Sorry for the delay in blog entries but I have been away from technology for a few days. Went camping in the wilds of western Rhode Island with the cub scouts over the weekend. I take back every bad thing I've ever said about porta-potties. I was begging for one by Saturday night. The "primitive facilities" at Camp Rah Rah Aquapaug left a lot to be desired. Since there is absolutely no way to politely describe the conditions, I will leave it at that. But I will add that notwithstanding the lack of luxurious restroom accommodations, parents and kids all had a blast on the trip!
When I returned from camping and had scrubbed off all the filth and aired out all the wet gear, I fired up the computer. There in the In-Box was my virtual personal trainer e-mail from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure indicating the 6 (yes, six!) weeks away mark! It seems a little like this year's walk has sneaked up on me. Maybe because I walked so late last year - in Atlanta in October. And this year, doing Boston, which is first in the rotation, well, it just doesn't seem like it's time yet for another walk. But it is.
I saw the 6-weeks header and thought, "Holy Cow!" And that reminded me I had promised some people photos of the "fake" cows (previously mentioned under "Cows That Don't Say Mooo") and I have delivered. I took the camera back on that walk route just as I said I would. While I was snapping shots of said cows, their owner came out, clearly curious what I was up to. Bear in mind that her inseam likely equaled my whole height and while she was wearing shorts and sneakers with a T-shirt, her lipstick was perfect. I estimated her wristwatch cost more than my car. I'm sizing her up as my polar opposite BUT - we were wearing the same hat (GO SOX), so I thought I'd give a chat a go. And now I have a new not-quite friend, but at least very polite acquaintance.
Turns out these people Love, Love, Love their fake cows. I heard all about the extensive effort they had gone to in choosing the cows, their poses and positions and their placement in relation to each other. This woman's affinity for these things was extremely genuine and she clearly felt they lend a sense of whimsy and interest to the property. She made it clear that their purchase was a design decision and their approach to the installation was comparable to deciding on architectural elements for your house; like picking a Victorian porch or a fieldstone chimney. For the owners, the cows create a certain character for the property that just generally makes them feel good about being there. Hmmmm
When I left for my walk the morning I took these photos, I felt really good about what I was wearing. I was rockin' a hot pink sport skirt that my husband could only describe as "loud." I reminded myself that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
When the Guggenheim museum was built, some people thought it was so artistically done that it would compete with the art inside; others called it a monstrosity; an eyesore. Everyone had an opinion. Some believed it to be a thing of beauty and others disagreed vehemently.
For my kids, a thing of beauty is probably best represented by the sticky brown froth bursting out of the Diet Coke bottle when they drop the Mentos in. For my husband, a thing of beauty is probably a sound more than a sight; like the motorcycle engine turning over on that first warm spring day.
I personally love that half of my wardrobe is now pink because of The 3-Day. I wear it all in part because it represents our unity and in part because I think it looks fabulous on me. But there's a movement afoot within The 3-Day community with their "Pink is so NOT my color" slogans. For them, "beautiful" will be a day when we don't all have to wear the unifying pink anymore. I think I can adjust my personal standard for beauty to accommodate that vision. Our idea of what it means can change and evolve and I will look forward to a day when I can pack up all the lovely pink things and carry them to the attic in a box marked "Sooo Last Season!" When the time comes to ditch the official "uniform," we'll all be free to do our own thing. We'll get eclectic and funky in other hues. And maybe we'll put plastic cows in our yards.
SO I have resolved to be less quick to judge and to always have that chat before I jump to any conclusions. And to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But my mom taught me another saying that seems appropriate here: "Pretty is as pretty does." So to all The 3-Day community - I don't care if you wear pink skorts or not; and you can have fake cows, garden gnomes, wind socks, ceramic frogs or those little painted kitties that look like they're climbing a tree - it doesn't matter what's in your yard (or your house or your hair or your bra, for that matter). You all look absolutely gorgeous to me.
When I returned from camping and had scrubbed off all the filth and aired out all the wet gear, I fired up the computer. There in the In-Box was my virtual personal trainer e-mail from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure indicating the 6 (yes, six!) weeks away mark! It seems a little like this year's walk has sneaked up on me. Maybe because I walked so late last year - in Atlanta in October. And this year, doing Boston, which is first in the rotation, well, it just doesn't seem like it's time yet for another walk. But it is.
I saw the 6-weeks header and thought, "Holy Cow!" And that reminded me I had promised some people photos of the "fake" cows (previously mentioned under "Cows That Don't Say Mooo") and I have delivered. I took the camera back on that walk route just as I said I would. While I was snapping shots of said cows, their owner came out, clearly curious what I was up to. Bear in mind that her inseam likely equaled my whole height and while she was wearing shorts and sneakers with a T-shirt, her lipstick was perfect. I estimated her wristwatch cost more than my car. I'm sizing her up as my polar opposite BUT - we were wearing the same hat (GO SOX), so I thought I'd give a chat a go. And now I have a new not-quite friend, but at least very polite acquaintance.
Turns out these people Love, Love, Love their fake cows. I heard all about the extensive effort they had gone to in choosing the cows, their poses and positions and their placement in relation to each other. This woman's affinity for these things was extremely genuine and she clearly felt they lend a sense of whimsy and interest to the property. She made it clear that their purchase was a design decision and their approach to the installation was comparable to deciding on architectural elements for your house; like picking a Victorian porch or a fieldstone chimney. For the owners, the cows create a certain character for the property that just generally makes them feel good about being there. Hmmmm
When I left for my walk the morning I took these photos, I felt really good about what I was wearing. I was rockin' a hot pink sport skirt that my husband could only describe as "loud." I reminded myself that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
When the Guggenheim museum was built, some people thought it was so artistically done that it would compete with the art inside; others called it a monstrosity; an eyesore. Everyone had an opinion. Some believed it to be a thing of beauty and others disagreed vehemently.
For my kids, a thing of beauty is probably best represented by the sticky brown froth bursting out of the Diet Coke bottle when they drop the Mentos in. For my husband, a thing of beauty is probably a sound more than a sight; like the motorcycle engine turning over on that first warm spring day.
I personally love that half of my wardrobe is now pink because of The 3-Day. I wear it all in part because it represents our unity and in part because I think it looks fabulous on me. But there's a movement afoot within The 3-Day community with their "Pink is so NOT my color" slogans. For them, "beautiful" will be a day when we don't all have to wear the unifying pink anymore. I think I can adjust my personal standard for beauty to accommodate that vision. Our idea of what it means can change and evolve and I will look forward to a day when I can pack up all the lovely pink things and carry them to the attic in a box marked "Sooo Last Season!" When the time comes to ditch the official "uniform," we'll all be free to do our own thing. We'll get eclectic and funky in other hues. And maybe we'll put plastic cows in our yards.
SO I have resolved to be less quick to judge and to always have that chat before I jump to any conclusions. And to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But my mom taught me another saying that seems appropriate here: "Pretty is as pretty does." So to all The 3-Day community - I don't care if you wear pink skorts or not; and you can have fake cows, garden gnomes, wind socks, ceramic frogs or those little painted kitties that look like they're climbing a tree - it doesn't matter what's in your yard (or your house or your hair or your bra, for that matter). You all look absolutely gorgeous to me.
I just gotta say, I think those cows are so cute. Personally, I would rather have fake frogs in my yard, but that is probably because I grew up in a town that had at least three times as many cows as there were people.
ReplyDeleteI love pink, and will continue to wear it even after a cure is found. But I love what you had to say about looking forward to the meaning of it changing after the cure is found and we don't have to worry about breast cancer taking someone we love.
Thanks for taking the time to comment - the cows are growing on me. . . . And I'll probably always keep my pink wardrobe - if for no other reason than habit. (Maybe we could dress the cows in pink until we find a cure!!)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I'm having the same problem with the Boston walk sneaking up on me as well! I've only walked in Atlanta walks in the past, so this one just seems so early! I can't believe all this training will be done in a month!
ReplyDelete~ Kristen