It's Been Fun

But all good things must come to an end, right?  

So before I go into another long, wordy post, I will keep this (relatively) short and sweet. I think the Night Way needs to take a rest.  

There's a whole lot going on in this big, sometimes bad, sometimes beautiful world which has spurred me to share all sorts of thoughts throughout the past few years. I've enjoyed the platform and I've very much appreciated the conversations. Yet as fun as it is to write about these moments, it can also take away from my time of fully experiencing them.  It's good to be thoughtful and introspective but it's also important to get out of our heads sometimes. To just feel. To be.  Lord knows the internet alone can sure make that difficult.  Sometimes I get so caught up in reading everything to "know what's going on in the world" that I'm distracted from what's really going on in my world.

So it's time for me to unplug. Maybe not for forever. Maybe for just enough time to smell those roses that are starting to pop up. Or to be fully present to enjoy those people who surround me. Or to just sit back and breathe deeply.  Whatever it may be, I am ready.

P.S. Happy, happy Earth Day!

Funny How It Goes

Yesterday, I found myself in the midst of a mid-afternoon cleaning frenzy. I didn't mean to. I'm on spring break and pretty much all I want to do is read books, buy cute shoes and bake cookies. But it always happens the same way. I pass by a shelf or a table that needs dusting and suddenly, I'm on my hands and knees, fetching dust bunnies from radiators. So much for finishing that novel.

Anyway.

This time I noticed a thick coat of dust and grime on top of my refrigerator and as I took a rag to it, I accidentally knocked over a candle holder from the top which of course, promptly rolled backwards and crashed behind. Instantly annoyed at myself for being so klutzy and knowing I was now on a path to tidying madness, I knew I needed to drop everything to pull the damn thing from out of its little alcove and clean up that pile of broken glass. Although not a heavy appliance, the kitchen space I have to work with is entirely ridiculous. Less than two feet across from the fridge is my pantry. Therefore, pulling the fridge out was a little wiggle and pull on one side, then a jog through the sunroom to the other side to do the same. Back and forth, back and forth only to find a pile of under-the-fridge grossness that was very unfortunately NOT just a pile of broken glass. However, I found a few slips of paper, clippings and such, that had escaped their fridgie magnets and had become hidden amongst Baxter's migrating kitty fuzz.

One of these clippings was this piece written by Rebecca Traister. I had cut it out from a magazine some time ago and stuck it to the side of my fridge. It had resonated so completely with me. Writing. Vino. Cats. Living alone. Mechanical difficulties. Wanting so badly to have someone else just deal with it once in a while but knowing full well that a broken bookcase, a clogged drain, or a bag of garbage is not going to magically go away by itself.

But then there's that moment when my brain makes the switch and I feel spurred to take on the challenge at hand. I will take a deep breath, do my research, and tackle the task head on. And despite the sometimes agonizing process, I usually feel pretty fantastic by the end of it, even if the shelf does go on the wall backwards. (Yes, I did this. And then re-did it.) It reminds me that I don't need to instantly react with "I can't do this. Send in the troops!" And in Rebecca's case with the bookcase, "There is joy in competence and independence; giddy satisfaction in working, having wine, and fixing things without permission, help or encouragement from partners or parents." Yes, ma'am.

Of course, moving my little refrigerator and cleaning up the gunk behind it wasn't a big deal and didn't result in any sort of exhilaration but it reminded me how good it can feel to function as an independent being who doesn't need to react with "I can't possibly do this" (or for me, the much more common "I really don't want to do this.") I'm sure Rebecca didn't exactly love the fact that she was dealing with her bookcase in the middle of the night just like I wasn't thrilled to have to drop everything to take on the challenges of my itty bitty kitchen space. But calling in the troops feels much more meaningful when the assistance is truly necessary. You know, like when there are tears involved. Or an aching heart. Non-functional light fixtures or pretty much anything that involves getting the step ladder out? Yeah, I hate that stuff but I can deal with it and will feel pretty good at the end of it all. But a wounded heart? That's when you just might get the call to be my back-up. I can repay you with my drain unclogging skills. Deal?

Hallelujah!!

Okay, more and more studies are rolling in, indicating some positive health outcomes for those who drink black coffee regularly, enjoy a bit of red wine, and (my personal favorite), ingest dark chocolate. But this...well, this just makes me break into a huge grin. In addition to the antioxidants, chocolate lovers may actually be fending off fat? Oh, how I love when a vice does me right!

Ammonium-Hydroxide + Beef = Pink Slime

I never imagined seeing the words "pink slime" mentioned this many times in a news article. Isn't that a phrase for sci-fi books only?

Turn. It. Up.

I'm not usually a Braggy McBragster type but I've been known to brag my face off when it comes to a good playlist. I can't help it. Some of you have unknowingly encouraged me. Anyway, considering that we are in the midst of some beautiful spring weather here in 'sconsin, this can only mean one thing for me: The Rolling Stones, Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams among many, many others to be played really, really loudly in the car, at home, wherever. Yes, indeed, it's time to get the Sunny Day/Road Tripping/Cleaning the House with the Windows Open/Baking a Vegan Pie (yeah, maybe not so much that last one but that's what I happen to be doing at the moment) playlist going. I thought I would share the abbreviated version:

Street Fighting Man - The Rolling Stones

Feel Alright - Steve Earle

Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band (I know, I can't believe I've got them listed either but I do like this one.)

Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

My Sharona - The Knack

Metal Firecracker - Lucinda Williams

Little Plastic Castle - Ani DiFranco

The Littlest Birds - The Be Good Tanyas

I know What I Know - Paul Simon

Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys

Paperback Writer - The Beatles

Hesitating Beauty - Billy Bragg & Wilco

Mr. Music - Dave Moore

History of Lovers - Iron & Wine

Twice as Hard - The Black Crowes

Stickshifts and Safety Belts - Cake

Little White Dove - Jess Klein

Jackson - Johnny Cash/June Carter Cash

A Little Bit Lonesome - Kasey Chambers

The Ballad of John and Yoko - The Beatles

Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones

Sick of Myself - Matthew Sweet

Nobody's Baby - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Gotta Be Better - Shelby Lynn

Here Comes My Baby - Cat Stevens

Beautiful Day - Chris Isaak

Now go dance your heinies off. Or eat pie with me. I promise you it will be good.

Oops

I typically don't like to spew my anger about something without looking at possible solutions to the problem. However, that's exactly what I did in last week's elephant post. Sorry. I couldn't help it. My blood boils anytime I read about violence towards a defenseless creature, especially when people try to rationalize these behaviors based on "needs," the greatest "need" which seems to be one's compulsion to consume. For example, our urban sprawl constantly upsets ecosystems; yet we want to punish those animals that naturally react to our invasion. We buy products without thinking where they come from and who or what may be getting hurt in the process. No longer a necessity for most, some of us now deem hunting only a sport, a "sport" that (at least in Wisconsin) can involve a lot of drinking and a ghastly level of bloodthirsty aggression toward animals.

In an age when anyone can do a two minute internet search and instantaneously learn about the torture some animals must endure to fill our bellies or adorn our homes and bodies, it blows my mind that the demand for things like shark fin soup and ivory only increases. But again, what's the point of getting all rant-y and rave-y if I'm not going to provide some solutions?

Well, you may be shocked to learn that I don't actually have the answers to it all. (I know, I know.) However, I don't think we can underestimate the power of spreading awareness. I mean, who has actually watched Food Inc. and continued buying meat in the same way at the local supermarket? Who has continued feeding their children chicken nuggets after watching this link about Jamie Oliver's food education "failure"? And check out some of WildAid's public service announcements. Although I don't know much about this organization, I respect their simple, yet strong message: "When the buying stops, the killing can, too." And did they really get Peter Benchley to speak in defense of sharks? Sweet!

I am also impressed that according to their website, WildAid is able to funnel 100% (!) of their donations to the field. And when it's 100%, a few of us giving five dollars here and there suddenly seems like it could actually make an impact. That five dollars I might spend on a coffee and a scone (that I don't need anyway; see previous "Lessons Learned" post) could go toward protecting all sorts of amazing creatures.

Whole different kind of "lesson learned".

Ivory Looks Best Worn on its Owners

That these majestic creatures are being killed for their "artifacts" makes me absolutely sick and question the hearts of some human beings. To know that the demand is only growing is absolutely heart wrenching. According to WildAid, the number of elephants killed is now at 35,000 a year. These are animals that are known to go into great mourning when a member of their family dies. This happens for no good reason at least 35,000 times a year. And let's not also forget about the rhinos (which are endangered!) that are being poached for the same exact reason. All of this so somebody can decorate his house with collectibles or so she can adorn her body with jewelry. Disgusting.