Needy shmeedy

Now that I've officially come off the "downer-dump" and am on to the "higher-hump" (no, those aren't technical terms, but they do make my point and are funny, so...smile already), I have the hindsight to look back and understand some of what was happening. Figure, we all just came off the holidays. Everyone and their mother was in town. There were get-togethers, parties, brunches, coffee-dates...you get the jist. And now...well, now I'm needy.

But see, what I learned from my "downer-dump" is that I was waiting for people to call ME, for family and friends to invite ME over or take ME out. A very passive involvement in social activities, wouldn't you say? I realized that I can't wait for others to take care of my needs. It's not their lacking, it's mine. So I'm putting myself out there instead. I've got myself a boardgame night with my brother this weekend. I've got me a date with my parents at Church on Sunday. And I'm really stepping out of my comfort zone here, but I'm tagging along with my lady coworkers to boot camp on Monday (yes, I'm shakin in my boots, no big deal). Like I've said before--I, myself, will turn this situation around. After all, as youareremarkable.wordpress.com tells me, I house enough energy in my body to light an entire city (I'm pretty good at this pep-talking gig, aren't I? Future part time job, perhaps?)

A tangential thought--my mom was telling me how it's better not to "name" what I'm feeling because all that description does is define me, limit me. If I say I'm "needy," for example, then I very well might start playing into that typification, giving into my "needy" feelings, building them up as if they're bigger than or outside myself. Which, as you can imagine, would only promote that vicious "needy" cycle. However, if I just acknowledge my changing emotions, simply recognize how they're making me feel, but  leave them unnamed, then they're just fleeting feelings, minute moods in the grand ocean of my body. By leaving my emotions unnamed (or any part of my personality really), I allow myself infinite impossibilities. I don't have to be "that bummed-out girl" or even "that bubbly, peppy girl." I can just be "Erin"...

and I think that sounds much better :)

I want to leave you folks with a parting imageam (image + dream):

Dusk.
Traffic.
A black car sits idly
on the side of the road.
In its paint,
the reflection
of passing cars' headlamps
hangs like
a string of twinkle lights.
*image from http://farm2.static.flickr.com/




Pray share with me YOUR imageam...

And a P.S. while we're at it--if any of you would like to "guest post" on my blog, I'd be THRILLED TO DEATH. No matter the topic, you got yourself a venue. Interested parties (who I'm praying is ALL of you!) let me know.

U-turn

*image from http://www.rosemarycompany.com

Last night, A's mom told me that, sometimes, when your body's starting to get sick, it shows its sickness through unhappiness or "a funk." Trick is, you can get rid of the sickness anytime you want to, as long as you acknowledge its unbelonging and agree to kick it out of your body. You have to have that moment of "I don't want you, now leave" in order for the sickness to actually leave. Otherwise, it sticks around and becomes a real physical ailment.

Well, I had my moment yesterday.

Leaving work, walking to my car, I could barely see where I was going because I was BLINDED BY THE SUN! Aaahh! I practically fell over with excitement! The sun was out! At 5PM! This means I'll be seeing the daylight after work again! And right when I'd nearly forgotten what its warmth on my cheek feels like! Right then and there, I told myself I was gonna kick this funk out of my body. No more moping, no more feeling weighed down, and definitely no Debbie Downer (nothing good's ever come from that drab-as-dirt Debbie Downer anywho). I was gonna turn this thing around...
 
And THEN, pulling into my parents' neighborhood, I watched a teenage boy run his absolute fastest to keep up with his lab on a leash. The sun was shining, the dog's tongue was hanging out, the leash was taut, the boy was gasping for air... 

All of a sudden, I found myself smiling. Do you know that it's been over a week since I've smiled to myself?! I have just two things to say...

1) A's mom, you were right. All it took was a "get the hell outta here" for me to feel better. Thank you.

and

2) I'm baaaaack!


Daily Dose of Dillies: Fancy Glass Candy Dishes (preferably with candy in them)

Is three candy dishes in one room (all full of candy) too much? So maybe I can't help myself when it comes to those crystal glass heart dishes that perfectly hold an entire bag of Godiva dark chocolate truffles. Or that yellow glass basket that highlights the shininess of red-foiled Dove chocolate squares? Or that old glass jar that's tinted blue and has the most adorable (and semi-dangerous) tin lid--I can't help loving how it displays mixed chocolates--as if they belong on a shelf in a soda shop; candy from another time. (I'm beginning to think maybe I can't help myself when it comes to chocolate???)

Honestly, it's the glitter of the glassware combined with the perfectly (and typically sparkly) wrapped candy that's irresistible. The adult version of gaping like "a kid in a candy shop" (except I'm still gaping at candy, aren't I?). But see, the fancy glass candy dish proves I'm a grown-up, for I know what beauty is and what taste is, and I've simply combined the two in an overtly MATURE way, wouldn't you say? Look at that! I'm a poet and I don't even know it. Alright, so I'm still a kid who's obsessed with candy and makes that silly poet joke. So suit me. But first, get a fancy candy dish and throw some candy in it. Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase?

And please tell me your favorite candy in a dish...Spice gum drops? Jordan almonds? Jelly Beans?

Turning Things Around...

*image from http://spacingmontreal.ca/

Please excuse my, as-of-late, out-of-sorts-self (and if you could excuse all those hyphenates, too, that'd be great). It's a downer, dishing about my "funk," so I can only imagine what a downer it is to read about it. Shall we toast to my apologies and cheers to being on the up-and-up?! It is Friday, after all.

Speaking of it being Friday, the door man at the office building where I work said "Happy Friday" to me as I got on the elevator. In the 9 months that I've worked here, which equates to roughly 36 Fridays, he's never once said "Happy Friday." We're talking about an unprecedented event here, people! Also, this cashier I talk to every week usually sends a gajillion pages of paperwork at one time. But today? Today she only sent 3 pages! Yet another unprecedented event! So many firsts happening this Friday!

Which made me realize that, in actuality, every day holds unprecedented events. No two days are exactly alike. Now, if that's not something to pull me out of this too-patterned rut, I don't know what is! That right there--the fact that all I have to do to switch up the routine or change the flavor of the week is pay attention and acknowledge and appreciate those unprecedented events, those differences in my days--is exactly the medicine I needed. So thank you, door man and cashier, you've done more for me on this Friday than you can imagine. On my way back to my budding self :)

Daily Dose of Dillies: the Next Blog button on Blogger.com

I think I may have made this a Daily Dose of Dillies before, but a second-take is necessary. Just to bring everyone up to speed, Blogger.com has a "next blog" button at the top of their blogsites, which allegedly connects you to other same-interest and/or like-minded blogs. I say "allegedly" because, well, the "next blog" button keeps bringing me to blogs such as "Memoirs of a Mommy" (yipes!) and/or family-photo-album-esque type websites. But mostly, Blogger.com links my blog to foodie and baking blogs--for example "The Little Gastronomy" or "Getting Out of My Head: Food Version" or "Food Is Good: I Am What I Eat"--which I find a little bit hilarious and yet a little bit disconcerting. Though I thoroughly enjoy a good meal, I do not cook nor do I TALK about cooking in my blog, so you understand my confusion. However, I DO like seeing all the pretty pictures of cakes and quiches and donuts and pastas and cupcakes and  breads and scones and fudges AND AND AND!!! So maybe that's where Blogger's head is at? Either way, that there "next blog" button has been keeping life interesting over here (and mouth-watering!). Give her a whirl.

Dreamages and Imageams

*http://www.fineartstockphotography.com/

"What we think, we become."--Buddha

I'm remembering my dreams more than usual these days. Because of that, this post is about dreams and images as well as dreams in images with a pinch of dreamlike images even...hope you enjoy :)

On my drive home yesterday evening, stopped at a stoplight, I looked towards a frost-covered golf course and saw this pond--it was reflecting the orange sunset, making the water look on fire.

Last night I dreamt about a massive, goblin statue falling off an old brick building. A girl walked towards it to investigate when it revealed its true self--a hot air balloon. The girl grabbed onto the goblin's leg in an effort to keep it from floating away, but it lifted off the ground, her dangling from its foot, and disappeared into the sky.

I once dreamt about swinging from the rafters of an old house like they were monkey bars, the half-peeled roof revealing the black night sky. If I swung just high enough, my toes could feel the heat of the stars.

Driving through Kansas on a Fall night, I looked out the window to see an orange light moving through the fields. A tractor. A glowing pumpkin.

Laying on the couch, I looked up at the ceiling--the swirling brushstrokes dispersing the lamp's yellow light--and swore I felt the sun.

Looking out the window at the winter sky--the thick and heavy clouds moving quickly, their silvery bottoms no doubt full of snow--I saw a bluebird. It was flying low, sailing, letting the storm carry its tiny wings.

P.S.Pray tell me what YOU'VE been dreaming lately.

Funk-ville

I've been in such a funk lately. Winter is really starting to get to me. Working from 8 till 5, the only hours during which there's sunlight, means I leave home in the dark and leave work in the dark. And because I work in a cubicle, there's not even a window to sneak a peek at the day. Rough life, huh?

No, no, not really. And that's actually the point I want to focus on.

For me, it's so easy to get caught up in the patterns and routines of life--the repetition. For example, though I appreciate my job and enjoy it for the most part, 8 hours in front of a computer without ever seeing the light of day doesn't make me the HAPPIEST person exactly. Yet that's not my job's fault, it's mine. It's easy to sit and dwell on things, waiting for them to get better, but who knows how long that'd take?! I keep forgetting that I have the power to change things for myself. I can mix it up, stir the pot, go a different direction, or pull a switch-a-roo on my days whenever I want to. I just have to take action and do it. And by taking responsibility for my own well-being, happiness is suddenly right around the corner!



The thing is, I'm not exactly sure where to begin. I'm guessing exercise would help, as any kind of movement could no doubt kick my sitting-blues' arse. But it's hard to get moving this time of year, isn't it? It is for me, at least. I drag myself out of bed, drag myself to work, drag myself through the day, and then drag myself home. Where in there is an ounce of energy? Or motivation? I tell you what, the fights we fight with ourselves are the hardest ones out there. I'm hoping my visions of toned arms and a taut tooshie will get me moving.

A has picked up on my winter lethargy, and so, just this morning, he suggested we make ourselves dinner tonight--spend some time together in the kitchen cooking, sipping on wine, talking about our days, and then sitting down to quietly eat some fabulous food. I think he's on to something here! Suddenly my day's gotten brighter (now if only that meeting with my bosses would get cancelled!).

But after work is not the only time I have to look forward to, or the only time I can turn my day around. I've got the morning and my 30 minute drive to work. I've got the actual work day--8 HOURS!--during which I could spruce things up. So that's where my head's at right now...coming up with ways to make all of my awake hours happy ones. Perhaps packing a yummy lunch. Or rearranging my cubicle. Or reading something uplifting during breaks.

I just realized I've already got a couple of happy things going for me at work--blogging and e-mailing friends. Perhaps my next step is handmaking cards and snail-mailing them to my friends. Or creating more interactive blog entries for them to partake in.

Perhaps I should start said interactive blog entry today even. Here goes:
Post a comment answering the question What do you do to make your days brighter and happier?

*image from http://stylewithbenefits.files.wordpress.com/

Advice for the A-women on Their 25th Birthdays

To my January B-day Buds (you know who you are, A & A):

A few mottos for your 25th years. Hopefully they ring as true now as the first time you heard em...

(From Regina Brett's 45 Life Lessons)

1. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
2. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
3. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
4. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion, today is special.
5. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
6. Get outside everyday. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
7. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

These lessons apply to all us non-birthday-batches, too. Let's resolve to get up every morning, take a deep breath, change the sheets on our beds to the fancy-shmancy silky ones, dress ourselves to the 9s (perhaps in purple), and toss out those P.O.S. slippers that soak up every drop of moisture on the floor while heading outside for a walk (a bite of chocolate in our pockets for later).

Sounds like a fabulous life, no?

I hope you 2 birthday girls (and the rest of us, too) have the brightest and best year!

“Fly free and happy beyond birthdays and across forever. And we'll meet now and then when we wish, in the midst of the one celebration that never can end.” --Richard Bach

*image from http://img4.realsimple.com/

Recommendations!

Some things that warm my heart...

BOOKS!!!

First of all, I've got to recommend the Kindle 2! Now, I'm just as obsessed with a new book as the next person--the inky yet crisp smell of the pages, the weight of it in your hands, the potential for doggy-earing, highlighting, and marginalia. I'm all about the tangibility of a book, and yet my heart has opened itself to include "the techy-book," too...the Kindle 2. I was adamantly against the digital book idea when I first heard about it, but I have been won over. There is no fidgeting with how to hold it (no straining of fingers to hold open the pages), no too-bright-ness when reading in the sunlight, no losing your place because the bookmark fell out, and no lugging some 1000 page book around in your purse all day. The Kindle is totally user friendly--lightweight, a matte screen so you can read in any light, you can hold it AND turn the page with the same hand, and you can wirelessly download a crap-ton of titles from the amazon.com website onto your Kindle in less than a minute! (Most titles are around 10 apiece, too! Affordable? I'd say so!)














Though I just recommened the Kindle, "Our Dumb World" is more of a coffee table book that got recommended to me by David Sedaris himself. Yes, at his reading here in Denver not too long ago, he read excerpts of this encyclopedia/atlas outloud. I tell you, it was uproarous. It was published by The Onion newspaper, so you can imagine its ridiculousness--impolitically correct--basing the truth on stereotypes, (for the conservative humorist) kind of offensive, and (for the darker humorists) raging hilarious. You. Have. Got. To. Buy. This. Book. If an excerpt is what'll sell ya, here you go: "Mexico--Now hiring 2.4 million busboys. General Sam Houston and his Texas Army defeat the Mexicans at the Battle of San Jacinto, led by Houston's famous war cry, 'Remember the...shit, you know-the...ummmm...it's like that big fort thing in San Antonio! Remember?! That place where we had that battle a couple of weeks back! Motherfucker, what's it called?! Lots of us died there and everything! The Alfanlo? Isn't that it?! Fuck!' " I mean...right?!?!?















How about a book to kick off the new year?! My recommendation is Deepak Chopra's "Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New You." I mentioned this book a few months back, but I'll refresh you. Chopra was a practicing MD when he realized that doctors were missing something in the healing process. He discusses "the body's infinite capacity for change and renewal," but how change can only happen when the body accesses the soul. For, "only by going to the level of the soul will you access your full potential, bringing more intelligence, creativity, and awareness into every aspect of your life." Chopra offers 10 steps to to help us develop: "a deeper awareness, focus on relationships instead of consumption, embrace every day as a new world, and transcend the obstacles that afflict body and mind."  (more in depth article/review at http://www.random%20house.com/). Honestly, reading any part of this book makes you feel like a better person.















Not because he's my favorite author (though he is), but because these books are 2 of my all-time favorites, I have to recommend John Steinbeck's "East of Eden" and "The Winter of Our Discontent." Though "East of Eden" is kind of a hefty book, don't let that keep you from reading it. So many reasons to put in the time. Like most of my favorite books, EoE weaves together numerous plot-lines and spans multiple generations. The novel is set in California's Salinas Valley and is a sort of recreation of the Bible's Cain and Abel story, with brotherly conflict as the main theme. "Above all, it is the characters you will long remember from this riveting saga. Cathy, the whore with a heart of stone, has to be one of the most evil characters in all literature. She kills her parents, beds her husband's brother on her wedding night, shoots her husband and deserts her infant sons. And, all this before she turns really bad! Truly a character to be analyzed for decades to come. On the other hand there are the wonderful characters of Samuel and Lee, men you will long remember for their wisdom, caring, and sheer goodness. And there is Adam, a zombie of a man until his great re-birth and spectacular failure finds him caught in a web of good and evil that he will long struggle with" (from Antoinette Klein). Antoinette's not kidding, either. I still remember the characters from this book as if they were good friends of mine. This story--in all its hurt and betrayal--stays with you.

"The Winter of Our Discontent" is set in a small coastal city on the East Coast. The main character Ethan Hawley is stuck in a rut. With only $6500 in savings, he manages a shop he doesn't own and tries to appease his family who's envious of others and wants more. This story follows Ethan on his mission to change his family's life and luck by launching a new career. And though this has little to do with the plot, I enjoyed this novel even MORE because of the petnames and sweet talk between Ethan and his wife. Adorable in that respect and completely self-questioning and insightful in another. Just talking about this book makes me want to read it again...
















Any and every audio book of David Sedaris'. I actually read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and enjoyed every minute of it, but I really appreciate Sedaris' AUDIO books. He's got a fantastic reading voice--one that's accessible and yet one that carries nuances and particularities that, somehow, make his stuff helplessly funny. I find myself smiling or laughing at ev.er.y.thing. I listen to him in the car on roadtrips and, I tell you what, I find myself smiling the whole way. His books are classified as creative nonfiction, meaning they're mostly biographical, and are broken up in to smaller anecdotes, which allows you to open to any page (or listen to any track), and be able to follow. He's honestly and simply funny and yet he's also genuine and endearing. Though you may laugh for 15 minutes straight, the story ends and you find yourself thinking about, pondering, and wondering at the world he depicts for you. Perfect for those lonely and long stretches of road...


















Ted Kooser's poetry! I know I just used the word accessible to describe David Sedaris' voice, but I can't think of a better word to describe Kooser's poetry (who was the US Poet Laureate a few years back). His poems aren't complex--they're not overly symbolic or metaphorical or referential. You don't finish a poem and go, "Whaaaa?" They're pleasant to read because they're written simply--everyday language and contemporary subjects. Kooser can be funny, too. For example, his poem "Selecting a Reader"--

First, I would have her be beautiful,
and walking carefully up on my poetry
at the loneliest moment of an afternoon,
her hair still damp at the neck
from washing it. She should be wearing
a raincoat, an old one, dirty
from not having money enough for the cleaners.
She will take out her glasses, and there
in the bookstore, she will thumb
over my poems, then put the book back
up on its shelf. She will say to herself,
"For that kind of money, I can get
my raincoat cleaned." And she will.

or one of my all-time favorites, "Pocket Poem"--

If this comes creased and creased again and soiled
as if I’d opened it a thousand times
to see if what I’d written here was right,
it’s all because I looked too long for you
to put in your pocket. Midnight says
the little gifts of loneliness come wrapped
by nervous fingers. What I wanted this
to say was that I want to be so close
that when you find it, it is warm from me.

I think it's about time you bought this book and found that poetry is for you, too.
















Movin' on from books, though you know I'll be back :)...

NON-BOOKS!

The Online Pottery Barn Catalog! I'm thinking twice about recommending this website, cause honestly, it's deadly for me. I never used to like Pottery Barn, and actually, I still don't  fancy the store. But the catalog?! Whole different ballgame. Me and the Pottery Barn catalog are trouble. Clearly, considering I'm recommending it to more potential addicts. But the catalog has so many more things than the store (and way cooler things, if you ask me). The catalog has got more than just couches and pillows and picture frames. For example, I bought this set of 10 typewriter prints from there and, boy oh boy, do they look cute in my office! (Wouldn't you agree, Mary?)
http://www.potterybarn.com/pages/pottery-barn-catalog-winter-d1-10.html?bnrid=3301211&cm_ven=Email&cm_cat=OnlineCatalog&cm_pla=PBAll&cm_ite=header%20banner%20introducing&cm_em=erinleemathews@gmail.com

A dress-up doll wall decal from lovemaestore on etsy.com! (which is a website that has a gajillion more wonderful HANDMADE items besides this adorable stick-em dress-up doll). I've got two summer dress-up dolls (whom I've so preciously named Jane and Piper--Jane being the moody, slightly punk-ish artistic type and Piper being the cheerful, cutesy do-gooder type) and their infinite clothing combinations on my laundry room's walls. Seriously, my laundry room is the cutest room ever now (if it weren't for that dangit laundry!) Whenever I'm swapping loads or folding clothes, I do a little change-a-roo on my dolls' outfits (or hair styles!), and I immediately feel better! Kinda like I'm a 6 year-old with Barbies again...or someone's personal shopper. It's fantastic. I feel cuter by proxy--my dolls are all dolled up! But cuteness aside, the quality is impecable. The decals are so peel-able and restick-able because they're made out of real fabric! Both durable AND adorable.

Okay, I'm done recommending now. Or am I? Hehe ;) Here are some other blogs I think you fetching folks might like (I read the updated entries on these sites ev.er.y.day because they make me think, make me happy, make me laugh and/or all of the above):

http://www.givesmehope.com/
http://www.hannahmiet.com/
http://www.natthefatrat.com/
http://sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com/
http://www.yesandyes.org/
http://youareremarkable.wordpress.com/
http://theonticbluestocking.blogspot.com/

I hope you found something here you like! You know what else I like? YOU.

*image from http://mimulus.files.wordpress.com/

MY DREAM HOUSE (since we're wishin and all)

Because it's FRIZZ.EEZ.ING here in Colorado, I've been thinking a lot about our warm house and sitting by the fire and making hot chocolate while baking some kind of casserole in the oven. Those thoughts led to me thinking about all the houses A and I will live in throughout our lives, which led me to thoughts about the dream house we imagine we'll build when we both strike it rich (dig the use of WHEN instead of IF? me too). Anywho, thought I'd share what we've come up with...

stair/bookcase!
*image from http://www.gearfuse.com/

window seat!

*image from http://www.anythinginwood.com/

wraparound porch!
*image from http://www.hisegalodge.net/

OR a screened-in porch

*image from http://img2.timeinc.net/

A spiral staircase!

*image from http://www.ammimfg.com/spiral_staircase.jpg
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A craft room!

*image from http://www.theprojectgirl.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A gigantic kitchen island!

*image from http://www.burmancabinets.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An attic office!

*image from http://www.modernfurnitureny.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bedroom-sized closet!

*image from http://www.closetsbybandb.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A meditation and prayer room!

*image from http://www.ssmbos.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A kitchen dining booth!

*image from http://www.showing247.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a gallery room for A's photos!

*image from http://cityofsatsuma.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other wants include heated tile floors in the master bathroom, an ornate stone fireplace, and a royal blue front door!

 

Ain't it fun to wish?

 

What does YOUR dream house look like?

No more lights?

What's everyone up to these post-holidays??? Is anyone else a little sad to see the Christmas lights come down? (I fear I'm the only one who is). One by one, the buildings and houses are stripping away their yule-time luster. No more icicle lights, no more yard decorations, no more red bows or frosted garland. Our neighborhood is back to its dark and dreary self, as is the office, and as is our our house :(

...Let's take a moment of silence for our loss...

Okay, so now that we gave the situation its due attention, let's move on. Which won't be altogether impossible, considering I thought of something! One good thing that can come of this post-holiday starkness and boring-ness is that we're forced to find cheer elsewhere. If I don't have a pretty Christmas tree to look at, then I'll have to see light in something else. Perhaps in the book that I'm reading or the dinner I share with my husband. And if I can't drive around town looking at decked-out houses, then I'll have to drive around town looking at the bird nests in the branches or the man at the bus-stop wearing headphones who bobs his head to the music. You and I will simply have to find the holiday in the everyday.

Just this morning, because it was so windy and cold out and because the sky was full of gray clouds that blocked the sun, I knew I'd have to try HARD to see the beauty of the day. So what did I do? Obviously I went to Starbucks, which for me is an instant fix (keep that in mind in case you're wanting to befriend me). I got myself a toasty beverage, some hot oatmeal, and picked up my brother's/boss' drink of choice. I got to the window and the cashier told me the total came to $10. That's right, $10 EVEN! No change, no nothin! The cashier congratulated me on my ordering skills, saying, "Way to go girl! That's a nice round number to start your day off!" I thought we might high-five or something, what with the special moment we were sharing. I did feel proud, too, haha! Like I'd really accomplished something. Isn't that silly? I tell you what, those Starbucks people really know how to make me smile.

Point is, I was really digging the fanciness, the sparkliness, the good-moodiness of the last couple months. And I was sad to see it all good and gone. But today I saw that even the littlest everyday, not-holiday-inspired things make me happy, too. Everyone notices a 7 foot tall, air-filled, lit snowman in someone's front yard--that takes no work at all, it's obvious. But not everyone notices the geese flying overhead with their long necks and fast-beating wings or the ice creamy color of the winter sky when the sun's just rising. Those are the things I wanna notice--the overlookable.

Many happy sightings, my friends!

Daily Dose of Dillies: Wishlists (Excuse me for continuing last post's topic, but you can't tell me ALL sequels are bad. Home Alone 2? Shrek 2? Meet the Fockers?)

Additions to the ol' 2010 wishlist:

1) I wish to dance. A LOT. And whether it's a dance party at home or dancing at a club or bar, I wish to not attempt to look secksy (cause the likelihood is I won't).
2) I wish to always wear lipstick or lipgloss or liptint or lipbalm--to keep those bad boys moisturized, colored, and lookin' juicy.
3) I wish to savor food instead of scarfing it. I wish to make meals take an hour at least...talk in between bites if I HAVE to ;)
4) I wish to memorize a joke and PERFORM it whenever possible. (Anyone else remember that night sophomore year in college when B went out and partied without us, only to come home drunk and HILARIOUS? She must've done stand up comedy for a half an hour. Never heard so many jokes back-to-back. "SUPPLIES!" Awesome).
5) I wish to sit prettily--legs crossed, back straight, smile as big as a watermelon slice (That's pretty, right?).
6) I wish to remember that FUN lies in the F word--FREE. (Haha, got you on that F word bit, didn't I?).
7) I wish to imagine myself as a hot air balloon--colorful, full of bouyancy, and capable of flight.

See how easy it is to just add stuff to a wishlist? Maybe mine will grow all year, who knows! I might not accomplish much, but boy I'll be wishing!

Best wishes to you all! (Sorry I'm not done with the holiday greetings yet).

P.S. Another fabulous thing to think about is coming up with a 2010 word. Kind of like a mantra you keep in the back of your mind--a pithy, one-stop-shop kinda focus, if you will. Some words I've been tossing around--thanksgiving, presence, celebration...

My heart's already aflutter :)

* images from http://www.victoriataylorgore.com/  and  http://fc00.deviantart.net/

2010 WiShLiSt

NOTE: I got this idea from the AppleHouse Poetry Workshop blog (which, if you're interested in writing prompts, is a great little site), so don't think I'm to blame for its fabulosity.

I can't seem to stomach resolutions this year. I think it has something to do with my not wanting to feel guilty about leaving my goals, hopes, or dreams unfulfilled. Too much pressure, if you ask me, and I ain't down wit dat. But how about making a 2010 wishlist? Wouldn't THAT be something else? A list of all the things we wish to see in 2010, all the things we wish to experience, to feel, to give or receive...

Now wishing I can get behind.

Here goes:

1. I wish to get outside of ME and MY wants, MY needs, MY happiness, MY life and give, give, give of MYself until I feel less like me and more like a part of everything else (Mary, get me involved).
2. I wish to shine, sparkle, and warm like the summer sun through a white window-shade.
3. I wish to approach housecleaning like meditation, so that cleaning the hardwood floors is not back-breaking work, but rather mind-altering and soul-soaring relaxation.
4. I wish to dress impractically fanciful--ruffled skirts, tiny heels, frilly scarves, and LOTS of jewelry--as if I am the New Year's Christmas tree.
5. I wish to show my friends, family, and HUSBAND (Eeek! Still not used to throwing that title around) how often I think about them, how much I care about their happiness, and how much I loooooooove them by offering small kindnesses (i.e. Greeting cards in the mail? Random and unimportant text messages? A batch of chocolate peanut-butter fudge? A hand-crocheted doily? Okay, so maybe no doilies).
6. I wish to notice the tiny changes that distinguish one season from another (i.e. For weeks now, I haven't smelled the planty odor of Fall's wet and rotting leaves. More recently, when I walk outside in the morning, the air smells icy and a little smokey. Winter is in full-force. Insert my wish to go skiing here).
7. I wish to have long, lustrous, and bouncy hair that I can toss, twirl, and flounce. (So what if it's a vain wish. You can't deny the attractiveness of a good head of hair).
8. I wish to people-adore, which is a step above people-watching. I wish to see people, observe them, and find beauty in their every move and breath.
9. I wish to write ridiculously and uncritically. And instead of immediately trashing them, I wish to laugh at the no-goods.
10. I wish to have everything in its place--a homey, yet perfectly tidy abode. Martha Stewart, please step down.

This wishing thing really puts a new spin on resolutions, huh? My list really energizes me for all the good times ahead in 2010. Maybe a wishlist could invigorate you, too?

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY WONDERFUL (AND APPARENTLY EASILY ENTERTAINED) READERS!!! MAY THIS YEAR BRING YOU SO MANY BLESSINGS!!!

*image from fashionista.com