My poor blog. It sits here day after day . . .waiting in the blogosphere for action, for resuscitation, pleading for something, begging for anything.
Could you spare a few words, please ma'am? Just hungry, need new paragraphs. Perhaps a cute pic of the kids? A recap of the summer? Of the year? A damn Haiku!? Oh, what? You are too busy? Yeah, just walk on by. Avert your eyes from the computer - act like I don't exist. You should be ashamed of yourself.. .it's been over a year!
Ok, so my blog is a tad bitter about the whole thing. I haven't quite figured it all out yet - why I don't write. I just don't. My brain is always buzzing with thoughts & ideas but for some reason, from the gray matter to the computer page is under the "You can't get there from here" category .
I will work on it. Really and truly. Writing is good for me, it makes me feel healthy. Good for the soul, some might say. I will carve out some time to drop by my computer and stop the neglect. I am starting to see in life, you don't just do it - it will never happen. And that actually scares me - a lot.
My mom & I were browsing in a little beach shop in Rehobeth, Delaware a few years ago, and we saw a sign...
"She believed she could, and so she did."
We loved that thought. So simple and so true. Believe it and do it.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, September 8, 2013
Friday, June 22, 2012
Henry's "Huggy"!
The Reid-Sykes families have always been the affectionate sort. We hug hello and goodbye, kiss morning and good night, hold hands, scratch backs, play with hair, you name it. But Henry has put a new twist on affection... hugs to be exact.
I don't know when it really took form or how, but it is called "Huggy!" Yes, with an exclamation point. It is a command? It is a question? A statement perhaps? Yes, all three. He asks for what he needs...and he needs a hug, damnit and now! It was catchy and caught on quickly with us lovable types and now we all say it. "Huggy!"
I started to think how cool it was that he asks for what he needs, a hug. It is just a simple thing. Wrapping your arms around another person, with loving intent. But what a powerful thing a hug can be. It can lift your spirits, affirm your love, give you strength, it can say "I'm sorry", make you feel safe.
Think about people you know - some people really give good hugs. Jeff is a great hugger. And he knows a good hug when he sees one too. Don't give him a mamby-pamby hug, that just won't do. He will call you out and ask for a do-over. Jeff comes from a long line of huggers. His Uncle Bobby is famous for his bone-crushing, "I-really-can't-breathe-anymore" hugs. I am serious. One Thanksgiving he caught me by surprise and when it was over, I thought he cracked one of my ribs.
But some people aren't huggers, and that is just fine too. You are inviting yourself into someone's personal space for a moment and sometimes that space isn't for sharing. Some folks aren't used to hugs being common currency in familial communication either. I get that. My family has always spoken "hug" . . .then I married a hugger from a family of huggers, and now we are raising little huggers.
A few years ago, Dave Matthews made a video starring Judah Friedlander, one of the actors on "30 Rock" and it was about needing love, everyday. I always liked it and it fit the hug theme today, so I dug it up to share with you. . .
Dave Matthews Band - "Everyday"
This is a phase for Henry. Hopefully he will not grow up to a be a funky-looking guy on the street asking strangers for "Huggy?!" all day. Hugs have the capability to reach across all genders, ages, ethnicities, and nationalities. They are universal. They are simple and awesome. So next time you need a hug, ask for one. It sure works for Henry. Everyday.
I don't know when it really took form or how, but it is called "Huggy!" Yes, with an exclamation point. It is a command? It is a question? A statement perhaps? Yes, all three. He asks for what he needs...and he needs a hug, damnit and now! It was catchy and caught on quickly with us lovable types and now we all say it. "Huggy!"
I started to think how cool it was that he asks for what he needs, a hug. It is just a simple thing. Wrapping your arms around another person, with loving intent. But what a powerful thing a hug can be. It can lift your spirits, affirm your love, give you strength, it can say "I'm sorry", make you feel safe.
Think about people you know - some people really give good hugs. Jeff is a great hugger. And he knows a good hug when he sees one too. Don't give him a mamby-pamby hug, that just won't do. He will call you out and ask for a do-over. Jeff comes from a long line of huggers. His Uncle Bobby is famous for his bone-crushing, "I-really-can't-breathe-anymore" hugs. I am serious. One Thanksgiving he caught me by surprise and when it was over, I thought he cracked one of my ribs.
But some people aren't huggers, and that is just fine too. You are inviting yourself into someone's personal space for a moment and sometimes that space isn't for sharing. Some folks aren't used to hugs being common currency in familial communication either. I get that. My family has always spoken "hug" . . .then I married a hugger from a family of huggers, and now we are raising little huggers.
A few years ago, Dave Matthews made a video starring Judah Friedlander, one of the actors on "30 Rock" and it was about needing love, everyday. I always liked it and it fit the hug theme today, so I dug it up to share with you. . .
Dave Matthews Band - "Everyday"
This is a phase for Henry. Hopefully he will not grow up to a be a funky-looking guy on the street asking strangers for "Huggy?!" all day. Hugs have the capability to reach across all genders, ages, ethnicities, and nationalities. They are universal. They are simple and awesome. So next time you need a hug, ask for one. It sure works for Henry. Everyday.
 |
| Just a boy, looking for a hug! |
Monday, September 5, 2011
Don't Blink...Life happens fast!
There has been much said about the passage of time...time flies, a watched pot never boils, the days are long but the years are short, etc. I am sure you could think of a few sayings too. We all know them by heart. We are seemingly always aware of time, trying to slow down or hurry up, turn back the clock or watch the clock, capture a moment or be in the moment.
The reason I bring this up is I just had the strangest 2 weeks. And when I reflected on it as a block of time, I thought about how odd and funny all these things were all mashed up together. To me, these single moments when added up, were more than just the sum of their parts.
So here it my list of moments...in basic chronological order.
1. Henry loses his first tooth
2. School starts...and we have an earthquake.
3. Hurricane Irene hits...high winds, lots of rain
4. No power or running water for 4 days
5. School is cancelled for 2 days
6. Henry accidently swallows a metal piece of a toy airplane
7. Power back on (YAY!) and school resumes (BOO!)
8. Armed with rubber gloves and a plastic fork, I begin the stoole search for the lost airplane piece, in a bucket on the deck, everyday.
9.Caroline picks the cello for her school strings intrument
10. Henry slides hands first into a gigantic fresh pile of dog poop at the soccer field
11. Someone has abandoned 2 domesticated pot-belly pigs in a fenced area at Jack's soccer practice and they begin to mate in front of a crowd of on-lookers.
12. Henry loses 2nd tooth
13. Caroline now can play the first few notes of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the cello.
14. Jeff tries to learn the theme to Jaws on Caroline's cello.
15. Lucy is frightened by the sound of the cello.
16. I cannot "find" the lost airplane piece.
17. After just two weeks of middle school, Jack announces he is growing his hair long.
18. At our favorite restaurant, Henry slips and drops a bowl of pad thai onto my feet ( I am wearing flip-flops).
Those were the highlights of the last 14 days of my life. Some things were amazing, some funny, others extremely digusting. But when rewound and replayed in my mind, I guess it was just life being life...time being filled with living. So here I sit, wondering what the next two weeks will bring...Tornados? Splinters? Aliens? But most of all, the question that has been nagging me the most is where in heaven is that piece of airplane?
Carpe Diem!
-Meghan
The reason I bring this up is I just had the strangest 2 weeks. And when I reflected on it as a block of time, I thought about how odd and funny all these things were all mashed up together. To me, these single moments when added up, were more than just the sum of their parts.
So here it my list of moments...in basic chronological order.
1. Henry loses his first tooth
2. School starts...and we have an earthquake.
3. Hurricane Irene hits...high winds, lots of rain
4. No power or running water for 4 days
5. School is cancelled for 2 days
6. Henry accidently swallows a metal piece of a toy airplane
7. Power back on (YAY!) and school resumes (BOO!)
8. Armed with rubber gloves and a plastic fork, I begin the stoole search for the lost airplane piece, in a bucket on the deck, everyday.
9.Caroline picks the cello for her school strings intrument
10. Henry slides hands first into a gigantic fresh pile of dog poop at the soccer field
11. Someone has abandoned 2 domesticated pot-belly pigs in a fenced area at Jack's soccer practice and they begin to mate in front of a crowd of on-lookers.
12. Henry loses 2nd tooth
13. Caroline now can play the first few notes of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the cello.
14. Jeff tries to learn the theme to Jaws on Caroline's cello.
15. Lucy is frightened by the sound of the cello.
16. I cannot "find" the lost airplane piece.
17. After just two weeks of middle school, Jack announces he is growing his hair long.
18. At our favorite restaurant, Henry slips and drops a bowl of pad thai onto my feet ( I am wearing flip-flops).
Those were the highlights of the last 14 days of my life. Some things were amazing, some funny, others extremely digusting. But when rewound and replayed in my mind, I guess it was just life being life...time being filled with living. So here I sit, wondering what the next two weeks will bring...Tornados? Splinters? Aliens? But most of all, the question that has been nagging me the most is where in heaven is that piece of airplane?
Carpe Diem!
-Meghan
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Americana on Elliott Place
As you might have noticed, I did not fulfill my own challenge to have 7 posts in 7 days. I blew it on Day 5, I believe - Lol! In my planning, I knew I would be away for the 4th of July weekend, and hoped I would be able to stockpile a few blogs and publish daily. That didn't happen :-) I may have failed the challenge but I was successful in kickstarting my writing. In just those few days, I wrote more than I had written in all the time since I created Veni-Vidi-Scripti. Yay!
So in the spirit of challenge and overcoming adversity, I bring you my take on something awesome that happened over the weekend. Two things actually...and they both had to do with spirit and perseverance. One happened ON Elliott Place and the other IN Germany but I watched from Elliott Place.
The first...The Sykes Lemonade Stand, manned all weekend by Caroline and Henry.
They hatched the plan on Friday night. Caroline was so excited she could hardly sleep! Saturday morning dawned bright, hot, and very humid...perfect for thirsty customers. We set up the beach umbrella, table, ice cooler, and lemonade pitchers. Then they sat and waited...
They ran the stand for 5 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday. If you build it, they will come. And come the customers did - neighbors, cyclists, dog walkers, beach-goers, Sunday drivers. Their best customers by far were the biker dudes.These barrel-chested, bearded guys would drive up and park, purchase, recycle the cup, and off they roared on their hogs. I don't think these guys could resist two kids with a checkered tablecloth selling good, old-fashioned lemonade. Too funny!
Jeff and I were really proud of our kids. They handled their stand like pros, waiting on customers, counting money, making change. They had the patience to sit out in the blasted heat for two days, never complaining once. Anyone who has kids, been around kids, or ever been a kid will understand that in itself is a minor miracle! They were so determined and serious about it, I finally had to buy the last two cups on Saturday just so we all could go to the beach.
YOU GO, GIRLS!
On Sunday, I may have been in my living room on Elliott Place, but my heart was in Dresden, Germany! The second awesome thing-- the Women's FIFA soccer game between Brazil and U.S.A. . This game was a doozy! I watched it live and I am not one for sitting inside on a summer day to watch sports. But I hardly sat...I cheered, I cried, I cheered some more, I jumped up and down, I pumped my fists.
There was drama, oh boy! Bad calls, yellow cards, a red card, amazing plays and athleticism, but what I will remember most is how the entire team never gave up, never pouted or showed poor sportsmanship. Our USA women showed the world an amazing display the HUMAN spirit. I can't recall the last time a women's sporting event captured the front page of The Washington Post...above the crease, mind you!
This weekend the American entrepreneurial spirit was alive and prospering in front of 116 Elliott Place and the American Girl Power was being cheered inside 116 Elliott Place.
I raise my glass of ice-cold lemonade to spirit and perseverance!
--Meghan
So in the spirit of challenge and overcoming adversity, I bring you my take on something awesome that happened over the weekend. Two things actually...and they both had to do with spirit and perseverance. One happened ON Elliott Place and the other IN Germany but I watched from Elliott Place.
The first...The Sykes Lemonade Stand, manned all weekend by Caroline and Henry.
They hatched the plan on Friday night. Caroline was so excited she could hardly sleep! Saturday morning dawned bright, hot, and very humid...perfect for thirsty customers. We set up the beach umbrella, table, ice cooler, and lemonade pitchers. Then they sat and waited...
They ran the stand for 5 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday. If you build it, they will come. And come the customers did - neighbors, cyclists, dog walkers, beach-goers, Sunday drivers. Their best customers by far were the biker dudes.These barrel-chested, bearded guys would drive up and park, purchase, recycle the cup, and off they roared on their hogs. I don't think these guys could resist two kids with a checkered tablecloth selling good, old-fashioned lemonade. Too funny!
Jeff and I were really proud of our kids. They handled their stand like pros, waiting on customers, counting money, making change. They had the patience to sit out in the blasted heat for two days, never complaining once. Anyone who has kids, been around kids, or ever been a kid will understand that in itself is a minor miracle! They were so determined and serious about it, I finally had to buy the last two cups on Saturday just so we all could go to the beach.
YOU GO, GIRLS!
On Sunday, I may have been in my living room on Elliott Place, but my heart was in Dresden, Germany! The second awesome thing-- the Women's FIFA soccer game between Brazil and U.S.A. . This game was a doozy! I watched it live and I am not one for sitting inside on a summer day to watch sports. But I hardly sat...I cheered, I cried, I cheered some more, I jumped up and down, I pumped my fists.
There was drama, oh boy! Bad calls, yellow cards, a red card, amazing plays and athleticism, but what I will remember most is how the entire team never gave up, never pouted or showed poor sportsmanship. Our USA women showed the world an amazing display the HUMAN spirit. I can't recall the last time a women's sporting event captured the front page of The Washington Post...above the crease, mind you!
This weekend the American entrepreneurial spirit was alive and prospering in front of 116 Elliott Place and the American Girl Power was being cheered inside 116 Elliott Place.
I raise my glass of ice-cold lemonade to spirit and perseverance!
--Meghan
Friday, July 1, 2011
Do you Haiku?
Hello, my name is Meghan and I am a Haiku-aholic.
It is no secret. . .I love poetry! Caroline's 2nd grade class did a unit in Haiku and it reawakened my interest a few months ago. I have started keeping a little journal and jotting things down here and there. If you aren't familiar with Haiku . . . I pulled the following off a Haiku website for a brief 4-1-1.
"Haiku is both a type of poetic pattern and a way of experiencing the world. This short, 17-syllable form, usually written in three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count, focuses our attention on a single, insightful moment. Closely tied to the Japanese aesthetic of Yugen and the spirituality of Buddhism, Haiku looks deceptively simple, yet can take years to master."
It may take years to master but the Sykes family sure had some haiku fun over dinner the other night. Before you envision our family going all high-brow reciting poetry together, I will warn you that Henry did work his all-time favorite word, "fartlips", into one of the poems. Leave it to my boys to discover Haiku works very well with bathroom humor.
We went around the table, each person adding one word in the 5-7-5 syllable count in the poem, until it was completed.
It is my honor to present to you, the Sykes Family Dinner Haiku. . .
"Dinner"
Plates of fresh rockfish
noodles with dressing pad thai
lime in glass cold wine.
"Watermelon"
Watermelon grows!
delicious juicy seedless
ripe for the picking!
"The Dog"
The dog smells like poo
ears like velvet rainbows
scratching paws and tail.
And last but not least...
"Farts"
Melting, squinting toots!
fartlips - gross! Butt burps, oh my!
Brown turtle is near.
And there you have it, our dinner haiku! I hope this hasn't turned you against haiku or turned your stomach in any way ;-) . It was a different and fun way to share the dinner table with my husband and kids. I hope to share with you some of my other haiku in future posts. I am not worried about that "years to master" stuff.
So...do you haiku?
--Meghan
It is no secret. . .I love poetry! Caroline's 2nd grade class did a unit in Haiku and it reawakened my interest a few months ago. I have started keeping a little journal and jotting things down here and there. If you aren't familiar with Haiku . . . I pulled the following off a Haiku website for a brief 4-1-1.
"Haiku is both a type of poetic pattern and a way of experiencing the world. This short, 17-syllable form, usually written in three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count, focuses our attention on a single, insightful moment. Closely tied to the Japanese aesthetic of Yugen and the spirituality of Buddhism, Haiku looks deceptively simple, yet can take years to master."
It may take years to master but the Sykes family sure had some haiku fun over dinner the other night. Before you envision our family going all high-brow reciting poetry together, I will warn you that Henry did work his all-time favorite word, "fartlips", into one of the poems. Leave it to my boys to discover Haiku works very well with bathroom humor.
We went around the table, each person adding one word in the 5-7-5 syllable count in the poem, until it was completed.
It is my honor to present to you, the Sykes Family Dinner Haiku. . .
"Dinner"
Plates of fresh rockfish
noodles with dressing pad thai
lime in glass cold wine.
"Watermelon"
Watermelon grows!
delicious juicy seedless
ripe for the picking!
"The Dog"
The dog smells like poo
ears like velvet rainbows
scratching paws and tail.
And last but not least...
"Farts"
Melting, squinting toots!
fartlips - gross! Butt burps, oh my!
Brown turtle is near.
And there you have it, our dinner haiku! I hope this hasn't turned you against haiku or turned your stomach in any way ;-) . It was a different and fun way to share the dinner table with my husband and kids. I hope to share with you some of my other haiku in future posts. I am not worried about that "years to master" stuff.
So...do you haiku?
--Meghan
High Adventure on Summer Day
The trip was planned for a week.
Shovels? Check!
Sifters? Check!
Food, water, bathing suits, towels, sunscreen? Check!
The kids, a few neigbors from our Elliott Place Posse, and I were ready...to seek, to strive, and not to yield until we found what we came for. And there is a beach, tucked away in Calvert County...about 35 minutes south, called officially Bay Front Park, but known to locals as "Brownie Beach" that held our treasure.
So the Sykes crew piled out of the truck, and took off down a shady path that led to the small beach. We set up camp for the day near some steep cliffs, then the hunt began. We used our hands, shovels, and sifters...and Brownie Beach did not disappoint! We quickly started to find the prehistoric treasures we sought...shark teeth!
Brownie Beach is known locally as THE place to find shark teeth because as the cliffs are worn away by time and tide, more teeth get uncovered.
We found hammerhead and snaggle-tooth shark teeth, as a paper guide in Jack's fossil kit told us. The kids took breaks in the day by swimming and then climbing on the cliffs.
All totaled at the end of the day, over 100 shark teeth!
Not too shabby for our rookie attempt at shark teeth hunting.
The kids had eagle eyes and gobs of patience in their hours of searching.
High adventure on a summer day,
--Meghan
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Hot Coffee...
Ever heard of the woman who spilled coffee from McDonald's in her lap, sued them, and won millions? Her name was Stella Liebeck...the cup of coffee was 180 degrees and scalded her groin area so badly that she needed surgery and skin graphs. Her life was never the same. Though she only sued for medical costs, a jury awarded her $2.86 million in punitive costs. However permanent her injuries, pain, and suffering were...Stella's case has become synomous with frivilous lawsuits.
In a powerful new documentary titled "Hot Coffee", filmmaker Susan Saladoff showcases how this case ushered in an era of damage award caps and mandatory arbitration, and how America's big business has eroded the rights of plantiffs everywhere.
Ok...I hear you now...tort reform? mandatory abitration? award caps? This may sound like a recipe for insomnia but don't be too quick to judge (no pun intended!). This documentary has taken Sundance by storm and was purchased by HBO...it premiered on HBO on Monday night and I loved it. I found it completely fascinating. Saladoff does an excellent job highlighting high profile cases and explaining how the changes in our legal system has affected people... and more importantly how these changes could affect you.
So if you have HBO, check your listings. If you are a NetFlixer, put it in the que. I highly recommend it... you may come away from watching it angry, but you will understand your rights as a consumer, employee, plantiff much, much better. Consider it a brush-up on your legal IQ.
So watch"Hot Coffee" the movie and find out what happened to Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's Corp. (Hint: She never recieves her $2.86 million! Imagine that!) And buy your coffee at Starbuck's, for pete's sake! Or better yet, brew your own!
--Meghan
In a powerful new documentary titled "Hot Coffee", filmmaker Susan Saladoff showcases how this case ushered in an era of damage award caps and mandatory arbitration, and how America's big business has eroded the rights of plantiffs everywhere.
Ok...I hear you now...tort reform? mandatory abitration? award caps? This may sound like a recipe for insomnia but don't be too quick to judge (no pun intended!). This documentary has taken Sundance by storm and was purchased by HBO...it premiered on HBO on Monday night and I loved it. I found it completely fascinating. Saladoff does an excellent job highlighting high profile cases and explaining how the changes in our legal system has affected people... and more importantly how these changes could affect you.
So if you have HBO, check your listings. If you are a NetFlixer, put it in the que. I highly recommend it... you may come away from watching it angry, but you will understand your rights as a consumer, employee, plantiff much, much better. Consider it a brush-up on your legal IQ.
So watch"Hot Coffee" the movie and find out what happened to Stella Liebeck v. McDonald's Corp. (Hint: She never recieves her $2.86 million! Imagine that!) And buy your coffee at Starbuck's, for pete's sake! Or better yet, brew your own!
--Meghan
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