Hall & Oats or Bedroom & Paprika

"Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives"  The tagline to the longest running Soap Opera reminds us not to take each grain for granted, at some point there will be only a few grains of sand left and they too will be slipping through our hands leaving us w/ nothing.  Unfortunately this doesn't apply to the sand that stays in my shoes after a stroll on the beach, cant get rid of the stuff!


Aaron and I just returned from his Grandmothers funeral.  She was a lovely woman who raised 5 boys after imigrating here from Vienna, Austria in 1948.  Her name was Edletrude but went by "Trudy" for short. When sharing her name w/ someone she would reference The Sound of Music tune Edleweiss to encourage a proper pronunciation.  My name is simple, I don't think there are any songs written about it.  I met Trudy a handful of times over the 9 years Aaron and I have been kickin it.  She welcomed me like one of her own and even gave me the lit'l pet name Toby, not sure why but it was all she would call me. I felt embraced by the attention she gave me. I will carry this memory w/ me into my future as a reminder to smile. 

I caught a portion of the movie "Nanny McPhee Returns" during this visit,  it is a children's movie staring Emma Thompson and Maggie Gyllenhaal.  A story about a household of ill behaved children who are driving their poor mother to the brink while she waits for her husband to return from war.  Nanny McPhee is a spiritual godsent w/ a big stick and arrives to the doorstep to whip these children into shape.  She does this by teaching them 5 lessons using her whimsical magic powers:

Lesson #1: stop fighting                                                                  

Lesson #2: share nicely

Lesson #3: help each other

Lesson #4: be brave

Lesson #5: have faith

as the storyline progresses she is able to wrestle these children into submission and manages to complete each lesson.  In one scene the children ask Nanny McPhee about the medals she is wearing on her blouse, she rattles off each one by answering  "courage, kindness, resolve, imagination, enthusiasm & leaps of faith".  I believe she also had a basket weaving medal.  I liked this part of the movie best because I currently don't wear any medals. I may have won a trophy somewhere along the line, Track, Basketball, Music/Theater......never did get that Cub Scout Pine Wood derby medal, got beat by my own brother...JERK!   I have never had anything pinned to my chest that states I am Top Notch! The Bee's Knees, completely Rad!  seeing Nanny's medals made me realize I can pin a medal to my own chest, award it to myself. perhaps a star medal w/ a multi green striped fabric swatch that will represent, Straight Shooter.  awarded for my ambition of keeping it real.  If ever asked, where and whom I received this, I will say from a great authority. I like how Nanny McPhee keeps things simple, it's not necessary to complicate things. Shoot it to me straight, don't spin it, don't cradle it....throw it at me. Until I cry.... then you should just stop and be quiet for god sakes, maybe grab me a tissue and turn on an Elton tune. "Tonight"  would be lovely.

Peace, Pace, & Lurve