five things, may 24 edition
Friday, May 24, 2013 at 05:00AM 
1. I think, as you've seen, it's been a pretty okay week for the folks around here at least. Miss Violet has perked up a bit. Although we can tell that she's starting to diminish, she's doing better than she was over the weekend, which makes us all feel easier since Neel's out of town. Callum had a banner week, yes? It's funny how we all remember the moment of getting our braces off so well. His social studies teacher made him smile for everyone, and he said that even though it made him feel self conscious, he quite liked it! We went to his favorite restaurant with a friend of his on Wednesday night for Wing Night. My boy was in heaven. His friend's mom, who is a new friend to me (isn't that always nice?) and I kept joking that we were going to get the salad. As if a wing and beer joint has salads. Cole slaw is as close as it comes and nobody orders that!
2. I think we're lucky that neither of us travels so much that it's a burden on our family. When Neel is out of town, Cal and I treat ourselves to the food he doesn't like, like artichokes. It's a treat my boy and I love, and we rarely get to indulge in. Super bonus on a weeknight. Papa's not gone too long this time, but we're already ready to have him home. Plus, he does the dishes.
3. I think I really could use suggestions for cute walking shoes. Any thoughts? It's much easier for me to do this in the winter, but I need walkable, not totally flat, and of course super cute.
4. I think Annie had an interesting observation on yesterday's post. Americans (I'm paraphrasing) have a lot of flags. She's right. She joked that we needed reminded of where we lived, and I always figured it was a bit of chest-thumpery. Whomp, whomp. We're Americans. See the flag? We had our own flag for ages, a 1776 flag with 13 stars in a circle, because Virginia is one of the 13 original colonies, and I always thought that was cool. Still, we're not real flag wavers here. Besides, it's too tattered to hang now. I get Annie's point. And then, as I was headed to school to pick up Callum yesterday, I listened to President Obama on the radio give a speech about terrorism. He got heckled big time during the speech by a woman who wants him to close Guantanamo. Well, duh. (And, side note, he was way more patient with her than I would have been. I felt like I learned some about parenting in the moments that he let that impassioned woman just have her say. But that's a story for another day.) As he spoke to her and continued the speech, he referred to this man, the Shoe Bomber. Remember him? President Obama recounted on Thursday, "In sentencing Reid, Judge William Young told him, 'the way we treat you…is the measure of our own liberties.' He went on to point to the American flag that flew in the courtroom – “That flag,” he said, “will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag still stands for freedom.”
His overall speech seemed particularly poignant in the wake of London's most recent and especially brutal terrorist attack this past week. My heart ached to hear this story, and I felt for my friends to have this horrific attack happen in their city. Freedom shows itself in all sorts of ways, some flag waving and some not so. Freedom means taking our kids to ballgames and wandering busy streets and Boston Marathoners coming back en masse in 2014 to run again. I guess for some people it means putting a flag at the end of their dock and for others it means draping a flag over the remains of their tornado-ravaged home.
5. I think it's Memorial Day weekend! In my house that will mean some exam prep, some jet lag recovery, and if Neel and Callum get lucky, lots of World War II movies. Hello, Normandy. Cal and I are working tomorrow to clean the house and get some homework done and get ready for Neel's return, and after that it's all play. Summer's just around the corner. Are you guys feeling it? What fun are you up to? In my book, summer can't come soon enough.
Reader Comments (7)
A civilisation of a country can be guaged in the way it treats its prisoners. Someone wise said that. Which is why it always amazes me that the USA still has the death penalty.
The attack here was horrid, really brutal. But I don't consider it to be terrorism. It was just cold-blooded murder in an act of revenge.
We have been told to wave flags in solidarity with the dead soldier - see we have to be told to wave them because we forget ;) churches and hotels are pretty much the only place you see flags here. But then we're a bit confused about which our flag actually is and what's going to happen to the union flag is Scotland go independent.
Have a lovely weekend! xx
Annie: As I wrote that, I wondered about the word "terrorism." We talk a lot here about if an act can be terrifying and not be terrorism, and I think that what happened in London this week is a perfect example. And you're right, not meant to strike fear in many, but to be vengeful. And I agree about the death penalty.
That situation in England was so terrifying, I can't even imagine. And that it was just a lone wolf type attack, not even an organized typical terrorist one ("typical," my god, did I really just write that?) makes it all the scarier. That poor solider. His poor family! :(
I think there's this really unhealthy level of forced jingoism in America. Where you either love the country despite all of its MANY MANY MANY flaws and shortcomings and general fuck-up-edness, or you're an anti-American commie bastard who sides with the terrorists and you can git out (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tykzAyISnNk). Need I bring up the time Bush tried to call french fries "freedom fries" because the French had the OMGAUDACITY to question the Iraq war? This sums up my feelings about our nation's RAH RAH GO AMERICA spirit pretty accurately:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16K6m3Ua2nw
Everyone needs to watch this. A million times. "There is absolutely no evidence to support the statement that we're the greatest country in the world. We're 7th in literacy, 27th in math, 22nd in science, 49th in life expectancy, 178th in infant mortality, 3rd in median household income, number 4 in labor force, and number 4 in exports. We lead the world in only 3 categories: number of incarcerated citizens per capita, number of adults who believe angels are real, and defense spending, where we spend more than the next 26 countries combined."
I just can't even with this country sometimes. That said, I do like our flag. I live in the city where the first flag was ever created, maybe a stone's throw from Betsy Ross's house where she sewed it. I don't have a flag in my home, and I don't have anywhere to hang one either, but I get what it stood for. I don't know what it stands for now, frankly. And I don't know any other country (aside from ones that host the World Cup, or the country that wins the World Cup) who literally want to wrap themselves in the flag constantly. So, Annie darling, I'm an American and I don't get it either.
Have a good weekend, L! Sorry to get all commie on your comments! ;) xo
first i just have to agree on the whole death penalty issue. should. not. be. america is a funny place. a place i have a lot of positive and negative opinions about that i won't go into now ;) i do not hang the flag myself but i'd love to have the 1776 flag that you have - that is amazing!
haha, love the coleslaw comment. true nobody under maybe 80 orders coleslaw, though i do like to make my own sans the mayo. cute walking shoes? i can't say that i would be any help in that department but if you find some do share! have a lovely long weekend, friend! xoxo
I have many thoughts to add about flag, country, freedom etc. However, they will have to wait cause I only have time for one little comment. I love those Merrells I showed you online but since you want some height I have another suggestion. I hiked all the way up to Charlie's Bunion (Bunyon?) in a pair of Danskos. True, they were Dansko boots but not really hiking boots. They were great. No blisters, not even sore feet and that is a rugged hike. So FYI.
I have a confession: I like cole slaw. ;) I don't eat it that often but when I do, I like it with lots of pepper. (Achoo!) I also love artichokes! Grilled ones are the best.
Hm, comfortable walking shoes. I have to say that I love Supergas; They're really comfortable. Though, I haven't subjected them to the European holiday test. Perhaps some tried-and-true trainers are needed.
Anyway, I'm really late to this party. I'll just say that we don't own an American flag and I hope that the flag doesn't become yet another thing that divides this country.
Yes, I feel it. Summer. Weren't we just talking about the winter blues not too long ago? And just like that, here we are. We made it. xo
We Texans are INCREDIBLY proud of our flag so you can't really escape it. Having grown up with it my whole life, I can't understand the lack of flags elsewhere. It's a symbol of where we came from and what we stand for and call it chest thumping if you'd like, I'm proud of my state and of my country in addition to my heritage