Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Everyday’ Category

My Annual Prayer Service

Posted in Everyday, Nostalgia, tagged , , on January 30, 2014| 9 Comments »

It’s time once again for the annual Salute To Diggy trip to the casino.  As some of you may know, Diggy is my brother who crossed the veil nearly eight years ago.  It seems like it was just yesterday that I saw him; at the same time it seems like it was forever ago that I saw him.  Anyone who has lost a sibling probably knows what I’m talking about.

Diggy had a penchant for the slot machines.  He’d visit the local casinos when he could and had a field day in Vegas.

Every year between the end of January and beginning of February Husby and I go to the casino in honor of Diggy’s birthday.  For me it’s sort of like a yearly visit with him; I’m talking to him in my mind a lot of the time while I’m plugging my money in and spinning the wheels.  I remember him, get things straight with him, ask advice from him, and also plead to him for some good luck.  If anyone could give me good luck at a slot machine it would be Diggy.

I don’t know what people might think of my methods of connecting with my brother.  Some may think I should be spending time in a church instead.  Some may feel I should be floating in a boat at sunset in my attempts to commune.  In my mind, enveloping myself in the darkness, noise, and anonymity of a crowded casino brings me as close to my brother as I can get.

He loved the slots.  I’m pretty sure he’s right there with me when I’m taking chances.  If only I could high-five him when I win big.

Read Full Post »

Curly Locks

Posted in Everyday, tagged , , , , , , on January 11, 2014| 4 Comments »

curlylocks_willcox

Curly locks, curly locks wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine
But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam
And feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream

“The lyrics simply reflect that curls are a symbol of elegance and beauty. This symbolism relating to curls and beauty has been reflected in many works of literature. The message in the lyrics is that a girl with ‘Curly Locks’ is so desirable that her future will be a comfortable life probably made by a good marriage.”  ~ Nursery Rhymes, Lyrics, Origins & History

I have curly locks.  At the risk of sounding full of myself I can honestly say I get tons of comments on my hair because 1) I obviously don’t dye it, and 2) it’s curly.  Lots of women envy my hair and I’ve even received compliments on it from men.

thCAQF3WNSIt was time for a hair cut, so I went in and got my usual bob style.  Then the stylist went berserk.  She started blow-drying my hair, something I avoid at all costs.  She blew and fluffed, blew and fluffed.  Then she did something that nearly made me shriek.  She took one of those round brushes and wrapped my hair around it while the blow dryer was directly on my hair!  I thought my head would go up in flames!  Okay, I thought, she knows what she’s doing, so I tried not to freak out too much.  By the time she was done with me my hair was completely straight.  Straight!

I don’t think there are any nursery rhymes about straight hair, and if there were they’d probably say something like,

Straight locks, straight locks, do the dishes and feed the pigs

I was so horrified by how my hair turned out I wore a hat to the gas station so no one would see the trauma done to my lovely curls.  Yes, I was quite aware that once I washed my hair again the curls would magically reappear, and they did, but for ten hours I looked like a stranger.  A stranger with straight hair.

So the next time I find myself complaining of the wily nature of my curly locks I’ll remember the day my curls were killed and be grateful for my oval-shaped follicles.  And the next time I see that blow-dryer and brush come my way I’ll remind my stylist that curls are admired and envied and if she dare take them away, well, I might just have to cut her.  How’s that for elegance and beauty?

P.S.  I don’t actually have anything against straight hair, it’s just that mine isn’t shouldn’t be made to be straight.  If you have straight hair I don’t really think you should have to wash dishes and feed pigs.

Read Full Post »

Easy Evening

Posted in Everyday, tagged , on January 9, 2014| 6 Comments »

When I got home from the day job I saw a familiar car in the driveway. It used to belong to my brother but now is used mainly by my nephew, Paenney. He and his brother Fojo spent the greater part of today at my house with Husby, hanging out and sharing guitar-playing tips, having some lunch, and engaging in adult guy B.S.  I feel like I kind of wrecked the mood because, well, who wants a girl barging in on guy talk? They put up with me for a while before they headed home for dinner.

After the boys left (grown-ass men, actually, but I still call them boys) I headed over to my parents’ house to help my mom with a computer problem she was having.  I don’t know exactly what I did but I seem to have fixed it.  Call me the Geek Squad.  Of course I had to chat for a while with them after performing my technological magic, and they supplied me with a little chocolate for my trouble.  M&Ms and a delicious raspberry truffle.

I got home and saw that Husby kept the fire burning, the one he started up for the visit from our nephews, his godsons.  I snuggled into my chair next to the fire with a nice glass of wine and a big plate of Pizza Rolls.  Then I took a nice, hot bath and came back down to the fire and sat some more.

All in all it was a very easy evening.

Read Full Post »

I Married A Genius

Posted in Everyday, tagged , , on January 2, 2014| 8 Comments »

My husband is a genius.  I don’t write that because I know he reads my blog (hi Husby!) but because he makes my life easier.

You know those days when you strip the bed of its bedding with every intention of washing those sheets for an upcoming dreamy night in the splendor of freshness?  Then with everything else you have to do throughout the day you completely forget to wash the sheets?  And you have no other fresh sheets in the closet?  Okay, you’re probably much more task-oriented than I am.  But just imagine being dead tired, entering your bedroom and seeing a mattress dressed in nothing more than a mattress pad.

Well I’m sure not going to stay up and wash the sheets like I should have done hours ago, and I’m certainly not going to put the sheets I just took off the bed back on.  This is when Husby’s genius steps in.

“We’ll have sleeping bag night!” he says.

Works for me.

 

Read Full Post »

Vacation Mode

Posted in Everyday on December 30, 2013| 5 Comments »

Some people think living in Minnesota in the wintertime is impossible, like we’re all going to freeze to death or something.  I suppose if you live in the tropics a temperature of 0 degrees F. (and frequently below 0) would seem enough to freeze a person’s blood right in its veins, but we all survive somehow.

I don’t mind cold weather, and I don’t mind snow.  In fact I like them both.  But today, after spending a nine-day holiday away from the day job, the snow and cold temperature slapped me in the face to shake me from my dreamy vacation frame of mind.  I returned to the doldrums of the day job, and spent my time counting the hours until the weekend.  Surviving a Minnesota winter is simple compared to having the snow and ice abruptly turn off my vacation mode.

Grey winter day in the city.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »