Soundtrack here
I ask you, Young Lovers, what is with this world's need to place gender identity on our young?
I am blessed with beautiful children. I'm not being haughty, I'm just stating fact. AxlBlue comes from very pretty people.
And they make VERY pretty little boys. I'm no stranger to having infant sons mistaken as girls. I always assumed it was kind a my fault with Sonny because I dressed him in all pastels. Until he was like three. (Yeah, I know... but you know what, he thinks he was a pretty baby too, so there, haters! ;) ) So I wasn't particularly annoyed that BabyBoyBlue (B3 to his friends) was once again mistaken for being a little girl in the Wal-ly World yesterday. Even though he was wearing a garish orange jammie that I wouldn't have let my infant daughters be caught dead in, but I digress...
Or do I? Because the lady looked him over when I sweetly said, "thank you," to her "what a pretty little girl you have." It was almost as if she knew without me telling her (because honestly, why make people feel bad, and B3 doesn't know if he's a little girl or a little boy at 17 mos. old... does he?) And she says, "oh, I guess he is a boy in that orange get-up. If his mommy would cut his hair, people could tell." This exchange ended with me continuing to smile sweetly until she huffed away with her shopping cart, her fanny twitching like she clearly felt I'd wronged her in some way by not properly genderizing (yep, I may have just made that word up expressly for your reading pleasure) my son for her.
Ok, it's not like he looks like Goldilocks or anything! Although, if he did, I'd never ever EVER cut it off. ;) I like pretty things. I like pretty people. When he's old enough to decide, he can get a mohawk and dye it puce for all I care. Sonny had an Afro of golden curls until he was six. And do you know why he cut it off? It was too hot. He's trying to grow it back out now that he's old enough to stand a little discomfort and suffer for his beauty. In fact, he told me hopes to grow it as long as Jesus's hair. Of course, he's also trying to grow his beard out like Abe Lincoln's by next year. And alas, there is only so much hair a man of sixteen can grow... But my point is, why is it so important that we label ourselves in this way? Why are their no gender neutral pronouns in our English language, besides "IT" to describe ourselves? Why can't we wear a skirt and say, "Hi, I'm Steve," and hear "Hello, Steve, great to meet you," back on a widespread basis?
I don't get it. We are who we are. I did that thing when my kids were little where you give them a pile of toys with an equal mix of dolls and trucks and let them choose what they like without judgement. And guess what, my straight boy loved his dolly but loved his trucks more. My two straight daughters tore the doll's clothes off and dressed their stuffed kitties in them. So does that prove anything???????
We worry so much. We try to put everything into categories. Yet we strive to live in ways our Creator (whoever that is for you) teaches. And usually, this means loving all, and treating all equally. I was watching one of my few TV shows last week, and I don't remember which one it was (sorry) and someone said something along the lines of "gender is not a static thing."
I like that.
I like you.
<3 With Love, from ME2U, RaleyBlue <3
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
WE ALL DESERVE TO BE HAPPY
There it is. Right there in the title. This is not a "poor me" post. I have few resources. That's not a secret. And not really a factor in whether or not I'm a good writer, worker, mother, or person. And I'm going to say right up front that I use the word "deserve," very sparingly in life. I truly believe that none of us has gotten where we are in life by hard work alone. Every act we perform, every success, is, in some regard, dependent on the shoulders of those whom we stand upon to be able to hold our heads above the crowd. And sometimes we are just plain lucky.
And sure, you can make your own luck and your own happiness. In fact, I highly encourage it. You'll be a lot luckier and happier if you do. ;) But we can never lose sight of the fact that we all connect to one another in some way, and if one of us falls, the rest of us feel it. Really think about this. REALLY think about it.
Sometimes, it's just a matter of: if your mom hadn't given you that alarm clock in seventh grade... The one that had the bitchin' cool radio alarm, that was so cool, you could never bring yourself to replace it, and it ultimately failed you now, 22 years later. And you get up late for work and run for the bus and miss it, so you grab a cab only to pass the bus broken down by the side of the road six miles up ahead.
Sheer luck? Maybe. But what is luck anyway?
And happiness?
Now that's a can of worms. You hear all sorts of platitudes about that one. I wont be a bore or an Agony Aunt by repeating them. ;)
But here's the thing. If you don't have enough to eat, or access to decent medical care, or basic human rights, or a job to exercise your hard work ethic, it's EXTREMELY hard to make much of anything.
I am an American. Yesterday, my president took his second Oath of Office. The general media consensus was that he didn't say anything memorable to take away. You know something along the lines of "we have nothing to fear but fear itself..."
But as I happily huddled under my little roof that my boyLovey and I have poured every resource in to keeping over the heads of the four fine young Americans who huddled with me on the sofa, while their dad happily worked in subzero weather for two thirds the pay he used to earn, each them denied a flu shot earlier last week because "the supplier had not sent enough for Medicaid patients" (and they'd all been too ill the whole previous month to have the shots. Which didn't even arrive, for Medicaid patients, until mid December. And they are happy to have recovered well and without fatal complication.), I heard the president say these words:
"We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few."
I know I'm lucky. I am happy. But sometimes, you need a few words from the powers that be to hang on to.
I'm going to include the full paragraph of text this statement was taken from because I think it's very powerful and worth repeating. Especially for my fellow Americans who may not be fully feeling the hope and change in their lives just yet. You can also click here to read the entire address.
And here's a little music for you to listen to while you read it.
"We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other - through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security - these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great." ~President Barack Obama, January 21, 2013
<3 FROM ME 2 YOU, LOVE RALEY BLUE <3
And sure, you can make your own luck and your own happiness. In fact, I highly encourage it. You'll be a lot luckier and happier if you do. ;) But we can never lose sight of the fact that we all connect to one another in some way, and if one of us falls, the rest of us feel it. Really think about this. REALLY think about it.
Sometimes, it's just a matter of: if your mom hadn't given you that alarm clock in seventh grade... The one that had the bitchin' cool radio alarm, that was so cool, you could never bring yourself to replace it, and it ultimately failed you now, 22 years later. And you get up late for work and run for the bus and miss it, so you grab a cab only to pass the bus broken down by the side of the road six miles up ahead.
Sheer luck? Maybe. But what is luck anyway?
And happiness?
Now that's a can of worms. You hear all sorts of platitudes about that one. I wont be a bore or an Agony Aunt by repeating them. ;)
But here's the thing. If you don't have enough to eat, or access to decent medical care, or basic human rights, or a job to exercise your hard work ethic, it's EXTREMELY hard to make much of anything.
I am an American. Yesterday, my president took his second Oath of Office. The general media consensus was that he didn't say anything memorable to take away. You know something along the lines of "we have nothing to fear but fear itself..."
But as I happily huddled under my little roof that my boyLovey and I have poured every resource in to keeping over the heads of the four fine young Americans who huddled with me on the sofa, while their dad happily worked in subzero weather for two thirds the pay he used to earn, each them denied a flu shot earlier last week because "the supplier had not sent enough for Medicaid patients" (and they'd all been too ill the whole previous month to have the shots. Which didn't even arrive, for Medicaid patients, until mid December. And they are happy to have recovered well and without fatal complication.), I heard the president say these words:
"We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few."
I know I'm lucky. I am happy. But sometimes, you need a few words from the powers that be to hang on to.
I'm going to include the full paragraph of text this statement was taken from because I think it's very powerful and worth repeating. Especially for my fellow Americans who may not be fully feeling the hope and change in their lives just yet. You can also click here to read the entire address.
And here's a little music for you to listen to while you read it.
"We, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. We must make the hard choices to reduce the cost of health care and the size of our deficit. But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future. For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn. We do not believe that in this country, freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few. We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us, at any time, may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other - through Medicare, and Medicaid, and Social Security - these things do not sap our initiative; they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great." ~President Barack Obama, January 21, 2013
<3 FROM ME 2 YOU, LOVE RALEY BLUE <3
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Oh. My. God. Did You Throw Baby Jesus Out With The Chrimbo Tree?
It is sad here in the Blue Hizzle. :'(
We took down all the Holiday decorations this past weekend. This is always a trauma in our house. 'Cus we just love being so festive. And we like to be appropriately festive, so there will be no Valentines until Feb. 1st. That means nice clean, bare spaces in our home for like THREE WHOLE WEEKS!!
I know, I know, first you're thinking, "You seriously still had all your stuff up until January 12th?? And next, you're wondering why in the world, I wouldn't want to a nice clean house to start off a nice new year, right?
Well that first one is easy. We do the whole Twelve Days of Christmas thing. This means Christmas ain't over 'til the Magi leave gold in your wooden shoe! (google Three Kings Day if you aren't familiar with this tradition) So the holiday ends on January 6. Buuuuuuuuttttttttt....
My birthday is January 8. :) And this is where our own special family tradition comes in.
You see, January 8 falls exactly one week after January 1, and exactly two weeks after December 25th. Fun with facts, right? (You know it is, quit frontin'. You're totally jeali I have such a cool bday.) And yes, every time someone asks what day of the week is Christmas on this year and someone answers back, I totally say to myself, "that's what day my birthday will be on this year." ;) Which is really cool and very fun and sometimes even leads to super awesome combination gifts, which AxlBlue and I made even "awesomer" by marrying on December 17. (Yeah, I know the symmetry of the dates is a little off there, but my Mom said, "You can't get married on Christmas and you better pick a Saturday... so there you have it.) AnnaBirthMas presents are wicked cool!! But it was actually this whole combo gift giving thing that caused the kerfuffle back in 1979.
I was three, about to turn four in two weeks, on Christmas Day. For some reason or other, the arrival of an amazing life size cardboard gingerbread house from my FavoriteLateAunty (yes, it WAS totally as cool as it sounds) had me convinced this day was indeed my birthday. I was quite concerned that my mother was busy in the kitchen making a pork roast for dinner and showed no signs of baking a cake. I "politely suggested" (read: whined) one too many times that she get busy on said cake, and she turned to me and said, "Young lady, this is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's birthday, not yours, now stop nagging me G-d dammit!"
WELL. Imagine my shockaroo!!
I felt so bad, I cried to BeadyJesus (another disaster story...cutting it short for now, let's just say he had a bead for a face) for an hour in the snow village under our tree. I never meant to steal His special day. My mom also felt horrible and apologized. In making it up to me, she offered to leave the Christmas tree up until my birthday, TWO WHOLE DAYS after Twelfth Night!! I was ecstatic. And a tradition was born, as my mother, to this day, leaves her tree up until after my birthday as often as her work schedule allows. And dear Axl eagerly adopted the practice, and now the young Blues defend it to the death. And beyond... because it's sad when the tree and all the Yule and Hannukah and New Year's stuff gets boxed away...
Which leads to the answer to the other question. No, I don't like a clean house for the new year. It's barren and ugly and can't possibly be a harbinger of good luck for the next 365 days. That's my answer and I'm stickin' to it. But I am curious about how you do it.
Boxing Day, in particular. Do you really put it ALL away? That quickly? Right in the middle of Christmastide? I'd die. I truly would. I would feel like I threw Baby Jesus out with the bathwater. (But I would enjoy a national holiday the day after Christmas so I could rest up.) I notice a lot of my neighbors throw the tree out right before New Year's Eve. If you do this, is it because you do like a "clean start" as it were, to the new year? And those of you who leave it up 'til Valentine's Day or even Easter? Is it too avoid the sadness of a naked house in the dead of winter?
Tell me in the comments. I really want to know.
And as EVER.... <3With Love From Me2U, Love, Raley Blue <3
We took down all the Holiday decorations this past weekend. This is always a trauma in our house. 'Cus we just love being so festive. And we like to be appropriately festive, so there will be no Valentines until Feb. 1st. That means nice clean, bare spaces in our home for like THREE WHOLE WEEKS!!
I know, I know, first you're thinking, "You seriously still had all your stuff up until January 12th?? And next, you're wondering why in the world, I wouldn't want to a nice clean house to start off a nice new year, right?
Well that first one is easy. We do the whole Twelve Days of Christmas thing. This means Christmas ain't over 'til the Magi leave gold in your wooden shoe! (google Three Kings Day if you aren't familiar with this tradition) So the holiday ends on January 6. Buuuuuuuuttttttttt....
My birthday is January 8. :) And this is where our own special family tradition comes in.
You see, January 8 falls exactly one week after January 1, and exactly two weeks after December 25th. Fun with facts, right? (You know it is, quit frontin'. You're totally jeali I have such a cool bday.) And yes, every time someone asks what day of the week is Christmas on this year and someone answers back, I totally say to myself, "that's what day my birthday will be on this year." ;) Which is really cool and very fun and sometimes even leads to super awesome combination gifts, which AxlBlue and I made even "awesomer" by marrying on December 17. (Yeah, I know the symmetry of the dates is a little off there, but my Mom said, "You can't get married on Christmas and you better pick a Saturday... so there you have it.) AnnaBirthMas presents are wicked cool!! But it was actually this whole combo gift giving thing that caused the kerfuffle back in 1979.
I was three, about to turn four in two weeks, on Christmas Day. For some reason or other, the arrival of an amazing life size cardboard gingerbread house from my FavoriteLateAunty (yes, it WAS totally as cool as it sounds) had me convinced this day was indeed my birthday. I was quite concerned that my mother was busy in the kitchen making a pork roast for dinner and showed no signs of baking a cake. I "politely suggested" (read: whined) one too many times that she get busy on said cake, and she turned to me and said, "Young lady, this is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's birthday, not yours, now stop nagging me G-d dammit!"
WELL. Imagine my shockaroo!!
I felt so bad, I cried to BeadyJesus (another disaster story...cutting it short for now, let's just say he had a bead for a face) for an hour in the snow village under our tree. I never meant to steal His special day. My mom also felt horrible and apologized. In making it up to me, she offered to leave the Christmas tree up until my birthday, TWO WHOLE DAYS after Twelfth Night!! I was ecstatic. And a tradition was born, as my mother, to this day, leaves her tree up until after my birthday as often as her work schedule allows. And dear Axl eagerly adopted the practice, and now the young Blues defend it to the death. And beyond... because it's sad when the tree and all the Yule and Hannukah and New Year's stuff gets boxed away...
Which leads to the answer to the other question. No, I don't like a clean house for the new year. It's barren and ugly and can't possibly be a harbinger of good luck for the next 365 days. That's my answer and I'm stickin' to it. But I am curious about how you do it.
Boxing Day, in particular. Do you really put it ALL away? That quickly? Right in the middle of Christmastide? I'd die. I truly would. I would feel like I threw Baby Jesus out with the bathwater. (But I would enjoy a national holiday the day after Christmas so I could rest up.) I notice a lot of my neighbors throw the tree out right before New Year's Eve. If you do this, is it because you do like a "clean start" as it were, to the new year? And those of you who leave it up 'til Valentine's Day or even Easter? Is it too avoid the sadness of a naked house in the dead of winter?
Tell me in the comments. I really want to know.
And as EVER.... <3With Love From Me2U, Love, Raley Blue <3
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Thirty-eight, Baby!! Yeah!! I made 38!!!!!!!
Let's put on the appropriate vinyl... birthday music with Billy Idol
YES, IT IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! And I am proud to say that I am indeed Thirty-eight years old today!! There's no shame, dread or hiding going on up in here this morning.
I. L<3VE. MY. BIRTHDAY. I will ALWAYS love my birthday, until the day I die. And then, by golly, you all better cremate me the cheapest way possible (but put me in the silky chocolate gold dress I wore to my cousin's wedding and something sparkly in my hair...and no painful brazier or other annoying foundational undergarments. I do not need them where I'm going... ;) ) and on the next nice day that follows, you better all have a BIG @SS party, with a pig in the ground and beer on ice, and lots of Aerosmith and U2 playing..... esp. this... "leh-monnnnnn!!"
Life is indeed a gift, Young Lovers. No matter how bad it is sometimes. We have a purpose. Even if we don't always, or ever, know what it is. Nothing is by coincidence. And any ONE/THING/BANG that can make a blade of grass, or a circulatory system, or a moon that can control the heart's desire of the waves, does NOT make junk.
Celebrate every day you have.
OK, so it's like times two and add a half... EVS ;)
I was actually introduced to AxlBlue on my 16 birthday...
He was allegedly just doing this... but it was more like THIS (right down to my mom wearing a big gold pot on her head... OK, no she didn't, but she was kinda edgy with her clothes back then, lol)
My point is, you never know when you're going to receive the gift that just keeps on giving...
Because, I tell you, having all your birthday candles licked by a house full of kids is the BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD!!
So, wish me and Elvis all the best, today! VIVA!!!!!!!!!
And, I'm just gonna put it out there... THE UNICORN PRINCESS... this is the year! ....because Coach Taylor said so!!
<3 From Me 2 You, Love, Raley Blue <3
YES, IT IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!! And I am proud to say that I am indeed Thirty-eight years old today!! There's no shame, dread or hiding going on up in here this morning.
I. L<3VE. MY. BIRTHDAY. I will ALWAYS love my birthday, until the day I die. And then, by golly, you all better cremate me the cheapest way possible (but put me in the silky chocolate gold dress I wore to my cousin's wedding and something sparkly in my hair...and no painful brazier or other annoying foundational undergarments. I do not need them where I'm going... ;) ) and on the next nice day that follows, you better all have a BIG @SS party, with a pig in the ground and beer on ice, and lots of Aerosmith and U2 playing..... esp. this... "leh-monnnnnn!!"
Life is indeed a gift, Young Lovers. No matter how bad it is sometimes. We have a purpose. Even if we don't always, or ever, know what it is. Nothing is by coincidence. And any ONE/THING/BANG that can make a blade of grass, or a circulatory system, or a moon that can control the heart's desire of the waves, does NOT make junk.
Celebrate every day you have.
OK, so it's like times two and add a half... EVS ;)
I was actually introduced to AxlBlue on my 16 birthday...
He was allegedly just doing this... but it was more like THIS (right down to my mom wearing a big gold pot on her head... OK, no she didn't, but she was kinda edgy with her clothes back then, lol)
My point is, you never know when you're going to receive the gift that just keeps on giving...
Because, I tell you, having all your birthday candles licked by a house full of kids is the BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD!!
So, wish me and Elvis all the best, today! VIVA!!!!!!!!!
And, I'm just gonna put it out there... THE UNICORN PRINCESS... this is the year! ....because Coach Taylor said so!!
<3 From Me 2 You, Love, Raley Blue <3
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