Going Topless

Back when I had to work for a living, one of the things I endured was going out to lunch with salesmen from my company and from other companies.  One day a man I knew dropped in to see if I was available for a noontime meal.  He also wanted to show off his new convertible. 

This car was not an especially fancy car, and having been driven around before in Lincoln Continentals and Jaguars, I was not overly impressed.  He asked if I wanted to put the top down, and I said no.  While he complied on the ride to the restaurant, on the way back, he insisted on putting it down.  When we got to my office 10 minutes later, he looked at me and said, "Wow!  Your hair is a mess!"  Right. 

I figured that had I had a hair elastic or a hat, I might have fared better.  I also envisioned the glam movie star look with a lovely scarf wrapped neatly around my head, softly framing my face.  That was more than 12 years ago, and I had not had the opportunity to go topless in that time.  Not until earlier this week.

My sister doesn't happen to own a 12 or 15 passenger van, so when we gave her our children for a few days so we could run away to St. Augustine, she got our van, too.  Since we met halfway between our two homes, we took possession of my BIL's Jeep.  Last Sunday was cool and rainy, so we kept the top up, and the few days we were in St. Augustine, we mostly walked around the historic district.  But for the ride home on Tuesday and the ride to get the kids on Wednesday, we had gorgeous weather: 70-something temps and sunny skies.

I put my hair back in a ponytail/bun and attempted a stylish wrapping of my head with a pretty blue-patterned silk scarf.  Shockingly (!), real life isn't like the movies.  I am sure that movie stars never rode in vehicles traveling at highways speeds.  A loose wrap did nothing to prevent flying hair, and a tighter attempt made me feel like I was strangling myself.  I also had a heavier scarf to keep the chill off my shoulders, and I did try using that as well.  However, that scarf, lovely though it is, is from the Middle East, and instead of looking like a movie star, I looked like a Muslim.

For a bit, I just let the wind pull the tendrils from my ponytail, thinking it would be good enough.  But the force generated by a car going 70 mph turns even little sections of hair into vicious whips, mercilessly lashing at my sensitive ears and face.  And when we stopped for gas, I realized that somehow even the the hair on the top of my head secured by the ponytail had managed to get tangled.  After I smoothed all that out and re-secured the ponytail, I tried the silk scarf once again.  This time, I put the middle of the scarf under my ponytail, pulled the ends up to the top of my head, tightly crossed them and brought them back under my ponytail where I tied them off.

My ears were protected; my hair was covered.  The scarf stayed in place.  I didn't look like a movie star, but I didn't look like a Muslim.

I looked like a chemo patient.

Oh well.

When we returned the Jeep, my sister asked what I thought, and I really didn't have a chance to give a full assessment.  I did enjoy having the wind all around, and was happy to note that I could hear my husband when we talked.  But we didn't talk all that much, which is not normal for us.  Talking on a cell phone, even with the top up, was extremely difficult.  This is fine if you are avoiding people, but if you are trying to arrange dinner plans or find a hotel, it's not so good.  And if the President is going to visit your husband's place of work in a few days, it might mean pulling over to the side of the road for 10 or 15 minutes once or twice for him to take a call.

I'm not bitter.

Too much.

Well, at least it's not directed at my husband.

The tangled hair issue is something I would have to deal with before ever buying a Jeep or other convertible.  A quick look online revealed lots of people who think (wrongly) that a ponytail or a pretty scarf will be enough.  Again, if you don't go above 30 mph, they might be right.

There are two other issues with a convertible.  One is sunburn.  Bill was wearing short sleeves the first day we drove with the top down, and his right arm got nice and red.  Perhaps there was sunscreen in the glove box, but I'm not the sort to go rummaging through another person's car.

The other is the possibility of theft.  Normally I don't carry around expensive things, but since we were traveling we had an overnight bag, a backpack with a really super nice Nikon camera, and a leather briefcase with a crappy netbook computer we wish someone would steal - but not if it also meant the loss of the briefcase.  We own very few truly nice things, but those few things all happened to be in the Jeep with us.  While the top was down, one of us stayed with the vehicle at all times.  When we went to get the kids on Wednesday, we had none of that, and I was much less concerned about having an unattended car.

But, I do think the Jeep was fun.  I don't think I feel I "have" to have one, but I wouldn't be upset if that was the car my husband decided to buy.

The Mistress (aka: the military)

Why my husband's blackberry started going crazy last weekend and didn't stop all.week.long, even though he was on "vacation":

President Visits Fort Stewart

Book Review and Giveaway

I'm back from my mini-vacation to St. Augustine.  More on that later.  I was supposed to have this book review done for TODAY, so I don't have time to blog about sunny skies and warm temperatures and driving in a Jeep with the top down.

Did Blogger change its format, or is my computer all wacky?

*******

I am honored today to introduce to you Sarah Reinhard.  Perhaps you know her already?  If not, you are in for a treat.  I've "known" Sarah since before I moved to Kansas many years ago (2007).  I actually met her on that move, since she lives not too far from my brother, and I went to see him en route to Kansas.  My husband is not the sort of person to agree to drop in on a total stranger, because virtual friends are not "real" friends, right?  But I built up this plan for quite some time by telling him about Sarah, the Snoring Scholar.  I added the bit of information that she "lived on a farm in Ohio" because that adds gravitas in my world.  I'm from Ohio.  I have relatives who live on farms in Ohio.  I played on farms in Ohio as a child.  Living on a farm in Ohio doesn't guarantee coolness, but it certainly adds in your favor.  It didn't take long for Sarah, the Snoring Scholar, who lives on a farm in Ohio, to become a common topic in our house.  To this day, I can't just say "Sarah Reinhard" without my husband adding in the rest.

Way back then, Sarah was just a blogger.  Now, though, Sarah has more than a few published works to her name.  I highly recommend Welcome Baby Jesus: Advent and Christmas Reflections for Families and Welcome Risen Jesus: Lenten and Easter Reflections for Families.  I have not yet read her Do I Really Have to Give Something up for Lent? but for $1.50, I don't think you could be disappointed.

And now Sarah has a book-book, not just a pamphlet type book to brag about: Catholic Family Fun: A Guide for the Adventurous, Overwhelmed, Creative or Clueless.  That link has a bit more about Sarah, a fancy summary of what her book is all about, and some lovely endorsements from other Catholic blogger/authors.  I don't have anything new to add to what is written, really.  I feel like a Rush Limbaugh listener who calls in and says "Ditto!"  


But perhaps I do have a few things to add.  First of all, I have two copies to give away.  Just leave a comment here, and I'll enter your name in for a random drawing selection to be held on Tuesday, May 1st, promptly at noon.  I'll even put it on my calender so I don't forget.  

Secondly, I think this book is most appropriate for families with a preponderance of children under the age of 10.  This is not to say that older children would not be interested in any of the activities; it is merely to assist those of you with multiple ages in deciding if it would be right for you.  Half of my children are under the age of 10, and, experienced though I am, I still found many of her suggestions interesting and useful in sparking my own creative ideas on things to do as a family.  My older boys, though, are into a different brand of fun.  Sarah does not include canoeing, fishing, camping or anything involving fire, and I suspect that this is because her son is still but a toddler.  Definitely, though, if you have young children, this book would be great for you.  


And lastly, don't let the word "Catholic" in the title throw you off.  This is not a book about how to make praying the rosary seem exciting or having your kids memorize the names of the books of the Bible in order or charades where you guess which title of Mary they are (is that Queen of Angels or Queen of Apostles?).  Rather, this book is primarily ideas for doing things as a family with additional ideas for how to make it Catholic thrown in (which you can take or leave).  So don't feel that you or your family isn't Catholic enough to enjoy this book, but also realize that incorporating our Catholic faith into normal, family fun is very easy and also beneficial.  Having fun together as a family strengthens the family, and having some faith-base to those activities strengthens our faith.


Of further interest: Sarah has a Catholic Family Fun link on her blog.  Pauline Books has a whole Catholic Family Fun website which promises monthly updates and new material.  And of course, there is the Catholic Family Fun Facebook page.


Don't forget to enter to win by leaving a comment!

Life is good

I am reclining in a room in a small bed and breakfast in Saint Augustine, Florida, and my children are hundreds of miles away happily visiting cousins. If only my husband's blackberry would shut up, life would be great.

Looking Closer at the Hail Mary

I'm guest blogging today over at Sarah Reinhard's place, The Snoring Scholar, where she's been doing a series on the Hail Mary, one word at a time.  Thank goodness, she gave me something meaty - blessed - instead of a preposition!  She is so kind to make this tired brain not have to work so hard.

Old Enough to be a Grandma

I was doing some pregnant woman bonding with a woman I happened to see in the maternity section of the store on post.  She is due in 10 days and her husband just left for training in Louisiana.  He *hopes* to be back around the due date, but the training is scheduled until mid-May.  This baby is their first.

She has a doula, which is great.  And she told me that her mother-in-law is coming this weekend to be with her and help her, especially in case her husband doesn't make it home in time.  Then she paused and told me that I reminded her of her mother-in-law.

{sigh}

I am sure that her mother-in-law is young and hip.

And I'm seriously considering the need to wear makeup every day.

And he wanted to quit piano...

What gets my teenager all excited?  Piano sheet music for two of his current favorite shows and the chance to annoy his sisters by playing them.

I'll admit that the Knight Rider theme song will get on my nerves, too, if he plays it excessively.

But I think the song from The Adventures of Tintin is pretty cool.  And how can I not love the internet that enables me to obtain such an obscure piece?

Because the media understands law better than the High Court

Not only are the Supreme Court justices unelected, and hence rouge authoritarian usurpers of power, they are stupid, too.

Could possible misunderstanding on ObamaCare cloud Supreme Court deliberations?

I guess I'm pretty stupid, too, for thinking that lawyers who stand before the Supreme Court are supposed to know their stuff and argue persuasively.  And I'm also confused about the whole coverage issue, too: I mean, the government is actually only forcing people to buy a tiny bit of coverage, not a whole lot, and that makes so much difference.  Yeah, now that we've cleared up that issue, I'm all for socialized medicine.

Sorry, politics make me sarcastic.

Beautiful sculpture

‘Heart-rending’: Young Slovakian sculptor captures post-abortion pain, mercy and forgiveness

Natural Consequences

We're taking a spring break this week, but...

...yesterday, Billy and I finished editing his paper on Ancient Egypt that was supposed to be done weeks ago.  I am so glad that is finally done.  So is he!

...I told Fritz he had to spend a few minutes every day working on the second of three Shakespearean sonnets he needs to memorize.  He should be working on the third by now, but that first one was tough, and I wasn't persistent, so it didn't get memorized as quickly as it could have been/should have been.

...Katie.  Oh, my.  I told her last week and the week before that refusing to read her history book was going to make her a very sad little girl this week.  And she is.  She had to spend a whole hour yesterday morning locked in my bedroom reading.  A whole hour of her Easter Monday.  And now, on Easter Tuesday, she is once again banished for a whole hour to the solitude of my room to spend some time with Robert E. Lee.  It is quite possible that tomorrow, she will need to spend a little bit more time in there to finish up.  On her way up, the tears started flowing and she cried, "How come nobody else has to do school work?"  It is because I am a tyrant, and a cruel woman, who maliciously singles out students who, oddly enough, did not do their work when they were told to do it.

Happy Easter

Easter coffee: after weeks and weeks of black java, that first mug yesterday morning with flavored creamer was delightfully decadent.  I bought two small jugs of that stuff, and when it's gone, I'll be back to plain cafe latte, which is quite yummy enough.

By early afternoon, I told Bill: May God strike me dead if I eat another jelly bean today.  He looked at me in horror, but not to worry: I had had more than enough sugar for the day.  Dessert plans were completely scrapped, and I made all my stomach-achy children eat a small, but wholesome dinner, insisting that real food would make us all feel better.  It worked for me.  Next year: no homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast.  I think that just sent us over the edge.


Peter really wanted an egg hunt yesterday.  I did remember to put one bag of candy aside to fill eggs, but just couldn't imagine these kids needed any more sugar.  Maybe today.  I'd hope that he forgets, but I doubt he will.

We attended the Easter Vigil Mass, and Peter and Mary were asleep by the 2nd or 3rd reading.  Dark, quiet room plus bedtime hour equals parents who don't have to reprimand squirmy little ones.  Works for me.

The boys were servers and due to altar crowding were sitting in the front row near the nun who is our "Pastoral Assistant" or something like that.  Sister Mary Ann is a very nice woman.  But she reprimanded the boys for their behavior.  One wasn't sitting up straight enough.  The other was coughing because of the incense.  They were hot that she corrected them.  I'm not sure what was more offensive to them: being unjustly corrected (they felt), being corrected by somebody who wasn't a priest or deacon (they have a very clear understanding of the chain of command), or having parents who did not share their ire.  That's what nuns do, we said.  They yell at kids who aren't behaving the way they think they should be.  We then went on to describe that scene from The Blues Brothers where The Penguin beats the daylights out of Elwood and Jake, and added our own stories of terrifying nuns  (although I did also mention my 3rd grade teacher, Sister St. Angela, who was the sweetest woman on the planet in my 8 year old opinion).  I'm certain we have now ruined any chances of our daughters dedicating themselves to the religious life.

The girls had matching Easter dresses - no pictures.  I was still doing some hand-stitching on the way to Mass, and Mary's lining was not completely done.  I'll finish them this week.  Katie picked out the pattern, which was Butterick.  Simplicity is so much simpler.  I'll have to try to steer her away from other companies in the future.  I will say, though, that if you make three of the exact same dress, you get pretty good at it.  And if you have decent help in the form of a 10 year old daughter who knows how to thread the machine and do basic stitching, you can really make quick progress.

I did not finish my own dress, but I'll work on it today.  After much angst over how to convert a non-maternity pattern to a maternity pattern, I finally realized all I had to do was move the front panel of the skirt pattern 6 inches away from the fold to add 12 inches of extra fabric which could be gathered to fit the empire waist top half.  I experimented on the lining, and it looked fine, so I'll proceed with the rest.  My needles were getting dull, though, and the thread kept breaking, so I need to run to the store first.  I'm hopeful that it will look nice when it's all done.  I did this dress as an experiment because I have another dress to make for a gala in 11 days - same modified pattern, but longer.  I need to get stitching.

Wishing everyone a lovely Easter week.