tollipop

over the weekend

Hello, dear reader!  Happy Monday to you!  I wanted to thank you for your comments on the previous post...they meant a lot to me.  While I'd never want anyone to feel obligated to respond, I will say it is a certain thrill to hear from you.  I love hearing random snippets of your thoughts, not necessarily in response to mine, but just for the sound of your voice and the way it opens a tiny window into some hidden corner of the world.

This weekend was lovely.  We spent Saturday morning at the temple doing baptisms for the dead, something which was especially meaningful to Sophie as she has recently taken an interest in family history and has located quite a few names of ancestors for whom to perform this ordinance.

You may have no clue what I'm talking about or you may have heard something strange about Mormons and their fixation with this practice.  To me, however, it is one of the most beautifully logical and bonding experiences to perform and therefore offer this ordinance to those who have passed on, never having had an opportunity to receive it for themselves while living upon this earth.  

I hosted a brief Instagram symposium over the merits of allowing one's dog access to the bed.

It seems there's very little room for debate on this topic in our house and to be honest, I love it.  Winnie sleeps in a kennel but she also finds her way to our bed whenever I'm on it and one of the best extras about this is the way it draws the entire family together, just to spend a few moments with her.  



Caroline's tattoos show no signs of abating.  

Perhaps most glorious of all--Higgins molted!  He now has wings, meaning the molting (growth) stage is complete which comes as a huge relief to me and is cause for great celebration.  

Even better, I wasn't home when it happened but received a flurry of texts from Caroline keeping me abreast of the situation, replete with more exclamation marks than I have possibly seen used in my entire life. 

On Saturday night, Izzy and I attended the Life is Beautiful festival.  

I will admit such excursions don't typically come to mind when I think of the phrase "most desirable ways to spend an evening."  In a way, though, I feel badly about that.  I've mentioned before how I'm not the "fun" parent in this equation...I mean, I'm no utter drip, but I am less outgoing and more reserved.  

Let me be clear on this point, however: we had fun.  We had so much fun!!  It was a total thrill to hang out with Izzy.  I'm telling you: she's some of the best company you could ever imagine keeping.  

We saw The Roots perform and it immediately awakened in me the old dream of becoming a rock star.  Does that surprise you, dear reader?  I know I was going on just a few sentences ago about being a quiet recluse, but that's only because I failed to go with Plan B twenty years ago, which was to become a world famous chanteuse.  

No regrets but oh man, I'm telling you: The Roots made it look delightful.

Then we saw Alt-J.  Do you know who they are, because I didn't. But when you have the world's hippest daughter, you can just sit back and let her tell you what's cool.  And honestly, I had to concur.

After that we saw Lionel Richie.  Lionel Richie, dear reader!!  It was during his performance Caroline bombarded me with texts regarding Higgins' molt, which shot the entire experience through the stratosphere of awesomeness.  Lionel Richie was amazing!!  Wow.  Lionel!!  I still can't believe it. 

Outkast put on the last performance of the night and they were apparently the main draw.  I'm going to say that confused me a little...but what do I know? Everyone else seemed highly enthusiastic, with special emphasis on the word high.  

In between acts we walked around looking at different exhibits and enjoying the coolest art installations.  We shared a falafel pita, a beet salad, and a gigantic fizzy lemonade.  We ate french fries dusted with delicate shavings of feta cheese which made me wonder, as I often do, why poutine has yet failed to storm the border and establish itself as the most desirable element of Canadian culture this country has ever seen.

Poutine, what are you waiting for?  You can't get any more awesome than you already are.  

We didn't get home until well past midnight, trying to no avail to find an open McDonald's along the way.   

What's the point of living in Las Vegas if you can't get an Oreo McFlurry at 1 o'clock in the morning, dear reader?  I thought that was the whole point of this town.   

At any rate, Monday is upon us.  The girls are off to school and I'm home with Winnie, determined to make some progress on the novel revision this week. The house needs attention and Higgins needs crickets.  Sophie will have some exciting volleyball games this week...I wish you could come to a game, dear reader.  I wish you could see her play.  Izzy will fill the house with beautiful music and Caroline will do the same, undoubtedly covered in tattoos.  My husband will be busy and every chance I get to see him, there'll be no mistaking the smile on my face.  

As for me, I'll be doing my usual dance, whatever that may entail.  But this time look for it to be a little more outgoing, a little less reserved, a little more fun.

hello there, how are you?

This dreaded text arrived yesterday from my brother, who's become my canary in the coal mine (so to speak) where Tollipop is concerned:

What's up with Tollipop?  Are you running out of topics?  I'll give you one: Rhode Island.  It's neither a road nor an island.   

Dear reader, I don't want to bore you with the same old litany of excuses as to why this blog has become a mere cipher of its former self.  I sometimes struggle to see the point of continuing to make these periodic entries...it seems presumptuous to assume there's still an interest.  I'm disappointed in the way it has dwindled to a few hasty words and pictures, but I don't want to let it go completely.  It might be more accurate to say I don't think I can let it go, even if I end up all by myself in this place.  

Writing is such a vivid outlet for me--I bask in words the way some people bask in the sun, they come in shapes and colors, they soothe me like a mother's voice.  So it helps to know, in some dark corner of my mind, that Tollipop is still there, even it it's been overgrown by brambles and weeds.  

By way of an update, then...Winnie is back!  Her cone is off and while I must say she didn't seem to let it cramp her style in the interim, we are beyond thrilled to have our floppy eared puppy minus the accessory.  

Volleyball has been incredibly exciting this season.  We have an amazing coach and the girls have been coming onto the court like gladiators...if gladiators were, like, a little more darling yet no less deadly.  

Izzy made the thrilling discovery of a praying mantis in our rose garden!

The very next day, I decided to release Eisenhower back into the wilds.  I thought it might be a teary good-bye but then he reminded me he doesn't do emotion so I didn't do it, either.

I still have dear little Higgins, who was captive born...I hope it's not such a bad thing to keep him indoors.

I also have my five minute pets out in the desert.  Unfortunately, this one reared up on his hind legs and shot laser beams at me, a gesture which didn't seem altogether too friendly, so our relationship lasted more like three minutes, with a promise to keep in touch.

That's perhaps it for me, at the moment.  This is a busy week, I'm frustrated by my lack of progress with my novel, I'm worried about a few things, I'm beginning to realize it's actually going to be quite difficult when it comes time for Sophie to leave, I made a new friend over the weekend, the weather is gorgeous, I don't know what's going on with my metabolism, I'm grateful for my family and many other things, who knows what's for dinner tonight, but when all is said and done, I feel a quiet sense of peace.

How are you, dear reader?  Won't you take a moment and give me some sort of answer to that question?  I'm wishing you all things happy and good, with the ability to get through everything that isn't.  xo

happy canadian thanksgiving

It's Canadian Thanksgiving today, dear reader.  If you're from the United States, I must tell you this is a lovely time of year to celebrate the season of harvest.  I got a little homesick on Instagram, watching my Canadian friends truss up their turkeys and bake their glorious pies.  I know there's nothing stopping me from holding a celebration of my own and yet, I have let something stop me.  

Perhaps I will have to fix that next year.  

Winnie continues to be the most darling puppy in the world, and by puppy I mean complete rascal.  

We recently took her to get spayed and in so doing discovered the secret to making time stand still, as I'm actually counting down the minutes until we can free her from that sorrowful cone.

My little brother, Jonny, spent the past week driving from Montreal to Boston with his friend Andrew, an absolute dream of a roadtrip to my way of thinking.  

(p.s. In case you're wondering: do they always look this tough and shady? my response would be to wipe tears from my eyes...tears of laughter, that is).

Oh, how I love the grand tradition of the roadtrip!  

How I love looking out at this shimmering world through the windows of a car, listening to good music, stopping for treats at gas stations and little corner joints, and sharing it with someone whose company I dearly enjoy.  

Jonny was so kind as to send me pictures along the way, including snippets like the one above wherein he demonstrates an apparent flair for local accents, or at the very least a flair for keeping me easily amused.  

Something else which amuses me--this fountain pen and ink in the shade of vert olive, received as a gift for my birthday.  

Vert olive, dear reader.  All I have to do is whisper those words and I experience the most delicious thrill.

Caroline continues to tat herself up at every available opportunity.  

It doesn't help, I suppose, that my disapproval is almost always eclipsed by my oohs of admiration.  

This morning I encountered two wild burros out in the middle of nowhere.  Do you know how it feels to collide with one of these immortal bricks while running at top speed in the dead of night, dear reader?  

I do, and I think for that reason they now keep to a safe distance whenever I pass by.

And finally, Higgins.  Dear old Higgins, who could imagine life without him?!  

He's been doing rather well lately, indulging an interest in old motor-cars and making his home on a quiet street which he assured me was worth a hundred Portabello Roads.

He said it, not I.

Ah, Higgins.  

Why do I fret over his social standing when he seems content enough to blurt out whatever rash thought comes to mind, then fix the listener with a look which says: aren't you lucky not to be lower than me on the food chain??

meet the mormons

Dear reader, this is something new for me: recommending a film I have not yet seen myself.  

There's a documentary coming out in limited release this weekend entitled Meet the Mormons and is, in its own words, an examination of "the very diverse lives of six devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Filmed on location and across the globe, Meet the Mormons takes viewers on a journey into the day-to-day realities of individuals living in the U.S., Costa Rica, Nepal and beyond. From their individual passions to their daily struggles, each story paints a picture as rich and unique as the next while challenging the stereotypes that surround the Mormon faith."

You can click to visit the film's website here to watch the trailer and see if it is being played near you.  If there isn't a screening nearby, you may submit a request and hopefully there will be enough interest for one to be booked in your area.
 

I'm excited to see the film myself.  Having grown up a Mormon girl in a small, gorgeous Canadian town, I'm familiar with how unfamiliar many people are regarding my faith.
 

While I don't get the impression Meet the Mormons is geared toward a specific delineation of our beliefs, I imagine it will nevertheless help one feel more familiar in a meaningful way--by making an acquaintance with the lives of several ordinary (and yet remarkable) church members.

I think it will be an uplifting experience, one that will leave the viewer filled with a deeper appreciation for the beauty and goodness in this world, for the way life's trials can refine and help us reach beyond previous abilities and understandings, and for the great source of peace which I believe beckons to us all, which no faith corners the market on but is found in the heart of every person who earnestly seeks it. 

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eta: Over the weekend I had a chance to see the film and highly recommend it. It was the most accurate representation of what draws me to my faith that I've ever seen.  I was deeply touched by the stories of the people featured therein and left the theatre wanting to be a better person, hoping my life reflects the potential within me, aware I have a long way to go, sobered by these thoughts as I've always been, but ultimately grateful for the chance I have to be in this moment, trying to move in the direction that feels right to me.  

this october weekend

This weekend has been a rare and unexpected gift.  

Roger and the two younger girls left after school on Friday for a quick trip to Salt Lake City to be spent with cousins and the added significance of attending a session of LDS General Conference.  The original plan was for the entire family to go but then Sophie got asked to homecoming by the most darling boy, making it necessary for a little tag-team parenting to occur this weekend.

What I failed to anticipate was how much time this would yield in having Sophie all to myself.

Being a stranger to such American traditions as homecoming, I suppose I envisioned her being gone for the greater part of the day, wrapped up in details of preparation and the need to consult with friends.  Instead, she plunked herself down next to me and we watched General Conference together.

In case you're unfamiliar with LDS General Conference, dear reader, that translates into quite a bit of time.  

How can I explain to you the many reasons this experience felt like a small piece of heaven descended upon my soul?  It was a glorious day, the house was calm and peaceful, the talks which were given spoke deeply to my heart...but most of all to share this with Sophie, my daughter who is always so busy and who will be leaving home in the blink of an eye.  

It's hard to express what it meant to me.  

People often ask if I'm ready to let Sophie go.  She will be graduating high school early and leaving for BYU in January, a milestone made all the more brisk considering she skipped a grade in elementary school.  I never know how to answer this question, as I can tell the "proper" response is to express some degree of anguish over the fact.  But this world has taught me to accept the inevitability of change and I have never been one to secretly wish to hasten or delay any step in my children's development or in any other aspect of life, for that matter.

I prefer to take it as it comes, which is one part common sense and one part a handy survival technique I've developed over the years. 

But yesterday and today, as we sat on the couch watching conference together, as I helped her get ready for homecoming and nearly fell over at how beautiful she looked, as I watched her leave with her date  then listened to her tell me all about it the next morning...I'm at a loss to describe the experience.  

It's been a rare and precious gift, an unmeasured moment wherein I was unoccupied with daily cares and made keenly aware of the bond which connects us as spiritual beings who share a deep and never-ending love, and what it means that I was somehow granted the opportunity to be her mother.