COMMENT AWAY!!!

Wanted to mention . . .

several of you have e-mailed that you had taken the time to write me clever, insightful comments on my blog ONLY to find that you had to be a member to actually be able to leave them.

I've now changed that. All smarty comments are more than welcome.
;-)

-L

MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL

It is a fact that some things simply have to be blogged about immediately; this is just such an instance.......

I am in Atlanta right now (David is traveling with his job, in Indy). I am visiting my friends Mark and Robert. They're always fabulous hosts. Mark threw a great little dinner party tonight. His German heritage made an appearance in the form of corned beef and cabbage and potatoes. Deeeee-lish. (His mom woulda been proud!)

After dinner the three of us went to see a show -- not just ANY show -- we saw Menopause the Musical (yes, you read that correctly). Oh.My.Gosh. Hysterical! I'm not exaggerating when I say that the muscles in my cheeks are still aching from overuse. I'm hoarse from boisterous laughter.

The four women who starred in the show were brilliant. The concept was clever. The music was funny.

The grand finale was the old Patti Labelle tune I've got a new attitude. They pulled all the women in the audience on to the stage to high kick with them. Naturally, my pride made me assume that they probably only wanted the, um, shall we say "mid-life" ladies to join them. Guess I was wrong. One of the cast members pulled me up on the stage too...front and center! I decided to laugh and sing and high kick with gusto. Hey, why not get a head start? I mean, it's inevitable...menopause will hit me some day, right? Guess it's never too early to start celebrating. :-)

The person on stage beside me grabbed my hand as we formed our amateurish attempt at a Rockettes line. As I glanced down at the Teva sandals and Bermuda shorts, then up at the closely cropped gray, spiky hairdo, I was JUST getting ready to ask, "Hey! How did YOU get up here?!" to this man who was obviously intruding on our female bonding moment. Luckily, I caught myself just as the words were forming in my mouth. It was then that I realized, "Hmmm. That's no man! That's a lesbian!" (quite a manly one at that!)

Never a dull moment....

BEAUTIFUL AWAKENING

Unlike some people, I don't think I'm really afraid to be alone with my thoughts. I actually enjoy a few periodic hours of solitude. I find that I have genuine "a-ha" moments when I'm alone, quiet and still...much more than when I'm flappin' my gums.

I experienced a simple "a-ha" moment recently while working out by myself.

The man who owns our gym is a Christian. He has a simple dry erase board stuck in the corner. It's not very flashy but it always has an encouraging scripture verse written on it. I'll admit, I often pass by the board without even acknowledging what he's taken the time to write. I'm usually more consumed with wiping the sweat from my brow than stopping for a moment to read the board. (Sad, but true.)

Last week, for some reason, the verse jumped out at me as if it had been written in neon ink. The passage came from Isaiah 58:11. It said:

"I will always show you where to go,
I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places--
firm muscles, strong bones.
You'll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry."

At the same time that I read the verse, I was listening to one of my favorite songs by Evanescence called Bring Me To Life. It was amazing how a couple of sentences from God's word and a hard-driving rock song could fit so well together.

"Wake me up inside, wake me up inside
Call my name and save me from the dark"

I don't think there's a soul alive who hasn't had those periods when you feel like you're dead inside, merely existing. Your daily routine happens with or without you -- almost as if it's on auto-pilot. It can be a lonely and frustrating time. Things can even progress so far that you ultimately feel hopeless. You can sometimes resolve yourself to the fact that this must be your "new normal" -- you'll simply never feel alive again.

I'm grateful that I (as a "believer") can hang on to those words from Isaiah 58:11. What an unbelievable comfort to be able to rest on the fact that we will, in fact, come out on the other side of these dry spells like a well-watered garden. The drought won't last forever.

When that beautiful awakening finally does come, and we begin to feel like we're "back on track" we'll be stronger (and more grateful) than before.

WHAT I'M READING AND LISTENING TO

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH by Al Gore
This book is fascinating and depressing at the same time. I'm not necessarily a science fanatic -- can't really be classified as a "tree hugger" either. However, I'm very interesting in global warming and its effects.




PATSY CLINE SINGS SONGS OF LOVE
You can NOT beat this lady's voice. It literally drips like butter. The richness of her voice has always reminded me of my friend Kim B's voice. There's that little cry in it that just tugs at your heart.

THEY SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!

David and I dated almost a year before I was introduced to his two sons. We just felt strongly that we needed to take that slowly.

I'll never forget the first day I met them. Naturally, I felt like I knew them already. After all, I had heard their dad talk (in detail) about Ian and Noah for months and months. I was really nervous when that day finally came.

We decided to meet up at WestGate Mall in a very casual manner. It was December and, naturally, the place was bustling! We met at McDonald's in the food court. (Little did I realize that this would be the first of many Happy Meals that we'd all share together! I had no idea that the famous "meal in a box" would become a way of life. Ugh.) David stood in the long line as I sat there with two little boys; they were seven and almost three. David kept looking back over his shoulder, making sure that everything was okay. Luckily, the boys were precocious and talkative. Ian took great pride in interpreting everything that Noah was trying to say to me. The whole experience was kind of surreal. I couldn't believe that I was actually finally meeting the little men who were so important to the man that I loved.

After our delicious meal of fat and sodium, we ventured to the center of the mall to make the all-important visit to Santa. Little Noah was wide-eyed. Ian, however, was not. He had just discovered "the truth" about Santa and was not happy about it. I stayed with him while David and Noah stood in line. I can remember little Ian's face as he watched his brother in line. On one hand, he seemed envious, but on the other hand, he had an expression of "Poor sucker. He has no idea."

The day went successfully. It was a relief to finally cross that hurdle.

I absolutely adore the boys equally -- always have. In some regards, I may relate to Ian in a different way...simply because he's the firstborn (like myself). I understand some of the issues and pressures that come with that role.

We're now ten years down the road. I can honestly say that he's grown into a fine young man. He's intelligent, thoughtful, talented, witty...oh how witty! ;-)

Recently, David looked at Ian's scruffy face and quickly declared that the facial hair had to go. He took off on an obligatory, parental, fifteen minute soliloquy about the evils of not shaving, blah, blah, blah. (Ironically, David was sent home from school at 14 for sporting a full beard. Go figure.)

Later that evening, Ian came to me and asked if I'd try to talk his dad out of making him shave. Funny. He'd never done that before. Honestly, I think he learned long ago not to play any of the parents (or step-parents!) against each other. ;-)

The next morning, I very casually said to David, "Honey. Would you do me a small favor? Don't sweat the issue of Ian shaving. There's no need for him to shave. It's summer. He's not in school. We're not heading to church or to see anyone. Can't we just let it be and not sweat the small stuff?" He, somewhat reluctantly, agreed that it probably really wasn't that big of a deal.

Later, when Ian awoke, David said, "Listen son. I've given it some thought and I'm not gonna make you shave." Before he could finish his sentence, Ian RAN over to me and gave me a big bear hug and kiss. I LOVED the look on David's face. He caught on quickly. He exclaimed, "Hey! Wait a minute! You two are in cahoots! I've been 'had' haven't I?! I don't think I like this!" ;-) (heh-heh)

I don't know what the future holds for sweet Ian but I do know that his ability to disarm people (or should I say charm people) with his humor will serve him well. Works on me all of the time.

Happy 17th birthday, Ian. I honestly couldn't be more proud!

Love,
Lo-Lo

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW

CORINNE BAILEY RAE
I love this girl. SO talented. She's a young singer & songwriter from England. It's a great, laid back CD. Her voice has the soul of Billie Holiday. Beautiful. Perfect for summer.


GNARLS BARKLEY
These two guys crack me up. I'm not exactly sure what to think about them. It's obvious that they take great pride in being bizarre. I don't really know how to classify their music...it's in a genre all its own! I've played this CD a lot lately -- is particularly good in the background. Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse (hmmm, I'm thinkin' those probably aren't the names their mamas gave them!) are brilliant. Quirky, but brilliant. There's something kind of retro about their music.

I love the fact that they'll only have publicity shots taken as famous duos in history. Clever. ;-)

REAL MEN LISTEN TO THE MUSIC OF ABBA

Two years ago, ALL I wanted for my birthday were tickets to the Broadway show, Mamma Mia! For those of you who aren't familiar with that particular show, it's based on TWENTY of uber-cheesy, 1970s supergroup Abba's hit songs.

Believe it or not, I've been a fan of Abba's music since I was a little girl. I feel like there may be others of you out there, I just assume you're in some sort of witness protection program. Seems like I never meet a fellow Abba lover. I've grown accustomed to the ridicule at this point. I stand proud. I stand alone.

Anyway, my birthday came and went and my usually VERY-on-top-of-things husband apologized that he didn't get the tickets. David felt bad and gave me a consolation present of the soundtrack. Although it was a sweet gesture, I (of course) subjected him to ALL 20 songs...Immediately. I considered it his punishment. ;-)

Last night, David surprised me with tickets to see Mamma Mia! at the beautiful Peace Center in Greenville. Good save! He definitely scored points! ;-)

We had a wonderful evening. We got "dolled up" after work and went to an amazing dinner at Bistro Europa. We used a coupon. (Hey, we're a married couple. It can't ALL be glamorous!)

The show was great. David, who wasn't really looking forward to it, even had to admit afterwards that it was really good. He was relieved to see that the whole thing was campy, tongue in cheek and over the top -- almost satirical. It was VERY funny and high energy. Really witty. Believe it or not, it had an interesting storyline.

The big finale number was the best. At that point, the stage was full of every cast member, in horrific, gaudy costumes, dancing on every square inch of the stage. Just so you know, by the end of the show, I'm pretty sure I saw grown men dancing (to ABBA!) in the aisles.

"...see that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the Dancing Queen"

SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVIN' IS EASY

I guess it's safe to say that we've become official "down-towners" over the past 3 1/2 years. We like living in the historic district and like being close to all that's happening in the downtown area.

Last Saturday, after my morning work-out (at a gym downtown!) I made the quick trip to the Magnolia Street Train Depot. They now have a great farmers' market each Saturday morning.


It was fun to stroll through the stands and smell the fresh produce. We've consumed my purchases all week in fresh salads. Very summer-y, no?



As I purchased these grape tomatoes from a vendor, he inquired, "So, whattaya have in that paper bag?" When I told him that I had just purchased some fresh mint from another stand, he (quickly...and without asking!) stuck his hand in my paper bag, pulled out a mint leaf and popped it in his mouth. He said, "Hmmm. Nah. That's not spearmint. I grow spearmint. I know spearmint. That must just be plain mint."

I coulda told him that if he'd only asked! Could you imagine the cashier at a national chain grocery store taking it upon himself to taste the produce you had just purchased?! Funny. You've gotta love the South....

If you're in the area, you really should check out the market. LOTS of great produce, eggs, plants, etc. -- much of it organic. Great way to kill a little time on a Saturday morning and to support the local farmers.

HANG IN THERE LIKE A RUSTY FISH HOOK!

I mentioned in my earlier post that I grew up afraid of dogs. Well, the only thing that struck fear in my heart worse than dogs had to be water...namely, wide open, deep water. Unfortunately, I missed out on many years of fun as the kid sitting on the side of the pool watching the other kids jump and dive in the deep end. I'm so grateful that, later in life, I actually learned to swim.

Now, I am able to relax and enjoy myself in water. I knew that David and I were off to a great start when he was able to coax me into snorkeling on our honeymoon in the Bahamas. I trusted him (he's a very trained and capable SCUBA diver) and boy was I glad I did. It opened up a whole new world to me!

We purchased a boat about a month ago. It wasn't anything we planned on doing -- an irresistible deal simply fell into our laps. David grew up around boats but never owned one himself. He's thrilled! Although it's by no means a new, super-fancy boat it is his pride and joy -- no doubt. The boat was named by the boys. They wanted to name it after their grandfather, who passed away last year. John had a favorite saying -- Hang in there like a rusty fish hook! We all agreed that The Rusty Fish Hook was more than appropriate for its name.

The past month has been a busy one regarding the boat. There was much to do to get it sea, uh, lake-worthy. David and the boys scrubbed it till it sparkled. All the necessary extra accoutrement was purchased. David even tried to get me intrigued with the whole concept of boating by appealing to my natural sense of accesorizing (of course, I'm referring to a hot pink life jacket). ;-)

The final hurdle was met and tackled successfully last week. Despite numerous lengthy phone calls to the Dept. of Natural Resources in our state's capitol, and an unsuccessful attempt to register the boat by mail...David took it upon himself to make the two hour drive to Columbia to obtain the necessary paperwork. Surely they wouldn't turn him down if he showed up in person! (Oh yes. You would be wrong in that assumption.) Apparently, the staff at the DNR must undergo the same customer service training that the DMV folks go through. After going round and round and asking to see a supervisor, the necessary paperwork was secured. (Personally, I was grateful and proud that there was no actual bloodletting.)

David and I left out yesterday morning, ready to finally put the boat in the water. I've never seen him so excited -- like a little kid! We made the beautiful one hour drive to Lake Jocassee. The weather was overcast and not quite as oppressive as it has been. What could possibly go wrong with this perfect day?! (heh-heh. Let's call this foreshadowing, shall we?)

We were both proud when we successfully backed the trailer into the water. Getting the actual boat into the water even went fairly smoothly. We both got in. David laughed at me as I frantically donned my life jacket. We pushed away from the shore and THEN (and only then) it hit David...our boat key was in the car...parked far away. He vigourously paddled us back to shore & I maneuvered up a steep hill of rocks to go get the key.

The heat? Yeah. It was starting to escalate.

Once I returned with the key, David matter-of-factly attempted to start the motor. He's done it several times in the back yard with no problem. ("You hear that? Doesn't that sound beautiful?") Well, no such luck when the important time finally came. UGH!!! We tried and tried and tried -- to no avail. The battery was only getting weaker with each attempt.

He rowed us to shore again and I maneuvered the rocky pile once more. I had to walk a "far piece" to find a phone number of someone who could help. (David, of course, needed to stay with the boat.)

A nice man came, checked it out and let us borrow a rental battery. There. Problem solved. Time to take on the day! The motor started like a charm. We took off quickly and David hollered out with excitement. He kept exclaiming about how quickly it "planed" (this is a term I was not familiar with). I was too busy trying to hold on to my cute hat. ;-)

Sadly, this excitement was short-lived. It lasted all of fifteen seconds. The boat came to an abrupt halt. I quickly asked, "Why'd you do THAT for?!" David explained that he didn't do anything.

So there we sat, dead in the water. :-( I'm embarrassed to admit that my childhood fears of water came flooding back. I felt small and vulnerable as we sat out in the middle of deep water. I wanted to holler at the other boaters who went rushing by, causing the wake to toss us to and fro. Quite simply, I had a mini-breakdown right then and there. The heat and frustration (not to mention hunger) of the day had finally caught up to me!

David was able to flag down a couple of trout fisherman who took mercy upon us. They towed us back to shore.

Not exactly the carefree, wind-in-our-hair kinda day that we had planned on having.

The vessel is now in the hospital -- feel free to send all Get Well cards to Holden's Marine Center. I'm sure she'd be glad to know that you're thinking of her. I'm certain she'll make a speedy recovery -- she's a tough old broad. ;-)

David--trying to smile through the pain


Instead of the beautiful, picturesque pics that I planned on getting while on the boat, this is the only view I had...the other boat towing us to shore.

WHAT THE HECK IS A SNORKIE?!

I suppose some folks are dog people and others, well, they're not. It doesn't make you a bad person if you don't care for canines (unless you inflict bodily harm, of course). Anyone who knows me would probably not consider me a "dog person" -- that is until last year. Frankly, I grew up running from anything that resembled a dog, big or small. Never been a huge fan.

David and I have a busy life. Sometimes it feels like we're gone more than we're here. A pet just doesn't seem practical for us...at all! We've killed more than one goldfish by sheer neglect. I had a pair of goldfish, Manolo and Blahnik -- let's just say that they are no longer a matching set. (Oh my dear Blahnik, may you rest in peace. We hardly knew ye.)

My brother-in-law's family (in AL) have a miniature schnauzer that snuck out of the house and "flirted" with the neighbor's tiny yorkie. The rest is history. We asked if we could have one of the puppies (what WERE we thinkin', huh?) You'd think that a mixed breed like that would simply be some kind of fluffy mutt. Oh no. Not true. It's a "designer breed" with a name and everything! People pay big bucks for them. (Please don't tell my bro-in-law. We got it for free!)

This little "toy" breed is called a SNORKIE. Yep. Sometimes it's downright embarassing to say out loud when someone inquires about his breed. David feels that it's especially tough to sound manly while saying the word SNORKIE. Yeah. He's right. Frankly, it's hard to say the word without chuckling. Go ahead -- try it!

BAMA (and if you know us and our extreme affinity for The Crimson Tide, you're not surprised by his nomenclature) has been quite an addition to our home this year. I have grown to adore him. I like the life and energy that he brings to our house. He's cuddly and quirky and looks like a cross between an ewok and a gremlin (Ooooh. Nice. Not one but two 1980s movie references in ONE sentence!)

David? Well, let's just say that he and BAMA have a love/hate relationship. (Must be a guy/testosterone thing. I'm not sure.)

BAMA lives a good life. He is played with regularly. Eats well. Snacks well. Never has to endure the heat. He's, no doubt, an inside dog. He likes it that way. He is self-important in every way.

One of the more unique things about BAMA is his myriad of clothes. He truly owns something for every occassion. I know what you're thinking. "Why would Lori force that poor dog to wear clothes? She's not one of thooooose people, is she?" [followed by an eye roll]

Surprise. You'd be wrong. David (my big, burly, manly husband) is responsible for all of the puppy's attire. For real. He sees them in the store and just can't resist. Go figure. ;-)

Besides, BAMA likes it. When you take one of his shirts off, he becomes very agitated and follows you to the washer/dryer. He's not happy when he's naked. Guess he must feel vulnerable. ;-)


[This was taken the moment we decided he was "the one"]

[You've gotta admit ... that's one cute face!]


[He loves to sport his tough guy Harley Davidson
shirt and bully the other neighborhood dogs]


[No. Your eyes are not deceiving you. He issss, in fact, sitting on his back knees. It's both humorous and sad, I think. In MY mind, I imagine him speaking in an English accent when he wears that argyle sweater. TOOO funny!]


[He would make Parrot Heads everywhere proud. He enjoys wearing his Hawaiian shirt while smoking his Cuban cigar. Really he does.]

WE DON'T NEED EARPLUGS ANYMORE

Many of you know that David and I are fanatical band parents. Ian, our oldest (16) has been in the band for 5+ years now. (Whew. Only 5? Seems longer.) We take great joy in watching the pride that being a part of something great brings to him.

When Ian was in the seventh grade, he jumped at the opportunity to (basically) be a place-filler in the high school band. He (get this) marched with a clarinet. Did he actually PLAY said clarinet? HECK NO! He literally lip synched. He held it up high with great pride though. Even though I knew that my son was basically the Milli Vanilli of the woodwinds circuit, I was still proud. I'm embarrassed to say that I actually cried the first time I saw him march. Remember ... he wasn't even playing!!! What a softie.

Well, several years have passed. Ian fills out his uniform much better than the awkward little middle school boy who first joined the marching band. He stands taller and prouder now -- he's heading into that all-important senior year of high school. He's developed into a fine musician. He takes his leadership role (as drumline captain) very seriously. I predict it'll be a great year for him.

Five years ago, he joined a band that was a group of Bad News Bears (at best). After much hard work and determination, they can now proudly declare that they are state champions. WHAT an accomplishment! (We won't even talk about how much I cried when THAT event actually happened!) They earned it.

Now, our youngest, Noah (12) has been asked to join the band. He knew this was an honor. He's only a seventh-grader but gets to roll with the big dogs. :-) (Oh, uh, and for the record, he actually gets to play his trumpet!!!)

Believe it or not, Ian's not the least bit embarrassed to have his kid brother around. He's actually thrilled. (Go figure!)

I admire their determination. Despite extremely humid days in the high 90s, they are in the midst of 9 am to 9 pm practices for two weeks straight. They don't care. They know that they are a part of something great. Who doesn't want that?!

IAN -- as a "big dog" -- with his fellow band friends
(he's in the Adidas shirt)


NOAH -- as a "newbie" -- playing his little heart out
in the noon day sun
(he's the one in the black shorts and grey shirt)


DAVID -- as the proud papa in the stands


. . . and MY job? Why to sit in the stands and try to look cute, of course!