But there are still details to manage and vehicles to maintain and shuttles to run.
And rain in the forecast.
Which makes me nervous from a flights-on-time standpoint.
(But I'm trying to just ignore that right now.)
For me, the Festival is a stamina thing.
You see, I have a nice, neat little schedule.
Normally.
A part-time job that has major deadlines once in a while.
And a micro-part-time job that doesn't.
And then I added this Festival gig to the mix.
It's tough to jump into full-time-even-weekends-and-on-call-even-when-you're-off.
I'm not whining or complaining.
(At least, not at this moment. I've done plenty of that. Just ask my Mom. Or Tom.)
I'm just stating the facts.
Maybe I'm just too old for this. I think that must be it.
Because I'm really tired. Physically and emotionally.
Despite the dark chocolate peanut M&Ms.
And the wine.
My spirits are sagging.
Yesterday afternoon, Tom encouraged me to get out in the garden.
First, he gently nudged. I think you'd feel better if you got out in the garden. When I just sat in the chair like a blob and whimpered, he got a bit more stern. Get out in the garden before I strangle you!
I have . . . ambivalent feelings. . .about Valentine's Day.
Oh, I partake in the chocolates. And I send a few Valentine cards. But I tend not to like special days that create expectations and pressure. And I especially don't like "holidays" that make people feel bad or lonely or somehow. . . less than.
Valentine's Day is fine . . . when you have a Valentine. But it's pretty darn miserable when you don't. Who needs a special day that celebrates "couple-dom" . . . when it's perfectly acceptable (and often times preferable) to be . . . not a couple! (And don't get me started on how miserable Valentine's Day can be for couples . . . when one member of the couple expects Valentine surprises. . . and one member would rather demonstrate love in other ways. . .)
So, personally, I tend to downplay Valentine's Day. Tom and I usually find fun cards for each other, and we always, Always, ALWAYS buy each other chocolate. But we don't do gifts or go out for a Valentine dinner, and Tom doesn't send me roses. We just decided, together, that we don't need that type of pressure.
But now. . . back to the chocolate! This week, Carole asks us about our Ten Favorite Chocolate Treats. Mine . . . tend to the more basic of the genre:
Brownies (the chewy kind)
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate sauce on plain vanilla ice cream (or peppermint!)
We've reached that time of year. . . that point in the season. . . where it feels like we're caught in the whirlpool. Too much to do. Trapped. Spinning round and round.
And today, you'll be reading lots of last-minute holiday to-do lists. After all, Carole has suggested the most perfect Ten on Tuesday topic for the season . . . the Ten Things We Need To do Before Christmas. My list, at first glance, looks much like all the other lists you'll read today.
But then I diverge.
Because . . . as you've read here in the last few days. . . I've had Priority-ReShuffle. And, you know, that's okay. Christmas really doesn't have to look like a Hallmark commercial. . . or a Martha Stewart layout. . . or a Norman Rockwell painting. Christmas . . . is a time to share. Whatever it looks like and in whatever state of "done-ness."
So, despite all the harried tasks and to-do lists and plans, please remember to sit back and appreciate your families and friends and enjoy . . . each other!
With that . . .my list. . .
Finish last-minute shopping (just a couple of things!).
Finish wrapping (or not. . .).
Finish that Christmas letter and get those cards in the mail (or . . . perhaps these will be New Year's cards this year).
Cookies? (Maybe. We'll see.)
Finalize meal plans and send Tom off to the grocery.
Hang lights and cards for my Mom and Dad - make their "new digs" look a little festive and bright.
Agonize over the fact that I'm so close. . . yet so far. . . from finishing the last of my gift knitting.
And then. . . just. . . let it go.
Open a bottle of wine.
And be grateful - oh, so grateful - for all the love and support I'm feeling right now.
And. . . as an added Ten on Tuesday BONUS . . . I'm adding TEN WISHES FOR A VERY SPECIAL BIRTHDAY:
When I first read this week's Ten on Tuesday email, announcing the topic, my reaction was. . . well, let's just say . . . less than enthusiastic. Now, I'm not a Wedding-Scrooge or anything. . . but I haven't been to many weddings lately, and I just haven't been thinking about weddings. . . let alone what I love about them!
But I let the topic simmer for awhile. I started thinking about my own wedding . . . 30 years ago! It was a fairly low-key affair. Small. Church. Cake-and-champagne at my parent's house afterward. Things were simpler in 1981! Not such big productions when it came to weddings back then. Just the basics.
Eventually, I even got out my wedding photo album and took a little trip down Memory Lane. I warmed up to the topic. Here are Ten Things I Love About Weddings (inspired by my own):
1. Music - We had this song at our wedding:
I'm sure it's not a common song at weddings these days, but back in 1981, it was de rigueur. Last fall, Tom and I went to a wedding and there was a string quartet before the ceremony. So lovely!
2. Bridal Fashion - I love to see what the bride chooses to wear -- and how she dresses her wedding party. My own wedding? Oh-so-1981 and all coordinated and matchy-matchy! (I made all the bridesmaids dresses. Can you believe it?)
I love the newer trends where the bridesmaids don't all match. Several years ago, a bride I knew had all of her bridesmaids choose a navy blue dress they loved. Any style. Any length. Everyone looked great; everyone had a dress that suited them. It was perfect!
3. The groom's face - I'm such a sucker for romance, I just love to see the look on his face when the bride walks down the aisle.
4. Personal ceremonies - I love it when the bride and groom write their own vows or do something unique to make the ceremony their own. Tom and I wrote our own vows. At the time, it was still pretty "new" and "out there" to do that -- and we had to get permission from the minister. (We really pushed the boundaries there, in our little matchy-matchy outfits!)
5. Cake - I love wedding cake!
6. Shattering expectations - I like to see a wedding with personality! We had a Spiderman groom's cake at our reception (there's a story there. . . maybe someday. . . ). My grandmother nearly died of embarrassment, but it was pretty cool! I really do like to see couples doing something a little. . . unexpected. Whether it's dancing down the aisle, having a "Man of Honor" (sometimes, the bride's best friend is actually a guy...), or having a "groomswomen" --- I like to see couples doing weddings THEIR way.
7. Champagne - Wouldn't be a wedding without a little bubbly! (And maybe a keg . . . out in the garage. . .)
8. Clinking the glasses at the reception so the bride and groom have to kiss. I never heard of this until we moved to Michigan, so I don't know if it's a regional thing or not -- but it's a fun way to play with your place setting at sit-down dinner receptions.
9. Ritual and commitment. When it comes to making a lifetime commitment to each other, I think the ritual of ceremony (however defined), witnessed by friends and family, is the perfect setting.
10. Remembering. Whenever I'm at a wedding, I think back to my own special day. It always makes me smile! (Especially when I look at the photos!)
Once upon a time, there were two college students. . .
who met, and fell in love. . .
and decided, what the heck, let's get married. . .
Today. . . it's 30 years later!
That's 30 years. . . over three states, six moves, five degrees, three houses, two kids, five pets (not including gerbils and goldfish), nine cars (not including the kids' cars -- that would be a Ford Fiesta, two Mazda sedans, two minivans, the Exploder Explorer, and three Subarus), three downsizings, one major building project, one bout with cancer, two marathons (and No More!) . . . and more happy memories than I can count.
Happy Anniversary, Tom.
Come to me now . . . and rest your head for just five minutes . . . everything is good!
As we walked along the Seine River in Paris, on our way to the Louvre, something on one of the bridges caught our eye.
Turned out to be locks. Lots of locks. Hanging on the Pont des Arts (a pedestrian bridge over the Seine; near the Louvre).
Closer inspection of the locks revealed initials and dates. Of the "KR + TM 4EVR" variety. In many languages.
Couples from around the world come to the Pont des Arts and symbolically lock up their love -- then toss the key into the Seine. 4EVR. (Or, until the City of Paris decides to clear the bridge of locks - which happens periodically.)
Industrious street vendors near the bridge sell locks to passersby -- some with custom printed names, dates, and messages.
I did see one combination lock.
Made me wonder if they threw the combination into the Seine.
Very sweet -- and a little romantic. If I had been to Paris with Tom, I would have SO locked up our love on the Pont Des Arts. And then. . . thrown away the key!
Definitely a soundtrack day. . . (And, yeah. I know it's only a cover. But it's a Metallica cover. And Ozzy, himself, is in the crowd. Looking pleased with it all.)
At Hope College, every fall (since 1898), the freshmen and sophomore classes compete in a tug-of-war across the Black River in Holland. I used to hear about this and think . . . how charming! What a nice way to build team spirit and class camaraderie. Oh. My naivete!
The Pull, as it is called, is no charming event! It is a grueling challenge - physical and mental - that is steeped in tradition. Over the 113 years of The Pull (it is the longest-running collegiate event in the country), the art and science of "pulling" have been refined . . . to create quite a spectacle!
Here is this year's freshman team ("Even Years" -- based on the year of their graduation - 2014) in action last Saturday! And my son? Well, he's the first head of dark hair you can see up from the bottom!
Each Pull Team is made up of 18 "pullers" and 18 "moralers." The pullers . . . pull. . . down in the pits . . . in a highly choreographed effort. Their coach is up front (the guy standing in my photo), making strategy decisions and calling the moves. The moralers . . . act as the "eyes" for the pullers -- because they can't see the coach or any of their fellow pullers . . . and basically, keep the pullers going.
Here's Brian, looking for direction from his moraler, Christy.
And how long does this go on? Well. . . until one team takes the rope of the other team . . . or three hours. Whichever comes first!
What's going on on this side of the river. . . is also going on on the other side of the river.
The event is steeped in tradition. The "even years" wear red shirts and painted blue jeans and bandanas. The girls braid their hair. They have black paint under their eyes. (The "odd years" wear maroon shirts and white pants! They shave their heads and paint their faces; some have severe mohawks. I didn't see them. . . because I was on the "even year" side of the river. . . but I have seen photos.) Neither side wears gloves!
Fan support is strong! ("Even years" vs. "odd years" ---- going back for classes upon classes upon classes!)
The Pull Teams practice for three weeks before the event. Intense, grueling training for an intense grueling event! The bond they form as a team, though, is even more intense. Brian says he's never experienced anything like this bond before!
And the moralers? Brian says they couldn't begin to do it without them! The moralers do much more than "cheer" the pullers on (which was my original notion). They are the connection between each of the pullers; they keep spirits up in the darkest moments; they encourage; they tend; they watch. It's also incredibly intense -- and they train alongside the pullers for the event.
I am iron man. . .
Has he lost his mind . . . can he see or is he blind?
Can he walk at all. . . or if he moves will he fall?
In the end. . .
this year's Pull went the full three hours (which means there was no obvious winner -- neither side got the rope of the other team) and had to go to the judge's measurements. The Odd Years won. . . by just a matter of feet. (The sophomore class has a huge experience advantage and typically wins in less than three hours.)
Brian survived. In fact, I would say he thrived. He learned a lot about himself through The Pull -- like how to dig deep within himself; how to REALLY work as a team; how to find stores of energy and mental willpower that he never dreamed he even had!
And as for a Mom's view? Well. I'm really happy he did it. I am SO proud of him. I was a wreck, though. It's hard to watch your child go through something like this! Here's a photo of me that my dad took during the event. . .
keeping my eye on my kid! Especially because. . . the Pull is dangerous! Broken ribs are common; pullers pass out on the ropes; it is not for the weak-at-heart! I appreciated the presence of this guy . . .
who monitored the participants throughout the event. (There have been Pulls in the past that have been "called" because of the health of the participants.)
Anyway, this Mom also got a little teary-eyed from time to time during the event. Like when I saw how Brian had decorated himself with "super Vs" --- a mom/son tradition since his kindergarten soccer days!
(And a chemical structure . . . because he is, after all, a chemist!)
(That's another Super-V there, too!)
And I teared up when I watched Christy, his moraler, so focused and committed to my kid. She was AWESOME!
Wow! What a day! Bud, you ARE an Iron Man! And I couldn't be prouder! No Limits!
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