Day 14 – What’s on the iPod

I have more songs on my iTunes than I can fit on my iPod/iPhone, so I make playlists. I have playlists for everything – songs to help me fall asleep, soundtracks for the novels I’m working on (yes, there’s two now), songs I listen to when I miss my BFF who used to live in Africa and now lives in the Dominican Republic (can’t pin that one down). My favorite list is my Happy Song playlist — songs that make me smile and bring me back up no matter how down I am. My taste is music is vast and eclectic – so my Happy List is quite a colorful bag of jelly beans. I keep adding to it, and I just realized when I looked through it this morning that I have over 50 songs on it now, but I will still list them for you to give you an idea of what a lovable freak I am. And yes, it is rather Beatles heavy:

1. Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
2. Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
3. Make Your Own Kind of Music – The Mamas & The Papas
4. Brighter Than the Sun – Colbie Caillat
5. All You Need is Love – The Beatles
6. Let Your Love Flow – Bellamy Brothers
7. Piano Man – Billy Joel
8. Best Years of Our Lives – Baha Men
9. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – The Beatles
10. Eight Days a Week – The Beatles
11. Ho Hey – The Lumineers
12. Love is All Around – Wet Wet Wet
13. Red Red Wine – UB40
14. Shambala – Three Dog Night
15. Rhythm of Love – Plain White T’s
16. Vertigo -U2
17. These Are the Days – Sugarland
18. Come Sail Away – Styx
19. Afternoon Delight – Starland Vocal Band
20. As I Lay Me Down – Sophie B. Hawkins
21. I’m a Believer – Smash Mouth
22. Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
23. Any Man of Mine – Shania Twain
24. Raise Your Glass – Pink
25. Rock Star – Nickelback
26. Breaking Up is Hard to Do = Neil Sedaka
27. Teenagers – My Chemical Romance
28. Diamond Road – Sheryl Crow
29. Java Jive – Manhatten Transfer
30. Dream a Little Dream of Me – Mamas & The Papas
31. It’s So Easy – Linda Ronstadt
32. Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root
33. My Sharona – The Knack
34. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
35. We Go Together – Grease
36. Jack & Diane – John (Don’t Call me Cougar) Mellencamp
37. Calypso – John Denver
38. Rocky Mountain High – John Denver
39. The Banana Boat Song – Harry Belafonte
40. Give A Little Bit – Goo Goo Dolls
41. Keep Your Hands to Yourself – Georgia Satellites
42. What is Live – George Harrison
43. Life Uncommon – Jewel
44. I Don’t Want to Know – Fleetwood Mac
45. Hotel California (Hell Freezes Over version) – The Eagles
46. O-o-h Child – The Five Stairsteps
47. Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
48. The Cave – Mumford & Suns
49. We Are the Champions – Queen
50. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield

I cut it off at fifty – but I think you get the idea.

What’s on your Happy Playlist?

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Day 12 – Something I Miss

With the boys at Ocean Journey (now the Denver Aquarium)

Cold and snowy mornings like this make me nostalgic, which makes me think of the time passing, and how much I miss my boys when they were little.

Yes, I’ve become one of those tiresome old ladies, the ones who used to make me cringe, stopping to admire every baby in every stroller and shopping cart, and telling the mother with circles under her sleep-deprived eyes to hold on tight to them while they are little. I sound like a sappy country song when I tell her that someday she will miss these times. But the cliche’ is true — time just whizzes by so flipping fast.

I miss how my older son looked with his binkie and his stuffed Big Bird and his sleepy eyes just before it was time to go to bed. I miss how he used to have to listen to Kenny Loggins to get to sleep every night. I miss him toddling into my room and climbing into bed with us in the wee hours of the morning to snuggle, putting his cold feet on my legs and asking to watch Rugrats on Nick Jr. I miss how he used to call our dog, Kodiak, “Kodi-Quack”. I miss him kicking the soccer ball against the shed in the backyard over and over and over again.

I miss how my younger son used to talk himself to sleep. It was as if he had to verbalize everything going on his brain before he could settle down to sleep.  I miss how he used to hug me and tell me I was “the best mom ever”. I miss the little stuffed dogs he would carry around everywhere – Tony and Fred. I’m not sure if I even know where they are anymore. I miss his obsession with numbers, and proudly telling everyone who would listen that he was three years old, which meant he was “odd” and “prime” (I used to get a lot of strange looks). I miss his imaginary friend, Yohooty, and how Yohooty would always get into trouble coloring on the walls.

I miss how everything used to be a wonder to them. I miss reading to them at night. I miss carpooling. I miss the soccer games. Every. Single. Weekend.

My boys are big now — 19 and almost 16. I know that someday I will miss these teenage years, and I try my best to slow down and take note of each milestone. But parenthood is a bittersweet journey at best. You spend so much time worrying and fretting and hoping that you can make it through the day without completely losing your shit and causing them to need therapy all their lives — only to wake up one morning and pass by an empty, clean bedroom, not knowing whether to feel sad that there’s no longer a little boy sleeping with his Big Bird in there anymore, or happy that you raised him well enough to be able to be out finding his own way.

Most days, I’m happy and grateful that I’ve managed to get this far. But sometimes I miss Big Bird, Tony and Fred.

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Day 11 – Last Book I’ve Read

Would you believe I read it for research purposes?

No, really! I did!

No … not THAT kind of research. I’m not into the dominatrix thing. Although I did pick up some … ahem … other ideas.

In all seriousness, I have an idea for a similar type of series — equally as juicy but without the whips and chains — that I’d ultimately like to look into publishing as an ebook. So stay tuned.

While I wouldn’t put it on my Favorite Books of All Time list, I did enjoy the read and I didn’t find it as poorly written as some of my more worldly, intelligent friends reported (yes, I have a number of intelligent friends. Go figure.)

Next on my reading list is Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

Okay, okay. Just kidding.

 

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Day 10 – Daily Routine

First, just let me say I laughed when I saw today’s topic for the 31 Day Challenge. I am very much a seat-of-my-pants sort of person; I’ve never done really well with routines. I used to get frustrated with myself about my lack of ability to hold to a routine, but now I’ve learned to embrace it — or at least live with it. Pair that with the fact that I have a job with irregular shifts, I really don’t have anything that could be called a daily routine. However, life does demand some constants, some creature comforts to help make the day a little more pleasant. I’ve come to think of my life as a sort of “organized chaos”.

Here are some of the constants of my day:

1. Alarm Clock – It’s been interesting to me to hear about everybody’s alarm clock habits in this challenge. I too have very specific habits when it comes to my alarm clock. First, it took me several tries to find a perfect tone that would both wake me up (because of my job, I tend to ignore beeps and buzzes) and not completely piss me off (it’s not a good thing to be pissed off first thing in the morning). I finally settled on a pleasant piano melody from a meditation album of mine. I am allowed to hit the snooze button twice. I can catch and extra little wink through the first snooze, but my feet better damn well be on the floor before the end of the second. That’s my rule, and I’m pretty good at abiding by it.
2. Scale – You all are going to think I’m crazy, and I’ve heard every arguement against it, but I weigh myself. Every. Damn. Day. First thing. Butt naked. It’s the only way I can stay honest with myself about my weight. And it’s worked for me.
3. Coffee – Yep. Before any human interaction, I must have coffee. I try to have the first cup alone and in complete silence, which is most often the case because I’m almost always up before anyone else as I usually have to be at work by Zero Dark Thirty. Sometimes I have my second cup at home, but if not, I have it at work. Plenty of coffee there.
4. Hair & Face. ‘Nuff said about that.
5. Wine – At risk of sounding like I have a problem, I do really like my glass of wine at the end of the day.

I am working on adding “Write” to that list, and this challenge has gone a long way in convincing me that it’s possible. Thanks again to Tiffany for making it happen!

Come join the fun at FabulousFindsByTiffany.com

Day 8: Pet Peeves

PEEVES

The word makes me think of the resident poltergeist in Harry Potter. I guess pet peeves are kind of like a poltergeist in that they can make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and put you completely on edge. Lately, I’ve tried not to let too many things I can’t control bother me, but there are a few things that still tend to pull me off center, especially when the old hormones are raging. Upon reflection, I’ve realized that most of my current pet peeves revolve around facebook. I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I love it because I like seeing what the people I love are doing. But there are also some things that really irk me.

Vague Posts

I call it “Vaguebooking”. Posts such as “OMG. How could this day get any worse?” or “What an idiot!” or “At the hospital.” You’ve seen them – posts just begging you to ask for explanation. If you can’t go into to detail or you don’t have time or whatever, here’s an idea: DON’T POST ANYTHING. Otherwise, I’m just going to assume you’re a drama queen looking for attention and I will ignore you.

Blindly reposting shit when you have no inkling as to whether or not  it’s true.

For example, a few weeks ago I saw several people passing along a picture of a kid with a bruised up face along with a picture and details of the man who supposedly abused her and asking for help in finding him. Of course I can’t stand the thought of any child being abused. What decent human being wouldn’t be outraged and want to help? But can you imagine if it wasn’t true? What if it was just a scorned ex-lover trying to get back at the guy? This is why we have due process, people.  Don’t ruin someone’s life just because you had nothing better to do but hang out on Facebook and click the “share” button.

Post after Post after Post of cute kittens

I’m a cat lover. I love kittens. But stop with the cute kitten posts already! What is it with those? I guess I just don’t get it.

There are more, but I feel like I’m starting to sound like a grumpy old bitch, especially now that I’ve started complaining about kittens, so I’ll hand it over to you. What are your Facebook pet peeves?

 

Day 7: My Dream Job

 

 

My dream job is to live in a cottage by the sea and write popular trashy romance novels.

I want to wake up before dawn and watch the sunrise, coffee in hand, and walk barefoot on the beach with my husband while he takes pictures, because he of course will be a famous photographer. Then I’ll go back to my writing studio with the window looking out on the sea, and write until late afternoon when it’s time to pour a glass of wine and wait for the sunset. If it’s chilly, maybe I’ll make a little fire on the beach and cuddle with my hubby under a blanket and watch the night sky.

When we get a little restless, we can hop in our motorhome and visit the kids, go camping, or check on the flourishing vineyard that we own. If I feel like it, maybe I’ll do a book signing or two.

But mostly I just want to stay in my peaceful little cottage by the sea and write to my heart’s content.

Yep, that’s my dream.

Come join the fun at FabulousFindsByTiffany.com

 

Day 6: Your Last Random Act of Kindness

I’m not sure if this counts as a Random Act of Kindness, but here goes:

I work as a Barista/Shift Supervisor at a very well known coffee shop. You know, the one where they wear the green aprons? On Saturday mornings, a ski bus stops in our parking lot to pick up school kids and take them up to the mountains. Last Saturday at 6:00 am, a mom came in with her son, who looked to be about 12 or 13, to get him a cup of hot chocolate and breakfast sandwich for the ride up the hill, as well as a latte and scone for herself. The sandwich was already in the oven and the drinks were ready before she searched her purse and realized she’d left her wallet at home. She told her son he would have to use his lunch money. He dug in his pocket and fished out a ten dollar bill and a few ones. He told his mom he would now only have a three dollars for his lunch that day. She sighed and told him he would just have to get by with that and at least he would have a good breakfast.

I’m a mom of two boys and our family skis, so I knew damn well that this boy would be lucky to be able to buy a pack of mints for three dollars at the ski area, and he’d quickly burn through that hot chocolate and sausage sandwich just hauling his skis up to the chair lift. He was destined for a very long day on an empty stomach. I couldn’t stand that thought. So I paid for it. The mom was really embarrased, but grateful. She tried to promise me she’d come back later to pay me back, but I told her that I’d rather she pay it forward when she had the opportunity. She promised that she would do that.

Now, does this qualify as Random? I don’t think so. The kid needed to eat and I was able to pay for him. I just thought it was the good and right thing to do. I’ve always wanted to do something completely random like pay for the person behind me at a drive-thru, but I tend to be kind of a dingbat and I never remember to do it, so I try my best to take the opportunity it’s presented to me. I figure it’s the least I can do.

Day 5: Favorite Movies You Never Get Sick Of Watching

Yep, one mention of favorite movies, and I drag out the Ruby Reds. Of course, the first movie that comes to mind is The Wizard of Oz. I won’t venture to count how many times I’ve seen it. Back in the days before VCRs, Netflix and iTunes, I would have to wait until it was on TV, usually just once a year around March. It was almost worse than waiting for Christmas.

Favorite Quote:

“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t go any further than my own backyard, and if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”

Some other movies I could (and have) watch over and over again:

• The Princess Bride
  
• Grease
• Casablanca
• The Sound of Music
• Christmas Vacation
• Gone With the Wind

I’m looking forward to seeing some of your favorites!

If you haven’t already, it’s not too late to join me for the 31 Day Blog Challenge sponsored by Fabulous Finds by Tiffany

 

Day 4 – Best Childhood Memory

When it comes to memories, especially of my childhood, I don’t particularly like to pick an absolute “Best” because I have so many good ones. But the memories that stand out most in my mind are from summer days spent at my grandparent’s house on the St. Joe River in Elkhart, Indiana.

This is a picture of the house from the river. As a child, it was my favorite place to be. I still find myself longing to go there at times, and it breaks my heart when I think that I most likely will never step foot in it again, nor did I know when I stepped out of it nearly 22 years ago, it would be the last time. I never got to say a proper goodbye. But maybe it’s better that way. I can still see every room, every detail of it in my mind’s eye, and sometimes when I’m having trouble falling asleep, I walk myself through those rooms  — in through the screened-in porch (I can still hear the wooden screen door slam behind me) into the dutch door leading to the kitchen and then into the dining room where everyone always gathered. There were dozens of nooks and crannies for a small child to hide and explore. I would spend hours in the basement, dressing up in my grandma’s and mom’s old clothes, or in the attic above the garage reading books or going through old photographs &  Life Magazines. I even miss the laundry room, with the ancient, white, well-stocked refrigerator that kept bottles of pepsi (and beer for the adults) at the perfect temperature.

As kids, my brother, cousins and I would have a grand old time playing in the river. I loved swimming out into the middle of the river and looking down the water as far as I could see. Even at a young age, I can remember thinking that treading water in the middle of the river all by myself was the “Perfect Peace”. It’s also probably why I became such a strong swimmer, as the current was often very strong and it could be a struggle swimming against it to get back to the dock. On weekends, all my aunts and uncles would come over and we’d all go out on the pontoon boat and ride along the river all afternoon. Sometimes my Grampy Ben would let me steer the boat. Afterwards, we’d all sit down together for a delicious Sunday feast prepared by my grandma, who I just called “Mom”, but my brother and cousins called “Donna”. Sunday dinner would always end with Grampy Ben patting his tummy and announcing he was ready for Lemon Meringue Pie. Not that we always had it, but he was sure to ask, just in case we might. If not, it was off to Dairy Queen for Dilly Bars.

Before I’d go to bed at night, I’d hope to catch a glimpse of the River Queen passing by. It was an old river boat that people could spend the evening riding up the river. You could hear the music from the live band on board from my bedroom window.

I’ve promised myself that someday I will go back to visit. My grandparents are long since passed and the house sold, but I still have family in Elkhart. Even though I know it could never be the same — I won’t be able to get a perfectly cold bottle of Pepsi from the old refrigerator in the laundry room or sit on my Grampy Ben’s lap and steer the pontoon boat — I will be able to ride on the River Queen. And maybe, just maybe, I might be able to swim out to the middle of the river and once again find my “Perfect Peace”.

You know what?  That really is my very best memory.

Day 3 – What Make’s You Happy?

Day 3 – What Makes You Happy?

When looking for an image for this post, I stumbled across this picture I took on a hike with my husband and it immediately made me smile. Hiking with my husband and sharing a good bottle of wine definitely make me happy.

As I reflected on this post, I realized that there are the big things that make me happy and the little things that make me happy. Of course, my husband and my boys make me happy everyday. And there’s my dog, Sophie. And I have a huge extended family, most of whom I am grateful to keep in touch with, despite the long distances between us. I love my home and the beautiful place I live. I love my job and all the people I work with and the people I see each day.

But it’s the culmination of the little things that make me happy everyday that make up those bigger things. Here are some of the little things:

• A pink and purple Colorado sunrise
• The silence just before that sunrise
• Listening the birds in my backyard – even the crows.
• The smell of coffee, especially when someone else made it for me
• Getting lost in a really good book and that bittersweet feeling of reading the last page.
• Kissing the little fuzzy soft spot on my dog’s snout, just above her nose.
• Listening to the banter of my sons and their friends.
• Getting a new picture of my beautiful, curly-topped niece.
• Having to stand on tiptoe to hug my big boys (including my husband).
• Hearing a favorite song on the radio and singing along.
• Long, lingering dinners shared with good friends.

Those are just a few of the many little happy things that make up a happy life. What are your little happy things?