February 2013 – Waiting on a Word

On Being in the Mood…

Do you ever find that you are not in the mood to write? That you’d rather just sit and veg out, or sleep, or stare at a blank wall? That you’d rather do anything other than fire up the laptop? Do you have days where writing or blogging seem like a gargantuan effort and you feel paralyzed?

In The Right to Write, Julia Cameron explains:

Being in the mood to write, like being in the mood to make love, is a luxury that isn’t necessary in a long-term relationship. Just as the first caress can lead to a change of heart, the first sentence, however tentative and awkward, can lead to a desire to go just a little further. All of us have a sex drive. All of us have a drive to write.

And later in the chapter, which is aptly titled “Mood”:

Doing it all the time, whether or not we are in the mood, gives us ownership of our writing ability. It takes it out of the realm of conjuring where we stand on the rock of isolation, begging the winds for inspiration, and it makes it something as do-able as picking up a hammer and pounding a nail. Writing may be an art, but it is certainly a craft. It is a simple and workable thing that can be as steady and reliable as a chore– does that ruin the romance?

There are days when I love the blank screen and the blinking cursor, and there are days when I feel it taunting me. I find that as Ms. Cameron suggests, typing out one sentence can bring me to the story and get me going, even though that first sentence feels a lot more like work than romance. Still, sometimes those few barfed up words are enough to put me into that writing trance.

Do you know the trance of which I speak? Have you ever been writing, with no idea of the time or your surroundings, and then revisit your physical being and realize you are breathing deep, long, yoga-like breaths? Or look at the clock and discover that an hour has passed which felt like mere minutes? Or check your word count and realize you banged out 800 words without effort?

It happens like that for me. It’s existentially delightful.

Whether or not you start off “in the mood,” the littlest effort can put you right into that trance where you transform from that harried parent, disgruntled worker, and busy earthly creature into “Writer.” Which I, as someone who loves to write, think may be one of the best feelings in the world.

Thanks for reading. If you are interested, here’s a link to my previous post discussing Julia Cameron’s wonderful book. Keep writing 🙂

WOAW’s First Poll- Downton Abbey

I just finished Season One of Downton Abbey on Netflix and I need your help, Blogtropolis.

As much as I love our friends on the other side of the Atlantic–as much as I love hats and wish they were in style here in the States–as much as I love London, and Will and Kate, and Shakespeare, and The Beatles– I just don’t love British television.

Apologies to all. I’m sorry. It’s weird, right? What’s not to like?

It started with The Office. The American version is one of my all-time favorite shows, so I tried the British version on Netflix. I was bored and had trouble comprehending. I know I speak English too, sort of, but they are all so quick and witty over there. I couldn’t keep up. I called it quits after a couple of episodes.

My mother is a huge fan of Miss Marple and English mysteries. I tried. Again: “Eh” (*shrugs shoulders and squints*).

Friends rave about Monty Python and I wanted to love it. I really did. I just didn’t.

Since my history with British entertainment is as rocky as the English Channel, I don’t know what I was thinking when I tried Downton Abbey. After referring to the show as “Downtown Alley” over and over, I believe I tried it simply because so many people told me that I had to–that it was amazingly wonderful. That I would love it- the scenery, the drama, the history. Also, it was only seven episodes and available on Netflix.

I feel like I should love it. That maybe I could love it. But at this moment, I’m sort of “whatever.” Now I feel guilty and I’m questioning my intelligence and taste in television because I’m not yet smitten with the Abbey crew. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? First The Hurt Locker, and now this?

When I thought about it, I realized that all of the people who recommended Downton Abbey to me are over the age of 50. Maybe I’m too old to completely blow off the idea of DA, yet too young to really appreciate it? I dunno. All I know is that I tried, and I’m on the fence about whether or not to continue.

To help you help me, here’s what’s happening in my head after Season One.

I kind of HATE Lady Mary, although I dig her sisters (yes, even mousy Lady Edith). I’m okay with the Ladyship and Lordship and adore the Dowager Countess Maggie Smith. My favorite character is Mr. Bates. He’s charming and full of integrity and sort of unattractively attractive, if that makes sense. I don’t really get Matthew. I mean, do you like Mary? Do you not? If you do, why? She’s kind of nasty. Do you want to inherit the Abbey? And why is everyone so loyal to Butler Thomas? I guess he’s a good looking guy, but obviously he’s a troublemaker. And his co-hort, Mrs. Curly Sideburn Lady is miserable too.

The characters are interesting and the show is pretty to watch, but the story seems to move sooooo sloooowwwly. Is it me? Am I too American, expecting a cliffhanger at the end of every hour? Wanting immediate satisfaction and sensory overload? Do I not possess the frame of mind needed to enjoy this show?

Or is it the show? Be honest Downton-ers. Does it pick up in Season Two? Do things start to move?

The last episode of the season escalated the drama a bit and was everything that I wanted the first six episodes to be; however, the first six episodes felt long and drawn out.

For example, I was so excited when the Turkish Dude kicked the bucket on Lady Mary’s bed, but then besides some troublesome letters exchanged by the fancy people, it all sort of fizzled out. I liked when Anna and Mr. Bates had a civilized conversation about the possibility of liking each other, but again, nothing really moved that story along. I would have enjoyed additional unladylike action between Maggie Smith and Matthew’s Pseudo-Doctor Mom. I would have jumped with joy if Daisy had thrown a brisket at the mean blind Cook Woman prior to Cook Woman’s cataract surgery, kicked Thomas on his way out of the Abbey, and made out with William in the stables.

What am I doing wrong? Am I missing the drama? Expecting too much too soon? I don’t know. It must be me.

Right?

Since I can’t decide whether or not to stick with it, I’m posing the question to you fine folks out there, in WOAW’s First Official Poll (which I cross my fingers will work–I’m new, remember?). I will take your advice either way. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD TELL ME WHAT TO DO!

Thanks for your help. It is much appreciated.

The Fantasy Pediatrician’s Office

This weekend, I took M. for his once-a-year “well” visit with our pediatrician. Please understand– I love our pediatrician. But as I sat in the office listening to crying and coughing children, and tried to stop M. from rolling on the floor, I had an idea.

It’s time for The World of Children’s Medicine to evolve a tad.

Dealing with a sick child is horrendous. After a rough night consumed by your kid’s fever or post-nasal drip, you start the day covered in snot, baby gook, and other unidentified bodily fluids. You call “the phone nurse.” At this point, depending on your child’s ailments, you can practically sing along with her: “Yesssss, I’ve tried steeeeammmmm, and elevating the pillllloooowwwww, and plenty of fluuuuuiddddssss.” You beg her to call in a prescription but get the standard response (sing along): “You have to bring him innnnnn.”

Ugh. Showering is out of the question, so you gather your usual crap, including handfuls of tissues, an illegal snack (food is banned from our pediatrician’s office), diapers, wipes, whatever, hopefully remembering to bring your wallet and insurance card. Sick Kid, wearing his pajamas and lying on the couch like a lump, understandably doesn’t want to move. You drag him to the car and strap him in. If you’re lucky, you get to bring some siblings along too. As you start off for the office, Sick Kid may or may not puke. Hopefully he falls asleep.

You arrive at the doctor’s office and take a seat on the “sick side”, steering “yours” away from “theirs,” who blow snot bubbles from their noses and put the trains from the “sick side” train table into their mouths. Kids are gross. Sick kids are even grosser. The lucky parents on the “well side” give you dirty looks and shield their healthy children from your infected kids.

You wait . . .

And wait . . .

And wait.

The nurse calls your name and directs you to an 8×8 examination room, where you wait . . .

And wait . . .

And wait some more.

Fun adventures happen along the way. The exam room is full of attractive nuisances such as cotton balls and popsicle sticks. If the kid(s) make it into the drawers they can find syringes and paper gowns too. You glance at the reflection staring back from the metal tissue dispenser attached to the wall, and jump from fright at the sight of yourself. Is that crunchy stuff in your hair cherry-flavored Children’s Tylenol? Yuck!

You beg the kids to be quiet, fibbing that it will only be a few more minutes as they circle the tiny room like caged lions (except for Sick Kid who’s freezing in his underwear waiting for the doctor). You advise the pride not to touch anything, to give you back that People Magazine from 2004 (J.Lo and Ben break up news!), and to please be patient.

Finally, the doctor comes in, confirms what you most likely already know, and gives you a script. It’s off to check out . . . where you wait again.

Next up? The pharmacy. Which got me to thinking . . .

I am a huge fan of the drive-thru pharmacy. It alleviates the need to remove kids from car seats and discourages me from buying unnecessary pharmacy junk. Since we now have drive-thru pharmacies, how about a drive-thru pediatrician? Bear with me while I share with you this fantasy world I’ve created.

I want the pediatrician’s office to run like a combination of McDonald’s and the inspection line at the DMV. Imagine this . . .

You load the kids in the car (Sick Kid included). You drive to the pediatrician’s address and you stop at the first window (the McDonald’s equivalent being the ordering screen).

Speaker Nurse: Can I help you?

You: I spoke to the phone nurse? She said to bring my son in?

You give your information to the Speaker Nurse.

Speaker Nurse: Okay. Please drive to Lane 3.

There are probably cars ahead of you. You are still waiting (like the Universe desires for us when we need health care), but now you are waiting in the luxury of your private, family-germs-only vehicle. Your traveling coffee cup is in the cup holder, the kids are still sleeping or watching a DVD, or screaming, or puking, or picking their noses. It doesn’t matter, because you are insulated. You aren’t exposed to other families’ germs, and aren’t forced to listen to tired moms recount every ear infection suffered by “theirs” since 2007. Nor are you seen in your disgusting-looking state. Interested? I continue . . .

Back to Lane 3. You’re next. You drive up to an exam room. An “intern” approaches your car and either stays with siblings (alleviating the need for you to unload them), or helps you remove Sick Kid, and you go directly into the exam room where (ready?) the doctor is waiting for you (it’s a fantasy, remember?). You get Sick Kid examined and step back into your car. Onto the next window– check out.

Again, you settle into your vehicle while you wait your turn for the check out window (McDonald’s equivalent of the pick-up window).

[Note that in the über-fantasy version of this scenario, there is an additional station after check out. You guessed it! The pharmacy window where you pick up Sick Kid’s script. That’s just way too wonderful to even imagine though.]

What do you think? I think this design benefits everyone. No more “sick side” vs. “well side.” No more exposure to gross, germy toys and gross, germy kids. No more embarrassment over your sweats and crunchy hair. No more waiting with coats piled up and uncomfortable kids and stuff that needs to be dragged in and out of room after room. This plan turns your vehicle into the waiting room. Ingenious, right? Here’s a sketch I made.

Fantasy Pediatrician's Office — Fantasy Pediatrician’s Office

That first rectangle as you turn off the road is the check in window. Next, you head to your lane and the second rectangles- the exam rooms. Then you stop at the third rectangle- the check out. And off you go! I think this can work. We can make it happen!

Thanks for reading and have a nice night. 🙂

Odd and Ends

New Jersey gets a bad rap, but there are lots of great things about living here. I hope to dedicate a post to New Jersey eventually. For now, know that one great thing about The Garden State is its proximity to New York City. These pictures were taken from the waiting room of a doctor’s office in Jersey City, which is right across the river from the city.

It’s pretty cool to be able to look out a random window and see the Statue of Liberty and the site of the new Towers. I wasn’t expecting to be able to see these places from my friend’s doctor’s office, but glanced out the window and there they were. Just thought I’d share.

Also, I almost let the weekend go by without mentioning the Oscars tonight! Besides the movies I have posted about (Les Mis, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, and Beasts of the Southern Wild, as well as Anita’s post about Amour), I did get to see Argo and The Silver Linings Playbook. I just didn’t plan my posting schedule well-enough to find time to post about them prior to tonight. As you can imagine, they were both awesomesauce.

So in total, of the nine movies I was able to watch six. Not too bad! I will be anxious to see what wins Best Picture tonight. My guess is Lincoln, since I didn’t see that one!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Back into the Groove . . .

Tonight I attempt to get back into the blogging groove with a short, simple post. Thanks for coming back.

I’m immersed again in my yoga book: The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, by T.K.V. Desikachar, and wanted to share. Here’s a verse I found in the “Yoganjalisaram” section:

Respect parents, avoid evil,

seek always the company of good,

and worship the Lord with faith.

In other words, hang with good people, respect your elders, don’t get sucked into evil, and believe in something bigger than this world.

How about this verse:

Rid your body of impurities,

let your speech be true and sweet,

feel friendship for the world, and

with humility seek wealth and knowledge.

Be healthy, honest, caring, and attempt to be smart and successful but don’t be a jerk while you’re doing it.

These verses come from a manuscript written by T. Krishnamacharya, who lived to be one-hundred years old, and believed that yoga covered every aspect of human life– that it could resolve physical, mental and spiritual problems.

Life can be difficult and challenging. We get caught up in craziness and we struggle– with people, with ourselves. Why is it so hard to live a simple life– a life that is as simple as these verses? Why are we often stressed out and nervous and anxious? Can peace be attained only by disposing of our possessions, moving to India, and spending our days meditating on a mountain? I don’t think so. I hope not.

I trust that people can lead a fulfilling life wherever they live and whatever they do. Where we are, what we own, whether or not we work, or have kids, or have money, doesn’t really matter. Happiness is internal. We aren’t going to achieve true happiness and peacefulness from anything we can buy, or from anyone else in our lives. There’s no magic pill, no prince or princess who can make it happen. It’s on each of us to find within ourselves.

Trying our best to live the verses cited above, to me, seems a perfect place to start in finding peace, no matter what our external situations may be. Again, yoga stuff blows my mind!

Have a great weekend. Namaste 🙂

The Liebster Award

Many thanks to ish ism for nominating me for the Liebster Award! Go visit his blog and check out this post.

The Liebster Award is a fun way to recognize and promote new up and coming blogs of a good standard with less than 200 followers. Nominees are asked to:

1. Post eleven facts about themselves.

2. Answer the eleven questions they’ve been asked.

3. Nominate eleven other blogs and ask them eleven questions of their own.

4. Display the Liebster Award logo.

*There are no actual prizes awarded. Just recognition by fellow bloggers.

Below are 11 facts about me, the 11 questions I had to answer, my nominees, and 11 questions for my nominees. Thanks again, drishism at Ish Ism, for the nomination! I had fun with it.

Eleven Facts about Jess

I love and like my husband and my kids. It’s a blessing.
I haven’t been on a plane since 2002.
Despite previous posts where I pick on my brother, I actually think he’s pretty cool.
I was a dancer for the first twenty years of my life–ballet, tap, jazz. I even taught dance.
I love a good love triangle. For the record, I am Team Peeta, Team Edward, prefer Dylan over Brandon, Pacey over Dawson, Ben over Noel, and I want Elena to pick Damon on The Vampire Diaries.
I don’t suffer from celiac disease, but I eat gluten-free because it makes me feel more energized and less bloated.
I like the Yankees. All my life. My first crush was on Bucky Dent.
I would lounge on the couch all day if I had the opportunity. Not kidding.
I am a Jersey Girl. In the 80’s I had big hair, I’ve been to more than five Bon Jovi concerts, and I can’t pump gas. That being said, I am not Snooki.
I have a healthy crush on The Rock, a girl crush on Beyonce, and a totally inappropriate crush on Justin Bieber.
I’m fairly certain that if Eddie Vedder ever met me, he’d leave his wife and try to steal me from my husband. Seriously. We’re connected on a higher level. (I envision my husband either fighting him to the death for me, or letting me go and then hitting us up for alimony. It’s a toss up.).

Eleven Questions from Ish Ism

On average, how much time do you spend blogging every week? About six hours.
Wine, Beer, or Water? Water.
When you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? A ballerina.
Will there be a woman president in your lifetime? Hell yeah!
Time travel exists: What time period would you go to? Back to the 50’s to wear poodle skirts and ponytails.
Do you believe bigfoot exists? Yes. Anything is possible.
What city in the world have you not visited that you still want to visit? Los Angeles.
If aliens landed on earth and asked you to come back to their planet for a visit, would you go? Not unless Will Smith was coming too.
What are you allergic to? Nastiness.
If you could have dinner with any one fictional person, who would it be and why? I would have dinner at Applebees with Michael Scott and beg him to go back to Dunder Mifflin.
What is your favorite part about blogging? The supportive citizens of Blogtropolis, and the new friendships I am forming.

My Nominees for the Liebster Award

The Underground Writer

Did That Just Happen Blog

Writer’s Apprentice

MotherJam

She Thinks She Writes

Sounds Like Orange

Eleven Questions for My Nominees

Where was your last vacation and would you go back?
Where do you do your blogging?
You are stuck in an elevator with one person. Who do you want that person to be?
What is your favorite book and why?
Iced coffee, hot coffee, iced tea, or hot tea?
Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are in an all-out brawl. Who’s your money on?
If you could date anyone in the Ocean’s Eleven cast, who would you pick?
Is Hillary Swank “hot”?
If you had a month off, what would you do?
What makes the world go around?
What are three words that describe you?

This was a tons of fun and such an honor! Please check out the blogs I’ve nominated. They all have something special to offer. Thanks for reading!

Academy Awards Movie Madness-Amour, a Guest Post by Anita

Hi everyone! I didn’t make it to see “Amour” in the theater, but my friend Anita graciously agreed to write it up for you. Her thoughts are below. It’s her first blog post ever, so I’m sure she’d appreciate your comments. As always, thanks for reading!

Amour is not a movie for everyone. It is quite difficult to sit and watch this movie comfortably. The movie can seem too slow, too long, and almost painful at times. But despite this, I actually loved Amour.

I loved how the movie drew me into the intimacy between Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva)- – their quiet routine, their loving attentiveness to one another each day.

The movie starts abruptly, where police and emergency workers break into the apartment and find Anne dead in a sealed room, laid out beautifully on the bed with flowers around her head. The flowers are so symbolic, something we learn about towards the end of the movie when Georges tells a childhood story to his ailing wife.

Then the movie slowly and deliberately takes you into the lives of Georges and Anne, as we watch the couple get up, eat meals, and go about their day. Early on, Anne has a stroke episode at breakfast. We watch as Georges reacts to Anne’s silent withdrawal with confusion, irritation and then real concern. We learn about how Anne is fearful and distrusts doctors and hospitals. We learn that she is proud and somewhat brittle with her daughter, Eva (Isabelle Huppert). We learn most of this through Georges’ daily attendance to Anne’s needs. Just like the sealed room, Georges and Anne lived their lives contentedly insulated from the outside world. They seem to need and want only each other.

There was one scene for me that seemed so emblematic of Georges’ protectiveness and caretaking. A pigeon gets in their apartment, and Georges struggles clumsily but is so determined to get the intruding bird out without hurting it. To me, the pigeon symbolizes the curious outsiders that Georges strives to keep out of his and Anne’s apartment and life. No matter how secure he makes the apartment, it is hard to keep out unwelcome intrusions, even if they are harmless or well-intentioned. I loved how this scene showed Georges’ resolve and devotion.

However, one aspect of the movie was so discomfiting for me (and most likely will be for many people at my age who have ailing parents – both of my parents are deceased now) — watching Georges and Anne’s daughter ineptly deal with Anne’s decline. She feels it is too much for her father, that her mother could get better care in nursing home. She doesn’t understand her father’s insistence in caring for his wife.

How many of us think we know what is best for our frail and ailing parents, but don’t really take the time to understand what they want? And it was so revealing to see the contrast between how Georges and Anne warmly received Anne’s former student, a successful pianist, and how they kept their daughter at arms’ length. At one point, Georges locks the door to Anne’s bedroom to keep his daughter from bothering her mother. It was not a mean or unsympathetic gesture, just simply protective of Anne and their privacy.

Nevertheless, as much as Georges devotedly attends to Anne, he has moments of frustration. There is one scene, where Georges strikes Anne, that brings some in the audience to an audible gasp. But as I watched Georges otherwise take care of his wife in the most tedious (like washing her hair) and sometimes undignified ways (such as helping her in the bathroom), and try to calm her when she wailed in pain incoherently, I understood the depth of his love for Anne and not question his later actions.

In the end, Amour was a good movie. It was a personal journey for me as I watched Georges care for Anne in her advanced state of decline. It made me question how I cared for my father as he neared the end of his life. I was not his daily care giver, but I had to face questions about what was best for my father. Watching Amour made me revisit my decisions and question them.

Amour also made me think about how I would want to approach my own end of life decisions. I can only hope that my husband will be as devoted and caring as Georges.

The End of the Affair (Daily Post Writing Challenge)

This week’s Daily Post Writing Challenge is Image vs. Text. Link to the Challenge here. This is my contribution.

Sometimes our love is misplaced. We love what is bad for us, but makes us feel good. We love what hurts us, but also gives us pleasure. We love with our hearts, not our heads. We don’t think straight when it comes to this love. This love is irrational, irresponsible, and all-consuming. I’ve been there. I’ve been in love with It. You may be in love with It too.

I know how addicting It can be. The taste of the sweet, cold liquid sliding down your throat on a hot afternoon . . . the rush of caffeine that will get you through your work day . . . the way the can feels in your hand as you pop the top. You can’t be near It and not want It.

It has been your go-to drink since college, when you’d bike over to the 7-11 at midnight and fill up a Super Big Gulp in anticipation of the all-night study session. You’ve been in love ever since. Nothing makes you happier than the four-twelve-packs-for-ten-bucks sale at Shoprite. On special occasions, you can almost smell the scent of It, dressed up with Cherry, Lemon, or Lime. There are days when you can actually hear It calling you. You rely on It. You need It.

But It is going to kill you. You know this deep down in your heart of hearts. As much as you need It, It is slowly eating you from the inside out. Your dependency. Your addiction. The bloating. The aspartame. As good as It feels going down, It is not healthy for you once It’s inside.

You have to break up with It before It kills you.

You’ve tried many times to break away but your attempts have been disastrous, and you always drag your tired self back to your true love. It owns you. It completes you.

But don’t give in. You can break the habit and save yourself. Here’s how.

1. Decide to End the Affair.

This is the most difficult step. You’ll hear yourself say the words, “I can stop,” but you won’t feel the words in your heart. You’ll know that the first time things get crazy at work and you need a break, you will find yourself walking, head down, right back to that vending machine. You’ll get tired and you’ll hear It calling you: “I can help you. Come back to me.” You’ll have to fight urges and withdrawal symptoms throughout the day.

When you decide, once and for all, to end the relationship, you have to be strong. It will try to get you back. But remember, you are in control of you. It does not control you. The best way to counteract the urge is to repeat to yourself over and over: “I have to do what’s best for me. I have to take care of me. I can do this.” Take deep breaths. Remember your reasons for breaking up and be confident that you can succeed. Remember:

2. Find a sponsor.

Enlist the help of a friend when you can’t resist on your own accord. Someone you can call and say, “I can’t do this. I need It. I want It.” And the friend will say, “No you don’t. It is trash. Do not go to It. Dig deep and power through!”

Hanging out with friends is a great way to stay away from It. A friend’s words can clear out the fog that inhabits your mind when It tries to get you back.

Image-1-1 — Get by with a little help from your friends

3. Get yourself out there.

You’ve made the decision to end the affair, and you have support in your mission to break off. Now is the time to get out there and see what else the world has to offer. After all, It is not the only drink in the vending machine. There are so many more natural options!

Go rebounding with a hot cup of coffee- the shot of caffeine and the warm, rich smell will grant you a reprieve from your cravings. You can try the Juice Family, too: Vitamin Water, Gatorade, Sunny D. The sugar alone will help you smile. You can experiment in the Water Family: bottled water, seltzer water, mineral water, lemon water. Whatever you need to do. It is not the only thing for you! There are so many healthier options.

Don’t get me wrong. You’ll always love It. And you’ll miss It, mostly on special occasions like the family barbecue, or late-night at the diner. You will mourn your loss and you will sigh at the memories. You’ll see other people with It and be instantly envious that you aren’t the one pouring the delicious, bubbly liquid into that frosted glass. But if you don’t break your habit, and let It go, you’ll never discover the other wonderful, healthier things that the world has to offer.

Using these steps, I’ve ended my affair with It. You can too. Good luck!

[Sources: NO DIET COKE pic: http://ultimatecityfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/no-diet-coke.jpg, Plain can pic: http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/08/09/Diet-Coke-Heart-Truth.jpg, COFFEE pic: https://waitingonaword.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/53-decaf-coffee.jpg?w=300, Vitamin water pic: http://www.selectdrink.com/95010-108-thickbox/vitamin-water-spark-grape-blueberry.jpg, Seltzer pic: http://skinnyoffice.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/vintage_seltzer_custom.jpg, Article: http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/diet-soda-bad-you. Drawings by Jess, with “Draw” App by Erica Sadun (Free app, if anyone is interested!)].

“Us.” (With a cameo by Cindy Brady . . .)

I had a great weekend. I got to spend time with my best friend (even though I was driving her to the doctor- she’s better now). My husband cooked me dinner, did the food shopping, and brought flowers home for me. The kids are healthy and everyone slept through the nights. I made it to yoga class and feel appropriately sore because of it. I am off work today for Presidents’ Day. And I’ve had some blogging success.

On Friday I was Freshly Pressed 🙂

It felt good to get that email from Editor Hannah on Friday, but even better were the likes and comments that you’ve all left for me. Since Friday, I’ve had a conversation with Jack Flacco about David Puddy and Seinfeld, met a “Baba Jido” with a beautiful granddaughter named Saamah, and was convinced by hannahbanana to give Pride and Prejudice another try. I discussed the sexual orientation of the Man with the Yellow Hat with theravenloon and loosely planned a sequel to Gone With the Wind with CatherineTs. The Underground Writer and I conversed about The Wiggles and 50 Shades, and John Shue shared his thoughts with me on promoting “awesome sauce” as one word: “awesomesauce” (I’m on board). Also, I was honored to help a new blogger, MotherJam, with some WordPress tips, and was honored myself by Sounds Like Orange in his “Best of the Week- Week 7, 2013” post. As 1stpeaksteve commented, being Freshly Pressed is the “holy grail.” It is pretty darn awesomesauce, that’s for sure.

I’ve been hearing about the “blogging community” for awhile, but now I get it. The support you all offer, the kind words. And to think I was nervous about publishing that first post! I look forward to perusing all of your blogs and hopefully can give back some of that support you’ve shown me.

Thankfully, though, being FP’d happened to me over the weekend, because for the past few days, as I smiled and read your comments, I’ve been having to plan my next post.

Remember in The Brady Bunch, when Cindy and Bobby compete to represent their school at the televised game show? Cindy wins the honor, gets her hair done in a fancy updo, and grows an ego the size of The Goodship Lollipop, only to appear on the show and freeze with fear. This may remind you . . .

I’m sort of feeling like Cindy Brady right now (but my hair is not braided on top of my head). My thought process is something like this: What the heck am I going to write about next? Will everyone keep reading my posts? Do I have to be all serious now? What if my Gido post was the best I’ve got?

Then I remember all the kind words you’ve sent my way and use them as swords against that Blasted Duo: Fear and Doubt. Unlike Cindy Brady, I shake the sweat off my brow and decide to just keep moving along here on Waiting on a Word, doing my thing. I tell myself (and warn you) that it’s not all going to be FP worthy, but I hope you stick around. Because I love “us” and I love being part of this new blogging world. And most of all, I love writing.

Thanks for reading, and for sharing your thoughts, and for making my weekend so wonderful.

V-Day Treat: Favorite “I Love You” Scenes

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite “I Love You” scenes. I picked four out of millions and list them below, in no particular order. Happy Valentine’s Day!

1. Scarlett and Rhett in Gone With the Wind

I’ve loved Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell, since I read it decades ago and went through my Scarlett phase (mentioned here). Scarlett reminds me of a Civil War era Madonna, and the book is overloaded with all kinds of drama between the War, the South, and Scarlett and her rebellious, self-centered, tough as nails personality.

And Rhett is a “scoundrel” for sure, but he admires Scarlett for her real self, not the airs she must put on in Civil War South. Unfortunately, Scarlett realizes a little too late that she belongs with Rhett, and by then Rhett has had it with her. Towards the end of the novel, they have the following conversation:

“Then- then you mean I’ve ruined it all- that you don’t love me any more?”

“That’s right.”

“But,” she said stubbornly, like a child who still feels that to state a desire is to gain that desire, “but I love you!”

“That’s your misfortune.”

“That’s your misfortune!” Ha ha. I love it. Rhett always tells it like it is. One of the coolest things about Scarlett though is that even though her world has fallen apart around her, she stubbornly decides she’ll think about everything “tomorrow” and you know she’ll be alright. She won’t settle for anything less. She’s a survivor. But I digress….

2. Noah and Allie in The Notebook

Allie has to decide whether to go back to Lon, her super-nice fiancee, or stay with Noah, her first love and love of her life. Noah and Allie find their way back to each other and after spending the night together wake up in bed. This is what Nicholas Sparks writes:

Once, when he was looking at her in the moments before daybreak, her eyes fluttered open and she smiled and reached up to touch his face. He put his fingers to her lips, gently, to keep her from speaking, and for a long time they just looked at one another.

When the lump in his throat subsided, he whispered to her, “You are the answer to every prayer I’ve offered. You are a song, a dream, a whisper, and I don’t know how I could have lived without you for as long as I have. I love you, Allie, more than you can ever imagine. I always have, and I always will.”

Like she can go back to Lon after that! Puh-lease. Sap Rules! I’d probably crack up laughing if my husband said those words to me, but I love reading them and hypocritically would love my husband to say them to me, even though I would laugh in his face. Make sense? Maybe not. Just being honest.

Now to make the whole scene even prettier, picture Ryan Gosling saying those words. If you start the book, you’ll finish it in a day, and probably be crying at the end. If you prefer movies, tonight is the perfect night to order it and have a snuggle-fest on the couch.

3. Andy and April, Parks and Rec

If you aren’t a Parks and Rec fan, you really should be. Trust me. It’s on Netflix. Go. Now.

Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) is one of my favorite characters on television. He’s innocently sweet and charming and simple. For example, he writes a song for his girlfriend April about his favorite month, called “November,” and compiles a bucket list that includes making the best grilled cheese sandwich EVER and “outrunning a hippo.”

After he and April (Aubrey Plaza) develop “romantical” feelings for each other, April eventually tells Andy she loves him in the Harvest Festival Episode (Season 3, Episode 7). Here’s the dialogue:

April: Hey, I love you.

Andy: Dude, shut up, that is awesome sauce!

“Awesome sauce” should be a term used in everyday life by EVERYONE. Let’s mainstream it, people!

Later, after April gets mad at Andy for his response, this happens:

Andy: I do love you.

April: You do?

Andy: Yea.. that’s what, you know, makes the sauce so awesome.

Yes, Andy, that IS what makes the sauce so awesome.

If you can find twenty-four minutes to watch the Harvest Festival episode on Netflix, you’ll fall in love with Parks and Rec, and you’ll get a good taste of fictional Pawnee, Indiana, and get to experience one of its best characters, Lil’ Sebastian, as well as Joan Callamezzo, the local television news celebrity who “runs the town.” Watch tonight for a Valentine’s Day laugh!

4. George and Siena in Seinfeld

George decides he wants to tell his girlfriend Siena (whose name causes the others to joke that George is dating a crayon) that he loves her. Jerry asks him if he’s confident in the “‘I love you’ return,” and he says, “Fifty-fifty.” This is what happens. It’s from the Face Painter episode, which is great for other reasons too, not relevant here:

[George and Siena are sitting in the car again. They’re listening to the hockey game on the radio.]

RADIO ANNOUNCER: Devils goal! Stephan Richer scores from just inside the blue line! And the Devils take– (George turns down the volume)

GEORGE: You know, I could have actually gone to that.

SIENA: So why didn’t you?

GEORGE: Well, I didn’t want to break our date.

SIENA: Oh, well.

GEORGE: Because I… I love you.

SIENA: You know, I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.

Not was George was looking for. George gets upset, declaring he will never say “I love you” first again. He and Jerry call it a “huge matzoh ball” hanging between George and Siena. Later, George says it again to Siena:

[George and Siena are making out in his car.]

GEORGE: Siena, I love you.

SIENA: Yeah, I know. I heard you the first time.

GEORGE: Yeah. Just confirming.

Classic George and classic Seinfeld.

I hope you enjoyed! Have a nice Valentine’s Day!

[Sources: Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell; The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks; Seinology.com (http://www.seinology.com/scripts/script-109.shtml); The Pawnee Times, a Parks and Recreation Blog, (http://pawneetimes.blogspot.com/2011/03/harvest-festiva-s3e7-quotes-little.html); TVfanatic.com,(http://www.tvfanatic.com/quotes/shows/parks-and-recreation/episodes/harvest-festival/).

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