The Best Of Autumn

Autumn is so very inspiring. Brilliant colored leaves, nippy fresh air with a hint of woodsmoke, yummy baked smells wafting from the kitchen, and of course, the ever glittering sights of Christmas decor being sold in the stores. For me, all of this brings sort of an excitement of the upcoming celebrations of Thanksgiving Day! I go back and forth between what is my favorite holiday and I must concur that it is Thanksgiving.

Today, to celebrate my inspired mood, I will begin by de-boning a chicken for some good 'ole homemade chicken noodle soup. While that is bubbling on the stove-top, I have great plans to get outside to rake up the remains of Autumn's leaves. When this is accomplished, because I am so motivated and the weather is still sane, I plan to put up our twinkling icicle lights around the front porch.

Wow, reading back through what I just wrote, I am very inspired! So what am I doing here? I've got to go get stuff done!! Bye ya'll!

Eyes Wide Shut

I have been blind. This morning I woke up smiling because the scales have dropped from my eyes. Ah the mystery of it! God definatly has a quirky sense of humor.

I haven't really been praying for a mate but I have often wished for someone to help fill the void. Ok, I admit it, I have prayed a couple of times  for God to bring me someone. Many times I have thought that life would be better with someone to share in the wonder of it. Now you might be thinking I have a son to do this with, and yes I do but, I'm thinking more adult level here!

So anyway, I have been granted my wish/prayer. It has taken six months for me to realize. I have a female neighbor who is less than 50 yards away who happens to be one of my bestest, most amazing friends. When I'm lonely, she is there. When I'm excited, she is there. When I'm blah, she is there. When I need food or coffee, she is there. When I need a sitter or playmate for Anthony, she is there. When I want to be right, I can. When I want to be alone, I can just shut the door!

Might I say WOW!! This is way better than a man! It is the most perfect situation. Being that I'm a bit independent but still have some feelings, it couldn't be more opportune. I love how God has so much imagination to think up the perfect solution for me. I just can't believe it has taken me so long to see it!

Thank you Jesus. Love you Matty!

Weight Gain

Since my trip to NYC, I have been blessed to gain, oh, I'd say around 10 lbs. I say blessed because I know there are unfathomable amounts of souls worldwide starving for even just a crumb of bread. How horribly sad that is while I indulge in stinky cheese, crusty bread, fried poppers, pizza!

So, my actual point is I am overweight. Every morning I amuse myself in a sad way while doing the happy skippy to get my jeans on. Not a comfortable position to be in, especially considering the physical pain it causes!

Yesterday I was told by an old friend that something was different about me. Was it my hair? Surely I had done something different with it! Sweetie I said, I'm fat. I was greatly confused when my friend replied I look great being robust rather than skin and bones. What? I am robust? And not only that, I used to be so thin that I was considered skin and bones? I do believe my mirror lies to me!

At any rate, I am quite undecided as to whether to lose the weight or not. I mean, robust! That means well endowed on the top right?! On the other hand, though the happy skippy cracks me up every time, I'm sick of the flourishing thighs I've managed to produce.

So my question is, to lose or not to lose. I choose to put to good use my ample god-given taste buds. I choose to enjoy the pleasure of delicious morsels while triumphing when I have the ability to keep it to a taste.

In conclusion, what is a life without the insane enjoyment of  food? Without a happy skippy? Without the reason to go shopping for new clothes? I do believe I'm quite comfortable being robust. So the next time you see a robust woman with a panini in her hand doing the happy skippy while shopping, you can probably assume it is me!

I Will Rejoice

Today is the day that the Lord has made. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it.
I will rejoice
I will rejoice
I willlll
Aaargh, Costco.
I will
I will
I will
Wait, I will what?
Home again.
I will REJOICE!!

My Trip To NYC 2010

In August I got the fortunate opportunity to visit my brother once again. I haven't talked too much about this trip because like most things for me, it has taken awhile to process. It was a spur of the moment trip. I called Lewis up and then booked a ticket. What freedom to be able to do this! It was a most relaxing and enlightening trip so I want to share with you some of the interesting and special moments of it.

When I arrived at 181 Waverly Place in East Village, Lewis, as always, was waiting for me. He took me up to the 4th floor of his well located apartment and I was in a little piece of heaven. His tiny studio was absolutely adorable- my idea of a cottage in the city. His sense of taste in decor is very clean yet cozy. The two large windows overlooking the courtyard have window boxes with beautiful flowers billowing out of them. My bed for the week was his couch. Don't get me wrong, it was a lovely couch. It was more comfortable than my own bed!

That evening he took me to a local Mexican restaurant where we sat at the bar having cocktails by the open french doors. We had the most wonderful time catching up, and when it began to pour rain through the doors from the street, I had a surreal moment of nostalgia. Later we filled up on Asian food from the local bistro around the corner.

It was the middle of the week so while Lewis was busily entertaining clients and doing what he does, I was hitting the pavement. I walked and walked and walked. Correction, I was walking AND shopping. Broadway has that effect on me! Might I add the chocolates, ice cream, and other food fare I was indulging in added to the delight of it all!

Sometime during the middle of the week, (the days all ran together for me), we went to a Broadway show. The show, FELA, was most intriguing. A show produced by Jada Pinkett-Smith and JZ, it is a story of one man's journey in Nigeria to overcome his country that was terrorized by it's own government through dance and singing. What an invigorating time!

I believe it was a lazy Thursday that we took a bike ride through the park and over Brooklyn Bridge. Might I say whew, what a view! Not only was the view over the city spectacular, so it was down through the wooden slats of the bridge to the water. We, or I rather, huffed and puffed to get to the center of the bridge. Thank goodness for the vendors selling water there! The way down the other side into Brooklyn was a breeze. Once we were there, we turned right around and did it again!

I just want to inject here a bit about the food I ate. Might I say yum yum yummy! Bruchette with cheese and nuts and fruit, fresh and spritey salads, salty and amazing mussels, delectable vegetarian sandwiches. One day Lewis and I visited a famous cheese shop in East Village. Murray's was simply delightful. There was more stinky cheese there than you could probably find anywhere else in the city. That evening we had a phenomenal dinner of cheese, tomato hors d' ovures and shrimp. I do believe this is really why I visit New York! (Just kidding Lewis!).

If you are interested in a quick and delightful get-a-way, may I suggest visiting the city. This place has it all! Food, entertainment, shopping, food. What an unforgettable trip it was. Thank you Lewis!

Mona Lisa

I have a new dog and her name is Mona Lisa.
She smells so bad, please someone quick get me a Visa!
Mona is a teacup chihuahua, looks straight from Mahala.
Though I love her, she really is quite pathetic.
Even the vet said so, isn't that synthetic?
Someone dropped her off, shame on them.
Just because she has the mites doesn't mean she is a has-been.
Every day I feed her an egg and cholidal silver.
My momma says this aught to heal her.
One wants to engulf her, while looking at Mona.
She really is quite the persona!
Though she's not perfect, Mona is a little ham.
She is certainly becoming a part of the fam.
Tomorrow I will give her a mighty good scrub.
It will most likely be her first in a tub.
Mona is so ugly she's beautiful.
Thus, a name that is most notably noble!

Parenting

Six years ago I gave birth to a healthy, squawking 8 pound baby boy. The minute I saw him my world change forever and I was in love. The wrench of my heart when his heel was pricked was almost insufferable. The swell in my soul when I held him to my breast for the first, colossal. He was the cutest and sweetest thing I ever did see. There is nothing like a new mother's love!

I'm a bit anxious because today my baby is 6 years in age and I still feel like a new mother who has no idea what she is doing. Oh yes, it's not the same as having a mini person in your arms and not knowing what to do with him. It is having that mini growing into a person who for 3/4 or more of his life will be on his own. It is that 1/4 that is up to me to make sure that he is prepared. May I say freaky? I feel unprepared to be on my own myself, much less prepared to grow a child into a substantial adult to be on his own!

When I think of these difficulties I wonder why we were not made more like the fowls of the air. They know exactly what to do and when to do it. And they do it, and do it well! Now I'm not saying I'd rather be a bird, I'm just curious as to why it is not naturally more ingrained into me how to raise my young.

I'll end with this. A. I love my child unconditionally for as long as I shall live. B. I would give my life in an instant to save my son's. THIS, I'm glad to say, is naturally ingrained into me.

The Enchanting World Of Facebook

Did you know that billionaire, self-made CEO of Facebook is only 26 years-old? He projects himself as a Harvard graduate on his profile even though he isn't. When 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl confronted Mark Zuckerberg with this little inconsistency, he said “That’s true. We don’t have a setting for dropout.” More staggering stats include the fact that people spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook, while the current active official user count now stands at over 500 million.

I spend way to much time on Facebook. Why is this when it is usually quite mundane? I believe it is because by nature we are nosy, "keep up with the Jones'" people, and have difficulty correcting our addiction. Also the fact that Mark is obviously absolutely brilliant adds to the stickiness of our inability to abstain from this site.

I must add though, this is a extraordinary place to get to know your neighbor better. Because of technology and Facebook, everyone is indoors sitting with their noses up to their computer screen rather than in a pile of roses at the white picket fence.

God bless Facebook!

P.S. Did you know they are trying to patent the slumpf together words Facebook? No longer is the meaning of face a place of expression, and a book something you read. It now means a place to waste your life away!

Good Housekeeping

Do you ever have days when you have done so much, and even more to do, and absolutely nothing is getting done? It is my last day off and for some reason, like always, every chore has been saved to the last minute.

A couple weeks ago I got the notion to call and interview housekeepers. Funny that I decided I would miss cleaning and straitening and called the whole thing off. How can I be so dumb? The LAST thing I want to do is be in this overgrown, horrific mess. I would rather be at work!

Talking about this conundrum has completely worn me out.

I do believe I'll start with a nap.

My Sister

Let me just tell you, my sister is my biggest fan. When it comes to me, she is the most unbiased little thing.

Growing up, we did everything together. From the dreaded laundry folding to basking in the sun, we were inseparable. Though we are 4 years apart in age, she always played the part of the older sister. I mean this in the way that she was the amenable one. While I encouraged the appeal to slough on responsibility, she encouraged virtue.

To this day, she is still the same. In this, I find peace.

Last evening I visited her in her beautiful home. She is a most gracious hostess and made me feel completely at ease. The delicious stew she served was delectable and the movie she put on entertaining. Who knew she is also a big fan of Robin of the Hood as well?

I could go on all day, but might I just keep this blog to she is an absolute delight, a sweetheart, and a saint.

I love love my sissy poo!! Your the best Katy!

Dreams

Are you like me and get a complete shut down of the mind and eyes that glaze over when someone wants to share with you the dream "they had last night?" Might I say BORING!! I would love to reply "no, you may not!" but this would be totally rude right?

With that said, I would like to share with you a dream I had last night. Actually it is not so much the dream about ghouls and castles and unexplainable happenings as it is the bizarre, uncanny, and might I add, peculiar feeling it leaves in the morning. It only lasts for awhile, and if your lucky, all day.

My question is what is it about dreams that cause such an unearthly yet so realistic feeling? Is it because mother nature thinks I need a jolt to my otherwise monotonous imagination? If that is so, it worked because now I feel I should create a movie about my dream! Possibly it is to inspire goals and great expectations. Or is it because the dream is real-life and I am actually dreaming now? If so, when oh when am I going to wake up?

In conclusion, I have no idea the meaning of dreams and no desire to write anymore about this. My mind has shut down and my eyes are glazing over!

"Monday Monday, So Good To Me"

Ahhh, breath a breath of fresh air. I made it through a busy weekend and now it is a new week! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the air is cool. I love today because it is my Thursday. Tomorrow is Friday!

I live for my weekends. I love working around my cozy cottage and making things clean and organized and fresh. I love working in my yard. Cutting the grass, raking the pine cones and needles, trimming the dead heads is exhilarating!

Now why am I talking about the weekend when today is a perfectly gorgeous Thursday? Because it feels like Monday! Wait, it is Monday!

Arg, off to the Co.

The Lord's Day

Sunday for me growing up was a day to dress up in pretty dresses, fluff my curler enhanced mane, and pose for the camera with my 4 other siblings. Then off to church. That part becomes sort of a blank in my mind other than the beautiful hymns we sang and hearing the preacher bang on the pulpit every now and again. I usually couldn't wait the 2 long hours on the hard wooden pew to bound off with my friends to play and catch up. Of course, the smells of the food in the ovens for the coming pot-luck did not help!

Sundays for me now are a dreaded day. I hurridly dress in a pair of jeans, check the mirror to make sure my slicked back, pony-tailed mane isn't too horrid, and rush off to Costco. Please God don't let it rain today. Rainy days make an already packed out store even more packed!

It is a dreaded day because of the fact that A: I am guilt-ridden for not feeling guilt-ridden for working on the Lord's Day, and B: the store is filled with church folk who are absolutely horrible! You would think, after going to a place of peace and love, that that would be their mind-set. Unfortunately, it seems to bring out the worst in these people. Interesting!

Anyway, one day I will get back to the old-fashioned routine of my childhood and go to church. I pray it A: makes the guilt go away and B: allows me to be at peace and have lots of love in my heart! I will vow to never enter a retail store on the Lord's Day!

Insomnia

 It is 3:40 a.m. and I am blogging. I should be sleeping. Should and can are two different verbs. Wait, what is a verb again?

Today will begin with my beautiful, amazingly talented, goat-breathed son waking me with his Saturday morning cartoons. He will then begin demanding that I make him his famous Eggo waffles. Mind you, I'm still in bed desperately trying to make up the loss of sleep from the blogging craze of my insanely early morning.

Off to Costco. Clock in at 8:00 a.m. It will be a day filled with the beautiful, amazingly talented, goat-breathed middle-class. They will come in and be pleasant at first. Then they will start demanding this and that and this and that AND this and that. Need I go on? Mind you, I'm still dealing with my insomnia-crazed self.

I just want to add I love my job.

I am so inspired to go to work today. It is going to take a miracle to make it happen!