Countdown to Mother’s Day

It’s just around the corner: the day to let Mom know that – despite everything you’ve put her through – you really do adore her.

My mom is sure to score big on Mother’s Day… and she deserves it! I wonder what my many siblings have in store for her. I’ve ordered my gift for her and it should be arriving any day. Then there’s the wrapping, repackaging and paying again for shipping. Nice of our pals at the U.S. Postal service to up the shipping rates just in time for Mother’s Day!

This is a great time to give mom the types of things she really wants but might not buy for herself. Here are a few great ideas:

Dress up the table. Recently, when one of my brothers couldn’t find a place to put a stack of bowls, he threw them away. (I don’t make this stuff up.) It’s true that our mom has lots of dishes – enough to feed 40 people at a time and fill up every cupboard in the house – but she loves to entertain. If you do your homework, fancy tableware does not have to cost you a fortune. Check out Sur La Table’s sale section for beautiful platters and serving bowls. Here’s a hint: if you live close by your mom, bring along dinner with the gift and give Mom a night off from cooking. If you stay and wash the dishes, she’ll really feel appreciated!

Make the garden her sanctuary. Brighten up the back yard with a colorful market umbrella or copper fountain from Plow & Hearth. Be sure to help with set up so Mom isn’t left lugging a 10-foot umbrella around the back yard.

Share your technological know-how. One of my goals is to get my mom online. (She just switched over to a push-button phone a few years ago, so I’m not going to rush into anything.) The first day I can afford it, I’d love to buy Mom a fancy little laptop, and set it up for her – cool email name and all. An excellent place to shop for computers and accessories is Dell.

Whether you are shopping for your mom, your partner or your favorite mom-to-be, don’t forget the flowers!

Until next time,

Conna

The Day After Earth Day

I think that we can declare Earth Day 2007 a success: the earth is still revolving, and we're still here.

I admit that I am old enough to remember the inaugural Earth Day in 1970. My elementary school celebrated with something called "Field Day." It sounds like we were enjoying a day outdoors kicking around a soccer ball, but in fact "Field Day" was a clever euphemism for "send the kiddies out to pick up trash day."

Troops of tiny future recyclers were sent out to the school's sports field to pick up discarded candy wrappers, paper cups, Popsicle sticks and other bits of debris. Once each of us filled a lunch bag full of trash, were could have the rest of the afternoon to play.

There was one kid -- and I won't name names here -- who saw his way around the system: he brought his own trash from home. What a cheater. I wonder where he is today… probably driving an SUV and throwing cigarette butts out the window!

The point is, since those Field Day celebrations I have yet to toss a paper cup (or Popsicle stick for that matter) because I know that somebody has to pick them up -- whether at ground level or from our water supply.

These days, my biggest hurdle in being litter-free is junk mail. Yes, I recycle, but without intervention the mailings just keep on coming. If, like me, you're tired of wading through stacks of junk mail, there are some steps that you can take to make every day Earth Day.

Step One. Ditch the catalogs. Before you throw them into the recycling bin, make a note of the web address and send an email message asking for no more catalogs. I did this at the start of the year and, just a few months later, I'm nearly catalog free.

Step Two. Get rid of those offers for credit cards. You can call (888) 5OPTOUT (888-567-8688) to request that you no longer receive offers. It will take a few months before you're in the clear, but you'll be taking a smart step for the environment and for your credit rating.

Step Three. This is my favorite option. Check out www.greendimes.com. For 10 cents a day, this company will wipe the junk mail slate clean of your name and address. Their "Sapling" membership is only $36 per year and plants a tree on your behalf each month.

Here's to a world free of junk mail and discarded Popsicle sticks!

Until next time,

Conna

Marathon Monday

I thought it seemed nice and quiet this morning…no sounds of construction or traffic, not even the usual noise of my neighbors heading off to work. Then I realized: it's a holiday here in Massachusetts (and Maine, as well). Today is the third Monday of April, when we New Englanders celebrate Patriot's Day.

Patriot's Day commemorates the battles at Lexington and Concord -- just a stone's throw from where I am writing this blog entry. Paul Revere's famous "midnight ride" had taken place late on the evening of April 18, 1775… and hours later the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired. It was April 19, 1775, and it was the start of the Revolutionary War.

The phrase "shot heard 'round the world' comes from Emerson's "Concord Hymm":

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood;
And fired the shot heard 'round the world.

I have, on several occasions, walked the very paths where the Minutemen met the Red Coats that day. There's something quite extraordinary about visiting Concord and Lexington -- perhaps because so much of the area is preserved as a National Park -- to me it feels like traveling through a history book.

And history will be made again today, on another trail. Across the river the Boston Marathon is taking right at this moment. That's a path I have not taken -- 26 miles from Hopkinton, Mass., over "Heartbreak Hill" and into Boston. Despite inclement weather (this morning's Patriot's Day reenactments were cancelled), some 20,000 people showed up this morning to run Boston's biggest race.

My favorite marathon story is from the first Olympic marathon. Greek runner Spiridon Louis was so confident of his impending victory that he stopped half-way through the race to enjoy a glass of wine. Now that sounds like my kind of race.

Until next time,

Conna

Don't Wait!

Mondays are pretty easy for me. I wake up on the early side (that would be before the construction team next door starts up its equipment), prepare some Kona coffee and then turn on the computer. Since I work at home, my commute can be completed with bare feet. And there’s always more coffee – no need to spend $4.00 for a latte from you-know-where.

All in all, I shouldn’t complain. But sometimes I still do. You see, every Monday I write for this blog. I love writing this blog. And you might think that, since I know my next entry is due by noon each Monday, I would write up a bunch ahead of time and be ready to start the week on top of things.

But I don’t.

Each Monday it’s the same: a last-minute dash to finish writing by noon (sorry, it’s a bit late today). Why do I do this to myself? I have other blogs, columns and articles to write that are due on different days of the week, and it’s the same story: as the hours and minutes tick by I think, “Wow, that's due just about… now!”

I don’t intend to procrastinate (does anyone?). I wonder if it’s human nature… if it’s in our DNA to wait until the very last minute. Surely the line at the post office on tax day is a testament to procrastination being intrinsic to human makeup. OK, no one likes paying taxes, so let’s take another example: Christmas shopping. We all know when Christmas is and yet most people will wait until the gates are coming down inside the mall to make last-minute purchases.

Why? I remember reading somewhere that putting off studying until the last minute has some benefit in terms of memory (I can’t remember where I read that). An insightful pal of mine said that there must be some “payoff” for me doing things at the last minute. Do I like the adrenaline charge? Nope, I’ve got coffee for that. Do I like the triumph of coming in just under deadline? Not really. Do I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough? Bingo.

There it is. I feel bad about procrastinating, and so I procrastinate even more, and then feel worse. People, if you’re in the same boat let’s hop overboard and enjoy a swim! In my (last-minute) research on procrastination, I found a bunch of articles that made me feel even worse… and then I found an article on How to Procrastinate Effectively. The author, “Chief Happiness Officer” Alexander Kjerulf, outlines five tips for procrastinating and feeling good about it:

1. Procrastinate without guilt
2. Procrastinate 100%
3. Choose to procrastinate
4. Ask yourself why you procrastinate
5. Take responsibility for procrastinating

Don’t wait: check out the article. You can procrastinate later.

Until next time,

Conna

April Showers

It's raining again.

As a kid growing up in California, rain meant winter. Now I live in Boston and rain means springtime. I know that it's only a matter of days (OK, maybe weeks) until I pack up my winter clothes and bust out the flip-flops.

It's raining all over the place today, according to Weather.com. My pals and family in California sometimes take it personally (they haven't lived through a Nor'easter!), but for me rain provides a great sound by which to fall asleep, and a prelude to sunnier days.

Try an Internet search for "rain" and you will find some of the worst poetry ever written. I don't want to name names, so I will leave it up to you to make your own assessments. Just one note, though: how many times can rain be compared to tears?! It's just rain, people. Nature knows best.

Modern lyrics have taken on the rain, too. I like Missy Elliott's deep and meaningful interpretation of precipitation:

(rock the joint)
Me I'm supa fly (uh-huh)
Supa dupa fly (uh-huh)
Supa dupa fly
[singing] I can't stand the rain!

(uh) Me I'm supa fly (uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window
Supa dupa fly (uh-huh)
Supa dupa fly
[singing] I can't stand the rain!

(uh) Me I'm supa fly (uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window
Supa dupa fly (uh-huh)
Supa dupa fly
[singing] I can't stand the rain!

(uh-huh) Me I'm supa fly (uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window

When the rain hits my window
I take and {inhale, cough} me some indo
Me and Timbaland, ooh, we sang a jangle
We so tight, that you get our styles Tango
Sway on dosie-do like you loco
[singing] Can we get kinky tonight?
Like CoCo, so-so
You don't wanna play with my Yo-Yo
I smoke my hydro on the dee-low

[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (against my window)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (against my window)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (against my window)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (say what?)

Yeah..
Beep beep, who got the keys to the Jeep?
V-r-rrrrrrrooooom!
(uh-huh) I'm drivin to the beach
Top down, loud sounds, see my peeps (uhh)
Give them pounds, now look who it be (who it be)
It be me me me and Timothy (me me!)
Look like it's bout to rain, what a shame (uh-huh)
I got the Armor-All to shine up the stain
Oh Missy, try to maintain
Icky-icky-icky-icky-icky-icky-icky..

[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)(uh-huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (say what? uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (uh-huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (yeah)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (uh-huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain!

I feel the wind
Five six seven, eight nine ten
Begin, I sit on Hill's like Lauryn
Until the rain starts, comin down, pourin
Chill, I got my umbrella
My finger waves be dazed, they fall like Humpty
Chumpy, I break up with him before he dump me
To have me yes you lucky

[singing] I can't stand the rain! (ha, uhh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (uh-huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (against my window)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (what?)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh, uh-huh)
[singing] 'gainst my window (uh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (what?)
(like that baby)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (can you stand the rain?)
(uh-huh, stand the rain)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (what?)
(can you stand the rain?)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (can you stand the rain?)
(uh-huh, can you stand the rain?)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (what?)
[singing] 'gainst my window (uh-huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain!
[singing] 'gainst my window (huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (hmm..)
[singing] 'gainst my window (yo)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (why not, break it down like dat)
[singing] 'gainst my window (break it down baby)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh-huh)
(yeah like that, uh-huh)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! (uh, huh)
(uhh.. Misdemeanor)
[singing] I can't stand the rain! ...
[singing] I can't stand the rain! ...

[ fades out ]


Wow… what can you say about that?

Some people love that ol' tune "Singin' in the Rain" from the movie of the same name, but I can't stand it. No real reason except for an ex who thought he was Gene Kelly reincarnated. Personally, I prefer Jackie Chan's interpretation in Shanghai Knights.

And now for today's song that will get stuck in your head: "Blame it on the Rain." Remember that one? If you didn't like it no worries -- Milli Vanilli wasn't really singing it, anyway.

Until next time,

Conna