Hockey God is International Stud.

But you already knew that.

First, the Starbucks bloggers are all abuzz over him. So you knew who had to be next, don’t you?

That’s right. The French, they love my husband. (Or, would you prefer it translated?)

Of course the French love Steve. ?Por que no? Oh, wait. That’s Spanish. But say it out loud and it sounds the same in French.

What’s not to love, for reals? All of this coffee and love and international patter reminds me of the Planet Nomadics, when they visited last summer. They stopped by for my birthday, and Elliot missed the singing (in French and English) and candles.

“They sang en Franzosisch!” I told him.

He looked at me, perplexed, “They sang in German?”

Ba-da-BUMP! Ha ha ha ha heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Happy Monday, y’all.

Internets, if I’d been born rich instead of good looking, I’d be running off to Plum Village in southwestern France to study with Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and visionary, and I would also hire Stephen Viscusi, “America’s Workplace Guru,” to be my personal coach.

Then Beth Pattillo and I would start a Home for Wayward Girls and Knitters, and I’d be the head librarian and yarn gatherer.

Sigh.

Yes, that is what I would do.

But since I cannot, I will content myself with their books. “Sweetgum Knit Lit Society” is a gem of a book (pssst — “The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love” is skedded for release in June). Meet Eugenie, Ruth, Esther, Merry, Camille and their reluctant teenage knitter, Hannah. (WaterBrook Press, 2008, 342 pages, $14.) Look for Ms. Pattillo over here.

Mr. Viscusi’s book, subtitled “4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out On Top At Work,” is a compact volume that goes expand-o once it hits your brain. I like this guy. I like his anecdotes, his chop-chop way of writing, his take on things. Get a copy of this book, even if you don’t think you need it. (Collins Business, 2008, 171 pages, $19.95.) Look for more tips from Mr. Viscusi at bulletproofyourjob.com.

Now. Mr. Hanh is someone who my ministers at church quote often, and I am always moved by his words, his philosophies. I finally picked up a copy of “Creating True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the World.” (Free Press, 2003, 208 pages, $14.) It is… I do not know how to describe this book. It has brought me some sorely-needed peace. It has brought on tears, and smiles, and a roadmap. I am always looking for roadmaps. We are all so in need of them. I’m tired of refusing to stop to ask for directions — sometimes I need them so badly.

I admit, when I read the title of the book, I thought (flip, as always), “Sure, let’s get going on that.” Funny thing is — he does. He has been working on this for decades now.

Dear Reader (he begins), as you read this book, please do so with the understanding that peace is already here and now. It is already a part of you. Please read these pages slowly and calmly, so that the very act of reading is peace. Remember, the practice of peace always begins right here, right now.

It does.

You will find more from Mr. Hanh at Plum Village.org.

Reviewed today:

The #1 reason Tom Petty rules: He understands women. The #2 reason: He is baffled and confused by them.

happy winter, happy solstice, happy happy happiest holidays to you and yours.

we’re still snowed in, but it’s melting, and no big storms are predicted. it’s alright.

peace & love,

wacky mommy

I am feeling a little claustrophobic, being stuck inside. I go out once in awhile, but honestly? I don’t find playing in the snow with the children and husband to be all that relaxing. I love them dearly, I would die for them, but I don’t want to die because of them, know what I’m saying?

Probably not.

Let’s just say, I’m a fraidy cat. Also, I don’t like to be cold. The three of them (plus Miss Honey Butt’s Daughter, who has moved in for the week) are risk-takers and daredevilish and “pfffffffffft pffffffffffft pffffffffffffffft thump thump thump…” (that’s the sound of me, sucking my breath in, heart pounding).

Also, it seems like one of us always ends up with a nosebleed or a head injury. We had to walk to Plaid Pantry ‘pacifically to buy 1) more butter for baking and 2) another box of band-aids.

Still looking for peace. Still trying to avoid chaos. (ha ha ha arggggggggggggggghhh…) Still trying to get the house clean, just in case we do end up having Christmas Day over here, as planned. It’s not going that well, what with the wet mittens and boots and snow gear strung from one end of the house to the other.

I haven’t been able to do the last-minute shopping, and I’ve been so busy the last couple of months that it is all last-minute shopping. (Not the way I usually operate — I’m a planner. Who am I kidding. I’m an OCD over-planner.)

Go look at Byron Beck’s new blog — he’s living it up with Anthony and Storm so I don’t have to. Not that I wouldn’t love to live it up with them but you know. That would involve leaving the house.

Anyway.

These are the closing lines from “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” You’ll like them. (Thank you, L. This is beautiful.)

Peace.

wm

“Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the light in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steadily falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.”
-Dylan Thomas

ps — i’m eating half an acorn squash with butter, salt and pepper and mango chutney. The girls put their hair into matching pigtails and are baking chocolate crinkles (this recipe calls for oil, not butter, so it’s a good one for those times you don’t feel like walking to Plaid). Pittsburgh Pens and Buffalo Sabres game is tied up 2-2. Have achieved zen. No chaos, except on the ice. It’s a wonderful life.

We have more than a foot of snow here in scenic North Portland, Oregon, where every yard looks like a picture postcard. I cannot speak for the rest of town, as we are unable to go anywhere to see for ourselves. From what I’m seeing on TV, it looks pretty out of hand…

Just kidding. That’s from a couple of years ago. It says Seattle and Queen Anne Hill in comments but I believe it was actually in Portland — isn’t that Civic Stadium there on the right? I taped it, too, cuz they kept playing it in a loop for about two weeks.

Let’s be careful out there.

and it’s… still snowing.

and a wonderful life.

xoxx

wm

IT SNOWED HERE! Real snow, not this little “half-inch of powder and Portland shuts down” kinda snow.

Real snow.

A whole foot of it.

Oh, wait. Now it’s raining.

We’re screwed.

So far I have baked the following: Russian Tea Cakes, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Crinkles, Rainbow Cookies.

And so far, we have not run out of vodka… wooooooooooooooooooo!

It’s a wonderful life.

xxox

wm

ps I had mimosas at Pause for lunch can you tell? Wacky Girl and her darling friend-from-across-the-street had Chocolate Decadence. We had fun walking there and back, wooooooooooot! Santa will be here in four little days.

Due to ever-increasing visitor loads, the server that hosts this blog (and a few others) is no longer able to keep up. Coincidentally, our router is failing. And we’re dealing with snow and ice in Portland, which could easily lead to prolonged power outages.

A new, more powerful server is on order for the new year, and a new router should be installed in the next two days. Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if we’re offline from time to time in the next couple weeks!

“To be nobody but myself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.” -ee cummings, poet (1894-1962)

Just read the best book with the kids — “Snowflake Bentley,” by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, illustrations (woodcuts painted with watercolors) by Mary Azarian (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998).
Of course I can’t put an Amazon pic for you, because my husband just reformatted my HTML or something and I just deleted an old post, trying to edit this post. Yeah, I’m not exactly sure what happened, either. But here are some links in case you want to learn more about this amazing guy who was born 100 years before I was. You will find the books here and here. His parents bought him a microscope camera and off he went. Cool man, inspiring photos, and the kids’ book about him was just incredible.

Just the thought of concentrating on one thing — like snowflakes — for my entire life — one thing and nothing else, no distractions, no chaos, just total focus — can you imagine that? I cannot.

It’s a snow day over here today. Lots of snow. Lots of chaos. Very. Little. Focus.

Got it!

* snowy icky warming freezing raining freezing slipping sliding icy ick.

* we have enough vodka do not fear.

* possibly not enough to last through the weekend, seeing as how this is only… (have no idea what day.) (not too close to the weekend, though.)

* kids happy. Simpsons Christmas, backgammon, Mysterious Benedict Society’s Perilous Journey.

* next batch of chocolate crinkles just coming out of the oven, gotta go.

wet freezy kisses,
wm