i want

yes, i'm being very greedy lately.

Christmas is on the brain.

but aren't these PRETTY?

specifically

jane eyre,

sense and sensibility

and pride and prejudice?

now

if only i could find where to buy them.

feminine

i have 6 loads of laundry to put away,
and a disaster of a house
but here i am writing.
i was lucky enough to have a facial this afternoon.
one of my good friends and i have a swap:
i watch her little boy once a week
and she gives me the best facials every couple of weeks.
but i haven't been for a couple of months.
so, you can understand why this afternoon was
delightful.
while sitting in the relaxation room,
wrapped in a robe,
my feet soaking over hot stones,
sipping my mint tea
i read an article about the importance of retaining my femininity.
and i was overcome with guilt.

~

how do you get the raise, the corner office, the promotion, or the title? by functioning in your masculine. it is our masculine that gets us ahead, provides security in our job, and earns a nice paycheck. in fact, even if we are at home, we are the CEO of our house--meeting deadlines, organizing schedules, and managing events--acting fully in our executive mode. but the feminine is expressed in such qualities as nurturance, light-heartedness, changeability, joyfulness, connection and healing, to mention a few. so, where is the arena for your feminine? is it your kitchen when you are making a great meal for people you love, or your garden with beautiful flowers you have nurtured? is it your interactions with your children? remember the power of your feminine. pay tribute to her--flowers on your desk or in your home, sensual fabrics, the bath instead of the more efficient shower..

~

this short little article struck a chord with me.
and rang so true with my everyday life.
running a household and raising children is a LOT of work.
constant work, in fact.
no 9-5 at this job.
but how often do i stop and take time for myself?
really stop?
the facial is a good step,
but it's practially forced on me by my good friend
who is a single mom and knows the vital importance
of time to yourself in order to survive.
because i am so stuck in my masculine
that i never schedule it for myself.
because if i were to do something like that i feel guilty,
and highly indulgent.
how ridiculous is that?
when by relaxing
and taking time for ourselves
we are making lives easier for those around us.
we are happier women,
more patient mothers
and loving wives.
so, i vow right now to be better,
more feminine.
more joyful and nurturing.
and take more time to myself.
and actually enjoy that time.

lost chances

certain houses
caused the same wave of longing--
the look of a particular curtain
in an upstairs window,
or a bike left on the lawn--
and some movies did it, too.
why?
he wanted to ask his congregants.
"why does this happen do us?
because we have abandoned
an infinite number
and variety of pure possibilities,
and perhaps they live alongside
the choices we did make,
immortalized
in the cosmic memory.
perhaps there are unknown lives
walking alongside ours,
those paths we didn't take,
and we reach for them,
we ache for them,
and don't know why.

~amos in the solace of leaving early, page 34

vaccinations

just recently i've been made aware of the danger of pumping too many vaccinations into our babies and children. i've read a lot of information, books and websites and have considered the pros and cons. my conclusion has been to stop vaccinating max and ava until i write up a more conservative vaccination schedule for them with the help of our pediatrician.

i'm just telling you all because i love you and your kids and want you to be aware. i feel the need to spread the word. check out this website and see what you think.

sweet.

thanks, ncs!
she gave me this totally excellent rating..
and sleek little icon that i've been coveting.



i in turn rate the following blogs E for excellent..

chicklegirl because of her mad poetry skills and amazing writing,
lauren because of her sweet humor, style and unabashed confidence,
tamie because she's my sister and i love reading her deep thoughts,
jayci because of her sunny outlook on life, her sweet comments and her excellent taste in movies.
and omar because of his dry humor and fantastic way with words.

thanks for being excellent, bloggy friends..

new york, new york

oh, hey!

did you know i was in new york last month?

yep.

annie, the fabulous, took me there.

she was awesome enough to take me to the met.

it's her birthday today...

go

and

wish one of my fave blogging girlfriends

a happy birthday!

the rules

number 454 of the rules,
a man's guide to life according to esquire...

people who begin sentences
by saying,
"with all due respect,"
are in fact preparing to impart
loads of disrespect.

the rules

i bought paul a book when i was in denver this summer. i got downtown a little early for my blogmeet and stopped in at this store on larimer. while there, i picked up this book, thumbed through it and found myself smirking in spite of myself. so, i bought it for him. as i was standing there waiting for the guy to ring up my credit card, i thought it was probably a dumb gift. but, figured that even if he didn’t like it, i could at least get a kick out of it. he did like it. it’s not like he’s highlighted his favorites or anything, but it’s entertaining. i had to get it off the shelf to find the one i'd been thinking about posting.

so, number 488 of the rules, a man's guide to life according to esquire...

a man over the age of 30 should not use
the word “dawg” except to refer to
a creature with four legs
and a leash around it’s neck.

from the book i just finished

"do you know--i hardly remembered you?"

"hardly remembered me?"

"i mean: how shall i explain? i--it's always so. each time you happen to me all over again."

"oh, yes: i know! i know!"

"does it--do i too: to you?" he insisted.

she nodded, looking out of the window.

from the age of innocence by edith wharton