Wednesday, June 25, 2008

We Interrupt This Blog

for a much needed week long vacation. So until I return here is my favorite video and ballad from my favorite rock group of all time.

Enjoy.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

This Past Week

It's been a sad week for me. At the risk of sounding like the rest of the country I am going to join in and say I was really sad to hear that Tim Russert had died unexpectedly. But since then I have really reflected on a few things in my own life that I feel could be fine tuned. I can always be a better this and a better that and so have thought a lot about how I want to make myself better and also about the legacy that I want to leave behind when I am called home just as Tim was last week.

At first I liked Tim Russert because I loved watching his show "Meet The Press." I was a faithful watcher each week and I always felt that I learned so much from his questions and answers. I really don't like those shows where the hosts scream or are condescending or create spin. I just want to hear the truth and I felt that Tim Russert worked the hardest at getting to the truth without injecting his own opinion. In addition, it was really because of his ability to simplify the issues and explain them in common every day language so that those of us who are not as politically savvy can understand and participate. So for that I thank you Tim Russert for helping me engage.

But even better than that I have been inspired this week by the personal side of Tim Russert. The devoted husband, father, and Irish Catholic that he was. I never realized he was raised by the nuns and the Jesuits and grew up as an Irish Catholic. He dedicated his life to his political and journalistic passions and lived every day to the fullest. He cared about people and lifted people up. Mario Cuomo said of him that "a day spent without real enthusiasm is a sadly lost opportunity." Such true words that I want to live by.

So as I woke up this morning, I quietly said a few prayers for those in need today. Some of them I know and some of them I don't. I dropped my kids off at preschool and sat with my princess while she drank her juice. I talked to her classmates who were all preparing for a bowling field trip today. I thanked her teacher for being so wonderful to her. I then dropped off my little man to his little class and sat with him. I offered to help his teacher pass out cereal cups for the little ones. I hugged one of the new kids in the class who was missing his dad. I stopped by the front desk and asked the ladies if they needed a Starbucks run. I feel enthusiastic and good today. It's going to be a day well spent.

Thank you Tim Russert.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Coach Purse

I had a stage moms meeting yesterday at my princess' dance studio for the upcoming recital. I love volunteering for this. Anyway, the meeting last about 30 minutes and there were about 50 moms there.

When I came home my better half asks me how it went and were there any dumb questions asked (long story for another day). I said "No but there were at least 7 Coach purses there."

I don't know why I am fascinated with the Coach purse but it seems that wherever I go I have to count how many I see. (It reminds me of when I was a kid and wanted to buy a Camaro when I got older so I decided to count Camaros during the course of any given day). Anyway, I am into counting Coach purses.

What is it about the Coach purse that everyone has to have one? They are pretty, indeed, but $400-$800 pretty? When I think that the money to buy one is equivalent to the cost of one month tuition at my son's high school, I shudder. I see so many people with them. I see a lot of people with them who I KNOW cannot afford them. So what is it?

I decided to wander into a Coach store at my local mall one afternoon. I had one of my teens with me who also indicated he was not sure why the Coach purse was so popular. So inside the store we went. First stop was the section with coin purses, you know, those little tiny purses that are so small that you can't even put credit cards or bills in...they literally only hold coins. It went for $250. I had to scream out "WHAT?" My teen echoed "that's equal to three pairs of D.Wade shoes" which in my opinion are ridiculously over-priced.

Anyway back to the Coach store. I tell my teen that if he thought the $250 coin purse was expensive maybe we should wander on to the regular purses as I am sure we would get an eyeful. Sure enough those were double and triple the cost of the little cheap coin purse.

I then looked around and did a double take. The store was mobbed with people seeking out these purses and I scratch my head to figure out why.

So until I can figure it out, I will continue to count them and marvel in what makes this purse so special.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

My Gift

Five years ago I got a special gift. It was a total surprise and shock. I had never had one like it and when I received it I had no idea what I would do with it. I never thought it would look the way it looked or sounded the way it sounded. I didn't know what to call it or how it would fit into my family. I prayed for most of my life to have a gift just like this but never thought my prayers would have been answered so perfectly. The gift was not purchased in a store but was more beautiful than the most precious diamonds in the world.

Now that the gift is five years old it has reached a very important milestone today.

It graduated from preschool and what a beautiful site she was.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Old Friends

I got an email the other day from an old friend from high school. It flooded back so many memories. I think she may be lurking around my blog so I decided to make a mad dash back to 1982. I am sure she will get a kick out of this....

I remember playing Missile Command on your brother's old Atari.

Do you remember the night that we were supposed to go to see the Osmonds in concert but then it got cancelled because of poor attendance?

When we were juniors we spent the night of the senior prom together at my house crying because the guys we wanted to go with never asked us.

I remember swapping one of my shoes with you and walking around all day with one of your shoes on and one of my shoes on. You did the same thing.

I never loved purple but I liked it because you did and we were....friends.

I will never forget the horrified feeling inside when we threw a surprise birthday party for our friend and when I was driving her over to your house she told me that she figured it out. I made her promise to act surprised.

You liked Barry Manilow and so did I. End of story.

I knew I could count on you all of those days during junior year when we spent more days crying over the boys that we liked but you were the one who helped me through it.

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