Adam's Birthday

This post is about 2 of my favorite things: My friend Adam Jones, and the Letter Writer's Alliance.

Adam's birthday is in September.  Coincidentally, I happened across the LWA and was in the process of joining it in August.  While link-hopping on the LWA site*, I wandered over to 16 Sparrows, the shop belonging to the LWA founder, Donovan B. (Heads up, a few of the items have strong language on them.  You were warned.  I chose to overlook those, though, and shop anyway, mainly because the tag line was so intriguing: "Sarcasm folded in half"! Lol!)

For as long as I can remember, Adam has always had this persona about him that says "I'm more refined and educated than you, simply because I'm Adam Jones.  But you're a great person too, so don't let it bother you."  He's incredibly smart, his wit is razor sharp without ever being cruel in any way and I ALWAYS come away from a visit with him feeling like he has not only identified points of worth and value in both of us during the course of the conversation, but that I have also learned something new and valuable for having had his insight and point of view.  I'm probably making a mess of explaining how I love to visit with him**, but that's the best I have right now. :)

Getting back to the story...
As I was shopping 16 Sparrows, I found the PERFECT birthday gift for Adam.  We don't have a tradition of exchanging birthday gifts, but I could not resist.  I added the item to my cart along with my LWA membership and eagerly awaited its arrival.  As (not so great) luck would have it, it was actually a long while later- November, I think- before we were able to schedule time to meet and chat, but it was worth the wait. Excellent Greek food at the Douglasville Diner, excellent conversation and fun, and I captured Adam opening his gift:

I love so much that it came wrapped in brown paper, tied up with string. :)

Adam getting a good look at the Awesomeness that is...

Photo from 16 Sparrows.  Click HERE to order your own set!!!

You can find Adam's blog here.  He will probably give me flak again for saying this, as I did in a previous post about him, but I'm going to do it anyway: for those of you who may be new around here, Adam's blog often contains inappropriate language and content.  But it contains much hilarity too, and he's been my friend these many years, so I follow and read it whether it aligns with my own views/upbringing/morals/what-have-you or not.  Stop by and give him a "hi" if you want to.  Don't if you don't.  He's understanding and gracious that way.

Happy Birthday (and a quarter, by now), Adam!!! :)

*You can join the LWA without going to 16 Sparrows.  Here is the LWA site and membership info.
**Adam and I discovered in high school that although we adore each other as friends, there was/is not and would NEVER be any sort of romantic attachment/emotions/complications.  That fact = no potentially awkward moments when we get time to catch up!  Which is awesome, because the conversation flows so much more freely.  People often comment, "Oh, so you love him like a brother, then?"  Actually, the answer to that is no, not really.  We each of us have family issues we would never wish on anyone, let alone someone we are FRIENDS with, so that sort of "sibling I never had" feeling?  Nope, we don't have that either.  What we do have is "I met you years and years ago and took time to get to know you as a person, and my life is so much richer as a result; let's respect each other's differences and find common ground for conversation and enjoy each other's company over tea and good food."  Yeah.  That's us. :) :)

Looking Ahead: When My Kids Are Grown...

You know, I love my Cute Gremlins.  I really, really, really do.  But the fact is, they are not going to stay little forever.  They are my true riches and home, and yes, I know that the important things are not "things" of this world.  I get it.  However.  Sometimes I find myself letting my mind wander down the road a little ways.  What will my life look like in 5 years?  (Kids ages 8, 11, 16 and 18) 10 years?  (Kids ages 13, 16, 21 and 23) 20 years?? (Cripes!  Not kids anymore at 23, 26, 31 and 33!!!  Maybe we won't strain our brains and eyeballs trying to see quite that far.  But still...)

When my babies are grown and leave the nest, there are things that I want for me.  Goals that I am working toward.  Life still to be lived at it's fullest.  Here are a few of my dreams:

My own house.  This house.  "The Amerson", by Benchmark Homes.  I got to tour one in Powder Springs some years ago and I fell in love.

Cats.  I miss my Ashleykins very much.  When I'm in my own place (see above), I want two furry felines in my life.  And I want one of them to be a seal-point Siamese with bright blue eyes.

As long as we're adding pets, I also want an Old English Sheepdog.  This is in no small part thanks to reading Pamela and Edward's adventures together over at the From The House of Edward blog.  He is gorgeous and furry and I want me one. :)  Only, I want mine to have some grey in him like this dude.  He looks more like "Max" from Disney's The Little Mermaid.

And what's a house without music?  It needs one of these.  And I will take lessons to be able to play it.

And lastly (for this list, anyway), I want both of these for my world travels.  London, Paris, Hawaii, Seattle, Scotland, Bahamas....  each one is calling my name. :)

What about you?  What dreams do you have that have to be put on hold for now, but that you fully intend on realizing at some point in the future, should the good Lord tarry?

Frank's First Football Game

I graduated from Alexander High School in June of 1999.  Since then, I have only lived a maximum of 30 miles away, and even now have moved back to my hometown and within my alma mater's district.

Tonight, the band director (who was one of my classmates back then) hosted any alumni who would come and allowed us to march down to the field with the band (oh, the memories!!!) and even play if we wanted to.  I need dental work, so I chose not to play, but Frank came along for the fun and even made some new friends in the stands (see below).

AHS beat Lithia Springs 34-21.

Without further ado, here are the pics. :)

Band Room, Sweet Band Room

Frank poses with Director and
fellow c/o 99 Alumni Andy Daniel

Jennifer and Frank during the National Anthem

Members of the Performing Arts Program singing our National Anthem

"Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave?"
Yes.  Yes, it does!

Frank's view from the top of the band stands.

Frank hangs out with the drum line in the stands.
I didn't get this Alumni dude's name, but he was nice.
He was additionally considerate in that he didn't take out my
kneecaps in his furious mallet swings when they played!

The show looks good!  Go, Cougar Band!

Musical Memory

When I was much younger
And the world was not yet so heavy
on my shoulders
I learned that I loved music.

I learned that it was
a living, breathing thing
on its own
And that I was always better
for having experienced it.

Somewhere along the way
the radio wasn't enough
to satisfy my cravings
to apease my appetite for melody.

So I followed its call
to learn an instrument
A clarinet
My own means of
instant musical gratification.

I joined the ranks of that elite club
those individuals who could
glance at dots on the lined page
And make sense of them
Translate it to something beautiful
or comical or loud and frightening
or soft and haunting.

This new language I spoke fluently
I reveled in it
But as time passed
I became busy with other things of life
heartaches and joys
And I stopped reading the dots on the lined page
until the language was halted.  Broken.  Foreign.  Lost.

This year I turned 30
and looked back over
What my life has been so far
And where I want it to go
From here.

I missed that knowledge
that I used to have
that brought me such happiness
and swelled up inside my soul
like a flower blooming
until it can't bloom out any more.

So I take myself to task again
with posters of piano chords
and fingering charts
and sheets of that lost language
of dots on the lined page.

For, my soul is in need of feeling
of emotion
of passion
of depth
of life and breath.

Not content to relearn only what I once knew
Now I need more
the thirst is never quenched
note by note
chord by chord
song by song

Building
Swelling
Crescendoing

Like a breaking storm or
a wave of the sea
Quiet at first but then
crashing and deafening

This is who I am
What I want in my life
What I love
What I need
Like Oxygen or Energy.

Now I am older
And the world has been heavy
on my shoulders
But music changes it somehow
Lightens the load
Eases the sorrows
Heightens the joys

It breathes new life
into my humanity
And I am always better
for having experienced it.

More Birthday Week Fun

Painting by Jean Raoux

I'd already planned on finding something for today's Poetry Wednesday from the "Best of Ogden Nash" book that I picked up from the library.

Imagine my amusement when, on page 47, I found this lovely little verse:

A LADY THINKS SHE IS THIRTY

Unwillingly Miranda wakes,
Feels the sun with terror,
One unwilling step she takes,
Shuddering to the mirror.

Miranda in Miranda's sight
Is old and gray and dirty;
Twenty-nine she was last night;
This morning she is thirty.

Shining like the morning star
Like the twilight shining,
Haunted by a calendar,
Miranda sits a-pining.

Silly girl, silver girl,
Draw the mirror toward you;
Time who made the years to whirl
Adorned as he adored you.

Time is timelessness for you;
Calendars for the human;
What's a year, or thirty, to
Loveliness made woman?

Oh, Night will not see thirty again,
Yet soft her wing, Miranda;
Pick up your glass and tell me, then-
How old is Spring, Miranda?