Pages

Thursday, January 9, 2014

School Notes Purge: Both Sides Now...It's Life's Illusions I Recall

"Moons and dunes and ferris wheels." - Joni Mitchell

Here's a bunch of stuff I recently purged from my elementary school files.

From my first summer at camp, summer 1981.  I loved this stationary so much!

This stationary is still blank.  Nistar will use it this summer.  

This was from a friend who had a boyfriend in 5th grade.  I stopped getting letters from her after a while.  Years later I found out my mother had intercepted.  She saw that this might have been a bad influence.  

More boyfriend talk but my mom didn't intercept Lauren's letters.  I wonder why. 

And from the school year around this time. 

Looking back I know I was sheltered, innocent, and good-natured.  I was scared of anything too sketchy and trouble-making.  When I heard of public high school and that it was like a "jungle" where people forced you to do drugs, I was pretty scared.  I am glad I was the way I was.  I did ok in school and I had nice friends.  I'm pretty happy about that.

I saved so many notes and papers from my childhood.  Over the years I have been whittling them down.  I keep thinking I should save them for my children and grandchildren. Um... Seriously, Rach?

Now that I have memorialized these items in perpetuity (or, for as long as Blogger exists) I feel sortof ok with trashing my stuff. 

And even if these pages are deleted, I really don't think I benefited from saving all they stuff.

As is often the case when I purge of stuff I have zero use for, I feel lighter and  freer.  New energy can flow in.  Speaking of which it is time to get to the gym and do some sun salutations.  Namaste to the recycling guys for picking up all my extra paper this week!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

My Baby Keeps Waking Up

It's so sad.  He can't seem to sleep.  He threw up all over me.  He's making silly noises with his mouth.  Will he go to sleep any time soon?  It's almost 1 in the morning.

Why not shluff to this...



Concert in Central Park.  Now that would've been fun.



This is from at least a month ago.  Levi's wearing helicopter BabyLegs.


Or this

Monday, January 6, 2014

Jews and Phish In the HuffPost

My favorite band and my lifestyle come together, from my vantage point, at every show I attend these days.  So I was pretty psyched to see coverage of this very topic - my thoughts validated - over the weekend in the Huffington Post in One. Epic. Article.

I'm glad, glad, glad that there are good writers out there like Josh Fleet, the author of the article (full disclosure:  we are friendly IRL).

I'm glad, glad, glad that there are good news blogs out there like the Huffington Post (full disclosure:  I have never met Arianna).

I'm glad, glad, glad that there are good bands out there like Phish (full disclosure:  I stood behind Trey and Fish once at a friend's wedding. I don't know them, but my friend does).

Phish plays great music.  They are remarkable musicians.  That goes without saying.  I have said that here before.  Jon Pareles has already noted this in the NY Times.  "Remarkable musicianship" was his exact phrase a few years ago.  I am not making this stuff up myself.  But they about more than good music.  They have a message and I hear it loud and clear (as per the aforementioned HuffPost article).  It is about so much:  the light, kindness, youth, human decency, silliness, folklore.  The 4 guys are a bit nebbishy in a good way.  They remind me of guys I know.  They seem like great, decent guys.  And their fans are great, decent people who happen to love great, decent music. 

Speaking of their fans and acquaintances, how awesome is it that I ran into Big Josh (who maybe people should call instead Mensch Josh.  Stango would call him Reb Josh) and Shmeeans at MSG last week?   (full disclosure:  I am friendly with this Josh, too, IRL  And Shmeeans, well, we've met but never really hung out)  Shmeeans is currently on Jam Cruise, something which sounds so fun and, incidentally, where Fish is right now with his band Pork Tornado (yeah yeah you like the treif stuff, I know).  I have heard Shmeeans' band Lettuce and all I gotta say is that dude knows how to rage it proper.



Josh said we should all smile in the picture.  I guess I should have smiled.  I look pretty ridiculous here.


Sunday, January 5, 2014

Need a Smart Mama Head

It's a real skill to know how to manage your children's stuff.  And by stuff I mean the craft products, school projects and toys both big and small.  For years my friends have told me they just get rid of it when their kids are asleep.  And this is what I have done. Do you think they noticed the other day when their shrinky dinks were gone? 

But it's not easy and I continue to feel I am failing in this department. I don't want to get rid of the good stuff, but I don't think there is too much good stuff. But my children do. 

My kids seem to have a ridiculous amount of creations. More than the average suburban kids.   They dwell. They think a lot.  They value their junk. I can't stand it!  I want a clutter free home.  I don't like seeing nubby pencil stubs, pieces of yarn, scraps of paper, foam balls collecting lint balls.

And in true form of life mimicking art, when I look at my own possessions I see a lot of extra junk hanging around.  I have a whole box of photos from 2003. I have old journals, oodles of CDs that need to be burned, my high school and college papers I still haven't recycled.  

As I mentioned recently I try so hard to stay ontop of all this.  I am mindful of decluttering and have the right intentions.  I have been this way my whole life:  I recall being so proud of my clean desk drawers before Passover when I wax 9 or 10. I wanted my mom to see how good of a job I did.  

And yet it never seems to be enough.  I have friends who are much neater, tidier, on top of their stuff.  

Ever grateful for my own uniqueness I am grateful for what I have.  

I have friends who are huge slobs, packrats who can't part with a 20 year old sweater (or 5), leave their candy wrappers strewn about, don't use their garages because they are filled with their junk.  

I go through this exercise often:  at least I am not *that.*. I think the trick is to surrender to the flow and stop comparing.  Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.  Be in the moment and still be mindful of your stuff. And remember to always take care of your shoes. 

(John Lennon wheels video)


Levi Gravy

How's By You?

My Sparkling Sister

Just because I can...

 

These are my dear friends who live in LA.

Dude, what is the deal with your blue face!?

xoxo love and miss you Adam and Ashira!