WW: Those Summer Nights So Long Ago

I have a thing for old cars.  I love 'em!  And it goes back to those summer nights so long ago, when...

We'd drive for what seemed like days, down dark, country roads (in my mother's 1978 Triumph Spitfire).  

And, boy o' boy would we sing... my mom, sister, and me.  Old hits by Patsy Cline, and Kitty Wells. 

We'd also nibble on treats, and drink coke from bottles.  All while talking, telling stories.

Usually ones from my mother's youth in Washington state.

Needless to say, those nights were idyllic.  And for that reason, I'll always love a classic car!

I'm thankful for these memories, Mom!

PS - My mother is undergoing x-rays and blood tests today after an unfavorable doctor's appointment.  Fingers crossed all goes well!

Go Fly a Kite + Giveaway

Do you ever wonder what your children will remember?  

* Originally posted in November 2010.

I do.  All the time, actually.  And it's tricky, because you can't control what they'll remember!  But I've been thinking...

Looking back on my childhood, and the memories I most cherish, I'm inspired to be spontaneous, to have a little fun, and shake things up!

For instance, one of my very favorite memories, as a young girl, was out of the norm and unexpected...

Lemme take you back to good ol' 1986, when I had a fro!

On this particular day, my mother crept in my room before I woke, shook me gently, and told me we were going to fly a kite. 

"A kite?" I thought.

She then instructed me to put my bathrobe on, grabbed my little hand, and led me outside...

Guess what happened? 

We flew a kite!  And it was perfect!

I spent the better part of that fall morning running 'round the yard in my pajamas, and I'll never, ever forget it! 

Moral of this entry, go fly a kite (with your kids)! 

Thanks for doing things a little different, Mom!

Anyhow, get those kites here.  Enter to win 1 of the 2 kites below:

via

PS - These High Art Kites were sponsored by Liz of Poe Studio.

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25 Things: What You Don't Know.

1. I love Merita Angel Food Cake.  As a child, I would sniff the plastic to smell its deliciousness.
2. I dislike the sound of a loose tooth wiggling.
3. I'm obsessed with Turner Classic Movies, and I find it difficult to sleep without the sound of a romantic oldie (like this).  That being said, I possess a lot of film knowledge.
4. I can touch my tongue to my nose, and like a Balinese dancer, I can bend all of my fingers to a 90° angle.
5. I love stories!  I've kept a journal since I was 12.  I live by the personal philosophy of making each day worth writing about. 
6. I'd rather receive a letter in the mail than an email.  I don't care much for the phone, either.  (Read this.)
7. My child's name, Aksel, means "father of peace" in Norwegian.
8. Contrary to beliefs, I'm not a Guns N' Roses fan, but I like Sweet Child O' Mine.  Just so you know.
9. I love the color red.  I wear it nearly everyday.
10. I was horribly distraught when Paul Newman died!
11. I want to help people in my life, and do good deeds.
12. I love sweet pickles!
13. I've traveled to 14 countries, and I'm not stopping there!  I want to see the world before I die.
14. I know what a "Nelson Mandela Cream 'O the Crop" is.  I can also pour a pint of Guinness with a shamrock on top.
15. I lived in Aspen for a summer, yet I've never skied!
16. My lucky number is 43, but I don't like Polamalu.  Go Ravens!
17. My father makes corn pancakes.  I love 'em!  It's a family tradition I intend to carry on.
18. I sang at my grandmother's funeral.  It was one of my proudest moments!  I attempted to sing at my grandfather's, but choked.  I asked if I could take a "Mulligan."
19. I can't shift gears on a bike.
20. I don't wear a wedding ring.
21. I want to be on Broadway.
22. My husband is my soul mate. 
23. I once described crab meat as "very clean chicken."
24. I've been to St. Andrew's in Scotland, yet I've never golfed.
25. I want to be a good mother, and wife, more than anything.



A Jar Called BLOG.

I don't know about you, but I'm nostalgic.  And it seems I'm increasingly more so as the days pass. 

Especially now, since I'm MOTHER to a curious boy.

In all seriousness, memories from my childhood come flooding back most everyday, and they're random.  For instance, I'm itching to write about blueberries and goldfish?! 

Together. 

A memory about blueberries and goldfish. 

(Not the cracker kind, mind you.)

Speaking straight, my DRAFTS are piled high, and at this rate, I'll never stop writing.  So, thanks for reading my randomness.  This blog has been, for me, a place of sweet preservation.

It's kinda like I'm pickling vegetables, but they're memories.  Stories in a jar.  A jar called BLOG.  They're certainly not for everyone, but for those who like okra or blueberries or goldfish, they're great!

Randomness, case in point.

  

Next week's giveaway will be a nostalgic design by Elizabeth Horton, and if you haven't entered this week's contest, you can do so here.

 

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We Had a Piano.

Growing up, we had a piano.  An antique, upright grand piano.  It's a shame I never learned to play.  It looked a little something like this...

My mother bought the piece on a whim, having convinced my father she'd learn to play.  Between you and me however, I think she mastered On Top of Old Smokey, and then threw the music towel in.

But that's not the point I wish to make.  Regardless of whether or not my mother played the piano well, there was music in our home.  And I'm actively carrying the tradition on...

In fact, Aksel loves listening to music.  In particular, he gets quite a thrill playing with his LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table.  To take it a step further, I believe he crawled over the other afternoon and in a very rudimentary way (obviously) babbled the ABC melody. 

I love being Aksel's music teacher!  I'm having fun, and so is he.  

We love ours!  What are your thoughts?

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table

Please vote!

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Toy Story.

There's magic in the air at FAO Schwarz. 

A random statement, you might think?

Well, this mommy's headin' to New York, and stop I will at the illustrious ol' toy company.  In fact, I can barely wait to purchase a Christmas goody for my boy!

HMMM... just what will I choose?
              

A plush PUP with fur so soft,

A RED WAGON on sturdy wheels,

A WALKIE TALKIE (for down the road), or

An Etch A Sketch & Doodle Pro


I remember vividly my first trip to the bright shining world of toys.  We walked for what seemed like hours through the streets of Manhattan, and I kept asking, "Are we there yet?  Are we close?"

I mean, it was hard work keeping up with my father's long city stride.  Finally, he lifted me atop his broad shoulders and carried me to the store, and let me just say...  FAO Schwarz was everything and all and more than I could've imagined!   STORIES of toys! 

It was love at first entry... toy heaven!

Here's to hoping I still feel the LOVE after all these years.  XOXO

Toy Possibilities?

Gund Baby Spunky Plush Puppy Toy

 Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon

LEGO Walkie Talkies

Classic Etch A Sketch

Current Events.

Over the course of my life, my father has taught me many, many things, but perhaps the most memorable are those lessons centering 'round the water, sand, and current events.

For instance, the first definitive statement I recall hearing my father say as a child was... 

"Gillian, NEVER turn your back to a wave." 

Between you and me, I remember disobeying once or twice, out of fear, only to shortly find myself entangled in the tide, tumbling on the sea bed, and gasping for air!

You could say I learned the ocean hard way, but to my defense, I didn't make the mistake too many times.  Rather, I caught on quick and clung thereafter to my father's water wisdom.

With that being said, I believe I was capably diving under waves by the tender age of three!

What more can I say?  I've lived near the water my whole life.  In what brief instances I've lived any distance from the ocean, I've innately missed it! 

I love you Colorado, but you're not HOME... to me, at least!

I'm of seafaring people, and I wholeheartedly believe my Piscean spirit MUST be oceanside.

So, it's my hope to now teach my little one to love the water too! 

I failed to mention, my FIRST memory took place on a beach!  In the next entry, I will share additional sea anecdotes and candid shots from Aksel's first ocean experience. 

In the meantime, thanks Dad!

         

If I Did, I'm Sorry!

My soon-to-be mother-in-law, Judy, came across this darling made-for-mommy letter a few weeks back.  It's so sweet, and hopefully, I'll receive something comparable from Aksel in years to come!

I wonder if my buggy boy will grow to look like his daddy, below? 

I sure hope so!  What a charming letter-writer!

   Mark, 1979.

Honestly, I don't think I knew anything about life until I became a mother. It's an amazing journey, and I'm thankful each minute for my family!  Oh, my men!  LOVE...

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All over the Chalkboard.

I'm all over the board.  Peas one minute, books the next, now the playroom.  For the sake of this entry though, let's just say...  I'm all over the CHALKBOARD!

So, I've been thinking further about Aksel's playroom.  Specifically, what creative objects I want to include? 

As a child, my bedroom/playroom wasn't outfitted with the most expensive toys, or gadgets.  It was in fact modestly decorated, neutral in color, and clean most of the time. 

There are elements I remember though that had a profound artistic effect on me.

For one, my chalkboard. 

Oh, my chalkboard! 

Yes, my chalkboard!

I loved it!

My mother was constantly leaving messages for me, or I was scribbling nonsensical shapes & letters.  (See above.)

I also remember in particular my grandmother, Alice, drawing a chalk masterpiece of clowns-n-squiggles the day of my sister's christening.  (More on that later.)

 

Point is, I definitely plan on including one in the space. 

Today in the Mulligan-Kohn household, we're assembling a gift and possible playroom addition -- LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical Table

Readers, I'll keep you posted.

(FYI:  We've settled on a safari theme for little man's room!)