Thank-Full

Make a list.
Really.
Make a list of all the things that are terrific in your life.
And all the things that could be worse.

And then thank the good Lord above (or whoever/whatever you want to believe) that you have what you have and not what anyone else does.
You know what I mean.
Life's pretty good, isn't it?


THEN.....
wipe your brow and give a big holler to the life-gods :

- for birth control, clean water, razors, and toilet paper

- that you didn't die all those times that you thought you were invincible and walked through downtown with some of your friends at 3 in the morning, drove with an (arguably) plastered buddy, or stood up on the roller coaster. Sure, it was fun, but when you think about it now....

- for caffeine-free diet cokes, and CPK's Jerk Chicken Pizza and Zantac

- that you never have to take your SATs or Driver's License test again

- for penicillin, tampons, deodorants, epidurals, and depilatories

- shampoo-and-conditioner-in-one, microwave ovens, and drive thru anything

- that you didn't marry the first person you fell in love with, or thought you did....whew.

- that you can vote, blog, protest, and otherwise raise your voice in any corner of this country, and they gotta listen.

What I'm saying here is simple:
Think of all the alternatives.

And give THANKS.

Autumn Falls

i feel this every year- but this year, especially.
preserve your memories, they're all that's left you.

When October Goes
Music by Barry Manilow Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

And when October goes
The snow begins to fly
Above the smokey roofs
I watch the planes go by
The children running home
Beneath a twilight sky
Oh, for the fun of them
When I was one of them

And when October goes
The same old dream appears
And you are in my arms
To share the happy years
I turn my head away
To hide the helpless tears
Oh how I hate to see October go

I should be over it now I know
It doesn't matter much
How old I grow
I hate to see October go

Winging It

sometimes a blog is more like an open diary. you may find no interest in this, except in the sense that if you want to more about me, this is a page out of my book. that's all.

I just discovered the newest joy of my life.
Yes, I know others of you have made it part of your lives for something like 7 years already, but I was having babies and not paying attention. Plus, as I may have mentioned here, I try not to get too involved with any show that requires me to "keep up", since I invariably can't, so I get frustrated. The last TV show that I watched religiously was "Murphy Brown", I think. Maybe "ER" in the first few seasons. That tells you something about me, too.
Now I have a few extra minutes sometimes (the Son can tie his own shoes and brush his own teeth), and I'm finding new /old pleasures.

So this one is THE WEST WING. I adore it. I love the brilliant dialogue, the improbable but still somehow realistic plots, the look on CJ Cragg's face when the Toby says something paranoid.
I love the pace and the vocabulary. I love the humor. I even love how they take themselves way too seriously.

So, having OCD, I have fully immersed myself in catching up. I first noticed it when I was up with a sleepless child a few weeks ago. I wanted to put on something that wouldn't surprise us with a sex scene or violent outburst, and landed on what looked like it might be a boring conversation between Martin Sheen and some guy regarding missiles in some country that I was pretty sure didn't exist. I have a couple of friends who have tried to get me interested over years, so I knew it was probably pretty good, but, as I said, I was wiping noses. Still, it was after midnight, and "Roseanne's" whine was doing nothing to soothe my Savage's breast.

Within 10 minutes, I was hooked, and my Son was out cold.

Coincidentally (providentially?), Bravo channel was having a 6th Season Marathon that following week. Oh happy day!.... or, um...days!
For 6 hours or so every day for a week- run through twice in case I couldn't see it earlier in the day- I made new friends, and my Oldest and the Husband joined me in what has become a Magnificent Obsession. And at the end of the week, we could join in the current 7th Season festivities without feeling left out of the loop.

Now, of course, I have learned that true WestWingers believe the first 3 seasons to be the best (the DVDs are on order), and that Aaron Sorkin's departure almost killed the show. I get that the writing changed when he left, but I still find it brilliant in the same way M*A*S*H* was: political angst, too-quick repartee and dry humor will get me every time. And then there's Martin Sheen's voice.
I also get that it leans far left, and that it glorifies a Presidency that our current government would like to erase from our memories. But I don't care- and that tells you something about me, too.

And that brings only one complain I have about it, really. It's that when I see our REAL President, and all his minions, I want to cry. Or scream. Or vote.

2008 is so far away....

I'm going back to my TV
see ya later.