Archive for the 'Bloggin' Buddies' Category

Set Your Tivo

July 30, 2008 | Antique Friends, Bloggin' Buddies

Tomorrow (7/31) Oprah is re-running a segment featuring my friend Lysa TerKeurst and her amazing story of an unlikely adoption.  If you haven’t seen it before, you won’t want to miss it. Check your local listings.  If you happen to miss it, you can find it on her blog.   She’s also written a book or two or eleven in case you didn’t know.

The Lunch Date

July 20, 2007 | Bloggin' Buddies

I am not a person with long-range goals.  I do not have a five-year plan.  I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I don’t even know what I want to eat for dinner tonight.  I have learned not to look too far ahead.

 

And I’ll tell you why.  The universe likes to take my goals, roll them up into a nice tight little cylinder and then use them to shoot spitballs at me, right between the eyes.  When I get up in the morning, I do so with the full understanding that I have no idea what’s going to happen that day, that anything could happen that day.

 

For example.

 

Today, my plan was to meet Word Girl and Ortizzle for lunch.  I had been looking forward to meeting them for a couple of weeks and today was the big day.  I had housekeepers coming and a babysitter.  I was going to go to lunch with grown ups and then come home to a napping child and a clean house.  Short term goals.

 

But then my child woke up with the wheeziest wheeze that ever wheezed.  So I cancelled the housekeeper’s appointment and made one with the pediatrician instead. And off we went to see about de-wheezing our boy.  After a breathing treatment and $50 in prescriptions, I made it home just in time to open the door for the babysitter. 

 

At least I still had plans for lunch.

 

I drove 20 miles towards The Hunan Garden only to find out that when I printed out the Google directions, I had left the last page on the printer. At home. That would be the critical last page that detailed the route to my final destination.

 

But I’m nothing if not resourceful.  I ducked into an Office Depot to take a look at a Mapsco.  However, I did not have my reading glasses with me and could not hold the dang thing out far enough to read the small, small, very small print.  But since I was at Office Depot, I bought some pretty paper, because why waste a perfectly good trip to Office Depot and an opportunity to spend money needlessly?

 

When I went through the checkout line, I confessed to the cashier that I was lost. She took pity on me and called up the manager who looked up the address for me on the Mapsco that I had so graciously restocked in the pretty paper department and then he gave me some detailed verbal directions.  I am one step away from being a little old lady that boy scouts help across the street.

 

So, I found my way to The Hunan Garden and lo, it had gone asunder.  The Garden of Hunan was no more.  Unbeknownst to Mr. Google, the knower of all knowledge, it had become for a brief shining moment in time, some sort of classy night club with a sign that was spray painted on a piece of plywood.  But now it was not even that.  It was boarded up tight and in need of a good mow.  And! Next door to the restaurant formerly known as The Hunan Garden was a discount funeral home. But I’m sure that is totally coincidental.

 

So I called Ortizzle to apprise her of the situation.  About that time she pulls up, and although I had never met or seen her before, I figured a woman talking on a cell phone at the now defunct Hunan Garden must be she. And it was.  And oh how we laughed. Then off we went in search of Word Girl and a good stiff drink.

 

We ended up at Papadeaux’s and enjoyed a lovely lunch of wine and non-stop conversation and to me that is far better than any day at the spa or even coming home to a napping child and a clean house.  It recharges my batteries to spend time with bright, witty, thoughtful and intelligent women.  The time flew by too quickly.  And part of that had to do with the fact that my watch had stopped. And maybe the glass of wine.  I kept looking at my watch thinking it was only 1pm, when in fact it was 3pm.  Drat.

 

As we left the restaurant, a mighty wind blew up and heavy gray clouds closed in.  So we said farewell for now and see ya around the blogosphere.

 

 

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I returned Ortizzle to the discount funeral parlor where she had left her car and I headed towards home.  Not the day I had planned, but nice. Very nice.

 

On the way home, the rain started in hard and steady, but oddly enough, only on the other side of the highway.  I drove along savoring being on the sunny side of the road, and life, for as long as it should last.

 

Because who knows what the rest of the day will bring?

 

Veronica Mitchell

July 9, 2007 | Bloggin' Buddies

One recent rainy Saturday, I had the opportunity to meet Veronica Mitchell who writes Toddled Dredge.

I found Veronica’s blog shortly after she started writing it back in March of 2006 and have been stalking her admired her ever since. I have no idea now how I even found her blog. I think it was listed on someone’s blogroll and like many of you, I wondered what in the heck is a toddled dredge? So I toddled over to find out.  I still don’t know.

As Antique Daddy and I were driving to meet Veronica and her husband Az for lunch, I started getting a little nervous because, you know, meeting a blogging buddy in real life for the first time is kind of like a blind date — a study in awkwardness. Then to make matters worse, I recalled a post she had written last year:

“Authors are apt to be disappointing in conversation. The written word is deliberate, but conversation is unrehearsed. You could get your favorite authors together for tea only to discover that the poet can’t stop talking about Kobe Bryant, the Pulitzer prizewinner snorts tea out her nose when she laughs, and Salman Rushdie? He spends the afternoon staring at your breasts?

I spent the rest of the drive saying to myself, Don’t stare at her breasts, don’t stare at her breasts, don’t stare…

In spite of pelting rain, missed highway exits, sweaty palms and fussy children, I think it went well. I didn’t stare at her breasts, snort any beverages out my nose or blurt out anything terribly inappropriate. All in all, I found Veronica to be pretty much exactly as she portrays herself on her blog – she does in fact have curly hair. The only disappointment on my part, was that we didn’t get to visit longer.

Here are some fun facts I learned about Veronica over lunch that are totally true. Totally.

She plays the accordian.

Shania Twain is her second cousin.

She speaks fluent Portuguese.

She and Az teach polka dancing at the local YMCA.

She once had dinner with Ralph Nader.

* * *

If you haven’t been reading Veronica, by way of introduction, here are a few of my favorite posts:

Another SAHM Talks About Linda, Subtitle: One More Fart in the Effluvium

The Christian Smart Ass or Why Nobody Wants To Sit By Me In Heaven

The Circus and The Strong Man

Ex Substantia Matris

 

It’s A Zoo Around Here

June 1, 2007 | Bloggin' Buddies

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My friend Jeana and her sweet family were crazy enough to accept an invitation for dinner at our house over Memorial Day weekend. Sean is still hoping they will come back for him and adopt him.

Here’s one of Jeana and I with her husband Scott. Although he’s much cuter in person.

Here are some things you might not know about Jeana:

1) She grew up in Tuna
2) across the park from my in-laws
3) She once had dinner with Ralph Nader

MIRLfriends

October 31, 2006 | Bloggin' Buddies

If you ever get a chance to meet the people you chum around with in the blogosphere, don’t pass it up! You can’t have too many MIRLfriends (Meet In Real Life friends). You can just learn so much more about people when visiting with them one-on-one in your home. Here’s the low-down on the ladies who were brave enough to visit the House of Antique recently.

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Shannon (Rocks In My Dryer)
 I know. She’s sweet and she’s popular yada-yada-yada, but it is a known fact that she used her intoxicating Southern drawl to lure innocent mommy bloggers into the mall to try on prom dresses and then photographed them. Beware of her. That’s all I’m saying. You could be the next one in sequins and a bow on your….

Chilihead (Don’t Try This At Home)
Yes, she really does have a mustache, but it’s not black. And the glasses? Totally fake. And? She not-so-secretly wants to start a secular hand-bell band in her garage. Be careful. You could end up in her garage with a bell in one hand and a margarita in the other.

Shalee (Shalee’s Diner)
Oh where do I start? She has been known to sniff my shoes and was seen being very forward with a mannequin in a dress shop. That’s all I’m saying. I have adopted her as my little sister and will try to mend her mannequin-fondling, shoe-sniffing ways. Shalee is currently studying to become a River Dancer on her lunch hours.

Megan (Life In A Nutshell)
She is tall, skinny, gorgeous, has good hair, homeschools her five children and plays soccer. She confirms for me that I have time management issues. She often spends the holidays with David Beckham and that Spice Girl.

Jeanna (Days To Come)
She’s even more funny in person than on her blog. Since I met her, I will never again be able to use the word “replica” without giggling. Nor will I think of Barney in the same way. Jeanna flies helicopters in her spare time. She would have landed in my backyard but she just not showy like that.

Kelsey (Holy Mama)
Drove six and half hours with a one-year-old in tow to be with strangers. I don’t know whether to be honored or afraid. She made all the name tags, yet I still like her. When Kelsey isn’t making name tags, she manages the human resources department for AT&T. I don’t know how she does it all.

Lauren (Created For His Glory) Lauren brought her daughter Chloe with her who is the sweetest most delightful child I’ve ever come across. I’m going to box up Sean and send to her so that he might have a chance. Lauren not only homeschools, but she also designs prom dresses for Donna Karan. You should see her stuff!

Katherine (Raising Five) and Rachel Annen (Home Sanctuary) Sisters! Both tall, skinny and stylish. Ugh! I would hate them except for the fact that they are both so darn genuine and nice. Did you know they used to do Dove soap commercials when they were teenagers? It’s not something they tell everyone. They make me wish I had a sister.

Faith (Faithful Mommy) She gives pink a good name. In fact, she is the one who convinced Pink (of “I’m coming up so ya’ betta’ get this party started” fame) to go with the name Pink. Prior to that she had been thinking of Dooce. Close call, eh? It’s absolutely true.

CMommy (Sing A Lullaby) Cmommy is so very nice. Did you know that before she had children she lived in Hawaii and used to surf for a living? What a treat it was when she showed us all how to hang ten on my coffee table. Go CMommy! And she looked great in that bikini too.

Minnie (Minnie Moments) My first MIRLfriend. What’s not to like about the chick who brings the guacamole? I like to stand by her hoping some of her cool will rub off on me. Many of you don’t know this but Minnie is a former figure skater and went to Nationals three times! Impressive. She used to hang with Tanya Harding and that’s where she learned those wrestling moves she was doing in the den. I didn’t care that much for that Ming vase anyway.

GiBee (Kisses of Sunshine) Smart as a whip. While I spend my days trying to figure out how to fold a fitted crib sheet, she spends hers analyzing the b’zillion dollar metals commodities market. GiBee once appeared on Letterman with Jose, her Chihuahua, on Stupid Pet Tricks.

Sarah (In the Midst of It). She is so quiet and kind, a calming presence in this band of bawdy broads. She has an adorable little baby with an amazing story. I am so thrilled to know that Sarah lives only a few miles from me. I’m thrilled, but she is probably terrified. Did you know that Sarah won the Pillsbury bake off three years in a row and she paid for her house with the prize money?

Kep (Holding the Mirror to My Soul) Kep lives not too far from me but I couldn’t convince her to tell me where. Odd. Did you know that she paid her way through college giving xylophone lessons? You should hear her bang out “Rocks Me Like A Hurricane.” She had us all rocking out and holding up our cellphones and screaming “More!”

AggieJen (Reflecting Him) I love Aggie Jen even though she is an Aggie. Here’s a little known fact about Jen that I don’t think she’d mind if I shared. Jen went to grade school with Tom Cruise and they still correspond via email. Sometimes they have lunch. Don’t abuse that information ladies.

Kelly (Overhead Under Grace) Did you know that Kelly once went out with Dan Rather? But that was before she was married. It’s not something that she talks about a lot, so don’t tell her I brought it up. He bought her a racehorse named Carmen, but she had no where to put it, so she gave it back.

And now for an interesting fact about me. I once had dinner with Ralph Nader. It’s absolutley true.

Serendipity

September 1, 2006 | Bloggin' Buddies

Serendipity is the fine art of stumbling across something wonderful. And is there any better place to do that than in the blogosphere?

A while back, I stumbled across Minnie of Minnie Moments and it turns out she lives not too far from me. She had posted a picture of herself reading her Bible while reclining in a big comfy chair with her feet up. Sitting on the floor in front of her were her two boys, which she had tied up and gagged. I laughed out loud because, if you have children and you are honest with yourself, you’ve considered it. More of my Bible-believin’ friends could stand to take a post from Minnie’s blog and lighten up and laugh at themselves a bit more.

I sent her an email and asked her to meet me for lunch. She responded immediately and with enthusiasm and she did. I knew right away that I would like anyone who would do something as spontaneous and crazy as meeting a not-so-perfect stranger for lunch.

Chances are that beyond the blogosphere, we would not travel in the same circles, primarily because she is 16 years younger than me and seriously cool. She has a cute funky hairdo and AM Fey glasses and an itty bitty jewel nestled on the side of her nose. I on the other hand, while I haven’t given in to wearing mom-jeans, I am not cool or anywhere close to it. That’s one of the many things I like about blogging - that the superficial barriers of age, class and religion that we erect around ourselves are less prevalent. I won’t say they don’t exist, because to some degree, they do. But they are certainly much easier to hurdle.

She greeted me with a warm hug. She was easy to talk to and delightfully funny and open. As we talked, I learned that she has overcome some serious obstacles in her life, although you would never guess that just by looking at her or reading her blog. As I listened to her tell her story, I was amazed that the bumpy road she traveled into adulthood left her not bitter and resentful as one might expect, but graciously light of spirit and refreshingly wise.

As I travel around the blogosphere, the fabric of humanity sometimes seems to be a little tattered and moth-eaten and full of holes. But occasionally, with a little serendipity, you run into someone like Minnie who keeps herself busy patching it with humor and kindness. And any day serendipity leads you to a new friend, it is a good day.

Kansas City Here I Come

June 26, 2006 | Bloggin' Buddies, Travel Tales

Last Saturday, I took my first solo trip away from Sean. I took a day trip to Kansas City to have lunch with some blogging buddies.

I had been looking forward to it for more than a month. I looked forward to getting away on my own for the first time in a more than a decade and I looked forward to meeting people I only knew through the computer. I wondered if it would be like Christmas. Would all the anticipation and excitement and curiosity of what was hidden be disappointing when all was revealed? It seemed like Saturday would never come and then suddenly it was here. When it was time to kiss my baby goodbye at the curb, my intestines were busy learning macramé.

Off and on over the course of the preceding week, I previewed and prepared Sean for Saturday morning, as the experts who write books tell you to do. I told him that on Saturday I would be taking an airplane ride but that I would be back by the end of the day. I reminded him that he would have daddy all day to himself and that they would do fun things like go to PetCo.

As Saturday approached, he said to me out of the blue: “Mommy, I don’t want you go on an airplane. That scare me.” I couldn’t think of a single thing that would have prompted this remark, so I asked him what it was that scared him. “I don’t want the airplane to tip over,” he said solemnly. I reassured him the plane was not going to tip over and that he need not worry about it. I told him that Uncle Dick has been flying airplanes for thirty years and never once tipped one over. That seemed to set his mind at ease or maybe he just kept it to himself. I worry that that it was the latter.

I got out of the car and opened the door to the backseat to give him a kiss goodbye. I looked at him sitting in the backseat of the car, still in his baseball pajamas, still sleepy, still so little. Tears stung my eyes. Bye Sweet Potato!” I said to him tipping his chin up with my thumb. I sounded falsely happy. I looked deep into his eyes. “I’ll see you later today, ” I promised. “You be a good boy for daddy.” I kissed his nose.

“Bye Mommy” he said, rubbing his eyes. Then he gave me a smile and waved at me by scrunching his fingers in and out as though he were working dough. “Dear God,” I whispered to myself, “Don’t let the plane tip over.”

It turned out that Saturday was the best Christmas ever. I got more than I ever imagined and it was better than I could have imagined. I will write about the wonderful ladies I met in the coming week when I have time and can do it justice. (In the meantime, Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer has a well written summary and pictures too!)

When Sean and Antique Daddy picked me up at the airport that evening, my heart was full. It had been a very good day. Any day you make sixteen new friends is a good day. And now I was home. I opened the car door and kissed my boy. He was exactly where I had left him. “Mommy!” he said, “I look for you but I not see you today.” He had missed me.

Thank you God, I whispered to myself. Thank you for this boy, my husband, my sixteen new friends and not letting the plane tip over.

On Being a Crazy Hip Blog Mama

March 3, 2006 | Bloggin' Buddies

A while back, I joined a ring of women bloggers who write about about all kinds of stuff, but mostly about their crazy lives as mothers. They call themselves Crazy Hip Blog Mama’s. When they find out how un-hip I really I am, I hope they will have mercy on me and keep me around as the resident dork.

Anyway, we are doing a writing collaboration focused on what it means to be a CHBM. It wasn’t hard for me to come up with about 100 reasons, but I’ll spare you and just give you one. Probably the most imporant thing about being a CHBM to me is the sense of community and meeting place it provides for moms from all walks of life — a great big Starbucks drinking international coffee clatch.

When you are 46-year-old woman with a two-year-old, you don’t have a lot of peers. Although there are more and more of us older moms around these days, most of the mom’s that I see out and about with toddlers in tow are about half my age. I don’t say that for sympathy, it’s just a fact.

Being a CHBM has provided me with an extensive and growing list of peers. It doesn’t matter how old I am. It doesn’t matter whether my kid is in college or kindergarten or diapers, for whom I voted or where or if I go to church. It makes no difference what kind of car I drive or clothes I wear. No matter if I’m married, single or divorced, or where I live. All the superficial factors that in other circumstances draw birds of a feather to flock together are irrelevant here. Probably the only thing every CHBM has in common is the experience of trying to raise a decent kid in a crazy world and writing about it.

As I’ve read through the blogs, I find that CHBMs write for all kinds of different reasons. Some write to maintain a sense of self outside of their role as mother, some are seeking a creative outlet, some to keep up with family spread across the world, some to journal and others just to vent. I sense that everyone who has come to CHBM is like me in the sense that they are seeking to be part of a community and maybe even a part of something larger than themselves.

Before blogging came along, we only had access to the voices that made it past the publishing gatekeepers. Today, we have the privilege to be able to peek in on the lives of women from all around the world in all kinds of circumstances and hear their stories if they choose to share it. It’s nice to know that someone out there is listening to my story too. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one whose life is occasionally consumed with someone else’s poop. Everyone has a story to tell and needs to be heard. Even if it is only about poop.