Friday

tip-o-day

The holidays are fast approaching. So I suppose today's tip should be holiday-ish.
I should tell you to gather twigs from your yard and spray paint them silver and gold for a festive center piece. Perhaps how to make a wreath out of wine corks, or bottle caps or used tampon wrappers. Maybe even how best to set your holiday table.
But no. Martha I am not.

My tip for you this holiday season is to conserve. Conserve your energy, conserve your resources, conserve your finances.
Make this the year that you make a holiday budget. Don't overbuy. We all already have too much stuff. Getting presents becomes numbing rather than a treat. The whole concept of returns...just makes me cringe. What is the point of all of it.
Buy a bottle of wine for someone ..then share it with them. Bring a baked good - or if you're coming to my house, a dish of raw vegetables.
I am not condemning a little gift exchange - just be reasonable. Think it through. If you have to give Aunt Elsy a gift receipt for the purple flowered turtle neck... then perhaps you should re-think.

Let's all buy less. Drink more.

My Artistic Wife

I am sure I have mentioned before that my adorable wife is an artist.
She draws and paints. Watercolors, oils... sometimes pencil - she's wicked with a box of crayolas.
I marvel at her talent. She is very good. Really. I am not just saying that because ...well you know.

Lucky for her she picked me. You see, where she excels at the creative with her fine eye and keen color sense - she sorta lacks in areas of ... well, common sense.
Not a problem, because I am filled with sound judgement. I brim with it.

For example, she would think nothing of sending an original watercolor postcard all the way across the country via the trusty United States Postal Service - without even putting it in an envelope.

It is at these times that I try to impress upon my blithe wife some prudence. Sometimes she listens, sometimes she simply wanders away.
I have long since learned to let her wander happily off.

She has such a gentle way about her. She lets things take on a life of their own.
It will be fine - she says lightly.
But what about the rain - I try to assert.
If the watercolor gets wet (ends up a soupy mess) then that will be art too, she explains to me.

She teaches me to be patient and calm and centered. (she beat me to the post office)
She is my muse.

The watercolor? Well... however it reached its destination - it was exactly as it should be.

It's really quite remarkable how quickly one rakes leaves when its 34 degrees out.

weese is waiting, anticipating.
foot tapping, fingers drumming.
she watches.
days pass. a week slips away.
they remain.
clinging, hopeful, indignant.
they mock her.
they taunt her.
weese is patient.
their time will come.
weese will be ready.
rake in hand.

How old are you?

I am never quite sure how old I am.
I mean… I’m close, just a year off generally. But for some reason I just can’t seem to get a grip on the correct number. If you were to ask me – just flat out “Hey weese, how old are you?” Please don’t be surprised to get a deer-in-the-headlights look.

I am not in any way ashamed or embarrassed about my age. In fact, I revel in it. I wear my gray hairs proudly, never considering a bottled potion to cover them up. I am getting wrinkled, and have certainly noticed gravity’s strong hold.
It’s simply that I get confused about the specific number. Ah… does it really matter? What’s in a number anyway?

There are milestones of course. 1, 16, 18 (or 21 these days). After that we make milestones of the decades - 30, 40, 50 and so on.
Why do we do that? Why is 40 any more important than say… 42, or 38. I suppose it shouldn’t be – perhaps its just a way to pass the time.

I remember the day I turned 30, and I wondered if just by turning from 29 to 30 overnight, would I suddenly feel more like an adult? Would I feel grown up?
We had young kids, our first house, a puppy, new cars… all the things that equate us with actual, tax-payin’ grown ups.
Yet I still felt so … like I was in my 20’s.
Nothing happened that day.
And so I waited.
I waited another decade.
And when I turned 40 – I thought surely now I am an adult. Crap, I am middle aged. But still… I really felt no different. Well… aside from a couple new twinges here or there, and maybe the need for some 2 dollar magnifying glasses. I felt just the same. Just like me. Just like any other day.

I can say some things for certain as I am careening through my 40’s. Lots of things are changing now. My attitude has mellowed from my 30’s and my innards are gearing up for a transition and reminding me about then whenever they can. But at the end of the day – even tho the end of the day is now a few hours earlier than it used to be, I still feel a lot like person who thought they might grow up after 30.
I am still hoping to grow up… maybe when I turn 50.






Happy Birthday Teresa,
do you know how old you are?

Jeep chick

I drove the Jeep to work yesterday.
It's a great responsibility. There is much to do when driving the Jeep.
First, I have to shift. I don't really understand why anyone would actually choose a standard transmission - but my rugged wife always has. So I have learned to drive them.
Then I have to constantly be watching for the 'Jeep wave'.
Evidently, people who drive Wranglers wave at each other.
All the time.
It's like a Jeep code.
So I feel its my responsibility to participate when I am driving her Jeep.
Finally, as if that's not enough,
I snapped a picture of the Knight who says 'Ni'. Jeeps are great for bobble heads, and with oversized tires - there is much bobble action.



This morning on my way to work I waved at someone in a Jeep. I was a bit dismayed they didn't wave back.
Then I realized I was in my Cabrio.

The Universe Speaks

I was complaining Sunday morning about having to go out and rake leaves all day. I procrastinated as long as I could …enjoying morning coffee, circling condos in the real estate section, and calling friends to commiserate.

We finally dragged ourselves out there for an afternoon’s work.
It was 39 degrees, and a breeze was just starting to kick in. Perfect.

We have a lot of leaves. Personally, I think we have more leaves than we do trees to support them. Some people’s leaves get blown away by the wind. Didja ever wonder where they went? … Pretty sure it’s my house.

I was somewhat curious, tho unfazed, when I found the pull cord to the lawn mower cut clean through. My best attempts to knot it and start the engine were foiled.
I moved on. We had a lot to do.
That’s when the tractor died.
It had been running… not 15 minutes earlier. Now… turn the key – nothing. The tractor is a huge part of our leaf removal process. This was not good.
I tried everything I knew. I opened the hood… looked at the engine, fiddled with the wires on the ignition. Got off, got on. Made sure the blades were disengaged. Turned the key several times – because that often works if you just keep trying.
It didn’t.
I am not a mechanic.
I abandoned it in the side yard.

We did as much hand raking and tarp hauling as we could stand… and went back in.
We put on the ball game and I pulled out the real estate section again.

Mawwiage

Mawwiage ith waht bwings uth toghethah twudaaay.


My Sister-in-Law got married. Now I can officially call him my Brother-in-Law.




Our whole family was involved. The Daughter the Therapist and Ferris were in the wedding party.

Me.. and this handsome fellow, a dear friend of the happy couple, were appointed the 'Hosts'.

We were basically in charge. We greeted guests and got them to where they needed to be. Made sure the bridal party was ready and looking sparky. We made sure the guests had everything they needed, working closely with the caterer and waitstaff.

Oh right ...and my Officiant wife performed the ceremony.

These two are an amazing couple. They overflow with good energy.
They planned their ceremony together, wanting something that broke away from the mold yet retained some of a marriage ceremonies finer points.
The result was spiritual, playful and sweetly emotional.
Several people commented after the ceremony that they wanted to do theirs over again... that they didn't realize a ceremony could be like this.

EV and ML were married in a castle by the sea.

The ceremony was on the lawn looking over the water, with the reception inside this grand castle.

Our family arrived early to prep and get ready.
Here we have the bride - in civilian clothes, helping The Daughter The Therapist tie something.

Ferris - who showed up on time and perky, having rolled out of his dorm room after a very late night campus party, - helps his Poppop pull himself together.


My Officiant wife goes over the ceremony script one last time. I am sure that she hears me quietly in her head telling her not to cry during the ceremony. I spent most of the morning telling her to buck up. It did not work of course. Nor did I expect it to.


Someone asked me if I had brought scissors with me. Um... of course!


Once the gals were ready, MM and I got the guests organized

and made sure the wedding party was all lined up nicely.




Ahhh, can you just feel the love.


EV and ML had strong feelings about their ceremony in every detail. We spoke about this on several occasions. And when they asked me to do a reading, I was honored. And so I wanted to honor them:

EV and ML, its clear you took great care in selecting this place for your ceremony.
When you came upon this place, the beauty of Nature’s elements -- earth, water and air – certainly must have impressed you as it does us today.
In your honor, let’s pause to notice these elements surrounding us, in the same way that we surround you today
Let’s all take a moment to feel our connection to the earth below our feet. Let that remind us that we are all connected as family.
As we look out onto the ocean waters, we can allow our spirits to roll freely with the waves.
As we breathe in deeply, we’ll let the crisp October air fill us with openness, joy, and a boundless energy for life.
We are all overwhelmed and blessed by these divine elements. And when this day is done, may we always remember this place, and the sacred connection we have to each other and to all living things.

The ceremony was rich with spirituality with just a sprinkle of tradition.
We were all very moved.

...and then it was time for 'pictures'


...and THEN it was time for some cocktails... which, of course, led to some wild dancing.

and some romantic dancing





EL and ML got married in a castle by the sea.

Congratulations.

its just another day

another day with no time for a lunch break
another day with no no time to write a blog post
another day with no no time for blog reading

please... don't be shy with your sympathies.

Take cover

Do you have seasonal anxiety? Do you have valium? Please send me some if you do.
Welp, its fall – and here we go again.

Lets be clear. My anxiety is not caused by the shorter days where my body is jonesin’ for vitamin D filled sunshine. Nope, this is all about my to do list.

I get this way every year. So much to do, so little time. While some folks are changing their wardrobes over and putting on the flannel sheets, my resourceful wife is taking out my flannel straight jackets (one must be seasonal when wearing a straight jacket – try to imagine my fall collection in a traditional woodsmen’s red plaid, where my summer attire would be more like linen or even seersucker which is nice and cool when you have your arms wrapped around your back).

Since we have been busy for several weekends in a row – the tasks are piling up, and so are the leaves. I am getting more anxious by the day.
So finally we have a weekend to get some work done outside and wouldn’t you just know what’s coming tomorrow?

Yup. That’s right folks. Pull up your lawn chairs and mull some cider. We’ll be raking leaves in a hurricane.

We are nothing …if not good entertainment.