Snowmen fall from Heaven..some assembly required

January 8, 2011 by 4 Comments

Snow isn’t all that bad; really, it isn’t!

Ohhhh, come on now!  How many of you enjoy being cocooned at home under a blanket of snow that wraps your home in a frosty quilt designed by Mother Nature?  
                               

Thought so.

Yesterday, the Northeast had a little snowstorm; not one of dynamic proportions, just a few inches that still managed to close schools, slow traffic and cause accidents.  As I drove to work Friday morning, I witnessed the usual road jockeys in their Range Rovers whipping in and out of traffic at unreasonable speeds; these same drivers would be back on the roads for the trip home, undoubtedly causing scenes like this….

                                                            

White-knuckled motorists behind the wheels of their Subaru Outbacks or other AWD vehicles compounded the stressful commute by creeping along no faster than 22 m.p.h. in the parkway’s center lane.  All of the above deserve to be beaten about their head and shoulders for driving in bad weather and I suggest that they keep this tow truck service number handy for the next storm…..1 800 JACKASS!

In any event, a few friends had to endure one more bout of barfy children as this never-ending flu season keeps poking everyone with its misery.  Others enjoyed the luxury of staying home, cuddled near the warmth of a fireplace and from their kitchens, the aroma of comfort foods simmered away on their stoves while cookies and various delightful desserts slowly baked in their ovens.   Stews, Chili, Soups and more promised warm family gatherings later in the day when everyone finally returned after the snowy drive home.  
                                              
I like that, a lot!     For a short time,  life’s mad rush, to get absolutely nowhere in the fastest allotted time,  came to a standstill.  People enjoyed the moment and got back to the basics of living.  Fresh-fallen snow that sparked children’s creativity brought Snow Angels and Snowmen….both gifts from Heaven with love and some assembly required to make them happen.          
                                               
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Read between my lines….

January 6, 2011 by 3 Comments

Driving the 50 mile run to work, and back home, each day allows me to do some pretty deep thinking and at times I amaze myself with my mental ability to store all the notes my mind makes as I navigate through daily traffic.

Oh hush….I know what you’re thinking; lost in thought, mind not on the road…blah, blah.  Hey, I don’t yak on my cell phone and my thought process is completely hands-free…and legal!

It must be the car environment that brings forth one’s creativity.  Think about how many women drive along while putting on or touching up their make-up.  I know, I know….that’s both careless and stupid but, there is no better light for seeing all those perky un-wanted hairs on your face or putting on lipstick and mascara.  Just don’t do it while driving 65 mph or better.

                                            

Back to my deep thoughts……

At this stage of my life, I’m a fairly well-read book; outer jacket fairly worn and showing signs of age but full of readable chapters inside along with room for a few more additions…I hope.  The old adage about age being just a number works for me…most days.  I still drive along listening to my favorite “hair bands” of the 80’s, Whitesnake, Cinderella, Tesla and Motley Crue; manage to get to a Tom Petty concert now and then and, more recently, let my hair down at a Bon Jovi/Daughtry concert in Florida.  No one there picked me out as a mis-placed Gramma who ended up in row 249 instead of belonging at some wretched Bingo game.

                           
                                                                   
I’ve managed to retain an element of “coolness” as I approach the back nine of life; at least my four Grandkids think so…

Maybe that’s why this whole book comparison danced through my head this morning.  I still want everyone who knows me to not just dust me off and place my tattered being on some shelf; hell, there’s a lot of excitement still jumping around on the pages of what makes me….me!

And that goes for anyone else as they attempt to gracefully grow old.

Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.– Francis Bacon
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Play Misty for me…..

December 20, 2010 by 4 Comments

As I rushed out of my car like a madwoman the other afternoon, making a run into the supermarket,  I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard the haunting yet delicate sounds of violin music playing in the distance.

Usually, at this time of year, volunteers for the Salvation Army can be found endlessly ringing their bells outside of stores while they stand next to a donation kettle.  What I heard was light years away from the monotone melody of a solitary brass musical object.  This music was…magical.

Walking in the direction of the beautiful serenade, there stood a straggly-looking man, with a pleasant smile, sharing his concert-quality impromptu concertos.  On the ground in front of him was the case for his violin into which people dropped money as they walked by and he seemed so grateful, asking if anyone had a special request.  I was amazed that the local  branch of the Keystone Cops hadn’t come by to make the man move for panhandling or some other crime against humanity but, in speaking with other shoppers, most mentioned that he had been performing, jacket less, in the cold, outside for hours.

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It got the best of me; I reached for a few dollars and walked towards him,  as he was playing “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies”,  I dropped the cash into his violin case and he smiled asking if I had any requests.  I did and, without hesitation, he launched into such a magnificent version of “Somewhere In My Memory” that it brought tears to my eyes.

Who was he?  Why was someone so musically talented out on a sidewalk performing for a few dollars?  Would the profits of his day be enough to buy him, or his family, a decent meal or perhaps some Christmas presents?  Was he out of a job, homeless?  Or…was he a fraud; an educated person, gainfully employed just using his talent to rack up some extra cash on the week-end or possibly even get his Stradivarius re-strung?
                                                                      
You know something?  I really don’t care!  His music was charming, a gift and a breath of fresh air breaking through the stagnant cloud of holiday stress being put out by shoppers like myself. 

I hope he comes back to play another concert soon; next time, I’ll ask him to play “Misty” for me..

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