I found Starr digging through this box of buttons the other day. She was decorating her bulletin board for her room in the sorority house. I used to pick up buttons here and there back in the day, from when I was in high school and college in the early 80s. When she was little she loved going through the box, looking at each button, occasionally asking questions, “are beer drinkers really better lovers?”
I am sure that she has taken some of the best buttons over the years, but there are still quite a few left. It is fun to look at them, they bring back some really great memories.
Just like Sammy, Zeta just had to get in middle of things!!
I have spent a good part of the past few days in a deep funk, despite the bright light provided by the new addition to our family. Zeta is a sweetheart!
Constantly on the brink of tears, I’ve been an emotional basket case. It’s not one thing, but many things. Things haven’t changed this morning, but I did have a long heart to heart with a friend last night and she told me some things that I needed to hear. Tears again, but good ones.
I am grateful for friends who care, who see me for me and who love me, despite the protective walls that I try to keep so firmly in place. I am grateful for my daughter, who made me laugh this morning. Yes, there are many things to be grateful for today.
Coincidentally, a friend posted this video on Facebook today. It made me smile, so I’m passing it along:
After a few stressful days of “introducing” the cats, things have finally started to feel more normal around here. They play a lot, they share their food dishes, they rest when needed. They follow each other around the house…it is very cute!! As far as I know, they don’t sleep together, but I did catch this:
Sammy and Zeta
Sorry for the poor quality, I don’t own a video camera and the only thing I had near me was my trusty cell phone.
Sammy just loves that basket! Zeta has taken a liking to curling up in it too…so far this hasn’t caused any conflicts!!
I’ve got the Goddess of Permission on speed dial and she was thrilled to oblige with this sweeping list of acts of self expression and liberation. We can draw on it whenever we need. Come back often. Build on it. The Permission Goddess sends kisses and high-fives.
you have permission to
: not finish reading books that you’re not really enjoying. Don’t force it, close it.
: walk out of movies that suck (and hey, if you leave in the first twenty minutes, you can get your money back.)
: let it go to voicemail (especially during dinner, or snuggling, or watching So You Think You Can Dance?)
: give birthday gifts anytime of the year (which means you can be late or early and you can give yourself time to find just the right gift.)
: talk shit about WalMart (even if they do have the economic power of a small country.)
: cut the obligations cords that are driven by guilt.
: pursue your own agenda.
: own next to nothing, live on a mattress, read and write and make love all day with no other responsibilities
: return crappy products to their crappy manufacturers (because you can vote with your dollars.)
: leave your current business model so you can go do something bigger than you
: tell your kids when you think that something an authority figure told them is bullshit (you need to be in solidarity with your child, not the so-called grown ups.)
: quit your job, even if you just started two weeks ago, or just got a raise, or are seemingly indispensable.
: get yourself off even, if you have a partner.
: have some secrets.
: cut out the elements of your business that you don’t totally LOVE. The parts that 90% of the time make you say, “WHY am I doing this? I don’t WANT to do this.”
: give away/recycle/get rid of stuff, stuff, stuff sentimental stuff that special people gave you (your home is for you, not them); stuff that doesn’t make you feel good even, if you spent a lot of money on it; stuff that has intense memories attached to it; stuff!
: say no to “free” stuff, like swag bags at fancy events and novelty erasers and pom-pom pens from the bank. (Because the only thing in life that’s free is love.)
you have permission to
: fail, and fail again.
: to succeed, wildly, more than your neighbors, more than your folks, more than you thought was possible.
: be rich and “spiritual”
: be broke AND generous
: leave work early, get some ice cream, and sit in the hot tub at the gym
: charge what you’re worth
: focus more on creating your soul job and less on finding a ho’ job.
: sleep! sleep in, nap, sleep.
: earn a living knitting for charity.
: relax. To let go of the growing to-do list in your head. To release the need to get it “just right.”
: to dance
: go bra-less or underwear free.
: give it all to charity.
: check your email whenever the hell you want.
: start now, without the degree, without the funding, without knowing exactly where you’re going.
: sell your house to afford a big trip to India (a friend of mine did just that, no regrets.)
: walk away.
: fall in love.
: eat dessert first.
you have permission to : not ever feel the need for permission.
Thank you, Rosemary, for sharing this. I needed it this week!
Starr moved back to the sorority house last Friday, classes haven’t started yet, but the girls are very busy preparing for fall recruitment. Their schedules are packed! She said, “don’t count on seeing me until your birthday, I’ve scheduled the night off so that we can spend some time together!”
That’s cool!
So I was a little surprised when I received a text message from her yesterday. “Can you come pick up a stray kitten??” Ya, sure. I grabbed the cat carrier and headed to the sorority house. The girls were lined up at the front door practicing one of their greeting/recruitment songs. Starr ran the cat out to the car and quickly headed back to get back to work.
I haven’t invaded its privacy too much, but I am thinking…boy. Maybe. “He” doesn’t have a collar, is thin (he ate like a maniac when offered food), he has junk stuck to his fur and is as sweet as can be. Beautiful too!! The (crappy cell phone) picture doesn’t show it, but those eyes are a brilliant icy blue. I’ve fallen in love.
Starr called me later to fill me in. Apparently some of the members of the fraternity across the street found the kitten (I am guessing around 12 weeks old?) somewhere and proceeded to dump it on the lawn of Starr’s sorority house.
I’ve looked through all the lost pet lists that I can find and am headed to the vet this morning to have him/her scanned for a micro chip. In the meantime, Sammy (my resident cat) is very curious, but Zeta kitten is scared, so I’ve kept them separated.
I found it at a garage sale. I didn’t have a clue in the world what I would do with it, but I had to have it.
As a quick fix, I printed out some pictures that I thought might go with it and Scotch taped them to the back. I added a hanging wire and it has stayed that way for years. I like it!!
It is flawed. I like that.
It fits right in with all my other collected items!!
Name? Kelly. Mysterious? Not really. Passionate? Yes. Lazy? Sometimes. Outgoing? Not a bit. Trusting? Mmhmm. Artistic? On good days. Crazy? Could be. Trustworthy? Absolutely. Graceful? I wish. Sarcastic? Often. Deserving? You bet. Forgiving? Yes. Religious? No. Spiritual? Yes. Uncertain? At times. Confused? Sure. Distracted? Daily. Silly? Yeah. Talkative? Not. Punctual? To a fault. Breakable? Quite.
This is not a music blog. While it is my desire to share free and legal music here (music is a part of me), it is not my goal to critique this music.
If I have posted music, it is because I like it, and it moves me at the moment. It might match my mood, it could be on repeat, or mirror the sentiment of my post. It might be quite random, and just what I wish to share.
*Older links may not always work, as promotional MP3s, in particular, are known to disappear without warning.
Artists and labels: if I have erred and posted a song inappropriately, let me know, and I will remove it.
To download a song: on a PC, right click the link and choose "save link as"
Kelly on 
