Running Red Momma

I actually had a few perfect moments last week.  It would be a slap to the universe if I didn't acknowledge them.  I took my children and one extra neighbor to the park which can sometimes be a lot of walking, running and watching.  However, I found myself sitting against a tree holding my youngest while the older ones played.  My littlest curled into me as we watched the others. The sky was bright blue, the sun was just right and I sat there for an entire five minutes. It really was perfect. Later that week, I went to see my parents for the weekend.  I finally have hit that point where I have rebalanced the mind set between my parents are perfect and my parents are so "wrong". Now, they are loving people who do they best they can.  I enjoy their company in a way I couldn't when I was younger. I am more okay with their quirks and individual ways. There are many simple changes that come with aging.  Hooray I say.  When I visit my parents for the weekend, it usually i

Lots of things swirl in my head. They are all of various sizes.  I worry if I buy products that aren't organic, but I am a budget freak.  I worry about too much plastic packaging.  I worry about offending people. I worry which economist is correct. I worry I don't read enough international news.   I worry I may have to start totally dying my hair.   I worry my daughter is becoming a tween soon.  But really, I worry about the state of pop culture. Mock me if you want.  However, let me give you something to think about.  Star Trek pushed the "reset" button with its new venture.  Wolverine was an attempt to reset. Batman has been reset.  Terminator is attempting this as well.  Battle Star Galactica was reset.  The geek in me is worried, very worried. Is this where we are? FREAKING RESET?  Yes, why am I so emotional? First of all, it is safer to get worked up over movies than to examine the stock market.  Secondly, I love creativity. I am worried we are in a morass of re-

We took a family vacation to Zion National Park.  I learned lots of things. My children can play well together when they have to do so. They don't need lots of toys/electronics. Eating junk food for a week will not kill you. Teaching kids the joy of hiking requires patience and love. Road trips can still be full of singing, laughing, I-spy-with-my-little-eye,"kids did you see that?" and just a little fighting to make you feel normal.  As I walked along the hikes with a cross-section of America, I observed something.  ( If you are large breasted, you may want to skip this. This is the title portion of the piece. )  The enormous typical middle-aged/older woman has got a lot of "girls" to carry around.  As I looked at the pull of gravity and the need for super bras, I thought to myself, maybe it is just right to be small.  For years, I have lamented my dresses that sagged and my swimsuits that gaped.  However, I did not want to be those women trucking those things

For a number of years, my husband and I have settled into an agreed upon set of radio tunes.  We have our obligatory NPR, his classic rock and my beloved brainless 80s music. A station we have listened to our entire marriage has lost most of its charm.  But, I was still shocked when he took it out of the line-up.  Instead, I could only describe the new station as B-hits of classic rock.  I complained when I got home.  "We ALREADY have a classic rock station honey!" I reminded him. "Yeah, but they call this  smooth classic rock," he defended himself.  Anyone hear the bell of middle age?  It's coming around the corner as we speak!