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Sunday, April 19, 2009

She Laughs As She Runs

My little grey cells are brimming over with things I want to blog about. And here I am still repeating "I have to get this video editing done" and fretting about a conference brochure that has to be in a draft form, ready for J's okay tomorrow.

Yesterday was filled with those little necessities in life like grocery shopping purchasing toilet paper. And then there were the kids' things that suck up a weekend, but good. Garbo's school chorus performed in the park down the road from us. It was so nice to get out and walk and just hang out for a little while, catching up with friends and eating (more) junk food.

Later, MathMan, The Dancer and I drove over to Gainesville to one of the schools being considered by The Dancer. We were there to attend a dance performance of original pieces choreographed by the school's seniors. I hope the additional visit helped The Dance with her decision because if she doesn't decide soon, she's going to see just what a control freak I really am.

For the record, MathMan has already decided for her. I'm still just playing the psychological game of having The Dancer think that this is her decision and hers alone. Maybe that's a Mom Thing?

The Actor has really taken to this new location. Not only does he have friends to hang out with, he's also discovered our local history museum. See, we've moved into a town that has preserved its old "downtown" or main commercial area. And by that, I mean, the old Commissaries built in 1860, the 1850 general store (still in operation), a 1900 blacksmith shop, the 1830s district courthouse, the calaboose (jail), and the grist mill ruins next to the community's crown jewel, the covered bridge. Beyond that, there's not much else. Oh, there is a fabulous barbecue place and a couple of churches, a nice park. I don't want to slight anyone.

The Actor, one of his friends and Garbo have been going to a small tributary creek that runs behind the history museum and into the larger Euharlee Creek. They're excavating pieces of a drag harrow that's buried in the creek bank. It's just the kind of thing I loved doing when I was a kid.

So that pretty much catches you up with the new place. Although I'm still concerned about how to redirect the birds from the old place to here, I'm happy to note that we've got a bunch of American Goldfinches, a nest of baby robins in one of our holly bushes, more mockingbirds than I care for and a fair amount of cardinals filling the trees around the New Golden Manor.

We've also got new birds that bring out my bird watching tendencies. We've had visits from eastern towhees (who have a funny habit of hopping from one branch to the next as the travel up a tree) and cedar waxwings, whom I just adore with their taupe bodies and masks of mysterious black.
Now I'm trying to learn their calls. The other evening, right before dusk, I was in our bedroom which faces the back yard, and the window were open. I could here all kinds of songs and non-computer-related tweets and twitters and calls. I looked out and realized that another good name for this location would be Tall Pines. When the developers built this subdivision, they did a good job of leaving a lot of the natural growth and existing trees. We have a stand of tall pines right behind us and they are just alive with bird sounds. It's amazing.

Oh, speaking of songs, at last night's performance, I heard music by the Vitamin String Quartet for the first time. (Well, The Dancer tells me that she did a piece to some of their music a couple of years ago, but whatever). I don't know if I've ever shared with you my love of the violin, but when I heard this music, I was blown away. They take popular music and adapt it for the Quartet. For example:

Old classics like Led Zepplin's Stairway to Heaven, AC/DC's Back in Black, and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. Newer classics like Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and R.E.M.'s Shiny Happy People. The Smith's There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. Other newish music like Foo Fighter's Everlong, Red Hot Chili Peppers' Snow (Hey oh), Muse's Supermassive Black Hole, and 3 Doors Down Here Without You.

Their complete library is here. Call me dork, but I love this. Love it.

I have a prize for the first person who emails me at lisahgolden at blogspot dot com and tells me what the title of this post means. No answers in comments, please. Understand though, if you win and the prize arrives and demands food, directions to the nearest XBox360 and grumbles that it didn't think "Mom would really follow through on her threat," I'm absolved of all resopnsibility. You win it, you keep it.

Okay - now I have to get that conference brochure done or I'm going to be up all night. Ah, who am I kidding? I'm going to be up all night anyway......

16 comments:

  1. Not a clue about what the title means.... You'll tell us all eventually, Yes?

    Don't know what drag harrow is either.... Left-over remains of long ago murdered drag queen??!!

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  2. I am jealous of the many birds in your neighborhood. The only birds I get to see on a regular basis are pigeons--and I'm just SO over them... :)

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  3. In some places pigeons are a delicious treat or squab. And I am getting the wine right now...

    The boy loves history and this is place where the people care about it so he has friends.

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  4. glad to hear the family is settling in
    and i don't know what the title means

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  5. Ha ha ha!

    I don't know what the title means, but as SOON as I saw the word "prize", I thought "yeah right...some poor sucker's going to get a shipping container filled with three children and four cats".

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  6. Yeah, I have no idea what a drag harrow is either. So, who won Resident Evil/Cupcake? Or is it The Actor who is being packaged and wrapped?

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  7. I haven't a clue as to the title, but you know I love reading your every word.

    Glad to hear you are settling in nicely. My best to everyone, especially Garbo and the Mathman...you have a special family Lisa.

    Good luck on the project at work! I know the feeling of projects weighing on you...best of luck in every way.

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  8. I know what a drag harrow is (big surprise there, eh, Lisa?)... but not your post title. Just as well, though, as I'm still acclimating to the two kids here, and another one (two? three?) might really complicate things... hmmm, or would it simplify things? :)

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  9. Okay, I'll bite. The kids were down in Frog Hollow digging for drag harrows (if that's how one finds whatever they are) and the Dancer was lost in a multiple choice future of her own design.

    Meanwhile you, noticing the coast was clear on a sunny afternoon of birdsong and fresh flowers, filled the Love Tub, covered your naked self with Enchanted Pixie Oil and wiggled past Mathman..

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  10. Funny how real birds start sounding like twitter and cell phones. Twisted.

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  11. We've got a mockingbird that visits our patio occasionally that can mimic a car alarm with truly annoying accuracy.

    Knowing Georgia, the rusting remains of that drag harrow will turn out to be a civil war relic and will be turned into another monument to the bravery of our gallant boys in gray (heavy dose of sarcasm), a farm implement venerated for having been pressed into service to slow Sherman's march on Atlanta.

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  12. Ah..it sounds so lovely there, in spite of the coal plant. I wouldn't mind sitting a spell there myself.

    Garbo..she is fitting in and enjoying her new surroundings? ;)

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  13. Hell, I don't know what the title means! Laughing is better than crying, though!

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  14. My grey cells "done got up and left!" I'm just a city girl and have no idea what a drag harrow is either. As for the title - no clue there. So I guess I don't have to get the guest room (oops - forgot I don't have one) ready.

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  15. Beetlejuice!

    Beetlejuice!

    Beetlejuice!

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  16. I have declared today “National Say “Hello” Day!

    Hello!!!!!!


    ps. it was really yesterday.... but I sorta ran out time. Thought I would do it again today......

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And then you say....

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