Robin, the Red-Eyed Reindeer

Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won't you be my eye tonight?

Actually, I don't need Rudy, as I've been sporting a nice red eyeball since Friday, along with what I thought was a Christmas Day Cold but the nice doctor tells me was a sinus infection with a side of pink eye. I'm sure I picked up these germs while Christmas shopping at the fifth gate of hell mall on Christmas Eve eve. I've never been sick over the holidays before, and it bites. I had big plans -- Big Plans, I tell you -- for these two weeks. Visiting with faraway friends in town for the holidays, visiting with local friends that I haven't seen in weeks, closet cleaning, magazine purging, dinner party-throwing. Not to mention the BF is a teacher and this is one of the few times during the year that he has time off and I my work schedule allows me to take time off to match.

But enough whining. In between coughing fits, cabin fever (from which Meg & Mo have been so good about trying to rescue me), daily chats with Mumsie, and The Lounging Party's favorite activity (cat-naps), I've had lots of time to catch up on reading. Two books, a dozen magazines, the daily paper from cover to cover, and blogland. My Google Reader was overflowing with long-unread posts -- some of you are prolific and I've been really bad about keeping up.

Thanks to the miracle of modern medicine I am feeling better and am hoping to make a brief cough-free, red-eye-free appearance at a New Year's Eve party and then cram some fun times (and perhaps some of that closet-cleaning) into what's left of my vacation. Wishing you all a fabulous New Year's!

(photo from ABC)

The joy of human connection

{Peace Love Happiness Friends 63/365, originally uploaded by Pink Sherbet Photography}

Thursday night I met up with two girlfriends for our monthly "book club." I say that euphemistically: we have attempted (for a year now) to pick a book and read it together and discuss, but we never get any farther than "have you read this?", "what are you reading?", "I read that", "did you hear they are making a movie of such-and-such." And then before you know it we are on to some starlet's latest shenanigans, whether the waitress is ever coming back with more wine (because of course we hold these, ahem, "meetings" in a bar), Obama vs Hillary, Mad Men, and the state of our sex lives.

Despite of the lack of literary discourse, these get-togethers are food for my soul, as they are reminders of how precious is the need for human contact, how quickly time passes and how we need to savor each flesh-and-blood friendship. Work, family, chores, outside obligations -- the busy-ness of day-to-day living sometimes takes up so much of our lives that before you know it a week, a month, a year has passed and you and so-and-so never did get together. I try very hard to stay in touch with friends who are no longer part of my every day, but it astounds me how many friendships have faded away to just an annual Christmas card.

I appreciate all the blog friends I have made here, as all bloggers do (and even non-friends - the outpouring of love, prayers and contributions for blogger Stephanie Nielson by complete strangers warms the heart and reassures me as to the strength of human kindness more than I could have anticipated. I would be shocked if this story did not end up on Oprah). And I'm not sure who started it, but there's a reason the "Pay It Forward" posts are so popular these days. Sure, we all love reading and commenting on each other's blogs, and getting emails, and feeling that little connection with each other, but there is something so satisfying about receiving something (especially a non-bill something) in the real, live, postal mail. Some little treat, some sign that someone is thinking of us.

So, in the spirit of back-to-school, here is your homework. This week I want you to mail a little notecard to a friend you haven't spoken to in a while, just to let them know you're thinking about them. Not an email, a real live piece of mail. Yes, you may have to go to the post office and buy a stamp (I'm partial to the Charles & Ray Eames collection and the Albert Bierstadt painting). Include your phone number and email, in case they've lost it. Maybe it will inspire them to get back in touch. Maybe it will just brighten their day. Maybe it will brighten only your day. But wouldn't it be worth it?

So write your note and then post a comment here of who you sent it to. You don't have to get too specific, I understand the need for privacy. You can be vague, as in "sent a note to former co-worker I haven't talked to in 2 years". Let's see how many little seeds we can plant through the postal system.

Cigars and Ice Cream

I have this amusing (to me) habit of editing people's grocery lists. If I'm at their house and their grocery list is on the fridge or counter, I will secretly add two items, "cigars" and "ice cream". I will try to copy their handwriting as much as possible. I do not stick around to see if they notice. I have been caught only once.

Diana's post at Please Sir yesterday sends you to {this is glamorous} which in turn sends you to artist Frances Trombly, who has recreated everyday objects out of fabric and yarn, including a Publix grocery receipt. This reminded me (a) I love the internet and (b) of this book Milk Eggs Vodka, which I once stood laughing over in Borders for way too long (without buying, sorry Bill Keaggy). Bill has collected hundreds of discarded shopping lists and assembled them into a
sometimes sad ("if enough money, buy chips"), often humorous ("squirt gun, hot peppers, bee trap, pie pans") but always fascinating snapshot of how random our collective needs are (and how bad our collective spelling is). The more incongruous the list of items, the more you have to wonder about who was buying them and why. He even wrote a Short Story About Life Based on Other People's Grocery Lists (note, you have to hover your mouse over the lists to get the advance arrows). Here are a few of the many lists he features in the book:

{My grandma used to recycle old envelopes and reuse them for phone messages and shopping lists. To my knowledge she never used the credit card payment form though. You know, the one with the credit card account number on it and your full address? Not too bright Mr. Coffee and Beer...}

{Note the second line "if you buy more rice I'll punch you!" I'm thinking one spouse writes the list and the other spouse is bad shopper...}

{I've been there sister.}

Since he is still collecting lists, there are hundreds more on his website, but so far none of them say "cigars" and "ice cream". Yet.