Chilling Out With Mama

When it's hot and humid outside, I pretty much stay inside my air conditioned cocoon house.  I don't like being hot.  If you don't believe me, you can check it out here or here.  To entertain myself, I generally watch television.  Too much television if you really must know.

Here's a smattering of what this latest hot/humid streak caused me to watch on television (please take special note of my passive role in all this):

• Tori and Dean something something something...  This is a reality show with Tori Spelling (remember her? 90210?) and her husband Dean Somebody-or-other, and their cute baby.  I couldn't stop watching it.  Make sure you try to find the episode where very pregnant Tori is jealous of hubby's scuba instructor.  Pure gold there. (Oxygen Network.  Go ahead, Oprah could use the income)
• Jon and Kate Plus 8--Another reality show about a couple who had twins, and then sextuplets.  If you ask me, the mother, Kate, is a bit of a beyotch.  But I don't know what I'd do with that many kids.  Almost too painful to watch, but better than being outside and sweating all your skin right off your body. (TLC)
• Anything on Lifetime.  There I've said it.  I will watch just about anything on Lifetime. If you are looking for ways to keep cool this coming weekend, they are having a Christmas movie marathon.  Could be good.  Don't even get me started on the new season of Army Wives.  Loving it.
• The Weather Channel.  Another problem entirely.  Go ahead, and ask me what the barometric pressure is.  Anytime.  I will know it.

Oh, and one more thing, I also finished David Sedaris' new book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames.  Another must-read from this genius.  So funny.

Let me know if you are still bored after all these terribly clever ways to beat the heat.  I have many other options for you...many. Just ask....

No See 'Ums: A 2008 Story

Remember when you were a kid, and the no see 'ums would come out at night and bite you?  I have a whole new bunch of mental pause no see 'ums, and I have to tell you, I would prefer those old bugs to all the stuff I cannot see now:

• the looks on my kid's faces when I turn to get money out of my wallet.  For them.
• the stuff in my teeth after a pesto/pasta salad.  Gives a whole new meaning to long-in-the-tooth.
• what Augie has in the back of his car.  A speaker? A body?
• those clear whiskers that I can feel but not see.
• a normal font.
• where to put my mascara.
• the numbers on the scale.  Thank God.
• my feet.  Another story.
• Pricetags.  Both a blessing and a curse.
• most cell phone keypads.
• my car manual.   Not good when you have a warning light you don't know.
• the ATM.
• the shampoo versus the conditioner in the shower.
• where I left my reading glasses.

That bug doesn't look so bad now, does it?  Any other no see 'ums out there?

Sunday Serenity

People  from another planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.

--Iris Murdoch

Some Saturday Smiles

I hope ewe have a grand day my good friend.

No worries and no cares

For ewe this fine weekend.

Just make sure ewe keep protected from the sun.

Just kick back and do whatever ewe feel like.

Remember you are b'ewe ti ful.

Skywatching

Sea-Fever

by John Masefield

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again to the vagrant gypsy life.

To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

Visit Wom Tigley to see all the other Skywatchers and to join us!

Christie Brinkley, Please Take the High Road

Photo borrowed from here.

Quite often, the road not taken is the "High Road." You know, the one that preserves your dignity and stuff like that? Not to be confused with one's High Horse, which this Mama often finds her ample self perched upon, the High Road is the ultimate route.

Back before my babies were in kindergarten, their father and I were struggling with the painful task of dividing our little family. It was an unhappy time for all of us, and there were many days that I honestly thought one of us would not live to see the sunset. It was in times like those that I relied on my good friends and my own good sense. And I always found the high road...somehow.

I don't know if this is news anywhere except in our general region, but Christie Brinkley is about to go to trial in her latest divorce. And she has "won" the decision to have it all bared to the public. A few years ago, it seems, her husband had an affair with a teenaged assistant working at his architectural firm. Christie filed for divorce. I would have, too. Now comes the trial. At some point in the past, Christie thought enough of this man to marry him, have a child with him, and allow him to adopt another child she had from a previous relationship. Those children are now in school somewhere in New York (Long Island). And, basically, their mother wants to drag their father through the New York (and other) Tabloids.

Is Christie a woman scorned? Probably. Should she be angry? Probably. Is this exercise going to help her? Nope.

There's a lot of stuff I don't know, but I do know one thing for sure: My kids come first. I am a far cry from an expert on children, but I can tell you that, back during my divorce, when I found my high road, all the crap stopped. Stuff is just stuff. Souls are paramount. And so is dignity. For everyone.

And their father and I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

ABC Wednesday -- W

Weeds in Windows.

Where there's a Will, there's always a Way....

Photographed at Fort Adams, Newport, Rhode Island

June 2008

This little tour of New England was made possible by 

Mrs. Nesbitt and her ABC Wednesday.

Vicarious Mama

Since I ended this past weekend practically able to palpate my own liver, and barely squeezing into my sweats, I spent a great deal of time yesterday reading up on various cleanses and diets. It served as a way to restart my motivation for a healthier me, and I must tell you that I feel better already.

Dooce tweeted this ditty yesterday:  dooce The urge to grab a handful of chocolate Teddy Grahams is almost unbearable.  

As you may know by now, she is on the 21 day cleanse that Oprah did.  Here is the link to Oprah's blog about it...In case you don't want to read it, The short version is that she talks about how much she wants a glass of wine.  Bordeaux to be exact.  And Heather wants Teddy Grahams.  Since I am not a big fan of either Bordeaux or Teddy Grahams, I'm starting to think this may actually work for me.

My morning progressed, and as I sipped my lemony water, I read all about the virtues of  Zinc from Dr. Oz.  And also more of his thoughts on fiber.  He really loves all things fiber.  I really like Dr. Oz.

He and Oprah have educated me about many things--like the omentum.  I don't like my omentum.   

Or any other omentum for that matter. Here they are holding up some omenti.  Is that the plural of omentum?  I don't even like the thought of one of these suckers much less a plethora of them.  Don't you love the word plethora?  Annie waxed most eloquently about it yesterday.  You should pay her a visit.  The nice photo she used will help you get this picture out of your mind.  You don't want an omentum either on your belly or etched in your eyes.  Believe me.

I got on the treadmill and read my latest issue of Fitness.  Motivated, I enjoyed some poached salmon for lunch.  Followed by a grilled cheese.  I made a crustless one for the wounded Bird. Nobody should have to eat alone.

Then I read the entire 5 Factor website.  This is how the movie stars stay slim.  Supposedly.  I think my dog Dora incorporates this method in her particular regime.  Several meals each day.  Right Dora? This is Dora's face waiting for one of those small meals.

And below is her face after a mini meal.  Doesn't she look great?  Nary a double chin to be found. You know things are getting rough when you wish you looked more like the family dog....

And as I write this, I just noticed an email from the folks at the South Beach Diet.  Apparently I signed up for this daily newsletter they create.  I sat and read the whole thing, and I feel really fit now.

I may be doing more of this in the future.  

Monday Ironies

I love irony.

I probably gained a few pounds this weekend.  The Bird needed a lot of pasta. Comfort food. I don't want my babies to eat alone.

Annie, Jules, Lucia and I had problems to solve.  That means wine. Maybe a bunch of it. 

Then, on Sunday, Squazz and I went for a sunset drink at Longshore.  Too many people to watch and comment upon without consuming a cocktail.  Or more.

Does your skin itch when it is stretched?

I need some lotion.

And another thing...has anybody noticed that that it's John-Boy Walton who does the voiceovers for the Mercedes Benz commercials?  Remember the Waltons? The Waltons?

Then there's :

Today's Aquarius Horoscope: Jun 23, 2008

Everyone around you will seem tense today and will come to you with their problems, dear Aquarius. You will feel at ease, and you will be able to deal with this difficult situation. They will listen to your advice and probably will feel that you are a sort of mentor or sage. Try to use your talent the best you can. Others are relying on you for understanding and compassion.

I'd better get my cardio and shower done now.  I'm going to be busy problem-solving. Which can be fattening.  And so it continues...

Got irony?

Sunday Serenity

Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all

Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

--John Keats

Ouchies

My Baby Bird had four impacted wisdom teeth removed yesterday.

She was way more brave than her mother.

I didn't like it.

Not one bit.

Now she looks like a baby chipmunk.

Feel better, my sweet Birdy!

Skywatch Friday

True Blue

To the Daisy

In youth from rock to rock I went
From hill to hill, in discontent
Of pleasure high and turbulent,
Most pleas'd when most uneasy;
But now my own delights I make,
My thirst at every rill can slake,
And gladly Nature's love partake
Of thee, sweet Daisy! 

--William Wordsworth--

Visit Wom Tigley to see all the other Skywatchers and to join us!

Things That Crossed my Mind in the Last Five Minutes

Remember back in the day when you had an event to attend on a Saturday?  And on the preceding Monday you decided to lose 5 pounds to look better in your little black dress?  So you cut back on sweets a little, and by Saturday you had lost your 5 pounds?  What happened to those days?

I wish I had appreciated my metabolism more in my 20's.  Hell, even in my 30's.  

Three weeks of being a little kinder to my body has netted me a net loss of about 3 pounds. Not too much to crow about, but it's a start.  And I don't want to be in my 20's again.  Or even my 30's.  I'd just like a little bit of that tautness back.  Is tautness a word?

Do you think you can put too much lemon juice in your water?  I think I may be having some enamel issues.  But am drinking lemony water like crazy.  My skin is happy.

Did y'all read about how Heather Armstrong's doing the 21 day cleanse that Oprah did?  I thought about it for, say, five minutes.  I think I'll just follow along with her.  Kind of a vicarious cleanse.  If you will.

Am I the only person who is intrigued by those Dyson vacuum cleaners?  Or the guy who invented them?  I like his accent, too.

I wish somebody would help poor Ed McMahon pay his mortgage.  You'd think somebody, whose career he and Johnny Carson helped launch, would belly up to the bar and do something. 

When does the weirdness of being both happy and scared that your children are driving end?

ABC Wednesday

V is for Vanquished

or

Victorious.

Depending on your perspective.

An old street sign is swallowed by a tree.

ABC Wednesday is the brainchild of Mrs. Nesbitt

Check it out.

Crazy Eights

Kareer Woman tagged me last week with a fun and somewhat difficult meme.  The theme is eights.  Here we go--try not to get too excited.

Eight Things I Have a Passion For:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Pets
4. Flowers
5. Learning
6. Travel
7. Honesty
8. Peace

Eight Things I Would Like to do Before I Die:

1. Be published
2. Dance at my grandchildrens' weddings
3. Go on a safari
4. Go to Fiji
5. Learn HTML
6. Run a half marathon
7. Have a hole-in-one
8. Make a difference

Eight Things I Say a Lot:

1. What time are you coming home?
2. Be careful...
3. What do you want to eat?
4. Putzy paws
5. The Universe is listening 
6. Time to get up...
7. I'm sleepy
8. Could you please clean up your room?

Eight Books I Have Read Recently:

1. Mrs. Dalloway  Virginia Woolf
2. To the Lighthouse   Virginia Woolf
3. The Hours   Michael Cunningham
4. The Power of Now   Eckhart Tolle
5. American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson   Joseph Ellis
6. Eat, Pray, Love  Elizabeth Gilbert
7. The Girl With a Pearl Earring   Tracy Chevalier
8. Things I Learned About My Dad (in therapy)  ed.  Heather Armstrong

Eight Movies I Have Seen Eight Times:

1. Gone With the Wind
2. Bambi
3. Breakfast at Tiffany's
4. Arthur
5. Finding Nemo
6. The Lion King
7. Holiday Inn
8. White Christmas

Eight People I Have to Invite to do This Meme:

1. Noble Pig
2. Flea
3. Daryl
4. AsthmaGirl
5. Debbie
6. Meg
7. Lisa
8. Kacey

and.....# 9 (I am an Aquarius, people) Kim!

Consider yourselves tagged.  And, honestly, this was the only category in which I could have listed 100 names.  So basically, if you read this, you are tagged.  I look forward to learning more about my friends out there...

A Fine Legacy

A necessary second post today...

Through all the Tim Russert sadness of the last few days, we have been hearing a great deal about how important being a father was to him.  This morning, Matt Lauer spoke with Luke Russert about his father and all the wonderful memories that come with being the son of such a man.  This young man just graduated from college a few weeks ago, and if you take the time to watch this, I know you will be just as blown away by the poise and grace this young man possesses.  A fine legacy, indeed.

The Second Act

Today's Aquarius Horoscope: Jun 16, 2008

New ideas for your career interests could be on your mind, dear Aquarius. You might be thinking not only of getting a new job, but also of entering an entirely new field. This could be a positive development. However, don't be too impulsive and jump in without thinking. List your options, cross out the ones that aren't workable, and then do some research on the rest. Even though you may feel urgency, there is none.

My soon-to-be empty nest is speaking to me from all over the universe.  After a significant birthday a few years ago, my good friend Annie told me that the second half of her life was going to be different from the first half.  Her children are older than mine, and she was ahead of me in her thinking, but those words resonated with me then, and they sure do now.

I don't know what my second act is going to look like, but there is a large part of me that is ready for the curtain to rise.  Anybody else out there looking forward to your next act?

Father's Day

"A man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season".

-- Unknown

"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty."

-- Unknown

Wishing all the dads out there a wonderful and love-filled day!

Mooooooving On

Passports? check

Dramamine? check

King-sized Stateroom? check

Bon Voyage my bovine buddies.

I am so going to miss you.

Cheerio!

Skywatch Friday

Contrails keep watch over flapping sails.

Anna Maria Island, Florida

Visit Wom Tigley to see all the other Skywatchers and to join us!

Thirsty Thursday

Important chatter while I was working out wasting hanging out this morning:

Mental:  You know, I really wish you could muster up another one of your very special dates.  I need some stuff for my blog.

Cougar Lucia:  If I could, I would. Mkay?

Mental: whatever.

Lucia is a lovely old soul  and a dear friend.  Is anyone else experiencing this dearth of nice men out there?  What is up?  What. Is. Up? Even the husbands of Cocktail Corner are wearing thin these days...

ABC Wednesday

U is for Unaware.

ABC Wednesday is the brainchild of Mrs. Nesbitt

Check it out.

Excuse Me

The Summer Solstice is not until June 20 at 7:59 pm EDT.

What on earth is happening?

I don't do hot.

At all.

I am hormonally incapable of surviving this.

Monday Moosings

Dear Reader,

Mental Mama is busy getting her cardio out of the way this morning, so she asked us if we would like to bring you today's news moo's.  Bessie and I have decided to tell you all about this little health kick she's on.  It's for real, and as a result, the whole household is following along as well--whether they want to or not.  Mental Mama doesn't mess around. You can take that to the bank.

Anyway, among the changes that we have made in our diet, probably the biggest for us is that there is no more butter.  Well, there is, but we don't see much of it.  It's all about good oils here. We even dip our bread in olive oil instead of putting butter on it.  And you know what?  It's good!  Mental uses garlic and herbs, and sometimes she even buys flavored oil just for the  bread.  It's much better for our hearts, and we think our waistlines may be shrinking just a bit.

See...this one below is olive oil just for dipping the bread...you should see Augie and The Bird with this stuff.  They love it so much, that we were afraid we wouldn't even get a bite.  But we did.  Mental Mama made them share.  She's so good that way.  Mental Mama is a sweetie-pie. And she's so modest.  If she ever knew we were writing this stuff she would be so embarrassed.
Here is a quick peek in the fridge this morning.  Mental Mama loves to scramble egg whites with tomatoes and basil.  She eats this almost every day.  Also, see that pitcher?  It is filled with water and some lemon juice.  She drinks that stuff all day long.  Those cut veggies are the same story.  Any time someone opens the door, that's what they see, and they tend to eat that instead of junk.  She's pretty clever.  They don't even know what's going on.  
Another big change for us is that they don't eat any white flour in this house.  They even have this whole wheat loaf sometimes with dinner instead of french bread.  This is what we eat when we dip into that heavenly olive oil concoction.  We hate to admit it, but it may even be better than butter.  I cannot believe I am telling you this, but it is that good.
And the no-white-flour business extends to their pasta as well.  They only have whole wheat.  They have been doing this for a long time apparently, because the kids eat it without any kind of sass, and any time Mama makes some changes, those teenagers whine and moan about it. Even if it is good for them. Kids today, I tell ya!  Anyway, Bessie and I have decided that we really like it as well.  It has a lot of fiber and more protein, so we feel full and udderly content for a long time after we eat.  
I hear Mental talking about Dr. Oz all the time, and apparently he is the one who got her motivated and started on this renewed interest in healthy living. I also think she is doing these new things in increments because too much change would make everybody just throw up their hands and go have a big hot fudge sundae.  This way, we all get to feel a little bit better inside and out, and, I swear, Bessie's butt looks a little bit smaller to me.

Love, Fred

Sunday School

In the garden the door is always open into the "holy" - growth, birth, death.

Every flower holds the whole mystery in its short cycle, and in the garden

we are never far away from death, the fertilizing, good, creative death.

- May Sarton

1-800-L-A-W-Y-E-R

I do not even think so...

Annie!  Jules!  Look what I found at the Bev Max down the road.

I had to sneak this picture because they were watching me....

It must have been my gasp that caught their attention.

They have copied us.

Brazen.  Wanton. Plagiarism.

What should we do?

I mean, we invented Cocktail Corner.

We are Cocktail Corner.

Skywatch Friday

The side benefits of a stormy spring can be manifold.

Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.

Lord Byron

Skywatch Friday is the genius of Wom Tigley! 

Pay him a visit.

This-N-That Thursday

I think we need to do a little housekeeping and catching up here in Mental Land.  It's been a busy spring what with my rugrats (proms, SAT's, lonjry), my blog hopping, work, Fred and Bessie, Twittering, blog hopping, grocery shopping, cardio.  You know, life.  Anyway, I thought we'd take today and get up to speed.  Oh, and that Hot Flash picture has nothing to do with anything, although it may become my own personal logo.  Kind of catchy, no?

How is everyone doing with our little fitness challenge?  Have you upped your exercise quotient?  I have always done some form of exercise, but I think sitting at a desk and blog hopping working all day has a great deal to do with my new blubber issues.  So in that regard, I am making a conscious effort to move around a bit more during the course of my daily life.  My goal is to sweat for at least an hour each day.

Water.  I have doubled my consumption, and I swear my skin already looks better just 4 days in to this.  I add lemon to it to make it all fancy, plus I read somewhere that lemon is a detoxifying agent.  It may very well be, but I just like the flavor.

Problem:

Wine.  Sigh.  While I am not swearing it off entirely, I have to say that I am feeling like it may have made a difference already.  Alcohol is sugar, and your body will work to burn that all off before it even gets to fat-burning mode.  In addition, when I drink wine, I tend to eat more.  So, in order to jumpstart my own return to fitness, I am not having any cocktails for a week or so. You can do as you please.  I think it might be a good idea to try to eliminate at least one sugar or fat vice when you want to move the scale in a backward direction.  I hate to admit it, but I do feel better these days.  Sigh.

As far as diet goes, I have always been a fairly healthy eater, so I am focusing on smaller portions right now, and really feel no different in terms of deprivation.  First of all, starving yourself doesn't work over a long haul.  It's the type of food choices you make and the quantity.  One thing everyone can do is add more fiber.  Dr. Oz is all about fiber; he says women need at least 25 grams per day, and most don't get half of that.  I just love him.  He might even qualify as my secret boyfriend like the ones Mrs. G is always lusting over talking about, but that is for another day.  Make sure you eat lots of veggies and lean protein, and you will feel a difference.  Both in your jeans and your demeanor.  I swear I am in a better mood....maybe because I'm not struggling to breathe when I sit down to blog hop work.

Other items I need to discuss:

Can anyone believe the story about that poor woman who had a baby on a plane?  In a galley kitchen?  And then had to fly three more hours afterwards to get to New York.  Yikes.

What is the consensus on Sex and the City?  I was never a fan of the series, so I'm not exactly in a big hurry to go.  But I'm open to reviews.

What is your favorite commercial these days?  I love those Ocean Spray Cranberry ones--you know with the two guys in the cranberry bog.

Does anyone have anything fun planned for the weekend?  I need to live vicariously.

Well I guess that's it for now, but please try to head over to Kacey's Wine on the Keyboard to vote on your favorite "motherhood" submission.  You don't have to vote for mine, just pay her a visit.  All the pictures are really great.  Serious.

ABC Wednesday

T is for Twins.

Two Peas in a Pod

Two Gifts from God.

ABC Wednesday is the brainchild of Mrs. Nesbitt

Check it out.

Best Thank You Notes Ever

My brother and his wife have triplet boys who just turned 11.

I know.  Triplets.  Boys.

I sent them each a 20 dollar bill, and I am sharing their notes.

They always write me the funniest thank you notes which I love--

Not only because they are from my wonderful nephews, but because I feel like letters have become a dying art.

You know, the kind in an envelope and with a stamp.

Does anyone else out there find that good old fashioned letter-writing is in short supply these days?

That's right Johnny, dream big.  A Lambourgini it shall be.

And Russell, I think your father is right.  We are all just a bunch of hillbillies.

A pool with a gold fountain?  Can I come over when you get it?

Alex, you are all extreme.  And Auntie LaLa loves each of you to bits.

Accountability

Okay my friends.  Today is the day.  The day we start treating ourselves a little bit nicer. Mkay? I plan on getting my old self back without a whole lot of deprivation.  Wanna play along?

Here's my deal.  I am fairly tall (5'9"), and have rarely had to watch my weight.  Now there was that minor detour of a twin pregnancy where I may or may not have gained 90 pounds.  But that is all behind us now, and it was well worth it.   

 I think.

Anyway, year 40 was okay, not a big change, but when I quit smoking for good at 42, all bets were off.  I had smoked off and on for 20 years, with about ten years off during that span, but I  really decided that I wanted to stick around.  So I quit.  And if you smoke, you should think about making a serious effort to do the same.  It is bad for you, in case you didn't know.  But I digress.  So when I quit smoking, I started the South Beach Diet the next day.  It was great because my biggest smoking trigger was cocktail hour, and on the first few weeks of South Beach, you don't have cocktail hour.  Well you do have a five o'clock hour, but it is a seltzer, with a lime if you want to jazz it up.

I actually lost several pounds right after I quit smoking on this regime, but at about the age of 45, my metabolism just stopped.  Dead in its tracks.  I am 48 now, and do not want to enter the next phase of my life with sugar, blood pressure or heart issues.  All of which can happen even if you are just 20 pounds heavier than you should be (that would be moi).  At least that's what Dr. Oz tells us, and I think he is just the smartest guy out there.  And he's cute, too! That motivates me.

So, here's what I offer up this week:  No deprivation...unless you want to cut out one vice.  For me, that will be my wine (it's my sugar).  Whine.  I may have a toast for Annie's birthday on Wednesday, but not overindulge.  I sometimes do that.  Overindulge.  So the wine is out for a while.  What I want to focus on is adding more good things.

Here's what I'm adding this week:

• More water (double the intake every day)
• More exercise (at least an hour a day--and you don't have to do it all at once)
• More food in its natural state and nothing prepared (no Triscuits, Wheat Thins...)
• Take my calcium every day (I don't always)

I am purposely not setting too many goals because I want to end this week feeling like I did what I said I was going to do.  You know: Walk The Walk.

I am going to post some of my activities on my Twitter, and you can see it on the right side of this post.  Better yet, get yourself a Twitter account (Free!) and do your own twittering.  It is fun, and slightly addictive at times.  Any way, I think I will update my progress here on Mondays, and hope you will all try to add something good to your day.  I really enjoy your company, and I look forward to growing old and wise with you all!  What will you do?

xoxo, Mental Mama

Peaceful Rhodes

All my hurts my garden spade can heal.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson