Dear Mssrs. Jack White, Elvis Costello, Beck and members of Phish,

 

I would like to cordially extend an invitation to  my husband’s milestone birthday bash on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at our home in beautiful Big Bear.  His name is Brian Hood and we have, accordingly, named his party “Hoodstock” (though the guest list is around 30 people, we’re into that whole “quality” over “quantity” thing).  I ask because he is a BIG fan of each of you, and has introduced much of your music into his classroom (where he teaches high school English).  You are not required/expected to play music, just hang out and bullshit, sign a few beer bottles perhaps.  Most of our guests will be other nerdy teachers and the like, so no threatening groupies will not be here.

I would love it if his birthday was made special by a surprise guest appearance by each of you.  We actually sent invites to each of you to our wedding in 2008, but we were given rejections.  We appreciated that you at least RSVP’ed.  However, and unlike the wedding, this has nothing to do with me (well maybe a little bit since I do enjoy each of your music as well) and he would be so surprised and THRILLED if you showed up and hung out. (Ignore the dangling prepositions.) 

A little bit about Brian:  He works so hard to provide a comfortable home filled with love every day.  We are going on our 3^rd year of marriage and I have never met anyone so funny, mellow, and intelligent, not to mention he SPEAKS MY LANGUAGE.  Which is an amazing feat for *any* man to do.  Plus, he’s pretty fucking hot, too. (Which probably has no bearing on your RSVP.)

Please let me know if you are able to make it. And if you can, let me know if you are allergic to dogs.  We have two incredibly goofy dogs (Kona & Juno) that would like to make your acquaintance, but can hang out elsewhere if it’s a problem (I hope it’s not since they want to party too).

Love and Light,

Connie

P.S. A favorite photo of us on our wedding day:

Wishlist Wednesday

In light of a local suicide of a young art teacher in my community, my wishlist is

that we never stop talking and loving one another and ourselves,

that silence and repression are NEVER options,

and that in doing just those very things, perhaps a life might live another day, and we will have actualized what humanity truly means.


Love and Light,
.Connie.



http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Happy Birthday, Autumn!

I celebrate you by drinking Sam Adams Octoberfest and wearing  olive colored clogs.

Farewell, Summer

I have been fighting a nasty sinus infection for the past two weeks.  By fighting it, I of course mean that I did NOT go to the doctor and did NOT take antibiotics and did NOT take anything to subdue my symptoms, but merely whined about feeling horrible the entire time.  However, I do feel myself back on the mend, which I think I can thank a night of too much wine with a good friend of mine (I love you Liz! Thanks!!).  My husband has this theory that coffee is a cure all. I almost agree; a good bottle of wine can often do the trick.

I start classes today for my last year of my MFA program (so bittersweet!).  It's a curious thing: before school let out for summer I swore aloud to a group of my peers and mentors that I would have a sketchy draft of my thesis and an overambitious draft my entire manuscript composed.

Now, since today is day ONE, I feel like a fraud.  *insert frowny face*

Sure, I wrote over the summer but nowhere NEAR how I imagined months ago my manuscript might look. And instead of a sketchy draft of my thesis where I get to spend pages of ad nauseum self-reflection and analysis on my own creative processes, I have piles of half-read research.  Cool.


But on a good note, this summer was a rediscovery some hobbies (blogging and journaling;  in an youthful eager and self-indulgent sort of way) and found some new ones (like photo editing).  And I'm not sure if it's a "milestone" age thing (since I'm hitting a big birthday within the next 365 days) but I am more aware of my enjoying my life, my mind and my body.  The latter might be the biggest discovery this has been my biggest trip up in life which then sets a domino effect on the rest of those things (mind, heart, situation, life).  Do you notice that when your body feels good, the rest will follow?  And that when you let go, stop worrying, everything else becomes more fluid?  I've hated my body for so long, for so many reasons and I finally somewhere in the last year stopped fighting it.  It has its quirks and weirdnesses but it is resilient and beautiful nonetheless (which I both do and don't mean in a superficial sort of way---after all is it really superficial to enjoy one's self???).

What are your thoughts on the connections of the heart-mind-body-community-world?  And how do they factor in to your own self-perceptions?


Enjoy a photo of my sky as it appeared this summer.  Colors have not been touched up. In fact, they are less vivid than the actual experience.