Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Different Type of Victim

Today I cried for John Wilkes Booth's brother.

At Grandma Ralph's house, I stayed in the "Red Room" which was named for the red curtains that hung. The room was once my uncles' bedroom and there were still indications that it had once been a little boy's bedroom. On the wall there was a Wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth. I asked Grandma about the poster and she proposed a trip to the library to research President Lincoln's assassination.

I remember a few of the details from that research project, but of course it is the larger lessons learned - when you want to know something, go research it - that resonate with me. I do remember from my research that John Wilkes Booth had a brother, but until today I never thought about what it would be like to live as that brother - the brother of a Presidential Assassin.

Wally Lamb explores the theme of twins and siblings in all of his books. His most recent book is about the Columbine shootings. What about those assassin's - Eric's and Dylan's - brothers? How do you carry that your whole life? How does it change you?

Sometimes you can research things and learn facts. I respect that. But the reason that not only do I respect literature, but that I love literature is that when it is done well, it means that facts are presented in a way that makes you think or feel something that you recognize even when you had never thought of it before.

Like what it would feel like to be Edwin Booth with a promising acting career. And then to have to be John Wilkes Booth's brother the rest of his life. I was so overwhelmed by that idea that I cried.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Bela Legosi was Hungarian, Not Swedish

Vampire books and movies are all the rage right now. Anna, a huge fan of the Twilight books, was disappointed by the movie. She and I have discussed extensively whether a movie should closely mirror the book. Anna thinks it should. She thinks if you're calling it the same thing that you should know that people expect the movie to be the same as the book. I have argued that they are very different mediums and that the movie should be an interpretation and try to not specifically follow the book.

I don't find either of our arguments extraordinary, but I do find the type of conversation to be extraordinary. She is a little adult. A little friend who discusses things with me. While I am still her mother and remind her to wear her retainer and make her bed, I also get to have conversations about art and entertainment with her.

We took Mary with us last night to see "Let the Right One In," which is a swedish vampire movie. The characters were a twelve year old boy and girl. I read the reviews carefully and decided it would be ok for the girls to go with me. It was Mary's first movie with subtitles and she said later that it took her awhile to get used to it, but she liked it.

The kids are used to being the only kids at the University theater. I drag them to documentaries and showings of "Gone With the Wind" and even movie talks with visiting directors. Anna is used to subtitled movies by now. (As a child she thought that was the name of the movies that I rented from Blockbuster. "Why do you rent the same movie every week?" she once asked me. And then I realized that the foreign films all say "subtitled" on the spine of the case and she thought that was the title.) The girls got Izzy sodas and I got an herbal tea (yet another reason to prefer this theater, in my opinion).

The movie was outstanding. I am not big on vampires or horror movies, but I knew the girls would like it, and I ended up liking it as well. We walked to the car in the frigid cold talking about how the filmmaker made cold visual - how the scenes all had a frozen/static look about them. We talked about costumes, makeup and camera angles (!!!!!!) and we talked about the story. We speculated about the ending and where they were going and what would happen to them. Although the story wrapped up, it was not wrapped up with a bow on top with no question about the future of the characters. It was not clear who the "father" was that lived with the girl and I suggested a possible relationship that Anna disagreed with and proposed her own version.

"Thanks for going to a Swedish vampire movie with me," I said.

"Thanks for taking us!" they said.

"I think I like that kind of movie," Anna said.

"Swedish vampire movies?" I asked.

She laughed. "Just, the kind of movies that they show there."

"Me too," I said.

My Mommy Heart is full today. You can raise your kids to agree with your political beliefs, or religious beliefs, or be fans of the same football team as you, but who knew how much I would enjoy having kids who like foreign/independent films. So Anna and now Mary.

"After awhile I forgot that I was reading what they were saying," Mary noted.

"That's because the actors were really good," Anna said.

Be still my heart. Be still as a curtain in the window of an apartment in Stockholm with a preteen vampire sitting on the windowsill.

The film, "Let the Right One In" is apparently going to be remade in English. I think that's a real shame. It always disappoints me when Americans take an amazing movie and insist on remaking it. It's never better. I am already anticipating the conversation that Anna and I will have after she sees the remake of a foreign film. And she thought she just needed to worry about movies made from books that she loves.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Ice Cubes and Ice Storms

Today was the last day of school before the holiday break. There were storms predicted. We got snow and lightening, which was weird.

Last night Anna dutifuly worked on an essay due today. Hannah went to a movie. Mary and Frank planned a snow day. According to Mary, you need to flush four ice cubes down the toilet before bed and wear your pajamas inside out.

This morning she was indeed wearing her pajamas inside out as she warmed up microwave pancakes. "It worked!" she squealed.

This isn't bad for the plumbing, is it? Because I have a feeling everytime there is a prediction of snow, I am going to have ice cubes in the toilet.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Exhibit A

Anna was asked by her writing teacher to read one of her poems at a poetry festival today. She is missing school (except for 7th period, which was apparently a disappointment since she wanted to miss 7th period) to spend the day talking about, writing, and reading poetry aloud.

She got up easily. She dressed herself very appropriately in clean jeans, black suede boots, and a black ruffled blouse. She straighted her hair and put on just a bit of makeup. She's gorgeous. She's excited about her day.

I would post a picture, except that it is four degrees out and she refused to wear a coat or gloves or hat. She wore only a light jacket because anything else "ruined" her outfit and didn't "go."

I am confident that the high school teachers involved in this day will be easy on me. They know how bizarre teenagers can be. But I did not want photographic evidence on the Internet that I allowed my teenager to go out in this weather without a coat.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Sometimes You Do LOL

Jackie the Dog has not been moving well. There was some sort of growth on her foot between her toes. We all noticed it. She would bite and lick it. Several of us tried to examine it more carefully and were repulsed by the strange shape and its adhesion to her foot.

It's a busy and expensive time of the year. Jackie gamely limped around the house as we all fretted out loud about what was wrong and how serious it must be and who had the time to take her to the vet and how much it would all cost to get it fixed.

Bill took her to the vet today after lunch. Jackie rode happily in the back seat - pleased to be included in the trip.

"Let me know what's wrong, ok?" I asked, when they dropped me off at my office.

Bill sent me a text after her appointment. "It was a wad of gum."

"LOL" I texted back.

And I really was LOL.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Going Postal

I walked into work today with two hoops to ship out and two more that people arranged to pick up from me at my office. I can assure you that there is nothing more obvious than an adult-sized hula hoop all wrapped in brown paper and ready to be shipped out. Everyone I pass on my way to the post office smiles at me. The people in line with me smile at me. I hand out cards while we wait.

There are two regular counter workers at my post office. I prefer the smiling mail clerk to the frowning mail clerk. I have yet to get the frowning mail clerk. It will happen one of these days. Until then I will just wait in line with my distinctive "packages" and hope that I get the postal worker with a sense of fun.

I wrap them in their hoop shape so that they can ship based on their circumference. In addition to being cheaper, it cracks me up.

I mailed Kate one of my most favorite hoops today. Silver star tape with black gaffer tape. I call it "Around the Milky Way." Kate reads my blog, but not very frequently, so I know I'm safe to share this Christmas secret with you. And now you get the anticipatory pleasure of a brown paper wrapped hula hooped shaped package heading to Lubbock via USPS. It will spark smiles on most who see it. And really, who needs that more than the post office?

If you want one for your sister, visit my Etsy store. I'll wrap up your custom hoop and send it to you! Most likely it will be delivered by a smiling postal worker...but I can't guarantee that.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

My Beautiful Daughter



Anna and Hannah were part of a giant ensemble cast that represented Lincoln High at State One Acts. The Scottish folktale included Kelpies (think seaweed creatures), a giant, a serpant, and a Sea Mother, among others.

Lincoln High has a strong theater department. I am happy to have the girls in such a positive activity.

They were state runners up this year. There was some disappointment, especially among the Seniors who are used to winning, but my kelpie was absolutely delighted to get a medal and a trophy in any color and size.

The silver paint will finally come off (I think there was silver paint in her ear for a week) and the kelp will hang in the costume room. I know the memories will last forever.

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

An Assignment

This is not your usual cute kid story or insightful thought blog. No. This is an assignment.

Call your mom (and if she is dead, just pray to her and to mothers in general). Apologize for being a teenager. That's it. Listen to her laugh until she cries and realize that the laughter was not possible when she was actually parenting a teenager. If you were a teenage girl you get 25 bonus points for making your apology.

My aunt and uncle recently teased me that my hair has gotten darker as I have gotten older. I told my aunt that it must be genetic since she also still had dark hair. Ha! Ho! Ha! Wait. This isn't funny yet.

I'm raising six kids here. The first one graduates in the Spring. I may need to switch to the permanent hair color by then...

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Yogurt with Coffee on the Bottom

At my office we brew and drink Folgers. We have a coffee service and last year I learned that there are different tiers of service. One week we got the "nice" coffee by accident. The next week we were back to Folgers. I guess that's all the office will pay for.

Folgers reminds me of my parents. Who don't drink Folgers at all anymore. But they used to buy it by the can. I think everyone did.

Food has changed since I was a kid. Yogurt, whole wheat bread, and organic produce are all readily available. And somewhere along the way, "everyone" switched to bulk coffee or fancy named coffee and stopped buying Folgers by the can. Coffee beans available at the grocery store today are darker and richer and the flavor is amazing. (That's what the Folgers ads say, I know, but it's not true.)

At the time in my life when I was making stilts with coffee cans, I had the first blended yogurt of my life. Until that point, my only experience with yogurt was my mom's health food store yogurt which always came with the fruit on the bottom. And then Holly from next door came over with Yoplait one afternoon. We stood on the back porch and alternated spoonfuls of the perfectly blended strawberry yogurt. I can still feel the significance of that moment 30 years later. I knew that blended yogurt was going to change the world. Or at least the way people ate yogurt.

At the store on Sunday I bought a bag of organic, free trade coffee beans which are dark and gorgeous and fragrant. I bought lots of blended yogurt of various flavors and then some yogurt "treats" - greek yogurt with fig on the bottom for me - blended yogurt with stir in candy for the kids. The yogurt choices these days are staggering.

This morning I sit here drinking Folgers from my office coffee pot and marvel at food and food distribution. This coffee is not as good as the coffee that I brew at home. But I drink it anyway. Really, we will eat or drink whatever is available to us. And that becomes the new normal. When I start to wonder what kind of yogurt my grandkids will eat, I start to worry that I have had too much coffee.