Jennifer at Conversion Diary blesses me daily. (and she publishes full feeds via email, so I never miss a blessed word!) Did y'all catch her thoughts on offering up the suffering of childbirth this week? Gripping. I'm so honored that she invites us to share our own Quick Takes with her each week.
1.
Honestly? I've never been a big fan of Valentine's Day. It's all a bit commercial for me. If I was on top of things, I would have gotten a little something from Bold Avenue's enough with the mushy stuff line.
2.
I am, however, a GIGANTIC fan of my own sweet Valentine. Our first date was February 1, 1996, and less than two weeks later he gave me a big ol' teddy bear for our first Valentine's Day. I named him Max. Little did I know then that ten years later, Max would be a favorite friend of our first child. Here's a video of a seventeen month old Dacey mauling "her" beloved bear.
3.
My friend Christy helped arrange our first date, as well as our first formal function . . . a classy little date night called "Chi Os in Cuffs." Yes, handcuffs were involved. My mother was so proud. Regrettably, the only picture I have of this event is forever encased underneath a layer of liquid glass epoxy on the lapboard I made him to mark the one year anniversary of our first date.
4.
He still uses that lapboard. And he cooks nearly every meal on the weekends. And if I'm feeling nappish, he supervises Big so that Little and I can indulge in long Sunday afternoon naps. And when he has to be in The City (Okie Speak for Oklahoma City) for any reason, he more often than not will come home bearing Godiva. le. sigh.
5.
We'll be celebrating Valentine's Day this year the best way we know how - at home with our Little Hearts. Steaks grilled outside will be involved, forty-degree forecast be darned. (He'd fire up the grill in the snow if occasion called for it.)
6.
Last Saturday, I told him I could use a little time to recharge and refuel. Preferably by myself and preferably outside of the house. He said sure, and I began making mental plans to take my writing notes and go somewhere quiet to continue some work on the book. But he suggested maybe I should take the camera and the tripod and just go explore and play. Play? But I had work to do! But what I really needed was to recharge on the creative front, and he knew that better than I knew it.
I took his advice and at the edge of town I found an aging train depot that sits alongside still functioning tracks. Nothing in me knows what to do with still shots. I love shooting people as I find people endlessly fascinating. I just don't have any vision for shooting objects, yet everything I read on developing a creative eye encourages going beyond what is comfortable and constantly trying new stuff.
No color punch here - the sky was really this blue
and my feet were really this bare
I had just read an article on In Camera Black and Whites and was intrigued, so I decided to try it. I like how these turned out (again, no processing):
7.
One last Valentinesy note.
Ever wonder what happens to elementary ed teachers who leave the classroom to be home with their little ones?
I think I know the answer now.
They funnel all that creative energy into showing up the rest of us less-inspired moms at events such as the library story time group's Valentine's Party.
Behold:
Note the carefully handcrafted candy necklace complete with scalloped-edged sweetheart of a tag the girls received at the party. Compare to the flimsy tear-apart generic-o mass-produced hastily-labeled sorry excuse for a Valentine my own children handed out. You can spot us former Secondary teachers a mile away, can't you?
(EE mamas - you know I am teasing from a place of sheer intimidation and pure jealousy of your crafty-cutesy ways!)
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One little bonus take - this week I made a glorious discovery in finding my way to The Run a Muck. Twitter connected us (how many times have I said that lately? Why was I so hesitant to join up?) and I have been awash in amazement as I read there. Amber's writing dances with weight and sparkles with precise imagery, and it's no surprise that life before babies found her on the path to a MFA in poetry. I couldn't possibly pick a recent favorite, but I wanted to point you towards Wednesday's post titled "husband." That first paragraph? Exactly how I feel when my own husband comes through that door at the end of each work day.
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Enjoy those you love this weekend.
