The exercise:
Write about: the tired man.
Not inspired by myself, by the way. Read on to discover the actual source, if you're interested.
Max's cousin and aunt are going back north tomorrow, but we're hopeful that they'll be back to stay come March. They have an offer on their place but it doesn't close until January 5th, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed until then.
In the meantime, my sister who is living in Calgary is coming for a visit at the end of January, which means Max will get to hang out with another aunt fairly soon.
Also: thank goodness for Skype.
Mine:
Our favorite coffee house here in Osoyoos has a rotating art collection, displaying various local artists for a short period before moving on to whoever is next in line. I've had a photographer friend and a painter friend both have runs there, which is pretty cool.
Anyway. On a recent visit there were quite a few paintings on the walls of actors in famous roles. A few of Bill Murray from The Life Aquatic, I remember an Adrien Brody, though I can't recall in which role. And, getting back to the point of this, one of Heath Ledger as the Joker.
I can't find the exact pose he was captured in, but it was something like this. Mouth open and looking crazy are the key distinctions here.
I thought Max would find it upsetting or scary or... unpleasant. Turned out, I didn't have anything to worry about when he noticed it for the first time.
"That man tired," he said, standing up on his chair to reach for it. "Go home, go sleep."
I decided that interpretation was just fine, thank you very much. So I might have encouraged it a little bit. Every time he pointed it out. Which was multiple times over the course of two, maybe three visits.
"Yes, Max. That man is yawning, he should go get some sleep."
Then last week we arrived and the next artist in line was on display. I didn't even notice at first. Max, of course, did.
"Where the tired man go?"
"Oh, he's gone, isn't he? I guess he was just here for a little visit."
"Where the tired man go? I find him."
"No, sweetheart, he's not here. Maybe he went home. Or he's in a different store."
Max was having none of it. He was already climbing down from his chair, ready to scour the coffee shop for the missing painting. But first he had to double check the exact spot on the wall where it had been hanging. Which was right beside a table occupied by two women.
"Where the tired man go?" Max demanded of them.
Several times.
I was honestly laughing too hard to explain what was going on to them. I can only imagine what they thought of it all.
Saturday December 27th, 2014
The exercise:
Write a four line poem that has something to do with: unqualified.
The parents left Max and Natalie with their grandparents and went for a nice long walk this afternoon. It was good to go at an adult pace and have adult conversations. The fresh air was appreciated as well, even if it was a gray, chilly day.
I have such a backlog of pictures on my phone that I want to share. I'll have to at least get them onto the computer tomorrow.
Mine:
When I think of her beauty
My mind becomes swamped!
Although, there is - No, no, no!
How quickly they forget the prompt.
Write a four line poem that has something to do with: unqualified.
The parents left Max and Natalie with their grandparents and went for a nice long walk this afternoon. It was good to go at an adult pace and have adult conversations. The fresh air was appreciated as well, even if it was a gray, chilly day.
I have such a backlog of pictures on my phone that I want to share. I'll have to at least get them onto the computer tomorrow.
Mine:
When I think of her beauty
My mind becomes swamped!
Although, there is - No, no, no!
How quickly they forget the prompt.
Friday December 26th, 2014
The exercise:
Write four lines of prose about: Mrs. Claus.
While Natalie's parents were off looking at potential homes in the area, we took her and Max to the model railroad museum with my parents this morning. It was a lot of fun at first but they got a little too caught up, which is a problem in a place that doesn't want running or jumping around.
We took them back downstairs to check out the gift shop but that quickly devolved into pulling everything off the shelves and playing with them. So we headed for home shortly after that.
From there it was a fairly relaxed day. Some finger painting at Kat's parents house (thankfully), running around in circles, and one last big dinner before my parents head for home tomorrow morning.
Natalie and Becky will be sticking around a little longer, one nice benefit of having their flight plans fall through. I'm glad, for Max's sake, that everyone isn't leaving at the same time.
Mine:
The biggest day of the year is in the books, over and done with, cross it off your list. Put your feet up and allow the frantic holiday to appear in your rear view. Have a drink or four and remind yourself that you do, in fact, know how to breathe normally.
Santa is home, safe and sound, and you don't need to worry about his safety out there in the frosty air, with all those airplanes and drones and lord knows what else, for another year.
Write four lines of prose about: Mrs. Claus.
While Natalie's parents were off looking at potential homes in the area, we took her and Max to the model railroad museum with my parents this morning. It was a lot of fun at first but they got a little too caught up, which is a problem in a place that doesn't want running or jumping around.
We took them back downstairs to check out the gift shop but that quickly devolved into pulling everything off the shelves and playing with them. So we headed for home shortly after that.
From there it was a fairly relaxed day. Some finger painting at Kat's parents house (thankfully), running around in circles, and one last big dinner before my parents head for home tomorrow morning.
Natalie and Becky will be sticking around a little longer, one nice benefit of having their flight plans fall through. I'm glad, for Max's sake, that everyone isn't leaving at the same time.
Mine:
The biggest day of the year is in the books, over and done with, cross it off your list. Put your feet up and allow the frantic holiday to appear in your rear view. Have a drink or four and remind yourself that you do, in fact, know how to breathe normally.
Santa is home, safe and sound, and you don't need to worry about his safety out there in the frosty air, with all those airplanes and drones and lord knows what else, for another year.
Thursday December 25th, 2014
The exercise:
Write about: one day.
Merry Christmas! I hope Santa was good to you and yours, and that your day was filled with laughter and love.
Max got quite the haul of stuff. I can't even remember it all right now. I'm not even sure I saw everything he received.
I do, however, know that if we hadn't taken away the mini basketball, soccer ball, and football that his Aunt Nicky gave him he'd have been quite happy completely ignoring the remaining presents.
Also: he's going to have a blast playing with the train set Kat's parents bought him.
I've got some cash and gift cards to spend, a CD to listen to, a couple books to read, and a laptop fan to replace the one that Max broke when he dragged it (and our laptop) off the couch a few weeks back. Probably some other things too, but it was a rather overwhelming gift opening session.
I should get this written up so that I can get to bed, because I need the rest tonight.
Mine:
One day each year
We leave behind
Our worry
And our fear.
We focus on
Family and friends,
And it starts
Before dawn.
And sure it might
Break down
And not last
Until night.
But for some amount
Of time it does
And, really, it's the
Thought that counts.
Write about: one day.
Merry Christmas! I hope Santa was good to you and yours, and that your day was filled with laughter and love.
Max got quite the haul of stuff. I can't even remember it all right now. I'm not even sure I saw everything he received.
I do, however, know that if we hadn't taken away the mini basketball, soccer ball, and football that his Aunt Nicky gave him he'd have been quite happy completely ignoring the remaining presents.
Also: he's going to have a blast playing with the train set Kat's parents bought him.
I've got some cash and gift cards to spend, a CD to listen to, a couple books to read, and a laptop fan to replace the one that Max broke when he dragged it (and our laptop) off the couch a few weeks back. Probably some other things too, but it was a rather overwhelming gift opening session.
I should get this written up so that I can get to bed, because I need the rest tonight.
Mine:
One day each year
We leave behind
Our worry
And our fear.
We focus on
Family and friends,
And it starts
Before dawn.
And sure it might
Break down
And not last
Until night.
But for some amount
Of time it does
And, really, it's the
Thought that counts.
Wednesday December 24th, 2014
The exercise:
Write about: the man in red.
Since you'll all be reading this on the 25th anyway, I shall wish you a very, very merry Christmas and hope that you're spending it with family and/or good friends.
I'm not sure what time we'll be up at Kat's parents place tomorrow to open presents, but if this morning was any indication it'll be shortly after Max wakes up. He got me out of bed around 7 and we were up there by 8. And that was just because he was excited to see his cousin.
Most mornings I'm doing well just to have breakfast in him by that time. Who knows what it'll be like tomorrow with the added motivation of presents.
I should get to sleep.
Mine:
The man in red
Is on his sled
And moving rather fast.
He has to be
Because, you see,
This darkness will not last.
If he is seen
All will have been
Quite utterly for naught,
For in the light
We all just might
See his presents were bought.
Write about: the man in red.
Since you'll all be reading this on the 25th anyway, I shall wish you a very, very merry Christmas and hope that you're spending it with family and/or good friends.
I'm not sure what time we'll be up at Kat's parents place tomorrow to open presents, but if this morning was any indication it'll be shortly after Max wakes up. He got me out of bed around 7 and we were up there by 8. And that was just because he was excited to see his cousin.
Most mornings I'm doing well just to have breakfast in him by that time. Who knows what it'll be like tomorrow with the added motivation of presents.
I should get to sleep.
Mine:
The man in red
Is on his sled
And moving rather fast.
He has to be
Because, you see,
This darkness will not last.
If he is seen
All will have been
Quite utterly for naught,
For in the light
We all just might
See his presents were bought.
Tuesday December 23rd, 2014
The exercise:
Write two haiku about: the treat.
Everyone has now arrived safely. Becky and Natalie showed up at Kat's parents house around lunch, and my parents got to their hotel here in town mid-afternoon. Hurray for no additional complications on the road for anyone.
We all got together for dinner at Kat's parents house this evening. The kids, unsurprisingly, were the stars of the show. The food was also good.
Very much looking forward to the next few days of family togetherness.
Mine:
Dipped in chocolate,
drizzled with maple syrup,
and filled - Give me ten.
* * *
"We'll only have one,
and just this once!" Nobody
believes this junk, right?
Write two haiku about: the treat.
Everyone has now arrived safely. Becky and Natalie showed up at Kat's parents house around lunch, and my parents got to their hotel here in town mid-afternoon. Hurray for no additional complications on the road for anyone.
We all got together for dinner at Kat's parents house this evening. The kids, unsurprisingly, were the stars of the show. The food was also good.
Very much looking forward to the next few days of family togetherness.
Mine:
Dipped in chocolate,
drizzled with maple syrup,
and filled - Give me ten.
* * *
"We'll only have one,
and just this once!" Nobody
believes this junk, right?
Monday December 22nd, 2014
The exercise:
Write about: holiday travel.
Always such a pain, it seems. Every year it feels like at least one person I know gets utterly screwed by this busiest time of the year for travel.
This year? Becky and Natalie. Their plane didn't come in last night due to fog. So the airline, brilliantly, sent another plane this morning to collect the passengers scheduled to leave early this morning... except it was smaller than the original, fully booked aircraft. Next available flight for those who couldn't board this one (which included Becky and Natalie, naturally)? December 24th.
So Becky decided to drive.
They got all the way from Dawson Creek to Merritt today, which leaves them about three more hours on the road before they get here tomorrow. At which point I imagine she will sleep for the rest of the day while Natalie runs around in circles with Max.
Because, you know, kids.
Mine:
The roads are packed,
Airports overflowing -
How is anyone supposed
To get where they're going?
Is this supposed to be a bus,
Or a giant can of sardines?
Elbows in my ribs help me
Forget what this season means.
I think next year
I'll get comfy, chant an om
(Or five hundred), and simply
Refuse to leave my home.
Write about: holiday travel.
Always such a pain, it seems. Every year it feels like at least one person I know gets utterly screwed by this busiest time of the year for travel.
This year? Becky and Natalie. Their plane didn't come in last night due to fog. So the airline, brilliantly, sent another plane this morning to collect the passengers scheduled to leave early this morning... except it was smaller than the original, fully booked aircraft. Next available flight for those who couldn't board this one (which included Becky and Natalie, naturally)? December 24th.
So Becky decided to drive.
They got all the way from Dawson Creek to Merritt today, which leaves them about three more hours on the road before they get here tomorrow. At which point I imagine she will sleep for the rest of the day while Natalie runs around in circles with Max.
Because, you know, kids.
Mine:
The roads are packed,
Airports overflowing -
How is anyone supposed
To get where they're going?
Is this supposed to be a bus,
Or a giant can of sardines?
Elbows in my ribs help me
Forget what this season means.
I think next year
I'll get comfy, chant an om
(Or five hundred), and simply
Refuse to leave my home.
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