Sammy opted to get rid of his play kitchen and trade up for a desk and chair. I envisioned homework on it. He envisions legos:
My sister bought these birds for both of us. It was in my house waiting for us when we moved to Utah. It's adorable, but a spring green and I was getting weary of it. So my sister gave it a facelift. I wish I had a before shot (though you can kind of see it here, on the white cabinets in our old house), but this is the after. I LOVE it:
It now lives in my bedroom:
My sister found this print on etsy and gave it to me for my birthday. It's lovely and perfect and I just love it. Her stuff is totally worth a look; it's all gorgeous:
I found this at a local craft fair. I wish I could remember the artist's name. All of her photos were awesome:
I don't really have a favorite artist, but this one comes close. This print is the...fourth? fifth? painting I have of hers. And I just love them all. I needed something for above the couch in our family room and I thought this perfect, given Sammy's penchant for art. And my love of Lisa's paintings...I wish I could have gotten a good close up of it.
My sister has a sign up in her shop. I nearly bought it several times, but I didn't think the color was just right. She offered to make me one in grey in exchange for helping her. I immediately agreed and could not be more pleased with the result:
It was just the addition I was looking for on our wall in our bedroom. Though, I'm needing to move it as all I can see is "G. Love" when I look over...
When we lived in Portland, there was this restaurant**. I don't remember name or cuisine, but I do remember it well. Isaac and I call it the cat restaurant.
So I asked some people for breakfast restaurant suggestions the other day and had two people start talking about two different places. Both of which are, according to them, "bring your own utensils" kind of places. Which, I know I'm a bit of a germ freak, but, um..."bring your own utensils"? Really? I know there ARE such places, I guess I just didn't really understand that people ATE there. Maybe self preservation tactics, maybe not.
The first time we ate at the cat restaurant, I don't remember it being terrible. It was not, in any way, great. But it was doable. A little hole in the wall-y and dated, but doable. And cheap. But there were other options, our favorite just right down the road, so we didn't go back for a long while. And then we did. And we sat in a booth and looked at eat other and noticed the cats (yes, catS). And then we realized that the smell wasn't something off with the cooking, it was cat pee. Everywhere. We escaped and went somewhere else, gagging and laughing the entire way.
So when someone says a "bring your own utensil" kind of place, I immediately think of the cat restaurant. And, yeah. I guess bringing your utensils is one way to go about it, but what about the utensils they use to cook with? Serve you with? Dishes they cook in, serve on? At that point aren't you just better eating elsewhere? Or, since you have dishes to do that you had to bring, just cooking at home? Ew. **Cheryl - do you remember that restaurant? It was just as the road split into one ways, on the way to Safeway from Pacific. Kind of slopey roof? Older? I cannot remember the name!
Songs I loved but now REALLY have to be in the mood for. I would never say I'm tired of them, but, still, skipping often happens.
1. ABC - (take your pick): I really do like ABC, but I don't love them. Well, that's not even true. When I'm in the mood, I do really love them. And if I'm in the mood? They are absolutely the best. But...the mood. It needs to be there.
2. The Ocean Blue - Drifting, Falling: Granted, the mood is usually October - April, but that's just it. This is a winter song for me. (No Drifting, Falling to be found, but here's a clip of Sublime (which I really love) from 120 minutes. MAN. I miss that show. And this was just about a year before we saw them live...)
3. Barenaked Ladies - The Old Apartment: There was a time in my life that this made it on every mixed tape I made. It was the sound track for so many years and a wonderful catapult to a short creative narrative. But now? I skip. 80% of the time. But that other 20%? Still so completely amazing.
4. Live - I Alone: I unabashedly love Live. The 90s were such a diverse time in my life and they are one of the bands that encapsulate that period so well for me. Selling the Drama? Still nothing but love. But, for some reason, this is the one that gets skipped a little more than it used to.
5. Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now: There is a great swath of 80s synth that I love as much today as I did the first moment I heard it (hello, HoJo!). This is not one of them. I still love it and it makes me all nostalgy, but I can usually hear the opening bars and skip and be fine. Except that 10th time. Then I turn it up and sing along and feel like I'm 14 again. (however, let's discuss this video in all its awesomeness, shall we? Hold me now...)
One of my sisters posted a saying on her facebook wall a few weeks ago. It was the asinine (oh, wait...did I tip my hand already?), "A girl worth kissing isn't easily kissed" saying that I've seen before and dismissed, and, which is, in my mind, one of the largest loads of rubbish I've seen passed around in a long while. I, of course, commented that it couldn't be true because I'm extremely worth kissing. A little tongue (ha!) in cheek at the time, but not really so much. What is it really trying to say? That the only girls worth kissing are the ones who play games? Play hard to get? If a girl kisses without the games, she is of no worth? A slut? (Or, what I REALLY fear is behind it) Not righteous? Every girl is worth kissing. Every. Last. One. The saying is so offensive on so many levels. And perpetuating these ideas is demeaning to both sexes.
(is this where I tell my parents to look away? :)
Every first kiss I had I had before any official "date" happened. Every one. I think. I'm pretty sure. And I don't regret any of them in the tiniest. My first kiss happened when I was 18. And it wasn't so much a first "kiss" as a first, um...lengthy make out session. I met the not so nice boyfriend .3 seconds after going to college and I went to his apartment .3 seconds after that and that's where it happened. I'm pretty sure we got around to our first date shortly after that, though. He was a lot of things: controlling, mean, short tempered, a fabulous kisser. I don't regret a second I spent kissing him.
I honestly can't recall my first kiss with my ex husband. I've been wracking my brain to recall and I simply...can't. I want to say it was around the time he made me crepes and we watched The Odd Couple (have I told you he called me Felix? One of the things I truly miss), but I can't be sure. Our friendship and the start of our relationship blends together fairly seamlessly and I get clouded in the details. But I'm pretty sure I let him kiss me without games or waiting. If I recall, it wasn't nearly as soon as I would have liked, actually.
Isaac. We had our first date planned and then I went and invited him over to watch a movie one night after work. I'm fairly confident I invited others (our friend Jon? My now sister in law? I don't remember...), but I just wanted Isaac to come. I loved spending time with him and now that we were both free and single (me for two months, him for one-ish), I was anxious to see if this thing had legs. I don't remember the movie, but I do remember how close we were sitting on that horribly uncomfortable couch. And how thrilled I was he didn't wait to kiss me! Later, I found out one of the things he loved about me, is that I wasn't a prude. (And when discussing this facebook saying, he reminded me of that and mentioned how much he disliked coy girls who guarded their kisses like it was some sort of trophy to hang on to until marriage. And lest you think the worst of him, he's the most moral man I've ever known. We just both think it's a crazy thing to hang your hat on!)
However, when it comes to kissing, I do regret one thing. Not doing more of it. Film class boy? Such a missed boat. Former best friend? Really wish it had been anything more than platonic. European boy that I was dating and didn't know it? Oh, yeah. I would have totally kissed him had he tried. Random boy in hot tub? Oh, wait...
I feel every kiss I had with every boy I kissed was worth it. It shaped me into the woman I am. It made me sure and confident, in a strange way. I never felt it right to play games and hide how I felt. If I wanted to kiss someone, I made it known. Cool or savvy? No. But, really. We've never had any doubts of that. I knew of a woman who actually mourned that she kissed anyone other than her husband. I know I had a quizzical look on my face, when I heard that, because I DO NOT understand! I love my husband. More than anything. But I'm so glad I had other experiences. I'm thrilled that I had a little life in me when we met! And I certainly have heard the exploits of my husband's lips and I'm grateful he has stories to recall. I can't imagine wishing my past away. And I completely plan to encourage Sammy to find a girl with a little life in her, not one that stands on inane platitudes for the sake of posturing and pridefully looking 'righteous' in an area that has no bearing on righteousness.
I think instead of teaching our girls to "guard their kisses" or worse - to play hard to get - we should be teaching them to be strong. To have fun. To be respectful of themselves and others. To know where that line is that shouldn't be crossed and be assertive about THAT. Not about something innocent. Fun. And totally worthwhile. Something everyone should do a little more of. Now if you'll excuse me...
(I'm really trying to do our monthly shots without commentary, but it's so HARD! Easier that I didn't choose the shots with Sammy and his goober poses, though...)
