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September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

In which I am breaking up with Reebok

So yesterday the husband and I had a lunch date complete with shopping. Since the husband needed new athletic shoes, our first stop was the Reebok outlet where he found what he needed and I noticed some cute Puma-like black suede thingies on clearance. The box was marked $29, but since they were the wrong size, I grabbed a half-size down and headed for the check-out. They rang up at $49, so I offered to go and get the correctly marked box for the clerk. When I returned, he pointed out that the ones marked $29 were actually men's shoes and that mine were correctly priced at $49. I stood there for a second, working out the sexist math. "But these are identical shoes, right?" "Oh, yes. Identical." "And you're charging me $20 more for mine because I'm a woman." AND HE SAID YES.

Seriously. It's the twenty-first century and they are charging close to twice the price for the same shoe just because I have ovaries. Actually, if we want to split shoelaces here, it was LESS shoe because the men's shoe was larger. So they are charging me almost double and offering me less product. Because of my gender. Nice.

And here's the thing, I've been with you for years, Reebok. Mine was the generation that put you on the map with our leggings and tights and slouchy socks. We danced to Madonna's first album in you. We practiced our pep squad routines in you and wore you on dates. We wore you every single day in college. We wore you BEFORE "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". But if this is how you're going to treat us, we're done. I'm going to be seeing other companies,and no, I'm pretty sure we can't still be friends, and just so you know, it's not me, it's you.

Hey, Puma, call me. We'll see how it goes...
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

In which we catch up

General miscellany today, my friends. First, Silent on the Moor has made Murder by the Book's bestseller list for 2009 so far! Much love to the indie bookstores for all of their hard work in handselling my books to their loyal customers. I LOVE Murder by the Book, a Houston landmark, and have had some fantastic signings there. (And they ship!)

The Halloween decorations did not make it up this weekend due to vagaries in the weather and general malaise around our house. Well, not so much malaise as "I would rather take a two-hour nap than wrestle with a life-size plywood witch." But they are going up this morning without fail and this weekend we should finally get to the farmstand to buy our pumpkins, cornstalks, and gourds.

And third, I recently subscribed to some of the goodies from Daily Om and cannot recommend them highly enough. There are all sorts of resources for living a more centered and mindful life, and I am thoroughly enjoying my daily emails. Somehow they manage to send me precisely the right topic at precisely the right time. I've found them so timely I have tucked several away in a folder in my inbox to read again when the same situations come around. There's even a Daily Om book in bookstores now!

Lastly, this morning the dog woofed and woke me up from a dream in which I was initiating a shuttle launch. I have never had any desire to go into space, so either this dream is metaphorical or my subconscious has latched onto the five minutes of "Space Camp" I watched the other day. (Which, I would like to point out, is a VERY good film to remember when you're playing the Kevin Bacon game...)
Monday, September 28, 2009

In which we contemplate lust

Oh, dear, are you blushing already? Never fear, this blog stands firmly at PG13. But we can certainly talk about lust in an intellectual vein, can't we? Of course we can. We're grown-ups and world-weary creatures of sophistication, so the most obvious forms of lust are entirely familiar to us. But the fourth definition of lust is simply "ardent enthusiasm". So I am curious to know, what stirs your lusts? Do you have a lust to create? To share your passions with others? To connect? To work? To exert yourself? By its many definitions, lust is ACTIVE. It engages us, all of us, every sense of every organ and all the cells between. It stirs us up and demands we get off the couch and do. It's the call of the wild, beating in our blood like a tom-tom, and it's the sound of our own heartbeat if we listen closely enough. Lust is how you know you're alive, because the minute that animal enthusiasm flags, the moment that primitive tribal beat goes silent, we die a little. One cannot be blase and truly live. So what fires up your senses and whispers a reminder in your ear that you LIVE?
Saturday, September 26, 2009

In which it's the Halloween season!

Alright, we may be pushing it a bit here, but I don't care. I adore Halloween, and since I live with a person for whom Halloween is an occupational hazard, it gets a lot of attention around here. This weekend we are decorating for the season--pumpkins and cornstalks and, as the piece de resistance, an enormous silhouette of a witch and three black cats. (The pattern was in Martha Stewart Living a few years back. You can now buy the set completely pre-made at her website if you're afraid of a jigsaw. I mean, there's no shame in it. I have a totally healthy terror of power tools and I'm cool with it.)

I'm also just finishing up my annual reading of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. If you've never read it, DO. It's short--a tiny novella--but packed with the most delicious descriptions of harvest scenes imaginable. Perfect seasonal ready, and spooky rather than over-the-top scary. (And if you have any seasonal reads, please share!)
Friday, September 25, 2009

In which we're skiving off work

Because sometimes it's Friday and you just really, really need to know what your Hawaiian name is.
Thursday, September 24, 2009

In which I ponder shopping

So lately I've been in a funk (whine, complain, yada, yada) and generally when I'm in a funk, I shop. Some of my worst purchases have come at a time of emotional fragility. We aren't even going to TALK about the flouncy black illusion petticoat I bought two years ago. (And if you're trying to picture it, don't think it was a demure crinoline. Oh, no, my friends. It was like a square dancing petticoat on steroids. I couldn't even close my closet door once it established a nest.)

Anyway, in the interests of fiscal responsibility I have been trying to analyze my spending patterns and shape them more wisely. I have discovered that I am a binge shopper. I will go for months without buying anything important, then suddenly I have half the living room redecorated and am getting thank-you notes from White House/Black Market in the mail. (Is it wrong when a retailer sends you birthday cards?) I spend more when I'm emotional, although this time I have curbed myself sufficiently to buy one magazine--Red!--and...good heavens, I think that's IT! There are no shameful surprises lurking in my closet as evidence of my feeling lowly, which I have to say I'm feeling rather proud of at present. I'm vastly impressed by the people who put themselves on spending freezes, but I am SO not one of them. I could never be constrained by the idea that I can't spend at all, but reading blogs by people who have taken the plunge to cut off their clothes shopping has inspired me to at least be more organized about mine.

Enter the iphone. I have made a list on my notepad of my clothing wishes. (It's organized AND it's attraction thinking, I figure.) I have tried to puzzle out the empty spots in my wardrobe and decide what best could fill them. So my list is a hodge-podge of flat equestrian boots, patterned blouses, and dark jeans, but at least I am not walking into a store in a state of trembling vulnerability. I'm hoping that having the list will keep me on track to finding precisely what I need to expand the wardrobe I already have. (Although a totally impractical sequinned cocktail dress is sometimes JUST what a girl needs. I make no promises.)

So how do you shop? Are you organized or do you just troll around for what looks good?
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

In which we are greedy

Today I'm pondering the next deadly sin on our list--greed. As with most of the other sins, greed by itself is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, money is not the root of all evil--the LOVE of money is. So wanting to have a bit more to ensure security is nothing to be deplored. But there are plenty of things to be greedy for that don't carry the same baggage as money, and that might be quite good for us in limitless supply.

Right now I am greedy for:
*time with my husband (Those 16 hour days are getting OLD. But his schedule will be human again as of Saturday--yay!)
*hours to read (I still have a stack of research books that need to be devoured as well as some pleasure reading I'd love to get to.)
*laughter (I haven't had a good case of the giggles recently and I'm overdue.)
*classic movies (I am not quite sure what's happened to film-making in the last few decades, but for every good movie that's come out in the past twenty years, I can find five better ones from the 30s-50s.)
*tea (No matter how many times I clean off my tea shelf in the pantry, it always gets crowded again. I don't remember actually buying tea; I think the canisters are breeding quietly when no one is looking. I have loads of favorites, but there are dozens more I want to try, and for those of you who live in cities with actual tea shops--you know the ones, they have loose tea tucked away in apothecary drawers--I envy you deeply.)
*scent (I have been pilfering my stash of candles and perfumes, scenting my rooms, pillows, lamps, myself. I can't seem to get enough of good smells right now, and even though I have enough fragrance to last me a good five years, I would not trust myself in Sephora in my current mood.)


So what are you greedy for, my friends? What harmless pleasures can you not get enough of?
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

In which the deadly sins just have to wait another day

Reader Karen made a timely request. Since today is the first day of fall, she wanted me to discuss autumnal pleasures. (And since it's one of my favorite days of the year, I am happy to comply.) So I give you a list of fall joys, all run together just for fun:

fallingleaves/crispapples/cinnamonwaftingthroughtheair/woodfirescracklinginthefirepit/sandalwoodcandles/cornhuskwreaths/chilisandsoupsandstewsinthepot/freshlybakedbread/teastastingofsmoke/handknittedsocks/thecaressofasweater/freshlysharpenedpencils/thefirstcupofcocoa/sconesscentedwithspice/roastedsquash/briskmorningsandeveningsbluewiththecold/patternedtightswornwithhigh-heeledMaryJanes/wellingtons/Russianamber/ghoststoriestochilltheblood/Halloween/puppiesrompingthroughpilesofleaves/pumpkins/WashingtonIrving/hotbutteredtoast/introspection/poetry/foreignfilms/airthatnips/Yankeepotroast/naps/collegefootball/juicypears/muskyperfumes/repose.

What are your autumn pleasures?
Monday, September 21, 2009

In which you just have to laugh

Okay, I know today is supposed to be a deadly sin day, but we'll save the sin for tomorrow and instead laugh about what a fiasco my "perfect day" was. It started with the pup deciding to get up every two hours because of tummy troubles--yes, I know the euphemism is twee, but believe me, it's better than the unvarnished truth. Anyway, the dog had us up at midnight, two, four, six, and seven. By the time we staggered out of bed, neither one of us was sure which way was up.

Instead of a leisurely morning, we attacked some projects on the property that needed attending to. (My daughter refers to anything that requires work gloves as Redneck Belle behavior.) We cleaned up and DID have a very nice birthday lunch for my father with far too much Italian food. I also wrote my quota and was very pleased with it, and this was followed by a birthday tea party, then more property work, dog walking, Mediterranean snacking for supper, and finally some Emmy action with popcorn. So, while I managed a few of the elements I wanted for Sunday, at least half of what I did was nowhere on the list--I had NO intention of laboring physically, I promise! I also managed a few loads of laundry in there and finished skimming three books, so it was a productive day.

I suppose the larger lesson is that as much as you can envision a perfect day, life intervenes, and the trick to salvaging a very good day is just to roll with it. And in all it was indeed a very good day.
Saturday, September 19, 2009

In which I'm curious

Mostly about why I thought I had blogged today when I hadnt'! But beyond that, I'm curious about intentions. I've mentioned several times my work with intentions and how effective a tool they are for me. So far,I've used them in specific situations, but it suddenly occurred to me to wonder if I could use them to conjure a perfect day--or at least my version of one.

If I were to have a perfect Sunday today, it would go like this: Deacon would sleep in, which means we would sleep in. (I'm talking 7am here, so it isn't like I'm asking for the moon. He tends to get up about 5:30, so really anything past that is something to be happy about.) My husband makes breakfast every morning, which I love, and after that I would putter--topcoating my nails, walking the dog, and choosing an outfit for my father's birthday lunch. After feasting on Italian food, my husband leaves for work, and I would settle in to write a deeply satisfying scene. When I finish, I will have a healthy, light supper of Mediterranean nibblies--olives, pita, hummus, tomatoes. Then some reflective time for my journal and working on my aspirations list for the next year or my collage for the new book. Finally, I would settle into bed with my daughter and some popcorn and the Emmys, followed by some ghost stories before bedtime. It would be a day that balances me time with family and work, serious with silly, and lots of laughing.

We'll see how it goes as far as meeting those intentions, and in the meantime, what's your idea of a perfect Sunday, dear readers?