I've waited for more than a week (since Christmas morning) to make this big announcement: I am going to be an aunt! My sister, Megan, and her husband Ricky are expecting my first niece or nephew in July.
They broke the news to us on Christmas (though Mom and Dad has known for a few weeks) by giving us T-shirts:
My brother's says "World's Hottest Uncle (Stare If You Must):
Mine says: "Disco Aunt"
We're super excited for Megan and Ricky and the fact that we'll have a new baby in the family -- without having to be sleep deprived ourselves. Plus Nate will have a cousin, a big first for us too.
Here we are at our annual Christmas dinner. Next year there will be one more in the Jazz Hands Family!
Writing from the beautiful Battle House in Mobile, Alabama, where I am transfixed by a 600-lb homage to a Moon Pie outside my hotel window. It's dropping in T-minus 14 hours, and I'm here to witness it for the magazine. (Here's an SL blog post about the Moon Pie madness sweeping the city.)
Just as exciting, we're riding in the New Year's Eve Parade. On a float.
Since I haven't been in a parade in about 28 years (during which I rode in Clearwater's Fun N Sun parade in Officer Friendly's Car for winning the safety slogan contest thank you very much) I'm not entirely sure what to wear.
But since this parade celebrates the beginning of Carnival season, I am thinking these will be our outfits:
Yes, that's Nate's Elvis cosutme. And what New Year's Eve would be complete without gold sequins?
Throw in some masks ...
And Moon Pies:
So long, 2010. May 2011 bring everyone their version of huge Moon Pies and gold shoes.
Everyone has all gone home, except for Ryan, who decided not to return to the puddle of snow that is NYC. So tonight it's me and two CDs full of photos from Christmas that Dad burned for us. There are some really great ones in there, like these:
Nate playing with this super cool puppet from his Uncle Jack.
And him discovering the big boy bike under the bookcase:
Then, later, taking it for a spin during an unprecedented White Christmas in Birmingham.
Plus catching snowflakes with Grandma and Grandpa, which was equally fun.
Dad is so good about saving all these photos and burning them for us, as well as bringing up prints (he's a popular guy at Sam's photo processing lab). This year as a gift he even gave us all thumb drives with all the photos of Christmases throught the years (and DVDs of all the Flip movies we recorded - a huge project).
I love all the photos and the stories behind them. Right now, though, I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to share my personal stories. Tweet a photo? Write a blog post? What kind of blog post?
Here's a snippet of one -- Dad reading "'Twas The Night Before Christmas' on his iPad" on Christmas Eve?
And the goofy hat that Mom got for Ryan ("to stay warm!") that we all passed around and tried on:
Even Gatsby.
Then there was Nate ringing the bell for everyone to come sing "Happy Birthday" to the Baby Jesus.
And more Gatsby.
Soon it's going to be a new year. I'm launching a new website and am wondering ... what's the next chapter of this story? How will I share it?
What do pepole want to read about? Pugs with furry hats? How do they want to read it? I want to know. And in the meantime, I'm just going to put one letter in front of the next.
We've received two days of snow in Birmingham, the first "White Christmas" in Birmingham's history. (Though apparently the Weather Service wouldn't call it an official one, since there wasn't enough to measure at the airport. Tell that to Nate!)
I've been having fun playing around with filters on photos using the Instagram app.
More photos and stories to come later but for now ... let it snow.
Nate is fast asleep, round two. His first round was during Christmas Eve Mass, when he fell asleep despite the Ray Manzarek - meets Moog - tribute from the keyboard player.
It was a lovely service really. In the school gym, which as the priest pointed out, made sense since Jesus was born in a barn.
We returned to our house to eat a big Italian dinner from Nino's -- a tradition for our Irish family. Then Ryan, Nate, and I did a little dance to Rhiana's "Hard." and we all sang happy birthday to Baby Jesus. It's what we do.
In between we tracked Santa through Norad on our phones, and dad read Nate "'Twas A Night Before Christmas" from his iPad -- some new traditions.
Now that the sugar plum has gone to bed, Santa has arrived.
The last thing Nate said before going to bed and checking his list:
I love watching TV segments about reducing stress at the holiday. Oh really, I never thought about taking deep breaths and scheduling time for a bath to relax. (To be fair to my TV friends, I know what it's like to get that assignment and groan a little bit. I had to do the same thing once upon a time.)
Stress is a bit of an area of expertise of mine. Let's just say I've had a lot of practice. Say, when I had to go to a certain office during my vacation last week. Twice. But now I've checked out for vacation for real, and just have Christmas & family fun coming up. No stress there, right?
In honor of the most wonderful time of the year (ahem), I bring you my secrets to a stress-free less holiday. Some I've recently discovered; others are tried and true remedies. And yes, I know they aren't applicable to everyone, but it's what helps get me through ...
1. Make candy that involves pounding the hell out of candy canes: Peppermint Bark!
We made it for the first time last night (after I'd eaten ever last crumb from a co-worker, as well as a tin from Costco) using this recipe from Savory Sweet Life.
My duty: to whack the living daylights out of candy canes. And unlike other kitchen duties that involve high temperatures and finesse, I excelled!
Before:
After:
Crushing up the candy canes was actually therapeutic, and the end result was delicious. We're rolling around after eating half of it last night going to give some away as gifts.
2. Skip sending Christmas cards
Even typing this I feel a little sacrilegious. I've never had a year where I didn't obsess over my Christmas cards, i.e., hiring a designer friend and spending countless hours concepting and scrutinizing fonts and layouts. It kind of goes back to my "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing better than anyone else," philosophy, which I've been working on dissembling, much like candy canes.
I do believe in the tradition of the mailed Christmas card, the feel of the paper and photos of their families.
The truth is, I scrutinize images and layouts and words every single day. It was more of a stress this year, and I wanted to put my energy toward other projects. So I didn't do it. And I'm sure no one is standing at their mailbox crying because I've ruined their Christmas. (If they do feel bad, they can read my dad's amazing Christmas letter to hear about our family. It's posted on his blog.)
Oh wait, that was hugely stressful. (Yes, preschool parents who didn't RSVP, I was shooting you a look during our children's Christmas program at school.) But the kids enjoyed it, and I got to eat all the leftover peppermint bark. See #4.
4. Move your peppermint bark-filled body.
To quote my favorite Richard Simmons line (from one of his records that my mother owned in the 80s): "You put it there/now lift it up and put it down." For me, that's starting to take Pure Barre and going back to yoga. (Even if my yoga teacher did say during class last week, "Well thats remarkable, Erin, especially since you haven't been in three months. Busted by the yogini.)
5. Stock up on bagel bites.
They are my specialty. One year during Christmas when we ran out of food I pulled them out. We opened presents eating delicious bite size morsels of goodness. Just like Grandma made. And you can get them in packs of eight zillion at Costco. I am totally serious.
6. Schedule time for champagne for the soul.
Chicken soup is ok, but champagne is better. Last weekend I got my winter blonde highlights and today I spent the day at Ross Bridge Spa with my good friend Amy. (Birmingham residents get 20% off on Monday and Tuesdays - score!)
Ross Bridge is one of our favorite places to get away, and what better time to do it than when everyone else is running around trying to do last minute things? One of the best things about Ross Bridge is that when you get a service you can take advantage of the spa facilities all day long, including the jacuzzi, steam room, and quiet room.
I had the Highland Foot Scrub/Scalp Therapy. It was divine, and the day a great pause from the hustle and bustle.
[For the record, I made Amy wear the hat. But she was so blissed out she was ammenable.]
7. Drink!
I kid, I kid. In moderation, of course. One of the most memorable events of the Christmas season was last week when I went to a friend's house for our first annual "Bows And Baileys." Two of our resident mixologists created amazing conctions based on seasonal liquers, and we practiced making decorative bows.
It was all very civilized, but drinking things filled with cinnamon and chocolate and coffee sure was fun.
8. Have a snowball fight
I know what you're thinking: I don't like cold. It's true. The fabulous thing is that there are lots of places to access fake snow. We had a blast at Gaylord Opryland's "Snow" exhibit (which officially does not allow snowball throwing, although some little person of ours bent the rules).
And said little person was equally thrilled to play in the "snow" at the McWane Center's "Winter Wonderland" exhibit yesterday. There's just something about snow, especially when enjoyed in 72-degrees controlled temperatures.
9. Give to someone who really needs it.
The past few days I've been thinking a lot about the work of The Blogess. This Texas-based blogger offered 20 $30 Amazon gift cards through her blog to people in need. She got more than 500 requests. All of those people have been helped, thanks to the generous outpouring of her readers.
10. Bake a birthday cake (or pick one up at Publix).
As long as I can remember, every Christmas Eve after Mass my family gathers round and sings Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus. At times I played the flute, clarinet, saxaphone, and accordian. Now I just sing, and have introduced the tradition to Nate.
The best part about being sick right now? Being up at 1 a.m. gives me access to the best Cyber Monday deals. Ha. I'd take sweet sleep over cut-rate Blu-Rate discs so far (would be a different story if there were some Tory Burch flats up in here.)
I was sick throughout Thanksgiving break, but also in major denial since I was trying to make the holiday at Opryland special. And it was, despite me blowing my nose every two minutes (sorry for that, family).
I know the drill of being sick well, and for someone who spends part of life on the road, that means adapting, regardless where I get the sniffles (that's a nicer version of the full story).
Despite lots of hand-washing and antibacterial gel, combined with the other usual "stay healthy" practices, I'm predisposed to chronic sinus infections. The surgery I had last year helped, but I still get them, and they really don't care how busy I am.
Yes, I know that illness can be your way of your body saying, 'slow down.' And I do modify my activites. But there's a lot of living to do, and it isn't happening on my couch.
This time around, sickness hit while I was traveling with my family and working. (And kicking off the holidays, managing a major painting project at home, and planning for a huge kiddo Christmas party.)
How do I get through being sick slightly more than the average girl? One, by focusing on the positive in the present. Like watching Nate make snowballs at the "Snow" exhibit:
And jumping into the jacuzzi with Mom. (Ok, it might not have helped to go out in the 38 degree weather, but the warm water felt great and the steam helped.)
When I don't feel well, I try not to wallow in it. This is a fine line I often struggle with, realizing that I do need to take time for rest and let my body recover ...
But there's so much to do. So I focus on making the best of it. And bringing hand sanitizer.
Writing from Gaylord Opryland, where I'm spending the Thanksgiving holiday with my family, writing dispatches for the magazine. We came here nine years ago when Ryan was performing with the Rockettes. That's him, the little dot in the center of all those sequins:
(I'll never forget the "after party" with the cast. Talk about being shown up on the dance floor.)
It's a little changed now, both at the hotel (sushi bar and wireless) and in the experience. The hotel has changed a bit since we remembered it, but we're glad to see how it's bounced back from the devastating floods.
The experience is differnet in that I have a four-year old in tow, and am writing about it with the eye of a slightly more seasoned traveler and writer ;
The hotel looks amazing, particularly since it was under 12 feet of water in the spring:
Nate is enjoying it. Here he is on the indoor boat ride, one of the hits so far:
Even some of the big kids are getting in on the action:
I have no idea who this crazy woman is going down the ice slide at ICE. Yes, it's carved from real ice:
So back to the clogs. Today, brother Ryan is lounging on South Beach. But he's here in spirit, especially each time we walk by the sign below. When we were little we used to copy the cloggers that appeared on public access:
Whether near or far, I'm thankful for my wacky family. Thankful for my friends, my work, and the continued chance to explore the world, share it with people I care about it, and the ability to string two words together. Happy Thanksgiving.
Yesterday we spent another fantastic day at the McWane Center. Out of all of our many visits (we've been members since Nate was a toddler), this was one of the most meaningful.
We went on my parents' 39th anniversary -- Nate, Mom and Dad, and me. (Shane was at home working or he would have been there too.) We'd been wanting to see the new model train exhibit, and when I mentioned that we'd be going this weekend, Nate got really excited. He especially wanted to see the sharkes in the touch tank exhibit:
Seriously, I never thought I would see my mom stick her fingers in water to touch a shark. But she did, talking the ear off the kind and knowledgeable young volunteer who answered all her questions.
As usual, Nate sprinted from exhibit to exhibit, eager to try everything and learn about the science behind each item of interest. We've been taking him long before he could walk and talk, introducing him to the textures and sounds, complete with his chemist dad explaining everything patiently. (But that's how we do in our family -- science is always around us and no questions go unanswered.)
Grandma and Grandpa got in on the act -- Grandma was particularly fond of a bird exhibit that taught us about the local tweeters (and I don't mean social media experts). Grandpa and Nate played an interactive video game that had them using their whoe bodies for drums. And Nate and I enjoyed a friendly game of virtual soccer:
We LOVED visiting the new model train exhibit -- a perfect start to the holiday season. Nate adored watching the trains go round and round (actually, he ran after them).
It was there, while he was enraptured by the trains, that I had a chance to speak with McWane CEO Tim Ritchie. I'd noticed that Tim was greeting guests at the ticket counter, dressed in the same uniform all the other McWane employees donned too. (Points there.) I thanked him for the great work he and his staff were doing and asked him about the year-end letter that we'd received.
He confirmed what I knew: McWane's funding has been dramatically reduced this year, and they've had to dramatically cut their budget. When I asked how they were able to continue to offer high-level educational programming, he didn't miss a beat in saying that it was thanks to many community partners, like the Birmingham Model Railroad Club, who are making the train exhibit possible.
Despite the challenging financial circumstances, Tim, his staff, and the volunteers and many community partners have great things in store to close out this year and kick of 2011. We talked a bit about what's in store. Eager to learn more and share more.
Most importantly, I encourage all of our friends in Birmingham to support the McWane Center:
Check out their soon-to-come "Winter Wonderland" Exhibit, complete with snow and ice skating, starting November 26
Love can find you in the most unsuspecting places.
For me, it happened yesterday, on my way to work. A regular old Monday morning, I was going over details of the week's calendar, when my cell phone rang. It was my friend Anne. Weird for a Monday Morning.
"Are you feeling blessed today?" she asked.
"Um .... should I be?" I replied.
Before I knew it I was in Anne's car, speeding down (um, driving the speed limit that is) the interstate to head to a local animal shelter. They had a two-year old male pug there, up for adoption and needing a good home.
This is not what I had in mind for my Monday morning. But there I was, trying not to get my hopes up on this sunny Birmingham morning. After we lost our beloved F. Scott Fitzpug seven months ago I'd thought about opening our hearts and home to another dog, but we didn't actively pursue it. When the time was right it would happen. I knew that it would be a rescue dog.
Anne, who rescues and fosters dogs (a true champion for them) knew of my wish, and that it would also take a special dog to burrow his way into our family, which had, after all, started with me and F. Scott so long ago. She'd made a note that I might be open to another dog in her special book where she keeps track of such things.
Then she drove me to the shelter. I would be calm. I would be level headed. I knew what we could and couldn't handle, and I didn't want to get attached. I was calm as we walked up to the room of crates filled with dogs looking for their forever homes. And I met him:
He bowled me over. Literally.
They estimate "PacMan" is between two and three years old. He was abandoned, a case of cruelty and surrender. When he was brought to the shelter by a Birmingham policeman he was covered in fleas and under fed. The kind folks at the shelter gave him a lot of love, and he's gained weight and is a healthy boy (even crate trained).
I filled out an application and said a prayer that we'd make the right decision.
There is no replacing F. Scott. But I got tears in my eyes when I looked into this pug's face. He looks like F. Scott, and I like to think that our founding pug has had a hand in this from where he is on the Rainbow Bridge.
But "PacMan" is unique, with his own personality and energy (boy, does this dog energy.) Being a responsible dog owner, I wanted to make sure that he would get along with Nate and Lola pug. Here they are all meeting for the first time:
"Can we keep this dog?" Nate asked. Today we'll tell him the great news. We didn't know he was going to come into our lives right now, but "PacMan" (forever name TBD) has decided to keep us.
Thank you Anne, thank you F. Scott, and thank you to the shelter workers who kept him alive until we could meet. (I also think my grandmother, who recently passed away and loved dogs, had a hand in this. Just last week my aunt adopted an adorable dacshaund. Coincidence? Hmm.)
We hope to honor all of you in the adventure that we begin later this week, when we bring our new, sweet pug home. Pugs are an incredible part of our family, and we're thrilled to welcome another one into our house.
As our first adopted dog, I can say the process has been incredible, and I'm honored to bring this little dude home (even if it does involve picking up random poop). Snorts and kisses; let the adventure begin ...
Garage Sale America The companion website to Bruce Littlefield's brilliant book about the magic of garage sales.
Bureau of Communication Wacky pre-worded communcations for every occasion, including "Happy Divorce" and "Grievance Letter" with Ad-Lib type room for your own special personalizations.
Jancee Dunn Blog Pop culture/rock critic wrote a great memoir about being a writer for "Rolling Stone" and VJ for MTV. Most importantly, she hits the 70s and 80s right on the head, particularly with her descriptions of JcPenny's, where her father spent his career. Her blog has great photos from 70s Penny's catalogs, as well as links to her essays, etc.
Disco Museum Brilliant. Check out the entry on Paul Jabara, a fairly unknown singer songwriter who wrote for Donna Summer and more. He was also the person who created the red ribbon to bring awareness to HIV.
Roadside Architecture The author spends much of her time traveling across the U.S. taking photos of giant faux food displays, neon signs, fairytale villages ala "Rock City," old diners and malls and pet cemetaries. Nothing short of genius and addictive.
Bad Fads After buying a squishy porcupine type toy for Shane and I -- I mean Nate and I -- to play with, I remembered the wonderful Koosh Ball of the late 80s. Shane didn't remember this, so I Googled the term and came up with this great page -- the Museum of Bad Fads. Excited to see that there is a reference to Sea Monkeys, my personal favorite. Though they are not a "fad" -- they are a lifestyle!
Dead Malls The guys that run this website travel the country documenting malls of bygone times. I love it!
Florida's psychic to the stars Gary Spivey has an amazing silver afro and a gift for seeing the future. Of course he's from my homeland of the greater Tampa Bay Area, Florida.
Graham Nelson Minnesota baby extraordinaire and son of Alisa!
Nat Reads Natalie writes about books, movies, and life in Birmingham.
Nikko's Blog Nikko is an American ex-pat living in Madrid. I met her through Cliff.
Hugh's News Blog of an exceptionally talented Dad, grandpa and Yankees fan. In-depth commentary on said Yankees, grandson and state of the world in general.
Pugs
http://www.nalldaniels.com/ This is the homepage for our vet. Lola's picture has been known to make an appearance here.
Lolita Pearl Lola enjoys prancing about, provoking her brother and being a vixen pug.
F. Scott Fitzpug F. Scott enjoys napping, pooping and being the cutest male pug in West Central Alabama.
Alabama Pug Rescue Wonderful organization that cares for AL pugs in need.
Moms Rising This site advocates for moms to decide how they want to raise their kids -- whether it be to work outside the home or to be a SAHM. Most of all, it's about fair, equitable conditions in which one becomes a mom and the chance to raise healthy kids.
Mojo Mom A site that helps moms reflect on the fact that they are actually people, not just baby-making beings.