At a place that you could walk across/With five steps down

I am going to see them tonight.
It was super amazing early birthday pressie from my friend Michelle.
We both discovered The Indigo Girls at the same precise moment in 1992 and looked at each other in awe. It was like the words to all the emotions and actions we were just starting to understand as young women were right there for us to listen to. They were right there inside of our boombox.
It was really a rite of passage to listen.
I have always respected their activism, their gay rights message, and their kick ass jams...
but I love their words.
I love their voices.
I love the way they string together the way I feel so perfectly.
I love that songs like ghost that was such a powerful song to me at 17 even though I had no flipping clue what love was now means something different but still takes me back...
It all takes me back.
I think getting older is fine.
You know why?
Every day if you let yrself...you can go back.
Even for a moment and visit the best of the past too.

And the Mississippi's mighty
But it starts in Minnesota
At a place that you could walk across
With five steps down
And I guess that's how you started
Like a pinprick to my heart
But at this point you rush right through me
And I start to drown

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Fill yr mind up with all it can know

Friday is here and Simple Lovely and I have had so much fun with the lists! I hope I have everyone on here- I checked technorati and my comments for lists. If I am missing anyone please email me and I will add yr link promptly! If you want to send one in before the end of the weekend too you can! I am waiting still from some of my pretties who said they might- so come on if ya want! xo


These fabulous lists need to be checked out today:

Blond and Blithe
Radicool Life
Mary Loves
Shimmy Shake
Sugar City Journal
Hey Shannon Rae
Saviabella
The Other Tiffany

I loved yr lists. I loved this little project.
Now everyone please print out those lists and hang them where you can see them each day!
Thanks so much!
Kiss Kiss.

****OH MY LOVE MARY!
How could I forget you? I thought I had you on there! xo

The lovely Joslyn and Amy have created simple, inspiring, and totally doable birthday lists -- of a different sort. And I'm playing along. Here's my list of 36 things to do before I turn 37:

1. Hang framed family photos up in our hallway, gallery style.2. Go to Nantucket. 3. Don't skimp on sleep.4. Use that gift certificate we've been hanging onto for dinner in York Harbor, Maine.5. Gather up anything that I don't absolutely love in our house and in my closet and give it to Goodwill.6. Uncover the fireplace behind the wall in our living room.7. Visit Alana and Min (and my Godson!) in New York City.8. ...and, on the way down, stop in Danbury, Connecticut to visit family.9. Finally create a little desk space for myself.10. Take a photography class.11. Stop worrying.12. See a movie at our little local theater.13. Invite the new neighbors over for cocktails.14. Open an Etsy shop. A tiny one.15. Try knitting again.16. Go to Ikea at least twice: once this fall, and again in the spring. (This may seem like an odd goal. But it's over an hour each way. And sitting in the car and I do not get along.)17. Subscribe to domino magazine (instead of buying it every month).18. Learn how to turn on the DVD player. By myself. Without asking Rob for help.19. Go apple picking.20. Slow down when writing anything by hand; no more messy scrawl. (Where did my nice handwriting go, anyway?)21. Organize our digital photos.22. Keep a detailed calendar. No more ditzing out about birthdays.23. Accept that doing it myself doesn't look as good (or, last as long) and treat myself to a pedicure. 24. Cut down my Splenda use. Switch to a more natural alternative. 25. Stop procrastinating.26. Buy some exotic, coarse sea salt and figure out how to use it in our cooking.27. Get all of the fabulous prints I've collected framed and up on our walls.28. Read a book (fiction or non) that leaves me buzzing with inspiration and happiness.29. Scan old magazine clippings onto my computer.30. Stick to our budget at Christmas.31. On the first cold day of the season, enjoy a (sinful and amazing) Belgian hot chocolate at Pralines.32. Think twice before buying anything. 33. Get a library card -- and use it.34. Throw Rob a birthday party.35. Make this chocolate chip cake.36. ...This one's a secret. For now. :)


image from the delightful etsy shop boygirlparty

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Through the years you've never let me down

It was cold enough to break out my lil baby today. My two dollar coat I got at a thrifty store many years ago. It has been all over the place and always makes me feel good. I plan on wearing it to the post office today and to other such errands.

I am teaching Finn random foreign words like bella and fili. That way he can greet me in the morning and tell me how lovely I look and ask for a kiss in Greek. I told him ladies will pull sweets from their handbags if you tell them how lovely they are. I am so naughty! But, twice this week he has complimented older woman and one gave him a quarter and one a lollipop at the copy shop. He is going to be dashing when he grows up like his dad.

I think we are going to learn how to say some French words today. I can still read a bit of French from my long ago studies, but can't speak it. I hate how the brain when fat and lazy loses information. Like I also used to know how to say "Please take off yr dress" in Russian and I just can't for the life of me remember anymore...


P.S. Mama's Village is writing again. I love her!

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Fill yr mind up with all it can know

Thursday List:
all week Joslyn and I are posting a selection of lists from our Friday adventure.
Thanks for yr gorgeous lists blissfully caffeinated, Rowena, and Jackie.

I do actually keep kind of an ill defined bucket list in my head that includes things like Go to Italy and Learn French and Write a Book. But this is not that list. This list is 10 things that I would like to do for myself before I turn 40. It’s a few years away, so I’ve got some time to work on these little tasks. (Blissfully caffeinated)

1. Do some sort of exercise other than housework on a regular basis.
2. Take guitar lessons with my girls.
3. Take a trip somewhere with my husband that isn’t work related or for someone’s wedding or birthday. That is just for us.
4. Take a creative writing workshop.
5. Cook some dishes from Julia Child.
6. Get a better camera. Take more pictures.
7. Find a pair of really comfortable flats and buy in at least two colors.
8. Improve my sewing skills. And then put those skills to use.
9. Get my teaching credential done so that I will some day have my own income again.
10. Turn off the TV more, turn the stereo on more, dance with my girls more.

27 before 28 ( jackie)

1. Start a gratitude journal
2. Plant an herb and veggie garden (I really like the Square Foot Gardening method)
3. Buy a dress pattern for the girls, learn to read it and sew up some dresses!
4. Take girls to the library at least once a week
5. Create more family rituals (Like our annual October Half Moon Bay pumpkin patch trip)
6. Learn to cook simple, fresher, healthier meals
7. Create a budget and stick with it!
8. Thrift more, pay full price less
9. Organize the girls' toys and donate at least half
10. Create meal plans every Sunday
11. Carve out more quality time with Hubby
12. Do weekly crafts with Natalie
13. Get back to reading at least one book a month
14. Recycle-I know it's awful that I don't already. My town does not have a recycling program, and I just haven't gotten around to finding out where I can recycle what.
15. Make bed every morning
16. Create a weekly cleaning schedule
17. Visit my Grandma and Aunt more, who live an hour and a half away
18. Learn to take better digital photos
19. Get over my fear of cooking for others and entertain friends more often
20. Watch an old movie at The State Theater
21. Pick fabric and sew curtains for the family room
22. Take the local community ed class on how to reupholster furniture, and bring my Nana's wing chair as the project.
23. Turn large blank wall in family room into an art wall- all with etsy finds of course
24. Go to more performances at the Gallo Center For The Arts
25. Write a weekly letter to my mom, re-capping all the little things that she misses by living so far away
26. Put little love notes in my Hubby's lunch (even though it will probably embarrass him)
27. Vote

A good thing I have a whole year to complete this!

38 things to do before 38 (November 19) (Rowena)

1. Paint a month of Flying Girls (this might actually be 30 things, but oh well.)10, 21, 35, 38
2. Schedule an artist's date with myself.
3. Get G completely off of diapers. 12
4. Get some business cards. 5, 10, 21, 33, 34, 35, 38
5. Put art supplies in the new cabinet.19,
6. Set up a nice workspace in my bedroom. 19
7. Sort kids clothes into keep/toss/store/giveaway
8. Get a long sweater/cardigan 32
9. Get some ballet slippers at target.32
10. Buy new paints and paintbrushes.
11. Write 25k words in my new novel (for nanowrimo).
12. Write an outline for my new novel (in October)
13. Figure out Flickr.
14. Go trick or treating with the kids. (I hear my neighborhood is Halloween central.)
15. Have a Halloween Party on October 18 (a Fanciful Twist. Awesome blog!)
16. Listen to music more often.
17. Take a walk to the beach with the kids.
18. Collect (steal) sand to make a mini sandbox for the kids to play with.
19. Make a holiday plan (including gift lists and plans for making stuff.)
20. Put ten paintings on my etsy shop.
21. Get a learner's permit.
22. Get a scanner/printer (either the one from storage, or a new one. Or get comfortable using my uncle's.)
23. Clean and purge bedside tables.
24. Start inspiration file/board.
25. Make play dough with the kids.
26. Make rice krispie treats.
27. Get some sculpey and make stuff.
28. Straighten out paypal account.
29. Make small and heartfelt public. (Not ready yet, so no link.)
30. Post one of my poems.
31. Host a giveaway32. Make a Flying Girl with my Alice in Wonderland.
33. Do some ATCs/ACEOs.
34. Connect w S.
35. Get a project going with PK. (PK, if you're out there, we've got to get off our rears.)
36. Start making Christmas presents.
37. Write up a business plan.
38. Post this list.

pic from flickr stream er3465

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Your knife will fall out of its sheath

SAD, originally uploaded by tamelyn.

There is much good around me
I have exciting news to share soon
but also there is thick in the air
sadness and painintheassness
and why does the world need to spin around
on money and worries and anxiety?
It has never been so hard.
Can someone cheer me up please?