Monday, March 30, 2009

Flask Friend

Saturday night I attended a great show at the hostel in town. The performers were great, the crowd was great. A few of the performers & a good portion of the crowd were friends of mine, but it kinda felt like everyone in the room was friends. Just one of those times when everyone talked with everyone & just shared a great moment whether they had met before or not.

An older man offered me a swig from his flask. After I accepted, we introduced ourselves to each other. :)

After the show my friend had a dance party and the main band of the evening, Bowerbirds (check them out, they're good) came & partied with us.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Prison Tattoos

At a diner near my home there is a waiter with many tattoos. When we commented on them one time he admitted to us they were prison tattoos. He spoke so openly and honestly about it. It was beautiful. When we thanked him for being honest he said there is no other way to be. I don't know why he was in prison and it does not matter. To me, he is a hero.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

3-20-09

Front porch swings, daffodils, tree buds, ice cream trucks, hot dog stands, bar hopping, children riding bikes, joggers on the memorial steps, random rain showers.

Spring has sprung.

This evening I was coming home from work & was stopped at the stop light before my block. The bar on the corner had it's door open since it was nice out. Inside I could see a woman dancing on a table.:)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

3-11-09

I just heard the ice cream truck come down my road for the first time this year!

Monday, March 23, 2009

3-8-09

Today during childrens' time at church the question was asked "Who do you love?" One little girl answered, "My mommy and my mom." I cried.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

3-6-09

It was one of those days. One of those days that just feels right. The kind that you want to capture the feeling in a jar like you captured fireflies when you were 7. And then you want to run that jar home and show everyone what's inside. But days like this, you know you can't capture the feeling in a way that you can show it to someone else. It's just a feeling you feel deep inside of you & it pours out from within so that maybe someone passing you on the sidewalk will catch a bit of it in your smile.

It's the warm cloudy day at the end of winter. A day where the sun breaks through every once in a glorious moment and when it does, it looks like Heaven is shining down. But it doesn't need to, because this is the kind of day that reminds you Heaven is on earth and all around you.

It's the shy little boy from Iraq who doesn't speak any English who you just helped enroll in school. You know he is terrified, but you are filled with hope for his future, even though you know it won't be easy.

It's eating lunch and reading your new poetry book that causes you to laugh out loud at parts and for tears to come to your eyes at other parts.

It's the cool clothes you found at the thrift stores that actually fit you. It's the 15 new records you bought to play on your new record player. It's the conversations you had with the women working at these thrift stores. It's the little girl sitting on a chair singing "Jesus Loves Me" in the Salvation Army as she waits for her grandma to finish shopping.

It's the girl on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle who spreads her arms out as they ride so she feels like she's flying. It's the smile she gives you at the stop light because she can hear Michael Jackson pouring out of your open car windows.

It's going for a walk when you get home and passing the 8-year-old boy you made friends with last summer. It's you getting him to toss you the nerf football he's holding & him saying "Nice catch! I didn't know you could play football!" & you telling him you have a real football and that you'll play with him this summer.

It's dancing down the sidewalk to the song on your mp3 player.

It's your neighbor introducing you to her dogs, but you forgetting to ask her her name.

It's crossing the bridge over the interstate and waving to all the people going home from work during rush hour for the weekend.

It's smoking that cigarette you found in perfect tact on the floor in your living room after your last party.

It's taking pictures of random things.


It's looking at people through diner windows.

It's sitting on your porch swing at dusk & drinking a Blue Moon & being reminded of almost every Wednesday night last summer.

It's thinking of about 50 journal entries throughout the day and knowing you will never remember them the same way when you actually sit down to write.

It's listening to Cat Stevens on record while trying to show people the feeling you captured in a jar today.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

12-19 & 12-22-08

12-19-08
I had a little pin on my purse strap that said "What Would Jesus Bomb?" I loved that pin. Sometimes I would get people who would read it & just kind of look at me, sometimes I'd get people who would read it & say "I don't get it," sometimes I'd get people who would read it & laugh a little & say "that's good," sometimes I'd get people who would read it out loud & then just smile and nod. One time I was talking with a woman that worked at an apartment complex office for my work and all of a sudden she said "Nothing!" & I was like, "huh?" And she said "Nothing! What would Jesus bomb? Nothing!" & then I was the one that smiled & nodded. Today I lost the pin. I'm not sure where. I'm sad.

12-22-08
I found my What Would Jesus Bomb? pin last night. It was on the floor in front of my front passenger seat in my car. I was very happy.

Friday, March 20, 2009

12-5-08

There is a bar at the end of my street. They serve pizza too. According to the sign the pizza was voted "Indy's best." I believe it. It's good. Last night my roomies & I went there to eat some. While there the woman making the pizza asked if we were going to stay and watch Rudolph with them. It's a tradition at the bar. Every year when Rudolph is on TV, they watch it there. Heck yes we were going to stay and watch it with them. I never thought I would watch Rudolph in a bar, but I'm so glad I did. Isn't it strange, the little things that go on inside the places you pass every day. Next week we were invited back on Friday to watch Frosty the Snowman. I won't be able to make it b/c I'll be seeing Edie Carey perform.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

10-14-08

I'm getting better at this "real world" thing. At least dinner-wise. Well, at least in the past few days.

In college when we got tired of pizza rolls, taquitos, & peanut butter & jelly sandwiches we would walk to one of the 2 dining options on campus or take a trip through the taco bell drive thru. Making rice-a-roni or mac & cheese from the box was considered making an effort on dinner.

This Friday was a glorious evening. My roomie & I decided to actually attempt to cook something & for some reason we decided to try & make chimichangas. I don't know of anyone who has made chimichangas except for the Mexican restaurants I frequent so it seemed like a challenge, but we were up for it. So we went to the store & got what we thought we'd need. As we were baking the chicken we watched the final episode of the 3rd season of The Office & were SO happy that Jim & Pam were finally going to get together! So that started the great joy of the evening.

After that we went on to make our food. Neither of us have much common sense when it comes to practical tasks such as cooking & such so we had no idea what we were doing so just made it up as we went along. Finally we had our chimichangas made & sat down to eat & start on the 4th season of The Office. Time for the first bite, the moment of truth...THEY WERE SO GOOD! The joy of eating something so good is great in itself, but the fact that we made this wonder that was so good made the joy almost explode!

Our great evening continued to go on a great note as we walked to Radio Radio for a show. Cliff Snyder, Mandy Marie, & Joe Pug performed. We know Cliff & he was good as usual. Really enjoyed Mandy Marie too & she enjoyed us sitting on the floor in front of the stage. And I fell in love with Joe Pug. He got up to sing & I said "aw, he's so adorable." Then he started to sing & his voice blew me away. The lyrics of the song were amazing too. At the end of the song I looked at my roomie & said "I'm in love." And when I bought his CD I got to meet him too. Then Justin Townes Earle performed & he & the 2 other guys in his group were great as well. It was so much fun. I was reminded why I love the folk/country (not radio country) genre.


Tonight my cooking efforts surprised me again. I made chicken, mushrooms, rice, & broccoli. I ate on my front porch & the neighbors' dog joined me. He asked so nicely for some food & I gave in (don't tell his owners). I first tried to feed him some broccoli & he wanted nothing to do with that junk, but had no problem saying yes to the chicken or rice. I wasn't about to give him any of the mushrooms. I'm a sucker for dogs, but giving one my precious mushrooms would be too much. After we ate (he only got a couple bites, don't worry) we sat on the step & I pet him & we chatted a bit. I hope winter never comes.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

10-8-08

Sometimes I pretend the neighbors' dogs are mine. Toshi came up on my porch the other evening and laid at my feet as I swung on the porch swing. Then I moved to the front step and he moved with me. I did this so I could pet him and I know he appreciated it because when I would stop petting him he would look at me and put his paw on my hand as if to say "Please don't stop."

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

10-7-08

Sometimes I just stop and listen. Sometimes wherever I am at or whatever I am doing I just stop and take in all that I can hear. Like yesterday at the grocery store. Standing by the produce section I just stopped as I was getting broccoli and listened. I could hear the squeaking of shopping cart wheels all over the store, a baby giggling, the rustling of produce bags being opened, Gloria Estafan coming from the speakers. It only took a second to hear all these things. Then I picked up the broccoli and went on with my shopping and covered all the sounds with my own thoughts.

Monday, March 16, 2009

10-5-08

At times when I have told people where I live now, they say things like "Oh, be careful" or "Isn't that kind of shady?" or "I've heard that neighborhood isn't very good." Well, to all of you- I love it. For one thing, I want to be intentional about living in a place some people consider "shady." Which if we are being honest, some people consider anything that isn't white & anything but middle to upper class "shady." But I want to tell you about this supposed "shady" place I live-

Ever since our lawn mower broke, the grass in our yard miraculously & randomly gets shorter. For some reason, it's always the same day that the yard of the neighbors across the street is mowed.

Friday there was a bag of garden grown tomatoes on the gate of my fence. I assume they were from the older couple across the street because one day when we were sitting on our front porch they brougth us some.

My neighbor lets the kids in the neighborhood walk her dogs sometimes. She also took one of the neighbor girl's cats to the vet when it got sick.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

10-4-08

I've talked about the neighbor boy who lived beside my two friends before, remember, the kid who tried to cook a raw sausage over a citrinella candle? One day my cousin was hanging out with me & we were up in my bedroom & I heard a noise, then I saw that boy, another boy, and a girl leaving my yard so I figured they had knocked & that was the noise I had heard. Later I saw the kids come back in my yard so went to see what they wanted. The noise I heard wasn't them knocking on my door. It was my porch swing hitting my house. The kids were pushing each other on it as hard as they could.

So we made some rules. Swinging was allowed as long as they did it properly & they knocked on the door and asked first. No swinging when no one was home. It took a little enforcing, but now we have a great set up. Every once in awhile there is a knock on my door & I see little heads peeking in the window. They ask to swing & then they do. I normally go out & hang out with them & talk with them. It's fun.

The other day there was loud hard knocking & the two boys' faces peeking in the window. My roomie, our friend, & I answered the door expecting to be asked if they could swing. Instead two excited, breathless little boys informed us that they were selling kool-aid down the street for 50 cents & asked if we wanted some. Of course we did! And when we told them this you'd think they had won the lottery. "They want some!" they shouted & then ran off to tell their other selling buddies. We got some money & then skipped to the kool-aid stand where pretty much every kid on our street was working to sell some kool-aid. We were informed that refills were free & they were selling koolaid to get money to be able to go to the Dairy Queen at the end of the street. Later that day we found out they made $13 & went to DQ.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

9-27-08

Last Sunday was the last day of summer (unless it was actually Monday, but I was confused on if Monday was the last day of summer or the first day of fall, but for the point of this blog, the last day of summer was Sunday).

To honor the last day of summer I decided to go on a walk at my favorite time of day. When the sun is starting to go down. You know, when everything is covered in a yellow glow. I put on my mp3 player, took my camera to take random pics & left my house. My goal was to find swings. I walked to a small park about a block a way & realized, it didn't have swings. So I started walking the opposite direction than I normally walk hoping to run into some swings.

I walked by the elementary school near my house. A group of young boys were playing football in the front yard of the school. I paused my walk to play football with them for a little bit. They accepted me well, especially since I'm a girl with cooties. I'm sure the fact that I can throw a mean spiral helped.

Then I made it to the school's playground. I found my swings. I put on the song Heavenly Day by Patty Griffin, turned it up as loud as I could & pumped my legs as hard as I could & swung as high as I could looking into the setting sun. It was wonderful.


After I had enough swinging I started walking again. I saw a man riding his bike stop to help a man push his car that had broken down. I pet the dog of an old cowboy. I said hi to people I passed by on their front porches or walking down the street.

I walked behind some building & admired graffiti. I saw people going into the Catholic Church for the Hispanic mass and wondered why if we are all brothers & sisters we have so many seperate churches. Seperated by denominations, races, languages, nationalities, worship preferences, etc.


I passed a house with a big deck with a group of people wearing Colts' attire & watching the game on a big TV. In the yard the kids were eating ice cream & admiring their artwork they created with chalk on the sidewalk. I walked by & complimented them on their artwork. They made sure to point out the "Go Colts" they had written. I asked if the Colts were winning. As soon as I asked one of the guys cheered really loud. Me & the oldest girl looked at each other & said "must be!" & laughed. She told me that if her uncle was cheering it meant the Colts were winning. Then one of the boys showed off his empty bowl of ice cream. Then the youngest boy who was covered in dirt from head to toe with ice cream all over his face walked up to me & tapped me on my elbow (the highest point on me he could reach). I bent down to his level to see what he had to tell me & he said "they're watching football." Haha:)

Then I walked by a bright purple house & tried to pet several cats I met on my walk, but none of them would let me. This is why I don't like cats.

Then I made my way home feeling much warmer inside than I had when I left.

Friday, March 13, 2009

9-7-08

Around a month ago I was at the public library in Indy. I was with a friend & it was about to close so I just went outside to wait on the steps for my friend. I called her to let her know where I was for when she was done. As I was getting out my phone a little girl who was leaving the library with her mom and brother got out her pretend plastic cell phone, I caught her eye & caught on. So as the phone was ringing for my friend I pretended to be talking to this little girl. My friend answered so I quickly really talked to her still watching this little girl as she was walking away "talking to me" on the phone. When my friend hung up, I didn't and then pretended to say goodbye to my new little friend. No one noticed this little phone conversation except for her and me. I think it's the best conversation I've had on the phone though.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

8-23-08

There is a man that walks past our house sometimes. I don't think he speaks English. The first time he walked by we said hi to him and he stopped, looked like he had no idea what to do, got a huge smile on his face and gave us a thumbs up sign. The last time he walked by he wasn't walking very straight. We said hi to him and he stopped, came to our fence (I thought he was going to jump it), leaned against it, smiled, slowly put his finger to his mouth and said "shhh." I still laugh thinking about it.

We have 2 friends that live down the street. Their neighbor boy is 6. He came by our house the other day with a big blow-up baseball. He thought he was funny kicking the ball into our yard. I thought I was funny when I took it and threatened not to give it back. He hit me with the newspaper on our porch that is delivered everyday & we never read. I changed the game into baseball with a blow-up ball and a newspaper bat. That was more fun than getting hit.

Yesterday we were at my friends' house. The neighbor boy came over to play with their dog. Then he & I passed the basketball back and forth and I was the hoop. Then he brought me a brownie. Then he tried roasting a raw sausage over the citrinella candle. Then he dropped it a couple times so it was a raw sausage with one tiny spot burnt, covered in wax. He went home for a second & when he got back we told him we accidentally dropped it and the dog got it. But really we tossed that nasty thing. Then he said "it's ok, I have 2 more!" shoving his hand full of raw sausage into my face. We convinced him to let us actually cook them for him inside. Then he dropped the cooked sausages and the dog really got them.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

8-7-08

The other night some friends & I went to the Wilco concert in Indy at White River Park. By go I don't mean we bought tickets & sat facing the stage & watched them jam. By go I mean we sat in the grass outside the fence & could sorta see the drummer & could see the stage lights change colors, but could hear great, for free. There was a little girl there with her parents. She was a blonde little girl with a white tank-top, black & white striped pants & a pink tutu. She waved a branch as she danced in the grass. She chased the bubbles her mom blew for her. She spun in circles as the sun went down. I wish I was her.


P.S. Our new record for morning glories is 257.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

7-27-08

When I walk to the shops & things near my home I pass senior living apartments. Outside sits an older man who always talks to the people who go by with a huge smile on his face. Except when he's too busy picking his nose & doesn't notice someone is passing. That's what happened to me the first time. The last time I passed him he asked me if I wanted his leftover pizza b/c he ordered too much and couldn't eat it all. I declined.

Our record for morning glories is now 105.

Monday, March 9, 2009

7-18-08

The old man who lives across from me, he got a purple heart in the war. He walks slowly & with a limp, but he's outside almost every day working on his deck or in his flower bed. He has a huge American flag in his front yard.

The guy who lives beside me, he's kind of quiet and he works for a phone company. His wife or girlfriend (i don't know which) lives there too & she has a "what would Jesus bomb?" bumper sticker on her car. She loves animals & brings home stray dogs pretty often along with the two dogs & the cat she owns.

Near the old man lives a 40-something year old man who knows where to get moonshine. He has friends that like to sit on his front porch with him. They are perveted middle-aged men, but fun & harmless.

One of his friends is the stepdad of the 20-something that lives across the street. He quit high school, but worked hard to get his GED. He wanted to know if we had boyfriends.

Down the road lives an older woman. Well, I think she's younger than she looks, but life has worn her. She sits on her cluttered front porch and feeds peanuts to a squirrell she named Charlie. She's gotten some good pictures of him she says. She told me I was a cute little thing. and calls me honey.

In my backyard there are morning glories. We started with one single flower that came out every morning & disapeared by the time we got home from work. Our record so far has been 25 morning glories one morning. Now we are getting some along our front fence too.

Yesterday I went to see Anne Heaton perform. I went by myself. It was great. There was a man who drove all the way up from northern Kentucky for the show. He discovered Anne's music by randomly picking up her CD in the library. He once drove all the way here to see Missy Higgins too, but he missed her show. He got there in time to see her leave the building & got to talk to her.

There was a woman there by herself who was an obvious huge fan. She never stopped smiling during the whole show. The song about being a mom made her cry. She has all Anne's CDs, but bought one again last night because hers got a scratch & one of the songs skipped.

The cafe where the show was had a buffet that night that cost $12. The owner charged me $10 & gave me a piece of cake to take home. He's not going to have a buffet when Edie Carey is there next week b/c he knows she likes things on the menu.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

An Introduction

I find joy and peace in the little things in life. The things that seem not to matter. These are the things that keep me alive. I think that these little things, the things that often go unnoticed, are in reality the big things in life and if people were better at noticing and appreciating them, people would be much happier. I have been keeping journals/blogs that often speak to these things. I've now decided to make a specific blog devoted to these things. A lot of the things I will put here I actually wrote awhile ago so I will use the date as the title of the post. And I love to know who is reading & really appreciate feedback so please leave comments!