Yesterday was a good day. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. People went out of their way to wish me a happy first Mother’s Day. I got to be a lazy bum while the Moose cleaned the kitchen and the Babe took an almost-three-hour nap (which was awesome). Then we left the Babe at home with a friend and went on a date, and had steak (which was also awesome).

As far as I’m concerned, though, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day have always pretty much been Hallmark holidays, right up there with Valentine’s Day. Gosh, without  the Hallmark calendar, how would we EVER remember to let our mother, father, or valentine know that they’re special to us and we love them??? On the other hand, I do love any excuse to be doted on and my birthday comes only once a year, so I won’t knock it too much.

Anyway, it was special. The Moose and I spent time with the little one that gave me my “mother” status, and talked about what an amazing couple of years it’s been. Getting married was the top of the highest hill of the roller coaster for us, and it hasn’t stopped-or even slowed down, really- since. We also spent time pondering future Mother’s Days. I’m looking forward to having breakfast in bed prepared by very small chefs.

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by Mall Diva

In yesterday’s post a movie was briefly mentioned, in reference to Casii having a song on the soundtrack. This movie is called A Christmas Snow; it was written by Candace Lee and Tracy Trost (who also directed it). More about Tracy and Trost Moving Pictures in a later post.

A Christmas Snow is the story of a woman who… well…. Ok. I’m not going to beat around the bush. This is an inspirational story of loss and heartbreak, and of love and forgiveness. It’s heart-wearming, touching, and all those adjectives they use to advertise the “feel-good-family-film-of-the-year”. Is it sappy? A bit. Did it make me cry? Like a baby.

The main character is a woman who owns a restaurant. The critics call her the “gourmet grinch”. She is rather a scrooge. She had a tough childhood, and she’s pretty bitter as a result of unforgiveness on her part. All of these painful secrets she has are promptly brought out and aired one Christmas, though, when she finds herself snowed in with her boyfriend’s 10 year-old daughter and a perfect stranger- an older gentleman who came to her rescue during a midnight altercation in a parking lot. What is there to do for two days with a couple strangers and without power  besides talk? So three generations tell their stories, and find they’re not so different.

I really enjoyed A Christmas Snow, and I encourage you to watch it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’ll move you, Bob.

UPDATE

The DVD of the movie is available at WalMart (when it isn’t sold out) but you can also watch it on TV. Several cable channels will be broadcasting the movie later this week; go here to see the schedule.

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by the Mall Diva

The Baby Moose is 11 days old.  He is consistently a 10pm, 2am, 6am feeder. He eats like a piggy (seriously, snorts and everything, and he gained a gross weight of 1lb, 10oz during his first 7 days on earth), sleeps like a rock, and is perpetually charming. Plus he has tons of hair and inch-long eyelashes. Many women will be jealous, except Mommy, from whom he got them. He’s already started working out with Daddy (who is his jungle gym), climbing and grunting like a champ. He’s the most impressive thing our midwife has ever seen. And I think, after a 48-hour un-medicated labor, I deserve all these things.

Oh, and I’ve lost at least 25lbs.

Tune in next time for more shameless bragging!

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by the Mall Diva

The heart of our beautiful country was pumping with thousands of people November 5, 2009. I got to be one of them!

Ever since my dad borrowed my car a few months ago and left the radio on 100.3 KTLK I’ve been hooked. Probably a good thing. I heard Michele Bachmann on Hannity last Monday afternoon; she was imploring listeners to drop everything and come out to D.C. to fight the Healthcare Reform Bill. “Who’s actually going to do that?” I thought. Then I forgot about it.

Tuesday morning my mom and I went to vote, and had time before work to grab coffee together at the Black Sheep (of course). I remembered what I had heard the day before. “Mom, do you want to hop a plane to D.C. tomorrow and protest Obamacare?” She looked at me, and promptly said “yes”! Whoop! I wasn’t actually serious! But if she was on board, why shouldn’t I be? We started talking about who might want to come with us, and the best way to travel. If we wanted to road trip it, we would have to leave that night. I texted to Ben the same question I had asked my mom, and then called my good friend Princess Flickerfeather.

“Do you want to come to Washington D.C. with me for a protest rally?”

“When?”

“Tonight, if we drive.”

“….Are you serious??”

This time I was.

We worked to get our little crew together, and the result was yours truly (mad props to my boss for letting me go), PFF, TL, and our friend Mel. My mom couldn’t get away from work, and Ben couldn’t get away from church. ;D

We left at 10:30 that night, and drove and sang and laughed and slept, and ultimately had the funnerest time you could have with four women and all their stuff packed in a little white Mazda 626 for 20 hours straight. We couldn’t believe what we were doing! 8 o’ clock Wednesday night we arrived on Chestnut St. in Waynesboro, PA, where my cousins generously let us crash, and fed us pizza. Yay! About nine Thursday morning, we were on our way to the Metro station. We greatly admired the beautiful scenery Pennsylvania has to offer, and I decided that I’m going to move there. Of course Benny’s coming! We got off the train at Union Station (which is really sweet, btw) and took a nice stroll to the Capitol. The weather was amazing! But why would that be surprising when we were on a mission from God??

On the Metro, headin' for town!

We arrived on the lawn in front of the White House and mingled with the most well-behaved mob I have ever encountered. We heard Bachmann, Jon Voight, Mark Levin, and about a gajillion other conservative office-holders, physicians, and celebrities. It was a rollicking good time!

When the speakers were done, they set us loose on the congressional offices, where ensued a game of hide and seek. Betty McCollum was elusive when we arrived at her office (surprise, surprise!), but we left notes for her with her secretary. I pretty much wrote a novel on the piece of paper I was given, but all were necessary points! Examples: 1. You are for the bill, I am not. 2. If you subject America to this bill, you’d better also subject yourself and your family to it, or be a hypocrite. 3. No matter what you think, this bill will NOT save money in any way, shape, or form. Your children and grandchildren along with mine will be paying for it all their lives. Do you really want that to be their inheritance from you? 4. Your job is that of public servant, and if you vote in favor of this bill, I will personally be working to make sure that you are not re-elected. And finally, I encouraged her to rethink her position on the bill.

We then found Bachmann, and she encouraged us to keep knocking on doors. We followed her orders and went looking for Jim Oberstar. Guess where he was? Not in his office! But his legislative director was in, and graciously talked with us for about an hour. I came away from that with the realization that no matter what, there was absolutely no way that I could reconcile this bill with my principles. Bummer.

After dinner we are greeted by a beautiful scene

After that, it was dinner time! We ate at Tortilla Coast, which was fantastic, and started for home. Our trip home was highlighted by occasions of slap-happiness, a freaky encounter with the Circle “Cafe” in W. Virginia, breakfast in Chicago, and some good things to discuss. I think it is unanimous that we had a fantastic time.

Yes, we did have a fabulous time, thanks!

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Today is the day.

It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for.

Yes, I’m 21.

Where are my presents?

“Where’s the rum?”

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