The journey of a thousand miles...

begins with a single step. - Lao Tzu

For the last couple of years, I've hosted a Blog Challenge on ScrapShare. This year, however, we changed it up and started rotating hosts each week. This was my week. The challenge? A photo scavenger hunt! I wanted people to take photos to illustrate the following 5 things:

1. a sign of spring
2. an image of joy
3. a bad habit
4. a good word
5. a reflection of you

I've loved seeing different interpretations of the 5 prompts!

Yesterday, I was sitting here (as usual) when Elaine IMed me.
"My last student cancelled. I have an hour of free time. Should I quilt, or walk?"
"Let's walk together!" I suggested.
"I'll be right over," she joked. See, Elaine lives in Alabama.

Ten minutes later, we were walking together, however - she on her cell phone in Huntsville, me on mine in Fort Worth. I headed west and decided walk to the edge of my neighborhood and then follow a city maintenance road that goes down the bluff to the Trinity River. The road is closed to the general public, so I've never been down there, and I've always wondered what I'm missing.

First, you should realize that the mere suggestion of walking for no good reason was a victory for me. Second, I want you to understand that I made a conscious decision to walk toward the river. Big whoop, you say? Well, I knew full well that the trip TO the river was downhill all the way. (Our neighborhood sits on the bluffs above it.) I also knew that the entire trip BACK home would be uphill all the way. And still, I set out toward the river. (Can I get a whoop?)

I fully understand that this is not a big deal to 90% of the world. I even know people who purposefully park at the furthest spot in the parking lot so they can get some exercise in on their way into the store. I, however, have never been one of those people.

Elaine and I walked and talked for almost an hour. I spent some time just hanging out at the river before heading back up - soaking up the sun, feeling the spring breeze, watching the Forest Park kiddie train, listening to the birds. By the time I got back home, I'd walked 1.68 miles, the last of it uphill. My heart was pounding, my leg muscles were sizzling, my lungs were heaving. But I felt WONDERFUL. Sweat was dripping from my chin. Again, not a big deal for YOU, but a huge deal to me. I have never walked for the sake of walking. When I walk, it's because I have to in order to get from point A to point B.

Elaine and I both took our cameras, and then later in the day, I took the boys exploring along a creek that feeds into the Trinity.

a sign of spring:

Our azalea bushes bloomed this week. The ones on the left are still in the budding stage, 'cause they don't get as much direct sun as the ones on the right. Our crepe myrtles are beginning to bud out, and soon, we'll have flowers on the trees. The grass is still brown, but in a few weeks, it'll be lush and green.

an image of joy:

I've ruined my boys; I've taken so many photos of them in their young lives that they've grown to hate the camera. They groan and whine and generally refuse to participate when I want do to a photo shoot. (Doesn't stop me from snapping away while they're oblivious, though, but that's not the point, now, is it?) Yesterday, all the planets aligned and they actually agreed to this pose! It could've been that they felt brave and adventurous perched on the precipice of death, what with that trickling creek roaring past WAY DOWN THERE 8 feet below. ;) Usually, Mom is harping: "Watch your step. Be careful. Pay attention to where you're going. Don't FALL!!!" This time, Mom was saying, "Scoot closer to the edge. No, it's okay. A little closer. You won't fall. Do you think I'd tell you to do something that would make you die? Come on. CLOSER!" Pure astonishment. Followed by joy.

a bad habit:

I've gotten better, really I have. Used to be, I'd have to stop at Sonic DAILY for my habitual dose of Diet Coke with vanilla. These days, I can go a full week without stopping. But yesterday morning, something just wasn't right. I couldn't concentrate on anything, 'cause all I could think about was 44 ounces of delectable goodness. At 10:00, I finally succumbed. I drove to Sonic, ordered my drink, and chased impending doom away with a single slurp. Ah. Bad habits are so good.

a good word:

The boys have rarely had an actual babysitter. Usually, Darren and I plan our dates around other peoples' schedules, meaning either Dani babysits, or we go out when the boys are hanging out with Grammy. One night last October, though, we found ourselves in need of hired help, so we called on my trusted, capable, fun friend Nikki. The boys think Nikki is REALLY COOL, 'cause she is. They were thrilled to have her over, and I was thrilled to return home that night to discover this on my chalkboard. This little note takes up a full 1/3 of "Grand Central", the chalkboard where we all track the week's events. Dani's work schedule, doctor's appts, the boys' Webkinz passwords, etc... everything we need to know is written on that board. But I gave strict instructions to my family: DO NOT ERASE THIS MESSAGE. EVER. IF YOU DO, I WILL THROW YOU IN THE DUNGEON. Almost 6 months later, it's still here. And it still makes me happy to see it, every. single. day.

a reflection of me:

Elaine and I snapped self-portraits on our walk. I had my 50mm lens on, so it was impossible to get a good shot. This is as far as my stumpy arm would stretch. :)

See the sparkle in my eye? You might think it's a relection of the sun. Maybe. I like to think of it as hope. I'm reclaiming my life. One step at a time. Doctor appointment in 50 minutes. Gotta run. (I'll probably park far out in the lot, just 'cause. Don't faint.)

the wai-ai-ting is the hardest part....

Sometimes you don't realize how badly you want something until you have to wait for it.
In fact, that's usually my criteria for knowing if I really want something. I'm an impulse shopper. If I see it and want it, I almost can't stand not having it. But nine times out of ten, I don't indulge myself, and I find that within hours, and sometimes before I even reach the parking lot, that "gotta have it" feeling has passed. If after days and weeks of waiting, I STILL think I gotta have it, that's a pretty good indication that I really do want it. Make sense?

So, when I first mentioned The Biggest Loser audition, I thought it would be really cool, a great opportunity, and even somewhat fun. I gave it my all - put everything I could into the video audition, filled out my application honestly and candidly, and overnighted the whole thing to Hollywood. Then the waiting began.

It's been 3 weeks. Every day, the waiting gets harder. When will I hear? WILL I hear? I know our audition tape is fantastic, but is it good enough in the first 10 seconds to make them want to see the whole thing? I've found myself putting the immediate future on hold, in case I get cast. I don't want to make plans, you know, in case I'm "at the Ranch".

Recently, I've come to a realization:
It's not the SHOW I want so badly - it's the life change.
I've decided that with or without The Biggest Loser, I'm ready to do this.
And instead of waiting to see if the show will be the catalyst that changes my life, I've realized that *I* must do it, regardless of the show.

There's something to be said about deciding it's acceptable to go on national TV, with millions of viewers, and show your ugliest side(s). That I am willing to do so astounds me! In real life, I only wear big baggy t-shirts, and I'm constantly tugging them down. I don't show my legs, ever. But there's been a stirring deep within me....

I'm waiting on news from the show. If they want to see me, I'll be there in a HEARTBEAT. But if they don't, I'm not waiting around. This is my time. I've got plans, and I'm seein' 'em through. I don't know exactly what has changed inside of me, but something has. I'm ready to do this thing.

• Friday: appointment with Dr. J to discuss him overseeing my weight loss (I've already gotten pre-approval from my insurance company)
• Monday: first Yoga class with Megan; meeting with nutritionist

----->cool story here. Megan is my neighbor. SWEETEST girl ever! She's going to work with me one on one until I feel secure enough to enter the studio in a group setting. (TELL me THIS. Why am I okay with doing it on TV, but NOT in a room of 30 women? WHY?) Megan's good friend Amanda, a "nutritional/fitness life coach", has offered to work with me at no charge! The cool thing? It turns out, Amanda is also Darren's massage therapist. He only goes once every 2-3 months. Small world!

Next week's schedule:

• M-Th - Nia (yoga) with Megan, transitioning to T/Th in a class if I like it
• M-W-F - walk 1/2 mile to boys' school and 1/2 mile back
• T-Th - dance/weight workout at Cara's, with Cara and Kristi (FUN!)
• every day - get up and move enough to get my heart rate going, for 3-5 minutes every hour

Two other things I'm considering: this, and this.

And THIS. Crack. Me. UP!! If I could just blow $300 for the fun of it and not have to worry about feeding my family, this chair would be on its way to me TODAY. I'd lop off a boob or two if I tried to work in it (can you imagine? My working tools involve sharp blades!), but I think I'd get a GREAT workout just laughing my abs off! HA! (Then again, I get the same ab workout just watching Ellen!)

The waiting is still the hardest part. I'll continue to wait for word from The Biggest Loser.

But reclaiming my life? I'm not waiting any longer.
:)

Paying it Forward

I've seen this PIF on several blogs over the last couple of months, and finally felt the urge to "sign up" when I saw it on my friend Veronica's blog. I didn't know if she'd allow me to participate, though, because I've been the lucky recipient of several hand-made gifts from her in the past. She's a talented artist in SEVERAL art forms - beading, knitting, quilting, and scrapbooking. I can't wait to see what she makes me!

Now it's my turn to PIF. Here's the deal, cut and pasted from V's blog:

"The idea of the exchange is I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on this blog post requesting to join this PIF (Pay It Forward) exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog - this means you must have a blog - sorry, blogless readers."

So who will be the first three to sign up? (and what will I make them? LOL)

Personal Bests

Aidan ran his 2nd 5k this morning, and Darren his 4th.

On the way to Trinity Park for the Fort Worth Bunny Boogie, I told Aidan that he was allowed to take off and leave Dad behind if he wanted. The course followed the Trinity River along the jogging trail for 1.5 miles before turning and doubling back down the trail. There was no way he'd get lost or confused about where to go. Plus, I knew that Darren's coworker Bryan would be ahead of Aidan, and would be watching for him after he finished. :)

After the starting gun, Ian and I jumped in the car and raced down the course to the 7th Street Bridge so we could see the guys running. I was able to get some awesome photos from up there.

After I snapped the photos, Ian and I raced back down the hill to the car, and sped toward the finish line. We made it with about 45 seconds to spare; Aidan was already hauling toward the finish line! He beat his previous race time by THREE MINUTES! His official time was 31:16. Darren set a personal best as well, but was about 2.5 minutes behind Aidan. (Just found the official results - Darren's time was 33:28. He pushed it at the end, because there was a 71-year old woman on his heels - she crossed the finish line 11 seconds behind him. He said he refused to be beaten by an old lady. lol!)

They started out together and stayed side by side for the first half of the race, while Darren set the pace for Aidan. Aidan was able to maintain the pace and ended up leaving Darren in his dust at the halfway mark; he even had enough fuel leftover to kick in his booster rockets at the end.

He placed 1st in his age category. To be fair, he was the only kid in his age bracket, so he placed last, too. HA! But whatever. He bested his time, and that's reward enough.

Coincidentally, Bryan and his wife Julie ran their personal bests, too.

Next race: the Fort Worth Zoo RunRun, April 19.

If you're a grandparent reading this, maybe you oughta start planning a trip to Cowtown. ;)

LaVerniaPalooza

How to have a perfect spring break:

Hit the road with movies aplenty, 44 ounces of Sonic Diet Coke with Vanilla, and strawberry Twizzlers. Stop in the Austin area to spend the night with Jeanne; manage to meet up with other friends for scrapbook shopping and dinner while you're there.

Arrive at Joanie's the next day in time for lunch. Toss the kids (7 total) outside for hours of springtime fun. Spend your day chatting with girlfriends.

Climb into bed that night and actually enjoy the bits of sand that the kids have sprinkled about. It reminds you that they had a wonderful day. Wake up to the smell of coffee and children giggling, and your 6-year old climbing on your back saying, "You have to wake up, Mom. That lady said." Look at the clock, realize that it's not even 8 a.m., and you have the whole day ahead of you.

Don't make plans. Instead, plan to have no plans, and just fly by the seat of your pants. Maybe you'll unpack your scrapbook stuff, maybe you won't. (I did.) Maybe you'll cook dinner, maybe you'll order pizza. It's all good.

Wake up on the second morning and realize that a miracle has happened: there have been no kid fights, no name calling, no hitting, no tattling. There have been no broken toys, no hurt feelings, no angry words. It's been BLISSFUL. You find yourself wondering if you husband would be willing to telecommute from La Vernia, Texas. Your host promises that there are inner city ministries in San Antonio that you could plug in to.

Find joy in the little things, like the sound of rain on the roof, the blue of the sky the next day, the millipede on the driveway, piling on the bed with your girlfriends to watch American Idol together, the primitive church in town where you'd swear Reverend Alden once preached. You'll have no cell service in rural La Vernia, but you'll find that you're okay with that, which both surprises you and satisfies you.

Finish it off with a drive through the countryside, stopping for photo ops in China Grove ("the people of the town are strange, but they're proud of where they came.... well I'm talkin' 'bout China Grove. Whoa oh oh, OHoh, China Grove...") and the Pancho Villa Lounge.

Laugh a LOT.

Smile a lot.

Talk deep into the night about things that matter.

Realize that this life you live is charmed and beautiful, and what makes it so is the people with whom you spend your days.

Count your blessings.

Return home just in time to see the sun setting over your neighborhood, where the cat is happy to see you and your husband meets you at the backdoor. Life is good.

Life is good.

4 of 5

4/5ths of us are back home in Cowtown tonight. Dani's still in Tennessee. We had wonderful trips; I'll update with photos tomorrow.

For now, I'm gonna follow my friend Melissa's lead and blog something that made me smile each day this week:

Sunday: "Mom!! You did GREAT picking our movies!" - said by Ian, who told me to surprise him with which road trip movies I packed.

Monday: Playing patty cake with Avery.

Tuesday: digging into a brand new jar of creamy peanut butter. There's something about doing that that makes me GIDDY inside. I love it when I'm the lucky one to open a new jar!

Wednesday: the following conversation:
Samuel (8 years old): Mrs. Kocur, I owe you a dollar.
Me: Why do you owe me a dollar?
Samuel: Because you said we could spend a dollar at the store, and I wasn't paying attention. My toy cost two dollars.
Me: Oh, Samuel! You don't owe me a dollar. But thank you for being so honest.
Samuel: Mrs. Kocur? I feel badly about it. I want to give you a dollar.
Joanie (misty eyed): I'm tellin' you. God gave him to me to make ME a better person. He teaches me; it's not the other way around.

Today: forgetting my pillow at Joanie's, and my camera at Ginger's, which meant I had to turn around and go see them both again. They came from opposite directions and met me in a Hobby Lobby parking lot. I didn't do it on purpose, but if I'd thought about it ahead of time, I might have. ;)

away we go

As I type, the kids are all asleep in their beds, Darren's asleep in a tent somewhere on the side of Guadalupe Peak, and I'm waiting for the last load of clothes to dry.

In 6 hours, I'll drop off Dani at the airport where she'll board a plane to visit Brittani, (and of course Bobbie, Brianna and Santos) in Tennessee. She'll be there for 7 full days, and she's so excited she can't stand it! She misses her cousin so much.

After that, the boys and I will come back home and I'll do some last minute stuff around the house before heading south for a few days of relaxation. First, we'll stop in Round Rock to spend time with Jeanne, one of my most trusted friends and confidantes. I always feel so safe and loved when I'm with Jeanne; I can't wait to spend time with her again! As an added bonus, we'll meet up with some other Austin-area friends for dinner, and I'm excited to see them, too!

Monday morning, the boys and I will head further south to La Vernia, home of my funny friend Joanie. A few months ago, I was talking about where I'd like to travel this summer (turns out, with the price of gas, we WON'T be travelling), and she said, "I wanna know when you're gonna come visit ME." I replied, "Spring Break." Nothin' like inviting yourself, huh? :) Not only did I invite myself, but I invited other friends to join us as well! Diane and Sarah can't make it, but Ginger and Sue will be crashing LaVerniaPalooza, as we've lovingly dubbed it. Poor Joanie. I think she didn't expect me to take her seriously. ;) But I love me some Joanie, and I love that I won't have to share her with a whole room of 50 other scrapbookers this time. It'll just be 4 crazy women and about 12 kids. WHEE! We've made no plans, other than sitting on the front porch drinking ice cold cherry coke and watching the kids play, and that sounds delicious to me.

Ashlie Cat will watch over things here at home; Mecca and Ella Blu will visit often to give her some kitty love and some Meow Mix. :)

It's kind of weird that we're spending this spring break all separated from each other - Darren there, Dani over yonder, the boys and I down south. We're each going our own way, but our hearts are still one. Homecoming will be sweet at the end of the week. I'm already looking forward to it.:)

owwwwch

I'm an idiot. That pretty much sums it up.

Yesterday, I was acting like a 12-year old, playing around at the park with the Fortress kids. Nikki and I were sitting on a fence railing. (That alone was risky enough.) Nikki, with her svelte, athletic, 22-year old body, eased herself over the top rail so that her head was almost on the ground, her feet dangling up in the air. It looked so FUN!! I decided that I must join her.

So I, with my NOT svelte, athletic body, at the age of almost-39, positioned myself on the railing, first hoisting my dunlap up on TOP of said railing, and proceeded to ....

CRASH, headfirst onto the concrete. I landed in a heap on the grass, laughing my HEAD off, and in dire pain. You should've seen the little kids run to my rescue and try to help me up. (You COULD see it, actually, 'cause it's all on video!)I have a goose egg on top of my head. It hurts. I don't think I've had an owie like THIS since I was.... twelve.

Signs, signs, everywhere a sign

Several weeks ago, someone posed this question on the scrapbooking message board that is my home on the 'net. "What would you do, if you KNEW you would not fail?"

People answered "I'd open the quilt shop I've always dreamed of", and "I'd buy a lottery ticket".
I answered with the first thing that popped into my head: "I'd try out for The Biggest Loser."

I've only seen snippets of the show. I don't think I've ever even seen a full episode. Never ever even once have I thought I should be on the show, so for that answer to come flying out the end of my fingertips as I typed was.... odd.

The next morning, I was driving home after dropping the kids at school when I heard on the radio, "Open casting call in Dallas this weekend for The Biggest Loser." I gotta tell ya, after posting that JUST THE DAY BEFORE, I got chills up my spine thinking about. At home, I immediately logged onto ScrapShare and the very first thread I saw was titled: Biggest Loser Casting Call!! I thought to myself, "That's two signs in a row." My friend Amy had posted the details about the Dallas audition, saying, "SOMEONE said she'd like to do this. Here's your big chance, my friend!"

I replied, "It would be a logistical nightmare, figuring out how my family would run without me. I think I could make the cut for the show. I mean, I am a PRIME candidate for weight loss. I'm the right age. I have personality. I don't know if I could cut it though. That's the failure part I was talking about. GAH. This is gonna be all I think about for the rest of the day!"

Friends from across the nation (and even from other countries!) piled on the posts, encouraging me to go for it. I couldn't believe the encouragement!! I needed to talk to someone about it. So I called Darren at work, but got his voicemail. Then I called Kristi.

She said, "Stace, this is so weird. Last night I was lying in bed, and I was thinking about you being on the show! I was thinking you'd be GREAT! But I decided I'd never tell you I was thinking about it, because I'd never want you to fear that your weight bothers me. You know it doesn't. But.... you'd be perfect for that show! Do it!"

Okay, that's sign #3. Then, Darren called me back, and I told him the whole story."Do it," he said.

"But.... what about the logistics? What about the kids? I mean, I think this thing could last a long time... 3 or 4 months, maybe."

"We'll figure it out," he answered.

"I can't believe you just said that. I KNEW you'd say, 'Stace, come on. There's no way we can make it work'."

"We can make it work. We talked about this in New York."

"What?? We talked about Biggest Loser?"
"No, we talked about you getting healthy. How both of us want it. How you want to be able to do things with me." Darren was sign #4.

Then I had lunch with Dani, and I said, "I'm thinking of trying out for The Biggest Loser this Saturday."
"Wow," she replied.
"What would you think?" I asked.
"I think that would be AWESOME," she answered.
"But would you be embarrassed to have your Mom on that show?"
She snarled her lip at me and said, all huffy, "No." Then she asked, "Would YOU be embarrassed to stand on the scale with your fat hanging out on national TV?"

"You bet yer batootie I would!" I laughed.
Then I got serious and said, "It would be hard on everyone."
"It would be worth it. You'd be able to take better care of us when you got back."
"A lot of extra responsibility would fall on you," I warned.
"I know. I already thought about that. It would suck. But it would be okay. It'd be worth it."
Sign #5.

I had several instant offers from ScrapShare friends who were willing to be my partner. (Season 6 will be another "couples" season on the show.) I took that as Sign #6. But Dani had a bright idea: my neighbor. Marjorie and I went so far as taking photos together and filling out our applications. We talked about the ins and outs, the dangers and distractions, the reality of reality TV. And then mere hours before we were to attend the Open Casting Call, she had to back out.

I was strangely okay with that. I briefly considered going alone to the audition, but since I didn't have a partner to list on the application, I didn't go. Even so, I was okay with that. I posted on ScrapShare,

Marjorie backed out tonight. I'm very sad, but not beaten. There are
friends in the wings who have expressed genuine interest in doing it with
me. One is local, two are not. I have photos with the two friends who
aren't local, so that's not a problem. We have a couple of weeks to do
videos and send it in. I'm not giving up yet. But tomorrow, I'll be
sleeping in instead of standing for hours in the freezing drizzle. I
can't say I'm too bummed about THAT. lol!! Darren and I talked about me
going down there by myself, but I really think it would be a waste of
time. I mean, I don't even HAVE a partner at this moment,
and that's a requirement on the application. LOL!! Ah, well. If this thing is
meant to be, it's STILL meant to be, with or without Marjorie.

I spoke with several people about being my new partner. Cara had to decide not to, because she still has a preschooler. Several of my ScrapShare friends talked about it, too, but in the end, sign # 784 happened: Desiree.

Desi is one of my favorite friends ever. We met online years ago, and somewhere along the way, we both went on a health kick and started losing weight. When she got too small for her clothes, she sent them to me. We both left our warm home states of Texas and California and met up at a scrapbooking retreat in Wisconsin. In the winter. That's when we met in person for the first time, but we were old friends instantly. This winter, neither of us were able to return to Wisconsin for the annual retreat, but Desi was able to swing a visit to see me here in Texas! It was already booked and scheduled when we started talking about Biggest Loser, and the timing was perfect. It'd give us a chance to take fresh photos, shoot some video, and do it TOGETHER. Her husband and daughters are as supportive as my family has been. Signs, signs, everywhere a sign.

So, I'm doing this thing.
The mere fact that I'm willing to RISK (lol!) being cast on the show says a lot to me.
It says that I'm really ready to do this thing, for real this time.
Years ago, I said of Oprah, "Yah, *I* could lose all that weight too, if I had a personal trainer and a chef at my disposal, making sure I eat right." This is my chance to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

I like to say how lazy I am. That's only partially true. When I decide I want to do something, i do it all the way. When I wanted to see as much of NYC as I could, I did, even though it meant doing it with a sprained ankle. When I wanted to see Paris, I did it with everything I had, even though I was miserable with strep throat and a double ear infection. When I wanted to see Bash Bish Falls, I made the hike, even though I was 7 months pregnant and in great pain. I am capable of doing what it takes. I'm strong - both emotionally and mentally. I have immense faith in God, and He tells me that I can do all things through Him. I believe that He would include losing this weight in that promise.

I need to lose it. I have 150 pounds to lose, and even then, I'd be considered over my "ideal weight". I owe it to Darren, who didn't marry a fat girl, and who dreams of me being able to climb mountains with him. I owe it to Dani, who leaves for college in 18 months and who needs a healthy Mom she can depend on. I owe it to Aidan, who would love for me to run with him. I owe it to Ian, who loves me with everything in him, even though I'm a girl. I owe it to my friends, to my parents, to my sister. I owe it to the kids at Fortress who make me laugh and make me cry and make me remember why God put me in this place. And I owe it to God. He has plans for me. He promised. Plans to give me a hope and a future. It's time I took that seriously. I want that future. I owe it to ME.

Igniting Hope

Yesterday after school, Dani came home and asked, "Hey Mom, would you consider letting me skip school tomorrow and going to Dallas with a bunch of kids from my school?"

"Uh, NO," I answered immediately. "Why on earth do you wanna go to Dallas?"

"Obama is speaking at a rally."

"WELL. I'd consider letting you go, but only if I can come too!"

I've had a hard time figuring out for the last decade just "what I am". I'm not really Republican - I'm too liberal. But I'm not really a Democrat, either; I'm too conservative. Today, I figured it out: I'm Obamican.

Seriously, and I know this sounds completely programmed, but I'm ready for change. And I know this sounds completely rhetorical, but Obama inspires HOPE within me FOR that change.

I've known that Obama is an amazing speaker, so I was excited to experience that for myself. But what I was really interested in is what I HAVEN'T heard much of: what his plans are, what his ideas involve, and how he thinks he can make it all happen.

Dani and I and 3 friends (including another Mom) arrived at Reunion Arena in Dallas at 9:30. Already, the line snaked around and around and around the building, onto the lawn, and throughout the parking garage. We worried that we wouldn't gain entrance to the rally. Instead, after 2.5 hours in line, we scored seats directly behind the podium in the lower level. The fire department closed the doors when the arena reached capacity (17,000 people), and various reports have stated that 1000 people were left outside, unable to get in.

The energy was dynamic; you could FEEL the waves of electricity in the air. I sat back and watched the crowd, so very diverse, as old women and young men high-fived, as business people in suits and inner city kids in bagging pants mingled, as middle class Moms traded cameras with upper class spectators. And I felt the movement. I became PART of it. YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN. YES WE CAN.

I clapped my hands and waved my arms during Kool and the Gang's "Celebration". I mentally noted Eric Clapton's "Change the World" and thought, "That'll be the title of my page when I scrapbook this event. I danced my feet off during "Unwritten", which is one of my favorite songs anyway, but which I will now always associate with today's rally. And I felt the movement.

I rose to my feet when he spoke of college tuition assistance, involving students "giving back" with community service in exchange for college money. I cheered when he promised to "take away tax breaks from companies that are shipping jobs overseas". I pumped my arms when he said he'd find a way to keep the minimum raise on par with inflation. And I felt the movement.

But it was THIS statement that clinched it for me: after a moderate paragraph or five that highlighted the differences between him and Clinton, he said, "But you're not here because of what you're against. You're here because you have hope."

“There is a moment in the life of every generation when that spirit of hope has to shine through,” Mr. Obama said. “This is our moment. This is our time."

I'm making it official tomorrow, when I vote early.

I not only feel the movement.

I'm becoming part of it.

-----

You can see Dani and me in a photo here. (photo #13)

I'd buy it for the scrapbook, but the Dallas Morning News wants THIRTY-FIVE DOLLARS for it, and I don't have that kind of scratch. lol! (We're near the bottom left - I'm wearing a pink blouse over a black tank. Dani and one of her friends are sitting on the ground.)

Here are some of the photos that Dani took:

resemblance

So,

we're sitting here watching American Idol, flipping between that and The Biggest Loser (I think we're the last people on the planet without Tivo), when Aidan shouts out, "Hey!! He looks just like Brittani!"


Brittani is my niece.
"He" is Jason Castro.
You be the judge:





But it wasn't just the eyes, the nose, the mouth.
It was his mannerisms, too!
So. Completely. FREAKY.

bad words

Today, I picked up a friend's kid from school and took him home. (I'll let her out herself if she wants. For now, we'll call him Bob. lol!)

As soon as Bob got in my car, his 1st Grade teacher approached the window and said, "Bob had to see the Principal twice today for saying a bad word."

Driving down the road, I said ,"Bob, why did you say a bad word??"
"I didn't know it was a bad word."
"What word did you say?"
"Well, uh. Well. Am I allowed to say it?"
"Yes, you can say it this time."
"Can I say it in front of Aidan and Ian?"
"Yes, go ahead."
"Well, can I say it in front of YOU?"
"This time, yes. Go ahead."
"I won't get in trouble??"
"No, Bob, you won't get in trouble."
"Okay. I said 'ass'."

Actually, to be fair, another kid said it first, and Bob thought out loud, "Hey! I can spell that. A-S-S. Ass!" The teacher sent both kids straight to the principal. When they arrived back in the classroom, one of the other students asked, "Bob, why did you get in trouble?"
Bob has a rather loud voice. He answered, "I said ASS." I can just imagine how it happened. The room was abuzz with chatter, and then fell eerily silent just in time for his word to reach the teacher's ears. lol!! I know that's happened to you, too! So Teacher sent Bob to the Principal again.

After we dropped Bob off at home, Ian said, "What does ass mean?"
I answered, "It's a bad word, Ian."
"But what does it MEAN?"
"You know how 'butt' is a rude word for 'bottom'? Well, "ass" is an even worse word."
Ian screwed up his face like he does when he thinks something is stupid.
"Why is THAT bad? It's just a word for bottom."
"Because it's a CUSS WORD, Ian."
"What's a cuss word?" asked Aidan.

Man, these are the conversations that make being a Mom a hard job.

"A cuss word is when you're trying to be nasty, or mean, or just bad. People use cuss words at those times instead of just saying 'bottom'".
They still didn't get it.
I considered using "sh*t" as another example, but immediately decided against it.

And now I'm waiting, and wondering which of them is gonna say "ass" first.
And when it happens, I'm gonna have to be The Mom and bite my cheeks to keep from snickering.

Homework

I don't remember having homework as a 1st Grader.

Or as a second grader.

In fact, I don't remember having daily homework until about 4th grade, and even then, it was mostly reading.

Aidan has homework everyday - math and spelling.

He hates it.

Wait, no. That's not a strong enough word.

He DETESTS it.

Last week, after protests and bargains on his part, bribes and promises on mine, he stopped whining and completed his math homework. But he wouldn't be silenced about his animosity towards it:

For a minute, I considered making him recopy the math problems on a clean sheet of paper since he defaced the one his teacher sent home. Then I thought about just making him erase what he'd written. Then I decided that he had a valid point, and it should be heard. He likes to learn. He really likes school. He just hates homework, and that's okay, isn't it?

What he hates about it, I've learned, is that it's just busywork. He knows the stuff. He thinks it's a waste of time to do it AGAIN when he could be riding his bike or paying Star Wars on the Wii or even feeding the cat. ANYthing but boring ol' HOMEwork.

Today, he brought home his weekly spelling list, and the assignment on Mondays is to write each spelling word three times. We battle with this every week. He hates writing those words. He's a natural speller, so he sees no point in writing the words three times each. He might as well be writing 10 paragraphs three times each. His protests are loud and lingering. He's gonna make a great attorney someday, or a tenacious reporter, or a rabid investigator, because the kid just doesn't give up when he has a point he wants to make.

Today, he made his point, and I heard him.

"Mom, I just HATE writing the words three times. Can I do something else instead? Can I think of other words that follow the same pattern?"

There's something to be said for learning to follow directions. I'm a big rule follower myself so it's hard for me to be okay with Aidan not following the directions clearly written out for him. But there's also something to be said for LEARNING. And if he has a clearer understanding about what will actually benefit him, and it's not exactly what the teacher had in mind, isn't that okay? Tonight, I decided it was. He didn't write the words three times. Instead, he came up with a list of words that followed the same pattern as his spelling words. I don't know if he'll be marked down for not completing his three-words-assignment. I do know that he'll get credit for doing the Challenging Homework Assignment. But really, I don't care about either of those things. My kid loves to learn. I want to feed that.

.

New York City: The Metropolitan

On the way back to the hotel, we walked past the Ed Sullivan Theater, just so I could pose under David Letterman's sign. I've always said that if I ever made it to NYC, seeing his show would be my first priority. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I was sad to go to sleep that night, knowing it was our last night in the city. The next morning, we headed to the Met, where one of my online friends gave us a behind-the-scenes tour. It was really cool to be there when it was closed to the general public. No lines, no crowds. We could take photos and be silly and stand in front of paintings (or statues, as the case may be. Ahem.) as long as we wanted.

We took photos of armour and weapons for Ian, our kid who was born about 19 centuries too late. LOL.

Darren was especially interested in seeing the musical instrument collection, and was impressed by this ceramic horn:

I love Impressionism and spent a lot of time gazing at the Monets and Renoirs and Seurats and Van Goghs. I also am fascinated by sculpture and was mesmerized by this gem:

Jenny and Nora were great tour guides. Jenny was even kind enough to buy our lunch, AFTER getting us into the museum. It was fun touring the museum with someone so intimately related to it. Jenny has volunteered there for 10 years!

After lunch, we walked through Central Park one last time, back to our hotel to catch the shuttle to the airport. I leave you with four of my favorite photos from that last walk.

I've spent time in Paris, Amsterdam, London, Dublin, D.C., Boston, San Francisco, and a number of other great U.S. cities. San Francisco has always been my favorite, even ranking above Paris and London. But I've found a new love.

Who knew I'd love New York City so much?

Who knew I'd feel so alive there?

So comfortable?

So OKAY WITH WALKING EVERYWHERE?

I came home and said to Dani, 'PLEASE PLEASE choose a college in New York. I want to back again. And again." She promises me I'll love Chicago just as much. (U of Chicago is her top choice.) I'm not much of a TV-watcher, but I've discovered renewed interest in The Apprentice and reruns of Sex and the City, not to see who gets fired or what Carrie's wearing, but because I recognize my park, my skyscrapers, my brownstones, my coffee shops. I watched the premiere of Lipstick Jungle last week, and enjoyed it immensely, because there were shots in the park, and all over Manhattan. It's as close as I can get to being there again.

For now. :)

New York City - Times Square and Broadway

Once back on terra firma, we took the subway to Grand Central. Maybe it was because it was Sunday, but it wasn't NEARLY as crowded and bustling as I've always imagined it to be!

From there, we took off walking again, towards Times Square. THAT'S where all the people were. LOL! Oh MY! It was everything I'd imagined, except for the Naked Cowboy. (I would imagine it was a wee bit too cold for him. Ahem.) I made Darren take a photo of the sewer steam, 'cause it just screamed NYC to me. LOL! (I wasn't even embarrassed. Everyone and their mom's dog had a camera around their neck in Times Square!)

While at Joe and Laura's, Darren mentioned that the TKTS booth hadn't opened until 11. Laura said that she had coupons, and a quick phone call later, we had affordable seats for SPAMALOT! WOO HOO!!! Darren and I are both huge Monty Python and the Holy Grail fans, so we were STOKED!

The show was great! Bawdy, raunchy, and SO hilarious. We thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. We didn't realize until we arrived at the theater that Clay Aiken had made his Broadway debut that week, playing the role of Brave Sir Robin. He overacted and seemed like a high school drama club geek compared to the other actors, but it worked for his role. He was having a blast up there, which made it really fun to watch. Here's a snap of him signing autographs after the show:

Our kids have (I'm a little embarrassed to admit) been raised on the Holy Grail. Aidan and Ian first acted out the Black Knight scene ("It's only a flesh wound!") when they were 4 and 5. Dani's a big fan, too - of both Monty Python AND all things Broadway. So we ended up getting their souvenirs at the show. Dani got a CD of the official soundtrack, and a button/pin that says "I fart in your general direction." (she laughed her HEAD off). The boys got a playset that includes the catapult, the "Trojan Rabbit", and a bunch of farm animals to use in the catapult. They were ecstatic. Do we have the coolest kids, or WHAT?

On a friend's recommendation (Hi, Cris!), we had dinner at John's Pizzeria, which was serendipitously located just across the street from The Shubert Theater, where Spamalot was playing. DEEEElicious! And the most reasonably-priced meal we ate all weekend, too.

New York City - Brooklyn

On Sunday, we woke up bright and early. Darren jogged the mile down to Times Square to check out the TKTS booth, hoping to score some affordable tickets to a Broadway show for that night. I told him to get whatever we could afford, that I'd be happy with just about anything. My top picks would be Hairspray, Spamalot, or the Spelling Bee one. He came back emptyhanded, except for breakfast. The ticket booth didn't open until 11 a.m. We'd already made a date with our friends in Brooklyn for 11 a.m. I was sad, but told Darren that it was okay: we obviously didn't need to spend the money on a show.Then we headed for the subway, and Brooklyn!

Once there, we walked a few more blocks until we saw the signs for our friend Joe's church.

When Darren and I first came to Fortress Church (in 2003), we kept hearing stories of Joe and Laura. Joe this. Laura that. Joe and Laura had ministered at Fortress for a couple of years, but had moved to Brooklyn just a few months before we arrived, so we never knew them.

Then they learned that there was a problem with Laura's pregnancy, and since so many of my Fortress friends were concerned for them, and since we prayed for them constantly, I began following Joe's blog. We met once when he and Laura visited Fort Worth when she was still pregnant with Ira, but only briefly. Our friendship was really born in blogdom. I'd comment here and there, and Joe commented on my blog here and there as well. We began chatting occasionally, and once, 18 months ago, our family actually stayed overnight at Joe's parents home in West Texas on our way to Colorado.

The afternoon we spent in Brooklyn was the first time Darren and I have ever sat down and talked with Joe and Laura face to face, just us. But we weren't strangers. It was like seeing old friends again. We were comfortable with each other, because we KNOW each other. I think it's amazing how small the internet makes our world. But more than that, I love how our common bond - our commitment to and love for God - connects us in such a real, authentic way.

ANYway, when we saw the sign, with Joe's name on it, I couldn't contain my excitement! It might as well have been on a Broadway marquee!

After church, we walked another block to Joe and Laura's brownstone apartment, where Laura had lunch ready for us in the crockpot. We were expecting to take them OUT to lunch (we'd offered ahead of time), so eating in was a huge and welcome surprise. (Yes, even *I* get tired of eating out. And besides that, eating out in Manhattan is way more expensive than it oughta be!)

Their apartment is TINY - maybe 900 square feet. Two small bedrooms (as in, barely enough room for a bed.) No patio, no deck. And yet, they're happy. Sometimes they miss having a yard, and space to get out and move around, and privacy. And they miss their families. But they're happy. They LOVE Brooklyn and NYC and feel totally at home there. He were are on their stoop (Ira was already down for his afternoon nap):

After a couple of hours of chatting and being made to feel completely welcomed and at home, Joe announced that he was taking us to the Brooklyn Promenade for an amazing view of Manhattan.

We spent a good hour strolling along the promenade, talking about how the skyline has changed over the years (there are some really cool bronze plaques that show the skyline, beginning in 1776.) Joe gave us some history about Brooklyn. Then we took another couple of photos with the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan in the background. Joe obliged us for another cheesy kissy pic. :)

The air was so crisp, the sky so clear.... that I insisted we walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan. Darren was hesitant because of my dumb ankle, but in the end, I won and we did it! So cool. One of my favorite things we did!! (And it was FREE. Woo hoo!) It was all kinds of cold up there, but SO worth the views! My ankle was only a little worse after the trek. The only

time it gave me any trouble was on the downhill side of the bridge.

It was a perfect way to spend our Sunday!

New York City - the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

Standing at the edge of the park looking down 7th Avenue - this is where we stayed:

A close-up view of Carnegie Hall, where the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra would play later that night:

I have to admit that I was disappointed when we first saw Carnegie Hall. After being spoiled by the beauty and elegance of Fort Worth's Bass Hall, Carnegie Hall seemed like nothing more than a utilitarian brick building. The inside was different, though. Elegant, richly decorated, and warm, it made a lovely backdrop for our beloved orchestra.

Before we went to our hotel room to freshen up and change for the concert, we stopped for a hot dog to tide us over until dinner. I asked the vendor if he minded if we took a photo. He kindly obliged, even inviting me behind his cart and posing with me. Our experience will New Yorkers was that they were all very helpful, friendly, wanted to know where we were from, etc. (And yes, Martha, that was one of the best dawgs I've ever had! lol)

Darren had chosen seats for us that looked directly down on the stage. I was thrilled! Around these parts, it's no secret that I'm MADLY IN LOVE with Miguel Harth-Bedoya, the music director for the FWSO. Oh MY how I'm in love with him. You would be, too, if you got to watch him get all sweaty on stage every month, passionately moving to the beat of his music, and speaking in that beautifully thick Peruvian accent have mercy I'm breaking a sweat as I type this. Whew. Darren thinks I buy him season tickets every year because I love him so much. Naw. He knows. I buy 'em 'cause I'm in love with Miguel. ;)

I've never seen him from this vantage point, though. I loved watching him. He seemed so very encouraging - nodding and smiling broadly at each section as they swelled and softened under his direction. He conducted the last piece, Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony, without a score. I don't know that I noticed the musicians during that piece. It's amazing to me the way Miguel so intimately knows the music, the way he FEELS the music, and the way he pulls that music from his orchestra in a way that makes me feel it, too. And I don't even consider myself a classical music fan.

The orchestra played SO BEAUTIFULLY that night. I was really proud to be from Fort Worth! The NYC audience gave us two standing ovations, and demanded an encore. (Read the New York Times' review here!) I was near tears, I was so proud of my hometown orchestra!

Afterward, as we walked down the stairs (me hobbling, of course), we heard someone say, "Barbara, blah blah blah". Then The Voice, replying, "Oh thank you. I appreciate that." It was BARBARA WALTERS!! Walking down the steps RIGHT. BESIDE. ME. I made eye contact with her and we smiled, but I didn't say anything. Darren scurried ahead to try to get a photo of us. I had other things on my mind. I headed instead for the opposite side of the staircase, making my way to where I thought Miguel might come out and mingle with the crowd. So I missed a photo op with Barbara WaWa. (I wouldn't have asked her for a photo - after all, she was just trying to enjoy the symphony too. And I didn't realize that Darren was trying to get one, though if I had, I probably would've indulged him.) But my mind was on seeing Miguel, and possibly meeting him finally. I TOLD you I have a crush on our director. A Big One. (In case you missed my post where I explained that the FWSO was the main reason we chose New York for this year's anniversary, click here.)

After the concert, we ate a real dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant, and then stopped to mug with my other Texas Crush on the way home:

New York City - Central Park

After lunch, we stopped and bought Darren a hat from a street vendor so he wouldn't suffer brain freeze again. The week before we left, Dani and I went shopping with the $80 she'd given me for Christmas. (She wanted me to spend it on a new outfit for our anniversary.) I tried on several things that I didn't like enough to buy, and then we saw this coat. I've never owned a nice winter coat (living in Texas, it's not something I've ever thought I needed to spend a lot of money on, ya know?). The coat was black leather (I've always loved black leather coats), and was on sale for 50% off. What a bargain! THEN, at the register, the clerk talked me into applying for the store credit card and receiving an extra 30% off. I ended up walking out of there with a $250 coat, having only spent $75. Woo Hoo!!!

That coat kept me warm all weekend. Even when Darren could feel the wind cutting through HIS coat, I didn't feel a thing through mine. :) I love that this is something I'll keep and wear for years. When Dani has kids of her own someday, who knows.... she may say, "Hey, look. That's the coat I bought Mom when I was 16 and she went to NYC with Dad!"

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Central Park. Ahhhhhhh. It was so incredible in the dead of winter that I can't WAIT to experience it someday when everything's in bloom.

Our hotel was on 7th Street, across from Carnegie Hall and only 2 blocks from the south end of the park. We made friends with a European couple (from Spain, maybe?) and took each others' photos at the ice rink in the park. All of the ponds were frozen over. It was about 34 degrees that day, but with all the walking we did, and all bundled up like we were, it actually was quite comfortable.

See the gold oval shape near the center of the map? That's about as far as we walked before we turned around and headed back towards the hotel. (To Belvedere Castle and the theater just beyond it.) Even so, with all the trails up and down and in and out of the woods and around the ponds, we walked about 4 miles that afternoon. It was so incredibly amazing to me that in the center of one of the world's most bustling cities is a place that takes you away. In the middle of those trees, at the top of the hill, we couldn't hear traffic, or horns, or anything. We sat and listened to the birds and squirrels, and marveled at the peacefulness of it all - right in the middle of Manhattan. Simply amazing. And more amazing still is that we only saw roughly half of the park!!

I love sculpture, and was thrilled to be able to see so many wonderful pieces on our walk - from the literary figures along the mall to Romeo and Juliet to Hans Christian Anderson to Christopher Columbus to the Falconer - all equally wonderful. And even in the dead of winter, the park was beautiful. Our favorites were the bridges. This is the Bow Bridge:

This is beneath the Bethesda Terrace, which overlooks the Angel fountain (which was turned off for the season). I love the way the three arches were framed in this shot.

Beneath the Terrace, directly behind Darren, is the most beautiful artwork. The ceiling is tiled, and the walls are covered with trompe l'oeil paintings. Our destination was the Belvedere Castle, in the middle of the park. The Castle sits at the highest point of the park, just beyond "the bramble", which is thick, forested, rugged terrain. From its balconies, you can see over the trees and remember that, "Oh yah, we're in the middle of New York City."

Darren and I always take a cheesy kissing photo on our anniversary trip. I thought the Castle would make a good backdrop. This time, instead of asking strangers to take the embarrassing photo, we set up the tripod and did it ourselves. lol


As we strolled along, making our way back toward the hotel, I was watching all the joggers passing by (looking for Ben Affleck, to tell you the truth, cause word has it that he and Jennifer live near the south end of the park)... and I was gazing up at the buildings (this one, to be exact)...

...and I was thinking to myself how "Heck, yah, I could live in this city. I mean, look at me. All fat and out of shape, and I'M DOING IT, Y'ALL. I'M WALKING MY HOOVES OFF AND I'M NOT EVEN FEELING TIRED!!!! And I look good doin' it, too, with my new snazzy coat."

And then, splat. Face plant. Right smack in the middle of the sidewalk. I stepped on a sewer grate that wasn't flush with the ground, and my ankle rolled, sending me flying. My knees hit the ground, then my hands. My butt was up in the air for all to see. Some joggers stopped and asked in horror, "Are you okay??" I waved them off, and said, "I tripped over that stupid thang sticking up in the road." And yes, I'm quite sure I pronounced THANG with every shred of Texas Hick I have in me. Ugh. I was so incredibly mad at myself. I hobbled the rest of the way home, but I determined that a sprained ankle was NOT gonna stop me! Dang it all.

New York City - Carnegie Deli

Saturday morning, we slept in and then stopped for lunch a half block from our hotel - at the famous Carnegie Deli! We shared a sandwich, a bowl of cole slaw, a cannoli and two Cokes, and it still cost us $40!! Would you look at the size of the sandwich??

We had salami. I wish we'd have had the corned beef, though. After hearing me say I'd never eaten corned beef, the guy sitting next to us (by the way, by "next to us", I mean elbow to elbow to us, even though we were at separate tables) handed me a forkful of his corned beef and said, "You have to try it." Oh my. DEEEELICIOUS! Turns out, he and his wife were visiting from San Francisco. The people on the other side of us were from Portland. The people who sat down next were German or something. I don't think native New Yorkers eat at Carnegie Deli. LOL

So, back to the sandwich.... we each took off well over half the meat on our sandwiches and doggy bagged it. We thought we'd eat it later as a snack, but we never did. What a waste!