It's okay, I quit having high expectations of the day decades ago.
Yesterday was actually pretty good. Our Jenny must have posted birthday wishes at least ten times on facebook. Plus she and Jon and the boys brought tres leches cake and presents over on Tuesday night.
See...
Party girl!
Jeff sent me flowers, friends and kids sent wishes on facebook, Mum bought me some comfortable new walking shoes, Annie and Bethany gave me a spiffy new iron, and last night we went to Cirque du Soleil, thanks to 50% off the last few performances in Portland.
We have been to Cirque several times and, frankly, I am getting harder to impress. So here is my slightly jaded review.
Heading out of Newberg, we climb a mountain...
...and then drive through stands of trees for a mile or two.
Beautiful, isn't it?
Last night was rainy and windy, can you tell?
Annie's going to hate me for this photo.
Our seats were average, with a pole blocking some of the action.
And the Japanese group in front of us were politely informed No photos in the grande chapiteau.
So.
I stole these from their website. That'll teach 'em.
This Cirque show goes back to its roots and involves a lot more clowning around, with lots of genital jokes that, quite frankly, they appeared to enjoy waaay too much.
Meh.
The first half included a girl on a trapeze.
Who wore a big old safety harness.
I mean, where's the suspense in that?
A high-wire act.
Ho hum.
Acrobats walking around on balls.
La la la.
Contortionists, who were fairly impressive...
...but not as impressive as these ladies.
I suggest clicking in the lower right corner and watching this on Youtube.
All through the first half, I kept eyeing the VIP section that was half empty. As soon as the house lights went up, I asked an usher if we could move. Here's something good to know. She said that once the first half was over, we could move to any seats that were not occupied. So we quickly hefted our bodies down to those wonderful front and centre seats.
The second half was a different experience.
First up, the extreme Wheel of Death.
My personal favourite.
These guys are wickedly awesome.
You can catch their act on Youtube, but there is nothing like being there in person.
This naked-looking lady made me want to take up the hula hoop.
Only I would not wear the outfit.
I almost have no words to describe this next act.
He was tattoo-ed from his toes to his waist.
Ask me how I know!
This photo is misleading, because the balanced chairs were vertical.
I have never seen a body that was so finely honed and purely powerful. He defied gravity at every move.
And lastly, the teeter-board.
What kind of a name is that for an act?
There were a few breathless moments during this act, especially for Mum.
She said, afterwards, that Cirque was the best thing she's ever seen.
So I guess I am right.
I am jaded.
And spoiled rotten.
Here is the trailer, to give you a taste of the evening.
Dang, Blogspot has been giving me grief tonight. Nevertheless, I persevered, and here is the masterpiece.
In the ever-changing lexicon of our times, some words combinations are just annoying. Like the propensity for adding "ista" to the end of everything. Fashionista, for example. The practice is Latin and Spanish in origin and meansone who follows a principle. Like Taoista. Now there's an awkward word. And Lincolnista. Eek. The English "ist" doesn't seem quite as pretentious somehow.
And of course, frugalista.
All that aside, those of you who know me understand the frugality that lies behind almost every action that I take. I think it is an inherited trait and not from my Mum. She was the one who made impulse purchases and then hid them from my Dad. I remember being on a camping holiday at Mt. Maunganui one summer and Mum and Dad having a discussion, near the end of the week, about whether there was enough money left to buy ice cream treats for the four of us. At the time, all I could think was, please, please, let there be enough for ice cream. Now, I see the wisdom of living within your budget. Dad was the master of making do, of figuring out how he could make something cheaper and better than the one that was for sale. So, while I like to have fun and enjoy the finer things that life has to offer, I choose my splurges and operate under a mindful frugality most of the time.
Last week, I was asked to teach a half-hour class at a Relief Society gathering. Relief Society is the women's organization of our church, for those of you who haven't had the pleasure. Dad used to say, "It's a relief to be away from Relief Society." Followed by much chortling. He was a funny guy.
So here, in a nutshell, is the accumulated wisdom of my years of being frugal. Originally of necessity, but now by choice.
I have been thinking about community a lot lately. About how living in a consciously frugal manner can build community. For example, if I find a great buy on Snickers bars on the clearance rack at our local Safeway, I will call a couple of friends to see if they want me to pick some up for them. That is, if I want to share and don't buy them all for me! Them when I get home, I might post the info on facebook. You will notice that many of the following ideas necessitate joining together with friends and neighbours to share resources and create blocks of buying power. In this day and age of increasing isolation, it's all good.
I must emphasize, however, that I am keen on quality as well as thriftiness. The older I get, the less patience I have for stuff that's crap.
How elegant is that turn of phrase?
To illustrate, let me remind you of the quilt I made for little Elsie.
It cost about $2 for the batting. Everything else was free.
Now, this little baby...
...is another matter. It is my new pincushion, purchased at the Pacific Artists' Alliance in Lincoln City. It's made of wool that was raised, spun, and felted by Lorraine Karassik, and cost much more than $2. It supposedly sharpens your pins as you use it and I am inclined to believe the claim as I have drawn blood several times since I started using it. If I told you how much it cost, my kids would probably never let me hear the end of it. I have already been razzed unmercifully about it by a couple of them. Check out her felted hats, which I crave but I couldn't make myself spend the money.
So, here is the handout.
I know, you thought I'd never get to it.
But first, some pithy words from Ben and me.
Frugal living is dependent on delayed gratification and thinking ahead.Sue Osborne
A penny saved is a penny earned. Benjamin Franklin.
Find good kitchen supplies at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross.
I look for good quality products at a discount, rather than buying cheap stuff. Less waste and better performance.
Review your utilities and home entertainment bills to see if there are any better options; things change constantly.
Don’t buy new technology. Wait until it is proven and the price goes down.
Financial know-how
Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard are both very savvy and full of information on all kinds of financial topics. Dave is more about being debt-free, Clark about making decisions that are good for your pocketbook.
In our family, Jenny holds the title of Party Girl. She and Bethany hosted a baby shower for Annie. Finding a date for it was challenging, because the week was packed with family activities. We wanted to do it before Edwin went back home to North Carolina so that he could haul the loot with him. We settled on Wednesday night, which was fine until I realized that it was my busiest work day of the week. Four preschools in the morning and five piano lessons in the afternoon. I had a few hours in the middle of the day to get groceries and clean the house. Luckily, Edwin is Mr. Speedy when it comes to chores. Between his efforts and those of Jenny and Bethany after I left for the afternoon, everything came together very nicely with minimal stress for me. It was epiphanic, the concept of my kids being ready to take over some of these responsibilities that I always think of as being uniquely mine. Do you think they're ready to take over Thanksgiving yet?
Jenny went all out on decorations. Those are real onesies and bibs hanging from the ceiling. We had a splendid time with friends old and new.
Oh dear, the chubby forearm doesn't quite hide the unintentional cleavage.
Charlie has been rather cuddly lately. I'm so glad that my boys turned out to be loving sons. When they were in their prickly teenage years, I despaired of their ever even liking me.
Bethany received rave reviews over the salsa and other treats.
Men and little children were banished to the rec room with Star Wars and pizza.
After everyone went home, we checked out some of the family photos on Lindsay's photo blog.
There's nothing better than spending time with people who love you. I am grateful for people who also love my kids. This is the community that gives me strength, that bears me up when times are tough, and rejoices with me in the good times. Thank you friends.
