Two fat ceramic pigs perch on my shoulder
Are they Shreks?
No, I mutter, they’re cookie jars
Cracked antiques with stutter paint
My parents, I say, they were into them
There was a time when they were really into them.
-KQA
#NationalPoetryMonth
Category: Lifestyle
Daylight Savings Crime
Either 5am or 7:47am
There is no in-between
The house is quiet and heavy with slumber
Even the shutters join in, and silently snore
We’re running late (and nobody cares)
Sun, then snow, then sun again
Snow will always be the last to leave
So keep the heavy jackets with heavy blankets
and hold them until the grass stains
Robbed of light to be given light
A trade off
We love…to hate
As we throw the alarm
There is no in-between
Of Daylight Savings Crime
-Kelly Q. Anderson
Leprechaun Traps and March Tricks
I grossly underestimated the intensity my children have when it comes to trapping a leprechaun. This morning, my daughter ran screaming into my room to tell me that the ‘green stuff’ in our house had been moved, therefore, tiny little leprechauns were out making mischief.
When I asked her to clarify, she pointed at a small green stapler on the countertop and a spice jar of Bay Leaves next to it (basically, the casual, everyday mess that is my kitchen).
“See? Look at this stuff just laying around,” she confirmed. “Hey, did you by any chance hear tiny little voices saying ‘tee hee hee’?”
“No.”
(she was not please by this response).
Yesterday, I took my kids and their active imaginations to the library, where they beelined for Irish-themed books (as well as some historical ones for Wells, who is getting a kick out of history). I agreed to make a lot of green food this month (they requested green beans and mint milkshakes). I also made a tentative plan to try and attempt my family’s famous Irish soda bread recipe. Every cardboard box has been claimed in order to craft the most skilled and accurate leprechaun trap.
We are full tilt for mischief. Here’s hoping you are too.
Start Me Up
The new year has rolled out and the rollercoaster has begun. In just the first half of January, there have been dramatic shifts and prods within social media, government, law enforcement, D.E.I., journalism, and more. Brad Montague touched upon the enormity of this time as ‘toomuchery.’ The world keeps changing, the world keeps staying the same. Routine mixed with chaos, stirred with uncertainty. What happens when our very democracy is under violent attack and my child approaches me and asks for help with homework? He’s working on calculating area. Length x width.
The other day I impulse bought a set of clearance rack barrettes from Target. As if that would help anything. As if it would lessen the anxiety. But they sparkle on Zoom. They shimmer under the light of our dinner table. They help hide that awkward hair length I’m at- the growing-out-phase. But really, there is no help for moving through uncertainty. Sparkle is merely a distraction.
Family continues with distance and technology, and the occasional freezing cold walk at a forest preserve.
Our dog, Putter, continues to burrow on our laps and spread the warmth wherever she goes. In the ever-chill of a midwestern winter, I don’t really mind it. I’m just not always ready when I’m sitting down with coffee and a furry bundle leaps into my startled lap.
On Tuesday, Fitz cracked open an Ina Garten cookbook and made the fanciest comfort food he could find: lobster BLTs. They were sensational. A hall-of-fame kind of sandwich.
Clean, purge, donate. Every year this happens. The doling out of holiday decor, the sweeping removal of it, and my insistence at stripping things down, down, down to necessity. In a world of no control, I have to stop myself from pacing or organizing. In doing so, Fitz dug through office drawers and uncovered a treasure among relics (a rolodex! ancient biz cards!). Before the world changed and tilted, he had purchased a pair of earrings on Etsy for me. My initials. The two letters that have been singular in my identity for so long. A really lovely, thoughtful gift. It reminded me of that moment in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Clark is in the attic, attempting to discreetly hide presents…until he uncovers a dusty Mother’s Day gift from 1984. Oops.
I picked a helluva time to start school again but the program was just too good and the Instagram ad hit at the right time. Despite the chaos of schedule, I have really enjoyed eCornell. I’m studying Diversity & Inclusion.
Every day is still fresh. Every opportunity is still present. Yes, this year has already been too much, but many days lay ahead. Many days lay ahead. Start me up.
5 Good Things
Please enjoy this gratuitous photo of snuggly dog + snuggly teddy bear.
It’s the end of July. HOW? Really?
Yes. Really. It just keeps going. Here are five good things that might change your mood from ‘meh’ to ‘hmm.’
1. This Kale, Sausage, & White Bean recipe via Cup of Jo. My family loves it and always fights over who gets seconds.
2. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Ms. Reid was just nominated for the 2020 Booker Prize. I read her book back in March and was WOWed by it (trust when I say it lives up to the hype). A cousin just called me up out of the blue and said, “You read ‘Such a Fun Age’ right?” We then proceeded to talk excitedly for the next hour. Mini book club via phone!
3. Netflix recommendations: The Babysitters Club for a hearty dose of nostalgia, the rebooted Unsolved Mysteries for suspense and drama (the French count who escaped?! WHOA).
4. Tennis. Yup, I’m branching out of my comfort zone and taking lessons. This meant I had to add a few tennis outfits to my wardrobe (I had none. NONE). I really enjoy Prince, a house brand of Dicks Sporting Goods, particularly this top and this tennis skirt.
5. Folklore by Taylor Swift. My head and heart are spinning with this album. It’s the morose, ethereal soundtrack of 2020. I am crushed by the beauty of ‘My tears ricochet’ and ‘Exile,’ but ‘The Last Great American Dynasty’ is fantastically fun because the singer enters the narrative when you least expect it.
Into the Motherhood
Breathing Space: Cherry Blossoms
In the midst of all of this chaos, birds are still singing, flowers are still opening up, and the sun keeps faithfully rising.
A Throwback: The 80s, E.T. & Virtual Rides
Last night we revived an old classic…a movie that harkens back to the very best of an 80s childhood. E.T. Glorious!
Continue reading “A Throwback: The 80s, E.T. & Virtual Rides”
City Girl Confessions: Hello Neighbor
My street has been lined with moving trucks. Our neighbors (that we loved) have moved out. New neighbors (that we hope to love) have moved in.
Minimalist vs. Maximalist: Which one are you?
A friend recently made a fascinating observation about me after she saw photos of my living room (don’t worry, that is not my living room pictured above).
She said, “You live like such a minimalist…yet you dress like such a maximalist!”
Continue reading “Minimalist vs. Maximalist: Which one are you?”
