American Idol Ramiele Malubay Sings Filipino National Anthem

I have not liked Ramiele's funky hair on the show (yes, I am that shallow) and find it distracting despite her lovely voice, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this video, supposedly posted by her cousin, with her 'old' hair! After watching her sing the entire Filipino National Anthem, my respect and admiration for her has really grown! This is difficult song to sing, way too many high notes. Not unlike our own national anthem, which doesn't exactly roll off the tongue smoothly, but maybe that's just me!
Originally posted 3/14/08; reposting because original video no longer available.

If It Weren't So Funny, It Would Be Sad . . .

My best friend sent me this photo in an email this morning. Because I am a cake designer, she thought I "would be the perfect person to get it"! I couldn't stop laughing for a good 5 minutes when I saw this:

When sad cakes happen to Suzannes in the world

OMG, I am laughing all over again just typing this! I found, after not very much research because this photo has been blogged about a thousand times in the last few days, this cake was originally created in October 2007 (note the "Fall" colored flowers and trim) for Suzanne's going away party at her work. Depending on whose blog you read, "Suzanne" either lives in Arkansas or Florida (my bet is on AK). The photo and story made the rounds in October and then resurfaced again in the past week, and I'm so glad, because I missed it the first time!

And here is someone's clever imagining of the cake order being place:

Okay, so this is how I imagine this conversation went:

Employee: "Hello 'dis XXXX-marts, how can I help you?"
Customer: "Yes, I would like to order a cake for a going away party this week."
Employee: "Whatchu want on da cake?"
Customer: "Best Wishes Suzanne." And underneath that "We will miss you".

Actually, it's even funnier if you read the imaginary conversation first and then look at the pic! Pretty much everyone in blog-world agrees that this cake came from a Walmart bakery somewhere, but I'm also guessing that a warehouse bakery like Sam's could have produced the same "masterpiece." For what it's worth, the flowers and shell border on the cake were lovely, considering that it very likely was made by someone who is required to turn out 7 other similar cakes in the same hour.

I guess this cake is a commentary on places like Walmart, where people who may not be native English speakers are required to communicate (in frosting!) in English every day. And I guess you really do get what you pay for, and I say this a wee bit smugly to all those who have ever called me for a price quote for a cake and then complained that they can get it "so much cheaper at Walmart!" Rest assured, my clients will NEVER get THIS cake from me!

I probably won't post this on my business's blog, but I thought it would be funny on my personal one!

1984 Kids Incorporated Theme Song

This blog entry is dedicated to my little brother, Richard, who quite worshipped this show and everyone on it when it first aired 23 years ago. Who knew that Stacy would become the fabulous Fergie we know today?! I still remember my brother taping the shows when they aired each week so we (yes, I kind of liked the show too despite its very bad acting) could watch it all week! Ahh, memories . . . !

(originally posted 1/7/08; reposting due to 'technical difficulties'!)

I Found a Guy

. . . whose blog is deemed worthy of mention! In writing my previous post, I realized that I gravitate towards the blogs of other women. I couldn't remember ever reading a blog by a guy. But I discovered a male-written blog yesterday! I had actually visited his website before, but had not taken the time to read his blog.

Rick Riordan is an author that I've glommed recently. He is a native San Antonian, so I already feel a certain affinity toward him, and until recently was a middle school teacher, so I definitely admire him! He writes the wonderful Percy Jackson and the Olympians series of books for children. I love these books, and like so many thirteen year olds, I can't wait until his next one comes out! So I was perusing his blog, Myth & Mystery, which has many entries about school visits, book tours and interactions with his fans, but also some really thoughtful entries about writing, teaching, education, children, success and censorship. I especially liked his views on censorship.

I was lucky enough to hear him speak at the Texas Book Festival in Austin last November, and he was so lovely with the kids, who were the majority of the standing room only audience in a gymnasium-sized room. And these kids really knew their stuff-- they knew his books backwards and forwards and were just so excited about reading them. How many kids get excited about reading anything? Especially books about Greek mythology?!

So I am proud to add Mr. Riordan's blog (another one by a writer!) to my growing list of favorites, and pleased to read about a guy's take on the world as well.

Blog Envy

When I first started this blog in 2005 (and yet I only have a handful of entries!), I'd only ever visited a couple of other blogs. Recently, I noticed that all of my recent 'Favorites' on my browser are blogs. Because *everyone* has a blog. It certainly seems like every stay-at-home-Mom has a blog! Every business (mine included) has a blog. There are fake blogs too. It's like everyone has a diary online and is begging the world to read it! I will say that I am impressed by the quality of writing on so many of these blogs, particularly the Mommy-written ones. Might English teachers throughout the country be breathing a collective sigh of relief that all is not yet lost?!

Today, while doing research for an upcoming Girl Scout meeeting with a music theme, I stumbled on this lovely site called Mama Lisa's World. In addition to free lyrics and MP3s of world music and stories for children, which was too hard to find online by the way, she has a great blog with great information about songs, books and other things for kids. Loved the discussion about American Girl dolls. Made me feel a little bad about having just bought one for my daughter!

There are blogs that I must visit regularly, even daily. Some are written by people I actually know. Check on Steve has been such a gift to all the friends and family of Steve and Tyra Damm, who are going through the toughest challenge anyone could ever imagine with such bravery. Steve was recently diagnosed with a lesion on the right side of his brain stem, and has handled it all so far with such grace. I am humbled by his courage.

I also read blogs by people I don't know. In fact, I read more blogs by total strangers than actual friends. I am particularly drawn to blogs by writers. I am loving former-actress-and-now-writer Meg Tilly's blog for its honesty, homeyness and awesome recipes. I have laughed out loud and also cried at her posts. Now how I came upon her blog in the first place is an entirely different and also interesting story! I will have to post that sometime.

I also love reading about the writerly life through the eyes of some kick-ass romance writers on Word Wenches. I found out about this blog because one of its writers is my all-time favorite romance writer, Mary Jo Putney. I actually know little of the other six writers, but I enjoy their blog posts.

I just discovered the funniest blog site last week, by a teacher and home-schooler who is also an awesome writer. I found out about this one from another blog, so it's a discovery-by-association kind of thing. Love that about the Internet, that free association of clicking from page to page, kind of like reading the World Book Encyclopedia as a child (yes, I was a total geek and I really did that) and going from volume to volume looking up the SEE ALSO: topics. But I digress, and Derfwad Manor is just too entertaining! And others agree because she gets in the neighborhood of at least 50 comments per post.

I just now realized that I only read blogs by women! Is that a crime?! hahaha I never thought about it before, but that's what I like to read right now-- the world according to other women. By the same token, my own hubby has never read my blog, so maybe it's a Mars/Venus thing.

So after discovering so many talented writers online, I know now that I will probably never be a writer, at least one who publishes anything that someone else would read! I envy those who write with such wit and candor and humor and honesty online, and I thank them for making my spare moments during the day (and middle of the night) richer.

So Enchanted

Carys is ENCHANTED! Thanks to magical Disney.com software, she has been transformed into Princess Giselle and Evil-Almost-Mother-in-Law Narissa. The image is supposed to move back and forth and wink and smile, but it wouldn't upload properly.

My girls and I have a favorite new movie! We finally saw Disney's Enchanted during our mini-vacation in the Dallas-Ft Worth area, and our entire family loved it! It's so appropriate for kids, families, anyone! It's a clever homage to every Disney Princess movie ever made, and at the same time, full of twists and turns and enough adult-ish humor to keep it from being saccharine.

Last night, we three piled on my bed and went online to the Enchanted website. We watched all the trailers, TV spots, behind-the-scenes videos, clips from the film and music videos. Then we played all the online games, including one where you can "enchant yourself." You upload your head shot and the email you some cool software where you can turn yourself into any one of they Enchanted characters or some of Disney's classic heroes, heroines or villains. It was great fun!

Finally, we did the Enchanted sing-along, where we watched the music videos again but this time the words appear for you. Thalia and Carys LOVE the Ever Ever After song by Carrie Underwood, and Carys said she was so beautiful in the video!

It was fun to cuddle with my daughters and do something really "girly" while Dylan watched basketball in the next room . . . !

D.I.K.

Edmund Cody Library, where I have been a patron since 2003! It was close to our rental apartment (aka The Roach Motel) and now very close to Carys's school at the JCC.

Ever since I discovered the "hold" option on the San Antonio Public Library's website, I have been reading like a fiend for the past 2+ years! My enthusiasm for the resources of the public library has resulted in my buying fewer books than I used to, although I still buy *LOTS* of books! There was a time when I didn't even step foot in a public library for at least 6 years; why would I, when there was Barnes & Noble just opening up around town with their Starbucks coffee plus my crack-like addiction to Amazon.com? Then came the "layoff of 2002", and suddenly the library was a treasure of riches! (Plus we had to cancel the cable TV too, so I had more time to read.) It was fun again to browse the shelves of my branch of the public library, small as it was.

When I moved to San Antonio, I discovered soon after trying to find certain books at my branch library and coming up empty-handed each time that you can actually put them on hold online! Why I did not know this before, I have no idea. Probably because I never knew the library was online! The entire catalog of the entire library system is on the city's website, and even better, it's "open for business" 24 hours a day! Yippee! This is a huge boon for night owls such as myself who do all substantive work after the midnight hour.

Another great thing I can do is hold and pick-up books for Thalia that are on the recommended reading lists for her age/reading level. Otherwise, my nutty kid will go to the library and only select books she has already read! Some people resist change, what can I say?! Thank God for technology, especially the kind paid for with my tax dollars!

Anyway, now that I can read whatever I want almost whenever I want without having to buy the book every time, I have been developing my own Desert Island Keeper List of Books (an idea borrowed from the All About Romance website). A D.I.K. book is one you'd like to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island! Certainly, I already had quite a few romance novels on the list in my head for years, but now I'm ready to round it out with some other kinds of books as well. Here is my unfinished list, still in development and also available on Amazon,with the romances I adore:

MY DESERT ISLAND KEEPERS: ROMANCE
1. Silk and Secrets by Mary Jo Putney
Melissa says:
"I've lost track of how many times I've read this book! Lord Ross Carlisle is the hero I judge all others against!"

2. One Perfect Rose (Fallen Angels) by Mary Jo Putney
Melissa says:
"Was the 1st 'Fallen Angels' book I read, and I was clamoring for more! I believe it was also the 4th historical romance novel I ever read, thanks to my friend Nancy. My favorite in the series."

3. In Our Dreams by Linda Lael Miller and Friends

Melissa says:
"A little something for everyone here! I love Susan Wiggs' Bridge of Dreams and Mary Jo Putney's Avalon. I never get tired of this short story collection and was absolutely bereft when I lost my original copy! Thank goodness for used book stores!"

4. Brazen Angel by Elizabeth Boyle
Melissa says:
"The best 'first book' by an author! Unfortunately, none of her subsequent books has really impressed me in comparison."

5. Thunder and Roses (Fallen Angels) by Mary Jo Putney
Melissa says:
"Really love the 'Fallen Angels' series! Clare and Nicholas really complement one another."

6. Dancing on the Wind (Fallen Angels) by Mary Jo Putney
Melissa says:
"Unusual plot-- really liked the' twin' aspect of it, especially the bond between sisters."

7. Going Home by Danielle Steel
Melissa says:
"I gave up on Danielle Steel long, long ago, but I really admire her 1st book for its honesty and enjoy a good cry. I am embarrassed to tell you how old I was when I first read it."

8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Melissa says:
"Ok, not really a "romance novel," but the grandmother of all of them (Georgette Heyer being the mother!). Ironically, I never enjoyed this book the 1st and 2nd time, which just goes to show that sometimes, you have to give it a few tries! I think part of the disconnect was the time period in which the book was set, which was completely unfamiliar to me as a teenage girl and even as a twenty-something adult."

9. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
Melissa says:
"GH really helped establish the "Regency" romance novel, with it's quaint phrases, stock characters and sweetly innocent plots. She was NOT responsible for the "bodice-ripping" aspect of the genre! I love this book because it's different-- the heroine is an "older" woman with a little more wisdom therefore than the rest."

10. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
Melissa says:
"Actually, I enjoyed pretty much the entire 'Slightly' series, of which this is the final book. But I ADORED this one! It's such a sweet and clever homage to 'Pride and Prejudice' but with it's own unique twists. I read this often, when I feel like a happy ending! The hero is even more Darcy-ish than Mr. Darcy himself, and the heroine is an all-too-human, earthy version of Elizabeth."

(blog originally started on 5/15/07)

In Remembrance: Paul Epner

It is with the greatest sadness that I resume blogging: I want to write about a lovely, funny, creative person who died suddenly last month. Paul Epner was the father of Thalia's best friend from pre-school, and our friend too. I don't know the details of his death, only that it was sudden and that he left our world far too soon. My heart breaks for his family--his wonderful, gracious wife and his adorable daughter, and his extended family. Especially for his daughter, who is fatherless at the tender age of 6.

Paul was a middle school math teacher for many years, and for that he should have received a medal! I can only imagine how his students must feel, suddenly teacher-less in the middle of the school year. You got the sense that he really connected with the kids, because he wasn't going to talk down to them and they "got" his humor. He also wrote several books for children, which we are proud to own and will always treasure. He was always self-deprecating about his writing, but the books are real gems. Thalia adores them. I am rather partial to Paul's Herbert Hilligan series of books myself. Several of his books taught math to kids in a "fun" way.

Paul was great fun to talk to. You really couldn't have even the shortest conversation with him without laughing. He had a dry humor and an unusual take on the world around him. I'll miss talking to him!

I looked him up on the Internet today, and found his teacher bio on his school's website. It was uniquely "Paul-esque" and made me laugh out loud, of course. Here it is:

Epner, Paul
Mr. Epner's Story
Math Guru for team 6.3

Paul Epner was spawned from loving parents Marcia and Martin Epner on December 21, 1963. Hatched in a hospital in Yonkers, New York, Paul was the cutest and youngest of his 4 siblings. Even as a small child, Paul's proud parents realized he was a "gifted" child. His mom was over protective, while his father felt that the "gifted" label meant that he could put Paul in a box, wrap him up, seal with a bow, and "gift" to someone else. Growing up in a family of "overachievers" it soon become apparent to Paul's family that he had "super powers". He soon began flying at the speed of light, could leap tall buildings and was able to solve math problems in his head. As Paul grew up and became a more "portly" child, he lost his power to fly and leap tall buildings, though he once did leap over a bush and broke his arm, Paul retained his ability to solve math problems in his head. Realizing Paul had superhuman mathematical abilities, he enrolled in an elementary education program at UTSA, and in 1988 received his Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. It did take two years extra for Paul to earn his degree, because Paul had a hard time understanding that a Bachelor's Degree referred to something other than his ability to remain single. However, Paul's insistence on carrying a lunchbox to all his college classes did not help Paul to become more attractive to the opposite gender. Only because of his father's large dowery to his future wife, was Paul able to marry and allow his father to get the empty nest he longed for since Paul graduated from college.
If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the Paul Epner fan club, operators are standing by. Due to the high volume of calls and e-mails from Paul's fans, it is sometimes up to 24 hours before he can respond to his adoring fans.
As for how Paul ranks the interest level of his fans, he assesses that 60%of their interest stems from the tests they put Paul through, and 40% of their interest is figured by how they treat him on a daily basis.
At this time Mr. Epner is tied up in a tour of talk shows and appearances throughout the United States, but he does try to make himself available for discussions and conferences from around 10:30-11:30 each day.
Your support is always appreciated and Mr. Epner loves to hear from his fans!

If you feel like getting help from your math textbook..... Check out this website and take a good look Tutorials, videos and other cool stuff..... Make math easier and not so tough. Don't be afraid, do it, I say...[website] will make your school day! Mr. Epner is here, he's the coolest of cool...... He will help all his students be successful in school. But you must always remember, put yourself to the test... I will always expect you, to do your absolute best!!!!!
Mr. Epner is here!

Paul once said in an interview: "In this world you've gotta find a passion in life. I love working with kids and I love to write, so I've found a special place." I hope he's found peace and another special place in Heaven.

NEW BLOG!

Yes, it is truly ridiculous that I, who blogs once every 6 months, should have another blog, but it's true! I have a new blogsite for my newly updated business, Sweetest Whimsy. It can be accessed from my new website: http://www.sweetestwhimsy.com/. It's chock full of news, product information and ideas related to my world of cakes, paper, parties and gifts! I hope the faithful few who actually check 'Who are You Calling Little?" will visit my new blog! I promise I am keeping up with it much more consistently, in the interest of good business! Please visit!

Six Weird Things

Was backreading my friend Tyra's enormously enjoyable blog today and read where she "tagged" me on Sunday, December 03, 2006, so it's my turn to be "it", only 4 1/2 months later . . . !

SIX WEIRD THINGS ABOUT MYSELF

1. I've never seen E.T. (the movie). I have seen snippets of the film, probably about 5 minutes worth at a time, but never the whole thing. And it's about 25 years old?!

2. I am hypercritical of myself. Sometimes I relive entire conversations I have had with people in my head, and then suddenly will scream or moan or swear when I remember what silly/stupid/inane/boring things I said. Then whoever is around me will look up at me, startled, and I will feel silly/stupid/inane/boring all over again.

3. I was a Girl Scout Troop Leader before I even had any kids. Before I even knew I would have daughters. I was a troop leader for a bunch of girls whose parents were "too busy" to volunteer, and now that I am a parent myself, I totally understand why!

4. I attended four elementary schools for K-6. (Tyra still wins the prize!) ABC Land (Kinder), St. Mary's School (1st-2nd), Morningside Elementary (3rd & 1/2 of 4th), McCoy Elementary (1/2 of 4th - 6th). The really weird thing is that my father was not in the military! (Many people assume this when they learn how many schools I went to as a young child). I also attended two high schools, Newman Smith (9th-10th) and Churchill (11th-12th). So basically, every 2 years I went to a new or different school!

5. I don't like big jewelry (real or fake) or yellow gold. All the other women in my family do.

6. I have been "writing" a romance novel in my head for several years. I work on it when I'm in bed and can't sleep.

The first person to read this, besides Tyra, please consider yourself "tagged" and now you get to be "it"!

Homemaking 101

When I was about 13 years old and in junior high in Carrollton, Texas, I took a home economics class called Homemaking. This was circa 1984. The teacher, whose name I can't recall, was a former stay-at-home Mom who was finally an empty nester. She seemed ancient, but was probably in her forties! The class was all girls, of course, and although it has been 33 years since I was the class, I still remember quite a bit of what she tried to teach us about housekeeping, cooking, sewing and etiquette.

I thought of my Homemaking class last week, when I was trying to find some simple recipes for my daughter's new Easy Bake Oven. Basically, you have two choices when it comes to the actual baking/cooking with this oven. You can purchase the convenient Easy Bake Mixes, which will make approximately 2 very tiny cakes or 6 very tiny cookies, for about $5. Those are some pretty expensive little cakes, and not really the best tasting either! Or you make mixes from scratch at home for your budding young baker to use. There are two big things to work around, however, when you are baking from scratch for the Easy Bake Oven: 1) No raw eggs in the recipe; 2) The pan only holds about 3 tbsp. worth of batter! After searching the Internet a few times, I found some clever Moms who'd come up with recipes for mixes for cakes and cookies using boxed cake mix or flour and shortening; however, each recipe made something like 15 little cakes! That is alot of cake! And they had to be used within a certain amount of time due to no preservatives.

I decided to look through my own stash of recipes for some ideas, and came upon two yellowing photocopied pages of recipes from my junior high Homemaking class! I had kept them all through high school, college, and well into adulthood until right now, when I realized the recipes were exactly what I was looking for! There were two pages entitled Biscuit Mix Variations, the Biscuit Mix being Bisquick. From one recipe of Bisquick biscuit dough, which does not require any eggs(!), you can make: Cinnamon Pinwheels, Butterscotch Pinwheels, Cheese Biscuits, Jelly Biscuits (like little pastries), Bacon Biscuits, or Quick Sticky Buns! Furthermore, I realized you can halve the recipes, which is perfect for making about 2 batches of Easy Bake Oven sized treats.

Looking through the recipes reminded me that our teacher had given us a similar handout of Refrigerator Biscuit Recipes as well, which I have since lost to my regret. I still remember all the things we cooked using a tube of Pillsbury biscuits: Tuna Pockets, Mini-Pizzas, Pinwheels, etc. We were really cooking! I also remember having to "tell" on some mean 8th grade girls who had eaten all the grated pizza cheese during the cooking phase of class, leaving nothing for us poor 7th graders!

Last night, we made Butterscotch Pinwheels using my Homemaking class recipe, with chocolate chips added. It was so much fun! It takes 15 minutes to preheat the Easy Bake Oven, and only about 3 minutes to prepare one of the $5 Easy Bake Mixes, so it was much more satisfying for Thalia to be able to make the dough "from scratch", knead it, roll it, add the toppings, and slice into pinwheels. We actually used up the entire 15 minutes! They were really quite good too! The full recipe made 3 1/2 Easy Bake-sized batches of Pinwheels; next time, we will do a half recipe because even 6 year olds get "tired" of the prep work. :)

I also made up my own recipe last week for her Oven--Cheese Nachos. They actually sell a Mix for that, but I had heard that it is so disgusting that there was no way I was going to pay $5 for it! Thalia really, really wanted to try it, however, after seeing the picture on the Oven box (good marketing!), so I came up with this instead:

Cheesy Nachos for the Easy Bake Real Meal Oven

Ingredients:
a hunk of Velveeta Cheese
Tortilla Chips
Child-safe knife

Preheat Oven for 15 minutes. Let your child cut off slices of Velveeta. You won't need very much to fit the tiny pan.

Spray the tiny pan lightly with Pam. Put the cheese slices in the tiny pan.

Bake for about 6 minutes in the Oven. Cheese should be smooth and melted.

While cheese is heating, put a handful of Tortilla Chips in the Oven's warming chamber. They will get nice and warm while the cheese melts.

Put Chips on a plate and top with melted Cheese, or as my daughter likes to do it, dip the Chips into the pan of Cheese.

Serves 1 child.

Yes, I can heat up the same amount of cheese in the micro for 30 seconds, but for kids, it's all about the process, isn't it?! :)

And to my former Homemaking teacher, wherever you are--Thank You!

Flaming Mixer

I love Gmail. It's part of the world of Google, which I rely on so many times a day that I'm embarrassed to admit exactly how often that is. What I love about Gmail is the sponsored links that appear the right-hand side of the screen that are based on the content of your emails! At first, when I realized what Google was doing, it really used to creep me out. But now I like browsing the list of offerings. Take today for example:  Flaming Kitchen Aid Mixers, anyone? Yes, flaming as in 'hot rod' decor. You can turn your mundane, everyday workhorse into an awesome kitchen accessory! This website totally cracked me up! Apparently, to have it done "custom" at some shop will run you about $150 (I had NO idea people would do this to their Mixers!), but for $15 you can trick out your Kitchen Aid with some high-quality decals! I think my pink 'Cook for the Cure' KA is decorative enough as is, but I really found this idea quite humorous. Maybe toasters are next on the list?!

Happy New Year, Happy Valentine's Day, Happy Birthday!

Well, it's been a long time since my last posting, for those 3 or so of you who may actually be reading this! hahaha I guess what unnerves me the most about the idea of blogging is that although this is basically just my diary or journal, someone else can read it! Not that someone actually will though. And there's my blogger's dilemma (I can't think of the appropriate word): in the back of your mind, you hope someone will read it, but at the same time wonder if anyone ever does and cringe at the thought of someone actually doing so!

Anyway, enough of that. I've been on holiday from my blog due to many time-wasting reasons, none actually being a good excuse for not writing though! I did endure rotator cuff shoulder surgery at the end of last year, and until 9 days ago, was locked into multiple visits per week to my physical therapists. It helped, then it didn't, then it got worse, and then I cried and demanded that my doctor take a look at my shoulder again! So now I'm off therapy for a couple of weeks but charged with the task of doing my therapy exercises by myself, which is even harder than going to therapy was! It is nice to get a break, however.

Overall, I've been really down since my shoulder started giving me trouble again. Ironically, it seemed to all start again the week of the ice storm, when we were all stuck in the house for 2 straight days, making it a 4 day weekend. I could feel my shoulder tightening up more and more each day, despite my faithful exercises. From then on, for about 2 more weeks, it was like a rubber band-- draconian therapy methods would "loosen it up" but within hours of returning leaving there, it would snap back into a tight knot. Ouch! I finally reached the point where it was loosened up enough th where I was no longer freaking out every other hour about it, and then I started feeling shooting pains up and down my entire arm, all the way to my finger tips. Now THAT really freaked me out as my right hand is my cake decorating hand! No messing around with that! I was very fortunate that 2 wks after the surgery, I was able to start decorating cakes again, with no effect on my shoulder at all. Now everything I did with my right arm was hurting like crazy! Like turning a doorknob, picking up a paring knife, driving my car, etc. Well, wouldn't you know it, my doctor says that too is normal; I've been 'deconditioned' and will have to endure all this until my arm strength is built up again. So all this and the rather unattractive weight gain in my arm (and everywhere else, really) has brought me down in the dumps of late. I feel like a page out of Dr. Seuss's My Many Colored Days. I mean, I knew having voluntary surgery wasn't going to be a walk in the park, but it has still exceeded my expectations of how long it would take to bounce back to the old me.

At the same time, Carys has been going to 5-day-a-week preschool at the JCC instead of just 2 days to accomodate my rigid therapy schedule, and she has really thrived since we switched her! Perhaps it's just a coincidence and being 2 3/4 yrs old now instead of a mere 24 months has something to do with it too. Her teachers have marveled at the transformation, and they are so loving towards her. Prior to the switch, she was always a little clingy in the mornings at the drop-off and was becoming very difficult in the 2-year-old way at home, but now she has really embraced having a predictable schedule surrounded by the same teachers and friends each day. I am a bit of a wreck about it emotionally-- I'm thrilled that she's thriving out there without me, but I'm sad as well not to have a 'baby' in the house with me every day, or at least part of the week. Knowing this is my last go-round with babyhood, it's even sadder for me when I see her toddle off confidently into the 2 yr old class each day.

I am 3 days into my 'new year', having celebrated my 36th birthday on March 8! Wow! I am officially 'old enough' to have a mammogram! Instead of a birthday card, I received written orders for a breast-squishing x-ray from my doctor! hahaha It made me laugh because Thalia is always asking, "When will be old enough to (walk to school by myself/drive a car/wear real jewels/etc.)?" Guess what I'm old enough for?! Cancer screenings! My actual birthday was nice, especially for a Thursday which is my busiest day usually. I had a manicure and pedicure in the morning, and my friend Anjali and her kids took me out to lunch at a charming Alamo Heights restaurant, Paloma Blanca, that I had not been to yet. I had a yummy mole, which I love. I even squeezed in 1 hour of shopping at the mall, where I picked up some shoes and makeup. There were lots of phone calls and emails and cards and even some gifts in the mail. Thalia's gift was probably the cutest-- she wrapped up a ball-point pen she found somewhere in the house during breakfast and presented it to me in bed. She was SO proud of herself! I sleepily told her I would save it for later (it may very well have been my only present from my family!), and when she got home from school, was very keen on my opening it, so I did, and she was just bursting with excitement! Oddly enough, I hadn't seen this particular purple pen in some time, so it really was a surprise! Dylan got me a card, which he wrote in while I was in the bathroom at the pizza place, next to Thalia's dance class, where we had dinner. No gift, but really, was I expecting one from him?! After all, I had bought a new pair of shoes that day, so that will be from him . . . ! Actually, he shocked me a bit at Valentine's Day by buying me a gift from Neiman-Marcus, not a store that he frequents. I don't know which was more surprising, the fact that he got me a gift, or that it came from NM!

I am going to try something new in future posts. This is all a huge experiment anyway, so look for something different coming up . . . !!!

Comes the Dawn

comes the dawn

after a while you learn the subtle difference
between holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn’t mean security
and you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes open
with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight
after a while you learn
that even sunshine burns if you get too much
so you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers
and you learn that you really can endure . . .
that you really are strong
and you learn that you really do have worth
and you learn and learn . . .
with every goodbye you learn

authoress unknown

I first received a copy of this poem in college, from my advisor at the UT Texas Union, named Carol. She herself had gone through a divorce and, although we didn’t know it, was involved in a relationship with another advisor in our office that had to be kept secret. This was a poem that spoke volumes about Carol's own experiences. In either fall 1990 or spring 1991, she started an informal “women’s group” at the office for whoever wanted to join in and just talk about “woman’s stuff.” It was a great time to be a woman in Austin and UT—Ann Richards was in office and inspired all of us, young and old, to be ourselves, find ourselves, explore all the possibilities available to us because of and in spite of being women. She read this out loud at our first meeting, held on the upstairs patio at the Union. I can’t even remember if I ever went to another meeting, but I’ve had a copy of this poem in my possession ever since then. It has spoken to me at my saddest and lowest points in my relationship, and I have given copies to friends and women I’ve just met when I’ve thought they might need it. Today, I was “cleaning up” some files on my computer and found this poem again, like a long-lost friend. I love this poem as much as I love the poetry that was read at my wedding, because although it relates to the sadness and the aloneness of not being with another person, it is just as inspiring when you most need it. In fact, I have a friend in mind who might find some comfort in these words right now. Thanks Carol, for sending me out into the "real world" with this.

Statistics & School Days

I realize that despite my vow to post often, I have not been very prolific with this site! Again, I do *think* about blog-worthy items all the time, but very rarely do they seem to make it online! My last blog was started in July and finally finished and posted in August! Need to try harder to express myself on the page. :)

This week was very exciting and strange at the same time for our family. We became a family with a "school-aged child", namely Thalia, who started Kindergarten on Monday. After fretting and fussing about which school she would attend ever since January, we took the "default" option and sent her to our neighborhood public school, Beard Elementary. I must have toured and contacted about a dozen private schools in town, but in the end, we took the simplest option, which was also the cheapest one! Just a few weeks ago, our school was named 'Exemplary' by the TEA based on Accountability Ratings, and that has gone a long way in reassuring me that my kid is not going to a mediocre, overcrowded school. She is going to an 'exemplary', overcrowded school!!! Certainly, test scores do not present a complete picture of what a school will be like, but as one who works in the K-12 standardized testing industry, I consider them to be very important indicators of school success. At the same time, I was the slightest bit suspicious about the Accountability Ratings this year across the board because in 2005, our district had 0 (as in absolutely none) Exemplary schools, and this year, it has 6. Last year, our neighboring district, with similar socioeconomic levels across the neighborhoods, had 1 Exemplary school; this year, it has 11. Are Texas teachers 'teaching' the Test? And is that a bad thing? Regardless, I find a certain amount of comfort in the numbers.

As for Thalia's non-statistical, real-life experiences in Kinder? She had a GREAT week! She was escorted to school, as were the other 175 Kindergarteners, by her family (me, Dylan and Carys). We all walked to school from her friend Isabella's house located very conveniently across the street from Beard. They were so cute walking with their heads together in conversation, while we parents and siblings followed behind! We dropped the girls off at the Cafeteria, which felt a trifle hot (I learned later in the week that the AC is shut down every weekend). Everyone sits at their assigned classroom tables to read quietly the 3 books they are asked to bring from home. What an excellent idea! Thalia had eagerly picked out 3 favorite books the night before, and it has become part of our night time routine now to choose the next mornings books. We left her reading her book and sitting quietly in her chair, while other kids around her fussed and cried as their parents left them behind. I was really proud of my brave little Kindergartener, especially as she did not even know anyone in her class yet (Isabella was assigned to another homeroom). Mrs. G., her new teacher, greeted us as we arrived and lined them up to take them to their new classroom. The whole deed was done without any tears from me or Thalia, which suprised me greatly! I expected to get at least a little misty-eyed, but I didn't! Thalia most favorite part of her 1st day was going through the cafeteria line at lunch. We "practiced" ordering what she wanted to eat beforehand, based on the online lunch menu, and I explained the options she would have. Getting to choose which fruit or vegetable or milk (strawberry, chocolate or white) she could eat greatly impressed her! She met a girl in her class who "sat next to me at circle time, had her cubby next to mine, and took her nap next to me" but couldn't remember her name! We've since discovered it is Morgan, and Thalia thinks she will be her 'new best friend.' And finally, Thalia was even picked on by a big, bad boy on the 1st day! He grabbed her name tag as her class was walking by in the hallway, and Thalia fell on her bottom and cried. Poor thing! A walk to the drinking fountain with her teacher revived her. What a rite of passage! Thalia finished Week 1 with 5 'Excellents' on her take-home Behavior Chart, so we are definitely off to a great start!

Thalia is not exactly new to the idea of "school", having been in early childhood programs and then pre-school since the age of 15 months, but our entry into public school (REAL school!) has been quite a change for us. For 4 years, "school" started at 9 am, and not necessarily on time! Now, our day begins before the sun rises, and that is a tough one for all of us! Also, I have been used to being on a first-name basis with teachers and staff at the private pre-schools we've attended and walking freely around the building. Not anymore! The level of communication with a public school teacher who is in charge of 22 or more kids at once must necessarily be different from our pre-school teachers (3 per 18 kids). I rely now on emails and hand-written notes passed through my kid's backpack. To walk around my daughter's school, I am first interrogated by the school secretary, and must sign in twice (2 different lists) and surrender my driver's license. I know this is all for security reasons, but still, I miss the intimacy and informality of our previous school!

The Sister Act

I don't have any sisters, and only one brother. He's great, but he's not female, and my entire life, I have always wished (in secret, and sometimes not-so-secret) that God had given me a sister as well. I've always felt a teensy bit envious of my friends who have sisters, someone to share/laugh/fight with in a way that I never could with a brother. After all, a brother is one of "them."

The entire time I was pregnant with my first child, I thought I was having a boy. Fast forward to the delivery room, April 2001, and I had a little girl! I was so happy that my secret wish to have a girl was fufilled so neatly and nicely, that I was even content with the idea of not having any more children, at least for a while! But we decided to have another one-- just one more!-- and this time, although I was more open to the thought of having a boy, deep down I wanted yet another girl! My older daughter could have the sister that I never had and always wanted. And in May 2004 my wish was granted once again!

Last month, a cover article in Time Magazine was about 'Siblings' and the huge importance brothers and sisters have on who were are. As someone with a social science background, I found the article fascinating, especially since it quoted one of my favorite professors from my grad school days at UT! It also made me realize how blessed I am to have grown up with a sibling, albeit a brother (ha ha ha), and how truly blessed I am to have two little girls who are sisters to one another. Now I get to experience the 'sisterhood' that I never had as a child. Moreover, I actively encourage them to be each other's best friend, in a way that my own parents did not with my brother and me. Simply growing up in the same household doesn't ensure that siblings will grow close, so I knew from the moment I learned I was having a second daughter that I would want them from the beginning to always be there for each other.

showered, scrubbed, sweet-smelling, smiling sisters

Hooray for the Red, White & Blue! Carys & Thalia decorated our front walk with tiny flags on July 4th

I don't think I need to worry about it too much, however. Carys adores her big sister with an intensity that both amuses and shocks me. I think Carys actually thinks that she and Thalia are the same person! And Thalia is exactly what a big sister should be-- protective, loving, and after me and Dylan, Carys' most important teacher about the world around her. I just love to watch them interact with each other, sometimes a tiny bit jealous of their 'sister-ness'. I am filled with pride and joy and even relief that they are so loving towards each other. My Mom used to say all the time that my brother and I should love and appreciate each other because someday, all we'd have would be each other. That's not entirely true of course, since we go out into the world and marry and have families of our own, but your sibling is your special bond to your very beginnings. And somehow, the bond between sisters seem even more special. Dylan is an "only child", and I have noticed first-hand that the saddest thing of all when you're an only child is NOT the growing-up-without-siblings part, but being an adult in the world without siblings. Lucky me and my brother, and lucky Thalia and Carys to have the privilege of sharing our childhood with someone else who will be with us throughout our journey through life.

Who Are You Calling Little?!?!

What's the deal with the blog title, one might ask? Even my husband didn't even know why I named my blogsite "Who Are You Calling Little?"! So here is the story:

Years ago, actually almost a decade ago(!), I worked in the Telephone Information Center of a financial aid office at a large university. I started out as a lowly phone counselor, talking to students, parents and other seeking financial aid information all day long, day in, day out. It was pretty routine, most of the time. One day, a department advisor from the Fine Arts college called on behalf of one of his students. (Department advisors are there to help the students who declare their major in that particular department). This advisor was, of course, seeking more aid for his student, who was probably sitting in his office either sobbing or carrying on in some dramatic fashion. Anyway, this advisor got a little snippy with me when I told him his student had been awarded all the aid he was eligible for. And of course, said advisor demanded to speak with a 'supervisor', threatened to complain to a higher power, etc. etc. etc. (yes, this happened all the time and I was quite immune to his rantings). I told him I would put him on hold and speak to my supervisor about this student's case (BTW, I rarely ever summoned the supervisor; this is something that people who work in customer service do all the time to get the irate person to shut up and calm down). I didn't even put the call on hold, merely pressed 'Mute' so I could give him a 'telephone time-out.' But the annoyed advisor really thought I had put him on hold, so while he was waiting, he started trash-talking me! It went something like this:
"That little bitch actually put me on hold! Who the hell does she think she is? Blah-blah-blah . . ." I'm fairly sure he was talking to his student, and I have to say, *such language* in front of our young and impressionable college kids!
I was more than a little irritated now, so I cut the 'Mute' button and told him "Just so you know, I can hear every word you're saying while you're on hold, Sir."
His response? "Oh." And then, in a whisper to the invisible student, "She can hear me!"
I think I ended up patching his call through to some other counselor who had $$-granting powers so I wouldn't have to deal with his snippy self anymore. Meanwhile, my friend sitting at the cube next to me was cracking up as I had already told her what Mr.-Snippy-Advisor had said about me, and she said I should have picked up the phone and yelled "Who Are You Calling Little????"
The moral is: You can call me a 'witch with a B', but I will not stand for being called LITTLE by someone who doesn't even know how tall I am!!!

The Cake Bu$ine$$

My friend Rachel emailed me the most fabulous cake decorating article. Apparently there is a new movie coming out (or already out in some cities) about 2 rival, high-end cake decorators! Cake ladies have hit the big time!!! I can't wait to see it. In the movie, the cake decorators charge something like $20,000 per cake, or $20/slice! I wish . . . ! Actually, I have definitely noticed a growing interest in cake decorating in the 8 years since I started, and judging from the recent demand for new, technically challenging Wilton Method Cake Courses, people are quite interested in cake decorating as both a hobby and a 'dream business.' I am happy to be a small part of all of this! 'Small' as in $2/slice!
The Mom of one of my daughter's friends told me yesterday, at the 2nd kids birthday party of the weekend for which I made the cake, that she really envied me because of my cake biz! Wow! She said she wished she could do the same, so I told her to 'just do it!' All you need is some really supportive friends to get you started . . . oh, and a little bit of talent. . . . !

Old Enough

For some reason, I feel like I should be starting each post with the words "Dear Diary"! I kept a journal, on and off, for many years, starting in elementary school through graduate school. It amazes me that scores of people now have their own online "diaries" out there, and many of them available for anyone to read. Whatever happened to the notion of the diary with the lock and key?! Incidentally, I am actually old enough to have had a diary (from Hallmark) with a brass lock and key, which made me feel so important when I was 9 years old!

Speaking of being "old" . . . turning 35 has been such a shock to my entire system-- physically, emotionally, etc. Turning 30 was really kind of a nothing, simply a continuation of my free-wheeling 20s. But I really hit the wall with #35! Beyond the physical markers that I've passed this year on the gameboard of Life, I find even more surprising the little cultural markers along the way too. For example, just yesterday I realized after reading a snippet in the paper about the new 'Superman' movie that I am actually old enough to remember both the 1st 'Superman' movie from the 70s as well as the remake. Then I realized that I am old enough to have lived through 2 releases of totally different 'Batman' movies (Batman 1989 and Batman 2005) as an adult!

Now that I am 35, I have also found myself looking back at my childhood quite frequently with a flood of nostalgia. Part of this is because I am a Mom, and truly do relive aspects of my childhood each and every day with my girls. Part of it is also because looking backwards can be so much fun, and sometimes quite revealing. I have even found myself searching online for obscure 70s phrases and themes that I remember from when I was young. 'Battle of the Planets', anyone?! That's the thing about getting 'old' too--when you look backwards, everything is a little bit hazier the further back you go, so I find myself trying to 'sharpen' my memories a bit by delving into them. I'm not entirely sure why this is important to me, but it probably has something to do with turning 35!

"PRICELESS"

5 year old daughter's Dance Recital Fee : $80

Hair stylist to put 5 year old daughter's hair in regulation-bun for Dance Recital: $20

5 year old daughter's Dance Recital Costume: $67

CD of Dance Recital Music: $5

2 year old daughter left at home with Babysitter during Dance Recital: $68

1 pair of matte pink tights required for Dance Recital: $12

1/2 page ad in the Dance Recital Program: $100

Parking downtown during the Dance Recital: $18

Watching our daughter for 6 minutes onstage: PRICELESS!

There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's Dylan & Melissa's MasterCard!!!

Ha ha ha . . . I joked the other day to a friend that our Dance Recital experience last week would make a splendid MC Priceless commercial, so then I decided to write my own! It hurts (my wallet) to think about it! But in the end, the Recital (just like everything else in life) costs what it costs, and it's always exciting to see your kid having her 'moment' onstage! Even when she forgets the ballet steps . . . !

Backstage, Thalia & friends just can't keep still!

Editing Myself

My oh my! I haven't posted a blog since last Fall! But *in my head* I have written some fantastic pieces . . . really! My OFFICIAL reason for not blogging is the lack of time I've had since last Sept. The real, deep down reason is that I am secretly afraid to put words down on paper (ok, computer) that represent me, my thoughts, my opinions, etc. Even when I know no one is reading them! Strange? Silly? Yes! But there you go . . . it's true. So I must simply "get over myself" and "get out of my own way" and just type my thoughts away, without editing myself as I go along. Who cares what someone who might actually be reading my blog thinks? Not I! (anymore!)

That has always been a problem for me-- editing myself. Or rather, selling myself short, thinking I am uninteresting, uninspired, unskilled, incapable, and a host of other words that start with 'un' or 'in' that are negative. Fear of something or other, even if I'm the only one who knows it, has stopped me from doing/saying many things in my 35 years. Aren't I finally old enough to do/say/think the things I really want to do/say/think?! Yes, I think I am, so welcome back to my blogspot, Me!

My Global Quandary of the Month

No, it's not about global warming. I have recently, thanks to the influence and recommendations of a good friend, become enamored of certain British films and a certain British actor. I have also recently learned that certain DVDs of said actor's films released in the US are not always up to par with those released over the pond, in the UK (ie. more deleted scenes, more bonus material, etc.) No problem, I thought. I'll just order the movies from Amazon's UK site. DVDs made for European consumption are of course encoded for Region 2; I actually knew that already, and learned that lesson the hard way (another story for another day). Part B of my brilliant plan was to just buy a new DVD player that plays multi-region. No big deal, I thought, since DVD players are so cheap anyway, and my office VCR died on me months ago. So I try to order my British DVD and a multi-region DVD player (good price) from Amazon UK. It can't be done-- their DVD players are only for UK consumption! So I move on to other overseas websites, because I have also found out that you simply cannot buy a multi-region DVD player here in the US. I guess I am the only American who wants to watch foreign videos?! I found quite a few Asian and even American websites selling these special DVD players, which are basically Region 1 DVD players that have been expertly hacked to become multi-region. A very few sites sell players that are actually manufactured to be multi-region, no hacking required. Great, I'm on a roll again! $30 for my DVD plus roughly $80-100 for a hacked DVD player. But not so fast . . .

Ok, so it's actually quite a convoluted thing-- apparently,movies sold in Europe are not only Region 2, they must either be played on DVD/VCR players that are PAL standard (basically dictates what kind of resolution you're getting) or viewed on a TV with this PAL standard. And OF COURSE, DVD players and TVs in the US use a NTSC standard, which is actually inferior in resolution to PAL (525 lines of resolution v. 625; are we as tech savvy as we think we are?) The TV I had planned to hook up my new stuff to is ancient (in electronics time); I bought it in 1993 when I entered grad school. Should I buy a new TV? My aging TV cannot support the new overseas stuff. Apples and oranges, indeed!

Not to be outdone just yet, I decide to keep searching for *the* machine that will work with my old TV. Finally! I figured it all out! For slightly (ok, alot) more $$, I can buy a multi-region DVD player that will work with ANY of my NTSC TVs at home and play ANY region DVD from around the world (supposedly).

This assiduous research on electronic matters, which is sooo not my thing usually, took the better part of several days, and done while my kid was napping. I was so disappointed by how much effort it took just to figure this out, and really confused as to WHY our world is so electronically divided! Like if I ever wanted to or had to move overseas, I wouldn't even be able to bring my TV with me?! If our world can't get together over TV and DVDs, how are we ever going to get together about really important stuff?

I've shelved the *new DVD player* project for now. Maybe my husband will surprise me at Xmas with it, although I won't hold my breath! Meanwhile, there is a charming, just-released-in-the-UK-only 10th anniversary edition of BBC's 'Pride & Prejudice' DVD just waiting for me overseas . . . !

Giving this a Go!

I have been so inspired by reading my deliriously talented friend Janine's blogs, that I have decided to take the plunge myself! Who knows, *someone* might find the ramblings of an almost-middle-aged-Mom-with-delusions-of-designer-purses to be actually interesting!?

I must confess I don't read other people's blogs, and the "fake" blogs by companies trying to sell you something don't count. I love Janine's blog site, and I once checked John Kerry's blog a year ago. And I found a great blog site about restaurants in Austin one time, by accident. That's about it. So I don't know any blog etiquette (yet) but I will try to write something whenever I remember to and make it . . . interesting.