A thought for today: Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble...there's no place like home.

It was Mom's birthday

Yesterday was Mom's birthday.  The kids were very excited.  I think mostly to eat the cupcakes they helped me make on Sunday, but well before that they were throwing out phrases like,"this is the best party ever" or "this is a great birthday".  And then I wondered - was it?

My mother's birthday consisted of the following:

1 - spend day at school (during vacation) with om team

2 - pick up my kids at babysitter

3 - dinner of pizza and salad

4 - cupcakes made by kids and I

5 - presents and cards  (funny note here: Kate and I shopped for separate gifts and didn't speak to each other regarding the details of what we had gotten.  I got two candles for her - one green and one pink. Kate got her new placemats, green with pink flowers - just so funny that we coordinated with out even discussing it)

I certainly hope that the hurried "celebration" was enough to let her know that she is loved and so important to us.  My Mom turned  57 yesterday, which gives me about three years to plan something truly special for a truly special person on her next milestone.

CHANGING "The Space Between"

So I'm getting rid of starting all my posts with "The Space Between...something and something"

Why? Because it's too much darn work! So many times this month I've wanted to sit down and share a story or put some thoughts on something together and I haven't been able to get past the title!

So that's over. I'm over being clever with titles. Maybe.

That said, "the space between" things and thoughts and feelings remains one thing that I will and do muse about quite often.

PS Does anyone even read this?

The Space Bewteen...6 more weeks of winter or just winter

Phil (Bill Murray): This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather. (Groundhog Day, 1993)

yes that's right friends...
today is Groundhog Day. every year on feb 2 a rotund rodent is plucked from his slumber, observed to see if shadow is cast, and then held aloft for thousands of shivering on lookers to applaud. if he "sees" his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter. if not, early spring. oh. my. god.
why? why can't American's (and Canadians for that matter, you don't get off the hook here either) let go of this ridiculous observance? or more accurately, why won't media let this gigantic waste of time and effort go away? Google, Fox, MSN - come on.
A side note: Thank you, former employer CNN for holding out some brief glimmer of hope. As of this writing I didn't see an annoying article on your site.

besides wondering at the relatively free schedule of the 13,000 people one story said were there to observe "Phil's forecast", i have to wonder why a picture caption including "sees shadow, in shock returns to hole" is AP worthy? of course he was in shock. groundhogs hibernate until march or april! that in itself should make this silly day go away.

for those of you prone to enjoy this seemingly ancient and antiquated frivolity, you would enjoy these crazy people. seems there is actually a group of distinguished looking (looking being the operative word here) people who have charmed the media into covering this monstrosity of a holiday.

my final thought on groundhog day is this:
Dear Fox and MSN: Please find something else to talk about on Feb 2, 2010. We need to move beyond Groundhog Day.
Dear Groundhog Club of Punxsutawney: I'm sorry. Being from a small town too, I can sympathize that this is important to you. But really...we as a society, should be over this. And I'm kinda thinkin Phil would agree...