Friday, October 31, 2014

Four Favorite Things I Love Right Now! Part 19

I cannot believe that it's been this long since I've done a four faves post -- the most recent one was in July.  Check it out here http://blog.paigemcdaniel.org/2014/07/four-favorite-things-i-love-right-now.html and follow the links each time to see the rest if you are new to my blog.  I often find new favorites, but I pretty much never turn against an old one -- just like friends, I dance with the ones that "brung" me (or least the ones who flung me around the dance floor at Dick Chaplin).

Anyway, it's Halloween, so enjoy it and the faves today:
  1. I LOVE my personalized cups from Paper Affair -- and since they are on the Partners Card (a fundraiser for The Family Place -- a fantastic cause), you can get 20% off if you buy them this weekend using your Partners Card.  My set before this were orange and had a chevron pattern, but I've long been a fan of a polka dot too. 
  2. What a gift it is to drive up to my office building and see the wonderful Meadows Foundation staff planting pansy after pansy in our flower beds!  Community Partners of Dallas is truly blessed to have been given this building for the past 6 years.  Four more to go, so plan to hear from us soon about our future building to come #CapitalCampaignStarts2015  #Yikes!  #Win4TheKids! 
  3. My latest breakfast is the easiest thing ever and I love it!  Enjoy my receipe for Paige's Bit of Canadian Bacon with Parmesan:  First, put your skillet on medium heat and put just a tiny bit of butter in it.  Let the butter melt and then put 1 piece of Canadian bacon on top of the melted butter and let it cook a couple of minutes.  Turn and cook a couple of minutes more.  You should see a bit of grill marking, but doesn't matter -- you're just trying to heat it.  Turn it back over, turn off heat and sprinkle a pinch of shredded parm over the top and just let it sit on the stove another minute.  Remove and add black pepper.  Enjoy with a slice of apple on the side.  Probably only about 50 calories and keeps me filled until lunch.
  4. Holiday decorating is what separates us from the animals and I like to prove I'm human every single holiday of the year!  Halloween is second only to Christmas at my house.  Here's my dining table.  Love! 

What are your four faves?

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

What's inside your vessel?

I've been awake since about 3 am. I just hate it.

The older I get the more that stress seems to affect me.  Currently,

  1. I cannot turn my head to the left due to some neck/back pain -- have had this 2 days and had the same thing last week for a couple of days
  2. My eyes are blurry -- so much so that I'm having trouble typing this
  3. My stomach is slightly upset

And now I'm going to be dog-tired all day.

My mother told me a long time ago that as people grow older all they talk about are their ailments, so I guess I'm just playing to type.  At least you might not have to hear about it at lunch today since I'm writing about it now!  You can thank me later.

But in the grand scheme of things I know that my stress is nothing. So many people have it worse -- and I feel for them. But the ones I feel for most are the children we serve at Community Partners of Dallas. Kids who are innocent victims of parental rage and heartache.

The other night I watched Iyanla Vansant on OWN and a mother told her adult son that she was so sorry that she used him as a "vessel for her rage" when he was a boy.

What a beautiful use for words -- forgive me for using you as a vessel for my rage.

So today, forgive me for using you as a vessel for my stress.

Thanks for listening -- and if you have a cure for any of my ailments, please let me know. The stress isn't going away anytime soon.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Jury Duty, Baby!


Well, I'm downtown at jury duty this morning. Seems like most people I know are usually bummed about serving. Not me. 

I like serving on a jury and have done so 2 times, maybe 3. I love America and I think the right to a trial by jury is one of the most important parts of our government. 

NOTE:  I even served on the Grand Jury for 3 months, M, W, F -- foreman, suckers!

The part that isn't so fun is getting up, heading downtown, then participating in the process of what my mom calls "hurry up and wait" -- the time spent sitting in the jury room waiting to be called. 

The jury room is an unusual place. I think I end up getting called for duty about every other year or so, so that means I've sat in this room (or another one if at a different courthouse -- Crowley today) in my adult life about 20 times. I like to sit in the back of the room and study the people. It really is a pretty good representation of our population -- but I think a bit more Caucasian than Dallas County is in reality. 

But today is different for me. First, a friend and neighbor of mine just walked in -- hi, Carolyn -- and I don't want to be picked. 

This is just not a week I can serve and the last time I was on a jury it took a week.  I cannot return tomorrow, as Community Partners of Dallas has me busy as a bee this time of year.  

So, here are the tips I've heard to not be chosen for jury duty:

1.  I'm ready to raise my hand high during voir dire and tell them and what I really think. 
2.  I'm wearing a red top and gold jewelry. 

NOTE:  Do not ask me about the attire -- just following direction from others!

I imagine that if the case is about child abuse or domestic violence, I'll certainly be let go. But, no telling what the case will be. I'll let you know what happens -- and I promise that I will serve the next time I'm called. And I'll wear blue. 

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

I just did something I never wanted to do.

First, let me start this post by stating the obvious.

I am not a prude.

Hey, I'm a 53-year-old grown ass woman who has had a fantastic, fun life. 
  • I've travelled all over the world.
  • I'm well read.
  • I listen to Howard Stern.
And the most telling of all -- I was a theater major in college -- and you KNOW how those artsy people were in college...

So, I'll say it again, with conviction -- I am not a prude.


But, last night I saw The Rocky Horror Show at The Dallas Theater Center, and I'm grossed out.  The show is well acted, has great costumes, and a fun set, but it went too far.  Simulated sex (even fully clothed) is funny once, maybe twice, but this production just went too far. 

My friends and I danced The Time Warp and bought the $10 prop bags so we could make it rain with water pistols and throw rolls of toilet paper on stage.  The music was good and some of the actors can really sing.  Liz Mikel was her usual glorious self in a dual role. There was a lot to love about the show.

I'm not sure why this production -- really it is only the second act that was so revolting -- has sickened me. 

Maybe it's that I'm becoming an old lady who remembers the good old days when we left our doors open and walked 20 miles in the snow to school...  But I think it may be that I know that there are real children in the world who are watching and living in porn and smut.  Children who live lives of quiet desperation being sexually abused -- who would give anything to just have something good in their lives. 

I guess I just don't want to see overt sexuality and hear people laugh about it ever again.  I'm shocked and I want the Theater Center to tone it down.  But what I really want is a better world for kids.

P.S.  About the title of this post -- I just called DTC and left a message for someone to call me so I can give them some feedback about the show.  Again, I'm not a prude.