Pretty in Pink

I don't even know where to start with this one. Can you even begin to discuss being a teenager in the 80's without mention of John Hughes? While I think Sixteen Candles was his best and Breakfast Club was relevant as well, here is why I liked Pretty in Pink so much. First of all, I think that the soundtrack may be, in my opinion, the best I've ever purchased (and this from the queen of compilations and soundtracks.) The downside of course is that I bought it as a cassette tape and have never actually bought the cd. The songs are not available on iTunes so I may have to do something about this.

Second, I loved Molly Ringwald's (Andie's) wardrobe. And I'm not actually sure that I loved the clothes themselves, but I loved the fact that she had the balls to have her own sense of style and not be a clone of what everyone else was doing. (Case in point the black Chinese canvas Mary Jane flats, Zena jeans, and Forenza v-neck sweaters...one color for every day of the week. Need I say more?) I just wanted to get through high school without any major embarassments, so I didn't make any bold fashion moves.

Recently, Bill Cunningham from The New York Times was in Paris for fashion week and he made observations about what he saw on the streets there. It reminded me of the fashion in Pretty in Pink and how it's in fashion to uncover some of the things you've stored away and make them new again.

Nowadays I think I am still part the high school girl who wanted to fit in, and part Andie who would take some risks. My daughter is all Andie and I hope that she stays that way. I admire that about her.

Tradition Training

Earlier this school year, my son had to do a report about his heritage. During dinner one night he asked us which traditions we celebrated that were part of our heritage. We were hard pressed to come up with anything. We told him that he was such a mixture that our traditions had been watered down through the years. Our children are mainly Irish, German, and French, so in the end he listed Irish Fest, Oktoberfest, and Bastille Days as our traditions. I felt kinda bad about it.

The other night I was out with my friends and the discussion came up again. We talked about how families acknowledge and celebrate where they came from. It got me to thinking that I really needed to do some research and find some things we could do to start teaching our kids about their heritage. What my research uncovered is that a lot of what we already do is steeped in tradition and I just never realized it.
The best example is Christmas. Both the German and French celebrate St. Nicholas (la fête de Saint Nicolas) on December 6th. The Germans put their shoes by the fireplace and if they had been good they were filled with treats and if they were bad they would be filled with twigs. Similarly the French put their shoes in front of the fireplace on Christmas Eve in hopes that Père Noël (aka Papa Noël) would fill them with candy, fruit, and nuts. If you had not been good, Père Fouettard would hand out spankings. Now we hang stockings by the fireplace which also goes back to the story of St. Nicholas. He wanted to help out a poor family by giving them money. He threw coins in their window while they slept and they landed in the stockings that were hung above the fireplace to dry.

Mistletoe is a French decoration which hung above the door during the Christmas season is said to bring good fortune throughout the year. The nativity (or crèche) is also found in French homes as a way to tell the Christmas story. The Christmas tree comes from Germany and traditionally was not presented until Christmas Eve. Placing a ring of holly on doors originated in Ireland as holly was one of the main plants that flourished at Christmas time and gave the poor ample means to decorate their dwellings. Both the French and Irish place a candle in the front window on Christmas Eve as a symbol of welcome to Mary and Joseph as they travelled looking for shelter.

While the Germans would celebrate the days leading up to Christmas through the advent calendar, it was the Irish who celebrated the twelve days of Christmas. During the centuries when it was a crime to be Catholic and to practice one's faith in public or private, The Twelve Days of Christmas was written as a catechism song to help learn the beliefs of their faith.

So I guess what I've learned is this, while my kids are a mixture of a lot of cultures, our traditions are not watered down, they are just not well understood.

All Signs Point to France

"Sweetness of Life" shirt design idea
for Bastille Days

You know how they say things happen in threes? Sometimes with bad luck, sometimes with good luck. Well recently I noticed it happen with just mundane everyday life goings-ons. It actually occurred to me as I was mopping the dining room floor.

We've just been putting the finishing touches on the shirt designs for Bastille Days and so I've been in a French sort of mindset for the past month or so (that's number 1). Thursday I was reading our local paper to find that a little gift store in the village that I love is going out of business, so I ran down there to snatch up some things before they were gone. I was drawn to this tea and dessert plate set mostly because it came in a lunch box package (which in and of itself was enough reason) but I also liked the design on the outside.

Les Girls a Paris from Rosanna

So on an impulse I bought it because it was on sale and as I was driving home decided it would make a perfect gift for the person who buys the Bastille Day shirts from us (that's number 2.)

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a friend who was just in France last fall. His amazing photos will be on exhibit during Gallery Day & Night on April 17th & 18th. Checkout the slideshow and if you have a chance, go to the exhibit during Gallery Night (that's number 3.)

Since I'm one quarter French, I'll take this as a sign to honor my heritage and teach my kids what it means to be part French.

Nothing Short of a Miracle

Three years ago I walked in the door a little after six in the morning having just been at the gym trying to get in shape for my brothers wedding. My husband met me at the door and said my mother had called from Florida and something was wrong with my dad. I called my mom back and she said he woke up in the middle of the night complaining of a headache so they called an ambulance and took him to the hospital.

After a cat scan they discovered that he had a subdural hematoma (bleeding on the brain) and if he survived the first 24 hours the chance that he would recover greatly increased. By the end of the day my sister, brothers, and I were all in West Palm Beach.

He survived the first 24 hours and eventually was moved out of ICU to a private room. His doctor came in the room and said that my dad shouldn't be alive, that it was a miracle.

It really sunk in today when I read in the paper that actress Natasha Richardson died of a similar injury. I can't believe how fortunate we are that my dad is doing so well after such a trauma. I think it's a true testament to his faith, the power of prayer, and good clean living!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

I'm back to Tina Fey. As I was driving around yesterday I was thinking about what she said when she won an Emmy. She thanked her daughter for being so funny and giving her the line "I want to go to there!"

My daughter is a bit quirky and has been known to say a funny thing or two. When she was younger she did what all kids who are learning to talk do and just said things wrong. Instead of chicken tetrazzine she called it chicken zupazani. The large building in New York was referred to as the Vampire State Building. For a while she would talk in a really deep voice as if she was doing a character. About a month ago she figured out that she can roll her stomach which is a great party trick and will come in handy some day.

Lately though, she has said some things that cracked me up and I'm getting a glimpse of her sense of humor. I've got to say...I like it! I was telling her about a baby I saw who looked like he had the face of an old man. She asked me if I commented to the parents, "That's some kind of baby." We don't let the kids watch Seinfeld so I have to believe she's writing her own material.

Then a couple of days later we were pulling into a parking lot and a teenage boy was on his cell phone. She said in a teasing way, "He's probably talking to his giiiirrrlfriend!" So I agreed. Then she continued by pretending to be him talking on the phone to his girlfriend and said, "Oh, I just got a job as a lifeguard." Where did that obscure reference come from? It made me laugh really hard and she enjoyed the fact that she could amuse her mother.

Our giggle-fest came to an abrupt end as karmic retribution took control. As she was getting out of the car she tripped and fell into the side of the teenager's car. She wasn't hurt too bad, but was extremely embarassed. I felt bad for her. I hope it doesn't stifle her humor...it's fun living with Shecky Rene.

Compartments

Okay, I need to talk about two things here. First of all, I LOVE 30 Rock. It's the one show on right now that my husband and I both like and watch together. It's our Thursday night date...8:30 sharp. In a sea of crappy sitcoms, it's one of the few that is actually funny and it was created by a woman.

So last night we're all nestled in ready to watch and right out of the gate she brings up a topic that is near and dear (not only to me, but to my friend Becky as well.) As a matter of fact, Becky has already blogged about it at Heart Biscuit. It's the belief that if you just somehow can organize your life into compartments, everything will be perfect. (Here's a clip...specifically, the first 48 seconds.)

Since I always seem to be on a neverending quest to simplify and organize, I guess I should have realized that it may be a ridiculous notion. Unfortunately, it took Tina Fey and 30 Rock exactly 48 seconds for it to hit home. Well done.

Peonies and Cardinals

For those of you in a book club, I have just read a book that would be perfect to discuss. It's called Peony in Love by Lisa See and as my mother-in-law would say, it has many layers.

I'm not going to get into all the plots and characters and storyline here. If you want to know more about the book you can click above for the link to the author. What I found very intriguing was the subject of death and afterlife in 17th century China. In this book, how you were allowed to die, the way you were mourned, the manner in which you were buried, and how you were remembered had a lot to do with your gender, age, station in life, and marital status. The reason this was so important is because the person you were when you died directly correlated to what happened to you in the afterworld.

For example, one character in this book was a lovesick maiden (an engaged woman who starved herself to death before she was married.) At the time of her death she was inbetween two places...still living in her family's home, but promised to another family through an arranged marriage. Therefore when she died, she was not honored as an ancestor by having her ancestoral tablet dotted and put in a place of worship. This meant that in the afterworld she became a hungry ghost or someone who was not complete.

The Chinese were afraid that hungry ghosts would return to haunt them, so they would have an annual festival for the hungry ghosts in which they would make offerings of food and drink to satisfy their needs. There are also cases of ghost marriages between a spirit and a living being. This was another means of helping a spirit continue on its journey in the afterworld.

So the book touches on what the Chinese believe happens to a person once they die which is always an interesting topic. I have one good friend who believes that this is it. Once you die it's all over. This seems to work for her and she lives her life as if every minute should not be wasted. I, however, can't let go so easily. I can't imagine that those I've loved who have gone before me are not a part of my life now, nor will they be once I am gone.

Every year the Chinese have a way of honoring their ancestors and it's called Chinese New Year. For me, every so often I see a beautiful scarlet cardinal and I believe it's my Grandma Schmidt checking in on me. Most recently she appeared on a birdfeeder, outside the family room window at my in-laws, on my 42nd birthday.

The Classic Supper Club

Last night we went to dinner with some friends at the Range Line Inn, established in 1840 in Mequon, Wisconsin. It was an old fashioned supper club. Speaking of old fashioned, I had mine with brandy, sweet, olives and cherries!

Like many Wisconsinites, the supper club was a staple of my youth, an art lost to a generation of Olive Gardens and Qdobas as well as Carnevors and Mr. B's. Good food that included meat, potato, onion rings, soup or salad for one price. No ala carte. No chain restaurant. No fancy butter, just au jus.

I've forgotten how good a good supper club can be. It's where I had my first kiddie cocktail and relish tray. And yet, I don't know if we've ever taken our kids to one. The Range Line Inn had an incredibly welcoming bar and a cozy homey feel throughout. It was perfect.

So this led to a discussion with my husband on the way home. Like the Friday fish fry, are supper clubs a Wisconsin thing? He said he wasn't sure, but they are big in northern Wisconsin and unfortunately a lot of them have closed because the casinos took their business. I googled supper club and got a bunch of articles about people who get together and cook. Wrong type of supper club. Then I googled classic supper club and the first several items had to do with Wisconsin, so I'm going to say that like fish frys and brandy, supper clubs are a Wisconsin thing. In all three cases, I'm glad I grew up in Wisconsin.

Google Images Rock!

So the way I go about writing my blog is I get some sort of subject I want to talk about and then I try to find a graphic or website or video or something to go along with it. My most favorite tool in the world in both my blogging and real life is to use google images.

A couple of days ago as I was helping my daughter sort her Girl Scout cookies I decided to write about my love of the thin mint. I googled the thin mint, but the images I found were not appealing to me. Instead I found the completely appropriate cartoon which made me chuckle. Thanks to my sister-in-law's sister who inspired me to blog in the first place, I now know the name of the cartoon artist...Natalie Dee.

So thanks, Kath, for the introduction and the idea for this blog entry.

This one is dedicated to my husband. It made me laugh out loud when I read it.

The Girl Scout Cookies are in

I love the Girl Scout thin mint cookie. I actually look forward to this time of year to get my annual fix.

Having said that, here are my issues with the Girl Scout thin mint cookie. First of all, they are entirely addictive and you can have every good intention of having 1 or 2 or 4, but the next thing you know, you've inhaled an entire sleeve. Second, because they are only available for a limited time, I'm pretty sure they taste better and I feel as if I've been deprived for such a long time that I order way too many boxes.

Now I tend to be a sweet freak and my will power has never been exemplary, but I'm pretty sure that if I had kept track through the years, there would be a definite spike in my weight in March. And I know for a fact (because I've got pictures to prove it) that I really packed it on in the spring of my junior year in college when my sorority sold Girl Scout cookies as a philanthropic activity. I got left with extra boxes that were ordered, but never paid for by some of my friends so I ended up eating them.

While I love the thin mint, I think the name is a bit misleading. I've been left anything but thin!