A whole lot to be thankful for

I dont know where to post anything lately, which blog to put what on anymore,but just wanted to give a cheer for spring and for new beginnings, since I have devoted so very much time to griping about winter and sickness and confusions and such!

My husband brought me home roses tonight, on his bike, no less, and the whole family is now outside barbecuing on a nice old time charcoal grill. the smell is so good, music is spilling forth from out (finally!) converted backroom that is now a true "gym/playroom" for the kids, complete with slide and baby pool filled with plastic balls, etc. too fun!

My mom and sister took me out to dinner last night for my birthday, and we had a wonderful time!

We moved our birdfeeder right out front and the wonderful birds that have been coming have entertained us all, all day--Cardinals sparrows pigeons starlings cowbirds bluejays goldfinches grackles mourning doves and a downy woodpecker--so awesome! We worried that being right by the kids and so close to the house would make them scared but they still came, all day, and squirrels, too! This weekend we even had a pair of Mallard ducks, really wacky because we live in a suburb/urban area, right off a busy road, no lakes super nearby...but there they were, waddling around people's yards...so funny!

My pink hair washed out in ONE SHAMPOO, so I colored it brown. It is the only color (besides green, haha) that EVER stays in very well. It looks cool with the little bob/bangs and I guess it was the blond that was really buggin me. I might have to buy some of those little fun color strips and just take a break from the hairdying--I wish I knew the secret to this stuff, but in the meantime, I have to wash my hair so I have to be realistic : ( Maybe someday I will have dreadlocks and then they can be left colored and not washed!

It is a nice day and there is so much pettiness that can bring people down, but also so much beauty and simple goodness. the other night Mickey said at dinner how happy he was that he had arms and legs (!!) and I thought about the sincerity of a 7 year old just bursting out with that, and it lead to a wonderful conversation --not against quadriplegics, mind you-- but about how beyond blessed we all are just to not be dodging bombs, eating food at all, safe from the elements, alive period. good stuff.

There is a Woody Guthrie song that, from the first time I ever heard it, I had always intended on it being what I awoke to each morning. Some people might think it is "sad", but the message just jolts me with a really sensational and --I am at a loss for words--right and good feeling, and I think I am going to figure out a way to play it every morning for real. Coffee music, in my eternal quest to wake up before the kids and be a real live upright Mom....somedays it works, somedays well Charlie just wakes up too darn early! But anyways the song is called Dust Can't Kill Me and it is perfect. I will figure out how to embed songs into the blog and come back and pop it in here but for now, go check it out yourself, it rocks my world.

Also, my work decided to finally pay me and so all is well with our bank account, a lovely thing.

Pink is the new green

Oh, beloved HAIR, how long has it been since I have not discussed this very fab-u-lous subject? (air snaps) Too long.

I have been a fine and upstanding ashy-blonde laydee bob for a few months now, and well, it SUCKED! I felt like most folks would feel if their hair was pink--haha--only guessing here--but-slightly ashamed and embarrassed to be seen by folks we admire, looking like that? SO not me, such a weirdo statement, I really could barely look in the mirror it was getting all brassy and Mrs Bradyish... Eww eww eww. Plus the chick that cut my hair last time did not listen to me at all, big shock, so I am being so so serious when I proclaim that this DIY stuff is truly meant to be for me. So much creativity in my life has come out of feeling forced to do stuff myself--and I hope that down the line my dreams of creating clothing and films and a band or three will follow this same vein. Dissatisfsction with what is currently available, and inventing what I need for myself! Like recipes and fun hairdos right now, and down the line, who knows?

So the other night I meandered over to the Manic Panic website again, and started to look longingly at the rainbow-haired people, how awesome and happy they all looked! I freaked out and cut my hair in the bathroom and slapped all of Greta's hot pink semi-permanent color all over my newly cut hair, showered, cleaned the whole mess up, got dressed and came back to the family anew! They were loving it, and even though the pink isn't very bright at all, MAN do I feel better! Phew! I looked about 50 years old and it stunk. Bla. I shaved off the weird neck flap and cut the bangs that took me 7 months to grow out. SNIP! just like that...I love it. I am not trying to look like a kid, but looking like a granny dog isnt exactly what I was cool with, either. I feel cheerful and true to self now.

There are only a couple of people who hate when I have fun colored hair, and BOY do they hate it. I mean , H-A-T-E--but what can I say? They are in the vast minority, I rarely, rarely see them, and everysingle other person I ever meet, all of my friends, all of my kids, strangers, hairdressers, fashion-fun people, always tell me they like it...plus, the only person who I mega-seriously care about their opinion of how I look, my husband, LOVES it! So fooey. Anyone who actually gets morally worked up about this kind of stuff anyhow, probably needs to r-e-l-a-x and grab a jar of perspective, KWIM? I am sure they do their own things everyday to look and feel the way they want to, and this is what I do : )

I have always been under the impression that any haircolors under the pink/red spectrum are all wrong for me, but I must say that I am pleasantly surprised with how neutral this pink actually is. Given the fact that I have NO pink clothes whatsoever, the old worries about my head matching my clothes too much is no problem. I think I will stick with this for a while, maybe go brighter sometime soon.

Happy B-Day to meeeeeee

Today is my birthday! I am 33! Three was my favorite number my entire life so this one seems extra lucky. We are planning on a nice day out with the boys, parks and such, it is sunny and fifty! WOOHOO! Greta is at Girl scouting events, we miss her.

I got 2 fifty dollar checks and am going to FINALLY get stuff for the homeschool gym. I am not being a martyr-mommy, this is going to be very beneficial to me, much more so than a clever t shirt or whatnot. I am also going out with my mom and sister next week, super excited!

I love how no matter how old I get, when I see "April 3rd" written somewhere, I get a little thrill. I wrote a check dated 4/3 and got all giggly--is it just me, or does anyone else still do this?