Memorial Day- 2005

~ South Ave.lined with people waiting to pay their respects to those who have served, kids with flags waving, the high school band marching by in uniforms that are obviously too hot for the day, but they don't seem to mind.
~ the sun FINALLY hitting thankful faces that have impatiently rode out an 18 day rainy streak!
~ the morning dew hitting my bare toes for the first time of the season as I slowly meander my way around the reflecting pond; it is going to be a good day.
~ the beauty of the blackness of the stone that is the memorial to soldiers and POW's that stands a silent vigil, welcoming all who pass by to read, remember, and never forget.
~ the knowledge that patriotism is very much alive and well, and that there should be no shame, nor suggestion of an ulterior motive in loving your country, your flag and those who have protected and continue to protect both. Not all patriotism is false; in fact, I believe most is genuine, and so what if it experiences a resurgence because of a holiday or worse yet, a war? Is it not better to accentuate the positives about the country as well as the negatives, as opposed to ALWAYS focusing on the latter?
~the sound of the salute of guns on the hill in the park as I write this. I am aware of how fortunate I am. Never regret a good reality check.

POW Memorial 

Here is the Whitman Town pool, with hey, my house in the background! No, that whole building isn't ALL mine; it contains 23 condos, mine being the one on the very top. The building is the old Holt School/Whitman High School, which was converted to condos in the late 80's.Back to the pool...it was built in 1957, and redone about 2-3 years ago. All three of my kids have learned to swim there, and the proximity of my house to the pool is most welcome on hot summer days!
p.s. Here is a link to the Whitman website http://www.whitmanma.net/about/index.shtml. Yes, I love my town!

An early one...

Take It

The Gods have thrown down
Her sparkly crown
Mt. Olympus is cold,
Tonight…

Do you stand alone
Atop the wedding cake?
Was she all that you
Thought, but
Couldn’t make?

Too high, to reach
Too close, to see
She’s nothing
And all,
You wanted
Her to be
Don’t look back..
Don’t miss your chance
For a midnight surfside
Tango dance with
The face with your name on a
Fast moving train
Heaven,
In a sea
Of one and the same…

She’s nothing
You’ve dreamt of
But all,
That you Need,
Get your ticket.

Blind men taste sight
By the
Mountains debris.

Christine Louise Brewer 10/01

A view of the Whitman Town Park in Whitman, Ma. It is a Frederick Law Olmstead design, and contains two baseball fields, a pool, basketball court, playground, and refelcting pond. It was a 'hippie' hangout for years, and consequently in the 70's and 80's fell into serious disrepair. But thanks to some very hard work by dedicated Whitman residents, it has been brought back to it's original glory. It is a great place to take an after dinner walk or early morning walk, and the best part of all, my house is right across the street from it!  

Just saw this picture for the first time; gives me chills. I swear, I willl NEVER lose this wonderfully satisfying feeling, the kind that still gives goosebumps, that I get when I think of our kicking the Yankees sorry butts, of FINALLY winning the World Series, and of the magical whole of last season.God, I love my Sox!!

Things that make me happy...

~ side 2 of Duran Duran's Rio...it is fabulous.
~ my name. I mean, for years, I hated it, wished I had been called something exotic or different like Rachael or Lola, anything but Christine. But I like it now , and usually prefer it over Chris, though a few call me Chrissie, which ain't bad, either.
~the soothing tocking of the antique banjo clock that I recently received from my Mom. It reminds me of being a kid , and feeling secure and happy.
~ the way that my customer's at work show their appreciation for the job that I do. A pat on the back every now and then goes a long way, and is so cool.
~ clean hair; the way it smells, moves, looks...even makes the ever increasing white hairs look good!
~ the white ( not gray) hairs that I am getting. They act as a natural highlight to my very dark blonde hair. And nope, I won't colour, ever!
~ a day off. Even if I have to do errands and stuff, and though I like my job, it is so nice to NOT have to be anywhere for one day!

Here is my son, Robert( on the right), with two of his friends at his freshman/sophmore semi-formal, May 14, 2005.

Directions:Take as Needed

I am not the best at remembering to take pills, like vitamins. I start out with the best of intentions. For about the first week to week and a half, I take said vitamin every morning, first thing, and walk around feeling pretty good about myself, proud of the fact that I actually remembered to take the darn thing, and that I am doing right by myself, not only physically but mentally as well.
Then, at about the 7-10 day mark, I start to get complacent; I tell myself that hey, I feel pretty good, so it's ok if I skip taking my vitamin on a given day. I will just get back on track the next day, and I will be back on the road to super wellness. Next day comes and I am in a hurry, to busy to stop and take the 10 seconds necessary to swallow a pill with a splash of water; but it's ok, I tell myself. I still feel good, so missing another day can't be all that bad, right? Well, before you know it, time has passed, and I am rummaging through the cabinets looking for an errant bandage or pair of shoelaces, and there are my vitamins, the ones that I was so set on taking faithfully, but that I managed to let fall by the wayside. I hold the bottle for a minute, read about all the benefits within on the label, and tell myself that I will start taking them again on Sunday. The beginning of the week is a good time to start things, yes? Jump forward to a year later, where I am tearing apart the kitchen during a vigorous round of spring cleaning. I find that now dusty bottle of good health, and seeing that the contents within have long since expired,I throw them into the trash along with the remnants of a winter's seasons worth of Nyquil and Robitussin, and those school pictures of the kids that I thought I had lost. And I come to the realisation that I once again have let a chance to improve my health wither away(along with yet another $15.00 wasted)
But upon reflection, I really haven't deprived myself of all of the perks that come with taking care of myself by finding something that is good for me in a myriad of ways, for I, the procrastinator that I can be, have found something that I do not need to take daily in order to get me to a healthy, more happier place. It is almost magical(not, it is NOT a drug of any form , nor alcohol) in the way that it works. You see, I can take it on say, Monday morning, and even if I forget it for the next two days, I still reap the rewards of what it provides. It's akin to having a fluid IV at the hospital when dehydrated; it's a constant thing, and though it may be uncomfortable, or even painful to take at times, overrall, it is most beneficial. But unlike the IV, there is no need to go to the hospital, nor the doctor, to receive it. Anyone can get it, and although it is not easy to attain and takes an effort , once you have it, it's healing powers are lifesaving, and you find yourself going back to it again and again. And better still, it is safe to take any number of times throughout the day! There is no need to worry about too much being a bad thing, as the side affects are nothing to be afraid nor wary of.
So what is this wondrous thing that offers and gives so very much, and is so good for you? Want to find out for yourself? There is no 800# to call, no website to visit, no money to invest. Just simply pick up the phone, make a call to that special someone whom you call friend, hear their voice... and let the well-being begin.

Together at last, Wally and the Phanatic! 

Ruminations

Here is the poorly translated version in french( those online translators don't quite catch the words right, do they?)
quel est joli?
Ce qui est old exceptional d'it small sweet high tight de pretty?Is jeune, dans lui uniqueness or intimidating, parce que c'est of(but de manque là est quelque chose pas, aux bedenied)Does il residein, un eyeor singulier fait l'itget perdu dans la traduction, le trésor d'itglossy naughty reserved a d'universal?Is, hidden close sur la surface, les esprits de (but, it)Is trop closed may de manque que l'itprogrammablepredicatableor peut lui être, loin de l'ordinary(si les yeux non opacifiés, pourraient seulement see)
quel est joli ?
est-il moi ?
Chrissie 05.12.05
And in english..
What is pretty?
Is it
small
Sweet
High
tight
young old
exceptional, in it's uniqueness
or
intimidating,for it's lack of
(but there's something not,
to be denied)
Does it
reside
in,
a singular eye
or does it get lost
in the translation,
universal?
Is it
glossy
Naughty
Reserved
a treasure, hidden close to the surface,
(but minds, too closed may miss it)
Is it programmable
Predicatable
or can it be,
far
from the ordinary
( if eyes not clouded,
could only see)
What is pretty?
Is it me?
Chrissie 05.12.05

Wanderings of the baseball variety...

~ all kids should have a baseball glove(preferably a Rawlings, The Finest in the Field! (tm) )my fave. Why? Because baseball is like instant oatmeal- add ball to glove, VOILA!!, a game of catch. Add bat to ball, VOILA!!! batting practise which is fun and instructive at the same time(hand-eye coordination, building strength..) It's easy and quick. No pressure. No special clothing or place to play needed, and said kid gets the opportunity to be out in the fresh air, having fun. Besides, there is NOTHING like a well worn glove; it feels good, retains that cool leathery smell for what seems to be forever, and a game of catch is a great boredom killer. It also works wonders for separating battling siblings; take one out to play catch, and violence is abated. (DISCLAIMER:Do NOT let battling siblings play catch together!! In a vengeful hand, bat/ball=hard throw/hit to head=....just don't do it, trust me)
Besides, what really is finer(besides Kevin Millar) than that satisfying sting your hand gets when the ball meets the Rawlings on an mid-spring day, with the sun warming your face and the new grass greeting your senses? Not much.

Wanderings..

~my 16 year old has yet to go to a concert. I went to my first at 13, unchaperoned at 15.
~my 20 year old nephew shops at the same fine establishments that I did at his age; Salvation Army and the local thift shop. He is too cool.
~the f***ing Yankees are in the cellar...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
~my daughter loves her new red shoes. And she really couldn't care less if no-one else does. She is too cool, also.
~I have 3 (blooming) houseplants. Seems my black thumb had some green in it, afterall.
~the Sox play game two of a doubleheader at 5:00p.m. today. Baseball is most conducive to a great Sunday.
~Mother's Day is a farce, just a Hallmark holiday. Be nice and appreciative all year, or better yet, put the dishes away without being yelled at to on say, October 29th. THAT would be a good Mother's Day.
~my best friend who is a single dad is THE best Dad/Mom that any kid, no matter their age, could ask for. Amazing, he is.
~today is a good, good day. I will revel in it until my body begs my eyes to seek the soothing darkness, and I will deal with tomorrow, well, tomorrow!

Another fine reason to love Red Sox baseball..... 

So...

things are really pretty sucky right now, but...
the bad times seems to bring out the best in others(namely, my friends), and for that, and them, I am eternally grateful.
The crummy period I am in right now also, strangely, makes me realise how fortunate I am to have all of the GOOD things in my life, which aren't too numerous to mention, but honestly, I don't feel like doing it right now , and this being my blog, I can get away with that bit of laziness, SO THERE! =)
Thanks to all(and you DO know who you are)..you're lifesavers, truly.

The following is not any kind of feminazi declaration of freedom, nor is it a shedding of a man simply because I need to 'find myself', or any other such psychobabble. It is merely me, saying, ENOUGH.

A
lack of dependence
is a deliverance,
from
is a gain of freedom
that grows,
deep inside
a
hint, now
of forever Spring
that will bloom,
I know
for I
no longer
Need you
Not,
is where I
came to,
in the dark
Oppression
an obsession
that I choose,
to lose, along
with you
for I
no longer
Want You
to,
demean
control
you left,
your soul
discarded,
long ago
we can never,
be the same
configuration,
that we were
before
for I
no longer,
Admire
aspire,
to please
I am up, from
my knees
you cannot
make me
take me,
where I don't
want,
to be
for I
Won't let,
you
for I
know
that I,
can grow
in spite of,
you
separation,
is liberation
for I
no longer,
Love You.
Chrissie 05.01.05