Van Gogh Draws Me In

Laying in bed longer than normal just resting and being lazy doesn't happen very often in my home.  A rare moment like this happened less than a week ago, when Grampa & Pamm took my boys out for breakfast.  In this unusually quiet and peaceful time, my eyes focused on the painting, okay a poster reproduction, that hangs on our wall.  "The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night," by Vincent Van Gogh is my favorite among the 3  beautiful paintings in  the "Starry Night" series by this amazing artist.   

As I gazed upon the details, I absorbed the colors while my body relaxed and my mind settled.  Then I began to have deeper thoughts of the painting and it's artist.  What was it that drew Van Gogh to paint?  Was it fame or money?  Did he look for recognition?  What about the many other artists of that time?  I highly doubt it.  I can't imagine Van Gogh painting while thoughts of monetary value flashed before his eyes.  Can you?  My heart and mind tell me that art was a part of him.  I believe that his unexplainable desire to paint, fueled this talented man and many others.

Sometimes I feel as though music and writing are such a strong part of me that I could not shut them off if I wanted to.  Even when I find myself frustrated and I shove it aside for a time, it is a boomerang that comes flying back to me without fail. 

What fuels you?  Is it about that potential paycheck?  Do you paint, write, sing, or dream with your mind, heart, & soul?  Is it all about the passion and love for your craft?

A Bloggers Soundtrack: 

 "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)" by Don McLean

Various Artists have recorded and performed this song.  Just to name a few;  Josh Groban, Julie Andrews, & Garth Brooks.

*****

Remembering those we lost on 9/11, the heartache we all felt, and the feeling of patriotic support from family, friends, & complete strangers.  God bless us and may we never forget.

What I Did On My Blog Vacation

I admit I'm having a tough time getting back into the swing of things today!  Maybe it's due to the 1 1/2 weeks I was on my blog vacation or the fact that it's the end of Summer as we know it in our household.  School has started back up and my youngest, M, and I are missing O.  I guess this sense of bitter sweetness tends to put me out of my element.

I'm sure you are brimming with curiosity as to what I have been doing the entire time I've been away, so here is my Summer essay, I mean my Blog Vacation  recap.

Since I last left you, I have spent little time on the computer.  Why you ask?  Partly because our Internet access went down for days, but mostly because I simply had a plan.  My kids and I would squeeze the last drops of fun out of every single day, before my son's Summer vacation was over, and have even more memories to cherish for a lifetime.  I assumed that time would cooperate with me and slow down just enough so that the first day of school wouldn't come quite so quickly.  Of course, we all know that time likes to frustrate just about everybody and it refused to comply.  Regardless, the rest of the plan went fairly well.

On the final Friday evening of August 2009,  I went out with my friend Mary Beth (check out her blog) and got a couple of hours with other adults.  My family enjoyed some cleaning, okay they didn't really enjoy that part, and a baseball game over the weekend before the final week of Summer officially began.  Once it did, we practiced getting up early and going through our typical morning school routine.  We held our final lunch box experiments during the week to determine the best way to keep juice cold while keeping water hot for oatmeal.  Library books were read, movies watched, and games played.  A school open house was held mid week, and we attended to meet the new teacher and explore the new school.  My stomach had been in nervous knots about the big changes not only my to son's day, but mine as well.  For me, meeting the teacher and introducing myself to some of the staff members helped to loosen those knots.  It helped even more when the music teacher, who my son had last year, stopped us and told us that she's excited to have O back this year.  What an amazing feeling it is to have a teacher tell you that your child is one that makes teachers want to teach and enjoy their jobs!  Before I knew it, Friday had arrived... I swear time decided to push the fast forward button on me... and it was my last "normal" day with my boys.  I sighed heavily when I realized this fact upon waking and looked at my boys sleeping in my big bed, they came into our room in the wee morning hours.  I decided to let them sleep in a little, while I snuggled with them and admired their sweet little faces.  Our final normal week day included a trip out for lunch and a crafty sock puppet project.  Can you stand the excitement?  I know, it's just too much. 

Our final weekend of the Summer vacation did have more excitement to it.  Calming our 2 boys on Saturday morning was a bit more difficult than normal.  They were ready to battle over the best spot in front of the window by the door while waiting for visitors from Maine.... Grampa & Pamm!  I was able to briefly distract them with their first entry in the scrapbooking journal they are keeping this year.  My husband and I asked them to clean their rooms multiple times, and kept having them check to be certain they didn't miss anything.  We offered tv, games, and playtime often, but the only thing they wanted to do was watch out the window.  My adored father-in-law and his much loved significant other, were not going to arrive until the afternoon, but it didn't matter to my boys.  They were bubbling with excitement and nobody was going to reposition their train of thought. 

Finally, the knock on the door came and footsteps were heard running in that direction.  It didn't take long before my boys were literally climbing all over their Grampa!  After convincing the boys to let Grampa & Pamm get settled, we all prepared to head out to meet up with my Mom and celebrate her birthday at a loved local pizza place.  By the time we got home that night, everyone was more than tired.  The following day was full of family fun and dinner out.  Unfortunately, the visit was much too short and bed time came far too quickly.  Monday morning was spent missing Grampa & Pamm and wishing Maine & Michigan weren't so far apart.  We are already counting down the days until we get to see Grampa again for Christmas!

Labor day was all about having a little fun and being prepared for the first day of school.  It was a nice quiet day to just be with my family and reflect on all of the moments we've shared over this past Summer.  That's where Summer ended and a new school year began.  Where the bitter sweetness of seeing my kids grow up just a little more brought tears to my eyes.  This is where my blog vacation story ends.

A Double Blog Day

With only 1 week left before school starts (I'm squeezing in lots of fun time with my kids), Maine family visiting soon (YAY!), and an upcoming holiday weekend (an extra day with my hubby), I'll be taking a blogging vacation! I will be back to posting on Wednesday, September 9, 2009!  Today however, I have rolled 2 blogs into 1.  Enjoy!!!

P.S.  I have discovered a new fairy that I wanted to share in honor of the upcoming school year...

First Day Of School Fairy

&

a little Calvin & Hobbes on Summer vacation

**********

Part 1

I have a very special treat for everyone today...  A blog guest star!  He begged for this opportunity and is very excited to share his brilliant post for you today.  Introducing, my son, O!

Star Wars 7:  Sciwalkrs Hope

Acros the younvrs, Jeadi won the battle.  And the won agein.  And then the ships arivde.

The End

I hope you enjoyed this guest post and I apologize that the drawings to accompany this story are not scanned into our computer at this time.  However, some original photos by the author have been added for your viewing pleasure.  Obviously, my son is hopeful that George Lucas will create more movies for the Star Wars saga.  May the force be with you!

Got a comment for my guest blogger & Star Wars fan?  I'll be sure to share these comments with him as he's quite excited to be a blogger!

**********

Part 2

I am so proud of my boys!  I love them with every piece of my heart.  When the day comes that I am not here to tell them, God willing that will be a very very very long time from now, they will without a doubt know it to be true. 

One of the best parts of being a Mom is the gifts that our children give us.  No, not the flowers or homemade cards, although those are very dear to my heart, but the endless gifts that are not purchased in any store.  We get to explore the world all over again through their innocent eyes, dream and hope amazing things without "rules", and feel an unbelievable sense of admiration directed at us for no other reason than we are Mom.  Holding the title of Mom, Mommy, Mum, or Mama brings blessings that you never knew existed until you are bestowed with the honor.

As a Mom myself, I hold a deeper appreciation for the woman who raised me.  I admire her for all that she has done for me and my 3 siblings, as well as all that she has survived.  My Mother is a strong woman.  She often gives more than she receives, and has as strong sense of compassion for others.  I'm very grateful to have her in my life.  She's not just an outstanding Mom & Grandma, but an unbelievable person.

I want to take this moment to honor her and say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

We love you!

September 6, 2009

If you have kids, what "gifts" do they give to you?  Did becoming a mom make you have more admiration for your own mother?  What is your favorite part of being Mom? 

As The Washing Machine Spins: Drama In The Laundry Room

Yesterday, I debated on what today's blog topic would be.  I had a number of great ideas, but finally ended up deciding on one subject before bedtime.  Then I picked up a book to read so it would occupy my restless mind before I went to sleep. 

Upon waking this morning, I discovered that I would be washing an extra load of laundry that I hadn't intended to wash today.  I put my blog post on the backburner so it would simmer until this afternoon and went about my chores.  I have no plans to go out today.  The only exciting thing I have planned is an escape into a new book.  I finished the one I was reading last night and am starting the next book in the series today.  My to do list is rather boring.  Let me show you...

Mindy's To Do List
1. Take care of the kids as you do every day
    breakfast, lunch, plan/suggest activities for them/help them write letter to Great-Nana
2. Laundry
3. Laundry
4. More Laundry
5. Blog
6. Switch Laundry
7. Read (Taking a break! Yes!)
8. Laundry again!

So you see, I have a little bit of laundry to catch up on.  For some reason, we have a lot of blankets.  When those blankets need to be washed, they get pushed aside in favor of washing every day clothing items... and they pile up.  I really don't mind doing laundry.  In fact, I kind of like it.  Except for hauling the large and sometimes heavy baskets of clean laundry (remember pixie sized female here) from the lower level laundry room to the upstairs bedrooms.  Thankfully, my husband is very fond of me and doesn't like to see me break my back carrying the loads, so he tackles that task whenever he is home.  Never the less, I still enjoy tackling the laundry.  Why you ask?  Well, I often get caught up in the quiet time it allows me.  I pop on my headphones and listen to a good audio book or sing and dance to some great tunes on my ipod.  I find that my imagination often runs wild as well.  Getting lost in the places my mind takes me can be great for my creativity.  While taking clothes out of the dryer this morning, I did just that. 

Late this morning, I was so focused on the warm laundry in my hands and the details that my mind was working on that I never heard someone approach me from behind.  It was completely quiet downstairs and I knew my boys were watching Shrek 3 while playing upstairs.  I was in my little world.  I had just pulled a shirt out of the dryer and was fixing a fold that shouldn't be there, when I felt a light drum like tapping of fingers just above my shoulder blades!  Fear shot through me, my heart was acting as if it was at a gymnastics meet, and I was terrified for a brief second before I jerked around to see what I assumed was a stealthily quiet intruder... or a really scary vampire or monster or alien!  You see how my imagination was really running wild at this moment.  When I turned, I saw my oldest son starring at me with a giggle in his eyes and a chuckle from his mouth.  I can only imagine the look on my face that he saw in that moment.  I began to breathe again and spit out, "don't ever do that to me again!  Don't ever sneak up on my like that again!  You scared the heck out of me!"  My face must have still held a frightened expression and combined with that and  my words, my son began to cry.

I felt horrible.  He certainly wasn't trying to be naughty.  I didn't know what to say, except explain more calmly that he scared me and I was sorry if I had scared him as well.  That seemed to make him feel a little better, but also telling him I wasn't mad was important and he started to relax a little more.  By the time I laughed and said, "you got me good!"  He had a small grin back on his face to go along with the solo tear traveling down his cheek.  Then we decided it would be a good idea if he hung out with me while I finished that round of laundry. 

My boring session of laundry was boring no more and my blog topic had an instant makeover.  Thanks to my very stealthily quiet son O!

If you have kids, have they ever "got you good" or pulled a really good prank on you?  Have you pulled off a good prank yourself?

Meet Me On Monday: Somebody Save Me

Meet Me On Monday:

This Monday, and random Mondays here after, my blog will reveal something about me.  All Meet Me On Monday blogs will be clearly labeled.

Warning:  Please leave your kryptonite in it's lead box!  Should you stumble upon a secret identity, please remember to protect that secret with your life if you must.  I would like to thank you in advance for doing so, as you are now helping to keep the rest of the world safe from harm.  For those among us who are SUPER, you are safe here.

The worlds of super heroes and villains all began with an overactive imagination.  What's not to love about that?  Can you imagine for a minute how these many characters came to life?  If you wonder, take a minute to read this article by the NY Times, written after the passing of a co-creator for one of the biggest comic book heroes in existence... Superman.  In reading this, it's easy to see that even the simplest things can give us astounding ideas!  The man of steel is one of my favorite artistically induced imagined superstars.  I'm a fan of SUPER HEROES!

If you asked me to name my all time favorite TV show, it would quickly land in the comic book inspired genre.  This is true throughout my years.  As a teen it was Lois & Clark The Adventures of Superman starring Dean Cain and Terri Hatcher.  When I was a girl, I loved to watch reruns of Wonder Woman and the old Batman TV show.  As a fan of Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Metropolis, I couldn't contain my excitement when The WB (now known as The CW) announced that a show titled Smallville would premiere on October 16, 2001!  I must admit, I was hooked before the pilot episode.  There's something special about watching Clark Kent discover who he is and what he is capable of.  However, there have been some big changes in the show over the years.  If you compared the first season with current Smallville episodes, you'd see more comic book storylines now than before.  Only 2 of the original cast remain as well, Tom Welling as Clark and Allison Mack as Chloe (most missed- Michael Rosenbaum as Lex Luthor aka Sexy Lexy).We've seen various other heroes on the Smallville scene as well.  Let me name a few:  Green Arrow (I heart Justin Hartley), Cyborg, Aquaman, Impulse aka Flash, and of course Supergirl.   Although there have been many changes, I still LOVE this show!  It's obvious that others feel the same way, as we are moving into Season 9 this Fall.  There is even a dedicated website for fans of the show, beware the spoilers!  Just a reminder for fellow fans, don't forget to pick up Season 8 in stores tomorrow!

Beyond my love for all things Smallville, I own a few different kinds of super hero memorabilia.  In my closet hangs a Supergirl costume that my Mom made me in high school.  My most obvious collection is clothing, I'm addicted to the shirts showcasing my favorites.  Wonder Woman and Supergirl clearly stand out in my wardrobe.  I know, it doesn't make me look any older, but I just can't help it!

I could take a long time to list more of my favorites and the reasons why, but maybe I should just tell you why I love super heroes in general?  Okay, but first I must just add that I made sure I was able to watch Smallville while in the hospital after giving birth to my first son (except a special was on that evening instead) and my first time away from my first baby boy was to see an X-Men movie in the theatre.  It's not about the handsome men, although Hugh Jackman can call me Bub any day & Chris O'Donnell is one dreamy Robin, but about how I feel when I see the good guy/girl doing everything he/she can to save the day.

When I was a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on.  Including my older brother's comic books.  I think that's where my love of super heroes began.  The idea of having super powers and standing up for what you believed in, drew me in.  Who wouldn't want someone like that around to save you from the bad guys in your life?  I know I did.  As I got older, I felt more drawn to wanting to be the hero than being saved by one.  I don't have super human abilities, shhh I'm sticking with my secret identity here, but I do want to stand up for what's right.  Superman is inspiring in that way.  Of course, there is a lot of responsibility with those powers, even super heroes can't do it all or save everyone.  Which leads to the guilt factor.  How many of these heroes walk around feeling guilty or heartbroken because of someone they couldn't save?  Would you be surprised that most of them do?  All of these factors equal one great story after another. 

I'm not sure if I've accurately captured or explained my love for super heroes, but I think you get it.  I'm a Super Nerd! 

The Big Catch

The end is near!  The end of Summer that is.  *sigh* Oh how it makes me sad.  Until the last few years, this feeling has not hit me in the way that it does some.  I'm not a Summer girl, in fact Autumn is my favorite season, and my kids were too young to be heading off to school.  I was simply unaffected.  When my oldest was exactly one year from beginning Kindergarten, it hit me.  It hit me that I had just enjoyed the last unattached Summer, as the following Summer would end with an attachment  to a first day of school.

Summer is like a fish on the line.  Once it's hooked, you start to reel it in.  There's so much fun and excitement as you begin pulling it through the water.  You make a myriad of plans, because you are certain this is going to be the catch that tops all catches and you want to enjoy every bit of it.  You could mount it and make sure it's beautiful for everyone to see, or get every piece of "meat" out of it that you could possibly enjoy.  Of course, this fish is the largest to hit the scales, so there is plenty to go around.  As you continue to reel in your award winning fish, you start to see that it's getting smaller.  That can't be true!  It can't possibly be getting shorter each time I reel in a little more of the line?  You attempt to ignore the thought and throw yourself into the entertainment of it all.  All of a sudden, that champion bounty is right in front of your face!  But wait!  It's just a tiny trout and you know that you must let it go so that it may grow.  Hmmm... maybe next year it'll be big enough to hold onto.  You try to let go of your disappointment  and realize the best way to do so.  You pull back your fishing pole and send out a new cast.  Within seconds, you have a bite!  Your expectations are high as you begin to reel in the next big catch... Autumn!

Are you sad to see Summer go, excited about Autumn's upcoming arrival, or full of mixed emotions?  Did you get everything out of Summer that you planned or hoped for?  What is your favorite season or do you live in a climate where the change of seasons isn't reflected in the scenery?

Mom's Day Off

Although moms never really get a full day off, occasionally we need a little break.  Yesterday was one of those days for me.  I was struggling with an attempt at relaxing and letting go of the worries that always seem to climb back into my life.  When I vented to a good friend, she told me to "take the day off."  Her suggestion was to let the kids watch movies or play games, while I just kick back with a good book or some other good distraction.  I decided to take her advice.

I got my kids settled with a Disney dvd, grabbed a book I had been reading, and headed straight to the couch to step out of reality, and into the story.  The boys were really into their movie, and then really into playing after that.  By the time my husband got home, I was so relaxed I was practically falling asleep.  It was wonderful! 

While reading the book of fiction, I ran across the perfect advice given by one of the main characters.  Here it is...

"I know you're thinking that this whole... situation is something you have to solve.  That it's somehow your responsibility to make sure nothing bad happens.  But you can't control everything.  You'll start making yourself crazy if you try." 

I guess taking it easy and reading was exactly what I needed!  Even works of fiction can give you some perspective.  I have found that this kind of thing happens to me fairly often... and I love it when it does!

Has this ever happened to you?  Have you ever heard exactly what you needed to hear when you were watching a movie or reading a book?  Have you gotten some perspective from something or somewhere unexpected?