A Few Things...

Even though I may not write much during these cold and dreary days, I do read quite a bit and spend too much time on the computer.  Here are a few things that I came across this week.  Enjoy!

Lupita Nyong'o gives a speech on beauty.  Her voice is as beautiful as her face, and her words are the best of all.  So lovely.

The latest from my cousin Tiffany.   She was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer last year, and she has been on an incredible journey ever since.  She's giving up the fight against it and has decided instead to live.  This is a powerful post, and I feel privileged to have Tiffany as a part of my family.

The 5 questions you didn't want to ask about Ukraine.  If you're still trying to figure out what the heck is going on over there, this is a good place to start.

How going undercover made me appreciate my privilege.  As a white, reasonably attractive, well-educated woman with means, I can relate to this post.

Kids are assholes.  Louis CK cracks me up.  I'm giggling now as I think about this.

50 Healthy Habits Every Girl Should Have.  How many of these do you have or need to improve upon?  I'm doing okay, but I can always do better.

I loved this comic strip by Bill Watterson.

This photo shoot with John Schneider will move you.

This post at Hands-Free Mama resonated with me.  I mostly use my phone for playing music at home, but I still want to limit how much I'm looking at it.

A Few Things...

What I want to be doing right now...via Spell and the Gypsy Collective

My funk is lifting.  I'm sweltering in the sticky heat, but my homemade lemon-limeade is the perfect antidote.  I'm sticking to old standbys for dinner, including sauteed zucchini from the garden.  (Do I talk about the garden too much?  Well this is the best year I've ever had, so I'm excited.  Forgive me.)  And as I look out at the next month, our calendar is full of camps, get-togethers with friends, trips to the beach, to the music festival, and to the lake.  I'm still exercising every morning and physically feeling really good (which is a good way to be during bikini season!).

As the sweat drips down my face, I thought I'd share a few things I've come across and enjoyed recently.

Pro Surfer Israel Paskowitz Uses His Unique Expertise to Help Autistic Children.  I thought this was pretty cool.

Beautiful paintings by a gorgeous and talented little girl.  Seriously stunning watercolors created by a little girl with autism.  I think one of these would look lovely in a nursery.

A Pretty Good Summer Music Mix.

I loved this.  Matt Harvey is a pitcher for the New York Mets, and he is starting tonight's All-Star game.  He took to the streets of New York, asking people questions about Matt Harvey.  It's hysterical.

I am thinking this Summer Vegetable Frittata would be another good use of fresh Summer veggies.

I loved this list...the Best of Summer Awards from Dinner: A Love Story.  Eggs, tomato sandwiches, smoothies, Kurt Vile...there is much to love.

Aaron checked out a book called Who's on First, based on the Abbott & Costello routine.  He thought it was hysterical, and we've read it every night this week.  I introduced him to the real Abbott & Costello via YouTube, and I think he could've watched all day.  It's worth watching again...Who's on First?

A Few Links...

photo credits from top left:  1) stephmodo.com, 2) Rolling Stone, 3) Sannah Kvist, and 4) Williams-Sonoma

Thought I'd share a few things that caught my eye this week:

The hater's guide to the Williams-Sonoma catalog - Read this and laughed out loud.  Repeatedly.

Cameron Crowe's interview with Joni Mitchell - the cover of Rolling Stone, 1979.  I adore Joni Mitchell, and this is a great article.  I particularly love this snippet from the end:  "It’s a funny thing about happiness. You can strive and strive and strive to be happy, but happiness will sneak up on you in the most peculiar ways. I feel happy suddenly. I don’t know why. Some days, the way the light strikes things. Or for some beautifully immature reason like finding myself running to the kitchen to make myself some toast."

NPR - What to Enjoy and How to Enjoy It - I am not a music snob, but I do have opinions.  I liked this, especially the answer to the first question.

Stephmodo is having her annual La Maisonette giveaway.  She is giving away a week in France!  The house is gorgeous, as is the region of the country where it's located.  Awesome.  Go enter if you must, but then you have to take me with you.

Feeling down?  In a bad mood?  Try this.

An interview with First Aid Kit.

I am a Great Mom.

image from catching fireflies

 

A Mother's Prayer for Her Child, by Tina Fey

This is too good not to share.  Seen here.


Bossypants would make a fun addition to Mother's Day gifts I think.  Hint.

Image from American Express ad

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.
And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,”she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.”

-Tina Fey

Mother of the Year - Video

Just a little something funny to make you laugh today...

Laughs for a Monday

*Image from Newsweek

I saw this Newsweek article about a blog called Postcards from Yo Momma, and it cracked me up. If it can make me laugh on a Monday morning when I feel like crap, then surely it will give you a giggle too.

The blog contains emails and messages written by people's mothers. They are sometimes sweet, but mostly they seem unintentionally hilarious. Here are a few good ones from the article, but go check out the blog for more:

***

good news!Our insurance covers : THE HPV VACCINATION.but, this is NOT a license to have wild, unprotected sex, y'know!! hehehhehehee.xox,mom

***

Mom: hi kid. on the way to jumble java, i started crying. the kids are moving in to the dorms today and i saw a dad hugging his daughter goodbye and i lost it. that feeling never goes away.

:( mom

Me: don't be lame, mom

Mom: i hope i live long enough to see you experience the same feeling. and i'm not lame.

Me: well at the rate i'm going, i doubt you'll be around to see my kids go to college. even if i do have some, they'll have three heads because i won't have them until i'm 50.

Mom: well then it will be three times as hard to say goodbye.

***

... I heard on the radio that people can google themselves. I've done a lot of things to myself before, but I've never googled myself.

***

paulhiitsyourmomtryingtolearnemailitsverycoldheretoday-degreesyesterdaywas38hopethisworkslovemom

Everything is Amazing, Nobody is Happy...

My cousin posted this to Facebook, and I love it. I have no idea who this guy is, but he provides some great reminders of how much we all take for granted these days.

This made me laugh out loud...

..and then thank the heavens that we have moved on to better days...

Tina Fey as Sarah Palin

Click here to watch go to NBC.com to watch the video

I don't care what your politics are, you have to admit that this election season is intriguing. If you missed SNL this weekend, please watch this video to see Tina Fey doing an absolutely perfect impersonation of Sarah Palin. She and Amy Poehler (doing a great Hillary Clinton) crack me up! Happy Monday!

Business Time

My sister sent me a link to this a while back, and I watched it while I was trying to make dinner. Multi-tasking. Ugh. I wasn't in the right frame of mind, and I just thought - I don't have time for this. Thankfully, my husband watched it later, and then proceeded to share it with everyone he could. So I got to see it again when I was more relaxed and in the mood. It cracks me up!

So if you have a few minutes and the right frame of mind, give this a listen and enjoy a little laughter.

Earth Day

This one made me giggle, thinking of last night, when I dumped about a pound of sand out of A's sneakers...
I've finally jumped on the no-bag bandwagon, so I guess I can categorize myself as a hip, environmentally savvy old lady now...

The Full Monty

K and I were channel-surfing the other night, and we caught the last 15 minutes of The Full Monty. Have you seen this movie? It's such a good movie, and it makes me giggle and happy-cry every time. If you haven't seen it, put it on your list for the next time you're headed to the video store and can't seem to find anything worth watching. If you have seen it, I bet it's been several years, so put it on your list for the next time you're headed to the video store and can't seem to find anything worth watching.

Laughter

"the most wasted of all days is one without laughter." --e.e. cummings

Take a look at this and laugh. It's a good way to start a Monday morning. (Thank you, Em, for passing this along!)

Saturday_Night_Live/Annuale

I should also mention that I love Tina Fey. She is smart and funny and great - can't wait for more 30 Rock!