Writing Frenzy

So... my last two posts have been poems. I realized that two poems hardly qualify as a frenzy, but my brain is in a frenzy. All I want to do is write something. Poems, stories, books, music, lyrics... I just, apparently, need to feed some creativity in myself. I sat for a long time tonight thinking I should blog about something, but, all I could think of is a poem that's been rattling around in my brain and anxiously waiting to come out since Saturday. So, that's what I did. I just thought a little explanation might be nice. Life is interesting. Always.

Beside Herself

She stands alone on cold concrete
Eyes locked on gray flecks of stasis.
Passion and purpose swirl around her like the whispers of a dying storm...
Only white noise. The kind you can fall asleep to.

Her back turned, she blindly cradles indifference with apathetic arms.

Time passes... moves with the dreaming child.






Flickers pull at her attention. Words tug at her stupor.
She grapples her Wraith, begging him to hold the foreground.

Flash. Distractions are Eclipsed.

Her eyes dart and indifference is jolted like a still heart under paddles.
One glimpse is enough to see her frostbitten eyes, her cement feet, her stone shoulders, her listless arms with back turned... standing beside herself.


-CLP

Snow day... a little late!

So, I'm noticing a pattern here.... every two weeks or so, I blog something. It's about that time! I forgot that in December I took these super cute pictures on a snow day! How can you resist those red faces!! Do you remember when it was fun to eat snow? That used to be fun! (and still is when the mood is right, I suppose!) Then to sit by the heater when it's all over and get warm... oh! I miss being a kid.

"O"

We're eating breakfast, just Rohan and I. I am reading scrips, and Rohan is just sitting quietly not saying much. We're just enjoying each other. Conversation ensues. It goes like this:
R: Mama?
C: Yes?
R: Mama?
C: Yes, Roh Roh?
R: I not Woh Woh.
C: You're not?
R: No I not.
C: Who are you, then?
R: Mama?
C: Yes, Rohan?
R: I not Wohan.
C: Who are you, then, if you're not Rohan? Do you have a different name?
R: Ya.
C: What's your name?
(Pregnant pause... Rohan is thinking of what his name is)
R: "O"
C: "O?"
R: Ya, "O".
C: You're name is "O" now?
R: Ya, I'ne "O", Mommy.
C: Ok, "O".
We continue eating. Rohan munches his cereal, content with his new name, while I stifle a laugh and enjoy reaping the benefits of motherhood.

Christmas Madness!

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone already. Life is moving too fast. We had a fun holiday! We all stayed up way too late Christmas Eve... kids til 11:00, Dad til 1:00(ish) and Mom until 3:00! Lucky for us our kids didn't wake until 8:00, except for Rohan who we woke up at 8:00 with the others, but he was a total grump and didn't "get it". Finally at about 8:30 or 8:45 he woke up enough and realized that this was all very fun! (I think the ripping of paper was what got him) They were thrilled with their presents... Ella got to have fuzzy velvet posters which could have been all she got and she would have been happy. Mac got a wallet... which was thrilling for him... and a book and an RC helicopter which broke on day one (mom's glued it, but it's already come unglued). Rohan got cars and a Fisher-Price car garage and a Spiderman toy. The family got a Wii which Mac literally fell over when he saw. Someday maybe I can figure out how to upload the video of that one on here... it's pretty funny. Dustin got a ShopVac and some other stuff that I won't mention... (it has to do with making hats for everyone in my family!) It was a great day of family togetherness which is the most important part of all. And to make it all the more special... Christmas Eve blanketed us with about 10 inches of snow which was fabulous! Very fun! For some strange reason, I didn't take one picture. I did take video, but no snapshots. Weird, huh?

Whatever.....

So, I've come to the conclusion, after reading Britta's DAILY (almost) blog, that I'm not the best blogger in the world. I am ok with that! I do the best I can, and that's the best I can do! I've just kept myself very busy since Thanksgiving tyring to unofficially evict someone from the duplex on 8th St. and DIPPING, DIPPING, DIPPING!!! I have had a few Christmas orders come in and I've gotten them all out on time... so I'm feelin' good! Dustin is a huge help in the dipping department. He mostly does the pretzels and I do the apples, caramel pecan bars and packaging and any other miscellaneous thing that this candy business entails! Mom came and helped one day too, which was great!
I must say that being a landlord is not the funnest thing I've done in my life, but it's taught me tons about the whole business and even more about myself. I am grateful for that. I don't know what these lessons I'm learning are preparing me for but I'm grateful.
Kids are doing well. Rohan is a monkey who has a hard time sleeping without me laying next to him... so that's a challenge. But he is such a sweetie, that I forget what a pain he is at night. His favorite thing lately is "Tubbies". He takes anywhere between 2-6 tubs every day! He's funny.
Ella loves to put on dresses and dance to Christmas music. She is a sweetheart and brings lots of joy to our family! She is really into sounding out words and trying to spell things. She walks around saying things like, "Mom, when are we going to go to the S-A-L-M-N?" (She's really asking when we are going to go to the store) Actually that particular bit happened about 2 months ago... that's just one that stuck out in my mind. She asks about 100 times/day something like this: "Mom, what does S-M-A spell?" or "Mom what does R-A-T-M-K-L spell?" It's cute. She loves to call Rohan from upstairs (when he's downstairs) by saying, "R-O-H-A-N! Come upstairs and play with E-L-L-A!" She spells out everything, or tries her darnedest to!
Mac is growing up fast. He's such a tender hearted boy! Last night I was reading Harry Potter to him (which he loves!!!) and Rohan was playing with one of Ella's baby dolls. Rohan kept trying to put the doll's thumb in it's mouth and he was working really hard at it. Mac was watching him and he kept saying, "He is SO CUTE! He's so cute I can hardly stand it!!!" He said something like that over and over! He is very tender and loves his little brother so much! He is growing up and becoming more and more "civilized", as my dad would always say! It makes it all worth it!
Dustin is a gem, and extremely patient (for the most part!) ;) I've been a little nutty lately and he just takes it in stride and loves me through it all!!
Anyway... just wanted to blog a bit about what's been happening in our house lately. I'm grateful for this beautiful life we are privileged to live, and for this Christmas season which, despite all the commercialism and traffic and chaos, is full of love and warmth and emotion. Just thinking of it warms me to the core.

Here's Gratitude for Ya!

I don't have any fun or special pictures to upload, but as I just read Britta's blog, I am inspired to write a bit of gratitude as I come out of this Thanksgiving weekend.

I have been learning about living in the Now. Not the future (like I've done my whole life), or the past (seriously, how much good does it do to beat yourself up for something that, no matter how long you pummel, you can never and will never change). I am grateful for this. I went to an interesting website. http://www.bookofnow.com/home.html That is a taste of it. I am learning so much about myself and life, and just the learning... the awareness alone of things I was previously unaware is life changing! For this I am grateful.

I am so grateful for the precious people in my life. I have, surrounding me, a family of dynamic and beautiful people who never cease to amaze me. I have bountiful friends who are EACH noble and incredible. I am blessed.

I have the chance to participate in motherhood... the most rewarding and challenging calling of my life. It is so relentless. It is so precious. Each moment a jewel. I just got to go and lay down with my wild-man, Rohan, until he fell asleep. I love to lay by him and hold his feet. I treasure bedtime with my kids. I get the privilege of reading them stories each night, saying prayers, hugging and kissing. These are tender times. I love to shower them with affection and remind them of the incredible individuals that they are. And in a few minutes, I will go lay down and fall asleep next to my amazing husband. He is so true and so good. He is loyal, loving and gentle. I am meant to be with him and I love finding a new reason why everyday!

I am grateful to be learning about the art of receiving. Thank you, Devan, for being my teacher. I am grateful to a kind and patient Father in Heaven. It is his gifts that I am writing about! I am grateful for music and the love I have for singing. Each moment is a song.

Life is precious. It is not the destination that is important, but the journey. Once we "arrive", there is always a new destination... so enjoy the journey, because that is where joy is found. That is the NOW.

!Arriba, Arriba!

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!For laughs!

I figured I'd better put a dashing picture of Taylor on here so he wouldn't completely disown me as a sister. After all, he was first seen as wolfman... then as freak-a-zoid. He really is a cutie pie, so I need to redeem him... or myself in his eyes! :) Love ya, Tay!

In October, I got to go to Louisville, Kentucky with my Mom, Dad, and my brother, Taylor. It was great fun, but we got stuck in many an airport and went all over the country trying to get to Louisville. We were trying to entertain ourselves in one of the airports... (I think we went to six of them...) and took some silly pictures. I must say, I have no shame when it comes to making a fool out of myself in pictures. In fact, one might say that I'm famous for it, right Tresa or Mom? (or should I say, infamous?) Taylor might not be to happy that I am posting these, but we sure had a good time taking them.... I guess this is the end result of spending 36 hours flying from Salt Lake to Minneapolis, to New York City, to Washington DC, to Cincinnati, to Louisville! Enough to make anyone pull faces like this! ;)