Keep your friends close... to your heart.

Recently, while hanging out with one friend, we realized that we've been friends for almost 14 years. (Even scarier is that that means it was 14 years since I was a freshman in college... yikes!)

There are times where we go months before we speak to each other, and even a year before we see each other.

But the best thing about this and other friendships I have, is that no matter how much time has passed, no matter how long it's been or how far away we are from each other, we can always pick up exactly where we left off. We resume that level of comfort and contentment, and no matter what, we know we love each other for who we are, for the good and the bad.

It's odd how you can feel closer to friends that are hours away than you do with friends who are just minutes away. It reminds me to cherish all friendships, young and old, because they are what helps build your character. Each one should hold a special place in your heart. It does in mine.

Pot and the Kettle

Do you ever get annoyed at people who make fun of someone for something that they themselves do? Do you realize that it seems to be human nature that makes everyone do it?

Examples:

Making fun of someone who is overweight and eating a Twinkie, but the person making fun is someone who should put their ring dings down.

Criticizing someone for working too much and not taking a break, but then work 10 hours in a row without lunch.

Complaining about how this other person constantly complains about their misfortunes, but then follows it up with their own stories about a crappy life/situation/job.

Correcting people when they make a grammatical error in their speech, yet can't spell.

And my personal favorite - writing a blog about people making fun of others for doing something and yet the writer is just as guilty as those she is making fun of....

When does the pot truly call the kettle black? And why is it always black?

Did you follow all that??? Because I sure as hell didn't....

Play time is a happy time

I love to watch children play. Not in a creepy way, but it just reminds me of the time when life was just so simple. Children look so happy when they are playing, and there are no rules, regulations or discriminations. They have no worries or troubles and they are not thinking about all the things they SHOULD be doing instead of playing. They don't think about the world issues, or what to cook for dinner... they just have a good time and let their crazy imaginations run wild.

Sometimes, I wish I didn't have so many responsibilities. There is ALWAYS something to I HAVE to do. With a long laundry list of things to do (including the laundry!) I find it hard sometimes to just sit down. But even more than that, playing is an activity hard to come by.

I think we all need to get back to that simple feeling of playing, myself included. We need to learn how to play more. Responsibilities will always be there - but sometimes you have to take a break and play, even if it's just for a little while. Your inner child will thank you.

It's like Hurley says on Lost, "You gotta have fun, man."

Operation Minus 10!

We all go through these phases where we decide "I'm going to get healthier, I am going to eat better, I am going to exercise..." blah, blah.

I am no different. In fact, I believe I've done it twice since I started this blog over a year ago. I'm on the kick again. The numbers on my scale have breached a certain point and that propels me to the gym and the salad bar.

I have started a little journal, following my progress for my workouts and what I eat every day. It will also list my current weight each day. As I go through the process and the pages, I hope that number will become smaller and smaller.

Here's to another attempt at "Operation Minus 10." If I get rid of 10 pounds by our wedding anniversary (September 27), I will treat myself to a manicure and a pedicure, something I ALWAYS want to get, but never seem to be able to.

Wish me luck!

Minding your manners

When we were kids, we were always admonished to mind our manners. We had to say "please" and "thank you." We always wrote thank you letters for gifts received from friends and family, whether it be our birthdays or Christmas. Even as teenagers, we were obligated to make sure to acknowledge the good things that came our way.

Today, I know my friends still teach that to their children. Kids have to say "please" before they get whatever it is that they want, and are required to say "thank you" before they run off. How many times have you heard "What do you say?"

What I don't understand is what is the disconnect between the toddler years (Peas may I have a dwink?) to the teenage years. Today, teenagers and young adults have high expectations to what they SHOULD receive, and exhibit indignation when they don't get what they want, when the want it.

I have experienced several times in the recent months where kids have completely disregarded the simplest nicety. In the fast-paced technologies of today, people don't even take the three seconds it takes to send a note, a tweet, a post, a text, whatever. It only will perpetuate the unending cycle of the ungrateful people in this world.

Open Season on Tourists

I'm from New England. That's really how I describe myself. I have lived in Mass, New Hampshire, Vermont and now Maine. In every state I've lived in, we've always had tourists and summer residents. People WANT to visit the states in which I lived. Isn't that a good thing? Doesn't that mean that the state you live in is a GREAT place to be?

It was not until I moved to Maine have I EVER seen such a pure hatred for these people. Now, I have caught myself cursing at them, (Yes, I know the lake is pretty, but do you realize the speed limit is 50??) and making fun of them (The Lexus double parked at the busy Dunkin's in Bridgton was my favorite). However, the reality is that if tourists didn't come to stay for the weekend, week, summer, whatever, this state - which is already ranked low on the economic scale - would die a slow death.

According to an article in the Bangor Daily News, the tourism industry forms one of the largest revenue generators ($15 billion) to the Maine economy. 15 BILLION DOLLARS!!! With the many paper mills and manufacturing plants closing down, what else is going to generate that kind of revenue? Can you imagine what the state would be like if it weren't for those tourists??

I know they are in the way. I know that they clog up our roads. They hold up traffic with their slower driving and rubbernecking. They buy out all the groceries and fill up their "summer camps" with "real Maine food." They do stupid things like buy a bundle of wood for $6. They take up two parking spaces so that no one will scratch their shiny Lexuses. They visit L.L. Bean and buy a $200 jacket because it's "authentically Maine." They talk down to us and treat us like we are all ignorant rednecks.

But let's face it. They also spend their money. And it's that money that helps this state run. So while they are here, try to grin and bear it. Take their money and run. And when they're gone, celebrate their vacancy and enjoy what they come from all over to experience - your home state.

Innocent until proven guilty

I didn't follow the Casey Anthony case at all. I saw snippets on the news during the long trial, but I didn't really pay attention. I did, however, see the explosion on Facebook when she was found "not guilty" of the first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter charges in the death of her daughter, Caylee.

Not one person on Facebook, at least that I saw, thought Casey was innocent and should be free. Many of them posted things like: "Our system is flawed..." "There is no justice for Caylee..." "Casey should rot in hell..." etc.

One friend posted something really good and really smart - "If you feel the jury was wrong, do not buy her book. Do not go to her movie. If you are disgusted wit her, do not put money in her pocket. Turn your backs on her and do not let her profit from any of this. This is our only way to try to get some justice for little Caylee."(Thanks Angela!)

After the explosion of disbelief and sadness at the verdict, I did some surfing around. From what little I read, I could surmise that she was indeed guilty... just as OJ was.

But what some people don't understand is that the system DID work. We learned in our social studies classes in school that it is an American right that we are innocent until proven guilty. This strongly held American certainty is touted by defendants - and their lawyers - all the time. It is the job of the prosecution to convince these 12 people that she is guilty, beyond a reasonable doubt.

I have sat on two juries, one for a domestic abuse charge and one for an assault charge. Nothing major, but I learned a lot from those two experiences.

Once you hear the case, and you go into the room to discuss the charges, you are given a sheet. Basically it is a checklist of criteria that all of you - unanimously - have to agree that the prosecution's argument fulfilled to come back with a guilty verdict. Those criteria are very specific, and I can imagine that for murder and manslaughter, those criteria are even more defined and strict. The decision HAS to be unanimous.

I agree that this is a horrible, terrible story. How anyone can do that to a chid is beyond me. I don't know if Casey was guilty. She probably is, and for that, she SHOULD burn in hell. But you can't lay the blame at those 12 citizens who did their best to make the decision they thought was lawfully correct. The prosecutor, Jeff Ashton, who probably did the best he could (He is quoted saying, "We presented every shred of evidence we had") just didn't have enough solid evidence to prove the case.

Let's just hope that new, solid evidence can be found, and little Caylee will get the justice she deserves. Whether it's karma, fate or God, Caylee's murderer will be punished. After the devastating results of this trial, that's the only thing we can hope.

I Get By With a Little Help from My Friends

People say that you can tell a lot about a person by just looking at her friends. If that's true, I guess I must be a damn fine human being because my friends are so amazing...

I have friends who work their butts off roofing our garage and doing projects around our house so that our living space is improved in so many ways.

I have friends who make a home cooked meal for me so that, even though my husband is working, I can still enjoy my birthday to the fullest.

I have friends who, knowing that I am having a bad day at work, will stop by my cubical and make me laugh - just to make that bad day a little more tolerable.

I have friends who will come to an event I am in charge of at work - just because I needed them.

I have friends who help us move... several times... even from one state to another.

I have friends who will show up with two pints of Ben and Jerry's, and help me gorge on ice cream to melt away the sorrow or celebrate success.

I have friends who, no matter how few times we see or talk to each other, we are still as connected as we ever were, whether we were just down the hall, down the street or across the country.

I have friends that will listen to me while I blather on in some random, mundane story, and will ask questions because they are genuinely interested.

They'll sit and read my blog, because that's how much they care.

Golly - I really am so fortunate.

The Food Revolution

You see all the advertisement and propaganda about "eat unprocessed foods," "buy local," "get more whole grains" - and on it goes.

So now you actually TRY to do that. Suddenly you start seeing that bottom line on your grocery bill and you're eyes bug out of your head. MANY of your hard earned nickels are now in those reusable canvas grocery bags in the forms of organic whole wheat flour, local vine-ripened tomatoes and free range chicken - all environmentally sound and healthy choices. But that's ALL you bought??

In an effort to try to improve our eating styles (and hopefully saving a bit of cash), I started making a few food items at home and growing our own veggies. I now bake my own whole wheat bread, make blueberry muffins from scratch (PERFECT for the lunch bag and packed full of delicious blueberries, and lots of whole grains!), and now I'm even attempting homemade granola bars (though Caleb calls me a hippy for doing it).

To make bread from scratch, which I have to do about every two weeks, I have to plan for almost three hours so that I can correctly put together the ingredients, and wait for two raising periods, and THEN bake it. The muffins I have down to less than an hour and I'm still working on the granola bars.

Is the time it takes to do these things worth it? I ask myself that a lot as I work my upper arms to knead the bread dough. I figure that for each loaf of bread, it cost me about $1.50 per loaf. So I am saving some cash. And I know there aren't any creepy chemicals - and I know where the bread came from - my own two hands.

I purchased a quart of strawberries from a local farmer today on my way home. They were $5.50 - over a dollar more expensive than the quart I bought two weeks ago from Shaw's. I thought to myself, "Holy cow is this really worth it???"

And then I took a bite. The deliciously sweet strawberry, with just the right amount of tartness, melted on my tongue. And all of a sudden, I knew. This IS worth it!

Every time I make toast out of my own bread, I think "Hey I made that" and it tastes delicious. When I take a bite of that homemade blueberry muffins packed with all the good things for your body, it makes me happy to know that I chose to eat something better for me than a doughnut. And I know that I have made a better choice for me and my family.

So is it worth it? I'm not going to get all preachy on you. But take into consideration all of the things that come into play. When you make choices that affect your grocery bill, you are also making choices for your health and the environment.

But if you do decide to start buying local, organic, or whatever, make changes a little at a time. Pick up a few staples here and there. You will spend more on each item (that's a unchangeable fact), but in the long run, breaking it up over time will seem a little less painful. After a while, you'll just get used to it, and incorporate it into your grocery budget.

Oh... and put down the Ring Dings. That's a good first start :)

Stringing Words Together

You may have noticed, I changed the name of my blog. I can't imagine that you noticed (or even care!) but I thought if I was going to be more serious about this blogging thing, I should probably have a title that actually means something.

Inspired by Tetzlaffino, who boldly started her own blog (props to you lady!), I have decided to retry blogging. I renamed the blog "Stringing Words Together" because I find that, as I age and progress in my career as a designer, I find it harder and harder to string two coherent words together.

So I am going to try it again, at least once a week, to post something. Maybe Tetzlaffino has restarted the trend, and more and more of our friends will blog or maybe return to their blogs. (Ahem... BUTTER!) My hope that with the motivation of my friends, I can keep at it, flex those writing muscles and perhaps even share some wisdom and humor along the way. It might not always be commentary. I am also going to try to do some character journals. We'll see how it goes.

Now what I need is people to follow my blog. That way, when I fail to post something, there is someone out there who might give me a virtual kick in the pants to get on it.

I currently have three followers. Let's see if I can increase that to ten by September 1. Any takers? Make sure to click that magical button that allows Blogger to send fun little messages to your inbox to let you know when I have written something witty or interesting... or just SOMETHING.

To let out... or NOT to let out

I am really struggling with a decision in our little family.

As many of you know, Caleb and I had - and lost - a sweet cat last year. His name was O'Malley. We had him for about four months but you'd think we had him for years. He had such an awesome personality. On one day (September 13th to be exact) I let him out and he did not come home.


Your guess is as good as mine is as to what happened. I did a lot of searching, posted flyers, listed on Craigslist and checked the animal shelters, but to no avail. There had been sightings of fishers in the neighborhood and many cats had disappeared around the same time period. My assumption is that he ran afoul of something bigger and meaner than he was, and wasn't able to come out the winner.

Since then, we have adopted and raised Sally. We got her in October as a 9 week old kitten, and she has become our little baby. She is seven months old now, and with the melting of the snow, comes the promise of spring. And the question nags at me - do I let her outside OR do I keep her safe inside?

On one hand, I am one who believes that cats are naturally outdoor animals, and that they actually LIKE being outside. We also have a rodent issue in our yard - moles digging up the grass, chipmunks chewing at our home - and we would certainly benefit from having a hunter on the watch.

On the other hand, I know that I would be utterly devastated to lose Sally. She wakes me up purring every morning and greets me when I come home at night. She is my little buddy and keeps me laughing with her crazy antics. I think even Caleb is even a little in love with this sweet girl. We both cherish her immensely.

I know I am ridiculously attached to my pets. From my guinea pigs, to my rabbit to my cats, I love them all. They are my children, and when I lose them, it breaks my heart a little.

So I don't know what to do. I have heard both sides to the argument, and I just can't make up my mind. Am I being cruel by keeping her inside? Or am I just pressing my luck - and Sally's - by contemplating letting her out?

I just don't know.