I want…

16 Feb

I must warn you, this is the dreaded open letter. Feel free to stop reading now, however, know that if you do, I will know.  I will then assume that you hate me, then I will proceed to crawl under a rock and die. Thus setting all my facebook friends into a frenzy as their dear friend Whit died a tragic death of a broken heart and starving under a rock.  

Dear Waitress,

I can only assume when you were expressing your opinions in such a vulgar manor in the back of your restaurant that you intended for all patrons in the front to hear and drop their jaws in amazement that you are very disillusioned and also need to have your mouth washed out with soap at the lack of your class and disrespect you showed for your job, your patrons, and your opinions.  Let’s first address your statement, paraphrased without the vulgarity as it is not appropriate for this site.

“Every woman just wants to get married and have babies and not have to work.  Any girl that tells you otherwise is lying to themselves because of society. I am just so lucky that my boo supports me and i don’t have to work.”

I respect that this is your opinion, but please do not confuse this with respect for you.  The fact that you make the assumption that this is every woman’s view because it is yours is both sad and infuriating as a human being and a woman. The fact that you feel it was neccessary to share your opinion littered with the explicatives and in such a loud manner in your place of work tells me one thing: you better hope you never have to work, as that little respect for your job means you will be in and out of them for a lifetime till you develop such a reputation for yourself that no one will want to hire you.  At the end of the day, my goal of this letter is not to insult you or damn you, but it has inspired me to share my opinion and observation.

I am only one person. I want to find my best friend, teammate, and partner. If finding that in a man leads to marriage, I am okay with that, if it leads to no wedding or change of name, I am okay with that too.  You see what I want is happiness.  It has been my observation that is what most of us, man or woman is searching for. Happiness doesn’t tend to be a gender specific thing. It is a human emotion that is a choice.  I have seen in many that it is a choice and emotion that is not one size fits all.  I have seen the childless be over joyed with their life.  I have seen the single be over joyed. I have seen the married be miserable. I have seen the married be overjoyed.  Happiness doesn’t seem to be something that automatically comes with either.  To say that one is lying to themselves for societies sake is, well, for lack of better word, absurd.  I am not saying that people do not lie for the approval of the status quo, I am saying that I have met a very low number that have made decisions as important as children and marriage for the sole reason of society.  Please do not make the generalization that ALL do and I will stop making the assumption that you are an uneducated drain on my tax dollars.

Now for the job aspect.  I am a fortunate little girl. I have  a job that excites me everyday.  I go home and feel like I can be proud of the job I have done, the people I have helped.  I feel blessed that it allows me to work with other passions like art, food, and pound puppies.  I feel fortunate that I work everyday in an environment that is inspiring and growing. I am humbled by the simple fact that this is not the case for everyone.  For that reason I aim to show my job respect, my clients respect, my employers respect.  I aim to show myself respect.  I want to work everyday, so much so that when I am not working at the job that pays my bills and taxes, I find work in other aforementioned passions.  The job I want to work pays my rent, my electricity, and the taxes that pay for your roads, education, and more.  I WANT to do that.  I WANT to support my neighbor.  I WANT to because this society that you say guilted me into it, means something to me, and this is how I have CHOSEN to make my mark on it.  I respect all the choices women in our society have made.  I am quite convinced being a stay at home mom is a much more difficult job than mine and in that feel one again humbled. It is in the different choices that happy women have made through time, I am personally reminded how lucky we are that we live in a society that allows us these choices.

Should you truly believe that society doesn’t allow women to choose a life of no kids or no jobs or gasp, no marriage, I invite you to open your eyes.  Learn to listen to people.  Allow your neighbors to tell you their stories.  I invite you to see that littered among the close-minded there is a plethora of amazingly supporting and happy women and men that are happy to support women in whatever decision they make in their life.

Sincerely,

Whit the first booth to the right, that incidentally had to get up and come to you while you were sitting at a table spouting off your opinions and not allowing people to talk to pay her lunch tab.

Little Lagniappe: I want to get married. I want to have a child.  I want to work.  I guess 2 out of 3 in societies standards are okay right?!

Perfect Gumbo…

16 Feb

I have thought about this post over and over again.  Is there such a thing as the perfect gumbo?  Many moons ago I wrote this little post about my first gumbo experience.  I cooked for 20. It turned out spectacular and I was able to eat the gumbo for weeks later in frozen portion packs. The next time I made gumbo for 6, this was a much more achievable feat.  Each time the gumbo was a bit better.  I have whipped up gumbo only two times in my little southern life. Each time a long adventure that takes hours of simmering and at least a day of planning.  Sunday I decided to change it up a little bit.

I had some leftover chicken, a little bit of roux and gravy. Of course I had the holy trinity in my freezer chopped and pre-portioned.  I had chicken stock.  I had rice.  I had cayenne, paprika, and all the other essentials.  The only thing I was missing was andouille sausage, but I had some chicken sausage. By golly I was going to make some make-shift gumbo!

This time I did it by feel, smell, and taste.  I decided to break the rules of my past two gumbo experiences and not use a recipe.  Skip ahead four hours, it was amazing!

I really couldn’t tell you how I made it, I just started throwing things in a pot.  If I felt like it was too thin I whipped up some more roux.  I let it simmer for about 3 hours once all ingredients were in pot and just enjoyed the smell.  It was my favorite kitchen crEATion and Sunday Funday to date.  Till next time.

lifetimes of paper rainbows…W

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sharing love

14 Feb

Human kindness is over flowing today.  Where as I wish it would overflow each and everyday, alas, we are not there yet.  Today is not a day about being coupled up, despite what you may think.  It’s a day about loving who you are, what you do, and where you are going.  It’s about loving your neighbor as you want to be loved.  It’s a day about doing the things you believe in, that you have faith in.  Go forth, have faith, love, and stand tall!

Je t’adore…W

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Pinterest – inspired

11 Feb

I set up and got invited to pinterest long ago.  I was an awful “pinner,” almost as awful and consistent as my blogging.  I wonder if there is a right and a wrong way to pin.  I always want to link up with the original and sometimes things have been repinned, so many times i am not really sure where they came from.  Then there is the fact that I get “inspired” to create so much, that my ADD is kicked into overdrive.  Today I learned why people pin, why people scour the internet for hours.  We are all looking for information and inspiration.  Today on @kal‘s pinterest wall I found it.  I needed to hear it and I think it applies to everything we do in this life.  I think it is a lesson for creators of art, architecture, businesses, and so on.  It was my paper rainbow this morning. For you non-pinterest followers:

Go. Keep Creating. Inspire others.

lifetimes of paper rainbows…W

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You have the right to educate

1 Feb

I am going to go a little bit crazy here…I am going to talk politics. Really I got some questions regarding politics, but first of course a back story. 

I used to go to my grandparents in Houma.  I remember as my cousins and I played hide and seek around the house and running past the living room I would see my Popsi with all his friends discussing all the things that now seem to be so easy to avoid, religion and politics.  They would get loud and fuss at each other.  I would sit on the stairs and listen sometimes.  I was sure they would not come back to visit my Popsi when all was said and done, but each week, they did.  They would discuss again.  They would raise their voice and you could feel the passion course through the house.  They would end the night laughing finishing their coffee and off they would go to come back and do it again. 

What happen to that?

It is like somewhere along the way we, as a generation and myself included, decided it was easier to either A) follow the popular media for our decisions and values or B) avoid discussing all together or C) fight over the issues as that was surely a promising way to better our society (after all the loudest voice wins right?).  In the spirit of sharing and opening up the forum, for better or worse, I have some things to start:

I am starting with something I wrote November 5, 2008

I think we all know people who have let the race, sex, etc…come in the way of decisions they are making. By no means am I accusing any of you of being racist, close minded, or anything.

Unfortunately on both sides this election and the results have caused a lot of name calling. It is disheartening. We all believe in different issues, and to each of us there is another issue that is important. Issues like the economy, abortion, death penalty, gun control, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Foreign Policy, and the list goes on. But for better or worse in your eyes we live in a democracy, majority rules. If yours or my candidate did not win this time there is only one thing each of us can do. Unite with your neighbor, your friend, etc, and help our country to become something great. No president can single handily create nor destroy greatness. We can not blame one person for a demise, just as we can not blame them for a rise. As a country, as citizens, as children of God, and as friends we can make this country great!

We have a new president. He not only is the first black president(which is simply heart warming), but more importantly, he is OUR(white, black, purple, green) new president. It is time to rally behind him as a citizens for a better place as our new commander-in-chief of our government. The commander and chief of our heart and soul is not for the rest of the world to judge, question, or decide for us. It is a choice that God has given each of us individually. But like the song says, “Jesus loves the little children, All the little children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his light.”

Let the issues be the issues. Let us educate ourselves on the issues and continue to make heartfelt and educated decisions in each or our life! Each of us voted with our hearts and head that is more than we could have ever asked for.

I think this post stands true as much today as it did that day.  We are in election year. That means it is time to reevaluate where we are, were we want to be.  If you don’t like where we have been the past 4 years, this is your chance to educate yourself and RESPECTFULLY educate others.  It’s time to look at what our leaders have done and not what they say.  It’s time to talk to each other and come together and stand as one. 

If you have a great reasource you use to evaluate your canidates, please share in the comments!

Let’s do this.  Let’s get educated and let’s start talking.  Geaux!

lifetimes of paper rainbows…W

Lagniappe: The return of peace art soon. 

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Call the dogs!!!

25 Jan

So many times we look for something amazing to do, a passion, a way to give back. I found mine in a pup named apple. She was my foster dog and now in a forever home. She changed the way I looked at pets, their story, their life.

On May 26th I will help host a benefit. I will update the page Appelez les Chein on here and on Facebook

The benefit will have games, space walk, food, silent auction, raffle, and more! If you in the blog world would like to donate your art/creations please email me. If you want to donate gift certificates, unique gifts, etc, email me. You will be heavily advertised in all programs and banners and on social media. Not to mention, you are helping save the life of a fur-friend!

Most importantly, we hope to see you there. Remember to be the paper rainbow to a furry friend, adopt!

Lifetimes of paper rainbows…W

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Conquering the Tight Rope

22 Jan

Here we are a little bit more than halfway done with January 2012.  I mentioned last week that I wrote out my manifesto.  Part of my manifesto was to walk the tight rope.  Let me explain. 

My friends opened a boot camp gym.  The trainer Justin put this rope across it.  I was intrigued.  He informed me that balancing on it works your core and balance.  It takes a lot of balance and core strength to start walking.  It also as I quickly learned takes a lot of mental strength.  I find myself repeating in my head over and over as I try to stand, “You are a balanced person. You are a balanced person.”  This of course isn’t the case nine times out of ten, but none the less, for those minutes I can feel what it is like to attempt balance. This is the month 1 video.  I intend on recording my attempts to see how far I have come.  As you can see in the last frame…I stood for about 5 seconds. Oh-my-awesomeness

 

Tips:

I find it is easier barefoot.  Others say with shoes.  I say this means I need a pair of Vibrams.

Keep your chest up.  DO NOT lean forward.

Find a focal point. Focus.

Music helps.  I like to put on the Jason Mraz Pandora station…it is the perfect tight rope combo: calm, fun, balanced.

Use your entire body to balance. 

Start with pushing the rope down and keeping it still and unwavering, then try to pick your other leg up.

Alternate legs.  Don’t want one being stronger than the other.

Now go forth and be balanced.

lifetimes of paper rainbows…W

 

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creating a manifesto

17 Jan

I recently was turned on to the Creating Clever blog.  It was a site that made me happy and kinda reminded me what I set out to do with my ramblings in the first place.  I got really interested in the Do Good Project that was happening with it.  So much so that it inspired me to do something crazy awesome, but that is announcements in the coming weeks, stay tuned…really tuned that is going down in May and a lot will be revealed in the coming weeks…hint : it involves my foster banana.  Last week or so Creating Clever issued a challenge to write a manifesto for the coming year.  I really liked this idea, so challenge accepted. I will let my short simple “will’s of the heart” speak for themselves. 

If nothing else in 2012, remember to find the paper rainbows…

…lifetimes of them.  W

UPDATE: I am becoming a master tight roper…watch out world!

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365.25 days

31 Dec

New Year’s Eve pops in and out of our lives each year. It comes as a time to remind us of where we were and were we resolve to be. I, myself, have never really been a fan of this day. I suppose maybe the day comes with fear that there are drunks on the road and crazies in the night…that would be a respectable reason if it was true. I suppose if I am being honest, it is a fear that once again the calendar is changing, and with that it forces me to evaluate things I could start again, improve upon, and do again. In short it is a time of resolution.

Maybe it is my past experience, but I find myself finding huge flaws in year long resolutions, but I believe in setting goals. One day at a time seems much more honest than 365 days at a time…who knows, by this time next year you could very well have 365 days. However, if for some reason you don’t, by giving yourself permission to start a new day each day, you could have 156 days of achieved goals, or 362, or 202, or 45. Maybe it is just me, but it seems as if 362, 202, 156, or even, 45 days of success is better than a goal given up. With that, I share my daily resolutions, and their back story (condensed):

1. Today I resolve to settle for nothing less than the “Sean Wine Guy Effect” in any of my relationships: friends, family, significant others, etc. (disclaimer: this story when read may sting a very special friend. I am so regretful of my action, but so grateful for the outcome. You are my favorite, and the universe has bigger plans for us.)

Years ago, I sat on steps waiting for my best to get home. I had just gotten in from back home, and he was stuck in traffic. I had a bottle of wine and called him to see when he would be back. As I was having this conversation, a handsome bloke walked up the stairs. I said in what I thought was a whisper, “Jim, you didn’t tell me you had a hot neighbor.” the bloke looked down at me and smiled. I then panicked just knowing he heard me. In utter humiliation, hung up and with all the courage I had, walked up the 4 stairs, knocked on the door he walked in and asked for wine opener. He invited me in and asked if I needed a glass. “Pft, I’m from Louisiana, the bottle will do, but if you’d like some, grab a glass.” He laughed and walked to the stairs, we opened my wine and parted. He left me with a glass just in case. I didn’t know his name, and he didn’t know mine, but I knew he was from Tempe, coached football, and had the most gorgeous crooked smile. Jim walked up soon after and we planned our night while I stared and giggled at a wine glass. I had to return it. I did…with a note, “thanks for the glass. Whit. 985-640-4048″ (not my current number: don’t harass whomever’s it is) I left it with some guy at his place that wasn’t him and left it alone as my boyfriend called. I was reminded of my best friend on the other end, a guy that got me, but I kept replaying Tempe’s crooked smile. I got a text hours later. I remember that text vividly, “Louisiana lady, you are welcome. Enjoy your night. Sean” the rest was a week of back and forth. And then we faded. A month or two later, the phone dinged. It was him. We flirted. We planned. On July 15, 2007, after talking for 3 hours we ended the convo by grabbing a burger. We planned a date 3 days later. It was that night at a bar in Houston over a pitcher of firemen’s 4 he grabbed my head and kissed me. It was in that kiss I knew one thing: the course of my life changed. In one night I was with a person that made me want to be a better person. A person that looked at me and saw something greater than anything I saw in myself. It was that feeling that I deemed as the “Sean Wine Guy” effect.

Today, I resolve to be surround myself with people who make me feel that way.

2. Today, I resolve to be the person my dog(s) see me as.

I had the pleasure of fostering the sweetest pup the past couple months. She taught me a lot. Little lessons like, never underestimate the power of a paw and a pup that wants a belly rub. She looked at me with eyes of hope, gratitude, and excitement. I’m quite positive she thought I was a super hero that rescued her from a burning building. All because I showed her love. How much more we/I could enrich lives by merely showing love and kindness. It is something that I do not do enough, and I’m quite positive there are some of you nodding in agreement reading this. If you are one of those, “I love you more than fountain cokes, more than chocolate cupcakes, more than the color gray. I love you. I cherish you. I like you.”

Today I resolve to tell you how much you mean to me.

That’s it, two simple things I will to throw in my routine today. I think 2012 will be full of love, laughs, and, of course, box wine. Till next time…happy new year and…

Lifetimes of paper rainbows….W

I am thankful

27 Nov

In the past year I have lost this blog. I knew I never wanted to share all aspects of my life on here and then life got a little overwhelming. The creating stopped. The google reader stopped. The things I had to talk about were heavy and deep, just like the life that was happening around me. So I didn’t share, because let’s face it…it was personal to me and the people that were going through it.

From this time last year, there was heartbreak and medical dramas. There was broken down cars and broken down spirits. There were nights that I was quite certain would never turn into day. In that there was something that spectacular that happened. I rediscovered friendships, passions, careers, myself… in that spirit I am thankful for so many things in 2011.

Now I realize that the year is not over, and I am not in anyway rushing it. I am so excited to finish out the year- if for nothing else to make a killer pot of gumbo, LSU in Atlanta (and God willing playing for a national championship), Christmas parties and outfits, soup dinners, and a laughter that can only come from the holiday spirit. Plus December will answer the question on everyone’s mind: Will there be a rematch for LSU and Bama? Bama has made their case. I am one gal that is all for it…this is a discussion for another day.

I suppose I am, most thankful that thanksgiving came once again. It is that holiday that stays humble, as it is often overlooked. We find ourselves planning Halloween costumes and then jumping into christmas lists. If you are reading this and find yourself a football fan in the south, another holiday was snuck in there – LSU at Bama, and a case could be made in the heart of Cajun country that UL home games became mini holidays in themselves, as they deserved to be. Still in all the crazy that is November, thanksgiving made its appearance. Reminding us that he existed and more than that, he came bearing food, family, and fun. How blessed we are that he did.

Thank you my friends for visiting my musings each and every time. I hope this Christmas season treats you with love and sparkles.

lifetimes of paper rainbows…W

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