thirteen saptastic songs for your valentine

My 13 faves from the "lovey dovey stuff" playlist on my iPod:

• This Boy ~ The Beatles (I totally wanted This Boy, to save me from That Boy who only made me cry.)

• Endless Love

~Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (I used to have the 45 rpm and would listen to it daily. And cry.)

I Will Always Love You ~ Dolly Parton (More crying)

Wonderful Tonight ~ Eric Clapton (Rockers singing love songs? *sob*)

I Only Want to Be With You ~ Dusty Springfield (I love that I could actually sing along to this; if only I could dance like her.)

• Hopelessly Devoted to You ~ Olivia Newton-John (I can lip sync this one like no other, friends)
• Tender Love ~ The Force M.D.s (Love songs by rappers? *double sob*)
• Hey There Delilah ~ Plain White Ts (Shut up, haters; it's sweet)
• State of the Heart ~ Rick Springfield (There is an obsession; it's a bit embarrassing)
• Babe ~ Styx (What can I say? It takes me back to 7th grade. Crying in the bathroom.)
• Second Chance & Caught Up In You ~ .38 Special (Southern rockin' dudes & sweet love songs? *more sobbing*)
• Hard Habit to Break ~ Chicago (How could a lovey dovey playlist be complete without Chicago?)
• Endless Summer Nights ~ Richard Marx (Long dreamy story behind this one; someday I might tell)
• One of Us ~ ABBA (Precious song, but the video makes no sense - maybe they didn't understand their lyrics in English?)

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One of us is crazy...See more at Thursday 13

'twas a good year

More good stuff at Wordless Wednesday

sick day

Even though I've been up since before dawn with one kid lamenting his insomnia ("Rocky {our cat} is bugging me and Mario {his hamster} keeps turning, turning, turning and I can't get back to sleep! AND IT'S 4:32!") and the other coughing until she threw up (numerous times), I'm feeling rather sunny. Luckily, my school is late start and I don't teach until 11 am so I will hang out with my barfy daughter this morning, doing the slow & easy fun stuff you get to do on sick days.

1. wear pajamas and slippers (at least until 9:15 for me)
2. color
3. watch kids' PBS
4. eat graham crackers
5. drink blueberry tea from tiny cups
6. color
7. nap on the couch
8. play card games (or if I'm unlucky, succumb to the pleading for "Pretty Pretty Princess")
9. color
10. follow raindrop paths on the window
11. build a chair & pillow fort
12. read magazines (Real Simple for mom, Ranger Rick for the 7-year old - unless there is an article on the Kratt brothers, then we share)
13. lots of snuggling

Read more Thursday Thirteeners here.

instructions for my memorial, part 1

Not to be morbid or anything...I just like to be prepared (okay and always in control, whatever)

Let it be known - I want it to be party-like. Use my party planning books if necessary, but it had better be festive, by God. Wherever people can fit, pretty ribbons hanging around (no balloons), lots of good food & music.

• good songs, in no particular order (like i could tell anyone they're doing it wrong), to be played during a fun photo montage (yes, fun dammit) and during general mingling:
  "One Moment More" ~ Mindy Smith (1st song for pictures - cue sobfest, but it's so lovely)
  "Beloved Wife" ~ Natalie Merchant (I'm not being vain! Stu likes it)
  "The Dance" ~ Garth Brooks
  "Promise Her Anything" ~ Tom Jones (because there should be some levity, and I love Burt Bacharach)
  "American Girl" ~ Tom Petty
  "Don't Like Goodbyes" ~ Harry Connick, Jr.
  "Sky Blue & Black" ~ Jackson Browne (overlooked, i think; listen to it)
  "Let There Be Love" ~ Chris Botti & Michael Buble (these lyrics are fabulous - 'let there be cuckoos' is priceless)
  "Wonderful Tonight" ~ Eric Clapton
  "Endless Love" ~ Diana Ross & Lionel Richie (for maximum smarm effect - better even if someone wants to lip-sync it)
  "Teacher, Teacher" ~ .38 Special (Why not? It rocks!)
  "I Really Got the Feeling" ~ Dolly Parton (Because "I Will Always Love You" will just send everyone over the edge)
  "I'll Stand By You" ~ The Pretenders (listen & weep when you're in that mood)
  "Crazy Love" ~ Ray Charles & Van Morrison
  "Apron Strings" ~ Everything But the Girl
  "In My Life" ~ The Beatles
  "Here Comes the Sun" ~ The Beatles (For the kids; I sing it when I open their blinds in the mornings)
• Throw "Crazy Train" in there somewhere, too, what the hell

Note to everyone: Feel free to use any/all of my ideas for your own funeral! The more merry people at a memorial, the better, I say.

it makes the world go 'round

...and the ride worthwhile

Nominees for Best Heartwrenching, Tear-Jerking Platonic/Lamilial-love Relationship in a Movie are:

• Aurora & Emma (Shirley Maclaine & Debra Winger) in "Terms of Endearment" (I'm afraid I am only small steps away from this kind of mom-mania)
• Damian & his dad and mum (Alex Etel, James Nesbitt & Jane Hogarth) in "Millions" (I hope my son is this brilliant & kind-souled if I die young)
• Frankie & Maggie (Clint Eastwood & Hilary Swank) in "million dollar baby" (Mo chuisle! *sob*)
• Billy & his dad (Jamie Bell & Gary Lewis) in "Billy Elliot" (the hugging, the weeping)
• Wilbur & Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" (I adore her tough-love attitude about the inevitability of death)
• Chief & Randle P. McMurphy (Will Sampson & Jack Nicholson) in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
• Guido & his son (Roberto Benigni & Giorgio Cantarini) in "Life is Beautiful"
• Jumbo Jr. & his mother in "Dumbo" (can't listen to "Baby Mine," can't watch with kids - too much sobbing, they get scared, and I start to curse at the mean lady elephants)
• Elliott & his extra-terrestrial (Henry Thomas & alien) in "E.T."
• Travis & that dog (Tommy Kirk & Spike) in "Old Yeller" (why WHY do I do this to myself?)

Sure, you'll disagree with some of my choices (bff Jen, hater of sad endings), but these make my heart knot up in a necessary way, and that makes them worthwhile in my world.