Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day was yesterday, and I went down to CT to visit my family and celebrate my mom with my dad and Sister K. Rather than sending her flowers this year, I made her a floral arrangement of tulips and peonies. I thought it turned out really nice, lots of bright pinks and yellow, and she really liked it. We spent a fun day of family togetherness: going to church, out to brunch, and then watching Seabiscuit at Sister K's place. It was a lot of fun, and I was sad to go, but I will go back again soon enough.

Mother's Day has been bittersweet in our family since the passing of my brother, and I received several notes from friends who were thinking of me this weekend. It reminds me, even though I am away from my nuclear family, that I have a really great urban family looking out for me here in Boston.

Derby Day

On Saturday afternoon (after spending the morning running errands), I met up with several friends for oysters and to watch the Kentucky Derby at Dante in Cambridge. It was a beautiful day so we sat out on the patio; however, we were saddened because all of the oysters were already eaten! (I felt like the Walrus and the Carpenter.)

We had just decided to leave in search of oysters, but before we could, we were approached by a man who was setting up an informal bet on the race. He had cut out the names of all of the horses from the newspaper, and for $5 you got to pick a horse's name out of an envelope. That was your horse for the race. If your horse won, you got $50; if it placed, $30; and if it showed, $20. Nothing was kept by the "house"; he said it was just to make the race a little more fun.

When I first heard this pitch, I was a little dubious, but "Miss Post" handed him the money without reservation. After some initial trading amongst ourselves, we each were settled with our horse. (Mine was Noble's Promise.) By the point that all of the horses/chances were sold, a good size group was gathered around the bar by the television and started comparing horses and exchanging pleasantries, which is unusual in buttoned-up Boston. The man running the game really got people pumped up for the race (this guy would really made a great game show host), and next thing you knew, everyone was cheering as the horses burst out of the gate, tearing up the sloppy course at high speed.

My horse was in the top three coming out of the gate as was D's, but both soon fell behind. Into the final stretch however, Miss Post's horse, Super Saver, pulled ahead and ended up coming in FIRST PLACE!! HURRAH!!! Fifty smackers!! To celebrate the victory, we bought a round of mint juleps, and E got some goggles just like the jockeys wear. Where these goggles came from, I don't know. At that point, I was so excited that she won that I didn't ask. (Later on though, I considered that the game show host was some kind of promoter, but that could just be the skeptical New Englander in me talking.)

Before he left, our host asked that next year we pay it forward. Wherever we are on Derby Day, cut out the names of the horses, put them in an envelope, and sell chances for $5. I think that I am going to to that. It really did make the race and the afternoon that much more fun!

Whatever you want

I thought this was a funny story. A friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) is at a conference this week in Chicago on her own. After hitting the gym at the hotel after her last seminar, she went back to her room and called down to room service to order up some dinner. She ordered her meal and a glass of pinot noir. Thinking out loud, she said, "Can I order two glasses of wine?"

The woman taking her order laughed and said, "Honey, you can order whatever you want."

Yippie-yi-yo-ki-yay

I had to stop by the Post Office today at lunch to get some more stamps for first of the month bills and such. They didn't have very many choices to chose from, but they did have these awesome cowboy stamps!! (I may have surprised the man at the counter when I gave a little excited squeak about the cowboy stamps. I don't really look like a cowboy fan.) I can't wait to send out some cards using them!



Definitely sending a Roy Rogers one to my mom; she loves Roy Rogers. (Personally, I like John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, but he wasn't one of the cowboys in this bunch.)

Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'

Happy birthday, Will Shakespeare, and Happy St. George's Day, England!



We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Henry V.iv.3

Perspective

Aunt E forwarded me this email, and I really liked it a lot, so I am sharing it with my blog readers. It is about keeping things in perspective, which I find hard to do sometimes.

As is the way of email "forwards" some of the truth of this original column was lost, and with this post I am trying to restore the truth. The original email came with this header: "Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio 'To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:'" I Googled Regina Brett, and she is not 90. That is an urban legend; she is in her 50s. (Either that or she has some DAMN FINE genes.) Anyhow, these are Regina's perspective on perspective.

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Happy Earth Day!

This is my little bit to show how much I appreciate our environment. (It makes for AWESOME viewing!)