tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25737990684176089832012-01-30T21:10:45.214-08:00because sometimes it's the little things that make life worth livingBethnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-40727224981768019942010-07-14T22:14:00.000-07:002010-07-14T22:18:43.714-07:00

Ever have one of those days when every song on the radio rips your guts out as you drive to work inside the weird little bubble-world of your car, and then you park and walk into the office trying to act normal even though the lyrics are still bouncing around in your head?

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-4404593481094486972010-04-15T23:01:00.000-07:002010-04-15T23:03:31.564-07:00

Thankful FridayAt 8 a.m. the bay is like glass, and those little finches, they look like happy little thumb-smudges of yellow paint, and the sun at 45 degrees shines through the scattered clouds in distinct rays of light that almost make you think, “shoot, maybe there is a god up there.” It’s completely silent except for the far-off hum of the freeway until suddenly a half-dozen birds break into

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-11882474964627397102010-02-19T00:05:00.000-08:002010-02-19T00:29:36.624-08:00

I'm trying to make Thankful Friday a regular habit again. I really am. Thanks to all of you who've encouraged me to do so. It means a lot, and it's working, I swear, slowly but surely. BeanBoozledSo someone at Jelly Belly came up with an idea to sell more boxes of Jelly Bellies: a game called BeanBoozled. The rules, basically, are that you spin the spinner and it tells you what color jelly bean

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-52920870806810072582010-01-28T23:09:00.000-08:002010-01-28T23:19:55.994-08:00

---skipping the part about where I've been and why, just saying my soul is somehow better when I'm honoring Thankful Friday, and that I'll get back into the swing of things soon but not today. Today, contemplating how to get back my Pretty Good Day mojo, my head is swirling with all the things I've been thinking about without writing about them, from year-end reflections to New Year's

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-91171551059455320212009-12-13T17:35:00.000-08:002009-12-13T18:30:57.442-08:00

Three of our kids have birthdays in the Halloween/Thanksgiving season, so after Turkey Day we really like to take a breather. But it seems like the Thanksgiving leftovers are barely gone before it's time to start making lists and checking them twice, buying wrapping paper (don't forget the scotch tape!), planning parties, looking for mind-blowing presents on a shoestring budget, sneaking around

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-5726958896813023432009-12-13T15:59:00.000-08:002009-12-13T17:22:19.623-08:00

I woke up at 3 a.m., thirsty-thirsty, with a headache and a churning stomach, and spent the next hour or so trying to get back to sleep. The logical regret would have been the Mexican coffee I capped off the evening with, but no; I'm not inclined to wish away any part of Saturday night.Good food, good wine, but most of all a good vibe. Neither of us needed another drink after splitting a bottle

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-80388178941601544992009-11-26T07:32:00.000-08:002009-11-28T16:07:57.966-08:00

I'll never forget the dazed look on our therapist's face when she said, on our very first visit, "So... there's a lot." In the course of 10 minutes or so, she'd learned that we had four kids, two full-time jobs (one much hated), multiple financial strains, three local siblings, two local mothers, one softball team, several kids' sports teams, and a bevy of simmering creative endeavors, elusive

Bethnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-14568822510288174322009-10-24T14:30:00.000-07:002009-10-25T07:52:47.243-07:00

When I got home from picking Eli up from baseball practice, Kai was walking around handing out rolled up pieces of paper, letters she'd written on behalf of family members to other family members. Here are a few of them:Dear Hugh,Work these days is very streastfull, and having Taavi sleep in our bed is even worse. So I'll be trying to work at home, but I'll need a little help getting Taavi to

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-26597680888620771792009-10-11T14:32:00.000-07:002009-10-11T14:42:58.727-07:00

On the remastered Abbey Road, every note is clear, and the sad ones are piercing. I'm parked outside 33 Revolutions Cafe in the Granny-mobile (I've never had a car of my own, not really), listening.It's cloudy and the wind is kicking up. There's a mannequin on the sidewalk, propped against a slim tree trunk. The wind whips at the fringes of her black witch dress, blows her green hair, ruffles the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-70271426147293118672009-10-11T09:53:00.000-07:002009-10-11T09:56:49.602-07:00

You: Hmm. I wonder why Beth is neglecting this blog...Me: Oh, geez. I know! It sucks. It's because of this stupid, my stupid... I'm trying to... UGH!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-28396501175331173072009-09-30T02:00:00.000-07:002009-09-30T06:41:31.180-07:00

Word Count WednesdayI’m growing my hair out.Not my hair in general, but specific hairs: the white ones I’ve been plucking for the past three years. A friend once told me his wife was going white gracefully, so I felt guilty and vulgar every time I went for the tweezers. But back when the whites were few and far between, each one seemed wrong and out of place, like a crazy-long eyebrow hair. They

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-20754386987040148452009-09-25T06:56:00.000-07:002009-09-25T07:08:54.488-07:00

Thankful FridayI'm thankful, today, that Taavi loves Wind in the Willows, and that he drew such a fantastic picture of Badger in his reading journal. Heck, I'm glad he has a reading journal, and that he's in Teacher Libby's class, and that the transition to kindergarten has been so full of excitement and joy.I'm thankful that Kai was bouncy with good cheer when I picked her up from soccer

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-21881838313406229592009-08-28T08:45:00.000-07:002009-08-28T19:42:40.439-07:00

Thankful FridayStill on the road, but barely. From the snippets of news we've caught, we know Ted Kennedy died. It's sad to hear news like this while passing through small conservative towns; at a pizza place in Wyoming Tuesday night, Hugh overheard a nice enough seeming guy sputter "good riddance" as Karl Rove, of all people, reported on Kennedy's death for Fox "News."On the brighter side,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-21873251139540211612009-08-20T13:36:00.000-07:002009-09-23T18:13:40.601-07:00

Roadtrip Reflections - Part Four of A Whole Bunch Part One >> First leg: Home to the Idaho border Part Two >> Skating on the MoonPart Three>> Confluence: Twin Falls, ID to just outside Yellowstone It was 90 degrees at least the day we visited Mammoth Hot Springs. The sun was relentless on the boardwalk, and there were crowds of tourists and lots of stairs. It wasn’t long before the kids were

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-80611009323069541692009-08-19T14:42:00.000-07:002009-09-23T18:12:28.986-07:00

Roadtrip Reflections - Part Three of A Whole Bunch Part One >> First leg: Home to the Idaho border Part Two >> Skating on the Moon: Craters of the Moon Nat'l Monument Sun on SkinI knew I wanted a deck built out back, but I underestimated the impact it would have on my quality of life. After all, who would predict that a place to just sit in the sun, without an extraordinary view even, could be

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-47464970984850116232009-08-19T07:01:00.000-07:002009-09-23T18:09:14.247-07:00

Thankful FridayA man, a woman, four kids and 982 miles (+ sidetrips and detours) in the mini-van (Berkeley, CA to Gardiner, MT).Sunday, August 16Didn't leave home until after 4 p.m., grabbing Peets' coffee -- cups for the road and a pound for our stay in Gardiner -- on the way out of town. As predicted, bickering subsided as we settled in. We drove east on 80 for miles and miles, and the further

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-6762846434677690092009-08-18T23:59:00.000-07:002009-09-23T18:11:42.904-07:00

Roadtrip Reflections - Part Two of A Whole BunchPart One >> First leg: Home to the Idaho borderSkating on the Moon: Craters of the Moon National Monument & PreserveTuesday, August 18From the smooth, gently rolling asphalt path, the black rock landscape of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve stretches into the distance against a backdrop of purple gray mountains. We're winding our

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-47227027700999698312009-08-18T08:01:00.000-07:002009-09-23T18:10:17.451-07:00

Roadtrip Reflections - Part One of A Whole BunchFirst leg: Home to the Idaho borderSunday, August 16 to Tuesday, August 18Are we there yet?Are we there yet?Now are we? There?Mummy, are we there YET?Taavi's are-we-there-yets were my fault, I suppose, because I laughed whenever he uttered them. I couldn't help it. Because he knew we weren't close to anywhere, and his timing was spot on, with varied

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-10985031999448285192009-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:002009-08-07T10:18:09.209-07:00

Thankful FridayI would like to experiment with long days of solitude, long days with nothing to do but read or write or hike or swim, or maybe just sit quietly in the hot stillness and watch a spider in its web. Wearing no watch, eating when hungry, going to bed early or late and waking with no agenda to air that smelled of earth and trees and woodsmoke.Right about then I would make some

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-12291505415397621382009-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:002009-08-04T10:20:54.518-07:00

(Click here for the pre-game rap.)The Albany Thunder battled hard to reach the championship game of the second annual Albany Invitational, chalking up three consecutive wins to advance to last night's finale. But it took the San Francisco All Stars just three at bats to set the tone for the Thunder's heartwrenching 11-6 loss. Eli D. takes a cut. When SF's leadoff batter, starting pitcher Louis

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-48964740161232126442009-08-03T16:14:00.000-07:002009-08-03T16:31:22.714-07:00

I recently started reading Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn, which chronicles Kahn’s coverage of the Brooklyn Dodgers for the New York Herald Tribune in the 1950s. Think Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese… Think Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Giants, 1951, and Bobby Thompson’s shot heard ‘round the world.Kahn tells multiple stories in this book – rich, funny, poignant stories gracefully

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-10593105593044969672009-07-30T22:00:00.000-07:002009-07-31T22:13:25.231-07:00

Thankful FridayI was fast asleep the other night when I sensed the presence of a small, warm body standing at my bedside. I opened my eyes and there was Kai, watching me and waiting. “I dreamed about an alligator,” she said. Without a word, I hoisted her up and into our bed. I kissed her cheek and stroked her hair, and in no time she drifted contentedly back to dreamland. But I had to pee, so I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-61512249546047379692009-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-24T07:21:57.026-07:00

Top Ten Tuesday, even though I know it's Friday (and am thankful for it!)What if you hated, absolutely hated school, and then when you were about to turn 16 your mom said, "Okay, then, you're done with school -- what are you going to do now?"What would you do? Would you learn to fly a plane? To wire a house? Would you read your way through the library? Take up tennis? Take a roadtrip through

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-53588758541334198722009-07-16T18:10:00.000-07:002009-07-24T07:17:19.102-07:00

How many times a day do the wee ones say things I want to write down and save forever? Here are a few short exchanges I just found in an abandoned Word doc on my computer, from weeks & weeks ago:Taavi and Kai in the back seat of the car:Taavi: Is God really, really mean?Kai: No.Taavi: Is God kind of mean?Kai: No.Taavi: Is God a little bit mean?Kai: No!Taavi: What is he then?Kai: He’s really,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-59089580555769060192009-07-10T06:00:00.000-07:002009-07-13T18:21:24.556-07:00

Thankful Friday“There must be a way to educate young children so that the great human qualities that we know are in them may be developed. But we’ll never do it as long as we are obsessed with tests. At faculty meetings we talk about how to reward the thinkers in our classes. Who is kidding whom? No amount of rewards and satisfactions obtained in the small group thinking sessions will make up to

Bethnoreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-48617294918872458482009-07-03T12:40:00.000-07:002009-07-03T12:39:30.433-07:00

Thankful FridayIt's the Third of July today, and you know what that means tomorrow is! That's right...Mom's birthday! In honor of her 72nd birthday, I'm starting a list of 72 things for which we're grateful for Ginger. The sandwiches she makes me on WednesdaysThe rolls and butter patties she used to bring home in her purse after going out to dinner with DadThe b'zillion games she came to when I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-85469504207072844262009-06-25T23:00:00.000-07:002009-06-28T21:27:27.192-07:00

Spoiler Alert! If you haven’t seen Pixar's UP, don't read this yet! Go see the movie first -- I swear you'll love it. Check out the preview:Thankful FridayI invited my mother to see UP with us, but she didn’t come. Five minutes into the movie, I was wildly vacillating between regret and relief that she wasn’t there. Since you've already seen the movie (Right? I told you to see it before reading

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-2071514537999079022009-06-19T14:30:00.000-07:002009-06-19T15:32:28.829-07:00

Someday I'll be in a rocking chair telling my grandchildren that when I was a kid and wanted to talk to a friend I had to dial the numbers on a rotary phone -- which was much too big to fit in my pocket and was actually connected to this thing on the wall called a phone jack anyway. My other option, I'll tell them, was to write a letter -- on paper, with a pen or pencil -- and put it in an

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-82620223904703685602009-06-12T01:00:00.000-07:002009-06-12T07:20:30.788-07:00

Note: I am about to tear out all my hair because Blogger is doing horrible things and not allowing me to fix the paragraph spacing on this post. It is horrid! A too long post anyway, now with hardly any breaks. Sorry! But... I am reeling with exhaustion -- lost Boodles today AND lost a playoff game (tomorrow it's do or die), AND it's almost 2:30 a.m. AND I have to go to work in the morning as

Bethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-3589600496842710182009-06-11T16:16:00.000-07:002009-06-11T16:21:15.186-07:00

Oh, Boodles, my one true love of a cat. How am I going to tell the kids? Stories of a fanciful kitty heaven with wet food and grass to nibble and plenty of sunshine are sounding pretty inviting. Rest in peace, my kitty.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-88770018986749030502009-06-01T19:59:00.000-07:002009-06-03T18:14:52.858-07:00

Every morning since our ER visit, as I'm emerging from the fog of sleep, it hits me that Boo just might be dead. My heart skips a beat or two, and I decide whether to check on her right now or after I brush my teeth. I usually choose the latter.She used to come upstairs to wake me up, but she's too weak to bother with that anymore. So I go downstairs and look for her in the usual places: in Kai's

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-80219200212397062872009-05-29T00:01:00.000-07:002009-05-29T00:01:00.571-07:00

Thankful FridaySo this past weekend was Eli’s first baseball tournament of the summer, and after a heartbreaking loss in the semi-finals all I could imagine writing about was the agony of defeat. How real it is, and how visceral. How evident it is on the face of a 10-year-old boy. And also how curious it is that I personally – a grown woman and merely a spectator – can feel like I’m in mourning

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-24825622791815533202009-05-27T13:43:00.000-07:002009-05-27T14:39:07.838-07:00

I have never been a pet person.So what am I doing on my belly stroking this cat’s bony frame, cooing in her ear as she struggles for each raspy breath?My voice quivers when I call for Hugh. We gather keys, wallet, cat and head out the door. Boo barely weighs a thing. She rests her tiny chin on my shoulder and hooks her too-long claws into my shirt.The waiting room of the pet ER is cold. I can’t

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-34303365893797875572009-05-22T07:07:00.000-07:002009-05-22T07:12:48.336-07:00

Thankful Friday, VeiledFor us, so we could get by, I sold a piece of my soul to the devil. Now I spend most of my waking hours fulfilling the consequent obligations, and so the shoulds and wants and wishes go undone.Why does this make me long for ditto sheets, still damp and smelling of ink?Filmstrips in a darkened classroom, dust floating in the projector's light?Spin-the-bottle in the fort in

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-51928463156372808012009-05-14T17:59:00.000-07:002009-05-14T21:23:18.994-07:00

Thankful FridayThe kids were bickering in the back, and I was slumped in the passenger seat, brooding. This rendezvous felt shady – meeting after hours in the warehouse parking lot to buy stuff from a craigslist stranger. And besides, we didn’t have enough money to pay the guy.But Hugh was determined. These were high-quality French doors, better than the ones we’d looked at in the showroom. And

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-45106390367874487602009-05-11T20:15:00.000-07:002009-05-11T22:27:02.458-07:00

Thankful TuesdayI was only half asleep when I started dreaming: Taavi was sinking fast into woodchips that were acting like quicksand; his body was already below the surface and his chin was going under. The horror of seeing his sweet little face disappearing was enough to wake me, thank god, but it took a good while to shake free of the vision.Taavi is fine. Fine, fine, fine.Taavi is fine.Before

Bethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-90520715362361550222009-05-07T20:15:00.000-07:002009-05-07T22:59:08.988-07:00

Thankful FridayBest Boss in the World likes to play the story of my interview for laughs. She tells everyone how I waltzed into her office wearing pearls (this is not true, though I was making an attempt at business attire and therefore looking like a fish out of water) (a fish out of water in an ill-fitting pant suit), and launched into a ramble about how I didn't really want a fulltime job, how

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-35473279465361314962009-04-17T19:30:00.000-07:002009-04-17T19:30:00.293-07:00

Thankful FridayAt Eli's baseball game last night, Hugh bought Taavi a hot dog and a fruit drink in a can. I asked Taavi for a sip, and after considering it for a few seconds he said okay.A few innings later, out of the blue, he said, "Mummy, you can have another drink of my drink if you want.""Thanks," I said, not really wanting a drink and intent on the game.Half a minute later: "Mummy, don't

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-11112440776096387512009-04-15T22:22:00.000-07:002009-04-15T22:46:59.579-07:00

Word Count WednesdayA few months ago, when it was all the rage with teenage girls (and older women, too), a friend lent Caiman Twilight.He stayed up all night reading and said, in the morning, “I think I have ovaries now."...which became a running joke. Hugh and I began mentioning Caiman's ovaries whenever he did something against masculine stereotype.--------------This week, Eli's fifth grade

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-68131385707264570972009-04-10T12:40:00.000-07:002009-04-15T21:25:36.088-07:00

Thankful FridayFirst of all, I want to choke the guy who coined the term staycation. Is there a more grating word in the trying-to-get-into-the-dictionary lexicon? Now that the mood is set, a little context: sometime in early March when I was ready to have a job-related nervous breakdown, I decided I could get my head straight with a good, soul-cleansing away-from-it-all vacation. Hugh and I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-30981926777617962022009-04-03T07:00:00.000-07:002009-04-03T07:00:01.688-07:00

Thankful FridayI hate my freakin' job, for a whole slew of reasons that would be boring to read about (and boring to write). Unless, of course, I could muster up words like these, but that's already been done:Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time. And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-41224960164739768562009-03-27T08:52:00.001-07:002009-03-27T09:07:36.117-07:00

Jesus, what now?That was my first thought when I saw the endless line of flashing red and blue lights. A line of police cars and other emergency vehicles from here to the horizon, all heading east toward Oakland on 580 as I was heading west to work.A second later I remembered: this morning is the funeral service for the four Oakland police slain by a parolee last week. The moment it hit me I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-51502633533406024902009-03-27T07:01:00.000-07:002009-03-27T11:50:33.488-07:00

Thankful FridayPhew. Friday at last. I am hot damn grateful for that! As you may have gathered from the intro to my Tuesday post, it's been an intense couple of weeks. And I didn't even mention the fact that Mom went to the ER in an ambulance a week ago last Saturday (she was out in a few hours, thank god, and is doing well now, but she was hardly able to breath until the EMTs gave her a good

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-74198392002219789302009-03-24T20:40:00.000-07:002009-03-24T21:51:41.359-07:00

Top Ten TuesdayHow is it that even during a hectic week when I'm buried under work, beaten to the ground by a hacking cough, overwhelmed by the rosters and snack shack duties and schedules of five youth sports teams (one t-ball, two baseball, two soccer), and sideswiped by a suspension-of-equity-line letter from the bank (arriving minutes after we've agreed to pay a contractor thousands of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-25419060839292063722009-03-23T09:42:00.000-07:002009-03-23T09:43:00.906-07:00

Click here to help me reach my goal!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-76971352673789630412009-03-13T07:38:00.000-07:002009-03-13T18:04:41.063-07:00

Taavi turned five in January. Yesterday he told me he made up a rap at daycare, at naptime. Last night he taught it to Kai; she liked it enough that she wrote it down for him, and then they both performed it. Hamilton Hocks Can I Borrow Your Box, by Taavi DinneenHamilton HocksCan I borrow your boxCause I got nothin'And you got a foxI live in EnglandAnd you live in FranceAnd all I gotAre some

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-2559010890762650342009-03-10T00:25:00.000-07:002009-03-10T00:45:16.083-07:00

Top Ten TuesdayPlease tell me you sometimes stay up way too late working your ass off on projects never destined to leave the ground. Because then I'll feel a lot better about what I was doing until 1 a.m. this morning: creating a new blog so I could post a few short stories I wrote over a decade ago in the hopes that it would inspire me to start writing fiction again. You know, since I now have

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-79836109287569818342009-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:002009-03-09T11:37:22.747-07:00

Thankful FridayLast weekend I asked Caiman to take Kai to the movies while I took Eli, with Taavi in tow, to baseball practice.I'd pulled up to the curb in a red zone to drop them off, on a busy downtown block where the wise thing to do would be to zip away before a meter maid decided to write me a ticket. But I lingered, watching my big boy and my little girl in the driver's side mirror:Kai is

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-20710372100034021052009-03-03T00:01:00.000-08:002009-03-05T21:25:15.585-08:00

How long does a person get to believe that real tragedy is infinitesimally rare?It depends on your life circumstances, I guess. Like whether you live in a small town or the inner city or a war-torn country, for starters; and whether the people who surround you, raise you, love you and shelter you are healthy and safe and sane.And, of course, it depends on blind luck.-------------------------Last

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-40300334959535231092009-02-27T19:50:00.000-08:002009-05-26T23:06:48.956-07:00

Thankful FridayJust the other morning, Hugh approached Kai with a pair of forks. “Kaia,” he said, “I think I can get that thing out. Will you let me try?”He slipped one fork between her earlobe and the small silver heart earring in her right ear, and then—Wait! I really should start at the beginning... -----------------------------------Shortly after she turned six, Kai said she wanted to get her

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-70971959741349782992009-02-25T18:09:00.000-08:002009-02-25T18:11:39.954-08:00

Word Count WednesdayIt’s no secret that stress leads to all sorts of physical, mental and medical problems. Add BEER BELLY to the list. I sit on my fat ass all day stressing out in front of a computer screen – with headaches, blurry vision and stinging eyes, occasional heart palpitations, constant knots in my back and intermittent malaise – and when I get home at 7 or 8 p.m. I really, really need

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-25494709428194360672009-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:002009-03-02T18:32:59.314-08:00

Well, I'm tired of blogging these days, maybe you've noticed the last umpteen posts have been pretty crappy. I'm just in the mood to lay low and sort of be a hermit and maybe scribble in my journal. But guess what? This is my journal.~~~~~~~~~~~~I get home late from work most every night so Hugh has become, more than ever, the maker of dinner. This is on top of being the picker-upper of kids from

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-56232635679656118282009-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:002009-02-17T00:34:08.764-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayJust two things to say to introduce this list:I am really, really tired and have chosen this topic because I think I can whip it out in 10 minutes.That whole Facebook-memes-cramping-my-Top-Ten-Tuesday vibe has me, I guess, thinking too much about Facebook.So, without further ado, here are 10 Facebook groups I'd start if I had more time on my hands:Soccer-Playing Women Over 40Bring

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-25952289171680485372009-02-12T23:09:00.000-08:002009-02-13T07:32:48.992-08:00

Thankful FridayNot only is it Friday the 13th, it's also February 13, the anniversary of Dad's death. So, not an auspicious day. I have to remind myself, though, it's these days when I'm feeling morose that Thankful Friday is most important, and so today is another back to basics day. And here's what I'm grateful for this week:Kai's haircut is not only cute, but it means (for now) no more

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-79098609477346381902009-02-11T22:17:00.000-08:002009-02-11T22:24:08.994-08:00

Word Count WednesdayFor newer readers, Word Count Wednesday is a little thing I used to do regularly and am considering reviving on an occassional basis. The only rule: the post is supposed to be 100 words or less. BUT... I forgot how difficult that can be, and in fact have gone over today. It's bedtime now, though, so no more paring down tonight. Let's just consider this one a warm up...~~~~~~~~

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-61854805607457089952009-02-10T03:00:00.000-08:002009-02-10T06:25:16.851-08:00

TuesdayA few years ago I was deeply immersed in writing a novel about a guy who dies of a totally unexpected heart attack while working late one Christmas Eve. He wakes up in some nondescript conference room in some corporate office, where an old man named Gilbert explains that sure, he's dead, but no, there's no cause for concern.Gilbert stopped and looked at the code on the cubicle to our left.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-53649814243352680312009-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-06T06:00:01.165-08:00

Thankful FridayReally, really, really glad it's Friday. And that's all I've got today!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-69938134196065133162009-02-04T08:59:00.001-08:002009-02-04T09:10:57.791-08:00

I need to start separate healthcare reform blog. And, um, find time to devote to it! (The responses to comments on yesterday's post -- thank you for writing! -- are on the tip of my tongue and I'll get to them in the next day or so.) In the meantime, all of you who are just looking for musings on gratitude and pictures of my offspring will just have to bear with me. And while you're bearing with

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-15306157127750909252009-02-02T23:01:00.000-08:002009-02-03T09:28:54.815-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayGuess what? My accidental career path (healthcare marketing & communications -- bleh!) may actually lead me somewhere I want to be.Because here's the deal: I went to the Healthcare-Now event on Saturday and learned the ABCs of HR 676, the The United States National Health Insurance Act. (John Conyers, the author of the bill, has a nice simple FAQ about HR 676 on his website.)

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-21768514597322289082009-01-30T06:00:00.000-08:002009-01-30T06:00:01.524-08:00

Thankful FridayThat whole "'til death do us part" thing can be a little daunting. In the movies it hits the bride or groom five minutes before the wedding starts, when all the guests are anxiously anticipating the walk down the aisle and the organist is firing up the pipes.In real life, I suppose it's more likely to strike seven or 10 or 20 years down the road, when you realize you and your

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-72114855612321126952009-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-27T06:49:11.985-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayWhat with my heart condition and all (seriously, folks, thanks for your wise words; I will get to a doctor one day soon), the "bucket list" email Sue forwarded the other day gave me pause. It used to feel like I had an eternity to do everything I dreamed of doing. Now... not so much.Not only am I getting oldish, and creaky, but with kids and work and mortgage how many days out of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-63682427995579378012009-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:002009-01-23T06:00:00.870-08:00

Some days I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a heart attack.Partly because, ever since Jen died, I matter of factly consider the very real possibility that this lump, that pain, or this odd sensation could be something deadly serious. If Jen (my age, mother of four, picture of good health, so much to live for), why not me? Where I used to brush everything off, scoff at it even, I'm now convinced

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-9396942705795507882009-01-20T06:45:00.000-08:002009-01-21T09:40:36.957-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayTerence Hunt, Associated Press:WASHINGTON – Braving frigid temperatures, an exuberant crowd of hundreds of thousands packed the National Mall on Tuesday to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as America's first black president. He grasps the reins of power in a high-noon ceremony amid grave economic worries and high expectations.It was the first change of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-67553979912497322202009-01-16T00:01:00.000-08:002009-01-16T07:11:19.006-08:00

Thankful FridayTaavi: Why does it say 'pub' on that sign?Me: Hey! You're reading. What's up with that?Taavi: I'm not reading, I'm sounding out.Of course PUB is an easy-peasy word, even for a pre-schooler, but still. Yesterday was the day before Taavi's fifth birthday, and I was driving along and he was chattering away like a big kid, a big, funny, smart, I'm-going-to-be-a-man-before-you-know-it

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-52154882852299649682009-01-14T18:37:00.000-08:002009-01-15T11:45:06.082-08:00

(cartoon snagged from healthcare-now.org)Maybe it's the fact that I was arrested on the steps of Sproul Plaza for protesting UC investments in apartheid South Africa back in 1985.Or maybe it's talking to Nickie on the phone about his constant pain and how his body is deteriorating and his health declining while his appeals for proper therapy and medical equipment are denied time and again.Maybe

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-52758745936971903812009-01-13T00:20:00.000-08:002009-01-13T06:48:49.205-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayI know for a lot of you it's snowing, but here by the Bay spring is in the air. On Sunday -- oh lord! -- you couldn't help but get high on great big gulps of it. While I was out on the soccer field in Berkeley it was making me giddy (despite the fact that I was developing a debilitating blister on the pad of my big toe), and I had visions of the John Muir Trail and spring training

Bethnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-35405912480098407912009-01-09T06:50:00.000-08:002009-01-09T09:42:28.681-08:00

Thankful FridayThe downside, of course, to a longish vacation is that going back to work is a shock to the system. Or maybe the opposite of a shock; more deadening than electrifying. Especially when it's still winter and therefore still cold and dark when you have to get up in the morning. And when, despite the indisputable awesomeness of your work peeps, your job is a real drag.And so... this is

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-85501266198920803282009-01-06T13:10:00.000-08:002009-01-06T13:14:50.491-08:00

We had a great winter break. There was Christmas, of course, and there was our snow trip complete with sledding and cozy fires and board games and sing-alongs. We played in all sorts of snow, under sunny blue skies and (for a few hours) in a fairytale snowstorm. We (Hugh, Caiman and I) drank lots of coffee and the kids (all four) drank lots hot chocolate with a surfeit of whipped cream. We read

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-53774560354818379452008-12-31T21:35:00.000-08:002009-10-13T08:52:40.035-07:00

On December 5, I joined Nick Masi's family and friends in their quest to raise $10,000 by year's end to help him through an insanely difficult time. His story, and my initial post asking for help, is here. My family and friends, and even some friends of friends whom I'd never even met, floored me with their generosity: the $10,000 goal was reached and surpassed a few days after Christmas!Everyone

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-20851027430742007822008-12-27T12:46:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:48:35.182-08:00

Just learned from Sue that the $10k goal was surpassed today, with Spencer Blaker putting it over the top (and earning the over-the-top prize). What a way to cap off the holidays!Thank you thank you thank you to everyone! I know that the money, and all the caring behind it, means the world to Sue and to Nick. I hope they're feeling the love throughout the coming year!A special thanks to my family

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-90630384129308608972008-12-25T20:00:00.000-08:002008-12-27T16:11:28.464-08:00

Thankful FridayTuesday, December 23, bedtimeMe: Santa Claus is NOT coming to our house if it's a big mess. Really. Tomorrow you're all going to help me clean up, right? Because I mean it, if it's messy NO SANTA.Kids: We'll help!Wednesday, December 24, 4:30 a.m.I hear Taavi crying and I roll out of bed to see what's wrong. He's climbing the stairs to our room, sobbing.Me: What's the matter, baby?

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-53182514774077217572008-12-23T06:35:00.000-08:002008-12-27T16:11:28.465-08:00

Whoosh! Do you remember that Christmas morning feeling from when you were a kid? Or do you have children and get to see it in their eyes one morning a year? I'm talking about the particular feeling you get when you first peek into the living room, brimming with anticipation, and you see that Santa has indeed come and your heart just swells because the world is a very good place afterall?Two days

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-39852712242462920622008-12-19T00:10:00.000-08:002008-12-19T00:25:21.879-08:00

Thankful FridayShouldn't my house be shiny and bright, filled with Christmas music and the smell of gingerbread? Shouldn't there be a secret stash of presents somewhere, fancifully wrapped and with clever handmade tags? Shouldn't we have lights strung up outside? Shouldn't I be baking treats for friends? I mean, don't you need at least some of that stuff to have Christmas spirit?Here's what I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-79920065922248961882008-12-16T01:00:00.000-08:002008-12-27T16:11:28.466-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayWe're going to switch things up today. Today, you ask the questions and I'll answer them. Only since you're not here to tell me what to ask, I'll make up the questions for you.How's the progress toward the $10,000 goal for the Nick Masi Fund?Thanks to all you crazy-wonderful people on my Wall of Awesomeness, and to his high school friends for soliciting all the AB Class of '85

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-55213515520851416662008-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:002008-12-12T07:23:44.634-08:00

Thankful FridayThere's nothing I love more than a seven-year-old kid with no front teeth. This week, Kai lost one wiggly tooth on Tuesday and the other on Thursday. Behold the transformation:Before: Still before? Nope! One gone! Yikes! Two gone!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-1122432522858559712008-12-09T21:36:00.000-08:002008-12-27T16:11:28.468-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayI don't remember all the details: the restaurant we ate at, for example, or how many days it was before Christmas, or even what year it was exactly. But it was a cold San Francisco night, and Hugh and I had just left some cozy restaurant with full bellies and high spirits when, walking back to the car, we passed a homeless man shivering on the sidewalk. As fate would have it, our

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-30668615067536751402008-12-05T01:20:00.000-08:002009-01-05T22:27:20.633-08:00

The Nick Masi FundWhen I was just a kid, I was in love with a boy named Nickie. When his name comes up these days and people ask, "Didn't you have a big crush on him?" I bristle. A crush? Does it have to have been a crush because I was only 12? I loved that boy. But in the seventh grade he stepped out of my life, and the next year I moved clear across the country.That whole story is here. My

Bethnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-73336051442374893462008-12-02T00:15:00.000-08:002008-12-02T00:15:16.473-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayNo, it's not snowing in Berkeley. (As a matter of fact, it must have been a soccer-perfect 70 degrees at pickup on Sunday!) But lately it seems every other person's Facebook status is "watching snow fall out my window" or "waking up to snow-covered tree branches" or "shoveling the first snow of the season."And so I'm feeling a little wistful about snow, a little nostalgic for white

Bethnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-82445267296340386112008-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:002008-11-28T19:53:02.846-08:00

Thankful FridayOn Thanksgiving morning I woke up with a cold, and the skies were grey. My first thoughts were of Mom, who had sounded so sad on the phone the day before; holidays without Dad will always come with a blue streak, I think. And there was still cleaning to be done before hauling the folding table out of the shed, and last minute shopping to do before Hugh could really get going on the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-23637930385137887072008-11-22T01:55:00.000-08:002008-11-25T07:17:23.563-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayIt was just my family, but still I'd be nervous planning what I was going to say. Something touching? Witty? Could I pull off touching and witty? Maybe I should just leave witty to John...In the end I'd usually just go with the most obvious: I was thankful for my family, for the company in the room, for health and love and happiness. Obvious, but good and true.And hokey as it

Bethnoreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-149866622277594282008-11-21T00:10:00.000-08:002008-11-21T08:56:53.005-08:00

Thankful FridayIt’s Caiman’s birthday: he is 15 years old today. Go ahead and send him birthday wishes if you like, but please… do NOT tell him what I’m about to tell you.Because you know, it’s all fine and good and appropriate that I love him for being smart and funny, and for babysitting or being the third parent when we need a helping hand. It makes perfect sense that I love him so when he’s a

Bethnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-38338678947357602762008-11-18T04:11:00.000-08:002008-11-18T06:54:36.675-08:00

Shared GratitudeI'm really excited to share Pretty Good Day's second ever Shared Gratitude post (the first is here, courtesy of Avi), because it's by my one & only big brother, John.I like him a lot, my big brother.In fact, you know how they say some girls marry men who are like their fathers? Well, Hugh is Dad-like in some wonderful ways, but he and my bro John are like peas in a pod.You know...

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-30578207516711537732008-11-14T06:34:00.000-08:002009-01-23T22:15:25.665-08:00

Thankful FridayYesterday morning I woke up thinking about unpaid bills and the long, pointless hours in the office that prevent me from spending my days out in the fresh air, soaking up sunshine, Writing My Novel, running so I can play better soccer on Sundays and so I won't have a heart attack one day soon, lifting weights so my aging bones don't crumble, or hiking the PCT.I sat bolt upright in

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-18600279507139091982008-11-11T01:00:00.000-08:002008-11-11T02:09:18.910-08:00

Top Ten TuesdayOne week ago this morning, I voted for Barack Obama for President; that evening, I rushed home from work to watch the results.When Ohio was declared for Obama, it was pretty much clinched, right? But still I gasped in joyful disbelief when Tom Brokaw called it, his voice choked with emotion. It was only a minute or two after 8:00 Pacific Time; the polls had just closed on the west

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-80171558087771634712008-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:002008-11-17T17:40:15.871-08:00

Thankful Friday First, a few notes:Finally got around to posting my own Election Day experience in the comments of my Election Tuesday post.Obama...WOW!I’m afraid this post may result in scary ads appearing on the site. (Web crawlers. They seem smart enough, but they don't read between the lines.) PLEASE DO NOT CLICK ON ADS THAT PROMOTE DISCRIMINATION. I would be horrified to make even one cent

Bethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-72751260999960792302008-11-04T01:00:00.000-08:002008-11-04T01:00:00.992-08:00

Election TuesdayJust one question today: did you vote? Technically, a yes or no question. But gimme more! Why / when / where / what / who, for example. Were the lines long? What was the weather like? Did you get a sticker? Did you vote early or on Election Day? By mail in or in person? How'd you feel walking away from the polls? Where did you watch the returns? Did you watch the acceptance speech

Bethnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-46304285497961843722008-10-31T05:09:00.000-07:002008-10-31T07:25:06.761-07:00

Thankful FridayIt's the Friday before Election Day, and the polls are trending blue. I am pretty sure—with just enough uncertainty, you'd think, to add a shot of nervous excitement—that Barack Obama is about to become the next President of the United States.I should be stoked.There should be a spring in my step.I should be jumping up and down like a kid on a freakin' Halloween candy high.But

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-79797769897990591352008-10-28T00:30:00.000-07:002008-10-28T00:32:00.322-07:00

Top Ten TuesdayToo much horrible stuff in the news today; I am filled to the brim with it. Sure, the headline "Stevens guilty on 7 counts, won't quit Senate race" made me laugh, but it wasn't, you know, a warm & fuzzy laugh.And I'm in big trouble if I can't shake off the bad stuff and get happy: Friday is Halloween, and we have TWO birthday parties to throw this weekend. Nobody wants Morose Mom

Bethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-7376058631847498982008-10-24T06:00:00.000-07:002009-01-23T22:11:59.480-08:00

Thankful FridayIs it despite having so much on my mind——work deadlines, work politics, presidential politics, proposition 8, homework, parent/teacher conferences, dirty dishes, dirty laundry, refinancing our mortgage, making ends meet, Kai's birthday two days before Halloween & Eli's two days after, Halloween costumes, the holidays, flu shots and whether or not to get 'em, workouts, tryouts,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-66632942451323469692008-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:002009-03-12T18:37:03.265-07:00

Top Ten TuesdayOn Saturday night it took forever to get the kids gathered round for books. We couldn't really get started, for one thing, until the Sox/Rays game was over. And by that time Kai and Taavi were deep into a game of make-believe involving random, mismatched toys: a Playmobile guy, a wind-up toy from Kung Fu Panda, a wooden dog and a plastic chicken.It was almost 10:30 before Eli, Kai

Bethnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-65614369756051043482008-10-17T09:56:00.000-07:002008-10-24T20:35:33.817-07:00

Thankful FridayToday I am thankful for a song. Which just happens to be about, you know... me! And I'm thankful for the man who wrote it. Who just happens to be, you know... the love of my life.I'm not going to talk about the song because, like a picture says a thousand words, a song speaks volumes all by itself. But I love this song. And I'll be sharing it here as soon as it's recorded.Also

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-60380298551810529172008-10-14T05:00:00.000-07:002008-10-24T20:41:50.226-07:00

Top Ten TuesdayOne day, on our 50th wedding anniversary maybe, Hugh and I just might have a conversation something like this:- Remember when we were separated?- Of course I do! I was in shock when you left. And then I felt self-righteous and liberated, and then it sunk in and I was just sad.- And then I decided to win you back, and I left that Corona in the fridge for you, with a card, and I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-25760658689603632852008-10-09T19:58:00.000-07:002008-10-10T00:25:32.226-07:00

Thankful FridayUsually, my commute is a breeze, a 20-minute zip from Peet's to parking lot. This morning, though, there's bumper-to-bumper traffic. A lane is closed on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, and it looks like I'm going to be stuck in this for a while.Being late to work is not a huge problem. The crazy-making thing is being trapped here, unable to GET ANYTHING DONE.If only I could knock a

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-5324625502031080202008-10-06T23:32:00.000-07:002008-10-07T00:51:22.126-07:00

Top Ten TuesdayBack by popular demand, it's Top Ten Twos-day!Okay, there wasn't really a demand, popular or otherwise, but it was fun the first time around so what the heck.For each of the following, give me two answers off the top of your head:Two things (not related to your computer) that you can see from where you're sitting.Two people outside your family that you've said hello to today.Two

Bethnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-16069890343489886802008-10-01T17:32:00.000-07:002008-10-03T21:15:06.132-07:00

Thankful FridayI know, I know. I already (back in June) wrote a post about Nick Carr. And here's Ed Cone doing a better job of it.So why am I bringing it up again?Because of Facebook.I hated it at first, and I kind of still do. It's so about status updates and tags and pokes and right now and 11 minutes ago; it's all things shallow and fleeting, which irks me. But...Types of Status UpdatesThe

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-10472883098958786132008-09-27T20:15:00.000-07:002008-09-27T20:20:13.184-07:00

Courtesy of the Vlog Brothers. If you never saw the orginal llama song on YouTube (Caiman likes playing it over and over until our heads are about to explode), you might not love this.But then again, maybe you will.(Until your head is about to explode!)

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-80778584906587896362008-09-26T23:42:00.000-07:002008-09-26T22:12:52.899-07:00

Thankful FridayI would have thought that all the tadpoles or frogs in one part of the river on one particular day would have been around the same life stage: tadpoles in the spring maybe; frogs in the fall. I guess I imagined the frogs would lay eggs somewhere and take off, and the eggs would hatch one day and the tadpoles would be on their own.But no: there were tiny tadpoles and bigger ones;

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-22107785887745097552008-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:002008-09-23T07:12:25.369-07:00

Top Ten TuesdaySitting on our back deck in one of the Adirondak chairs Hugh built is a sweet, sweet pleasure.Soaking up the sun out there, reading a book, drinking a cup of coffee. Looking out over the neighborhood, calling hello over the railing to my sister next door. Closing my eyes and letting the repetitive, sing-song chant of the neighbor across the street sink in. She works in her yard on

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-4100941206609915822008-09-20T14:21:00.000-07:002008-09-20T15:09:30.297-07:00

Shared GratititudeI wrote half of a Thankful Friday post this week, but Hugh's birthday was on Thursday (my usual writing night) so I never found the time to finish it. Then, in a nice stroke of perfect timing, I got an email from my friend Avi asking if Pretty Good Day takes submissions.What a brilliant idea! Sure! Of course! (This was an especially obvious answer because Avi is a great writer.)

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2573799068417608983.post-44128070419574105962008-09-18T18:31:00.001-07:002008-09-19T08:43:50.229-07:00

I’m sitting on the beach, laptop computer on my lap, surrounded by cardboard boxes and rumpled blankets and piles of work papers and notepads and files. I know that the tide is coming in and that I should move back soon, but since the waves don’t seem to be getting closer I‘m putting it off. So of course I’m hit by this sinking I-should-have/why-didn’t-I feeling when a huge wave comes rushing up

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0