Lyrics to Love

Words can be so powerful....they can paint a picture....they can conjure up a memory.....they can make you laugh and they can make you cry....they can inspire. I love words.

Because of my adoration for the written language, I have a great appreciation for song lyrics. I'm constantly dissecting the meanings to a song and I enjoy sharing my new finds with my friends.

I'm actually quite shocked when people don't really know the lyrics to a song that they are singing. I heard my husband humming and singing along to a new song the other day and when I asked him about the lyrics, he shook his head and said that he really didn't know what the song was about.

Really? How is that possible?

Now, I am a HUGE music fan and like most people, I love a catchy tune. You can often see me bopping in my car, singing at the top of my lungs to almost ever song on the radio; however, if that song doesn't have strong lyrics I eventually lose interest.

Although I believe that great lyrics will forever hold their meaning and speak to generations way beyond the time that they were written. My intention here is really just to post lyrics that I truly enjoy and find interesting or that speak to me personally.

If there is a song lyric or a verse that speaks to you, please share them with me I would love to see what you enjoy listening to and maybe find a new favorite song.

If this post does anything, I hope that it will inspire you to listen a little more closely to the lyrics of your favorite songs.

Here is one of my all time favorite songs. The lyrics are so touching and brings back many memories of my own. I hope you like it. Try and see if you can guess the name of the song & artist:

Met my old lover in the grocery store

The snow was falling Christmas Eve

I stood behind her in the frozen foods

And I touched her on the sleeve

She didn't recognize the face at first

But then her eyes flew open wide

She went to hug me and she spilled her purse 

And we laughed until we cried

We took her groceries to the check out stand

The food was totaled up and bagged

We stood there lost in our embarrassment

As the conversation lagged

We went to have ourselves a drink or two

But couldn't find an open bar

We bought a six-pack at the liquor store 

And we drank it in her car

We drank a toast to innocence

We drank a toast to now

We tried to reach beyond the emptiness

But neither one knew how

She said she's married her an architect

Who kept her warm and safe and dry

She would have liked to say she loved the man

But she didn't like to lie

I said the years had been a friend to her

And that her eyes were still as blue

But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw 

Doubt or gratitude

She said she saw me in the record stores

And that I must be doing well

I said the audience was heavenly

But the traveling was Hell

We drank a toast to innocence

We drank a toast to now

We tried to reach beyond the emptiness

But neither one knew how

We drank a toast to innocence

We drank a toast to time

Reliving, in our eloquence

Another "Auld Lang Syne"

The beer was empty and our tongues were tired

And running out of things to say

She gave a kiss to me as I got out

And I watched her drive away

Just for a moment I was back at school

And felt that old familiar pain

And, as I turned to make my way back home

The snow turned into rain

"Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg


This song was written by Dan after meeting a former girlfriend from high school. Everything is pretty much accurate except that she has green eyes and her husband (at the time) was not an architect.

A Date with the Fitness Torturer

It's a dreary rainy day here in my neck of the woods and last night I was up till 2 am writing a post that I'm not sure will ever make it into my blog. Needless to say, I got up at 6:45am and proceeded to get my kids off to school. One by one I would send them off to be educated and I can crawl back into bed. Then it hit me.

I have to go to the GYM! Ahhhhh

A couple of months back I was on this rampage of trying to get healthy. It wasn't a New Years Resolution thingy, because that never works for me....rather, it was something more like "killing two birds with one stone". I figured, that if I got serious about working out, it would not only help me become more fit and healthy, it would also keep me busy enough that I wouldn't be tempted to spend my empty hours at the stores -- especially Anthropologie, Free People and Home Goods.

"Healthy Body = Healthy Pocketbook" right? (does anyone use the word pocketbook anymore?)

Anyway, in my whirlwind of work outs and gym classes, I made the decision to go ahead and sign up with a trainer. 

Now, I'm perfectly capable of sliding a disc in the DVD player or driving myself to a Zumba or exercise class, but my problem is my eventual lack of discipline. I can be all set....sneakers on, disc in, power on - play....ring ring....pause....hello? lunch? sure, I'm not busy, be there in ten....and off I go.

The great thing about my current plan is I have to go! Sure, I can cancel, but that takes effort too.

So, today, I reluctantly dragged myself out of the house, into the cold and dismal day to rendezvous with my Fitness Torturer. Only kidding, this guy is great! (I should actually say kid - he was born the year I graduated High School! Boy, do I feel OLD) Dan is quiet, reserved and totally committed. You have to be to have me as a client. I feel sorry for him, because I am not the easiest of people to train....I try to take the easy way out...I arrive right on time so I can waste some time in the locker room...I cut corners like standing a little more erect than I should, doing push ups from my knees....taking very, very long pauses between reps and scoping out the gym for my friends so I can chat. But, Dan sees all! No matter how much I complain, he just smiles and we move on to the next exercise. If I scream no more, I'm done....it hurts....he just says nope one more, keep going.

This was our conversation after my first session

In all honesty, I'm happy he pushes me. I want to be healthy and darn it, I want to look good in my bikini. 

So, with circles under my eyes, hair in a clip I made my way to the gym. Dan was already there setting up all the wonderful things that I would be doing while in his care. I held my breath, crossed my fingers and hope that I would make it to the end of the hour. I worked hard and in between breaths I was able to mutter...are you kidding me? I don't want to do that...this is way too heavy.....help.....

When the hour was up, I realized that I was still alive. I thought to myself, okay, not so bad.... in the end it will be all worth it. Summer is coming. I confirmed our next meeting and off I went to sit in the car for an hour while my body recuperated.

While writing this post, I remember that just the other day, my sister asked a question on Facebook..."When is it time to start working our for swimsuit/tank/shorts season?"

The responses were quick,  ranging from: "ummm....last year" to "I've been working on this summers swimsuit season since 1994"

I guess with Spring finally around the corner, we are all starting to primp ourselves....why not. We are as young as we are ever going to be! What are you doing to get fit? Do you have any workout programs you recommend?

If you're the disciplined typed, grab a DVD and pop it in....if, you are like me.....go make a date with a local torturer of your own for an hour.....I made it and I survived....You can too. Now, I need to go shopping! What time does the mall close again?

Three for Me

Three for Me! In this feature post, I will share three things that I absolutely ....love, love, love, love....crazy love.

Here you will get a glimpse into things that really move me and make me smile.

Now, of course, you all know that to start this feature post off properly, I need to include three of the most important things in my life......My kids.

So, the Three for Me this week: My three kids.

By the way, the awesome black & white photo above was taken by a dear friend, Scott Clinton. If you are looking for family/wedding/portrait shots, you should definitely check out his website at www.Simulacra.com 

But, I must tell you that Scott is really an artist and his work speaks for itself. He has done amazing work for various clients including up and coming rock bands to photos for ihome..... did you see the latest Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue?  www.ScottClinton.com 

Psst.....just a little note, he travels all the time up and down the East Coast, so don't be shy if you're interested....just tell him I sent you!

Don't Pass on Family Time

Originally,  I was going to post a segment on my ever so adorable and well behaved (cough..cough) kids. Well, at least that was the plan as of yesterday morning, but as the day went on and I realized that soon I would be getting into a car and driving into the neighboring state for a short getaway with the family, I had a feeling that I would need to vent....just a little...a teensy weensy, itty bitty vent session.

Now, before I go on, let me say this loud and clear.... I love my husband and I appreciate all the sacrifices that he has made to provide for our family. (The poor guy works all the time and I am damn lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life. I love you, hon.) But, why...shake, shake, shake of the head... when planning a "family" vacation break.... do I now find myself sitting in a casino in the Poconos?

Yes, we took our kids to a gambling establishment.

Is it too early to register my kids for Gamblers Anonymous? Seriously.

All 3 kids had to wear bands so people knew they were under 21
Is it really that hard to figure out?

I know, we are not the easiest to please - with two young teenagers constantly bickering with each other, an energetic eight year old (who always forgets to use her indoor voice) and a wife who secretly (okay, maybe not so secretly) wishes she could just run away - how would one find the perfect solution to a short getaway?

My poor husband took on this very task of trying to get us all excited about the break. Unfortunately for him, we were not cooperating. He asked each of us what we wanted to do and we all responded with the same generic, "I don't care." Which, by the way, really means...

"I don't want to do anything, I'm perfectly happy staying at home, in my pjs, insert your favorite pastime."

Answers:

Oldest kid - vegging out in front of the TV and sleeping
Middle kid - sitting in front of the computer and watching Youtube
Youngest kid - sitting next to my brother, in front of the computer, watching Youtube
me - sleeping...just let me sleep!

With our complete apathy for this "coveted" break, we left my poor husband, who's in dire need of a vacation, feeling...well, needless to say, and rightly so.....a bit annoyed.

So annoyed, he decided to take a Groupon deal to a nearby resort and casino and voila! Here we are.

.....hmmmm.....thinking...thinking...thinking.

Okay. It's really not that bad. In all honesty, it wasn't a totally ill conceived plan. We are staying in a nice hotel with spacious rooms and the food has been good (I totally pigged out - chocolate milkshake, california burger and fries) and apparently there's skiing and snow tubing nearby.

It's really not where we are, but rather who we are with (ugh, that sounds so cliché - but it's true).

So, kudos to my dear husband, who was only trying to get us to do something together.

This only makes up for the fact that we are not somewhere warm.....YUMMY!
The best chocolate shake I've had in years.

Family time is family time!

Next time, when you find yourself somewhere that just isn't your cup of tea, remember this:

It doesn't matter if you are sitting at home in your comfy pjs or out in a smoke filled casino, with the lights flashing and the constant ringing of the slot machines...this is valuable time you have together as a family. Embrace it.

....now, if you will please excuse me, I need to show the kids how to play the pass line.

The Big Q for a Wannabe Blogger

So here I am, sitting at my kitchen table, taking my leap into the blogging world. Some people may be rolling their eyes and thinking to themselves...ha, another newbie, let's see how long this will last. What can she possibly have to say that will keep me coming back?

In all honesty, I don't know.

All I can offer you are my thoughts and revelations about life as I see it.

One thing going for me as a possible successful blogger is that I truly love words. I love to write, be it poems, essays, school reports (yes, I used to love writing reports in school -- nerd? uh huh, and proud of it!), etc. With this little feather in my cap and the experience I received as an online contributor to a local website a few years back, why not try my hand at blogging?

So, like a good little girl, I did my due diligence, reading about blogs and how to blog, scouring the web for other bloggers and soaking up any sound advice I could find......and to tell you the truth it all became a little daunting. What can I possibly write about? What can I offer people? What will people want to read? I become paralyzed with the fear of trying to figure out what other people will want to read. Soon, I started to second guess my decision. Maybe I shouldn't blog. Who will want to hear the inner rants and raves that fly through my brain? This is not going to work. I can see it now, like many of my other adventures, I would do all the leg work and then .....*crickets chirping, chirping, chirping....nothing! Gulp!

I was beginning to wonder if this was yet another hair brain idea of mine until I woke up this morning and read a post that snapped me back to reality.

If you haven't been to her blog yet, check out Living in Yellow. It is here that Erin asked a very important question, "Who do I write for?"

That question was THE question to ask. It's a very simple question if you think about it, and the answer is very simple, if you take away all other thoughts and desires and really dig down deep to the real reason for blogging. We write for ourselves. I write for me! 

But wait, I would also like to build an audience. So what to do? This is when my movie loving self starts chanting .....If you build it they will come...(a quote from A Field of Dreams). And I smile thinking to myself...that's right, "If you write it they will read!" (my quirky extrapolation, but hey it sounds good to me).

So, to answer the question of "Who do I write for?" My response is simply.... I write for ME!

This is a place for my true thoughts and feelings...the good and the bad...the happy and the sad, because if I don't write from the heart and for myself, it will not be worth reading.

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