Rita Arens's Blog, page 48

If You Think This Is Going to Become a Craft Blog, You'll Be Sorely Disappointed, But I Did Make a Headband Holder

I believe the last time I actually showed y'all something I made was the diaper cake. And I just saw that baby last weekend, and she is now two.

However, I tweeted a picture of the little angel's new handband holder and someone wanted to know where I bought it, which was hilarious to me.

First: The Hair. My daughter has really, really long hair. That she hates to have brushed. But yet, every day it must be brushed, because I have a thing about her going out looking like a member of 1989 Bon J...

The Lump in My Leg

I first felt it when I was pregnant with the little angel. I got scared, even though I know legs are often filled with random lumps that mean nothing, because my mother found lumps in her leg twice when I was just a little older than the little angel, and those lumps turned into years of fear, chemo, radiation, vomiting, pain and shuttling back and forth between friends and relatives.

I went to the dermatologist then. I was hugely pregnant. Because of its location on my thigh, the nurse told...

More Later

I have to go to the doctor today. The surgeon, actually. I might post later. I might not. It's nothing serious, I don't think. I hope. I'll feel better once I know more.

Since I'm not feeling chatty, I finally put up my Get Moooooving gift pack giveaway on Surrender, Dorothy: Reviews. Hint: contains Cuisinart and iTunes, get on over there.

My Occupational Hazard: I Won't Remember Your Name

I was at a virtual group last night and met someone I wasn't sure whether I had met before. (That sentence is going to get my writer card revoked, but you know what I mean.) The first thing I said to her was, "Have we met before? Because I have an occupational hazard in that I can never remember anyone's name."

This is not my attempt to be a douchenozzle. I would love for the world to know that. I could have a three-hour conversation with you in the back of a limousine and depending on how...

The Getting of the Cupcakes

Tomorrow is the little angel's eighth birthday. There is no school, because it is Good Friday. I'm sure the school doesn't call it that, what with the separation of church and state, but not only is there no school, there's no emergency childcare, either, so I think we can all agree there is something going on here that's not teacher in-service.

I admit to thinking yay, no classroom treats! 

Then this morning, fifteen minutes before the bus came, she asked if she could bring treats TODAY. 

The Sound of Defeat

There are two phantom boards in Chateau Travolta, one upstairs and one downstairs. They don't sound like all the other squeaky boards in this house: These sound like a sigh of disappointment.

I just stepped on one.

I found the one in the kitchen about a year ago. Initially, I thought it was Petunia making just the merest meow, but then I'd look around and find her nowhere near. Once I heard her jump off the bed seconds after the sigh and felt my skin crawl. I walked back and forth across...

The Beach ... in March in Kansas City

My inner monologue last Sunday while sporting swimwear during a month when it usually snows.

Ninety degrees on a Sunday afternoon.

Lake water, breathtakingly cold.

Trees not fully leafed out.

Four pontoons parked by the not-yet-roped-off swimming area spilled forth dogs and people amazed at the sunshine.

Twenty children balanced on life rafts and screamed with laughter.

Teenaged boys shook off water like puppies.

The radio commercials talked about spring coming soon.

I think it's already...

We Bought a Convertible

crossposted from BlogHer

I stared at the phone in my hand. My sister had texted me two words: MIDLIFE CRISIS. Because I sent her a pic of a convertible I saw while driving home with my seven-year-old daughter. But I bought one, anyway.

A Brief History of Responsible Automobiles

My parents always bought cars with cash. I don't know if they still do, but when we were growing up there were never debts like car payments floating around. Never. I was fortunate enough to drive not one but two used...

Someone's Life Changes Tonight

The Mega Millions lottery, which is available in a whole lot of states, is up to half a holy fucking shit dollars. Tonight at 11 pm in Atlanta (for which I'm too lazy to figure out the time zone), they're going to draw a number and someone's going to get half a billion dollars.

This morning on the radio the djs were talking about what you should do if you won. Really key stuff like getting kidnapping insurance and immediately hiding your loved ones, who would become immediate targets.

There...

Putting Yourself First?

 

 

I'm up again to answer a BlogHer.com Life Well Lived question. This one is pretty great.

How do you put yourself first? How does taking time for yourself help make you happier? 

I don't know what the outside perception of me putting myself first is, but I think I do it a lot. I didn't used to -- I used to do whatever I was asked to do, and then a bunch of stuff I thought I was supposed to do and then maybe at the end something I actually wanted to do. 

About five years ago, I started...