To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

I cannot contain my excitement. Through a very lucky strike of fate (read: Divine Intervention), I am about to get a brand, spanking new BED.

Don't get me wrong, my current bed and I have been through some good times. Almost 10 years of slumber- its gotten me through a nasty car accident, a few surgeries, a 2 year battle against mononucleosis, and the odd night with a sick child next to me.

But the poor bed is definitely warn, and sadly it is time to part ways. Miraculously, through the absolute kindness of a complete stranger whom I have never met, I am about to go chose one of the most expensive beds money can buy. I am giddy. I revel in the thought of a good night's rest, without waking to my aching back & neck. I am elated! There are not enough happy and thankful words for me to use.

For anyone looking for a bed in the UT area, consider http://www.mycomfortmyway.com/. It is run by the local Pearce family, and while they are strangers to me, they are family in spirit for their act of selflessness.

HOORAY for the hope of a great night's rest! And many, many thanks to the Pearce Family, and the good Lord for this HUGE blessing.

Me, Myself and I?

We had an "incident" in our home today which turned out to highlight what I'm thinking is a bigger problem. My child was given a little Poodle-Japanese Chin mix puppy a few months ago. His name is Starbuck and he is arguably the cutest puppy around (don't tell my dog, Mr. Frodo the Shiz Tzu). While his cuteness is undeniable, his stealth is downright lethal. I've tripped over him (including a painful tumble down the stairs), stepped on a little paw a time or 2. He's little- 7 lbs, and won't be getting any bigger. We will adjust & pray he lives a long life.

This morning, however, my little one stepped on the little one...and broke the dog's leg. Drama ensued. I had to take the day off from work, stay with the pooch, take him to the vet. $500 later, he'll be home- in a cast- some time tomorrow. All a part of parenthood, I say (as if I really know).

Shock & Awe (but not really)

I was driving around the other day, listening to NPR, and really trying to pay attention to different advertisements, billboards & signs. I'm in graphic design now, and I was just trying to soak up ideas. In the process, I noticed something: our music performers (note I don't use the term musicians), are just trying to out-shock each other. The story on the radio was related to how our many manufactured pop stars are giving up actual talent to display their...assets. And maybe, just maybe, after almost 2 decades of this kitsch, this methodology is beginning to falter.

I always thought I was a liberal person. But now that I am raising a very impressionable 10-year old, I'm realizing how much garbage is shoved down our throats 24/7. Turns out, at the end of the day I am pretty conservative. When I was growing up, I loved music (still do, for the record), but it was about the music. Madonna was just on the scene and she was scandalous. The Cure was edgy and dark. I remember when Ozzy did his bat biting. But it was kind of a take-it-or-leave-it deal. If that was your bag, great. If not, great. I never felt inundated by it. You had to go out and find the perverse. Not anymore.

Tic Toc

Some time ago I inherited my great-grandmother's bed side clock. She must have picked it up on one of her travels. Its a Linden Blackforest wind up clock made in "West Germany" by Cuckcoo. The clock is small- only about 2 1/2" tall by 2 1/2" wide. It is looks like it is made of brass, with roses inlaid on the sides and on the face serving as a delicate decoration.

A few years back I placed the clock in my living room and would wind it up when company was due, because friends would chide they stayed too long, never knowing what time it was. But that was short-lived. This little clock has a lovely, strong "tic toc" sound. I love it! For me it was soothing, metronomic. For visitors, it was an annoyance. And back to the bedroom it went. Every now and again I find myself winding the clock for comfort. It still functions like a champ. The seconds pass as if a heartbeat, steady and true.

What's For Dinner?

If you know me, you know that cooking is my form of therapy. And boy- have I been in need of therapy lately! Around 9pm last night I began cooking today's dinner- lasagna. Mind you, I make this about once a decade. While I love the dish, I'm not so fond of a.) the expense of making it and b.) the calories involved in consuming it.

After putting my child to bed, I set to work in the kitchen. Dicing, picking herbs from my little garden, sauteing, mixing, layering. It was an absolute delight. For 2 hours I completely lost track of time and was blissfully engaged in making my version of an edible masterpiece. Woes melted away and the kitchen and I became one. Sound cheesy? For sure- ricotta style.

Once cleanup & some TV catch-up (LOST!!!!), I finally wandered upstairs to hit the hay. And for some reason, despite the ridiculously late hour, I was refreshed. Cooking is good for my soul. Its my means of self-expression. To feed you is to tell you I love you. And couldn't we all use a little more love in our lives? The last thing I remember before falling asleep-- the smell of homemade pasta sauce and herbs. For that brief moment between waking and sleep, all was right with my little world...

My Mom, Miryam

OK...she'll probably kill me after posting this, but this post is brief but loving homage to my mom. She is a very modest woman, and not at all worldly in any sense, so I know she is not comfortable with public commentary. I will share the following only because other people deserve to know how blessed I am, and despite all the bad & crazy stuff going on in the world, there are good, decent, loving people around us.

My mom was born and raised in what she refers to as the poorest part of her country- El Cerro of Montevideo, Uruguay. She didn't have an easy life, but she had people in her life who love her, in their own ways, including her parents. At the age of just 19, she married my father and moved to the United States. Can you imagine leaving your country, culture, family, identity behind and heading for another continent? I don't know what went through my mom's mind. I don't know how she had the courage to come to a country whose language (at that time) she did not speak. There was no email, no skype, no cell phones. I think about that kind of decision in this day and age and think its completely nuts. But without her wisdom and courage, I wouldn't have been born in such a privileged and wealthy nation (yes- in this country we're rich, even when we are "poor"). I could have been a third world statistic.

Dental Gems of Truth (according to me)

Although well past my 30th year on this earth, at least once a week I am still the delightful recipient of a call from my mom. Mom is technologically challenged, but has been slowly catching up to the pack. On a recent visit, I gave mom my old cellphone and she is proudly using it (a HUGE step forward!). Last night during one of these such calls, mom asked if I had blogged recently, and if not, when would I.

This simple notion made me smile to myself. 2 months ago, mom could barely open her facebook account. Now she wants to know when my next blog is coming out. Truth be told, I've been down & out w/ teeth problems for nearly 3 weeks. Its a long story which involves highly paid specialists, root canals (plural), meds and plenty of soft foods. I'm still kind of mumbly and don't like to talk at night because that is when I'm in the most pain.