Smiles-a-Lot

I think I found my new “Skinny Boy.” (This post will make a lot more sense if you've read that one.)  However, to sum up, we have another boy who spends a LOT of time here because frankly his home life isn't "satisfactory."  He hasn't been as easy to warm to – he just has a different personality. But again, like Skinny Boy, amazing work ethic and impeccable mannners. Home situation quite different, too. Again, we'll leave it there. Lives in a nearby rental, reunited with Dad and new girlfriend. The difference in our family life, and I think the explanation for why he spends literally every available moment here, he shared off the cuff with me this afternoon.  What he said really helped me, because I've been wallowing in a the inertia-sucking mire of self-pity for a while.  "Smiles" gave me perspective. (That nickname is for you, Brian - he sure could use your expertise, and he's tries valiantly to cover his pain with a gorgeous smile)

I Finally got my house decorated this weekend by my fabulous Swissie, and this afternoon The Engineer found the Advent House!  

The advent house has 24 doors, big enough to tuck a little treat into. Of course I was ELEVEN days behind, so I wrote privilege cards, not being allowed to leave the house “limited activities, you may walk around your house if you want”. (I'm recovering from a nasty bout of bronchitis that sent my asthma to Olympic Gold...and I cracked at least one rib. While coughing.) So the cards said things like, “Get out of dishes”, “Get a smoothie”, etc. It's a tradition. There are usually trinkets, ornaments, candy, but not so far this year. Not been exactly traditional around here with a laid-up Mom for so long.

I asked “Smiles”  about his favorite Christmas traditions. He gets to spend a lot of time with his Grandparents in another state, so I didn't think it was a hurtful question. I thought there'd be some to share. He just smiled and said, “We're not a put together family like yours.”

Imagine that. I thought I was blowing Christmas for our kids with my infirmity, but no, I'm putting it together. Thanks, Smiles. I needed that. We need each other. We can help each other. Keep coming over.

P.S (Last year I wrote a three-part series about Swedish/American Christmas traditions if you'd like to take a peek.)

Cheers, Cavanagh Blogfest

Dear Mrs. C.,

I'm sure Alex's beautiful description of marriage in CassaFire was born from his relationship with you. You're a special lady, and I'd like to thank you for letting him do so much for us!

I don't know what Alex looks like physically, but to me he looks like generosity, selfishness, giving, and integrity.

Alex reminds me of my math and bandmate, Bill. He didn't play guitar, but he rocked a mean bass clarinet.

Give Bill Pullman dark hair, he's Alex. Though I'd rather see Alex played alive. Still not adjusted to zombies.

******  Even Awesome Ninja Captains Sometimes Need the Help of Friends*******

Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh wakes suddenly from a deep sleep. He's got his guitar still in hand, and his head on the keyboard. Visiting all the IWSG folks who rely on his group-building strengths has left him tired. “Just 20 more blogs...I can do it he mutters,” putting down the guitar. I CAN do it. All by myself! I'm a Ninja!  

Then he pauses. Byron needed help. He needed a friend. Sometimes Awesome Ninja's do, too. Time to enlist some help!

Two new co-hosts are recruited.  Soon Alex heads to find Mrs. C, and as they fall asleep, he's piloting his Cosbolt, new navigators at the ready.

****

This is the most special blogfest I've participated in.  Alex has been a wonderful  friend, mentor, and blogging buddy.  He totally deserves this day dedicated to him.  You're the best, Alex.

Hosted by Mark “The Madman” Koopman, ”Marvelous” Morgan Shamy", Stephen “Breakthrough” Tremp," and David “Kingpin” Powers King, the BlogFest runs from December 10 - 12. 

P.S There has been some confusiong as to what this post is about (yes, there actually are people out there who don't know Alex...so for the sake of clarity, here are the questions I was answering above.

·         In +/- 20 words, what does Alex look like?

·         In +/- 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary? (Living or dead.)

·         In +/- 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

·         In +/- 100 words, (excluding the title) write flash fiction using all these prompts:

     ·         Cavanaugh

           ·         Ninja

           ·         IWSG

           ·         Cosbolt

           ·         Guitar

For Bonus Points:

·         In +/- 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs. Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing.

Digging Up The Dirt: What Do You Want to Know?

Today I'm asking for your help. Even if you're not going to be in the April 2013 A-Z Blogging Challenge, you can still contribute greatly, and the entire team of co-hosts will be grateful for your creative, goofy, or pin-em-to-the-wall input, if that's the case.

We are putting together this year's “Get To Know Your Co-Hosts” questionnaire, and need your help with questions. What would you like to know about us? What have you been wondering about me? If we get enough questions, each co-host will choose which to answer, so we'll have some variety.  For what you already know about me, see the "About Me" tab above.

Please do me the huge favor of heading over to the A-Z Blog today if you'd like samples of what our questions and answers were last year. You can also see what questions have already been contributed.

Or, if you're ready and short on time, leave your question in my comments here. Either way, we sure appreciate your help.

~ Tina

IWSG: Do I Need a Weekly Schedule?

I missed posting last month, and I mean MISSED as in wow, it was amazing the support and encouragement that I received from you bloggers during my first foray into this wonderful group, and I want more. Thank you. You took me seriously and you answered my questions honestly.  

This week what plagues me is my blog's format. A lot of bloggers follow a schedule, so I know that Mondays I'll get musings from the weekend, Wednesday a haiku, and Fridays something random. I like that. I've tried giving myself a schedule, but can't decide what it would be.

I used to have a meme schedule, where the only day I wasn't involved in something with a linky list was Mondays. That got exhausting because there was so much visiting it took away from writing and visiting my regular buddies and responding to comments on my own posts.

I started my blog to practice writing, so I can “legally” write about anything. I'm finding that topic too wide. I get paralyzed staring at the blank page wondering what in the world will make someone come read. (And I know readership is down because my blogging is down, but it's a cycle...) I want honest feedback, real opinions, I'm not afraid to start a controversial debate, either.

Do you think it would draw more readers if they knew that on Mondays they'd get a Swedish childhood story, Wednesday a poem with the good folks at dVerse (if you're a poet, gotta check 'em out – awesomely welcoming group), and then Fridays an embarrassing story. (This is an example. Not saying I could keep up with this schedule...)

Do you have a schedule? Do you tend to read more blogs that do? What is your opinion of what would be best for me at this time? Honestly, please tell me.

Alex J. Cavanaugh with the help of some friends host this hop the first Wednesday of the month.  Come join us!  Click on the picture for the link to the linky (the one in the sidebar).

You Can Find Hope in the Madness

Oh come oh come Emmanuel

And ransom stressed out shoppers in their fight

Don't let the tinsel, trappings and the light

Detract from celebrating what is real

Our savior is Whom we should honor here

He came to save the lost and despaired

Not make us spend more than we should have dared

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Peace can be found this year

Just let go of what you once held so dear

Oh come oh come Emmanuel

Release us from what Christmas has become

And help us celebrate the ONE

whose coming brought the hope and the light

And deserves our worship this and every night.

****

Here's the melody of this old hymn if you're not familiar with it.

I felt the urge to re-write some of the lyrics as the newspaper grows thicker and thicker with low prices on things we don't need. I feel that the US is the most blessed nation on earth, and that instead of buying gifts for each other, we should reach out and bless those less fortunate. I don't know your faith or beliefs, but it's my belief that wanting to help others is universal. Thanks for listening. Feel free to disagree. I'm listening.

Oh, How I Miss You Blogfest

Today's it's time for another blogfest. I'm glad, because I can't seem to get myself in gear unless there's a party...

We are to talk about bloggers we miss, and then also bloggers we WOULD miss if they disappeared. Our community is a growing and changing one, I myself have been disappearing lately...damn depression.

I MISS YOU DEARLY

Jane of Aging Mommy

Jane became a mom after 40, quit a lucrative career, and stayed home to raise her adorable daughter, Mirabelle. Jane was funny, honest, hopeful, encouraging, not afraid to share her insecurities or failures, and was a wonderful buddy. I have a folder full of our email correspondence. 

Then she did the sensible thing and quit blogging so that she could spend more time raising that wonderful miracle than WRITING about raising her. I admire that. But I miss my friend. Jane – I hope all is well with you and your family.

I can't link you because she's really and truly gone.

Polly of 5^th Sister

You can still visit her blog, she hasn't shut it down, but she hasn't posted at 5th Sister since May. I miss her so much. Polly is an amazing writer and poet, and incredibly talented at haiku, stringing together multiple small poems into one, cohesive, blow-you-away wallop of a write.

I loved her Monday Musings that gave us some insight into her daily life, and I loved her willingness to share her faith openly, even in the midst of great struggle. Polly – please come back! You have lots of fans waiting for you! Big hugs.

DAMN I'D MISS YOU IF YOU LEFT

Brian Miller of WaystationOne

Brian has been my supporter and friend since I first started blogging. I don't think there's a post of mine he hasn't commented on, and it's usually a race to see if he'll get there before Alex...

I appreciate Brian not just for that, though. He's a supporter of so many bloggers of all levels and styles- there are few places I visit where he hasn't gone before me with his upbeat comments and his trademark “smiles”. He has an amazing heart and counsels troubled kids, loves his family and and is willing to share about them, and his talent is incomparable. How he manages to get a piece up every single day with all that he does amazes me. Don't ever stop being you, dear friend!

The other bloggers I'd sorely miss are my A-Z Team. They have helped me survive what has probably been the hardest year of my life. They pick up the slack, they encourage me, and keep me going. Since we're limited to three in each category, I'm sending you to the A-Z Blog where you'll find them all in the sidebar. Of course, there over there in my sidebar, too. Just wanted you to visit our headquarters....

This blogfest is brought to you by these wonderful folks:

Andrew of Strange Pegs 

Matthew of The QQQE  

Alex, the Ninja Captain himself, of Alex J. Cavanaugh 

Don't forget to visit them, too!

Embarrassing Story du Jour: Ice Cliff of Insanity

I think it's embarrassing story time. I'm kinda in a rut and haven't written anything that wasn't for a blog fest/hop for a while. In my “about me” section, (see tab above) I alluded to a stupid, ACCIDENTAL stunt, and now I'll come clean. I almost died peeing.

One of the most treacherous and frightening mountain passes in Colorado is called Berthoud Pass and connects I-70 (the main thoroughfare through the mountains, east to west) with the towns of Winter Park, Frasier, and on down the road on Colorado 40. It's a desolate place. There's one tiny town between I-70 and Winter Park, and it rolls up its sidewalks around 4:30 pm or so. So if you need to use the restroom, do it in Idaho Springs, and then consume nothing for the next two hours. This I've learned the hard way.

We are on one of our wonderful snowboarding trips with my Awesome Aunt Risky who has rented us a condo in Winter Park. Of course we have a late start on the trip up because the kids have to get off school and my Swissie has to finish work, so it's late and dark as we're making our way over the icy, snowy, did I mention DARK pass. I have to pee. I also know I have to hold it. But man, I've got to pee.

Finally, I ask my sister to pull into one of the slow traffic pull-offs. I know they have one foot stone walls to climb over, and then some semblance of privacy. After all, I have driven this road in daylight. Daylight is highly recommended. She pulls over. I climb over one foot wall. What I think is one foot wall. There's snow everywhere and the pull-off hasn't been plowed.  It's rather hard to see...

I soon discover that while I have indeed climbed over a one foot wall, it's on to a tall cliff, an ice cliff, long way down, boulders, creek, and ice at the bottom. I'm sliding. I manage to dig my fists into the wall (once you crack through the inch or so of really crusty snow, you can get a hand hold. And foot holds.) I figure if I'm going to slip and fall down the cliff and die in the creek, I don't want to do it after peeing my pants, so I manage to get my pants down (I think you can imagine how hard this is while hanging on for dear life, but bodily functions sometimes take precedence). I gratefully finish my business.

How to get back up though? Remembering the rock climbing lessons I've watched Aunt Risky teach the boys, I know you only let go of one hold at a time. So slowly, punching my bare hands into that frozen cliff, I slowly make my way up. But there's a lot of sliding down, too, and I'm terrified, pants still not quite on, and really starting to freak out.

God is on my side though, and crying and gasping for air (we're at 12,000 feet or so here) I manage to throw myself over the wall and into the pull-off. I'm soaked (in SNOW!)  having a good ole freakout fit of crying and screaming and trying to tell the story as I climb into the truck and she pulls away. At first she's laughing her ASS off, as you probably are too, but finally she realizes that I really was in danger, and gets eerily quiet. “Let's not tell the kids this one.” Fine by me...so I'd appreciate it if you didn't either    ;-)