Friday, May 31, 2013

Watered Down

Oh, how I love running water. Real live, running water moving swiftly through the channels of the water system and up though the pipes into my apartment and out of my faucets. It really is amazing what you take for granted until you don't have such free and easy access to it, isn't it?

We have running water available at a whim (usually), yet we don't realize how blessed we are for that when we turn on our taps. But how many parts of our everyday existence are dependent on those little molecules of hydrogen and oxygen? We can't make coffee, wash our hands, flush the toilet, run our laundry...We are stunted, stalled by dry pipes and useless taps. 

Try washing your hair or making oatmeal without water. You won't get very far. And water is only one example of the things that flow so freely and easily without our notice. We are a country of easy access and fast results, and we demand without ever giving thought to the fact that we don't actually deserve these things more than anyone else does. What entitles us to better medical care than someone in a developing country? What gives us the right to have electricity in our homes when some people can't even get access to candles? We waste without notice and use without gratitude. 

If we gave some of our riches to the people of these third-world countries, they would hardly know what to do, so happy would they be. They are poor in things, but rich in gratitude for the little "conveniences" of our daily lives. We are rich in things, but poor in gratitude.

Turn on your water and take a minute to marvel at the miracle, and say thank you for the gift that is running down your drain.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Remember

It's Memorial Day. So who––or what––are you remembering? 
Are they happy memories or sad memories? 
Are they ones you want to share or hope to keep buried?
In the spirit of what this day is truly about, who are you remembering who has sacrificed part––or even all––of their life to preserve your freedom and the freedom of this country?
I've known many men and women who have served in those roles––people I admire for their sheer bravery and dedication to our country, people I can't thank enough for what they've been through.
My own family has quite a few family members who have served some role in some branch of the military, some for only a few years, some for more than a few decades. Whatever their length of duty, however, it all counts. It all adds up to one thing: freedom and innumerable reasons to say thank you.
We make choices and dream dreams that are all made possible by the actions of these people, no matter how small or inconsequential they may initially seem. We can sleep just a little bit easier knowing we have the protection and dedication of our military. 
So say thank you, and say some prayers for those special men and women. 
Remember them when you see the flag or someone in uniform, yes...but also remember them when you're deciding what books to read or channel to watch. After all, without them you might not have so many choices. 

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Doodlie Doo

Billed as an activity book for kids, Doodle Your Day (Gibbs Smith, $16.99) by Anita Wood is really a great way to chronicle the happy (or maybe aggravating) days of our lives for a year––whether you're eight or ninety-eight. Each day sheet in the book has fun little prompts that channel your creativity in ways you might not think about on your own. By the completion of your book (and the end of that year), you'll have a keepsake unlike any other. “Doodle Queen,”  is back with , Paperback, 224 pages, March 2013, ISBN 978-1-4236-2368-7), a fun activity book offering doodle and journaling prompts for young artists every day of the year. For more info, visit Amazon.com




All Bottled Up

Got a new baby? Check out the newest feeding products from innovative company Joovy...The Boob Baby Bottle, which is the best baby bottle on the market, with a state-of-the-art nipple; vent system; bottle; and an insulator that use today’s best design and materials. Feeding your baby––especially in transition periods back and forth between bottle and breast––is a difficult and sometimes frustrating process, but the Boob make it a little easier. The Boob nipple design reduces “nipple confusion,” so busy moms can easily switch between bottle and breast. The nipples are made to European standards, baked to maintain consistent softness and to help prevent nipple collapse. The CleanFlow Vent is simple, easy to clean, and you don’t need to touch the sanitized silicone sleeve when assembling the bottle. The quad vent allows for consistent venting regardless of how the bottle is held, which reduces colic and inner ear infections by eliminating the vacuum created in a sealed feeding system. The Boob Bottle is available in two bottle materials––high quality PP (polypropylene) and ultra premium PPSU (polyphenylsulfone).  PPSU is the superior material for baby bottles and does not absorb odor or color and is extremely durable. The PPSU Boob has a distinct gray color that makes breast milk and/or formula look bright white and appealing. Both are dishwasher safe. For  complete feeding system, try the Boob Insulator, which keeps liquids at a desired temperature longer (cold, warm, frozen). It fits the Boob exclusively and is clear for easy liquid viewing. The Boob Breast Pump Adapter allows breast-feeding mothers to pump directly into the Boob Bottle, and it works with most major breast pumps on the market. All Boob Baby Bottles are BPA free, phthalate free, and PVC free. Available at buybuy Baby stores and www.joovy.com.  

Half gone, half here...

I'm looking at the calendar feeling more than slightly amazed at the date. It's already the 25th of May, and the year 2013 is nearly half over. I have to admit, it makes me feel more than slightly behind. I haven't accomplished many of the things I'd hoped to accomplish by now––some if it, of course, by no fault of my own. And then there's the list of things I wanted to have done by now that are still undone because I dragged my feet or allowed myself to be overwhelmed––and therefore scared off––by them.

So what to do now? Well, I still have half the year left. The glass may be half empty, but the glass is still also half full. Which means maybe I should try to look at these next six months as another opportunity to seize, to make good on the lists I've made for myself. 

Better late than never, right?

After all, six months is still a long time for things to happen, for magic and miracles and wonders that change life in an instant. Hopefully i won't be so focused on looking at the passing days on the calendar that I forget to actually make the most of them...even if the most for that day means simply making a phone call.
 

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Are You My Mother?

Sometimes I look at my mother and wonder how much I really know her. 
What was she like when she was my age? What did she think about, worry about, dream of doing?
What was her favorite song?
What colors inspired her?
What was her favorite book?
I was six years old when my mother turned thirty.
It's a bizarre thought, really.
I remember looking at her and thinking how beautiful she was, how happy I was that she was my mother.
I remember hoping I would grow up to be just like her.
But what did she think of who she was?
Was she happy?
I'd like to think she was. I'd like to think she felt fulfilled and confident and loved.
I'd like to think that she knew how magical she was to me, how much she inspired me.
She did then, and she still does now.
Maybe it's time she knew.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Word Count

What is it about working for yourself (sort of) that leaves you feeling inept? Or is it just me? Sometimes, I think it's a little less stressful when you can have a supervisor of some sort above you, telling you you're meeting (or maybe even surpassing) company expectations. Or even that you need to step up your game, because you're not really pulling your weight. Something, some evaluation of some kind, is nice to have on occasion. 
Or am I alone in thinking this? 
When you don't clock in everyday, don't have some entity directly above you all the time, it can be easy to lose track of yourself, how you're actually doing. In my case, I tend to wonder if I'm a complete failure. I'm not putting out best-sellers, I'm not raking in high-dollar assignments from major magazine corporations.
I'm just little old me, slogging through the muck to try and live my dream. And it's scary sometimes. 
Not to mention frustrating.
But still, this is what I love. This is what I dream of spending my life doing.
It would just be nice, sometimes, to know that what I'm doing counts.
That the words matter to someone.
That I'm not failing.
And maybe that I should never back down.
Sometimes it's easy to forget that it's worth the fight. 
But at the end of the day, the pen (or computer) is mightier than the sword.


Monday, May 20, 2013

A Case of the Mondays

I––like all true living, breathing, normal human beings––have a love/hate relationship with Mondays. I hate them because they mean the end of the weekend...even though I never really seem to have weekends that seem in any way, shape, or form, to be epic. I hate them because they signal the beginning of a five-day stretch of monotonous activity. On the other hand, I love them because they seem to be a blank canvas, a new beginning to a new chapter. Sometimes I wonder if I expect too little or too much of my Mondays, when I sit down to my computer hoping that some missive awaits me in my INBOX, some configuration of letters and words that all combine into a string that will signal a sea change in some part of my future. A congratulatory e-mail from my agent saying that one of the publishers we've queried wants to buy my manuscript. A bid for a writing contract with a major magazine publisher. Something. I hold my breath and say a little prayer and log in to my e-mail and find...often times, nothing but junk mail. It's Monday, after all, and I am but a lowly free-lancer. My place on the totem pole is low for many people come Monday, when they have thousands of other more pressing e-mails to address. I am forgotten, while I can hardly forget the unanswered query letter, the unsent reply. I know, realistically, that I am not truly less important, but this suspension leaves me feeling out of sorts, frustrated, and––once again––hating Mondays.
Just another Manic Monday.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

You're So Predictable

It looks a little like it might rain today, but the weather in this neck of Florida is a bit iffy, and you never really know until something happens. It is predictable unpredictability at its best, I suppose. And I'm not  a lover of unpredictability, by any means. I hate it. Give me a map and a game plan any day, and I'll be a happy camper. Just don't make me actually go camping. 

I know my lack of spontaneity makes me somewhat boring, but there seems to be a bit of safety in that. I like the things I know, rather than the things I don't. Normal as that might be, I know it can sometimes hamper my progress in things, keep me rooted to one spot. Immoveable and uncompromising. Stalled out and stagnant. I really don't want to be that person. I want to be more adventurous, but I'm not always sure how to do it. To just reach out and grab something. I used to be able to, and I've forgotten. I've allowed to many things to derail me, to concuss me and make me forget how to just be. Just live and wander and allow things to happen. Maybe that's one of the things I need to learn this year, in my new decade. Maybe it's something many of us need to learn how to do. Or remember how to do. Maybe by thirty-one, I'll be able to throw caution to the wind and burn the game plan. But for now, I'm adding it to my 30 at Thirty list.  

Friday, May 17, 2013

One more candle...

I'm always amazed at the ironic nature of time. It seems to go so fast and so slow; passing both at warp-speed and interminable. A look at the calendar tells me that today I am two days away from turning thirty. Two days shy of thirty, six-months and three days into being a widow. It's strange to realize that I've been a widow almost as long now as I was married, strange to think about it at all, really. The whole thing strikes me sometimes as a strange dream, some weird little wandering of my mind that is now over but still haunts me like the residue of a disturbing nightmare. I have papers to prove it happened, but it still seems too unrealistic to wrap my brain around.

So on this, the second to the last day of my twenties, I'm trying to look at the new decade of my life as full of new chances. New dreams and new miracles and new adventures to embark upon. Hopefully I'm up to the challenge; hopefully I do these next ten years justice. Hopefully, I can look back on thirty and hold it as one of my best ever. I have things to do, a life to live, and dreams to pursue. I want to leave my mark on the world in a good way, and I want to feel like my presence here has made a difference somehow. 

I'm not dreading thirty, the way I once thought I would. I'm looking forward to it. A new number, a new year. A new chance.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Molding Some Fun

Ahh, that signature smell. That unmistakeable taste...yes, I admit it. I've taken the requisite bite of Play-Doh in my lifetime. Are you saying you haven't? Well, even if you have, the new products by Play-Doh might actually tempt you to do it again. (Don't worry, we won't tell!) Check this out...Play-Doh now has a softer, fluffier compound called Play-Doh Plus. It allows greater detailing in molding, since it's more pliable. Cupcake frosting looks real, and ruffles are rufflier! New Play-Doh play-sets put that new formula to perfect use and include options like the Frosting Fun Bakery and Flip N' Frost Cookies set. The sets are so much fun, you'll be playing with them yourself, long after play-time is over and nap-time has begun! Just don't mistake the whoopie pies for the real thing! Visit www.playdoh.com


Saturday, May 11, 2013

Rain, Rain, Go Away

I know I should probably be singing the virtues of rain, but right now, I'd really like for it to be clear and blue outside. Call me strange, but I've never been much on rain. It makes me feel like crawling under the covers and either sleeping or vegging out with a book or movie. None of which are, at the moment, on my agenda. So I'd really like the rain to go away...but I also don't care for it to come back another day. I'd rather it just....not. The world may need rain for certain functions of nature to work; I however, would happily do without it. Raincoats, umbrellas, and Wellies may come in cute patterns and colors now, but the excuse to accessorize does nothing to make the entire prospect more appealing. If I had my rathers, I'd be able to point and click and tell the rain where to go, where to stay, and when to happen, but I wasn't exactly given those wonderful powers of controlling the weather. Who knows, maybe that's a good thing. Lord knows, I try to control enough in my life. Having one more thing to do might be a bad thing... 

Friday, May 10, 2013

Summertime Goodies!


Okay. So it's that time again. You're staring at your calendar, wondering what to do for fun party favors for whatever bash is coming up, and you get stumped. Why not try something different than the norm? Candy is always a fun idea, by now Ring Pop has come up with a new twist. The iconic wearable lollipop can now be personalized with messages on their wrappers, making them perfect for any occasion––whether you're throwing a birthday party or a bridal shower. Just visit the website at www.myringpop.com to learn more and choose the flavor, color, and wrapper design to make the perfect treat for your occasion.

How to keep the little ones busy...You've got a million things to do, so you're always looking for new ways to keep tiny hands and minds occupied, right? Check out the great new products from Hasbro, which include characters from Sesame Street and Transformers. 
The Sesame Street Smartphone (Playskool, ages 18 mos.- 4 years) rings and lights up when Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Ernie or Cookie Monster calls! Preschoolers can also call each character by pressing one of the buttons or select one of the four pretend apps to hear about music, weather, numbers, and letters. 

Lullaby and Goodnight Elmo (Playskool, ages 18 mos.- 4 years)...Even energetic Elmo needs to get some sleep sometimes! Little ones can snuggle up with Elmo, decked out in Dorothy pajamas, and listen to a sweet lullaby together as they drift to sleep. 

Transformers Rescue Bots Figures (Playskool. ages 3-7 years)...Each figure is armed with translucent spinning rescue tools, equipped with lights and sounds and character voices created just for your little adventurers. Choose from OPTIMUS PRIME and BUMBLEBEE characters.
Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on www.HasbroToyShop.com


Packing up snacks or grab and go options for breakfasts? Summer is full of sleep-overs, car trips, plane rides, camps...you name it, it's on your list. And all of it requires preparation (or at least, looking like you're prepared!)...Wherever you're headed (even if it's just you, headed out the door to work, or to the gym, or...where are your keys again?), make things a little bit easier by having some of these on hand. These tasty options will keep hunger and the brain fuzzies at bay. Check out Bear Naked’s new all-natural Fit Cereals, packing 30 grams of whole grain, 6 grams of fiber, and more than 6 grams of protein. The cereals also contain flax and pumpkin seeds, great ways to help fight off cold and flu viruses. Looking for something to pack in your purse or bag? Bear Naked's granola Morning Power Packs are a healthy and convenient breakfast (visit www.bearnaked.com). 


Or add a little bit of fruit to the day with Stretch Island Fruit Co.’s new Fruit Chews, a perfect healthy snack that deliver one full serving of real fruit, 100% natural with no added sugars or preservatives (visit www.stretchislandfruit.com).