Pop Goes the Weasel

I think I'm in love.

His name is Orville.

He's warm and fluffy and white. With buttery salt and cracked black pepper...






And he comes in snack size.

And my children don't like pepper.

He's all mine.

But I'll share with you.

Goingcrazywannacome?

I've said it before and I'll say it again. April is the cruelest month. At Diva U., though, it's followed a close second by May. We are so busy at work during those two months, that there are many times I feel I may go crazy.

Oh wait! I've already been there!

Anyway, let me just share my next few weeks with you...

5/4-5/7: Regular 8-5 days

5/8: Off (yay!) because...

5/9: Work all day

5/11-5/12: Regular 8-5 days

5/13-5/15: In Louisville ("Louahvll"), KY for a conference planning meeting. Yes, I'm driving the approximately 300 miles, but honestly, I don't mind driving. AND I'm doing it in a nice shiny rental car. AND I get to stay BY MYSELF in a b-e-a-utiful (quick, what movie is that from?!) hotel room for two.whole.nights. The planning meeting is being held at the site of our 2010 Annual Conference, The Galt House.

5/16-5/17: Commencement Exercises here at Diva U. Work both days. All day.

5/18-5/20: Regular 8-5 days

5/21-5/26: Annual Memorial Day trip with SS#1, The Manimal and Diva Nana to see Diva Grande Dame (my Grams) in the Great North Woods.

All I can say is that it's a good thing I have some down time in there! Because otherwise, my brain might explode!

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

Today I received a package.

It came with a pedigree.

And a declaration.

I unwrapped the plain brown paper to find this.

See the cute little "postage stamp"?

I opened the box...

(I know you can't see a picture here, but it was the sweetest little wrap job you ever saw. Brown paper package tied with a string!)

And it is my pleasure to present the newest addition to the Diva Family,
Miss Beatrice Monkey!

The amazingly talented and creative Sian was SO wonderful to work with! She enclosed Beatrice's story on a little card:

Beatrice juggles the hectic life of working monkeyhood, raising her three monkeycubs alongside authoring five novels, one of which made the Monkey Times Bestseller List 2008. She also finds the time to act as Patron to several charities close to her heart, overseeing the organisation of two annual charity dinners which raise much-needed funds and publicity for sock monkeys in need.

Her tiara and briefcase are removable, for when she's just kicking back with the family. I absolutely LOVE her! She's bound to have some wonderful adventures!

Our Lady of Political (and Pontifical) Nightmares

Officials at the University of Notre Dame have had a lot on their plates lately. What with the President of the United States speaking at their upcoming Commencement ceremonies and all!

Working in special events at a university, I know what kind of planning happens preceding a Commencement ceremony. We've even had to deal with the US Secret Service. We've not, however, had to deal with the fallout that has come as a result of Notre Dame's choice of speakers.

As I understand it, US Presidents speaking at Notre Dame is a long-standing tradition. I'm pretty sure, however, that officials never anticipated the fallout that would occur from having a President speak who is so outspoken regarding his stance on abortion and stem cell research, two opinions on which the Roman Catholic Church is very clear.

No to both, thankyouverymuch.

Many in the Notre Dame community were very vocal with their opinions. Dis-invite the President, no matter how difficult it would be. Notre Dame is, after all, a Catholic institution.

Many other community members, as well as outsiders felt differently. Catholic or not, Barack Obama is the President of our country. And it's not like he's going to speak about those controversial topics.

Initially I felt that way. As an event planner, I felt I could separate my personal feelings from my professional. But the Diva Nana asked how I felt about the whole situation, and when I told her, she said she thought UND should never have invited Obama to speak, President or not.

"They're a Catholic university. And they should uphold the Church's stance."

I made a few inconsequential comments and we moved on.

But the more I thought about it, the more I agreed with her. Is the University of Notre Dame a Catholic institution in total, or are they a "pick and choose" school? Will they stand by the Church and support the decisions of the Pope and Bishops, or will they adjust the encyclicals and statements to fit their own situations?

Will they choose Commencement speakers based on principle or based on who's popular right now?

An added twist is that the recipient of this year's Laetare Medal, Mary Ann Glendon, who was also scheduled to speak at Commencement, has now declined the award.

From her letter to Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins:

Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

• “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”
• “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

Sounds like Notre Dame should have heeded the words of another US President, Thomas Jefferson:

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

And Now for Something Completely Different!

Hey there campers, we're gonna try something new here on the ranch. Found this on my bloggy friend C.Beth's Blog. Cate over at Show My Face does this fun little thing called "Six Word Saturday".

Since I love words so much this could be a blessing or a curse. Certainly a far cry from My Sophomore English Teacher, who used to make us write TWENTY WORD SENTENCES!

Here goes nothing...

Laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry, laundry.

OK, not really. Although sometimes I feel like my life consists of laundry. And dishes.

Laundry, dishes, laundry, dishes, laundry, dishes.

OK, OK.

Sleep, Work, Home, Sleep, Work, Home.

Literally. That's my life lately folks. In a bit of a rut here. Hoping to be more creative next Saturday.

When I don't have to work.

While We Wait

...to hear of Monkey's next great adventure, I just had to share an announcement about one of Monkey's newest sisters!

While some of you may have seen her on the amazing Sian's Etsy Store, I'm waiting to post her official debut until she makes her way across the pond.



I'm so excited about the newest addition to the Diva family. Of course, because I have my own boys, I requested a girl for adoption. She's a Diva, so she'll fit in nicely. Her name is Beatrice.

Beatrice juggles the hectic life of working monkeyhood, raising her three monkeycubs alongside authoring five novels, one of which made the Monkey Times Besteseller List 2008. She also finds the time to act as patron to several charities close to her heart, overseeing the organisation of two annual charity dinners which raise much needed funds and publicity for sock monkeys in need.

Can't wait to introduce her to you all when she arrives!

If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium.

It's Tuesday and I feel as though my brain has been hit by a Mack truck. T.S. Eliot may have been referring to the unpredictability of spring weather when he said it, but in the world of higher education events, April really IS the cruelest month.

Our work calendar for the next three weeks has so many meetings and events on it, that your eyeballs would probably bleed if I showed it to you.

Since I don't have the space or time to schedule a nervous breakdown, I look for other ways to escape.

Thanks to my friend K. for this little escape into the wonderful world of musical theatre bliss...

Consistently Inconsistent

One of my blogging buddies, C.Beth, recently wrote about blogging with discipline. Basically, rather than "taking a break" when she feels she has nothing to say, she plows on through and tries to write a little something every day. Writing intentionally rather than, as she says "waiting until a perfectly-written post is already floating around in your brain."

I like this idea a lot. Other than my NaBloPoMo posts for November, I've been guilty of some "writer's block" periods of absence from blogging. Don't get me wrong. I lovvvveee to write. I worry, like a lot of my fellow cyber-writers, that if my posts aren't pithy, well-written, humorous or touching, no one will want to read them.

So other than November, I end up posting consistently inconsistently. I write "when moved by the Spirit", so to speak. This says a lot about my life, though. I tend to be enthusiastic about projects or activities in the beginning, or in spurts, but when the enthusiasm wanes, so too does my commitment to the project or activity. It's not that I don't WANT to be wholly committed. The desire is often there, it's just not strong enough.

Or perhaps my reasons aren't right. I recently heard an interview on NPR with one of my favorite performers, Kristin Chenoweth, where she spoke about her participation in pageants, and how in her quest for the Miss Oklahoma title, she never finished higher than second runner up. She said something to the effect that she decided she never won because she wanted it "for the wrong reasons".

Rationale aside, I like blogging. I enjoy writing. Comments, while not my sole purpose, thrill me to no end, because it means that people actually took extra time when reading my words. Sort of like receiving an unexpected postcard from a friend who went on vacation... "Hello from the Blogosphere, wish you were here." Writing is a way to open my brain, pour out my heart, exercise my mind and vent my frustrations.

All good things.

And even better if I try to write a bit every day. Even if it's just to tell you things like SS#1 lost another tooth yesterday and decided to leave questions for the Tooth Fairy. Like how old she is (634) and how many teeth have been lost over time (a lot).

And how The Manimal is officially potty trained. And that I know this because he gets out of the bathtub to pee, then gets back in to finish playing taking a bath.

Consistently.

Remember

I was riding in a car from Chicago to Indianapolis for a work event when I heard what happened. Because our event would feature the talents of hundreds of high school-aged musicians, we were especially shaken.

What if the same thing had happened, not in Colorado, but in one of the schools that would perform throughout the weekend?

And then there were the kids. They were thinking the same thing. What if? What if the shooters were students at their own schools? What if their friends had died? What if....?

And yet, that Colorado high school moved on. The kids from the school rebounded, as kids do. They moved on, and graduated. Got jobs and went to college. Had relationships, got married, stayed single.

Lived their lives.

Today, take just a moment to pray. Remember the kids, those who lived and those who died. Remember the community. Remember the two shooters who, in a matter of minutes, changed the world forever.

But most of all, remember the life. Like the flower for which the community is named, the school came through the adversity of a long, cold winter.

And blossomed.

Lisa Leonard Bling

Mother's Day is rapidly approaching. If you're looking for something unique to give as a gift (or leave as a hint), then you'll want to head over to Kimba's place. She's doing a giveaway for a $50 Lisa Leonard gift certificate. Here are some of Lisa's beautiful creations:

Double Heart Cuff

Family Tree Necklace

And my personal fave, the "Be Still Necklace"

So head over to Kimba's place and check out the giveaway. And while you're there, snoop around. She's got a beautiful site and all kinds of tips for "feathering your nest"!

I Dreamed a Dream

Did you ever have a dream? I don't mean one of those where you're being chased by dinosaurs or where you get to work and everyone is speaking some sort of weird, unintelligible foreign language because they've been taken over by aliens.

I mean a real dream. Like writing the Great American Novel, becoming an opera singer or winning the Boston Marathon? Like having a wonderful home full of children, pets and a spouse you love? Like traveling to a foreign country just because?

There's certainly no shortage print material available that can help you "live your dream". There are a thousand and one "motivational speakers" that can inspire with their words. You can train for years, pray hard, and work hard. All too often, though, we fall short of the dream for one reason or another.

Very often, we prejudge (or ARE prejudged) based on appearance. Society has its accepted norms for how we should look, especially if we are going to be in the public eye, such as the entertainment industry. Sometimes, talent gets overlooked or doesn't even have a chance, if the person doesn't "fit".

While we all "know" this is wrong, it is, unfortunately, a fact of life.

Usually.

Enter Susan Boyle, a 47 year old, never-been-kissed, unemployed Briton. Prejudging her based on appearance, she's certainly not the person you'd figure would sing well. But she had a dream. She'd had some vocal training and wanted to be as famous Elaine Page, often deemed the "First Lady" of British musical theatre.


Then put her in front of three of Britain's most well-know talent scouts, including the ever-cynical, yet incredibly successful Simon Cowell.


A recipe for humiliation on national television. A disaster waiting to happen.

Watch and learn (can't embed the video, sorry).

She dreamed a dream.

And the tigers? Blown away.

Dirty Laundry

Airing my dirty laundry? No, not really. I'm talking about the real thing. The neverending cycle of wear, sort, wash, dry, fold, put away, etc.

I hate doing laundry.

I mean, REALLY hate doing it.

I love the feeling of it being all done, though. You know, that feeling when every piece of clothing in the house is clean, folded and put away in its respective home?

Sadly, it never lasts. Because just when I survey the full drawers of clean white underwear, freshly washed jeans, crisply ironed blouses and the like, and finally breathe that sigh of relief, the horrifying realization hits.

I realize that in order for me to REALLY have accomplished the Herculean feat of having laundered every.single.piece. of dirty laundry in my home, we'd all have to be standing around buck naked.

And the only person in our home who would be happy with that situation would be The Manimal.

There She Is...

As my readers know, we females in the Diva family are seriously outnumbered. We are, in fact, limited to myself and the dog. So frou-frou, pink things and other such girly nonsense aren't really factors in our everyday lives.

Which may explain my bizarre attraction to the TLC show "Toddlers and Tiaras".

It's sort of like watching a horrible car accident. You want to turn away. You know you shouldn't stare. But you just.can't.stop.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a pageant hater. I've watched Miss America since I was a kid. I've even seen girls blossom in a pageant system.

But T&T? There's just something so...wrong.

For each episode, TLC follows three families through a pageant experience. David is a parent who, by his own admission "lives for pageants". His darling two year old daughter, Ava, is a contestant, and David blogs about the pageants for TLC.

It's really not my intent to pass judgment on these parents, but seriously? At TWO, Ava "loves this scene"? In one episode, David says that his little girl is "learning such great life skills, like blowing kisses and waving".

Pardon me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.

Blowing kisses and waving?

I've done and reviewed a few resumes in my day, and I can't say that those would be high on my list of desirable life skills for anyone BEYOND the age of two.

Last night I watched as toddlers pranced and danced onstage in skimpy little costumes. I saw preschoolers and kindergartners with spray tans, hairpieces and flippers (weird little fake teeth to make their often holey smiles more "uniform" and "pretty"). It was all rather frightening.

And then there were the tantrums.

It was actually pretty funny. Three year olds throwing tantrums because they didn't want to go onstage. And the parents, apparently surprised by this behavior, trying to REASON with them.

I don't know about you, but The Manimal has an average of fifty-seven tantrums a day.

Okay. Maybe not FIFTY-SEVEN. But you get the idea.

He's three. That's his JOB.

If I ever got a wild hair to enter him in a pageant (and yes, the boys do compete), he'd probably be thrilled, because it would provide an audience for his tantrums.

And yet somehow, these pageant parents don't think that three year olds have tantrums at the most inopportune times.

On top of the high drama, there is the cash. Apparently, the fees for these pageants can run into hundreds of dollars per event. There are families who compete regularly, racking up thousands of dollars in entry fees, hoping that their child will win.

My favorite had to be the episode where the little girl was so excited to win the grand prize of $1000.

She wanted to buy a cow.

Maybe she wanted to raise it to enter the Moo-ss America Pageant?

A Woman Inspired

Hello to all my new friends from the "A Woman Inspired" Conference! I'm SO enjoying the sessions and hope you are as well!