Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Groove Is In The Heart

Day 10 of The Challenge...

Songs You Listen To When You Are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad...

Hmmmm...you would think this would be MY kind of question but when you actually have to put certain music to a mood, it gets hard. I don't even think I classify songs for certain moods.

Ok, if I am happy, (which is usually the case), I am dancing, singing, twirling...and the background music can be anything that is fun, funky, fast, loud, upbeat. I can be happy and dance to just about anything!!

Sad...hmmm...I guess if I am sad, the last thing I want to listen to is a bunch of downer music. I may put music on that is a bit more calming than my happy, dancing music. But, sometimes, if you are feeling a bit blue, some upbeat happy music is what you need!!

Bored...who has time to be bored???? Seriously???

Hyped...I am always on some sort of hyper-kick...just watch me at a Dark Star Orchestra concert...:) Again, no set type of songs. Just crazy, upbeat...

Mad...well, if I am really, really mad, I may crank hard core songs...it just depends on the reason I am mad and who I am mad at...

Today's challenge was sort of a bust for readers, huh? In a nutshell, my good time songs tend to be all over the place...it would be easier to list what type of songs I would not be listening to...new country, top 40, syrupy sweet songs...not my thing...

Music should make you groove...














Monday, October 18, 2010

Every Picture Tells A Story

After a whirlwind weekend of football game, early departure to Kentucky, an entire day of viewing all things college, dinner with my sweet sorority sister and the trip back home, I am getting back in the swing of things. Only to view my week and see it all stacked up with one activity after another. Oh, well...life is never boring!

I am going to continue with my Challenge Of The Day...Today is Day 9 of The Challenge!

Name something that you have been proud of in the past few days...

Well, I could tell you but sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words...

She is my senior, my one and only child, the cheerleader (gasp! Next year she will get a new nickname), she makes me smile, she makes me nuts, she makes me cry tears of joy, she is my hero (c'mon...can you think of anyone who has had back surgery/heart surgery and is still out there cheering and flipping and a grade ahead of where she should be?), this is the cheerleader at her last high school homecoming...sniff, sniff. But, my tears of all her lasts, quickly turn into tears of pride, when I look at the roads that are next to come, in her life. She is my greatest accomplishment!!










Friday, October 15, 2010

Life In One Day

This is Day 8 of The Challenge...today's question fits in nicely with my upcoming weekend. The cheerleader and I are off to tour one of her fav college choices for the second time and she will fill out her application while we are there. It's an exciting time for her and so I want to be there to encourage, support, cheer and share in her excitement. It's a big deal and I want her to experience all that the next step in her life has to offer!!

Challenge...List your short term goals for the month.

1. Get the college applications filled out and sent.
2. Get senior pictures done.
3. Make my plan for Cosmic Charlie now that the season is over for farmer's market.
4. Get a new display ready for Cosmic Charlie at The Depot and make my fans aware of where to buy their breads and rolls, now.
5. Get my filing and organizing done for my Soroptimist paperwork.
6. Delegate, delegate, delegate (something that is hard for me.)
7. Get the yard and house ready for the end of autumn.
8. Enjoy the days of warm sun, vibrant colors, and Indian summer.
9. Remember to enjoy, to love, to be patient and to be kind.
10. Make each day a personal best!









Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Nights On Broadway

Day 7 of The Challenge...

Post a picture of something or someone that has had the greatest impact on your life.

Hmmmm...the list cannot be just one thing, for me. But, here it is...




I grew up in the midwest, went to college in the south, and then took off for California. I was a flight attendant that chose to make her home base, Los Angeles. I will never forget catching sight of this sign on arrival. I could see the sign from one of my apartments. The thrill, the realization that I had blown the popscicle stand of my hometown and went west. Thrilling!






As a flight attendant, my first trip was from LAX to JFK. The trip that will forever remain in my mind as DISASTER...lol. I was a brand new flight attendant, called out on my first reserve day, to fly as the Number 1 flight attendant. On a DC-10. Full flight. Full cocktail and lunch service. I was near tears as we landed at JFK. Luckily, I had a DYNAMITE cool, eclectic, fun crew...all helpful, all happy to have a novice on board. My tears dried up the minute our cabs hit the city....once again, it took my breath away. I was in the land of magic and could hardly wait to make this city my second home, as often as I could.




Living in Los Angeles, I had a friend who's family owned an apartment in San Francisco. We would spend many weekends, there, exploring, dining, drinking...San Francisco became my fav city of all cities. I felt so overwhelmed to look up the old haunts of what used to be the dwellings and hang outs of so many of my worshipped bands of the 60s. J and I also have a special history in San Francisco. I guess, to sound corny, I could say that I lost my heart TO San Francisco and IN San Francisco...



There have also been people, in my life, that have made big impacts...

J
The cheerleader
My inlaws
My grandparents
My bff from high school
My sorority sisters












Wheel In The Sky

The past few days have been perfect fallish days. Warm sun, crisp air, perfect temperatures. The kind of days that make you want to be outside just soaking it all up. The colors are starting to multiply and turn into golds, reds, oranges and shimmer as the sun shines throught the leaves on the trees.

In my ever changing moods, I will never end my love affair with autumn. I go nuts for the weather, for the apples, for the fall wardrobe, for football, for chilled mornings that turn into warm afternoons. Fall is where it's at, in my book.

I am lucky enough to have a convertible, as you all may know her as Elle Woods, my pet name for her. And, although J thinks I am crazy, autumn is my fav time to drive her. I like the brisk morning drives with the top down and I like the chilled evening drives. I really love the sunny drives that let you drive through falling leaves. I love to hear the crunch of the leaves as you zip through country roads.

The other day I had a few errands to run and decided to take all country roads to get there. I had the top down, Journey blasting from my Ipod, and I was racing over the crunchy leaves. I was immediately transported back to high school on fall days. I remember the wild abandon that you felt on one of these perfect days when we all raced out and jumped in cars and just drove around. Back then, it's what we did. Jumped into muscle cars of guys and drove. Most of the time, my group of friends would have to quickly return for marching band practice or cheer practice or tennis practice but we had that hour of just reckless (late 70s, we were all reckless) driving in sunshine, letting your hair blow, blaring music and just happy to be a carefree teen with a sunny afternoon on your side.

When I got home and put Elle Woods in her spot in the garage, I just smiled at how a girl can grow up but she doesn't have to grow old. Bring on the sun, I have more roads to conquer!!













Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lady Jane

Today is Day 6 of The Challenge...

Who is your favorite super hero?

Well, if you know me, you know this is the only choice for me...Lady Penelope. Lady Penelope of The Thunderbirds fame!!! She was elegant and stunning as a puppet and then came to life on the big screen just as stunning and elegant as a human. She is my kind of lady. My kind of girly-girl fighting crime in a pink car, in a mansion, her hair is never out of place, she wears kick-arse clothes and hats and is the ultimate in GIRL POWER!!!







And, no tribute to Lady Penelope would be complete without the classic Thunderbirds montage....




And so I thought an elegant song to toast Lady Penelope would be one of my favs, Lady Jane...I always thought the title, Lady Pamela would be nice. Maybe I should become a super hero!!



Monday, October 11, 2010

White Rabbit

If you enjoy me, here, at My Ever Changing Moods, make sure to follow me on my newly launched sister blog,here,as I ramble around the kitchen. My Ever Changing Moods and Pamela In Kitchenland...twice the fun!

Follow my rambling thoughts AND feed your head!!

Welcome To Miami

Day 5 of The Challenge....

Post a picture of a place where you have visited.




A picture of South Beach....as you all know, we used to live in Florida and still go back, yearly, for winter vacays. Miami and South Beach are usual stops for us. I love the sights, sounds, foods and attire that come with visiting Miami. It's an electric city full of an energy known only to South Florida. South Beach is one of my fav areas for shopping and people watching. The pastels and neon all meet up to offer the backdrop of lights for nightlife, there. There is no other coffee quite like Cuban coffee. The cuisine it tropcial/ethnic/soulful....to me, Miami is one of my fav cities to visit. And, to be out on the water approaching the Miami skyline is so exciting!! As the skyline gets closer, you can't help but belt out, Welcome To Miami!!






Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Yesterday was a beautiful day and now that the month of October has hit, that means our business is now closed on Sundays and J gets some much needed down time on a Sunday. It was sooooo nice outside that we decided to get a few things taken care of that can only be done with his help.

One of the things needing to be done, one last time for the season, was to trim all of the surrounding bushes and landscape. I was on the front porch, supervising, and my eye caught sight of a very old, very antique wicker rocker that sits in one corner. This rocker had been handed down and handed down on my side of the family. I got it when I was living in an old historic aparment and needed a chair for my terrace area. I was given this when my grandfather was cleaning out his garage. Since I was in my early 20's, I really didn't care about the history or where it came from. Yesterday, I saw it in a whole new light. I was drawn to the shredded fabric and I started thinking that it was time to find new fabric to cover the cushions. As I continued to inspect the rips and tears, I found layers and layers and layers of fabrics that had been used, for the same purpose, over the years. Nobody had ever just stripped the entire fabric off to start fresh. They just continued to upholster over each pattern. I was able to expose enough different patterns to form a sort of kaleidoscope of colors, shapes and patterns. I started to make up all sorts of stories, in my head, for each piece of fabric. I wondered about the year, the time in history, the person who chose that particular fabric. Did it come from a bolt of fabric, a worn dress, a worn shirt, did the paisley print come from some sort of boho skirt?

In my ever changing moods, I no longer have anyone left in my family to answer these questions for me. I have no idea how old this chair is. I don't know how many family members used it before it found it's home with me. Who sat in this chair? What has this chair seen? I would like to think that some of the fabrics used came from my chair sitting in the Haight, for a period of time in the 60s, or at a big farmhouse that housed groups of friends all living, cooking and making music, together. Maybe people sat in it while watching monumental changes in history take place. Maybe the fabrics were recovered from fellow fashionistas that came before me. I started to wonder if maybe I was rocked, as a baby, in this chair by my own grandmother? I will never know. I will never have the answers.

The rip in the chair and the exposed layers of fabric seemed so symbolic, to me, this weekend. I had an unpleasant encounter, of sorts, with a family member. The type of encounter was nothing new but for some reason, it transported me, back in time, to where I was young and felt let down and disappointed for the millionith time. One more time, my feelings were hurt and felt like a big rip in my soul. I used to just daydream and look at life through rose colored or happy glasses. I would tell myself that someday, I would find peace and love. I was the girl with kaleidoscope eyes. So when I glanced down and studied this fabric, I knew that it could be mended, I knew that it could go on to bigger and better things and I knew that with a bit of love and preserving of the existing layers, it would continue on it's journey for the next generation lucky enough to have the chair handed down to them.

Maybe it possesses a sort of magic that falls on each person as they become the next girl with kaleidoscope eyes in need of a bit of magic...