Fall is here (or at least it should be)

Nettie has invited us to share our fall decorating ideas. I have a difficult time accepting that Fall is here. We still have temps in the 90s! But, I do sense that there is something in the air. And it is always fun to kick off the holiday season with some fun decor.

I love, love dried gourds:

And wreaths... I have one for every holiday and in between!

I got this little guy for $1 at Target. Ain't he cute?

And this flower filled letter box was inspired by my mother-in-law, uber fabulous interior designer that she is!

Happy Fall to all!

Wordless Wednesday: Make up your mind, kid!

Moral of the Day Monday

Floundering here in a sea of confusion lately. I've been questioning my parenting skills. Scrutinizing them, really. Feeling sub par. And looking for answers.

There are times when I feel so on top of my game. And then there is now. The opportunity to improve my mothering skills staring me boldly in the face. A challenge I warily accept, but one that I know will make me stronger.

How much of your wisdom do you attribute to being a mother? For me, all of it. Who knows how many of life's lessons I'd have learned had I not had children. Or how different I'd be. I am borrowing a quote that one of MOF's shared recently to help explain:

"There was something so valuable about what happened when one became a mother. For me it was the most liberating thing that ever happened. . . . Liberating because the demands that children make are not the demands of a normal 'other.' The children's demands on me were things that nobody else ever asked me to do. To be a good manager. To have a sense of humor. To deliver something that somebody else could use. And they were not interested in all the things that other people were interested in, like what I was wearing or if I were sensual. Somehow all of the baggage that I had accumulated as a person about what was valuable just fell away. I could not only be me--whatever that was--but somebody actually needed me to be that." -- Toni Morrison

When I consider what my life was before children, I do find motherhood liberating. Exhausting, but liberating. Nothing else in my life has made me stronger. And with strength comes confidence and freedom - from worry, from the fears that may immobilize us when our child hurts, suffers or when we don't know how to help them overcome something.

What are your thoughts? How do these words apply to you?

Everything I Know I Learned From Good Tunes

Drewby and I dusted side by side to some rousing tunes this morning. As we worked, I realized how many great and profound one liners there are! So, I thought it would be fun to rattle off a few that came to my mind:

"Time to eat all your words, swallow your pride, open your eyes."

"You've got to get yourself together, you've got stuck in a moment and now you can't get out of it."

"When you lose something you can't replace. When you love someone but it goes to waste, could it be worse?"

"When the world is running down you make the best of what's still around."

"I should be crying but I just can't let it show. I should be hoping but I can't stop thinking."

"Don’t let your life pass you by. Weep not for the memories."

See if you can name these tunes, and maybe even come up with a few of your own!

Tag, I'm it!

Nettie tagged me to do a meme which originated in New Zealand. If you are into meme history you can check out the original here.

What do you like most about where you live? I love my neighbors. We are fortunate enough to have the right age children all around us, and they all have terrific parents! We get together often for BBQs and it is a given that we are going to celebrate birthdays together. As for living near Austin itself, well it is dang hot, so I can't brag about the weather. But I do love the city. There is such diversity here. It's the "Live Music Capitol of the World", which as a musician, I can really appreciate! In the burbs where I live, we still need to work on our dedication to the arts, however.
Is there anything strange about where you live? Not really - although it is virtually unrecognizable from when we first moved in. The area is really booming, which is exciting (new IKEA and Outlets) and frustrating (construction) at the same time!
What's one of your all time favorite music albums, and why? Oh, that is so not fair! You can't ask a musician to pick just one! Therefore, I will list a couple recommendations.
Hush by Yo-Yo Ma, Bobby McFerrin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jean Barriere, and Charles Gounod. It is amazing what you can do with a voice, a cello and some incredible compositions.
Metropolis by Turtle Island String Quartet. Again - amazing talent. Jazz on stringed isntruments at its best! This ensemble is a total inspiration to me! Julie-O is my favorite song on the album.
I also love Vanessa Mae - classical violinist gone fusion!
I guess I'll stop there, but not because I couldn't come up with many, many more!
Did you have a passion for something as a kid that you still have now? I have all the same passions - for art, dance and music. I am most involved in music, since that is what I got my degree in (Viola Performance and Pedagogy), but I still try and stay connected to the art and dance world. In fact, it is my greatest fear that I'll lose my abilities is those 2 areas! In music I have played in orchestras around the world, recorded on some amazing soundtracks, and taught lessons. In dance I both performed professionally and choreographed. And my art mostly benefits myself and my close friends and family with whom I share it.
What do you like most about having a blog? Blogging has helped me to discover my love for encouraging and inspiring others. I've always been "the good listener", but this gives me the forum to speak my mind! It has also helped me to use my mind - to think, to write, to read - all important things when, as a mom, you mostly communicate on a child's level.
Now I'm going to tag: Shelah, Les, and Valarie!