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What Makes Me Happy

I know, it’s an odd title for a post today. Today marks the day where nine years ago, the world changed forever. Today on facebook and twitter, there are memories and links all going back to September 11, 2001.

photo credit: B. Simpson, from wikipedia

Yesterday, though, MaM came home with an Eid ul-Fitr treat bag from school. You see, her school mates had sent in treat bags as part of the celebration that is the end of Ramadan, the most holy month in Islam. Much like Christian children first focus on Easter (complete with candy) before understanding Lent, MaM came home with a very basic introduction to this Muslim feast (she was, of course, delighted by the candy).

photo by Utne Olve, from wikipedia. An askenasisk made from a ram’s horn

Thursday, friends of mine headed out to a retreat in honor of Rosh Hashanah. Between Thursday and Yom Kippur, are the Days of Awe in the Jewish faith. A simple analogy my friend uses is this, “these are my Christmas and Easter– you can’t tell your mother you’re skipping Christmas or Easter, can you?” People were wishing each other “Happy year 5771” as they celebrated the Jewish New Year online, and kindly explaining the sentiment to those not in the know.

photo by Patnac, from wikipedia

Sunday, MaM’s Catholic Sunday school resumes. She’s sat through Mass nicely this summer, and is jncredibly interested in reading along in the missal and the hymnal. Next spring, probably in May, a bevy of cousins and friends all in 2nd grade will make their First Holy Communions. I can only imagine MaM’s fascination with the beautiful white dresses once she sees them.

These are all things that make me happy.  They are all signs that despite on what happened on this day in 2001, the people of our country are still open-minded, compassionate people of faith. People of many different faiths, but yet of similar minds. Blow-hard ministers from Florida aside, nine years later, we have not let the terrorists win.

It’s been nine years. The skyline still looks to me like it’s been robbed.
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Thursday Thirteen: Careers I Won’t Pursue

Today’s my 37th birthday.

It’s my 6th (?)  week on unemployment. Since my lay-off came at the end of summer vacation, I haven’t had a hard time “adjusting” to my new routine, really. But sooner or later (ok, I’ve got 94 weeks) the unemployment will come to an end, and I will need to at least try something else out to see if it’s what I want to be when I grow up. I haven’t quite hit on what it is I’d lik to do, so instead I thought I’d start eliminating careers instead.

1) Medical Doctor: the amount of school required, along with the insane hours is enough to automatically remove this path from my list of possible careers.

2) Lawyer: again with the schooling, along with the hours.

3) Air Traffic Controller: the schooling, the hours, the stress…. I’m noticing a pattern, are you? It looks like I don’t want really want a high-pressure, super-engaging job at this point in my life.

4) Radio DJ. I’ve listened to the same music since college. Would you listen to a station whose playlist only included REM, Dave Matthews, and Depeche Mode, with the occasional Glee Mash Up thrown in? I wouldn’t.

5) Baker: True confession– I SUCK at baking from scratch.I don’t think there’s much of a market for baking from a box.

6) House Cleaner: True Story, I cleaned hotel rooms one summer. It sucked. Also, I can’t keep my own house clean, so the chances I could keep someone else’s house clean is slim to none.

7) Bartender: I am, what my husband calls, “a spiller”. Probably I shouldn’t work somewhere that requires “not spilling” on a regular basis!

8) Hairdresser: I never once, as a kid, thought I could cut my own hair. I think there’s a reason for this….

9) Nail tech: I have spilled (see #7) nail polish on carpets, bedspreads and more. Probably not the best choice.

10) Stylist to the Stars: The key to my fashion sense is simple — if it’s on sale, I buy it; if it’s clean, it can be worn. Somehow, I think the likes of Oprah are expecting something more than that.

11) Graphic Designer: note the lack of header on this here blog. Enough said.

12) Candle Maker: I saw the old timey people at the local history park give a workshop on the this. It takes a LONG time. I sometimes forget I’ve set things in the oven/on the range to cook. Until I can master rice, I should stay away from candle making, me thinks.

13) Chiropractor: I’ve been going to one for years, but there is NO WAY I could twist someone’s neck. NO. WAY. And I’m pretty sure that’s a job requirement.

So there you have it — thirteen careers I can knock off my list without a second thought. If I keep narrowing it down, I may very well discover what it is I’m meant to do next…..

So tell me — what’s a job/career that you can just mark of your list as “NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN”? Come on, you can tell me!

Want to read more Thursday Thirteen lists? Check out the homepage….

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Stinky Toes Design

You know how sometimes you meet people, and you keep running into them? Or  later on you find out there’s something else you have in common?

Last fall I met Amy of  Stinky Toes Design. I bought my grandmother a necklace with her initial (she’s known around her assisted living center as Catherine-with-a-C) on it and I’ve never seen her without it on since. According to my mother (who sees her weekly), my grandma almost ALWAYS wears her necklace, which makes me happy.

I’m on Amy’s mailing list, and I’ve become a frequenter of her blog, and then all of a sudden, there was an ANNOUNCEMENT. (do you know where this is going yet?)

Amy and her family is in the process of adopting from Africa.

Amy makes beautiful jewelry with metal and paper and glass.

Amy now makes beautiful jewelry which you may just find fitting for someone you know who has an adoption connection in some way.

Amy makes amazing pendants featuring vintage maps, and vintage dictionary pages.  I remember talking to her about it last fall.

Just think about the possibilities with that.

So go see what’s she’s created–it’s pretty amazing stuff, and her family is embarking on an amazing journey.