A Few Things...

I know I haven't written much lately.  Not sure why, except I haven't quite been able to organize my thoughts enough to express them.  I've been reminded of the fragility of life lately, and those heavy thoughts can weigh you down if you let them.  The one-year anniversary of the bombings brought many tributes and articles - mostly hopeful and inspiring stories, but they also brought tears and more heavy thoughts.  

So I go outside, look at the sky, and lift myself up again.  Life is good, full of the little treasures that keep it beautiful.  Hugs and snuggles from my boys, the start of baseball season, blooming daffodils, a (mostly) clean house, the return of Mad Men, a challenging book, good friends, future plans...  Next week brings Easter, Patriot's Day, and a trip to Wilmington, NC.  It is shaping up to be a good one.  I'll find my groove and write more soon, I promise.  In the meantime, more links (some fun, some serious) from around the web...

This is one of the articles I was talking about.  It's about the Richards family, who lost their 8-year-old son in last year's attack.  My heart aches for them.

The trailer for Gone Girl.  I know how it ends, and I still wanna see it.

10 Things This Child of the 80s Wants Her Kids to Know.  Classic list.  Singles seems a bit out of place, but I adore it as much as the others, so I'm okay with its inclusion.

Generation X gets really old: How do slackers have a midlife crisis?  Long, but really interesting article.  I can name quite a few pretty well-accomplished Gen Xers, and of course there will always be exceptions, but it's intriguing to evaluate the entire generation as a whole.  To think about my own personal life, where I fit with the Gen X mold and where I might be a little different.  Much of this resonated with me.

Why Teaching Poetry Is So Important.  I love poetry, and yet I'm not exactly sure where I came by this.  We did spend time on it in high school, but I think it was a college literature class that really drove it home.  I wished I could've taken another class more solely focused on poetry.

The Pernicious Rise of Poptimism.  An interesting take on the current state of music reviewers.

This documentary about Elliott Smith is another movie I want to see.

A Few Things...

photo by Abby Hyslop

I've gone a bit quiet lately.  For several reasons, I suppose.  First is the desire to put the phone down, really live in the moments, and not feel the need to write a post about every single one.  It's good to take a step back at times.  Second is the fact that I'm tired and not feeling so great right now.  I haven't been sleeping well, waking up in the middle of the night with stomach pains.  Bleh.  And last is the simple reality of Spring.  I have a tendency to become more introspective around this time.  It's the weather, I suppose.  The changing of seasons which necessitates a change of pace and routine.  I washed and put away the snow pants and boots this week.  I am reviewing the boys' clothes to see what they need for the coming warmer weather.  It is coming!  And of course the desire to get the house and yard into shape.

There is a lot on my mind, and I will write more here soon.  In the meantime, here are some fun and interesting links from around the web...

Kevin Bacon explains the 80s to Millennials.  Funny, and speaking of Kevin Bacon, did you see his entrance on Fallon a couple weeks ago?  Made me smile.  Oh and speaking of The Tonight Show, did you see Jude Law?  Cracked. me. up.

Jack is back!  Who else loved 24?  Man those first couple seasons had me hooked.  It wasn't great after that and yet I kept coming back for more Jack.  I will definitely watch this, if only for old time's sake.

The Terrifyingly Nasty, Backstabbing, and Altogether Miserable World of the Suburban Mom.  This article is so sad.  I am thankful that I live in a fairly diverse town with great people.  I'm only a couple years in as a school mom, but so far I've met wonderful people and made great friends.  I'm confident that will only continue in the future.

Once again...I love Louis C.K.

Let Your Kids Fail.  Another reminder to take a step back, allow your children the opportunities to take risks, to try new things, to fail, and then to pick themselves back up again.  I'm happy at the seemingly increasing number of articles along these lines.  Perhaps the tide is turning.

The Locavore Myth.  This is an interesting article.  I suppose people make decisions about the food they buy for a large variety of reasons.  For some people, the impact to the environment is a huge factor.  For me, the biggest things are choosing food that is tasty, healthy, and palatable to my kids.  I do like supporting local farms, particularly my own neighborhood farm, but my motivation still goes back to those three factors.  Vegetables that are picked close to home are picked when they're ripe and not refrigerated for a long time in transit.  To me, the result is that they taste better and they have retained more of their vitamins.  My motivation to eat less meat again goes back to wanting to keep me and my family healthy more than the environmental impact, although that's a bonus for sure.  What are the biggest factors behind the food you buy?

Another blog post by my cousin Krista.  If you know anyone going through a divorce, please share.  She has been through it all, both as a child and as a parent, and she has wise words to share.

Another wonderful blog post by my cousin Tiffany.  (I know...I have very interesting and talented cousins!)