We Are Not All Alone Unhappy

March 6th, 2014 → 7:37 am

“Thou seest we are not all alone unhappy:
The wide and universal theater
Presents more woeful pageants than the scene
Wherein we play in.”  – As You Like It

This quote just matched my mood this morning…

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Batmom

February 20th, 2014 → 8:06 am

“I have touched the highest point of all my greatness.” – Henry VIII

Yesterday in the car my son anointed me “Batmom.”  He was asking what I was going to be for Halloween and though I suggested many good options, including Spiderman, Dr. Gru, Ariel, and Flint Lockwood, he vetoed them all.  Then, since he himself was going to be Batman, he told me I could be Batman’s Helper, or Batmom.  I felt like I’d reached the pinnacle of motherhood.  In Bat solidarity IÂ thrust my arm in the air along with my son and together we slayed demons all night when we got home, after dinner of course.

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Happy Birthday Mom!

February 16th, 2014 → 7:56 am

“Where thou art, there is the world itself.” – Henry VI, Part II

If my mom were still alive, she’d be turning 65 today.  And I’d likely be teasing her about retiring or some such thing.  Where ever she actually is, in whatever other world, I hope she is happy.

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

3 Year Old Boys

February 11th, 2014 → 5:56 am

“My thoughts are ripe in mischief.” – Twelfth Night

My son is driving my husband and I a little crazy with his mischief making lately; tearing the contents of my purse apart, secreting seashells from off my husband’s nightstand, taking forever in the potty so he can avoid having to go to bed.  He’s so darn cute it’s hard to stay mad.  I just hope the above quote won’t still be applicable when he’s a 4 year old boy, and a 5 year old boy, and, sigh, a 6 year old boy…will it?

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

January 31st, 2014 → 6:17 am

“All things are ready, if our minds be so.” – Henry V

The Wellness Program at my work offered a MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) class this semester, so I signed up.  We spent thirty minutes last night eating a raisin, and then an hour doing a body scan.  I had hoped this class would help me relax, but I just can’t seem to get into the minutae of it.  I suppose that means my mind is not ready.  Repeat after me:  Om mani padmi om, om mani padmi om, om mani padmi ommmm

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Adoption

January 29th, 2014 → 7:44 am

“I say I am your mother,
And put you in the catalogue of those
That were enwombed mine.  ‘Tis often seen
Adoption strives with nature, and choice breeds
A native slip to us from foreign seeds.
You ne’er oppress’d me with a mother’s groan,
Yet I express to you a mother’s care.”  – All’s Well That Ends Well

I used to watch friends of mine, in unguarded moments, gaze at their children with a look of such love and awe that I always assumed they were thinking:  “Look at what I created.  Look at this amazing creation of mine.”  But now I look at my adopted son in exactly the same way, and of course I didn’t create him.  I realize now that it wasn’t an inward look I was witnessing, of what I created, it was an outward look, of amazement to realize that you can love another human being that much.  Some good friends of ours just signed on to adopt another child.  Their wait to connect with a birth mother now begins.  Good luck Heather and Marc (and big brother Desmond), and Yeah Adoption!!  Woop-woop!!

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life

Brief Hiatus

November 21st, 2013 → 6:20 am

“Would I were in an alehouse in London!” – Henry V

Well I’m not in London right now (would I were!), but I am leaving tomorrow for a conference, then there’s Thanksgiving, then relatives come to visit (not to mention Hanukkah to celebrate), December has Christmas and New Year’s…  I think for the sake of my sanity I’m going to have to take a brief hiatus from blogging, just until December is over.  I’ll return with lots of new quotes (I’m reading a Shakespeare book right now that’s giving me some great ideas) in January, 2014…  See everyone again then!  And Happy Holidays of course.  🙂

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

Midwest Storms

November 19th, 2013 → 11:51 am

“Blow winds and crack your cheeks!  Rage, blow!
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks!
You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,
Vaunt-couriers of oak-cleaving thunderbolts,
Singe my white head!  And thou, all-shaking thunder,
Strike flat the thick rotundity o’the world!
Crack nature’s moulds, all germens spill at once
That make ingrateful man!”  – King Lear

We lost our power as a result of the storms, and its only just now come back on.  Hallelujah!  In fact, on Sunday when the storms hit, I was entertaining guests and my son had a friend over.  We had all these people in our house and a ton of food ready to cook on the stove.  Then a number of us watched as a rather large tree branch fell on our power line, crashing it to the ground.  Next our big metal gazebo was dashed by the wind onto the tree branch that was on the power line.  It was so shocking it was funny at first, till I realized I had all this food going to waste and people still to entertain.  Our power is actually only half on right now (“half restored” they call it??), but thank god for that.  And welcome back my beloved internet connection!!

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

Makeup

November 17th, 2013 → 6:30 am

“God hath given you one face and you make yourselves another.” – Hamlet

I went to an open house for an expensive private school yesterday.  The place was amazing, but I kept getting distracted from the presentations by a mother that had gobs of makeup on.  Why do some women do that?  I honestly think it looks awful to wear so much makeup the color lines become visible between foundation and neck.  To paraphrase Shakespeare, why paint a clown face on yourself when God has given you a perfectly good natural one?

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

A Moment to Savor

October 18th, 2013 → 8:29 am

“My crown in called content;
A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.”  – Henry VI

The budget crisis has passed, my son is back to being sweet and charming, the weather is beautiful, and life seems good.  For now.  Let’s recognize and enjoy this moment of contentedness while it lasts.  For kings – or anyone else for that matter – it doesn’t usually last long.

Filed under: Blog & Self/My Life