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Category Archives: Randomness

It’s because I desperately miss the share function on Google Reader

Written on January 20, 2012 by Jennifer in blogging, Hallmark, Quirky Me, Randomness

How has it already been a week since I last posted?! Grand plans I had! There were so many times this week that I thought, I need to sit down and write about this. And yet.

I’ve just recently signed on with Hallmark as part of their Life is a Special Occasion campaign. I’m really excited because I will now have no excuse to not write here in this space and talk about the little, big, and everything in between events happening ’round these, here parts. I’m also excited because, well, it’s Hallmark!

Continuing with the theme of: Talking About Myself, here’s what I’ve been talking about on my Babble Voices blog, Southern By Proxy…(I’d be so honored if you’d visit me there. Yes, of course I realize that it’s a lot to ask. It’s just that, I miss you, my regular blog readers, and I feel like I’m fumbling around over there trying to find my voice and the type of post that “works.”)

* Carson has nightly homework in Kindergarten-yes, KINDERGARTEN-and I’m just trying to figure out what the point of busy work really is.

* I got grazed by the sleepover bullet and I’m hoping that I don’t get hit with it again any time soon.

* Don’t get your panties in a bunch, but I don’t really think it’s that horrible when someone says to you, “you sure have your hands full!”

And now to the more selfless portion of the program: I want to start a feature on either Thursdays or Fridays…or you know, whenever the mood strikes, to feature great posts I’ve read around the Internets. With the share function gone from Google Reader, I just feel like I never get to tell the world what they should be reading. It was one place I could be totally bossy and get away with it.

Jennie’s posts are always thoughtful and insightful, but I love this post-it’s romantic in a the very best of ways. Eight.

Having devoted a good portion of January to unsubscribing to EVERYTHING in an effort to manage my email better, this post by Marinka had me chuckling out loud (COL).

I love reading birth stories, I think in another life I’d like to be a doula, and I loved Emily’s birth story about her precious fourth baby, Paul Richard.

And that’s all I’ve got for now, folks. Any good news to share?

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The Sun’ll Come Out

Written on January 6, 2012 by Jennifer in Quirky Me, Randomness

I should never look at the Pottery Barn catalog when I’m already in a foul mood, especially after noticing the artificial Christmas tree needles still stuck in my carpet that I haven’t had time to vacuum. All those perfect scenes, with their accessories neatly placed, and walls-painted and adorned with eclectic works d’art-they can just make me even grumpier.

You can bet that I won’t be playing around on Pinterest today. I certainly don’t need anymore reason to feel inferior.

Carson went to bed last night without stories because he yelled at me one time too many. Tate went to bed at 9 pm, silently. I wasn’t particularly proud of my parenting or my wife-ing last night, but to be fair, there were two other people who shouldn’t be proud of their behavior either. Punks.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. It’s the unresolved wrongs that invade dreams with streaky, anxiety-filled, nonsensical scenes that leave you bleary eyed in the morning.

“Never go to bed angry,” they say. Well THEY are right, but THEY are also not practical. Sometimes there’s really nothing left to be said. You just have to be angry and decide to get over it.

I guess the same should be said for my mood.

I think today needs the fancy body wash, extra mascara, and waffles. Definitely waffles. They’re scientifically proven to be mood perker-uppers. It’s true.

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Christmas Arrives Unexpectedly, Surprising Families Everywhere

Written on December 20, 2011 by Jennifer in Quirky Me, Randomness

I’ve seen at least a million status updates or tweets referring to the shock that Christmas is THIS SUNDAY! OH EM GEE!

It’s amazing that a holiday that for centuries has been on December 25th, can completely floor us with it’s arrival. If there wasn’t so much to do to prepare for this one twenty-four hour period, maybe we would feel better prepared for it’s arrival?

The good news is that I am 100% done with shopping. (Imagine that I’m doing the Arsenio Hall arm pump thingy accompanied by some hooting.) However, I’m not done wrapping, meal planning, or cleaning. I was kinda sorta hoping for your help, kind reader, with the meal planning part.

We have already had one Christmas with Tate’s side of the family where we served turkey AND we had turkey at Thanksgiving AND I’m plain sick of turkey. One of our Christmas guests doesn’t eat ham. I’m completely baffled about what I should make for our Christmas dinner! My husband suggested venison. I suggested he stop talking nonsense.

Do you have any good ideas for what I could serve? Please and THANK YOU.

(photo source)

:::

If you’re one of those people who’s already done with cookingcleaningshoppingwrapping and are looking for some most excellent reads, here are a few to keep you busy. No, no…YOU’RE welcome.

Answering the door, scantily clad, for the delivery man was at least better than Ella answering the door without me around.

We discussed eggnog here a few years back, but it’s a very, VERY important subject, yes? My son had some very pointed words to say about eggnog.

I was interviewed at Care.com regarding my thoughts on New Year’s resolutions. I think your early resolution could be to click RIGHT HERE.

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Ketchup

Written on November 14, 2011 by Jennifer in Pictures, Randomness

I’m playing catch-up today after a weekend filled with carbohydrates and Harry Potter movie marathons. Instead of sitting at the computer, I should probably go run off that movie marathon with a real marathon.

Anyways.

It’s not too late for a Halloween photo, is it? No? Good. Presenting…a very intimidating Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and a fifteen-year-old-boy dressed as Carson, dressed as a member of Lightning McQueen’s pit crew!

We had a lousy showing of only four kids begging for candy on Halloween. Not even one ill mannered teenager, or grown women, without costumes. I mean, how the heck am I supposed to blog about Halloween if nobody shows up to offer fodder?!

:::

This is…random….but I was sent a copy of the documentary, The Sound of Mumbai: A Musical. I’m a sucker for a good documentary, so when they asked if I wanted a copy, I said, “okay.” This documentary is currently airing on HBO2 and it’s about these kids from the slums of India that are going to perform songs from the Sound of Music at the fanciest performing arts center in Mumbai.

Documentaries this like and the radio show, This American Life, and the human interest articles in newspapers, and blogs…I LOVE those kind of things. Learning about other people, their stories, their lives…I especially enjoy seeing how despite completely different cultures and life circumstances, people are people no matter where you go. The little boy in the documentary, Ashish, his personality was like any ten-year-old boy you’d meet here in the US.

Sound of Mumbai was a good documentary, hopeful, sad, but realistic.

Disclaimer: yes, they sent me a copy of this documentary, but I wasn’t really under any obligation to blog about it. I wasn’t reimbursed in any way and these brief opinions are my own.

:::

I keep meaning to brag on Nap Warden from NW Designs for the awesome job she did on my website, Family Friendly Knoxville. So I’ll do that now.

Nap Warden did an awesome job on my website, Family Friendly Knoxville. She took my ideas, some hand drawn, some poorly worded, and was able to create the look I was going for.

So if you’re looking for a blog designer or logo designer, you should look NW Designs up.

Another disclaimer! She didn’t ask me to say anything, although she did give me a great deal with the design AND web hosting. Nap Warden is just good at what she does and I wanted to tell you about her.

:::

I’ve written quite a few posts over at my Babble blog, Southern by Proxy.

A waitress yelled at Carson in a restaurant which led me to ask, “Should you reprimand another person’s child?” Several of the comments have really made me think.

I wrote about who I am, as part of the Phenomenal Women project headed up by Alli Worthington.

Now that I’ve finished Friday Night Lights (WAH!), I’m wondering what I should watch next?

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Amuse bouche

Written on July 10, 2011 by Jennifer in Quirky Me, Randomness

I really amaze myself with what an awesome parent I can be. Why, just yesterday this happened…(take notes!):

“YOU REALLY HAVE TO STOP YELLING AT ME, CARSON!!” I yelled.

“WELL STOP YELLING AT ME!” Carson yelled back.

He makes a good point.

******

You know how I’ve been training to run the past several months? (Don’t worry if this is news to you, just go with it.)

Well, on the Fourth of July, Tate and I ran a 5K. He hasn’t trained for one, lousy second. I’ve been running 10 miles a week ALL DANG SUMMER, sweating and toiling. TOILING.

His final time was 24:56, mine was 30:56.

It just ISN’T FAIR.

******

Carson learned how to ride a bike without training wheels this weekend. He starts Kindergarten in less than a month. I fully expect him to start driving, grow a beard and get married within the year.

******

Ella could kick your kid’s butt in a tantrum throwing contest.

At least I win at something.

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Wide awake at 5 AM

Written on May 22, 2011 by Jennifer in Quirky Me, Randomness

The call, a friend. Divorce.
And now a friend with Cancer
Hurt feelings, because of me
Gossip, rumors
Misunderstandings
Left out
Included
Insecurities

Delete, reply, reply, ignore
Deadlines
Dreams and fear
Jobs and to do lists
Refresh, next, back
Did I?
When will I?

Late to bed, too early to rise
A face with tears beside my bed at midnight
Nightmares about tornadoes
Back talking
Defiance
Tantrums and fighting
Refusing
And now
School’s out
Yelling, hugging
Sorry

Stress at work
carries over to home
Insurance and bills
College funds
Retirement
Time
No time
Arguing
Yes, no
Ignore
Martyrdom

Earthquakes and tsunamis
Tornadoes and flooding
Economy
Gas prices
Job losses
Poverty
Addiction
Hurting

Staccato of regret
overwhelmed,
tired,
the Weight,
helpless,
worried,
compassion fatigue

Paralyzed

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Things I’m diggin’

Written on September 8, 2010 by Jennifer in Lucky Me, Pictures, Randomness

We had a sometimes lovely, sometimes [redacted] Labor Day weekend. If only my real life was as peaceful and serene as this picture might lead one to believe.

I certainly do dig these moments.

Other things I dig:

Iced tea with extra lemon in my favorite cup.

Netflix.

Lost (Thank you Netflix Instant Queue!). I regret not watching this show when it was on, because now I don’t have anyone to talk to about it and there is a LOT to talk about. I spent the summer catching up. So far I’ve watched Seasons 1 through 4. It’s sad and exciting that there are only 2 more seasons. Also, I would totally make-out with Sawyer if I weren’t married. I have no idea why I have a thing for a lying, dirty, murdering sleazeball, I just do.

Great books. I’ve read some duds so far this year, but some of the books I’ve read have been hard to put down, like World War Z (thanks to Mr. Lady for the recommendation), My Life in France (oh Julia Child! You make me want to be brave and travel and experience LIFE), and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Love, LOVE.)

Mondays (or Tuesdays, as was the case this week), when Tate goes back to work. What? I’m just being honest. We just get along better during the week, that’s all.

My back to dark brown hair. It makes me feel like a rocker chick. Of course I’m a rocker chick who loves Alice in Chains, but probably wouldn’t change the radio station if Peabo Bryson or Toto came on. I also kind of want a nose ring, it just seems like it would go with my whole “rocker chick” look. It’s unlikely to happen since I’d worry about what my friends would say and what the people at Carson and Ella’s VERY, VERY, OH SO VERY conservative Christian preschool would think. Hey, you can still love Jesus and be a faux rocker chick, I think. Anyway, I look nothing like a rocker chick in the picture below, I look so prim and proper!

(Here’s a before picture showing my summer highlights. I made sure to pick a really terrible, after working out picture to make the picture of me above seem really good.)

Yikes, right?!

My children being in school. This probably should have been first on my list because I love them being in school even more than I thought I would.

Roasted pine nut hummus.

My new Canon 50D and lens. I know that a good photographer does not a camera make, but it does make me feel more serious and quasi-professional (albeit unpaid and without any prospects of a photography business, but still.)

The redecorating job I did on my kitchen without spending a dime. I simply rearranged and repurposed things that I already had. I’m loving the results. (A before picture would be pretty handy right about now.)

Anything that you’re digging right now? How was your Labor Day weekend? Anyone else catching up on Lost and wanna talk about it?

(Psst, some of the links above are affiliate links. Yeah, yeah, yeah, what of it?)

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