Friday, September 08, 2006

Hello, My Name is Occidental Girl and I Watch Public Television By Myself

My daughter is at school this morning and what am I doing? Watching Jakers. Have you seen this show? The sheep kill me. The smart one is voiced by Mel Brooks, the others never talk but perform hilariously. It's set in Ireland, and the main character is Piggley Winks. He's a grandparent who, through reminiscences to his grandpigs, we see the stories of he and his friends in their childhoods. They talk with Irish accents, it's so great. The focus of the show is on storytelling, and encouraging kids to ask about the stories in their own families. I love this. The show is entertaining enough for adults, in a Finding Nemo-ish, Shrek-adaisical kind of way.

Not only do I admit to watching this alone, but I talk it up to you. Great. My patheticness has reached new heights.

We are both adjusting to school and the new routine. OC is tired in the afternoons. I scramble to do everything I want to do in the 3 1/2 hours she is at school.

Besides watching public television shows by myself, I have gone for a run, a walk, and a cup of coffee (not on the same day). Yesterday, my sister came over and we made applesauce. Two hours later, I had three pints of applesauce. Three pints! Oh my god! I have never made applesauce before, but now that I know how to do it, I will do a bigger batch.

Great-grandma Squeezie is lauging at me. I'd like to think she is proud of me just a little while at the same time thankful that I am not in charge of keeping my family from starving during the winter because if they had to rely on me with the way things are going, we'd starve.

Three pints. Sheesh!

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I want to thank you for your comments. I wish I could send each of you an email in response, but some of the commenters are "anonymous" so I can't respond. I will send an email if you leave an address, otherwise, consider yourself loved anyway.

What follows are my responses to your recent comments:

1) Thanks! Ha ha, no, we don't usually pay the kid to sleep. She is entrepreneurial, though, no?

2) We drew the butterfly ourselves after finding someone had drawn the cat in the sand before we got there. We weren't being very original that way, but the seashell embellishments were totally our idea.

3) Kids grow up so fast, don't they? I can't imagine my daughter at 10 years old. I know it will happen before I know it.

4) I loved the movie "Sliding Doors". What a great story about the choices we make and the repercussions of them, as well as the choices we don't make and how things could've turned out. Really well done. Another great movie about life choices is "Leaving Normal". So great, and funny.

5) I was disappointed by "Failure to Launch" but it wasn't terrible. Just not great.

6)Thank you for the book suggestions. I have yet to read anything by Isabel Allende (what is wrong with me?), but she is on my list. I've heard about Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing. Am intrigued. I've not heard of Angels and Demons, have heard of DaVinci Code and just may be the last person in the developed world not to have read it yet. Anita Shreve's Weight of Water handled well a difficult subject. I loved the mystery of the murder, those people living in isolation, the interpersonal relationships, the times, the investigation...so good. I thought in her book The Pilot's Wifethe plot was so well-explored.

7) Every time I hear the word "obfuscation" I think of the Car Talk guys on NPR. Those two crack me up. Their willingness to make fun of themselves is charming.

8) Good grief, Melissa! Do you have some serious subjects for books and movies going on right now. The topics are all very important (depression, hurricane Katrina, and Vietnam). I applaud your fortitude for delving into such topics, especially all at once. I can only handle one serious topic at a time. I am such a wimp.

9) My sister is a First Degree Black Belt. Apparently there are five degrees. I can't imagine how she won't become a fifth degree blackbelt!

10) Finally, thank you for your heartfelt comments with regard to our Big Decision, whether or not to move to Central Oregon. I appreciate your perspective, and the support. Thank you.

1 comment:

M J said...

Just finished the Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing. I think every single girl should read this for a reality check. Even the ones that aren't single should read it so they can give GOOD advice to their friends.

You watched Jakers. I watched Jerry Springer. It seems as though I have no class at all. It was midgets and their lovers. Sick sick sick.