in Thanksgiving prep (can anyone say “pies?”) and trying to catch up on my writing (and ultimately get ahead–since I know that Thanksgiving is going to probably be a wash as far as NaNoWriMo–and did I tell you that I wrote over 4K words on Friday alone?!?!?!–probably a personal record).
So, what’s the iTunes Single of the Week? iTunes is joining the rest of America (though, with a free single, one wonders what the push is) in celebrating Christmas even before Thanksgiving has arrived. The tune is Norah Jones’ rendition of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” I happen to (along with many) adore Norah Jones’ voice and music. I have yet to download this song, though, as iTunes appears to be having some sort of silencing technical difficulties. Maybe later…as in after Thursday…I will download it. 🙂 (For the record, though, I have started my Christmas playlist on Spotify…but just compiling, not listening to regularly as yet. I love the Christmas season, but I LOVE Thanksgiving, as well, and wish the joy of gratitude didn’t get lost in the hustle and bustle of Christmas.)
So, this morning, I had a fantastic thought on which to expound today, and then tie it all in with the Single of the Week…but, of course, I’ve lived a thousand lives and even more thoughts since 7:12 this morning…and, alas, I have forgotten the thought about which I was going to blog…! 🙂 C’est la vie!
Still, the Single of the Week (FREE on iTunes starting today) starts really mellow, and the vocal is smooth and soothing…almost hypnotizing. Personally, I try to stay away from music that is so powerful I feel almost intoxicated…like I am losing control of my senses..because I don’t like for music to play with me that way. I enjoy music that is uplifting and inspiring, but I know that I have to be careful with what I put into my ears and ultimately into my brain (see post I and post II regarding the power of the mind to recall through sensory stimulation)…so, though I like the sound and the cost is agreeable (did I mention it’s free?), The Weeknd’s song “Twenty Eight” will probably not become part of my music library.
And, just to update, I’m back on the bandwagon for NaNoWriMo. I was falling short, and the words weren’t flowing, and I had expressed some frustrations in the form of a rant while stirring ground turkey into taco meat over my gas stove last night. After our evening of dinner, discussion, calendaring, ice cream cones, and a Spotify dance party with our kiddos, I was creating a playlist of Christmas music through my Spotify account (wasting time?…maybe…well, yes, actually). I was contemplating letting my novel lie in the recesses of my hard drive when my husband stood behind me, observed my mouse moving songs from list to playlist on the desktop, and asked, “So, are you going to write tonight?”
His words rang in my ears as support, love, and desire for me to fulfill a goal I set for myself (and, though I do my share of complaining, I really am grateful for who he is). I opened my novel, slid down through the sixty-something pages, and began again.
middle of my story 