Shoes

My shoes are more than just accessories in my closet, accents for my feet or eye candy for date nights with my husband. They all serve a function. Some give me boost when extra inches are required. Others keep me grounded. More protect from harsh conditions and jerks. Then, there are my treads for running distances and traversing uneven terrain.

There are days when I'd like to wear someone else's shoes for a block or two. Those red, three-inch, knee-highs I saw this morning at the bus stop sure would be the ticket. If you're like me, a new stylish pair of shoes on the feet of a friend or on the clearance rack at DSW makes my adrenalin surge.

What would it be like to see the world standing in those cheetah-motif stilettos? Only the friend or stranger wearing them really knows. So, what shoes are you wearing today? I have yet to put mine on.

Happy Birthday: Riff Celebrates Five Years

Five years and 2 hours ago, my husband and I welcomed Riff to the world. There are not words to express the joy I experienced at that moment nor the joy I continue to experience every moment he spends with me.

There is no other exactly like him. He is a blessing; a precious miracle gift. His beautiful heart shows in wide smiles and infectious giggles. As he continues to grow his personality evolves. Today, his interests include dancing, watching and playing sports, music, police cars and anything with buttons.

He is still too young to appreciate the words I string together in his birthday cards declaring my unconditional love. I didn't appreciate the depth of this love from my own mom until I became one myself.

As I continue in the triumphs and challenges of parenthood, I realize there are no others that have taught me so much about life, love, people, and myself. Both of my children enrich me.

At some point, the rest of the world will see and know what I already do. Riff is exceptional. He is love and so very special.

Related previous posts …

Just Say It

Thoughts About Children and Multiple Choice

Charming the People

Time to Fly

Get a Grip: Stay on the Bright Side

Yesterday, I stepped into my local Kinko's/FedEx store. The blue skies and warm sunshine had me on the bright side where time was my friend and people were smiling. I was still mentally humming Black-Eyed Peas' Missing You while thinking about Sanders, the next stop on my errand list.

My stay was intended to be brief: a run-in, run-out kind of deal. I was blind to the invisible, dark, Grinch-like forces amassing to the right of my self-serve copy machine.

As my copies ejected, I glanced around. The impatient lady waiting in line hovered. She was ready to pounce as I prepared to leave. Unfortunately, my credit card became stuck in the card reader.

Signaling a Kinko's employee for help, I held my breath. Despite the reality of my card being inside the card reader, I searched through my purse. After all, it is the holiday season. Perhaps Neptune, the elf, my family recently adopted, would put a thumb up his nose to make my card magically reappear.

Neptune's magic didn't work. So, I succumbed to reality and sat my purse on the work counter to my right. My credit card was stuck in that reader. Time was no longer my friend. Minutes clinked off the clock.

Then, as if my situation wasn't dire enough, the impatient line-waiter transformed herself. Venom shot from her eyes.

She shouted, "Will you please get your stuff off of my counter?"

Get a grip my inner voice said. Then, as an added buffer to the Grinch-like darkness swirling to my right, there was a happy, smiling woman to my left.

She said, "Look at the beautiful, bright sunshine. Isn't it a perfect day. I'm taking an extra long lunch."

I sucked in all the snarky, anti-holiday comments I was about to hurl at the Grinch lady and said, "You're right. It is a beautiful day. Enjoy the extra long lunch."

Good People, Good Neighbors

I am a lifelong suburbanite of Detroit. With the exception of my college years, I have called this place one hour north of the "D", home. Despite thoughts about skipping town for something more exciting in say San Diego or Turino, Italy, I can't turn away.

The draw is more than world-class sports teams, superb shopping, exceptional restaurants, Stony Creek Metro Park, beautiful shorelines, scenic bike paths and cultural opportunities. The one reason I stay rooted here is the people.

While growing up in Rochester, I was fortunate to reside in a neighborhood where splendid friendships were forged swapping stickers and Tiger Beat magazines, pretending to be Charlie's Angels, hanging out at the Rochester Cider Mill after school, or skating on a common ice rink in the middle of someone's veggie garden.

I now live in a Shelby Township neighborhood that boasts the company of good, caring people. In addition to sharing dog and child sitting duties, a number are runners and fitness enthusiasts. I love how we all encourage each other to run those 5ks, attend boot camps training sessions and give Zumba a try. Plus, the bus stop just wouldn't be the same without the exchange of parenting tips, recipes, and style ideas.

The love my neighbors have with one another is rare and irreplaceable. One plows the sidewalks so that school children are safe walking to the bus stop, another hosts an annual holiday open house to encourage fellowship, a third organized a meal plan for a family experiencing the loss of a spouse and mother, and a fourth is rallying all of us to save the life of a child.

I am in very good company, indeed. And, I don't want to leave.

Related articles

• NaNoWriMo: Week 1 - Setting the Stage (kateschannel.wordpress.com)

Words Are Mighty

Words are mighty. They wield the power to love, hate, free, imprison, heal, poison, mend, hurt, help, hinder, reward, punish, agree, protest, include, exclude, dominate, share, unite, divide, build, break, motivate, defeat, encourage, inhibit, celebrate, silence, bully, defend, protect, attack, empower, debilitate, propel, stop, add, subtract, multiply, delete, mediate, instigate, calm, infuriate, judge, forgive, push, pull, tarnish, shine, triumph, diminish, overpower, undermine, prevail, conquer, inform, conceal, protect, endanger, preserve, change, comfort, scare, create, destroy, promote, inflict, investigate, manipulate, expose, control, educate, deceive, console, terrorize, enrich, connect, polarize, captivate, rescue, dictate, and overthrow,

A boy who has Leukemia and who attends the same school as Issa is asking for words -- not money -- to help him fight and to help him stay strong.

Cards wanted for boy with leukemia

Another shared love for everybody.

My story

More continue to protest the greed, corruption and manipulation.

OWS

I consider myself fortunate to have a mind open to messages old and new. The blogs I visit (Mama's Empty Nest), stories I read (The Book Thief), songs I hear (Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train), and films I watch (Tree of Life) all leave their impressions. Some are fleeting. Others linger.

NaNoWriMo: The Week After

Well, it's been almost one week. I have ignored my characters' pleas to change their scenery or edit their dialogue. In fact, I haven't even peaked at their story.

I figure it's the winter holiday season; and I do have two school-aged children chattering non-stop about Santa, Rudolph, and our temporary live-in elf from the North Pole, Neptune. Retracing my steps through Jakarta, Melbourne, and Capri will have to wait for those frigid January days when I am looking for a warm-up.

Looking back on my first 50k experience, the circle of writers I came to know -- some strangers and some long-time friends -- was the most valuable takeaway. MB, my childhood friend, was really the catalyst for my participation. I truly appreciated having a pal rooting for me to come away with full pages each day. Three new acquaintances I made a long the way include thesweetkitten, talin401, and limebirdbeth. The first posts about Brussels, Belgium. I was drooling over the photos and the delicacies detailed there. The later two are about writing, which I now follow for insight and inspiration.

This first 50k, was indeed, an enriching experience.

NaNoWriMo: In The End

At 11:10 pm, November 30, my word count surpassed 7ok. Clearly, I had made the 50k mark in my first annual NaNoWriMo challenge. But, I told myself my form needed polish. The story read like a 5k without that explosive sprint to the finish line.

So, there I sat listening to Foo Fighters' Everlong. Do I risk it? If I edit, I could get tripped up or sidelined. I might not make it before the buzzer goes of to call the race. As I considered my options, I kept hearing Jillian Michael's voice from her cardio kickboxing DVD.

"Don't cheat me!" she shouted.

Did I ever mention I hate alarms? They interrupt all the important stuff like sleep, dreams and sex. I think it's better to let nature tell me when it's time to wake up, go to bed, walk the dog, or write.

Besides, I just wasn't content with my story. I kept rehashing the plot in my head. Was it exciting? If I was snuggled on my couch reading late at night, would I fall asleep or stay riveted to the action on my pages? Did the characters have enough to make an audience scream sequel?

As I reconciled the plot, it was midnight. For some reason I didn't care that the race was officially over. I wanted my characters to feel closure to their story; or have plane tickets to the next destination in the series of adventures I am plotting for them.

So, I centered my attention on making a strong finish despite the time. If the story had just finished playing out on a big screen some-where, would I leave wanting to discuss it with my girlfriends; or would I march myself to the ticket booth to demand a refund?

In the end, I was satisfied enough to consider this very rough draft of my first novel finished. It has been left on my desktop to ferment.

Like my love for wine, it will call to me this Friday. It will tease me. I will be tested to ignore its pleas for a reread.

Thankfully, I have a new, temporary family member to care for. Santa sent Neptune, one of his elves  to keep watchful eyes on Issa and Riff through December 24. There are rules Neptune must follow to in order for his magic to work. His magic enables him to fly to the North Pole each night and to speak elf to Santa while discussing Issa and Riff. This added responsibility to my domestic law enforcement duties keeps my writing addiction in check.

Plus, there's that Sunday night football contest between the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans' Saints. I love football and continue to think the Lions can turn in a victory; even without Ndamukong Suh.

Related previous posts …

NaNoWriMo: Weeks 3 and 4 - Gory Scene Stealer

NaNoWriMo: Week 2 - Where It All Started

NaNoWriMo: Week 1- Setting the Stage

My First 50k