Julie Pippert: Using My Words

( Photo by Scott Peterson. ) Yesterday a good friend dropped by my house and said, "Come over for dinner later. I feel like cooking and having people over. Wear a swimsuit." "What can I bring?" I asked. "Anything you like. We're eating what makes us feel good," she said, "I already asked Friend and Other Friend. They're bringing side dishes and desserts." "So like an appetizer?" "Sure. Just come. I need to cook. I need to entertain." "Okay," I said. This friend's father passed away a couple of weeks ago. It was a surprise/not surprise. He'd been suffering strokes for years and---despite really effective treatment that not only prolonged his life, but also prolonged the quality of his life by minimizing the effects of the strokes---doctors had warned the family quite some time ago that the next big one would likely be fatal. So they knew that death loomed. When her father passed away, as her friend, I ...

My husband's day on Friday began at 2:15 a.m. when the alarm went off. This means my day also began at 2:15 a.m. when he hit snooze and rolled over. The alarm went off at 2:16 a.m. and started its oh-so-pleasant escalation in volume, necessitating domestic violence on my part. It was less painful for my husband to turn off the alarm and get up, so he did. Then he drove out to his construction site for a 4 a.m. concrete pour (and don't call it cement, trust me on that one). This is what it looks like at a construction site at 4 a.m. You are thinking, "Wow, that is hands-down the most exciting photo I've ever seen on a blog!" I know. I'm all about the excitement. That's why I am going to ratchet it up a few notches with this: Oooh aaaah. UPC pipe. Have I dispelled the myth of the rich, glamorous life of an architect yet? 4 a.m. concrete pours and UPC pipe. Allegedly this concrete pour was scheduled to accommodate the girls' birthday. (I doubt that's ...

Happy at the neighborhood Spring Fling at the park. Just one of the fun community memories we have. When Slouching Mom interviewed me , one of her questions implied (asserted?) that I am frequently Hating on Houston. In my answer , I explained the incredibly rocky re-entry we had into Texas. Then I went on to share the positives, as requested. The biggest positive, as you probably gathered from that post, or maybe the big Halloween party post, or the many times I've posted about the good friends and neighbors I have here...is the community. When I named the topic for this week as a sort of homage to the people in California who've lost so much due to the fires, I paused to think about what I'd grieve deepest about had, for example, that hurricane hit us and washed away our town as the forecasts predicted. The answer was quick, and easy: I'd miss my community. When that hurricane was allegedly heading for us and the mandatory evacuation order came out, we began our prep...

Just to make you giggle before breaking my promise and being a little serious- Willsie did indeed get the 'booder' with much encouragement from Sauncy. -"Willsie, you picking your nose? Did you get a booder, let me see! eewwww!" Today's Hump day Hmmmm...... (aka, as taking a break from my BLATANT mommy blogging) Link to Emily to see the original question, http://wheelsonthebus.wordpress.com/ I guess I better weigh in since I am blogsitting for the usual host. This topic has so many possible answers in my world I wasn't even sure where to start. The littlest things can be a huge challenge in as much as the big. Some days its hard to even take a shower, but I have no problem walking into a room full of women I have never met (after I finally do shower of course). :0) Some days I can wake up and hop right into life but will worry for 12 hours about having to walk into a room full of women I have never met. :0) I have talked before about my tenuous balance. And I ...

That Distance was between Us That is not of Mile or Main— The Will it is that situates— Equator—never can— ---Emily Dickinson I like the back chair of the table in the corner, by the wall. I'm not a SuperSpy nor have I ever been trained as one; it's simply my natural inclination. I like a position from which I can see but not be seen, have my back covered, and keep my personal space protected. Sitting at a table in the center of a restaurant, where servers and other patrons can surprise me and brush behind me---where my personal space is open and unprotected---is so uncomfortable to me that I will wait until a side or back table is available if at all possible. In a situation of imposed intimacy, I do my best to protect my distance, my privacy. I know both of my next door neighbors to nod and say hello to, but we are no closer than that. They are nice people, and I am glad to have these good neighbors. In fact, I can't think of a single immediate neighbor to complain about-...