Takin' a Break...

Before the summer comes to a close, I"m off to one of my favorite places: the jersey shore.

YAY!

see ya soon, NY

21 Words of Wisdom

I don't normally enjoy cheesy chain letter forwards I get in my inbox ~ but this is rather profound and reflective ~ a great guide to self-improvement. Enjoy and take it in... (


ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you
get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.


FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.


SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.


SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dream. People who don't have dreams don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.


TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.


ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.


TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.


FIFTEEN. Say "God bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.


SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson


SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: R espect for self; Respect for others; and R esponsibility for all your
actions.


EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.


I think #8 and #11 are my favorites. They are simple notions that ground a caught up person. And #3 is a good reminder for motivation. It's my new favorite quotation.

What are your favorites? Why?
Do you feel you've mastered any of these?
Do you disagree with any of them?

I love to excite good conversation... :)


~ J

revelations and things...

Instead of back tracking on my summer in the city through the blurry eyes of muddled memory, I decided to move forward. I really just wanted to write a concert review on Spoon because I wanted to have a play on words, with my blog entitled, "Spoon Me"....I know you're laughing on the inside.

Yeah. I'm over it.

Moving forward is always the best way to go....and I just want to write. If a concert review comes, it comes....I'm taking it all as it comes....and it ain't coming right now. But, I will tell you what is...

What has been on my mind today is the "value of a good thing".

When an idea or concept is good, when anything is good for that matter - why waste it? Good things were meant to be shared. After taking a two-day workshop in learning how to piece together and implement a reading/writing curriculum in the classroom, this concept hit me like never before....like i had never truly understood it or something. Teachers share so much. God, I think of how hard ones before us have worked, written books to guide young teachers to be the best of the best - someone builds new concepts off of their concepts - and it's like generations of collaborative efforts. It's amazingly breathtaking when you think about it....well...of course i'm speaking in an ideal sense. This is if we lived in a world that was a lot like NYC - where most of the teachers truly give a shit about HOW they are making a difference. Of course I am talking about the teachers who take a stand for what they believe in, and believe in their work as an educator - not a drone of the system.

ANYWAY - my point is, good things are to be shared. When someone is doing something that's working and you feel that works for you, adopt that idea. Teachers do it all the time, and it's a compliment.

Unfortunately, I think I still have "copy" disease from junior high - where if you adopted something - like a similar birthday party theme or hair cut you liked, you were a "copier". You copied. This meant you had no individuality (which, at the time, everyone knows -is a lost concept) - no real idenitity. You didn't have enough individual style to fit into the "norm". Wow. Junior High sucked. I am fighting that competitive feeling. I always feel I have to have a "better" idea to make something work for me. This is not always true. Most of the time, it's never true. There isn't a better concept, just a different one. And it's okay to use the same concept, idea or thing that works - because WHO you are as a person will add a dynamic that makes it unique to you.

I don't know how this relates or makes sense in your life...but it's what i was thinking about while walking from 110th and Broadway to the 1 train...

So, I'm adopting an idea right now. If it works and it's a good thing, why not spread a good thing around? How many times have i said "good thing" in this blog?

this is it: My friend on this site has (or did have) theme type days in her blogs. I particularly enjoyed the theme: Currents. I'm completely stealing the title, but giving Darla credit for it, of course ;) I just like "Currents". I like it better than any other title I thought up so far. Maybe I'll come up with one someday, but for right now, I'm embracing it. A compliment for Darla. Thanks, Dar-bar.
(if you have copyright on "Currents" I will immediately change it! - lol)

So...to define "Currents" for me: these are things I have particularly enjoyed and indulged myself in throughout the week or so. Some have developed into all-time favorites and some are just one-hit wonders...

WEEKLY CURRENTS:

~summer meal : cilantro lime chicken and mango salad

~ dessert: fancy chocolates from San Francisco

~color combination: blue and chocolate brown

~ music: STARS (check 'em out!)

~ redecorating/craft idea: making a cork-board or picture frame out of wine bottle corks

~ place to be: my bedroom

~ book: "Reviving Ophelia" by Mary Pipher, Ph.D
(excellent physcology book on the generational change in adolescent girls...fascinatingly poignant and all too real)

~ movie: City of God (brilliant!)

~tv show: Big Love (HBO)

~ drink: water and red red wine

~ mood: thoughtful, anxious and energetic


How was your week?

;)

Confessions of a Social Butterfly

This summer has been surprisingly full of out-and-abouts and all kinds of exciting inbetweens. It's been, by far, the best summer I've had in quite awhile. It may be true, that I am easily satisfied, but to have an amazing summer without leaving this city is quite possible .... proof is in the ....eh....whatever. I dunno.

I will be writing some belated concert reviews soon....some great stuff - take my word!

In July, I attended my first Ani DiFranco concert for one of my dearest friends' birthdays (the infamous Darla). It was lesbian infested goodness. I tried my best to fit in, but I am too awkwardly straight, it seems. Mainly I enjoyed my time with friends. Ani was good too. Of course we all know she is uber talented. Duh. She rocked out.

That same week, on the weekend, I attended an AMAZING festival concert on the Camden waterfront (near Philly) at Wiggins Park. This one deserves a full blogging. Three days of glorious sun, music and vendors that sold pottery! (Okay, I'm a bit of a hippie at heart....just a bit).

Before all this, I saw my first River-to-River free event in NYC! I saw one of my favorite bands, Spoon live in Battery Park. I love me some free music and I love me some Spoon. Though there was rain at a stop-n-go pace, This deserves it's own blog as well....stay tuned. You need some Spoon if you haven't taken a taste yet, my friends.

Just so you know where I've been, here are some places i've gone and want to be- whether it's on the web or in this crazy real world....

xo
~alice


1) http://www.ilike.com (by far, my most frequented website. I'm a junkie. Music, music and more music!)

2) http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/kitchenette

if you ever are out in the middle of tribeca -hehe - go to this little restaurant/bakery. It has perfect portions, a homey feel, and just good food. Unfortunately, not the best cupcakes though. Buttercup Bakery will always win in that department!

3) http://www.flickr.com (i just discovered this site about a month ago. maybe too late...but you can find a pic of anything!)

4) Just completed a four day, month long workshop for children's book writing with the fabulous author, Amy Hest. Read some of her stuff! (Missy - if you are reading this, you may know her work already). It was a great workshop on "Writing Your First Children's Book". Wish it was longer - but the four day intensive was thought provoking and informative at best. She is a very open and giving person - so write her if you want to know more about her work! Check her out. It's the least I could do...
http://www.amyhest.com