Avoiding Crisis

I have a tattoo. It’s on the inside of my left ankle. It’s made up of Japanese kanji and two teeny tiny little butterflies. The kanji translate to mean “twin” and the butterflies are supposed to represent my twin brother and I. And NO, he doesn’t have the same tattoo.

I had the tattoo done when I was a freshman in college at Ursinus College. I remember that my best friend at the time and I drove to a neighboring town and we were both inked. If I remember correctly she had got a tattoo of a turtle. Which seems so fitting since these days she can be found here.

We haven’t spoken since we both transferred colleges after our freshman year. But I have never forgotten her. To me she was Fire and to her I was Ice, needless to say we both were fans of Robert Frost’s poetry. Either that, or it had something to do with her having red hair and me having blondish hair. I really should email her.

Over the years I’ve thought about getting another tattoo. I don’t really have a great reason for wanting another, but then again, I don’t think I need a reason. The fact that I just want another and that I like them should be reason enough. (more…)

It was a beautiful day today so instead of staying inside feeling sorry for ourselves, wallowing in our soon to be state of full blown sickness, and waiting for the chicken pox to rear its ugly little head, we went to the zoo.

I’m exhausted. We’re all exhausted. But we had a really fun time.

Here are my favorite pictures from the day.

I’m not feeling a whole lot better today, maybe just a teeny weeny bit better . Thanks for asking. It’s so nice to know you care.

I’m cranky and tired and my throat still hurts. And I had an awful headache for most of the day - you know the kind that feels like someone took your head and smashed it against a brick wall a few times on each side. Aside from that, everything is just peachy.

And writing that, the word “peachy,” just reminded me about how, one summer, when I was away at Ithaca College studying video production one of the girls in the program nicknamed me Peaches. All because when I was in the dinning hall I was wearing a shirt from the movie “A League of Their Own” and a few boys that were at a basketball camp called me Peaches (it was the name of the team and therefore written in big script letters across my back) to get my attention. I was Peaches for the rest of the summer. I didn’t like that nickname back them, now I just think it was kind of funny and cute. I wish I had more nicknames.

Okay, so that was a weird digression. Back to how I’m feeling, aside from nostalgic, obviously.

So I feel, well, for lack of a better word, BLAH. And now, on top of my own crabbiness, I have two snotty kids. Though my daughter has developed this very Lauren Bacall-esque sound to her voice which just cracks me up every time she talks, so at least that’s a positive. But it means that she’s either got a touch of laryngitis or she’s smoking a pack a day behind my back. I’ll go for the former, because, after all, she is only 4.

And…drum roll please… (more…)

A few days ago I received an email from a very good family friend who also happens to be a senior at Virginia Tech.  She shared with us a very heart felt story about one of the victims that I thought I’d share with all of you.

One of my fellow dancers, Reema Samaha, was killed last Monday.  She was a beautiful dancer and person. 

I have heard this story over and over, but I thought I’d share it with all of you.  She brought a few of her high school friends with her to the Beginner’s
hour of practice. Not one of them wanted to stand next to her. She danced through the beginner’s hour, and at the end she approached Hali and asked her if she could stay and try to follow along with the advanced group.  They hesitated but said sure why not?  After about 5 minutes they all clearly
saw how wonderful she was and how talented she was and she immediately became he newest and brightest member of the advanced Hill and Veil group.

At her funeral, which I did not attend, but those high school friends of hers
did and so they shared this story, that her father was speaking about how Reema approached the pearly gates and St. Peter said she could enter on two conditions:

1. She had to teach him to bellydance.
2. She had to teach God to bellydance.

Which I’m sure she is doing both of those right now, because that’s the way she is.

On Monday, April 30th, I will honor the victims of the Virginia Tech Tragedy by taking part in a One-Day Blog Silence. Join me.