October 25th

A collection of things:

I took a test today(Saturday) and it was stupid.

I am thinking about making some picture frames out of the scrapbooking paper I got over spring break. That was possibly the best investment EVER. Also it turns out that I am insane, I made lifesize butterfly wings with my small child on Tuesday, it included a frame. I will also make my roommates matching pajamas.

My new job means sometimes I am busy looking like a real life intern in downtown DC. For the past few fridays I have taken big boxes of mail to the post office. Other times I carry lots of binders from this place to that place. I do real things too, but there is just something about looking like an intern that makes me laugh.

Incase any of you are thinking about moving, I have found jobs here for all of you.

My semester has been focused on Africa. I have read tons of African literature (mostly in poor translations) I think I'll bring some home and make you read it when I come home for Christmas. Its just all so depressing.

Also, for those of you who haven't seen it.
This is Dad's campaign picture. I think it is nice!

I also have this one for your enjoyment:
Mom and Uncle Jim couldn't stay awake during our visit. I can't wait to really turn into an Edgar, so I can nap through the visit of my siblings. It makes me want to pull out the picture of Grandpa and the cat napping on my bed.

<3

Misc.

Dear all,

  Ethan and I are planning a cotton candy party for August 16th.  I'm looking forward to it.  Thoughts on a bouncy castle?

  None of you use this blog nearly enough.

  I also mentioned to someone the other day that when people become friends with me, they should realize they are joining a book club.  So what are you reading?

The songs we sang

So this started as a comment on Lindsey's postbut be came it's own monster.

Last Thursday I put on Joy to the World at a bar. I was out with Erika, Matt and J.P. (Amanda's brother). Things were on both extremes of bittersweet but even at the toughest of times that song can melt through my sorrow. If you step back just a bit you can hear him singing it. It almost brings a tear to my eye imagining the hapiness that was always so tangible in his voice. I wonder how many times he actually wanted to be singing that to us? It always felt like he wouldn't be anywhere else in the world.

Dang, songs our parents sang.

The only other song I remember Dad singing was fuzzy wuzzy and that mom wasn't sure he should be singing it.

Mom on the other hand has had no qualms with singing anything. It's kind of interesting because i hardly noticed her taking an interest in her own music for listening. Maybe she was more a child of tin pan alley than my father and grew up defining music instead of the other way around.

Looking back it's amusing to think of the stuff she would sing. A good amount, looking back, seems to be only portions of songs and talking to her now and then I've learned that this is all she knows and that really she's just made her version from her father's version or a snippet she heard on the radio once. I once looked up the song that goes "If I had the wings of an angel, over these prison walls I would fly"... she did it much better (even if only 1/3 of a chorus)

I sometimes wonder how much of the evening time experiences I had were as awesome as I remember or if it's just me placing severe nostalgia on a time that i look back on so happily. My guess is both but either way I'll always be grateful.

Some other songs:
All the pretty little horses
booomda boomda booomda sarah sponda
everywhere he went he did his war hoop
hung from a golden chain

What the people need is a way to make 'em smile

Dear Family,
I recently started making a playlist of songs that I remember from my childhood at the time when Mom and Dad still controlled the music selection in the house. It turns out that most of it is made of intense harmonies like Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, which is somewhat interesting. I was also thinking about the days when we had a rotating system of breakfast music selection. I think my album of choice was always Magical Mystery Tour, mostly because of the album art, which I still dream about.

So here is the list I came up with

Take it easy- Eagles (not until later)
Amie- Pure Prairie League
Loggins and Messina- House at Pooh Corner
Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young - Various songs (anyone know specifically which? I know Dad loves suite: bloody Jew eyes)
Eric Clapton's Unplugged Album
Magical Mystery Tour
Abby Road
Sgt. Pepper's

and some amount of the following artists/Musicals:
Carol King
Bonnie Raitt
James Taylor
CCR
Doobie Brothers
Oklahoma!
Jesus Christ Superstar
Fraggle Rock
Dan Foggleberg

I know that Dad listened to lots of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but I don't remember being introduced to them until about 5th or 6th grade when we were visiting Uncle Ron and Dad insisted on listening to Kashmir. Anyone remember these bands earlier?

I think more than anything I was influenced by the album art, which I still dream about.

Ethan sent me this picture too...Isn't Dad cute?

Our grandchildren will think we are normal

I am sure that our grandchildren will think we are totally normal grandparents. They will also continually ask our children, their parents, how they got so lucky to have parents as open minded, yet nurturing, as we are. They will also say that they wish they had parents that were that much fun.

On the other hand, I am not sure what makes my children and nieces and nephews think that my parents are wierd. I think it is possible to have the opinion that any grandparents are wierd, especially after you get to know them well, which most grandchildren usually do.

So there you have my opinion.

And now Lindsey can cease chastising me for not contributing to this blog - at least for awhile.

So our Grandparents are pretty weird...

I have several reasons for making this claim. One whenever I put doritos in some lettuce I think I am eating real life mexican food, actually the same is true for almost any kind of chip. ooooohhhh!

Next, I talked to Nick and he pretty much said the same about the Fincham side. periodically he will find himself doing something and think, wow thats like the Finchams.

So what are our children going to say is super strange about our parents?

family theme

I was listening to NPR today and the contributor was quite entertaining. Among other things he talked about was how every family has a theme.
"Our father left us so we are totally dysfunctional"
"We were raised by a gypsy"
"We are filthy rich"
"Although we live in Greenwich Village we were raised like we lived in Kansas City"

What shall our family theme be?

The Mom