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Touching the underbelly

January 28, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

It was not quite cold, more like room temperature.  It felt sponge-like, but not rough.  It was a smooth sponge.  It was actually a stingray.  It felt like underbelly.  My oldest son loved touching the stingrays, sharks, and starfish.  That’s what he spent most of his time doing at the aquarium yesterday during the field trip.  He also hung out with his group some of the time, but our little science boy wants to do the hands-on stuff as much as possible, even if it means going solo.

My dad came with us.  We usually call him Bearpaw (family nickname mixed with grandpa).  Yesterday, however, my eight year old son told us to call him “Grandfather” in front of his friends.  Grandfather?  Really?  Well, later in the day, one of his classmates told him what she calls her grandfather and he realized that Bearpaw wasn’t so out of the realm of normal.

I love watching my son when he’s in his zone.  Anything science and he comes alive like no other time.  His eyes focus on the animal and he absorbs the sounds and smells.  I can picture him all grown up spending his days with fossils, digging in the dirt, his glasses sliding down his nose, dirt all over his face arms, legs, and clothes.  Actually, it’s easy to picture this because this is how he looks during the summer in our backyard on his quest for a hadrosaur fossil.

I’m tempted to get a few fossils and bury them in the backyard just to see the look on his face.  I don’t because then I know he would dig even deeper.  Then, I’d have to get a permit.

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Living at the speed of a six year old

January 26, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

This evening, against my better judgement, the boys and I left the house at 7:10 to go to Toys R Us to get gifts for this weekend’s birthday parties and Pokemon cards for them.  They each had their allowances and were desperate to get more cards.  The plan was to stop at Burger King on the way home.  All went well on the trip, but we didn’t get home till 8:30…their bedtime.

We ate, we had a great family dinner, filling our tummies with Whoppers and our ears with tales of the day.  Then the boys started getting ready for bed as I reviewed their school work and homework.  That’s when I discovered my youngest still had reading to complete.

The oldest went off to brush teeth and do various bedtime stuff.  My other son and I sat down on the couch so he could read me “Snakes”, a non-fiction story.  In my mind, I was thinking, ‘okay, read it quickly, you need to brush your teeth, I’m going on the field trip with your brother tomorrow, we need to get to bed, read quickly…” which goes completely against every fiber in my being since I’m a reading specialist.  But…

Then a beautiful thing happened.  My son brought me into his world and I was living at the speed of a six year old.  He found something interesting on every page.  He pointed out the egg tooth on the baby snake.  He pondered which would be the better pet-a snake or a bearded dragon.  He wondered if he would ever have both.  He examined the scales on the skin.  He questioned where the snake’s ear was hidden (since we can’t see them).  He admired their eyes.

We studied the snakes…at his pace, in his time.

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In the right place at the right time

January 26, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

Obviously I would love to write that the right place and time involved meeting someone like Kenneth Branagh or Uncle Stevie.  No such luck.

However I was in the right place at the right time for a person at work today.  She had some concerns about a topic and, in my humble opinion, God sent the Holy Spirit on down to make sure we connected.  Our conversation turned to some works by Edwidge Danticat.  Well, I got excited right away.  I’ve known of her work for about a decade and had just read an article written by Danticat that a friend had posted on fb.  I go on fb to share the article with the person and then we chatted for a bit.  The person then shared that one part of the situation was about Haiti and her experiences, peripheral though they may have been, that have shaped her thoughts, negatively, about the country.  Also, she was faced with the dilemma of dealing with some materials that go against her beliefs as a Christian.

Well, bust my buttons, I thought to myself.  The person who had posted the Danticat article had spent time in Haiti.  I shared that my friend had spent three weeks in Haiti a couple of years ago.  She returned from her three week trip about three days before the earthquake hit.  She was impacted by the country and then the earthquake so much so that she is in the middle of spending a year there through Beyond Borders.

Together this person and I looked at some of the pictures of my friend in Haiti.  I asked her to think of what could have shaped the lives of the people she had interactions with that could have made them hurtful to other people.  We talked about the materials that seemingly go against her beliefs.  I told her I was not trying to make her do something she didn’t feel comfortable doing, but think of Jesus.  He’s called at times a rabbi, a teacher.  Isn’t part of following Him learning about people and cultures in order to better understand and in turn enrich our own beliefs?  Didn’t He embrace the tax collector, the sick, the “undesirables”?

Our conversation was rich and deep.  We ran quite a gamut of topics and perspectives.  The person said I am in my job for a reason.  When I shared the story with my boss, she said that I had evoked an emotional response.  She knows I’m a junkie for that.

Right place, right time.

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Brigs’ second brain

January 24, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

Tonight I was a very good doggy mommy and cleaned the utterly gross growths on Brigs’ head and shoulder.  He wanted nothing to do with me poking around his second brain.  Noises were made and I treaded lightly.  The one on his leg/shoulder area he didn’t mind as much.  He let me clean it pretty well (not great, but it’s a start).  I also put the antibiotic cream on it.  I put it on a paper towel and then put it on him.  I could not stomach touching it.

I’ve stomached a lot over the years with Brigs, but without going into too much detail, this is grosser than I can handle.  There are other issues, loss of bowel control, that are actually easier to deal with because you just have to pick that up and throw it away!

This can’t be picked up and thrown away.  When do you decide your beloved pet has dealt with enough?

Last night, as we were discussing our options with Brigs, to prepare the boys for the inevitable, the boys asked when.  I said I didn’t know when, that it would depend on how he keeps doing.  My youngest became very thoughtful and then said, “How about March?”  I blinked at him for about a minute, wondering how could a six year old choose something so readily?  He explained that his unbirthday school party is in February, and his brother’s unbirthday school party is in April, so it would be okay to be sad in March.  Ah, the logic of a six year old boy.

I don’t know what we’ll do or when we’ll do it.  I just hope it gets easier to clean his brain.

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Brigadoon and 100 years

January 23, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

Oh bloody hell…just wrote a post about my dog and it got lost as it got published.  I’ll try it again.

The weather was very Scottish today…a good day to think of Brigadoon.   He’s not 100 years old, he’s in his mid-60s in people years.  He has diabetes, thyroid issues, arthritis, his one eye is sinking in a wee bit, he has growths in various spots, and one large fat growth on his shoulder that makes him look like Quasimodo.  He ain’t heavy, he’s my doggy.

Okay, he is heavy.  He weighs in at 100 pounds (he lost ten pounds over three years).  He is such a good dog.  He was already four when our first son was born and he adapted to the boys wonderfully.  They played with him, cuddled him, colored him with permanent red marker…

The boys aren’t as comfortable with Brigs nowadays.  The one growth on his head is a wee but nasty (we lovingly call it his “second brain”).  When Brigs and I got home from the vet’s office, the boys asked if the vet was going to remove it.  We sat down and had a good, but complicated, conversation.  I explained that Daddy and I decided not to have the growths removed.  Brigs might not wake up from the anesthesia.  The anesthesia would certainly throw off his insulin for a couple of weeks.  He could have hypoglycemic episodes again or slip into a diabetic coma.  He could also have accidents…I remind you this is not a small dog…they would not be small accidents!

We spoke about each of us spending some time with Brigs each day.  He hasn’t been upstairs for a year, so he can’t come to us when he wants the company.  We have to go to him.  I told them if each of us spend a little time each day, we’ll cover the hour he’s awake easily.  I explained that they can pet him all they want because they can’t catch the growths from him.  I also told them not to pet the growths so they won’t irritate them (this was not an issue since there was no way they would ever touch them, but we were covering all the bases).  Tonight was easy because Brigs was totally spent from going to the vet.  Yep, I actually checked he was breathing-he’s that tired.

The thing I’m most concerned about is a big snowstorm.  He just doesn’t have that Gene-Kelly-spring-in-his-step anymore.  I suppose we’ll be shoveling the yard in addition to the sidewalks this winter.  We do so love this dog.

Brigadoon, Brigadoon,
Blooming under sable skies.
Brigadoon, Brigadoon,
There my heart forever lies.
Let the world grow cold around us,
Let the heavens cry above!
Brigadoon, Brigadoon,
In thy valley, there’ll be love!

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Grimm is my new X-Files

January 20, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

I am loving my Grimm.  It reminds me of the Friday evenings of yesteryear filled with the creepiness of X-Files.  Just like the X-Files (The Truth Is Out There), Grimm opens with a quote, though in this show the quote changes each week to parallel the fairy tale.  The opening scene sets up the mystery and then Burkhardt, a Grimm, & his partner, Griffin, solve the crime.  It has an underlying mythology (like X) but also deals with weekly issues.

“It’s the death of dreams”…a quote from this week’s episode.  The show is a little bit cheesy, a little bit campy, like X-Files, and it knows it, like X-Files.  The special effects are better, but there have been a lot of developments in CGI over the years.

I love the mythology aspect–incorporating all the wonderful tales by the brothers Grimm into our society.  Aren’t the archetypes still alive and well today?  Sadly, yes.  But that also means there are still protagonists out there too.  And oh, the weapons the Grimms have are awesome!  I hope they can stretch the hunt for Grimm for a long time.  They take fun liberties with playing with the legend of the stories.

I also love that one of the Big Bad Wolves has befriended the enemy.  Monroe’s hysterical.  A vegetarian, yoga-doing clock repairing wolf.  The three bears from Goldilocks were neat.  The story focused on tradition and the efforts to balance that within the current society.  The themes of family and tradition, heritage, are strong in every episode.  At the core, it’s the tradition of the Grimms that makes the storyline.

It doesn’t hurt that Grimm is easy on the eyes.

I want to find a good edition of the Grimm stories, possibly one with some really great illustrations.  If you know of one, let me know about it.

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Oh what a beautiful evening!

January 19, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

Oh what a beautiful day!  I’m a night owl, so mornings are rarely beautiful.  I had a great hallway conversation with a coworker today about being a night owl in an early bird world.  First, let me digress for a wee moment about hallway conversations at work.

They provide a wonderful break in routine because of their spontaneity.  How wonderful to bump into someone that you enjoy talking with and striking up a conversation about whatever topic pops into your mind.

Back to the point of the conversation.  We’re both night owls.  It was wonderful to hear that I am not the only one who vacuums at 9:00pm and thinks that it’s a perfectly normal time to do that chore.   We also shared that it’s frustrating to not be able to take care of little tasks at that time because places are closed or people are asleep.  We came up with a wonderful solution.  I’m hoping it will catch on in  society.

There are plenty of night owls so why not have businesses open from early morning till about 10:00 at night?  Let the night owls start their shifts later and be able to work when they are at their best.  When you apply for a job you could check off a box for early bird or night owl and that will determine when you work.  Then we could get tasks done when we’re finally awake enough to do them and I wouldn’t have to wake up so bloody early in the morning.

Anyhoo…who who…just a thought.

 

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What’s it from?

January 18, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

A favorite game of mine is to play “What’s it from?”  It’s quite a simple game and requires no game board, pieces, tokens, chips, etc.  You simply use your memory and imagination.  A good ability with accents doesn’t hurt, depending on what it’s from.  Many would call it a movie quote game, but growing up, my sister and I simply called it by the question that follows the offering.

The quote I used to catch my sister with constantly was “Making goo-goo eyes at Jane.”  She could never remember what movie it’s from and it drove her mad.  I could ask her every day of the week and she would forget the answer from day to day.  There are obviously standardquotes that are used regularly in every day life, but when actually playing one wants to use a more challenging quote.

Everyone uses movie speak at some point in their day.  Many of our adages come from plays, films, television, even radio.  More expressions come from Shakespeare than most folks realize.  A sampling:

All the world’s a stage.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

The green eyed monster.

Method in the madness.

All that glistens is not gold.

What a piece of work is man.

Out, damn spot.

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose…

Many others that I use regularly, but you get the idea.  How many times have you heard someone say “You’re gonna need a bigger boat?” when referring to trying to fit something in your car, purse, house, etc.?  Today, I’ve been enjoying a series of quotes on fb with some friends and so far no one has bothered mentioning the movie which makes it more fun.  Many movies generate quotable lines and have websites dedicated just to the quotes.  But in “What’s it from?” you actually want to pick the more obscure quote.  Obscure but still identifiable.

I speak in movie speak at work somewhat regularly and happily my boss has not only gotten used to it but even enjoys it.  At home, it’s a way of life.  And why not?  Wouldn’t we all love writers to make us sound witty?  There’s a scene in How to Kill Your Neighbor’s Dog (Kenneth Branagh and Robin Wright Penn-funny movie) where this exact topic is discussed.  Haven’t you walked away from a conversation at some point in your life thinking, “I wish I hadn’t said that…why couldn’t I have said this?”  You are basically wishing that a writer had followed you around that day offering up witty dialogue for that moment.

We don’t have writers following us around all day though.  Usually the things we say that we wish we could take back are not from movies.  They are our own ideas that we didn’t think all the way through before saying them.  To quote, “You can’t take it back. …Why not?… Because it’s already out there… call the police.  It’s already out there.”  Once it’s out of your mouth, it’s out there and you can’t do anything but open mouth and insert foot.  Where are the writers when you need them?

The truth of the matter is no one needs a writer.  We all just need to remember that most folks are just doing the best they can each day.  We could all slow down, think about what we are going to say before we say it.  How will the person I am going to say this to react or feel about it?  Could it be misinterpreted?  Does he look like he’s having a bad day?  Should I save my remark for later?  Should I simply say nothing and smile instead?  If we could all step outside of our own worlds and think of others for a brief moment before imposing our pressing issues upon them, the world would be lovely.

Trust me, I stink at thinking before I speak.  I am a talker.  So is my one son.  So is my husband.  Explains why our youngest is the strong, silent type (though he’s catching up fast).  I’ve been working on it though.  I’ll take a brief pause before I speak, or I’ll preface something that I know might come across weird by explaining that I’m working through how to say something.  Baby steps.  Baby steps out of the office.  Baby steps down the hall.

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Verso Verso

January 17, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

My oldest was telling me about the big plans for the under-water camera liopleurodon he’s building.  He was listing how was going to attach the flippers and he ended his description with “or verso verso”.  I looked at him.  I asked him what verso verso meant, explaining that I wasn’t familiar with the term.  (Possibly it was a paleontology term that he had learned in the past 24 hours.)  He said wasn’t sure.  I asked if he meant vice versa and he said yup.  I then asked if he knew what that phrase meant.  He said nope.  I laughed a deep belly laugh.  He amazes me everyday with his attempts to grow up as quickly as he can while still clutching to childhood.  He has been asking a lot of questions about what it’s like to be a grown-up.  He’s at that stage where being a grown-up is so much cooler than being a kid.  I explained to him that while being a grown-up has some fun parts, being a kid is the best.  I also told him that while I may be an adult, I am not a grown-up.  I am a sufferer of Peter Pan syndrome in a big way.  I never grew up and motherhood helps keep it that way.

Yet I still progress toward self-actualization.  I had a great conversation with my boss today about striking the balance between work and personal life.  My quests for simplicity and grace are part of my quest for self-actualization.  I look at it as a recurring quest.  At different points in me life I feel I was self-actualized.  For that time period I probably was as self-actualized as I could have been then, but the little spark of wisdom I have gained is that you have to keep moving forward.  The level of self-actualization is always changing, always getting more complex.   While I am blessed enough to have the lower levels basically squared away (physiological, safety, love & belonging), to me, the levels of esteem and self-actualization are constantly in flux.  It’s like one’s own flux capacitor.  One travels between different levels, times if you will, and so the quest continues.

All this from a discussion about vice versa.

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Mediocrity leads to simplicity

January 16, 2012 by pinkpigrulz

Life never ceases to amaze me.  Simple declarations released into the cyber void can help shape one’s perspective.  While I have yet to officially scrape anything off my plate, my brain was swirling with wonderful, exciting ideas.  The overwhelming sense of mediocrity is dissipating and quickly being replaced with a sense of joy.  Simple joy…an achievable joy.

Simplicity is aided beautifully by the technology of today.  As I shape my goals, I am aware of the many ways technology could aid me in achieving the goals.  When I think of what we can use today, I realize I must feel the same way my great grandmother did when cars started replacing the horse & buggy.  The inventions my nana saw throughout her lifetime were life-changing.  From horse & buggy to cars, from radio to television to cable & VCRs, from ice box to freezer/fridge combos, the end of the milkman (which for her didn’t happen till the 80s…small, New England town advantage!).

I was introduced to many of these inventions along with her before she passed.  And I have returned to some of her ways of life (farm fresh milk…yummy).  I now know the meaning behind some of the cute and mischievous smiles that would spread across my nana’s face.  I enjoy the look of disbelief from my sons when I explain I only had five or six television channels (three that always came in, the rest depended on the antenna) and the same smile spreads over my face.  When I try to explain that you could only watch shows when they were aired, they simply don’t understand it.  Happily, library books don’t change and they are learning that the same way I did.  Imagination never changes-you either use it or lose it.  I share that with my sons.

We had a fun conversation during bedtime this evening about the donkey and elephant toys.  They were made by my nana for me so the toys are cultured (not old!) like me.  My son asked if used my imagination when I played with the donkey and elephant.  We talked about the differences in how I played and how they play.  They came to realize all the ways we play involve imagination.

Imagination is a key ingredient in shaping my goals.  Can’t tell you what the goals are.  Not because they are a secret, they’re just not fully formed.  Patience is a part of simplicity and I am actually being patient with myself, letting the ideas slowly mull in my brain as they take shape.  It’s exciting and invigorating.  At least for me.

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