Flames, flames on the side of my face...

We've been having a few internet issues on our "main" home desktop (we have two... our new, better, faster, more memory one and our one that is older than the May Queen that we keep hobbling along...) We invited a friend over who is more computer savvy than us, who told he thought it was probably a problem with the network card, and if so, he would happily replace it for us.

I was downstairs picking up the newspapers from the ever spreading pile in our living room, placing them in a box to take to be recycled, when my husband came downstairs.

"I have some news for you," he began, "remembering that we will stay calm at all times."

Yes, the alarm bells were ringing in my head, too.

"Yes?" I said. Calmly.

"Our computer caught on fire. It's out now. You may want to come upstairs and help us open up windows to let the smoke out."

"Ok...." (I remained calm! I would like that noted for the record!)

Ultimately we were lucky that this happened when our friend was here, and not just us two idiots, but either way, it is an unfortunate and costly stroke of bad luck. We'll be getting a new one soon. The good news is our hard drive is OK, so we didn't lose any of our files.

What this means, in addition to the step up in opera rehearsals, my overgrown lawn, the cold I'm trying valiantly not to succumb to, and the clutter that is threatening to take over my house and my life, is that I will likely not be very active in blogland for the next week and a half or so. This is not bloggy abstinence, just reduced computer time. So if I don't stop by every day like I usually do, fear not. If I don't post as often, don't worry. I'm just busy learning Italian. And selling all my other earthly possessions to pay for the new computer.

I hope your day is going better than mine. But at least I got to use one of my favorite movie quotes for the title.

Maypole a Drunk!!

5 time Tony Award winner and 2008 Oscar hopeful Painted Maypole was spotted today spilling a drink all over herself while staring at her computer. The drink came out of a coffee mug, but as she didn't immediately begin yelling like a scalded person, but rather just calmly wiped it off and went right back staring at the computer screen we can only assume that she was drinking something much stronger than coffee. At 8:30 in the morning. Former students in her summer drama camps informed us that she was often seen with refillable bottles of a brownish liquid at their early morning classes. Painted Maypole claimed it was iced tea, but the students swear that it was whiskey. "She always seemed a bit off," one student said, "and she made us repeat ourselves all the time." A representative of Ms. Maypole claims that was some sort of "Meisner" exercise. Seems to us like Painted Maypole needs to exercise some 12 steps.


This sad excuse for a scandalous post is for this week's Monday Mission, hosted by The Flying Mum. The mission was: You are a Superstar! What are the tabloids saying about you today? I really did, however, spill barely warm tea all over myself while trying to think what to write.

I'll be hosting Monday Missions back here at my humble blog for the month of November. Monday Missions are open to anyone who wants to play along. I try to get mine up on Sunday night, so you can then drop by and enter your info into my nifty widget. The missions give us a chance to stretch our posting style a bit, and have been, for me, a lot of fun. Play along with any and all, or none at all! The missions for November, should you choose to accept them, are to write posts in the style of...
11/5 - A news story
11/12- A script (dialogue and stage directions)(thanks to Chani)
11/19- a spiel for your favourite charity -- serious or spoof (thanks to Mary G)
11/26- Directions

7 things, an award, and a gift

I was tagged over at what works for us for the 7 things meme. I did the 8 random things meme back in June (my first meme ever!!)... and this appears to be the same thing, only one less! Why? I don't know. But it's the weekend, and I'm tired, and who am I to pass up the chance to tell you 7 random things about me? So here we go...

1. Nowadays when anyone asks me if I want to do anything, I answer "no, I have to learn Italian." This is what trying to memorize an opera will do to you. But truly, I am not learning Italian. I am memorizing seemingly random syllables. In harmony. And that is much, much harder.

2. Fall is my favorite season. All you Northerners who are posting leaf pictures are filling my soul and making me extremely jealous all at the same time. But this week I finally got to break out the long pants and long sleeves.

3. Today we carved our pumpkins. I was the only person in my family brave enough to stick my hand in the pumpkin to clean it out, so I had to clean out all three pumpkins. And I made the holes WAY too small. So, here is my public service announcement, in case you haven't yet carved your pumpkins this year. Make the hole largish... and don't forget to angle it so that the lid will fit on top and not fall in (ahem).

4. For years whenever my daughter saw an image of the Statue of Liberty she would say "Look Mommy! It's YOU!" You can see why here and here

5. I hate reality TV, except that I was addicted to Grease: You're the One That I Want. I voted for Max and Laura. My husband laughed at me. You can laugh, too.

6. I have a polka dot bathroom. I love it.

7. I am trying to give up Soda (which I called "Pop" while growing up, but began calling Soda when I lived in Philly because I was tired of explaining myself and/or being made fun of). It is not going well.

I am going to tag 7 bloggers who are fairly new to visiting my blog. If you want to do this, then fabulous. If not... whatever. Tagging: Amanda at Nurses Rock, Heidi at Viking Conquest, Kathryn at Seeking Sanity, Just Seeking (at) 15 minutes of peace, Alex Elliot at Formula Fed and Flexible Parenting, Heidi at Hydes Like Us, and Victoria at Best To Keep Your Eyes Open (who's blog name reminds me of this random guy my best friend and I heard on the radio once, driving from NYC to Philly, who said "you have to keep your eyes PEELED" in the funniest voice, and that is the ONLY way I can say it now, and my daughter says it that way, too. So that is an 8th random fact for you, as a little bonus)

AND... as I went over to What Works for Us to grab the link for the meme, I discovered she had given me an award as well. Blush. I would like to thank the academy... er... whoever that might be, and just say "You Like Me! You Really Like me!"


This was started at the Sultana blog, who said, "I wanted the award to say - this is a person who reaches out and makes my blogger community a better one." At Cellobella’s request, I’ll email her (cellobella at gmail dot com) to add my nominee to her blogroll.

I am going to pass this award on to Jen M. at Get in The Car! who makes the blogging community and the world at large better through her always inspiring Philanthropy Thursdays. And when she's not changing the world (and often when she is) she's REALLY funny, too.

Whew. And finally... a gift. AGES ago Alpha Dogma wrote a letter to someone asking to be her new BFF, and I said that I wanted to be AD's new BFF, and she said OK, and that maybe we could wear friendship bracelets, and so I made us some bracelets. Finally. (this would have been much, much funnier about a month ago when I first intended to do this, but in case you missed random fact number one, I've been learning Italian, so back off, OK?) And AD, if you want to e-mail me with your address, I'll be happy to mail one to you, or, you can just wear the virtual version. Here they are:

And here I am making them.

Tying them to your toe is the official camp way of making them. Trust me. Making them while watching Desperate Housewives and drinking wine is the adult twist on that old theme.

A costume from safety pins, a blanket, and a touch of fairy dust

After yesterday's post, where you all went on in the comments about how sweet my little girl is, I'm tempted to write a post about how crabby she is in the morning, or how she won't share certain toys, or about how she is not yet very good at saying please. But I won't... I'll just bask in the glow of her sweet moments.

Instead, I'll share with you more adventures in Halloween Costumes. I mentioned in a previous post how The May Queen was going to be Cinderella, and I was going to make my own Fairy Godmother Costume out of a blanket. I bought a blue fleecy blanket a few weeks ago, and set it aside. Then last Tuesday I got a reminder in the e-mail about a Halloween Party the following Thursday. Whew! I thought, Good thing I have the blanket. I planned to spend a few hours on Thursday turning the blanket into a robe. The fleecy quality of the blanket meant I would not have any need for hemming, since fleece doesn't fray. I had looked up some ideas online, and had planned to make it very simply... A big circle with a neck hole and cut up the front... tied with a pink ribbon, then attach a hood, which would be the hardest part, but I found simple instructions for a half circle hood online, and thought it would be no big deal. 2 hours, tops.

Are you beginning to snicker at my arrogance yet? Go right ahead.

On Thursday morning I pulled the blanket out of its plastic casing. Then I measured myself from ankle to neck, to see what the radius of the circle needed to be. First problem. There was no way I could cut a circle big enough out of this blanket, despite the fact that it was king size. So I thought about it a bit. I consulted my daughter's plastic fairy godmother figure, which would become my inspiration or pattern of sorts for the rest of the day. I came up with a plan. Make a skirt, and then a little jacket sort of thing with a hood. That would actually look more like the shape of the robe from the famed cartoon, and I could do it with the fabric I had. I measured for the skirt, and cut it out. I cut the waist hole a little large, but I could easily pin it to myself with just a few safety pins. I was feeling smug. I think I took a break to blog.

Then I returned to the remaining fabric. I turned it this way and that, trying to figure out how to make a coat out of it. I pinned it, and checked in the mirror. It looked great from the front, but not the back. I tried again. Weird billowing on the sides. I tried again. Too short in the back. I tried and tried and tried. Hours passed. I nervously snipped and pinned fabric. I was beginning to contemplate running out a buying a sexy Hogwarts outfit. OK, not really. I finally had something I thought resembled a jacket, with just the right triangular type sleeves. Then I measured my head, and cut out the half circle for my hood. I tried it around my head, and it seemed way too large, so I trimmed several inches off. But then when I went to sew it on I realized that the extra inches were so that it would have a hoodish shape in the back, and not just lay on top of my head like a scarf. I debated sewing the piece back on, but decided to try it this way first, and then see. I sewed it all together by hand, literally cutting and changing it as I went. I sewed the pink ribbon on 6 minutes before I had to leave to pick up the May Queen from school. I was still in my pajamas.

I rushed to get ready, grabbed a wand from the dress up box, and rushed out the door.

I'm actually quite proud of my creation, and was pleased when everyone recognized what I was immediately, even if Cinderella wasn't at my side.

We got to wear our costumes again today at a Trunk or Treat event. Thank goodness it cooled off this week - wearing a blanket in October in Louisiana is a hit or miss idea. On the way home we could spy the full moon rising. "It's a Halloween Moon" the May Queen exclaimed, "it even has a tree in front of it."

It sure did. A Halloween Moon. Here's hoping you have a magical Halloween.

On Gratitude and Giving

Yesterday the May Queen received a pack of Halloween stickers from my parents. They sent a box of goodies to the house a few weeks ago and asked me to give them to The May Queen... one a day... leading up to Halloween. The May Queen looks forward to her "surprises" every day. I think my parents buy these things when they are on super clearance after the previous holiday (I learned this trick from my mom, every time I get out the decorations for a holiday it's a surprise to pull out the stuff I bought for dirt cheap and stuck in a box for next year!). Yesterday's treat was a pack of several small sheets of stickers designed to pass out instead of candy. The May Queen squealed in delight, and then immediately said "I don't need all of these. Can I give some to my friends?" "Of course," I replied, thinking she'd take a couple of sheets over to the girls next door. But The May Queen had bigger plans. She wanted to share her wealth with all her friends in the neighborhood. So we put them in the basket of her bike and rode around the neighborhood, knocking on doors and surprising her friends with a small treat. It was like reverse trick or treating!

It gave the May Queen such delight, and really touched my heart to see her relishing the joy of giving. And what a simple but true assertion: "I don't need all of these. Can I give some to my friends?"

It's such a simple attitude of giving that I wish I felt more often. I can tend to be a bit greedy with my things, whether it be the french fries on my plate or the dollars in my pocket. I don't always like sharing. I've always donated regularly to my church, 10 percent just as I was taught as a child. When I donate used clothes and other items I always take them to a local agency that I know does fabulous work for families in need in our area (I also then always take a few minutes to browse their thrift shop and never fail to walk out with a few treasures... and tell myself it's not shopping since the money all goes back to the agency!). I often look around my home and think how I have so much while others have so little (and, I am ashamed to admit, I often ALSO look around my house and wish I had more of what others have). When The May Queen wanted to share her stickers I even patted myself on the back a bit, thinking that perhaps the food I have been sending in to school with her every day for the local food pantry has made her think about sharing. Rather than sending in a bag of all the food I bought all at once, I spread it out over a week, so that she would have the opportunity to give repeatedly, and I would have the chance to tell her, repeatedly, why we do it.

Yet my giving is sort of preprogrammed. I believe in it, certainly, and have been well taught. I do have moments where it is just in my heart to give. Yet I often have a feeling of scarcity, that I won't have enough. I worry a lot about finances, which are always very tight. I often think "I can be more generous when I have more money." But I KNOW that what I have is bountiful. I know that I am called to share what I have. I know that we are meant to take care of each other. And those moments when my heart is ready to give without a second thought? I would like to cultivate that feeling more often, so that it is my first response. So that when I see someone in need, my first response is "how can I help?" So that when I have a windfall of stickers, I think "who can I share these with?"


Besides being inspired by my lovely daughter, this post was also inspired by Jen M at Get in the Car!, who dedicates each Thursday to a post on Philanthropy. Her thought provoking post today is well worth the click over there. Also, Mary Alice at From the Frontlines has a fun idea of how to turn Trick or Treating into a philanthropic activity.

Free to Be... ME

There's a land that I see where the children are free
And I say it ain't far to this land from where we are
Take my hand, come with me, where the children are free
Come with me, take my hand, and we'll live...

Julie's Hump Day Hmmmm... for today asks us to write about

"Where I'd like to go next." This can be your personal goal, professional goal, cultural or societal goal, political goal...you get the picture. Just tell us something about how you'd like the future to be.

I leaned back in my office chair to think about this; to think about where I want to go, what kind of world I'd like, what I'd like the future to be, and this song jumped into my head.

I didn't know that Free to Be was a movie until I was in college. It was highly disappointing to me, as it wasn't nearly as fun as I envisioned it in my head. When I was a kid we listened to the Free to Be... You and Me soundtrack all the time. I knew all the lyrics, and could even recite all the stories. Marlo Thomas and Carol Channing and Alan Alda convinced me that I could grow up to be whatever I wanted to be. That girls could do anything. That being nice was important. That there was a world where I would be Free to Be ME.

I dreamed of a world where boys could play with dolls and women could marry whom they chose. A world where I would be glad to have a friend like you to make forts out of sofa cushions and ice cream out of snow. A world where I didn't have to buy into stereotypes and commercialism and the false image of a merry homemaker. I could have any job I wanted. My husband would help to change the diapers. Snotty little girls would be eaten by tigers.

Although there are still certainly barriers to break past and glass ceilings to bust through, a lot of those dreams have come true for me, at least here, in this part of the world that I inhabit. Well, not the snotty girls being eaten by tigers part, but as The May Queen ALWAYS insists on being first this is probably a good thing in the long run.

But ultimately, I guess that is what I long for. The chance to really be me... fully realized. In my over enthusiastic, geeky, song in my heart, but now let's have a deep conversation, and then can we please drink some wine and dance on the couch kind of way. A time and place where I know what my gifts are and how to use them. A world where I can work on plays with other crazily committed people, worship in a church with people who are on fire, and cuddle in front of a fire with my nearest and dearest. Where all the parts of my soul are fed, and never at the expense of anyone else. Where I never feel awkward or "too much" or "not enough." I long for a future, for a NOW, where I don't worry about what others think, where I have the time and space and energy and resources so that I can be the best ME there is: full of patience and imagination, short on distrust and anger, aglow with life.

I see a land bright and clear, and the time's comin' near
When we'll live in this land, you and me, hand in hand
Take my hand, come along, lend your voice to my song
Come along, take my hand, sing a song

To a land where the river runs free
To a land through the green country
To a land to a shining sea
To a land where the horses run free
To a land where the children are free
And you and me are free to be
And you and me are free to be
And you and me are free to be... you and me

color my world

Rainbow Stripes
Artist: The May Queen

October, 2007

The stripes in rainbow color clearly represent the promise of sunshine after the rain, and are said to be inspired by the rainbow she saw just days earlier crossing a bridge with her mother. The density of the color implies the ferocity of the joy she felt, as well as her indecision about her favorite color.

The May Queen created this artwork when she was heavily into her period of experimenting with patterns. This also overlapped with her "covering every last bit of canvas" period, and her "must use every color available" period.

These bursts of colorful artwork were a welcome change from her previous period of "everything is black, black, black" which produced such famous works as Black Cat, Black Giraffe, Black Car, Black Cinderella, and Black on Black.

Other works produced during her pattern period include Blue, Purple, Blue, Purple - a Halloween stamping extravaganza, and stickers in a line.

This post is part of the Monday Missions over at Flying Mum's place, and also a gift to Her Bad Mother, who is looking to be cheered up from her all day pregnancy barf fest with some artwork.

I will be hosting the Monday Missions again in November. The Monday Missions are a way to get us to try writing a post in a different style (we've recently done this art critique, a restaurant menu, a horoscope, a rejection letter, and a song lyric rewrite, among others. If you have a suggestion for a future style let me know. I'll post the styles for November some time next week. OH. Monday Missions give you great ideas if you are trying to post every day in November as part of that evil carnival that shall not be named. Hint hint.