Thursday, December 28, 2006

Style of the 00's

Since I've been watching the "That Girl" dvd's and just re-loving the late 60's style, it's made me very aware of the "styles" of today. But I cannot figure out WHAT that style is!

I mean the 60's were mini skirts, go-go boots, Jackie O, and of course, That Girl!
The 70's were polyester Sat. Night Fever look, big collars and platforms.
The 80's were leggings, big sweaters, Flashdance, shoulder pads, ME in Jr. High.
The 90's were grunge and layers.

So WHAT are we of the 00's going to be remembered for?

Maybe it's hard to label something when you're still in the thick of it. I've posed this question all week to just about anyone I've spoken with. The only true thing (also sad thing) that anyone has come up with is: the low, low-riders, short tight shirts, and belly-button piercings. But that's already over, so what else?!

On that same note,the other day my friend made the comment that little older ladies have there own kind of style and that maybe they just stopped in a certain era they felt good about and that was age appropriate. And then we wondered what fashion era we would get stuck in and stay in as we grew into our "little old lady" phase...

As you can see, I've been doing serious soul searching this holiday season!

Monday, December 18, 2006

Age is Just a Number

If my mom were still around (other than just in my heart and my head) she would've turned 71 this past weekend. 71! And I can tell you, she would've been looking a good 10-15 years younger than that sounds.

That's not to say my mom ever did anything "fake" to perserve who youthful looks. She was just pretty and sweet and happy and vibrant and funny and THAT all added up to seeming younger than she was. When I was a kid, 70-ish sounded old. But with examples like my mom, I know that age is "just a number".

My mom is my role model of how to age beautifully and naturally. When I look at pictures of her from just a few years ago, growing older doesn't seem like a bad thing. I aspire to do it as gracefully as she did!

Friday, December 15, 2006

The Secret of a 60 Year Marriage

My favorite neighbors, Alice and Rex, are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary next week! So the other day when we were chatting I asked her what was the secret to this long marriage of theirs... She told me something about "give and take" and about having a good sense of humor. Then one of my other neighbors walked up and I told her Alice and Rex were about to celebrate 60 years of marriage. She told me she and her husband had that beat- 62 years!! So, I asked her the same question. And the first thing she said was, "Well, get married young!" Yeah, I guess you better if you want that long of a marriage!!!

Anyway, during our little discussion they both told me marriage is "no bed of roses" and that THAT is one reason why the sense of humor is so important. But Alice was sure to add that she and Rex really, really love each other and just couldn't live without one another...

I'm not so sure there is some big "secret" to a long marriage. There are ups and downs, there is good and bad. But having a partner and a witness of your whole life?!!! There's a big comfort in the thought of that. I'm so glad I have a few examples in my life that show me that it IS possible!

Monday, December 11, 2006

Marathon Weekend

For lots of people here in Dallas it was the big marathon weekend! The White Rock Marathon. For me however, it was a THAT GIRL Marathon Weekend. TVLand had something like a 48-hour marathon of the That Girl reruns. In case you're not familiar, That Girl was the CUTEST show starring Marlo Thomas that was originally aired even before I was born. Marlo played Ann Marie who was a struggling actress in New York and she was super happy and cute and sort of like a modernized I Love Lucy. What I love best about the show is all of Marlo Thomas's outfits!!! She is my new fashion icon.

I remembered the theme song but what I learned this weekend was that the theme song was only instrumental until the 5th season?! It took 5 long years for these brilliant lyrics to come together:

Diamonds, Daisies, Snowflakes, That Girl!
Chestnuts, Rainbows, Springtime
Is That Girl, she's tinsel on a tree
She's everything a girl should be!

Sable, popcorn, white wine, That Girl!
Gingham, bluebirds, broadway
Is That Girl, she's mine alone but luckily for you
If you find a girl to love, only one girl to love
Then she'll be that girl too...
THAT GIRL!

I didn't watch all 48 hours of That Girl, but I watched way more than I think I should admit here. But what a guilty pleasure!! I hadn't seen That Girl in probably more than 30 years and so it was like watching a brand new show. I'm hoping TVLand will start airing episodes regularly now. But until then, you can check it all out on the That Girl official website at www.thatgirltv.com

Friday, December 8, 2006

I'm Committing


A few years ago when my friend was in town, we decided to use my brand new home studio to record a song she and I had written when we were in about 6th grade. It was just a little ditty that we wrote when we were pissed at one of my other friends. We had written it as a joke all those years ago, and the decision to record it all these years later was just hilarious.

So we stayed up late into the night laying down all these different trackes...the guitar, vocals, harmony, percussion, and keyboard. We also filmed ourselves and made a mockumentary. It was one of the funnest nights I've ever had. She commented at the time, "GOD! This is so fun- How do you ever leave your house?"

Ironically, now a few years later as I'm ready to record songs for my next cd, I just cannot barely MAKE myself go in there and start working on it. I know if I just got started, it would probably feel good. But I find myself avoiding it in all sorts of ways. Like for example, writing this blog right now!

What is the dill, pickle?

This is the time when I need a boss telling me to get my ass in there and DO IT!!! Or a cheerleader saying "You can do it! YAY!!" I'm just going to have to be my own boss and cheerleader this time. So I am stating it here and now thinking perhaps this will encourage some accountability, I'm going to spend at least 1 hour a day working/playing (using the word play is suppose to make it sound more appealing so I've been told!) in my studio every day for a week. If I survive the week, maybe I'll extend it to 21 days. And if I get thru the 21 days, well then it might just become a habit. And then VOILA, the sky's the limit!!!

I'm excited just thinking of the possibilities...See, the energy is already changing!!!!
Give me a K-E-R-R-I!!!!!

Wednesday, December 6, 2006

Mammogram Part 2

The mammogram was so NOT want I had been told. It didn't, after all, feel like my breast (can you I use another word here? boobie? teets?) were having a garage door shut on them as I had been told it might. Whew.

The place I went, which was at Presbyterian Hospital, used a "digital" machine which is new and I was told, much better than the old one. I'm not sure if she meant "better": "less painful" or "better": "more accurate at seeing things". But hey, it was BETTER. And I was nervous and not asking many questions at that point.

My boob technician, Cindy, was SO nice- One of those women who calls you endearing names like "angel" and "sweetheart" everytime she utters a sentence. And I LIKE that. She told me as long as I didn't fight the machine I'd be fine. I hadn't planned on fighting the machine so it all worked out really well.

Within ten minutes of some awkwardness but no pain, I was done! And I got to see what it looked like. She said in all the 30 years of doing this, she got the best pictures from me!!! I don't even know what that means, but I was really PROUD!!! ;)

Monday, December 4, 2006

Mammogram

Tommorrow I have an appointment to get my first ever mammogram. This is just a "base line" that my doctor told me to get a couple of years ago. She told me that right around the time my mom died so of course, I blew it off initially. Then I went through a severe stage of thinking every ache or pain or itch I had was cancer and I was too scared to go. (I think this is common when you lose someone to cancer, right?)

But then I realized I should just go ahead and GO. And I like the idea of going for a "base line" a lot better than going because we've found something "suspicious". So a few weeks ago I made the appointment. I asked to speak to someone who could explain the procedure to me. She said something about mashing your breast between the blah, blah, blah (I don't think those were her exact words) and then I interjected, "I have really small breasts. Will that be a problem?" and she said, "Honey, we've had flat chested women as well as men. You won't have a problem at all."

I guess I asked to speak to her to get a feel for how kind and patient these people were. But even when I could hear how nice she was I still kept asking my questions. And I think I was hoping she'd tell me that once I revealed that I don't have huge breasts that can easily be manhandled in this mammogram machine there was really no need to come in.

Anyway, I know what they say about screening, early detection and all that. But it's one of those things you just want to ignore. But I know my mom would tell me to go. And so...tomorrow I will.

Friday, December 1, 2006

Oh! The Weather Outside...



I can remember as a kid LOVING big weather changes. I LOVED violent thunderstorms especially when we were at school and got to get under our desks during tornado warnings. I was never scared, just excited. And then of course, the "snow days" were the greatest! I remember watching the news really early in the morning to find out our school was closed for the day! Ya-HOO!
Once I became a teacher, I felt exactly the same way. In a fairly recent phone conversation with my sister (who now lives in Seattle which lacks the thunderstorms like we have here in Dallas) during some "severe weather event" we were having in Dallas she said something like, "Well, Kerri, if for some reason you ever die in a tornado or something, I'll know that you died happy" And she's probably right.

So having said all that, even tho I knew the weather was NOT so frightful as the Channel 8 News Team reported solidly during the entire day yesterday, the fire was so delightful! I took their warnings as a great excuse to stay home and do nothing. Close to it anyway. I read an entire novel. I saw a movie. And I ate Mexican food. All were very appropriate activites for the blizzard we experienced here in Dallas yesterday.

And I have to say, the night before WAS very exciting. Around 4pm the temperature was about 80. And it was dropping so fast that it was around freezing by the time I went to bed. Not only was there talk of snow and ice on the way, but we were under a tornado watch!!! All my favs! YAY! I could've died right then and been happy-