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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

love of reading

There has been a lot of reading going around in this house lately. All have joined in, and it has been a wonderful thing.

In fact, I can tell there is a significant change in the house when reading is the form of relaxation over TV and movies. It makes sense, but I'll write about it anyway. :) Movies keep us entertained and occasionally we come across one that makes us think a little while watching or a little more once it has finished. But a good book? And I'm not talking about ones like the adult equivalent of George Brown Class Clown who has a magical super burp for adults, ( Come one, school! Why are we highlighting and celebrating a book like this? THAT is the behavior I want my kids to be encouraged in and then get in trouble for...) but a book that has really has something to say. These kinds of books mean the author themselves have something to say. As an aside, my husband has informed me that the novel was created when philosophy morphed into proving things mathematically, effectively forcing philosophers to get their ideas across by creating worlds that we could relate to through novels. He's a philosophy/math major, so he has an objective perspective. ;)

So, back to reading. My husband and I share the hobby of reading. We don't always like the same authors and it has become a source of friendly bantering. Nerds? Yes, we are. ;) But reading engages one's mind throughout, gives one something to chew on long past the story is over, and perhaps glean some lessons about life that one has been searching for.

I think if we all took to reading more as a society, we'd have a lot more to say and we'd see a change in human interactions. Am I dreaming? Perhaps, but one has to dream a little.

Have a great day, friends!

Friday, September 21, 2012

environment and clothes

I know I have touched on living in a tropical place ( I know, tough life) and how it has affected what I want surrounding us in our home. I will show you yet another change :) another day. Today, I'll just talk about how much it affects the fashion down here and how I want to dress on a particular day.

I know I have also mentioned I have always liked the tailored, classic look. It suits me well, and without entirely leaving it behind, I have embraced what living here has done to my broadened horizons. Although this is not one of those outfit blogs ( which don't get me wrong I enjoy looking at), here is what I am wearing today.




Woah, close up! Check out those hoops! ( thanks, Mom:) I don't know why, but I really felt the need to combine these colors today. Colors really inspire me, I must say. Anyone else? There is a flowering bush down here whose flower is the exact color of these shorts; not quite red, but bold and strong and oh so tropical. Women wear flowing pants and shirts, and it reminds me of the ocean breezes. I would not ever have worn those in DC. There is a bohemian element there, but the norm is more of the structured type, mirroring the seriousness of politics and the columns of the Capital. It, too, is beautiful.

So, does what I am saying resonate? How many of you are influenced and inspired by the environment in which you live? Enjoy a few pics of mine! :)

                                 


Monday, September 17, 2012

kudos

From the outset, I was struck with the song Somebody That I Used to Know. The chorus melody is really creative and I thought it was coming from Sting. So, after downloading it and listening to the actual words and getting a feel for what the song is saying, I appreciate it more.

And here's why: I find the honesty refreshing. (Maroon 5 has a similar song out, though not as gripping or soul-searching. I am just not a big fan of the band, so I won't focus on it.) I think we have definitely hit an era when people are told to not take dating seriously, their feelings or other's, and to just run around and have "fun." But, that is simply not reality, no? How many times do girls stay up talking about heartaches? How many guys when they find a girl they really admire are blind-sided when she is gone? There is a reason why getting married is still on people's minds, albeit later in life.

So, thank you, Gotye, for hopefully bringing reality back into the picture and making people think about the choices they make! ( disclaimer, I don't find his video appropriate, but the itunes sample is here.

Have a wonderful day!


Friday, September 14, 2012

entertaining with ease

On a lighter note, I've been getting excited about little things, like finding a gift for a teacher's birthday ( super fun for me! haha!) and rethinking my readiness for visits from friends. Here are a couple of pictures I have had stowed away that have drawn me in: 
                        (from Traditional Home July/August 2011)

                             (Domino November 2008)

I love the attention to detail to make things beautiful and easy for friends. They are obviously showing set-ups for more formal events, but there are some practical things I have learned from these magazines for more casual, everyday gatherings.

Anyone out there fans of the old Domino magazine? LONNY is a spin-off of it, but I remember an article about entertaining, and how some people are ready at a moments notice, and how welcomed it really makes a guest feel. It is all about having the basics at hand rather than stowed away so that it is effortless. Spurred on by the fact that I had to offer my friend a jar of water ( all of my glasses had broken, one by one), my cupboards recently got an inventory check ;) and interior make-over. One side of the sink is now devoted to everyday, kid-friendly items and the other side is devoted to the not fancy but ordinary items I'd like to have on hand (ahem, water glasses!) for an impromptu visit. 

Establishing order is actually something I get a kick out of, so it was a win-win activity. But now, I can make my friends feel taken care of after a day spent taking care of others. After all, they do the same for me! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

safely say

Two Kids Drawing Together

This is something I have been thinking for quite awhile. Since last summer, to be precise. But some time spent just watching the interactions of my children has confirmed what I "noticed" ( although I think that is not strong enough a word. Maybe "was struck by; got" would be more descriptive) last summer.

Each of my children would not be the same with the absence of any one of them. They bring out something different in each other that one would not accomplish ( although unknowingly) on their own.  This makes such common sense that it may be silly to write about, but so it goes today! :) One of my kids would still be ready for fun, but perhaps not to the same degree as he is to date without the presence of each sibling. I can't scientifically prove this, but only intuit it, but this is none-the-less true. I just know it.

Last summer, I watched as one of my children literally embody the confidence that radiates more naturally from their sibling. As they say, "monkey say, monkey do." It was a beautiful sight.

Does this not happen to adults? Do we not learn from our friends and perhaps emulate some of their outstanding traits, even unknowingly? I know I am influenced by some of the terrific characters of my friends.

And it all starts in the beginning with our siblings, but perhaps more intensely and lastingly. What a beautiful built-in gift family is.

In War and Peace, Tolstoy talks about Russians not doing the one thing that can save them from the  French  invasion. Its funny that maybe we, too, avoid the one thing that can help to bring us closer to our own humanity; humans.

Have a beautiful Sunday!