GPOYW

GPOYW - SUSHI!!! edition.  I know, I've failed the end of this November. But I gave it a pretty good run for a few weeks!  I'm currently back home freaking out about all the things I have to freak out about.  I'm a terrible YW president, an awful mother and a crummy cook.  At least I feel like it today (okay, the cook part I feel all the time).  I'll be back... well, I don't know when, as my week is hitting a crazy pace right now, culminating in having to chaperone a youth dance Friday (NOOOOOOOOOOO).  Happy November, everybody!

eastward, ho

Sleeping kids in the back seat, awesome hubs in the driver's seat and most of my loved ones back in the last time zone.  We won't be home until tomorrow, but we're already in the Midwest - and as much as I miss my mountains, I do like seeing the stars so clearly.

muppet mania

Seriously, how awesome was the new Muppet movie?????  I should have packed a hankie. Mom treated the whole family, and we even survived bringing a toddler!  When in doubt, pack lollipops. True 'em every time.

so sue me

Yes, NaBloPoMo fail.  But I'm being an awesome wife, daughter, guest, mother and Reva.  Tomorrow is sushi day, too!  So who knows if I'll have time to post then, but isn't it better that I don't have time to blog because I'm having a life?  Novel idea!

sweet home colorada'

I'm home!!  I'm in Mom's living room!!  We survived 15 hours in a car with the kiddos!!  I don't think I will run out of exclaimation points any time soon!!

westward bound

Thanksgiving, ho!!  We're headed to my home in the Rockies. If we can survive 15 hours in the car with the kids... thanks be to DVD players and fruit snacks!!

WG got shots. Everybody got ice cream.

glitter! but in the good way, not that awful movie way

As I tell Heidi repeatedly, if you didn't blog it, it DIDN'T HAPPEN.  So I had a bad day, glued glitter onto my shoes using among others, this easy tutorial, and then not only do I get nifty shoes, I get a whole post out of it!  Plus, it actually worked.  I rubbed them on the floor, on my clothes and hands, no glitter residue anywhere.  I did not expect to be actually successful!

AND I get to play with Picnik and make all serious-type picture-y things:

Pair of almost-dead shoes, 49 cents worth of glitter and a dollop of Elmer's glue and water (fake Mod Podge) - super cheap, and the satisfaction of blogging about it??  It's the gift that keeps on giving, people.

Although when the husband got home last night and I excitedly showed him what I'd done to an old pair of shoes, his actual response was: "...and that's an improvement?"  It's a good thing he's cute.

On the non-cutesy front, I had to go back to the doctor today for a more industrial strength antibiotic.  This headache needs to be evicted, people. Then, in a fit of "I can DO this!!" I attempted grocery shopping with the Dude in tow for the first time in at least a week.  Oh goodness.  Thankfully I'd just picked WonderGirl up from school and she tried reasoning with him and singing him songs.  It didn't work, but it amused me and distracted from all the screaming until I found a pack of fruit snacks in my coat pocket from last winter.

Don't judge.

And fruit snacks are a dangerous thing - they only buy you like a minute until the snacks are all gone and then they are railing against the injustice of only 6 small pieces of fruit snack-y things in a pack while you are back to searching for something, ANYthing to plug up their noise hole.  And in my headache-hazed state I am just not in a place to be thinking that hard right now.

Alright, enough with the bloggeting.  The Dude is asleep and it's violin and piano lesson time, woohoo!!

GPOYW - fashion blogger pose edition

I love a good Mormon fashion blogger but the pictures make me giggle.  Except for Heidiluxe, who keeps it real - and all of us in stitches.  This is my homage to the Mormon fashion blogger - hand in my hair, pouty lips, looking intently at something on the ground.  But it's a self portrait because there is no way I'd get the husband to agree to follow me walking around with crossed legs and take pictures of it.

I'm currently boring the heck out of myself, and especially on this blog.  I am hitting that NaBloPoMo slump where I realize there's a good reason that I don't post every day.  I'm dull.  And then I spent  the morning as the worst mom in the ClownTown library, because my Dude was throwing massive fits up one side of the building and the other.

I went home and bawled my face off to my mom and then put the Dude down for a nap.  Once he was asleep, I decided today would not be a bad day.  No, I was taking control of my destiny!  I hopped onto Pinterest and decided to do at least one thing I've pinned.  I did two - some yummy healthy cookies for the Dude, and I glittered a pair of old flats (thanks, Natalie!).

Before:

 
After-ish:

Teeny bit of glitter, and some Elmer's glue and water.  I heard that was a good Mod Podge substitute, I'll tell you if it worked or not.

I was feeling better.  I created, dagnabit.  I was about to make some knock-offs of those delicious mall pretzel bites when I realized it was violin lesson time.  At the end of the lesson, I decided I'd play her the song I was going to teach her in January.  I told her the name, and before I could play it - she PLAYED IT FOR ME.  My jaw was all over the floor.  "Where did you learn that??!?!" I asked.  She giggled.  "I heard you teach it once."  People, she overheard a lesson I taught at least 4 months ago and then PLAYED IT FOR ME.

She did NOT get those brains from me.  I am so glad I procreated with a genius.

this post is all over the place, proceed with cookies

I took a walk with the Dude today.  He's been a little trying the last two days and it was nice to have some fresh air with him and hear what he has to say - like  "Oh, a airplane!"  or "I see a car!'  or "I see green!"  From the moment he was born, we knew he was so, so, so excited to have this turn to come to earth.  He's ravenous to discover everything it has to offer.  And equal to that is the excitement he has over this body he has been given.  Every new step he takes is accompanied by hysterical fits of laughter and joy.  Walking, running, sliding, spinning, he's a junkie for this earth existence.  He just can't get enough of it.

Of course, the same also goes for sweets.  I have to detox him after he's had any amount of juice or treat - he wants more more more and life is simply not worth living if there he cannot have it this very instant.  Now, I wouldn't have a problem with this if he would eat vegetables or sandwiches or... well, just about all of the food I give him.  And then he's a hungry cranky mess and I'm a stubborn cranky mess that refuses to give in, even if it means living with an angry Tasmanian devil of a son half the time.

In his defense, WonderGirl was the exact same way about eating - worse, actually.  I'm wondering what I am doing wrong... but then I have to remind myself that WG came out of the womb the pickiest eater ever.  Ug.

Now, before I get angry I have to remember that this is the same little boy who climbed up in my lap this morning and sang me The Itsy Bitsy Spider with the hand motions and Head Shoulders Knees and Toes while pointing to the correct parts of my body.  He loves to sing, but usually he prefers to have someone sing to him so he can listen and stare in awe, so this morning was a very special treat.  And then he hugged me and told me he loved his sister.

I'm thinking about all this so I don't have to think about my grown-up life and how much I want to punch health insurance in the face.  You can argue all you want, but making employers the provider of insurance is just a terrible idea.  It's not fair to the companies and it's not fair to the workers.  And if you want to argue this point, just call me and I'll give you an earful of my personal reasons.  A big punch-you-in-the-ear full.

It doesn't help that I still have this awful headache.  But I do have a bit of happy news today -  Michael is totally off the respirator and winking at nurses.  It's still a looooooong road, but it was just what I needed to hear.  Big fat happy tears all over this joint.

fzzzzzzzzzzz

I got medicated today.  I realized I could not win this fight, and even though my snot levels are low, there is a sinus monster that could not be tamed by mere will and neti pot alone.

The nice nurse lady came in and said - "Oh my, you look different!  Are you feeling okay??"

I blanked.  "It's Monday... I'm in a doctor's office..." when I was really thinking that yes, I am well aware that I look like death warmed over but I've had a headache for a week now and ever since that blasted daylight savings I've been waking up at 5am or earlier.  Oh, the kids transitioned fine, I'm the one who is an insomniac, although I don't actually get up at 5am.  I just lay there for an hour or so, simmering in self-hatred because I know I'm exhausted and need more sleep, but I also know I can't fall back asleep because my brain is just mean and won't turn off.

I'm not very pleasant by 6am.

So anywho, while I was in the doctor's office I figured I'd ask some other questions I've been wondering - like how do you keep a 2 year old's finger out of his nose (her official answer - you can't.  And don't try the Vaseline thing because he'll eat it.  He totally will, too) and some hypothetical questions about my medical history and medications if I do decide to get pregnant.  After hearing my questions, she got all huffy and asked my why on earth I would consider having another child if I had these concerns - and told me to just adopt.  I love how more than one doctor/medical professional has told me this.  *sarcasm*  

On the plus side, the amoxicillin is doing its trick!  I'm now slightly less woozy and crabtastic!

phoning it in kinda

We were just discussing how Sunday seems very far from a day of rest.  My poor head... I can't blame it on my calling.  I'm a Young Women's president with 4 girls.  It's not that stressful, unless I make it stressful, but I didn't do that this week.  It's just tiring to keep the kids in check, make the smiles for everyone, all with reduced oxygen to the brain.

I may have a sinus infection.  But it's actually just awful sinus headaches without the crazy congestion and all that.  I've been using the neti pot like a fiend and I know I'd be seriously miserable, but I'm only moderately miserable because there is some evil creature living deep within my brain squishing my skull.  So the likelihood of any coherent speech here today is small.

Current brainings:  the cousins came to visit and we survived 5 kids under one roof.  Whoa.  Although I managed to handle things pretty well and I'm currently feeling slightly capable.  There is very little to no chance we'd ever have 5 of our own kids, but it was nice to know I can deal with it for extended period of time.

And now, because I'm terribly boring, here are some adorable pictures I snagged from my nephew's birthday that I did not attend.  No, I do not consider this blogging cheating.

First off - my brother's lovely family.

Mara, you are SUPER for sure!!

Next, my little brother Dallin, his gorgeous wife and his KID.  DALLIN HAS A KID.

IS ANYTHING MORE ADORABLE??  LIKELY NOT.

Next, my mom.  I love her more than ice cream.

And my dad.  I think this picture is fabulous.

Happy Sabbath!

happy saturday!

I do still have house guests, so this is the best we're gonna get today.  But don't you think this chart is far more useful than anything else I could say?  Me too.

friday is a wrap

If I was a really good blogger, I would have taken a ton of fancy pictures of the cheese fondue I made for dinner tonight.  But, I'll be a nice yet lazy blogger and instead post a link to said super easy, super kid friendly recipe.  You're welcome!

I'll continue this lazy trend my telling you that I have house guests and this blog will be very short and dull.  The Iowa cousins are there and the kids are in hog heaven.  The adults are in ENTERTAIN THEM SO THEY DON'T START BREAKING THINGS OR EACH OTHER mode.  I'm currently entertaining them with Bill Nye the Science Guy so the husband and his sister can record a song for our super awesome Christmas album.  Did I tell you we're recording one this year?  Yeah, we're that cool.  I'll let you know when it's available and blowing up the charts and all that.

I'll leave us all this this truism.  WonderGirl discovered our Calvin and Hobbes books and is devouring them like mad.  It's funny the things a 5 year old does and doesn't get.

blogging about blogging... how original.

Let's talk about me for a minute.

I know it's my blog, but I've been stuck in the house for a few days and the posts are kid-heavy.  Although I do have to share this tidbit - the speech therapist came today and told me that if she were assessing the Dude now (he was assessed about 8 months ago) that she would not accept him into the program.  Because he is totally caught up verbally.  And then she said it was because I was such an amazing mom and doing everything right.  YEAH.  THAT'S RIGHT.  And then she left and he looked at me and said "I want a nap" and ran upstairs to his room.

So I got that going for me.

It snowed yesterday and today - which would typically have me furious, but it wasn't a ton and it's all melty now.  THAT kind of snow I can handle.  But the last 2 years living here, it snowed around December 1st, dumped a TON of snow and then it just got higher and higher.  I won't even tell you how many times I've fallen into a snow drift that was taller than I am.

So good show, Wisconsin.  Keep it up.

Has anyone noticed that there aren't as many bloggers as there used to be?  I mean, there's the crafty ones,the foody ones, the ones pushing their photography and other coolness and I totally dig them, but the average nobodies chronicling their lives in blog form is not as common as it was.  I've been doing this for over ten years and I've seen some amazingly normal but fascinating people just stop altogether.  And the family blogs - so many of those are virtual abandoned lots.  I miss those.  I think it's Facebook.  I mean, when we blog the person has to come directly to the blog, then push the comment button and sign in and all that jazz (not mine though, I love e.mail and I'll take it even if it's spam!).  But on FB we put a picture or a thought up and suddenly EVERYONE "likes" it and comments!!  How gratifying is that??  I know I personally put some things up on FB instead of the ol' blog because I loves me some validation.

But there's something just wonderful about the blogging process, I think.  I create the look of the page, the placement of words and images, and I get a kick out of what I make.  My hum-drum life, documented just the way I choose.  And then as an added bonus, sometimes people comment!  Other people read and know and kind of care??  How cool is that?!

Oh, and then sometimes you post a picture of your kids and everybody is all AWWWWWWWWWWW.

Gets 'em every time.

In short, I love blogging.  I love all of you.  Even the lurkers.  It may not be as en vogue as it was, but I'm still here, plugging away at my NaBloPoMo for the 5th year in a row.  And I'm really grateful for those of you who have stuck with it - I really love knowing that people reading this know me as Reva the Aspiring Rock Star Who Whines About Life And The Lame-oids She Dates and not just Reva the Mom Who Blogs About Mom Stuff.

We will now return back to gratuitous pictures of my children and how they are destroying all my earthly possessions.

if i'm going to be stuck in this house for the next 6 months, at least i will be amused

And so - my confinement has begun.

&^%^&%$*^$^%^^%$ Wisconsin winter.

A package came today, so there was a box.  I'm usually against boxes, the kids take them and claim them for Spain or something else insane like that, then fight over them and in the process destroy them and cry because they broke the boxes.  And I have no pity.  None at all.

Today, since I've been walking around in a ihatewintersososomuchimgoingtokilleverythingeveryonemustsuffer kind of way I failed to notice that WonderGirl not only claimed the box but somehow produced a twin so both kids could pal around destroying and crying.  Oh yay.  Except this moment - I even had the camera close by - made it kind of worth it.

Yes, the composition and lighting is terrible.  But it was so blasted cute, and the Dude was yelling "all aboard!  Choo choo!"  I tried another one but the moment was gone as usual, and this was what I got:

I love it.

So, you all were like "He asked for cookies!  Get the man some cookies!" and so I did.  First thing this morning WG and I made a batch of oatmeal cookies and only ruined half.  That might be some kind of record for me. In the process of the morning the Dude ate about 8 cookies and half of an apple.  I don't know if that's a good thing.

Did he ask politely?  See for yourself:



YEAH.  I KNOW.  Did your ovaries just go all "eeee!!!!!!!" ?  I totally get that.  My kids have that effect on people.

Um.  So WG just begged to go outside and play in the snow and I was all nuuuuuuuhhhhh.  Because we all know there is no way I'm going out there.  Then she said "I can go myself!" and got dressed in all that snow stuff HERSELF.  So now she's gleefully throwing snowballs at the front door and I'm sitting in the chair by the front window snapping pictures thinking that this 5 year old gig is kind of awesome.

Also, I just noticed it was GPOYW.  So here it is.  Blurry, but that's how things are going today.

Holy snap, WG is throwing snowballs at the Dude in the window and he is laughing hysterically.  It does not get cuter than these wonderful, neurotic, borderline bipolar children.

ho hum

If I blog every day after music lessons with WonderGirl, this here blog will get boring.  So I will resist the urge to gush about how fabulous she sounded today on Jingle Bells, singing for a project of mine and how nicely she is sitting at the piano, practicing by herself.

This makes up for earlier when the Dude hopefully came up to me and said "May... I.... please... have... cookie!" - and when I sweetly told him how proud I was for using his words but the house has no cookies in it right now, he flopped on the floor and screamed for a good 5 minutes.  Don't you just love when they finally communicate but can't understand you?  Le sigh.

That's all I've got for today, folks.  Let's keep those prayers for Michael coming!!!

la de dah day

So you know my perfect little bro?  He and his perfect wife had a perfect baby and then he made this perfect video that is just so adorable I can hardly see straight.

Michael has been kept unconscious the last week and his lovely wife has requested pictures and cards to cheer him in the long, long, long, oh-so-long recovery process when he wakes up.  I've been thinking about what I could do, and along with some physical things, I really want to write a song.  Something epic, something Michael-worthy.  I have a bridge thingy, some ideas, but they aren't awesome yet.  It's great to be sitting around fiddling with a purpose.

While I was trying to find my muse, WonderGirl came downstairs and wanted to jam with me.  She got her violin out and we did jam - and then, she asked me to teach her a fiddle song.  Which she learned quickly, and then she asked to learn Jingle Bells and can play it all too.  She's only been playing a few months!  I should have expected it, given her track record.  Oh, and then we had a piano lesson and she killed on that too.  She figured out Silent Night - even with that pesky B flat.  I kind of feel like a superstar.  I HAVE MADE A MUSICIAN.  

happy talk talk talkin'

Sunday.  Fast Sunday.  So hungry.  Not much in my brain right now.

OH - except I haven't mentioned it yet, but we had a coolness happen last week.  The Dude's occupational therapist told me they wanted to cut his visits down to a monthly check-in because he's just fine and dandy.  His verbal skills are literally exploding all over the place.  She may have even used the word "advanced" and I may have totally freaked out and called my mom gloating all over the place.  He came up to me today with a bright pink lollipop someone had given him at church (a pox on people who give other people's kids candy just before nap time) and said  "Oh! I have pink!"  Cool, huh??

One good and bad thing is that he can ask for what he wants most of the time.  The problem is, he actually says "I want ________" - which is great communicating, right?  But one thing I really detest is kids saying "I want" anything.  I banned that from WG's vocabulary years ago - and just sticking a PLEASE on it doesn't cut it.  "May I please ______" gets me every time.  Poor Dude can stick 3 words together now and every time he asks for something I try and get him to draw it out with at least 5 words with "May I please have."  He's nice about it but it's still just out of his grasp.  He's only 26 months old, for crying out loud!

Mean mommy.  I really am jumping up and down from his fabulous vocabulary, but I am laying the smack down with the "I want" thing.  All those nights I knelt down and begged heaven to let my child talk, and now I'm all "oooo, but not THOSE words."  I recognize what a nutcase I am, I do.

It's like once, years ago, I had a stand partner in orchestra with really terrible body odor.  I went to the stage manager and asked him to say something to him about it - mostly because the stage manager was obsessed with asking all the women to not wear too much perfume on concert night so we wouldn't all choke each other out, and I knew he'd understand.  The dear stage manager did it, and that night at our first convert I swear the boy was wearing an entire bottle of cologne.  I almost threw up.  When I saw the stage manager later and he excitedly told me he'd had a successful conversation with the lad (on a very sensitive subject, for sure) and instead of thanking him first, I went on a tirade of how now it wasn't body odor but cologne that was crazy intense.  I've felt bad about it for years, and wished I'd recognized what a nice thing he'd done for me before going off on the cologne thing.

So poor Dude, if you are reading this someday, I'm sorry I keep pushing and shaping your words, and I will try harder to show you how thrilled I am that you can and do talk to me with every single word you know.  I do know I am the luckiest mommy ever... well, second to my own dear mother who had the joy of raising moi. You're welcome, mom!!

this entry is mostly for my own brain, try to understand at your own risk

On the way home from grocery shopping with WonderGirl, I switched over to the classical music station and had that annoying experience that all us ex-performance majors have when we listen to NPR during the daytime - "I KNOW I've played this symphony - what the heck is it??"  Most orchestral pieces have generic names followed by numbers and I can't remember which is Mozart's 34th symphony or Haydn's 116th until I hear the name and it takes me back to the specific hours I sat rehearsing it and I say "DUH!"

Raise your hand if that happens every flipping day.

The frustrating thing is, I have a short list of orchestra pieces I actually enjoyed playing and as I listened to it, I knew it was on that list.  But for the life of me I could not remember the name.  By the time I got home, I couldn't leave the car until I knew what it was.  I sent WG inside and sat in the dark garage, seeing Maestro Brusilow shape the sound before me in my lowly seat in the 2nds and let the sound wash over me.  It just kept getting better and better and I drifted back into my latest brain ramblings.

Michael's recovery will be slow and painful, but he is with us, and I have to be thankful for that.  I remember kneeling by my bed after I heard about Megan's accident, begging God to let her stay here with her family, even though she was already gone.  None of us get out of this alive, no matter how hard we pray.  What's the point of praying then, if sometimes it's just inevitable, sometimes it's just time?

I'm not going to say I know.  The point I've been shaping in my head is that my job at least is that I'm supposed to recognize all the blessings and tender mercies that come from either situation, knowing I'll have to experience both more in this life, and live for the next life.  Michael was run over by a car, but news trickles in about how his injuries could have been far worse.  I'm supposed to hope for the best - ask for the best - even when I don't know what that is, and look for the light in what actually happens.  It is easier at 32 than it was at 16.  I'm so thankful for the knowledge and comfort my faith gives me.

I just rewrote that paragraph about 14 times.  I don't know if it makes sense, but sitting in my dark car, it made a little sense to me.  By the end of the song, my eyes were wet and I was SO impatient to hear what the name was of the song had comforted me just right - Strauss' Death and Transfiguration.  Of course.

mommy brain

I'm a mess.  Case in point:

Yesterday at my mother's group thing, the activity was yoga.  I didn't think I'd be joining since they usually need me to help with childcare, but lo and behold I was unneeded and able to join in.  Woohoo!  Except I didn't dress for it or have a yoga mat.  I live just up the hill from the meeting, so I jumped in my car to get my mat.  After I grabbed it, I went to my kitchen and ate a cookie.  It wasn't until I was back in the parking lot of the meeting thing that I realized the mat was still in my kitchen by the cookies.

Gah.

I went ahead and did it without one.  I swear I can't think straight lately.  I even took a nap yesterday, and I do NOT nap.  It gives me a headache, but my body was all STOP so I did.  And NO I'm not pregnant.  Ug, it's such a cliche, people.  I'd totally tell you if I was.  Blarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg.  Really,  I feel like my brains are falling out of my head.  Last weekend I accidentally took the husband's heart medicine which made me all dizzy and tired, and I'm feeling like that again.  Except I KNOW I didn't take his medicine again, I've checked over and over.  I think I need a nurse to dispense my vitamins and whatnot.

Lessee... um... hey, guess what I did today?  Took WG to school, had a playdate/taught violin to some friends, picked up WG, had a lunch playdate where the Dude screamed bloody murder the entire time, asking for "eggs" which turned out to be a pacifier.  I have no idea where that one came from.  Came home, gave him a nap, gave WG a violin lesson, a piano lesson, ate another cookie (and a half) and then wrote this.

Yeah, I'm just as bored as you are.  Maybe I can save this entry with a picture of me with a cupcake?

I didn't think so.  Now WG wants to do some WiiFit yoga.  Wish me luck!

cheating

It's only November 3rd and I'm already posting up an awkward picture of myself to cover up the fact that there isn't a real entry here today.  In my defense, I threw a bridal shower last night, have been super loopy today and am trying to get the house less crazy for dinner guests in a few minutes.  These two lovely ladies helped out last night by being fabulous celebri-chefs while I just ran around freaking out.

Micheal (only the greatest guitarist ever) is still in the ICU and things continue to be uphill.  Please keep those prayers coming!!!!

GPOYW

It's totally gloomy outside so WonderGirl is snuggled up reading - nay, DEVOURING Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and other library finds from this morning.

It's not a picture of me, but it IS me.  So it totally counts as my GPOYW.  Speaking of, WG asked me the other night what  G-P-O-Y-W meant.  Then when I explained, she asked what "gratuitous" meant.  Sheesh, I have to go look that up now.  But the real question is how did she know about GPOYW??  Is she reading my blog?  SUNSHINE??  ARE YOU THERE?!?!

NaBloPoMo 2011

We all know about NaNoWriMo - where all those smarty pants go and write a novel during the month of November.  Good for them.  A few years back - 5, to be exact, I heard about the alternative, where we all commit to blogging once a month for 31 *ahem* 30 days in November.  At the time, I was in the mess of having a 3 week old daughter while living in a foreign country, trying to cope with a medical condition none of us knew about that was making life even more difficult.  Every day was a struggle.  I spoke very little Portuguese and I was feeling so alone.  Blogging was one of my only connections with the outside world, and with the support and help of my husband, I joined NaBloPoMo and blogged through it.  In that process, I found friends who listened, e.mailed me to show support, mailed me presents - heck, Elizabeth actually got a passport just so she could mail me a care package!!  (don't ask us why she had to, it was a whole crazy thing but she got one anyway JUST FOR ME!)  Anywho, it was a huge blessing and I credit it as one of the few things that kept me alive during that time.

So NaBloPoMo is kind of special to me.  Even if my content is crummy, I do it because it gets me out of my self-imposed exile - especially during this almost-winter that makes in insane.  So welcome to my personal 31 days of brain-spewage, and on travel and busy days, whatever pictures I snap with my phone to show what is up.

I'm approaching November a bit most somberly than usual this year.  The guitarist from my two bands was in a motorcycle accident Sunday and he's in the ICU.

He's not doing well right now, but nothing was broken beyond repair they think so far, so that's good news?  But you still don't have a car run over you without doing some serious damage.  It means - for me, anyway - there's a healthy dose of patience and time needed... who has any extra of that lying around??  As Collie, it just hits hard.  We must all be invincible, there's still music to be made!  And as a friend - I want to be there so badly.  His wife is the vocalist for the Border Collies and the sweetest woman you're ever likely to meet.  She's the ultimate caregiver - she gives until she's dizzy.  I wish so much I had some clue, something to do to help besides pray my brains out.  Then there's my heavy heart from Dani's family losing Natalie so suddenly, and aching as a friend and as a mom.  I feel so useless.  Unable to think of anything to give to the people who have given me so much... I mean, there's love but psshhh.  I've got boatloads of that.

So have a listen to some of Michael's awesomeness and send some prayers and good thoughts his way, please.  (I recommend #5)




See you tomorrow!