silence is not golden
noise is king
you want me to be everyone
and to do everything
never stop
don't be still
don't let the fog clear from your mind
thumb twiddlers, vagabonds,
we'll have nothing to do with your kind
put on a show
keep dancing
let us see what you can do
'cause here there's no place for the poet
no, there's no place here for you
who just sits and lets time pass
who stares at the stars
and walks barefoot in the grass
who feels the wind
upon their face
for you, the poet, there is no place
a waste of time!
a waste of space!
a waste of time!
a waste of space!
you've got to live in the lines we've traced
for you, the poet, there is no place
Friday, March 23, 2012
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Turn It On -- Another poem
my heart aches for the world today
but i'm too tired to feel
turn on the tv, turn up the music
turn on the Mac, the i-pad, the smartphone,
turn it all on
so that I can turn it all off
all this pain and suffering
all these lives lost
all these demons walking the earth
all these devilish deeds done to the innocent ones
they cry out
their eyes look for help
their mouths ask for mercy
their hands reach for love
but I cannot see them
I cannot hear
I cannot touch
because it is too much
so turn on the tv, turn up the music
turn on the Mac, the i-pad, the smartphone,
turn it all on
so that I can turn it all off
but i'm too tired to feel
turn on the tv, turn up the music
turn on the Mac, the i-pad, the smartphone,
turn it all on
so that I can turn it all off
all this pain and suffering
all these lives lost
all these demons walking the earth
all these devilish deeds done to the innocent ones
they cry out
their eyes look for help
their mouths ask for mercy
their hands reach for love
but I cannot see them
I cannot hear
I cannot touch
because it is too much
so turn on the tv, turn up the music
turn on the Mac, the i-pad, the smartphone,
turn it all on
so that I can turn it all off
Thursday, November 3, 2011
New Blog
Hello there. It has been a while since I've posted on this blog. I just wanted to make a quick announcement. I have been dedicating more of my time to my newest blog. I would still like to post my poems and anecdotes here from time to time,but most of my posting will be on the new site. If you'd like to check it out and/or follow me there, it is at www.monicadockery.wordpress.com. Thanks!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Summer's Slumber
Today was such a beautiful, cool fall day and though I welcome the change in some ways, in others I wish the summer would never end. I love the sun and the warmth. I love the long days. So, I was inspired to write a "good-bye, but hope to see you again soon" note to summer today. Here it is:
the sun's light will leave us too soon tonight
allowing the dark to crowd in and forcing us to end our daily adventures two hours before we wish
bare, toasted-butter pecan skin turning to amber ale
its nakedness once boldly brandished, now hides under burnt-orange and lime green-yellow knit
the laughter of days spent in sand and surf, now an echo hidden in the brisk wind rushing through the pines
the heat, the haze, the hectic summer ways
now cool, now clear, now calm with blues and grays
and now the trees dress themselves in bouquets
of leaves red, orange, yellow, brown - the colors of summer at the beach
nature's reminder and promise that the seasons do repeat
and we will see summer's face once more
after the snow, after the rain
our feet will find the sand again
and we will shed the layers to soak it in
to soak it in so deep
until the fall, as before, returns to sing
the summer fast asleep
the sun's light will leave us too soon tonight
allowing the dark to crowd in and forcing us to end our daily adventures two hours before we wish
bare, toasted-butter pecan skin turning to amber ale
its nakedness once boldly brandished, now hides under burnt-orange and lime green-yellow knit
the laughter of days spent in sand and surf, now an echo hidden in the brisk wind rushing through the pines
the heat, the haze, the hectic summer ways
now cool, now clear, now calm with blues and grays
and now the trees dress themselves in bouquets
of leaves red, orange, yellow, brown - the colors of summer at the beach
nature's reminder and promise that the seasons do repeat
and we will see summer's face once more
after the snow, after the rain
our feet will find the sand again
and we will shed the layers to soak it in
to soak it in so deep
until the fall, as before, returns to sing
the summer fast asleep
Friday, August 12, 2011
August's first post
Something I wrote today while waiting for Isaiah's class to get out...
Once so pristine, not one ding or chip to be seen anywhere
Made of the purest gold I walked tall and I walked bold
As it sat perfectly atop my head
But not today
today it is broken with
Smudges on the surface
It is bent and leans to one side
Even a good shine could not hide
The fatal flaw
And so I am left with a choice
Do I go on wearing it and live in denile
Protesting all the while anyone who dares to say it has lost it's royal glory
Do I try to bargain, hoping that my purse holds enough half-truths and empty vanities to purchase another
No, neither is enough
For if I choose the first, I will lose my thirst for life, wearied by the energy spent on trying to make the square fit into the circle
If it is the second I choose, I still will lose for there is no guarantee that the replacement will not fall prey to the same fate as it's predecessor
So....what to do
Ah...yes....now I see
A better choice, a number three
Leave my head bare and learn to love having nothing there
to pull, tug, rub on the skin
Nothing to weigh me down
Yes, I'll be light as a feather
When I am brave enough to weather
the rest of my life without a crown
Once so pristine, not one ding or chip to be seen anywhere
Made of the purest gold I walked tall and I walked bold
As it sat perfectly atop my head
But not today
today it is broken with
Smudges on the surface
It is bent and leans to one side
Even a good shine could not hide
The fatal flaw
And so I am left with a choice
Do I go on wearing it and live in denile
Protesting all the while anyone who dares to say it has lost it's royal glory
Do I try to bargain, hoping that my purse holds enough half-truths and empty vanities to purchase another
No, neither is enough
For if I choose the first, I will lose my thirst for life, wearied by the energy spent on trying to make the square fit into the circle
If it is the second I choose, I still will lose for there is no guarantee that the replacement will not fall prey to the same fate as it's predecessor
So....what to do
Ah...yes....now I see
A better choice, a number three
Leave my head bare and learn to love having nothing there
to pull, tug, rub on the skin
Nothing to weigh me down
Yes, I'll be light as a feather
When I am brave enough to weather
the rest of my life without a crown
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Race
Each in our own row
We wear our colors with pride
And run in anticipation of the culmination of a lifetime of events
One team coasting with ease as if the breeze was only meant to blow behind their backs
The rest of us lag behind, as if our shoelaces were tied at birth
At the start of it all
But we didn't fall
We have found a way to run with our feet bound together
Closing in on the lead, but each time we come close ...a trip
A stone....a pebble in the shoe
But all race on
Because we are here, we must
Until the dust covers more than just our feet
Or until the ancient sun grows weary of giving us it's heat
We wear our colors with pride
And run in anticipation of the culmination of a lifetime of events
One team coasting with ease as if the breeze was only meant to blow behind their backs
The rest of us lag behind, as if our shoelaces were tied at birth
At the start of it all
But we didn't fall
We have found a way to run with our feet bound together
Closing in on the lead, but each time we come close ...a trip
A stone....a pebble in the shoe
But all race on
Because we are here, we must
Until the dust covers more than just our feet
Or until the ancient sun grows weary of giving us it's heat
Saturday, June 25, 2011
American Dream
There is no rest for the weary
day turns into night
night turns into day
we are zombies, us all
walking through the streets with our breath sagging, our knuckles raw
from pounding against the steel of your vault
dark circles like swirls of smoke around our eyes
you've got us looking like raccoons
in a world run by buffoons
no prospects
no respect
so do we reject
the dream you've been selling?
dream
I wish I could
my eyes try and try
but my mind knows
if I rest I die
cause that's the way u made the game
and so I spend each day the same
watching my blacks turn grays
until I forge a new path out of the haze
and when I do
I will see what you didn't want me to see
that I don't need you... NO!...
you are the one who needs me
so there it is--now it is clear
why you spin the way you do,
why you got our hands stuck like glue
to the metal of the machine
but I wash my hands clean of the dream you are selling
instead I will blaze my own trail
one where you have not set me up to fail
and I will be the first
if I don't lose my thirst
if I don't let my eyes win
if I don't let the doubt in
if I don't hear you say
I cannot go that way
if I keep my mind clear
Then will MY dream be here
and, then, I will laugh at the sleep i lost
and how much of my life it cost
trying so hard to break into you
because I never even needed to
Friday, June 17, 2011
A Bookworm on Broadway
I saw a boy on the street today while I was walking home. He cradled a sizable stack of books in his arms, holding them just as a young child would his favorite stuffed animal to sleep with. He was not a particularly handsome boy, there was nothing out of the ordinary about him that would have normally caught my eye, except the way he was holding the books and one thing more-- the look of complete and utter joy on his face. I could tell the joy he was experiencing had something, if not everything, to do with those books. I thought it was such an odd, yet refreshing, picture to take in. Rarely do I see a teenager (or so he appeared) get excited about anything, much less, a stack of books. So, I carried that picture with me in my mind the rest of the way home and thought about the boy all the while. I wondered, what it was in those books that could put such a smile on that boy's face. Was it that they entertained him? Was it that they provided an escape to other worlds or deeper dimensions of his imagination? Was it that they contained knowledge he was seeking? I could only speculate. What my conclusion of the matter came to be is that I had no idea. But, what I do know is that it didn't really matter either way. Why? Because either way, the words written in them and the boy, himself, would become one and the same.
Who he will be in the future will be determined, in part, by what he has taken in from the world around him, as well as what was written in those books. They will be absorbed ...their messages forever grafted into his DNA--shaping his perspectives on life and death and everything in between. Maybe that was the source of joy, then, knowing that he had just taken one more step towards the person he is to be and maybe he was excited to catch a glimpse of what that person looks like. Maybe my conclusion is wrong and I am making something simple into something complex, but it was a thought--and it was one that made me think about the things I have taken in, the words from voices past that have moved me and have been grafted into my DNA along the way, molding me into the person I am. It is fascinating to reflect on. But, what is even more fascinating to me is how much of the process of absorbing our world of messages is done without us ever being truly conscious of it happening. Makes me want to really be mindful, then, of what I surround myself with...what messages I allow to cross my path...to the extent that I can...so that the better, brighter things, the things that inspire, the things that strengthen, the things that challenge, the things that improve are the things that become one with me.
Who he will be in the future will be determined, in part, by what he has taken in from the world around him, as well as what was written in those books. They will be absorbed ...their messages forever grafted into his DNA--shaping his perspectives on life and death and everything in between. Maybe that was the source of joy, then, knowing that he had just taken one more step towards the person he is to be and maybe he was excited to catch a glimpse of what that person looks like. Maybe my conclusion is wrong and I am making something simple into something complex, but it was a thought--and it was one that made me think about the things I have taken in, the words from voices past that have moved me and have been grafted into my DNA along the way, molding me into the person I am. It is fascinating to reflect on. But, what is even more fascinating to me is how much of the process of absorbing our world of messages is done without us ever being truly conscious of it happening. Makes me want to really be mindful, then, of what I surround myself with...what messages I allow to cross my path...to the extent that I can...so that the better, brighter things, the things that inspire, the things that strengthen, the things that challenge, the things that improve are the things that become one with me.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Perfect Moments: The Men in My Life
Today's moment...
Me, walking down the hallway from our room to the living room. All the lights off in the house. As I walk down, I hear my son singing a dreamy ballad-type song that he made himself, in a high-pitched, falsetto voice. I'm not sure what all the lyrics are, but I do hear him repeat the words "the magic in your heart" a few times. I follow his little voice until I reach the living room. There he is, looking out the window, up at the fireworks in the night sky. His daddy, standing next to him, also looking out the window. As I draw near, my husband and I share a look that says, "that's our son singing that beautiful little song in such a beautiful little voice." His dad, amused and proud. Me, on the verge of tears. Why? You mean, besides the fact that I am a woman?
Well, it is just one of those nights, one of those brief moments when you feel the fullness of the love you have for your child....it swells up in you...and you wish, "man, if only we could slow life down and keep him here, just as he is in this very moment." But, then, you realize that is impossible...and maybe a bit selfish. So, you try to take the moment in, take in every last bit, before it passes and becomes a memory that will come to visit you on those "firsts"---first days of kindergarten, first time he broke a bone, first time he walked home on his own, first time he drove the car, first day at college, first day he fell in love, first day he became a father...so many firsts---- when he takes those BIG steps away from being the kid singing in the window and closer to the man he will become. I love my son and I am just so thankful that I have lived long enough and was fortunate enough to have met him and hope I am fortunate enough to meet him in the future, once more, not as a child but as a man.
Me, walking down the hallway from our room to the living room. All the lights off in the house. As I walk down, I hear my son singing a dreamy ballad-type song that he made himself, in a high-pitched, falsetto voice. I'm not sure what all the lyrics are, but I do hear him repeat the words "the magic in your heart" a few times. I follow his little voice until I reach the living room. There he is, looking out the window, up at the fireworks in the night sky. His daddy, standing next to him, also looking out the window. As I draw near, my husband and I share a look that says, "that's our son singing that beautiful little song in such a beautiful little voice." His dad, amused and proud. Me, on the verge of tears. Why? You mean, besides the fact that I am a woman?
Well, it is just one of those nights, one of those brief moments when you feel the fullness of the love you have for your child....it swells up in you...and you wish, "man, if only we could slow life down and keep him here, just as he is in this very moment." But, then, you realize that is impossible...and maybe a bit selfish. So, you try to take the moment in, take in every last bit, before it passes and becomes a memory that will come to visit you on those "firsts"---first days of kindergarten, first time he broke a bone, first time he walked home on his own, first time he drove the car, first day at college, first day he fell in love, first day he became a father...so many firsts---- when he takes those BIG steps away from being the kid singing in the window and closer to the man he will become. I love my son and I am just so thankful that I have lived long enough and was fortunate enough to have met him and hope I am fortunate enough to meet him in the future, once more, not as a child but as a man.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Perfect Moments: The Bath
Today's moment...
My son went to bed early today, so I decided to spend the extra time in the evening taking a nice, long bath. Lights off, except one candle. No music. I sat there for what seemed like forever, my thoughts drifting in and out of my mind until there were no thoughts left and my eyelids, then able to relax, slowly began to close. I found myself in that strange, in-between-sleep-and- awake stage where you know you are awake, you can hear what is going on around you, but at the same time you aren't really there. I felt peace....no worries....no tension in my body....nothing, just peace. I opened my eyes after a time and the thoughts came back, only this time they were quieter and kinder. I will have a good night's rest tonight. Thankful.
My son went to bed early today, so I decided to spend the extra time in the evening taking a nice, long bath. Lights off, except one candle. No music. I sat there for what seemed like forever, my thoughts drifting in and out of my mind until there were no thoughts left and my eyelids, then able to relax, slowly began to close. I found myself in that strange, in-between-sleep-and- awake stage where you know you are awake, you can hear what is going on around you, but at the same time you aren't really there. I felt peace....no worries....no tension in my body....nothing, just peace. I opened my eyes after a time and the thoughts came back, only this time they were quieter and kinder. I will have a good night's rest tonight. Thankful.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Perfect Moments: Chocolate
Today's moment....
After a routine day at home with my son, a little piece of chocolatey heaven to make the end of it sweet. Thank you to my husband who is thoughtful enough and has the foresight to buy me not one, but TWO, big organic, dark chocolate bars to hide away from Isaiah as a special..only for me treat:). Nice.
After a routine day at home with my son, a little piece of chocolatey heaven to make the end of it sweet. Thank you to my husband who is thoughtful enough and has the foresight to buy me not one, but TWO, big organic, dark chocolate bars to hide away from Isaiah as a special..only for me treat:). Nice.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Perfect Moments: catch 22
Today's moment moved like a snail...in slow motion
Today I was in a crowded place, filled with noise. Babies were crying, music was playing, people were laughing. Everything around me was in fast motion. Suddenly, everything slowed down and I was able to see each individual person separate from the others. I studied them all carefully and was able to catch a brief glimpse into each person's story---who they were, why they were there, what kind of life they had lived, what kind of life they might live in the future. It was a very surreal, vivid moment.
Even though it happened in a split second, I thought about it most of the rest of my day---what people were wearing, their features, the way they walked. Each person, innumerably different from the other, yet underneath it all, there are these common threads that keep the stitches of the fabric of humanity intact. Although it, for certain, happens in varying degrees and circumstances, every single person that passed me today has at one point experienced loss, kindness, cruelty, hope, hopelessness, elation, excitement, and a myriad of other states of being and emotions. It was in thinking on this when I felt like I had been given a great gift--the ability to see that there is not one of us that can say, "I am special." Because we all are...but that, in turn, means that we also are not. It is a catch 22. The greatest potential for peace lies in our ability to acknowledge and appreciate our differences while we increase our awareness of and reflection on our "sameness".
Today I was in a crowded place, filled with noise. Babies were crying, music was playing, people were laughing. Everything around me was in fast motion. Suddenly, everything slowed down and I was able to see each individual person separate from the others. I studied them all carefully and was able to catch a brief glimpse into each person's story---who they were, why they were there, what kind of life they had lived, what kind of life they might live in the future. It was a very surreal, vivid moment.
Even though it happened in a split second, I thought about it most of the rest of my day---what people were wearing, their features, the way they walked. Each person, innumerably different from the other, yet underneath it all, there are these common threads that keep the stitches of the fabric of humanity intact. Although it, for certain, happens in varying degrees and circumstances, every single person that passed me today has at one point experienced loss, kindness, cruelty, hope, hopelessness, elation, excitement, and a myriad of other states of being and emotions. It was in thinking on this when I felt like I had been given a great gift--the ability to see that there is not one of us that can say, "I am special." Because we all are...but that, in turn, means that we also are not. It is a catch 22. The greatest potential for peace lies in our ability to acknowledge and appreciate our differences while we increase our awareness of and reflection on our "sameness".
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Perfect Moments: Deep Conversation with a 3 year old
Today's moment....
My son and I were eating dinner at the table when I was telling him about things I used to do when I was little. Then, he asked me if he was there and I told him no...that he didn't even exist at that time. He paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, so I was in your belly huh?" And I tried to explain to him again that he was not around at all when I was little. He looked at me with a crazy look and threw up his hands. "Well, then where the heck was I?," he asked. He had this baffled look on his face like he could not understand how there was a time when he didn't exist. Then, I could see the wheels turning. He continued, "How did I get here?" I could tell he wasn't looking for a birds and bees explanation, he was asking in a more philosophical tone of voice. He wondered how could something ever not exist.
Instead of answering right away and giving him my assumptions on the topic, I let him sit for a while and sort it out in his head. He came up with a few hypotheses. 1) Maybe mommy and daddy said, "abra cadabra" and used magic to make him appear 2) Maybe he existed in space somewhere before he was born 3) Maybe he was inside some food and he came out like a seed 4) Maybe he was an alien before and now he was a boy.
After he gave some of his own thoughts on the subject, I gave him a few ideas of what other answers other people have come up with in the past (e.g. the big bang theory, creationism, evolution, via actions taken by various gods). I didn't want to tell him one was right and the others wrong. I did not want to give him the assumptions/ideas I have come up with over time. I just wanted him to get an idea of what was out there so that he could compare them to his own ideas and have something to think on. He listened and then, after a short time, he put his foot up in the air and said...."Mom, look at my stinky feet!" It made me laugh. Although I am glad to see my son is getting old and wise enough to think about the BIG questions, I am glad he can still, simply, be a silly kid.
My son and I were eating dinner at the table when I was telling him about things I used to do when I was little. Then, he asked me if he was there and I told him no...that he didn't even exist at that time. He paused for a moment, then said, "Oh, so I was in your belly huh?" And I tried to explain to him again that he was not around at all when I was little. He looked at me with a crazy look and threw up his hands. "Well, then where the heck was I?," he asked. He had this baffled look on his face like he could not understand how there was a time when he didn't exist. Then, I could see the wheels turning. He continued, "How did I get here?" I could tell he wasn't looking for a birds and bees explanation, he was asking in a more philosophical tone of voice. He wondered how could something ever not exist.
Instead of answering right away and giving him my assumptions on the topic, I let him sit for a while and sort it out in his head. He came up with a few hypotheses. 1) Maybe mommy and daddy said, "abra cadabra" and used magic to make him appear 2) Maybe he existed in space somewhere before he was born 3) Maybe he was inside some food and he came out like a seed 4) Maybe he was an alien before and now he was a boy.
After he gave some of his own thoughts on the subject, I gave him a few ideas of what other answers other people have come up with in the past (e.g. the big bang theory, creationism, evolution, via actions taken by various gods). I didn't want to tell him one was right and the others wrong. I did not want to give him the assumptions/ideas I have come up with over time. I just wanted him to get an idea of what was out there so that he could compare them to his own ideas and have something to think on. He listened and then, after a short time, he put his foot up in the air and said...."Mom, look at my stinky feet!" It made me laugh. Although I am glad to see my son is getting old and wise enough to think about the BIG questions, I am glad he can still, simply, be a silly kid.
Perfect Moments: The Goal
Today's moment....
I set out on what seemed like an impossible mission with my son today. The odds of us achieving our goal were pretty high, but I was DETERMINED to make it happen. So much so that I told my son that we were not going to give up on our goal until it was reached. With our minds set, we made our first attempt and were shut down immediately. We tried again and, again, were shot down. My son gave me a look that said, "Mom, it's ok, let's try another day", and it was tempting for me to take that as a way out. But, I couldn't do it. I had told him that we were not going home without having met our goal and if I didn't take it seriously on such a simple thing, I feared it would send a message to my son that he might apply to other, grown-up, goals later on. So, what started out as a fun adventure, suddenly became a "teachable moment" about sticking to your guns despite the odds and not losing hope. And so, with our hope, we went and gave it another shot and this time we were successful! After reflecting on what had happened, my son looked up and, with his big smile, said, "We did it, mom! Mission accomplished!" Now, if I told you what the goal was, you might think it was silly or not a big deal, but to my son, it was a big deal, so it doesn't really matter what it was. What does matter is that my son understands that goals should not be given up on even after failed attempts. Also, it made me think about how many other goals I have on MY list that I have yet to apply such unwavering determination to and it made me want to do so immediately, in order that my son might see that his mommy does what she says and will be inspired to do the same.
I set out on what seemed like an impossible mission with my son today. The odds of us achieving our goal were pretty high, but I was DETERMINED to make it happen. So much so that I told my son that we were not going to give up on our goal until it was reached. With our minds set, we made our first attempt and were shut down immediately. We tried again and, again, were shot down. My son gave me a look that said, "Mom, it's ok, let's try another day", and it was tempting for me to take that as a way out. But, I couldn't do it. I had told him that we were not going home without having met our goal and if I didn't take it seriously on such a simple thing, I feared it would send a message to my son that he might apply to other, grown-up, goals later on. So, what started out as a fun adventure, suddenly became a "teachable moment" about sticking to your guns despite the odds and not losing hope. And so, with our hope, we went and gave it another shot and this time we were successful! After reflecting on what had happened, my son looked up and, with his big smile, said, "We did it, mom! Mission accomplished!" Now, if I told you what the goal was, you might think it was silly or not a big deal, but to my son, it was a big deal, so it doesn't really matter what it was. What does matter is that my son understands that goals should not be given up on even after failed attempts. Also, it made me think about how many other goals I have on MY list that I have yet to apply such unwavering determination to and it made me want to do so immediately, in order that my son might see that his mommy does what she says and will be inspired to do the same.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Perfect Moments: My Bed
Today's moment....
After a loooong day of traveling (and a VERY bumpy flight), we finally arrived at our home. I dropped my bags, took a shower to get that air-travel-skin scrubbed off, and plopped down face first onto my bed. There's something about being gone for a while and then reuniting with your own bed! It is the ONLY one that has a corresponding indentation for every part of your body so that it holds you in just the right way:). What a feeling! Although I enjoyed our trip, I am so glad to be back and to be so fortunate as to have a comfortable place to get a good night's sleep:)
After a loooong day of traveling (and a VERY bumpy flight), we finally arrived at our home. I dropped my bags, took a shower to get that air-travel-skin scrubbed off, and plopped down face first onto my bed. There's something about being gone for a while and then reuniting with your own bed! It is the ONLY one that has a corresponding indentation for every part of your body so that it holds you in just the right way:). What a feeling! Although I enjoyed our trip, I am so glad to be back and to be so fortunate as to have a comfortable place to get a good night's sleep:)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Perfect Moments: Cafe du Monde
Today's moment.....
My husband made my day when he came back to our hotel from a walk holding a bag FULL of beignets and an ice cold chicory coffee drink. It is not only a tradition, but a MUST DO, when we come to New Orleans. If I could eat a bag of beignets everyday, buried under a mountain of powdered sugar, without it hurting my health and waistline...I WOULD!!! As they say, why do the things that are so bad for you, taste so darn good?! When we get back to Cali tomorrow, I'm going to have to answer for all my glutonous, "I'm on vacation", sins. But, did not worry about that today...today, I ate to my heart's content.
My husband made my day when he came back to our hotel from a walk holding a bag FULL of beignets and an ice cold chicory coffee drink. It is not only a tradition, but a MUST DO, when we come to New Orleans. If I could eat a bag of beignets everyday, buried under a mountain of powdered sugar, without it hurting my health and waistline...I WOULD!!! As they say, why do the things that are so bad for you, taste so darn good?! When we get back to Cali tomorrow, I'm going to have to answer for all my glutonous, "I'm on vacation", sins. But, did not worry about that today...today, I ate to my heart's content.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Perfect Moments: Freestylin'
Today's moment...
It was late, we were all tired from a long day with family. We were driving back to Mississippi from Alabama and my husband and I were trying to explain the art of freestyle rapping to our three year-old. After a run down on the basics, our son gave it his best shot and though the lyrics weren't very....sophisticated...he had the heart and the rhythm to make up for it. Just hanging out in the car, the three of us, and sharing music we all mutually enjoy has been one of the best moments of our trip thus far.
It was late, we were all tired from a long day with family. We were driving back to Mississippi from Alabama and my husband and I were trying to explain the art of freestyle rapping to our three year-old. After a run down on the basics, our son gave it his best shot and though the lyrics weren't very....sophisticated...he had the heart and the rhythm to make up for it. Just hanging out in the car, the three of us, and sharing music we all mutually enjoy has been one of the best moments of our trip thus far.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Perfect Moments: Spa Day
Today's moment....
Today was such a nice day! I spent it at the Beau Rivage Spa with my mother-in-law. We passed the time relaxing in the sauna, taking in the view of the Gulf Coast, walking along the bridge, and soaking sore muscles in a warm jacuzzi. But, the perfect moment of the day came when I was laying out in the sun looking at the gulf and the fine-grained, white sand along the beach with the warm breeze gently blowing over my body. Normally, in a moment like this, I would be preoccupied by wondering if my son was ok or if he might be missing me or be upset about me spending a day away. That wasn't the case today. I was able to just drink it all in with a free mind. It took me so long to realize that if I do not give myself times like these and do things I enjoy on my own every now and then, I am not only doing myself a disservice, but also my family. Why? Because when I return, I return with renewed enthusiasm for life, for my dreams--a renewed desire to be a better wife, mother, friend.
Today was such a nice day! I spent it at the Beau Rivage Spa with my mother-in-law. We passed the time relaxing in the sauna, taking in the view of the Gulf Coast, walking along the bridge, and soaking sore muscles in a warm jacuzzi. But, the perfect moment of the day came when I was laying out in the sun looking at the gulf and the fine-grained, white sand along the beach with the warm breeze gently blowing over my body. Normally, in a moment like this, I would be preoccupied by wondering if my son was ok or if he might be missing me or be upset about me spending a day away. That wasn't the case today. I was able to just drink it all in with a free mind. It took me so long to realize that if I do not give myself times like these and do things I enjoy on my own every now and then, I am not only doing myself a disservice, but also my family. Why? Because when I return, I return with renewed enthusiasm for life, for my dreams--a renewed desire to be a better wife, mother, friend.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Perfect Moments: Young Love, Revisited
Today's moment...
One of the reasons why I love coming to visit our family down South is that it is one of the very few times my husband and I get to go out without our son. I love my son, think about him all the time...even when we are out...but, every parent understands that feeling you get when you and your spouse get to reconnect on a one-on-one level and devote our full, undivided attention to one another. It may be just me....but, at first, I always feel a bit odd--don't know exactly what to do. It is like I have to remember how to turn off the "mommy" switch and just be the Monica I was when my husband and I first got together. Though I have changed... grown up a bit...in many ways I am still that girl. Eventually, we find the groove again and for a moment...a brief, but beautiful, moment...we are the young lovers once more. More than content to be in each other's company, to simply be near each other. We hold hands and give each other those gentle touches that, at the start, would send chills down our spine....and are pleasantly surprised to find they still do.
Life tries its darndest to trip us up, keep us too busy or too complacent to remember just how incredible our spouses are. But we have to do what we can, when we can, to slow it down enough to catch our breath and breath new life into, invigorate, our relationships...to remember them as they were when love was new while, at the same time, deepen our appreciation for who our spouses have become and how the roots of our love have grown deeper with the passing of time.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Perfect Moments: Apple bottom jeans, boots wit da ferrr
Today's moment came courtesy of none other but the people who started the Zumba craze and the "king" of auto-tune....Mr. T-Pain. Had he not put out this superficial yet moving piece of music, I would have never had the following picture in my mind to make me laugh and smile for years to come!
Picture this:
A room full of good ol' Bible Belt, church-goin' Mississippi women, T-Pain's "Apple-Bottom Jeans" song blaring out the speakers, AND.... my 50 somethin' year-old mother-in-law giving "her big booty a smack" and "hit[ting] the floor, next thing you know, [she got] low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low". I couldn't help but laugh inside, thinking "this woman's gonna' get toooo low and is going to need ME to help her back up!"
Two things to take away from this moment:
1. The revelation that Southern women can, surprisingly, do Latin moves some justice
2. A memory that is sure to cheer me up should I be visited by a rainy day in the future
Picture this:
A room full of good ol' Bible Belt, church-goin' Mississippi women, T-Pain's "Apple-Bottom Jeans" song blaring out the speakers, AND.... my 50 somethin' year-old mother-in-law giving "her big booty a smack" and "hit[ting] the floor, next thing you know, [she got] low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low". I couldn't help but laugh inside, thinking "this woman's gonna' get toooo low and is going to need ME to help her back up!"
Two things to take away from this moment:
1. The revelation that Southern women can, surprisingly, do Latin moves some justice
2. A memory that is sure to cheer me up should I be visited by a rainy day in the future
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