Ode To Blackberry

After four good years together, I recently made a decision to let go of something that has been by my side 24/7. We have shared many a funny note, taken countless pictures preserving precious memories, and then together shared those memories on Facebook for all our close friends to see. But, more and more of my friends and family are telling me it’s time to move on, that this particular relationship is holding me back. They say if I would just start looking around, I might find something better that will open up a whole new world for me. So, I caved to peer pressure (yes, at my age) and decided to try to move on.  Bye Bye Blackberry.

So I went down to the AT&T store to see about what everyone was calling an “upgrade.”  The young man was very helpful, going over the feature of the iPhone versus the Android vs. a Windows phone. He told me about the speed with which I could browse the Internet, the number and quality of the pixels in the camera each phone had to offer, and how I could send an email, while watching YouTube, while live tweeting…yes, all at the same time! (Why is that even appealing?)

When he finished speaking, I had to ask, “But, can you actually make a phone call on any these?”

In his minutes- long dissertation on each device, he failed to mention if that was a feature.

I am now five days in with my new Galaxy. And I miss my Blackberry. I loved the way it fit perfectly in my hand (just the right size), the way I could quickly glance and see clearly if I had a text, email, Facebook or Twitter notification. (With my new “phone” the screen is too cluttered.)  I loved how just a quick slide of its backside and a keyboard was there for ease of typing out texts or emails. (Touch screens are too sensitive with my “fat fingers”) And I loved that I didn’t spend twice as long on these notes by always correcting the auto correct. Yes, I loved my Blackberry….cracked screen and all.

I do still carry my Blackberry in my purse. A reminder of the good times we’ve shared; kids sporting events, family get togethers, and countless Rick Springfield concerts (you knew I’d get his name in here SOMEWHERE). This gadget has been a big part of my Good Life the last few years.

Now, navigating with my Galaxy is a whole new universe to me. Hopefully in time I will find my way. There’s probably an app for that. 

What Warms Your Heart?

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but I am still going to write about love.  I am opting not to write about the love for my family (that is so abundant it would surely fill a million pages!) I am going to write about a different kind of love: my love of life here in Mankato. Yes, even when the mercury drops well below zero, and the snow piles up well above ground, I am still happy to be here in this city. (I should probably issue a cheese alert here) But no matter the temperature outside, things about this city will always warm your heart. (Awwww….)

I took my daughter to a birthday party at All Seasons Arena last weekend. She was a little nervous as she doesn’t have a lot of skating experience. But seeing that, her friends immediately skated to her side, holding her up and catching her when she fell. They were smiling the whole time. And my heart was warmed.

I walked into work one morning and my co-worker took the time out of her busy day to ask me how my son’s dive meet went the night before. And my heart was warmed.

Another example can be found at a MSU Maverick Hockey game. The walk from the parked car to the Verizon Wireless Center is cold. But once inside, I see families laughing together. I see Stomper trying to reach every little pint-sized fan he can. I see kids, only waist high on many of the players, cheer and chant and dream that one day they’ll be out on that very same ice. And my heart is warmed.

So, as we watch the snow and the temperature drop today, let us reflect on what warms our hearts. Let us reflect on this Good Life.

Too Cold Outside? Try The Alphabet Game

What I have always told my kids is to make the most of each day! When I think they are spending too much time on the computer or in front of the TV, I’ll ask “Are you making the most of today?” Or if they complain about having to go somewhere with me, I’ll say, “Well, you have to go, so you might as well find a way to make the most of it!”

This weekend  my daughter  asked, “When it’s this cold out, how am I supposed to make the most of my day?” (I had just settled in on my couch to catch up on DVR, but thinking that wouldn’t be setting a good example, I quickly got up.)

Now, this idea is surely not original. I am not usually so clever so someone at some time must have planted this seed in my head. The alphabet game. So simple, it’s brilliant. You put the letters of the alphabet in a bowl, then pick a letter and think of three things to do that start with that letter. Take the letter B.

We brainstormed (which didn’t count as a B activity by the way) and we came up with book, bake, and boogie.

 I read a book out loud with her. Gosh, how many years has it been since I’ve done that? I’m not sure why when she got to the age of being able to read on her own, I stopped reading with her.

Next, baking. A little low on baking supplies, but no worries, there’s now an app for that. I can just stick in what ingredients I have, and recipes pop up. As many can attest, my skills in the kitchen are, well, actually nonexistent. But its about the time spent together doing it, rather than the outcome of the final product. Thank goodness.

Then we boogied. There in our home where no one could see us, we could blast our music and move any way we wanted to.  Picking the music though took compromise. We agreed on a little of her favorite, One Direction and little of my favorite, Rick Springfield (for the record, she knows the words to every one of his songs, I love that!)

And with those three B words, we knocked out the lamest of all B words: boredom.

In fact, I’m looking forward to another day at home like that. Another day in The Good Life.

Hanging Posters A.K.A. Bonding Time!

As she gets older, I am seeing more and more of myself in my daughter Grace.  This is a notion that mortifies her and she absolutely denies any of it. But, the truth is, she has my height, my dimples, my anxiety, and turns out, my propensity for being star struck.

This was clear as I entered her room the other night and she was hanging up her latest One Direction poster, chatting cheerfully about their latest offerings on Instagram and texting with her “Aunt Marie” about the countdown to the concert she gets to go to this summer (a Christmas present). 

It took me back to when I was 13 and had my first celebrity crush (you know who!). Then, listening to her, I realized that even though we have this fanatical behavior toward musicians in common, our experiences as 13 year olds are totally different.

She can pursue her passion for 1D (I think that’s the hip way to refer to them) via Instagram, Vine, Facebook, YouTube (I know she does this as I monitor her accounts very closely). Of course, since I grew up back in the olden days, none of these things were at my disposal as I pursued my beloved. (I think we all know who I’m talking about here.) I had to save up all my babysitting money each month to buy a teen magazine and that was my only mode of information for my main man. But watching her hang posters, now that is something I can relate to.

Of course we all know who adorned my wall back then. (Okay, for those of you new here and just tuning in, it was RICK SPRINGFIELD!) I remember carefully taking the posters out of those well-read magazines and plastering my wall.

A friend last weekend told me I shouldn’t encourage such behavior in Grace, that it’s not healthy for her to put celebrities up on a pedestal. While I certainly respect her opinion, that’s not the way I think about it.  The way I see it, music comforts Grace when she is anxious, keeps her company on long car rides, and gives her a playful side when, sadly for a 13-year old these days navigating bullying and peer pressure and all the other stuff that comes with middle school, finding something that just brings joy is a great distraction.  

So, I help her pick out the posters, and figure out where to put them in her room (lighting is VERY important, we cannot have a glare on Niall’s face). Soon enough she will grow up. She may not outgrow this childhood obsession, obviously I didn’t. But I know she will, as she matures, put it into perspective. I did. Now the pictures that adorn my wall are of the real super stars in my life, my kids. My Good Life.

Resolution Reversal For The New Year

Well, here we are at the end of another year. A time when most start making those New Year’s resolutions. I myself am often a victim of the Resolution game…only to feel like a failure by mid-February. So this year I am going to try a little resolution reversal. Instead of making a list of things I want to do in 2014, I am going to make a list of what I’m NOT going to do.

I am NOT going to take my health for granted. Several friends and people I care about faced health battles in 2013 that I can’t even begin to imagine. I am starting 2014 healthy, for that I am thankful and I don’t intend to squander it!  

I am NOT going to spend more time with my kids. Not because I don’t want to, but because, frankly, their schedules don’t allow it. They are all at ages where they are busy with their own activities and don’t have a lot of time leftover for, well, me. (They’ve chosen good, healthy activities and are happy, so it’s okay.) So instead of having unreasonable expectations, I will just vow to focus on the quality of time spent with them, rather than on quantity. I can sure make the most of those moments spent in the car, in the kitchen making dinner, and when telling them good night.

I am NOT going to ignore the needs of my neighbors. I am already involved in several community groups, but in the new  year I may focus on helping individuals in need. They are everywhere I look. Some may need food, some may need my time, often I’ll bet, they’ll only need encouragement. I think I might start not doing this one today.

I am NOT going to read more in 2014. Instead, I am going to write more. For the past several years, I have probably averaged reading a book a month. And now I have the makings of a book of my own in my head and this may be the year I get it down on paper (or on a flashdrive as the case may be).

I am NOT going to stop sweating the small stuff, because for me it is the small stuff that can make such a big difference. Issues that some people may deem small…are huge to me. It is just the way it is, so might as well stop fighting myself on it.

I am NOT going to take up a new hobby. The hobby I currently have, Rick Springfield and his music, keeps me plenty busy, and frankly helps keep me sane (okay, so this point may be debatable). Instead, maybe I’ll  focus on enjoying that hobby even more. So all this basically means is that he needs to beef up his Midwest Tour Schedule! J (Rick, I hope you’re reading this.)

By NOT doing the above, I believe I will NOT lose sight of what truly matters in my life; family, community, things that make me, me. I will not lose sight of what makes this The Good Life.

 

People Are The Prize

My daughter’s Fifth Grade teacher sent out an email saying that cups, spoons and hot chocolate were still needed for the class Holiday Party. Within 30 seconds, she got several responses and the needs were all filled right away.

At my other daughter’s school it was evident a few kids, who perhaps relied on school lunch each day for food to eat, may not have the Christmas feast that many of us will enjoy. A discreet plea went out from some concerned parents and students, and families responded by bringing in baskets full of food! Enough so that several families could enjoy a Christmas feast! (And there was lots extra, to help them  get through all of Christmas break.)

Driving my kids to school this morning, I noticed a car pulled over to the side of a busy road. I didn’t see a driver at first, but as we went by I could see the head of an elderly woman peeping over the steering wheel. As I prepared to turn around to see if she needed help, I noticed in my rear view mirror many other cars had already stopped to see what was the matter.

So for as much as I write about The Good Life here and my love for the schools,  the many activities for families, the fact that it seems Rick Springfield is often performing in a six-hour radius and the DIVISION 1 HOCKEY! It always, always comes back to the people.

The people in the Greater Mankato area, that are so generous with their time, talents and often their money. Whether it’s simply sending in a pack of plastic spoons, feeding a family of four, or getting out in the cold to help a stranger, it’s more than “Minnesota Nice.” People here see a need and fill it without thinking of themselves.

People are what truly makes living here, The Good Life.

More Than Just Sound

A few months ago my daughter was listening to her music in the kitchen. She kept playing one song over and over again. It was not a song I’d heard on the radio so I asked her about it. She explained it was this singer named Jake Miller who she found on YouTube and whose songs were “so awesome and Mom, you just have to listen to the words.” And so I did. The song was “A Million Lives” and turns out, I then listened to it over and over again.

I looked him up, which wasn’t hard because, good grief, does this kid know how to use social media. Now I feel compelled to tell you about this young man.

He was 20 at the time, and at the time, young artists/musicians were making headlines for not so great things…urinating in trash cans, twerking on TV for all the world to see…you get the drift. But in the middle of all that is Jake Miller, rapping words of hope and encouragement to teens (well, anyone of any age for that matter) dealing with bullying, peer pressure, suicide notions, losing a loved one.  And he is bringing positivity to their world via a means that they can understand and relate to.

Normally, this type of music would make a headache hip-hop around in my skull. But not this stuff. I listen, I learn a little more about the world my kids are growing up in, and sometimes, like when he sings about just “kickin on the couch” I laugh and have a bit of fun. I’m waaaaay past relating, but my kids do and we can talk about it. I wish his music was on the radio here. It is so unlike most songs played on the radio today, songs that make me frantically try to change the station when the kids are in the car because I don’t want them listening to it.

 Ten months ago, Jake Miller remembers performing in Minneapolis to a crowd of 75 or so people. This past weekend, he performed to a sold-out crowd of nearly a thousand at The Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. Yes, among those in the sold out crowd were my two daughters and I. Before the show we got a chance to talk to Jake…well, I talked, they swooned.

I asked Jake if it was intentional, if he all along planned to send these messages through his music. Did he know it would have such an impact?

Jake Miller responds, “ I have all these followers and fans and I feel like if you have the power to say something to change someone’s life or the power to help someone, then you should do it.” He goes on to say “Music without a message is just sound.”

 By all accounts, Jake is a hard working 21-year old but his fans are hard working as well. Particularly through social media, which Jake credits with much of his young success.

Jake says, “ Yeah, I mean, I started on YouTube and started getting a following there. And that’s just how it all started. Now I try to meet as many fans as possible.  Even though they’ve increased in number I still try to meet as many of them as I can at each show. That connection with the fans has to be there and it always will be. I have a dream and they are making it come true.”

He is now in the midst of a 43-city tour across the country to support the recent release of his first full length CD, “Us Against Them.”

As a mom of four, I told Jake I appreciated his music. He shyly replied “Thank you” and said the greatest compliments he gets are from parents.

I would suggest listening to  "A Millions Lives," "Like Me" is super sweet, and "Steven" will likely make you cry. 

Now, are all of his songs delivering some sort of positive social message to young people? Well, no, some of his songs are just meant to be fun. He is after all a 21-year-old artist. Rapping about what it takes to live The Good Life.