Category: This and that

Distracted by doughnuts

~ Lenore Diane ~ Leave a comment

So, have you ever eaten something so delicious it caused you to sing out in excitement? A friend of mine would sing out with a loud ‘Aaaaaah’ whenever she was – well, let’s just leave it as my friend would sing out whenever she was excited about this or that.

This morning, while I was driving to work, I sang out. Loudly. I was the only person in the car at the time, though I don’t know if that makes my sudden outburst more acceptable or not.

Included in one of the boxes: lemon meringue and strawberry bismark (w/fresh sliced strawberries) doughnuts.

Why the sudden outburst of “Aaaaaaah!”? Because I was stopping by Dutch Monkey Doughnuts to pick up a few, well, doughnuts. When I walked into Dutch Monkey, the desire to burst out in song was great; however, I was able to maintain my composure.

I walked out of the doughnut bakery with a dozen freshly baked doughnuts. And again, when I was alone in the car, I raised my voice to the angels. Crazy, eh? Crazy good, I’m telling you!

My boss and I enjoyed both of the strawberry bismark doughnuts, with fresh sliced strawberries. And honestly, the bismark was so good, I wanted to stop by on the way home to get two more. ‘Tis the season to be gluttonous, right? Alas, I did not go back and get more doughnuts. I think a dozen is plenty.

Here’s the thing, my post today was going to be about parenthood. And yet, the goodness of Dutch Monkey overcame me. Overcame me. So, I had to share.

.|.

Our 5yr old is sick. He has had a fever since late Sunday night/early Monday morning. With the fever keeping Joe ‘down’, he has been more willing to cuddle with me. And, I have done my very best to milk his fever for all it is worth – with regards to cuddling, I mean.

Unhappy boy with his exhausted parents.

Yesterday, I was going through old pictures of Joe, with the intent of finding one particular one taken when he was a newborn.  As newbie parents to a baby that liked to cry, Rob and I were exhausted. The picture conveyed the story clearly, and I think it would have made for an excellent Christmas card enclosure. That is, if Joe was born in December. However, he was born in January,  and by the time his first Christmas came ’round, we were seasoned parents and I was pregnant with our second baby.

Because Joe is sick and I had the baby picture on my mind, I am reflecting back on my boys being babies. I remember when I was able to sit on the couch with them for hours, cuddling and napping. And, while I’m not looking to raise another newborn, I do enjoy recalling some of the memories of early parenthood.

Joe and his dog, Cherokee

In my search for the exhausted picture, I found another picture of newborn Joe. Looking more closely at the second picture, I noticed our dog, Cherokee. I think Cherokee liked the babies, too. Actually, Cherokee still loves the boys, especially when the boys are eating.

As I type, Joe is sitting next to me. If he were feeling 100%, Joe would be outside, coloring, building with blocks, playing with his train, etc. But, while feeling under the weather, sitting with Mom works for him. And, Joe sitting with Mom works for me, too! Maybe Joe would like to have a doughnut with me. I have plenty to share. Oh look! Here comes Cherokee.

O Holy Night

~ Lenore Diane ~ 2 Comments
Picture courtesy of http://www.shindo.or.kr

All religions have their holiest of holidays. For Christians, it is my understanding that Easter is the holiest of holidays, because it is when Christ was rose from the dead. While I’m not hear to argue which is ‘traditionally’ thought of as the holiest of holidays for Christians or any other religion, for me, the holiest of holidays is Christmas. And, for me, the holiest of Christmas songs (actually, the holiest of all songs) is ‘O Holy Night’.

As a parent, giving birth to my two boys was two of the holiest moments for me. The miracle of life – the wonder of what these tiny babies will grow into as adults. To me, the hope every new life brings is something to be considered holy. With regards to Christmas, the religious focus is the birth of Jesus Christ, and the belief He is the son of God. The birth of Jesus brings a new hope to some of the people of Jerusalem and surrounding nations. Regardless of your faith, hope is something we all turn to for strength at one time or another.

One of my most favorite things of the holidays is hearing every singer’s own rendition of ‘O Holy Night’. For me, ‘O Holy Night’ embodies hope. Hearing the words to ‘O Holy Night’ brings tears to my eyes, each and every time. The birth of Christ stopped the world, if only for a moment, as hope filled all nations. Not a Christian? Again, I equate it to the birth of your children. With every birth, the world stops, if only for a moment, as hope fills the hearts of the family. Birth is a holy moment.

Interestingly, a recent study indicates 9 out of 10 Americans celebrate Christmas, though not necessarily from a religious aspect. And, the 9 out of 10 includes atheists, Muslims and Jews. A story about the study can be found via USA Today, by clicking here. Keeping in tune with the 9 out of 10 Americans, this Christmas allow yourself to stop, if only for a moment. Grab hold of hope. Grab hold of your own ‘O Holy Night’, and hold on to that hope as long as you can. With hope, we strive for better. With hope, we are better. And, I wish you a very merry ‘O Holy Night’.

Looking through the rear-view mirror with music

~ Lenore Diane ~ 2 Comments

Question: Am I the only one who hears voices in her (his) head? No? I didn’t think so. Wait. Was that just one of the many voices in my head speaking? I’m so confused.

I’m not sure if I am feeling anxious because of the countless voices in my head, or if the countless voices in my head are trying to ease the anxiety I feel. Recently, while watching a program about ADD, I heard someone compare ADD to driving. When driving, the driver needs to focus on the road ahead of him/her, glancing at the rear-view mirror occasionally. However, those with ADD tend to become distracted with looking at the rear-view mirror and are unable to focus on what is ahead of them.

While driving home from work today, I realized the voices in my head are louder when I don’t want look at what is in front of me. On days like today, I don’t want to see the road ahead; instead, I want to look through the rear-view mirror and see what is behind me. I want the option to relive the happy times and reflect on the happy memories. And, by looking through the rear-view mirror, I have greater control with keeping myself in a happy place.

When I am looking back, I find music is the best way to recall the happy times. For instance, I was listening to some incredible music today. The music was off a CD I purchased years ago, consisting of cover songs performed by local musicians. Sadly, I loaned the CD to a friend, and the friend never returned it. Happily, I had friends with the same CD, and they made me a copy of it. Anyway, I found myself looking in the rear view mirror of my life, recalling some great memories, all triggered by the music.

I was in this same crazed-state of mind a few weeks ago, when my friend James was ill and nearing death. When he died, as Rob and I drove to Savannah for the burial, I needed a release from all the voices in my head and all the sadness I was feeling. I found listening to Ozzy Osborn’s ‘Crazy Train’ quite effective. Appropriate, eh? Yes, well, I also found a nice release listening to Evanescence’s ‘Going Under’.

Today, my friend is flying to North Carolina to be with her Mom before her Mom dies. And, as I type, my heart begins to race with the anxiety I felt when I did a similar thing over 16 yrs ago. Please excuse my repetitiveness, because I know I have written about this in a previous post or two…

I flew from Washington, DC to Atlanta, hoping to make it home before my Dad died. To this day, that flight was the longest flight I have ever taken because the time seemed to crawl. As I type, my friend is boarding a plane, carrying with her the same hope I carried with me. And, as I think about my friend, I become overwhelmed with sadness. Cue the music!

Today, four songs off the previously mentioned CD helped me drown out the sadness and/or distract me from the crazy. All of the songs off the CD are cover songs, originally performed by other musicians. The songs, Whole of the Moon, Weakness in Me, Piece of my Heart and The Dutchman, were performed and recorded live at Eddie’s Attic, a music venue in Decatur, GA. Eddie’s was a refuge of mine. A place I would go to hear some of the best acoustic music and hang with the best of friends. Prior to Eddie’s, these musicians, my friends and I gathered at Trackside Tavern. (Eddie managed Trackside before he opened his own place.) Great memories, and great additions to the soundtrack of life.

Have a listen:

 (Whole of the Moon, originally performed by The Waterboys)

 (The Dutchman, originally performed by Michael Peter Smith)

  (Weakness in me, originally performed by Joan Armatrading)

 (Piece Of My Heart, originally performed by Janis Joplin)

Andrea with her Mom, Dad, husband and kids, June 2010

My friend has reached her parent’s house by now. I hope to find out that she made it in time to have several good conversations with her Mom. And, when my friend finds herself overwhelmed with the road ahead, preferring to look through the rear-view mirror instead, I’ll try to help quiet her voices with a soundtrack of happy memories. I’ll probably start with one of Andrea’s favorite songs from the ‘old days’, Seal’s Crazy. It’s a perfect song for the soundtrack of life, because “we’re never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy.”