Just thoughts

1. I call Tessa "baby" quite often. She has taken to calling me "baby" right back. It was funny at first, and, well, it's still funny --but I'm starting to feel like a truck stop waitress. "I want more food, baby." "I want watch movie, baby." "I want book, baby." I've been explaining to her that she needs to call me mommy and not baby. So, for the last two days I've been "baby mommy," which works too, I guess.

2. I don't listen to AC/DC, but I'm aware of their music style. They just had like their 112th album come out, and it is being sold exclusively through Walmart. I know if I were in a well known metal rock group, I'd want my face sold right next to the yellow happy face and no where else.

...I'm easily amused.

3. Something has occurred to me the last couple days. A big chunk of personal happiness in life is about other people. The more your thoughts turn to other people and how you can serve them, the more joy you have in your life. I know this isn't new information, but sometimes concepts hit me harder than they would at other times. Selfishness, in whichever form, really drags you down.
4. For Christmas a few years ago Jake bought an acoustic guitar for me. I love the sound of an acoustic guitar, and I'd really love to be able to play. But, um, like I said, I've had it for a few years, and nada. I thought I'd have the self discipline to teach myself. Nope. I should have learned that after I bought the harmonica. Maybe I can take a class someday.
Jake has been picking up that guitar more and more lately. He has been learning songs from some of my favorite artists, and I love it when he plays. There is something about acoustic guitar music that lowers my blood pressure or something. Hopefully I can get some use out of that guitar someday, but I'll enjoy Jake's talents until then.
5. We went to our city's downtown Trick Art Treat evening this last weekend. Many of the shops are open later and there are a few art galleries set up for people to walk through. While walking through the main gallery I was thinking about how personal art really is. The pieces that pull me in don't affect everyone the same way, and the ones I think are better off left in a dark closet, could very well take someone else's breath away.
When I was dancing and performing at SUU, I had the wonderful opportunity to be in all kinds of dance pieces. It was alway so interesting to see what different types of people thought about them. I connected to all of them in some way, but looking back, I am sure that there were some people thinking, "What in the world was THAT one all about?"
There was a painting on Friday night that I termed uncomfortable. Never in a million years would I hang that in my home. Then I remembered a dance I was in that was supposed to make people uncomfortable (including the dancers...white lycra on your thighs with a big spotlight doesn't do much for the ol' self esteem, right Ash?). I think it was theraputic for the choreographer. So there was my connection. I'd rather die than put that particular painting on my wall, but if it worked as some kind of therapy for the artist, or if it sings to an individual who loves it, more power to it. I can appreciate that.
And now I'm missing the art form I kind of get -dance. Sigh.
6. Why is it that pretzels in Pepperidge Farms fish form are tastier than your run of the mill sticks or twisted pretzels? It's the same thing.
7. Isn't it nice when an event you've been planning for a couple of months goes off even better than you thought it would and you don't have the stress of it hanging over you anymore? I think so too.
8. There was a house around the corner that had a drunk driver run his car into the side of it Saturday night before last. On our way home from church we saw the huge hole in the brick and thought there was no way a car could have fit there to do that much damage. It did. Jake went over to see if there was anything he could do to help the home owner. She told Jake that her little boys, whose room the car smashed into, wanted to have a sleepover in the living room that night. She let them all. Thank heavens. Talk about divine intervention. Who knows what would have happened to those boys in that room? The homeowner said the noise the crash made was incredibly scary and that she hadn't slept all night. The wall is sealed up now; you would never know it happened. Oh yeah, turns out the driver got out of the car, ran home, and passed out cold on the floor until the cops came to get him. Strangely enough, there was a similar incident that same night -another drunk crashing into a home. Nice. Can you imagine?
9. I haven't been reading as much as I like to lately, but when I can, I'm reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I really like it so far, much more than I thought I would. So, sorry to those of you who have been suggesting it for years. You were right.
10. Happy Sunday.