Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Flowers for me...

I remember this fondly and can see myself standing at my desk...feeling so comfortable in that book...so innocent and so young. I was grown up in some way in 8th grade...You inspired me Michael...Grazie Tanto!

MT "I was recently talking to one of my students about how the most unfortunate act of having to read the last page of Flowers for Algernon aloud in Mr. Lu's class fell upon you, and how, even through wave after agonizing wave of sniffs and blubbers, you were a total champion and made it through.

On a separate note, duder, you've got to post more on this thing. The people miss you. ♥"

TR "Oh my God....I had forgotten about that. I am so lucky we were in class together. I miss you Mike. Are you writing anywhere that I should know about? Are your students reading Algernon? I can not believe how easily I let my guard down with that book. It was that class. We were together all the time so I guess it was ok. What a time in our lives, right? The extremes...laughing uncontrollably one minute and being so hurt and vulnerable the next...we had such fun"

Getting Published...IN PRINT

My work is being published in the May edition of Maximum Yield Magazine! Such a treat. They asked me to write up my bio to be printed alongside the article so I made it sounds as prestigious as possible.

Theresa Ryan, Director of Operations for AIBC International’s LED Grow Lights Division, recently moved to central NY to explore opportunities in green technology. With a background in nutraceutical marketing and editorial for an international music publisher, Theresa changed career paths after working on organic farms across Europe and The United States to supprt her belief in worldwide sustainability efforts. Her daily activities in her new position as Director at AIBC include product research and development for renewable energy products, improving and advancing quality standards and measures for indoor LED grow lighting and creating content to educate the increasing customer base at www.ledgrowlightsoutlet.com and www.aibcusa.com.

Jazzy! A step in the right direction...

Next, I will publish the greatest Love Song of all time...inspired by Mr. Cave.

"Though the love song comes in many guises – songs of exultation and praise, songs of rage and of despair, erotic songs, songs of abandonment and loss – they all address God, for it is the haunted premises of longing that the true love song inhabits. It is a howl in the void, for Love and for comfort and it lives on the lips of the child crying for his mother. It is the song of the lover in need of her loved one, the raving of the lunatic supplicant petitioning his God. It is the cry of one chained to the earth, to the ordinary and to the mundane, craving flight; a flight into inspiration and imagination and divinity. The love song is the sound of our endeavours to become God-like, to rise up and above the earthbound and the mediocre."

http://everything2.com/title/Nick+Cave%2527s+Love+Song+Lecture

Friday, March 25, 2011

Looking for help....

Rick and I have been settling into the new homestead...rearranging furniture, knocking down walls and building snow tube parks all winter. Good thing the sun is finally coming so we can start working on the garden. We built a fence for the chickens last weekend and it looks awesome...we hung an old chandelier in their coup so it looks more like a brothel now...a chandelier covered in poop is easy to smile at every morning... We're getting a massive canvas tent for guests this summer so pack your bags and come visit. We are also going to convert our barn into a straw bale house. Things are happening.

In the meantime:

In an effort to win a free room makeover from HGTV, Rick and I spent a weekend filming the property to submit a video and get "HGTV'd" (Cheese you say?...only if we lose) Rick did some fine editing (as usual) and he posted it here ----> http://my.hgtv.com/hgtvd/Multipurpose-Room/What-Is-This-Room/detail.esi?oid=23788055
I would like to add that we had some perfect music that we had to remove because Jack White and Paul Simon own the rights to their music or whatever...but it's still pretty awesome. If we get lots of amazing comments, I'm pretty sure we will win. Make sure you post a comment or seven so it moves us up in the ranks. Save your energy though, we have two other rooms we will be submitting and I will send those links too!

Thanks for taking a minute to check it out and feel free to forward it to every single person in the universe so they can view it too!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Hillbilly Hipsters

We finally found a spot for our latest treasures...two old recliners that the church back home was throwing away. We sat them in front of the fire after a weekend of visiting the fams in NJ and there was...something...maybe on the radio....it was...it was a country song and Rick turned to me from the fire and said, "That's a good question...what would you do? If you were going to die...in 6 months, if you knew you were going to die, what would you do?" I thought about it for a split second...that's all it took. "I would write" Our eyes glazed over and I couldn't control myself. I was just doing a happy cry all over the place. It was terrific. It feels so good to think of it. A minute later I thought of what other people might do...an extravagant vacation, tell their mother how much they love them, forgive an old friend...To think that I wanted none of that. If in 6 months, I would no longer be around, I would be completely satisified. It stems from the idea that I already do everything I want...all the time...I tell people what I want them to know, I have been to every place I ever wanted to see (with the one that I love the very most, bonus), my husband knows how much I love him, I have no grudges, I have no fear of dying...I would just write.

Seeing family and singing Happy Birthday was a treat! Being with friends and not having to catch up was even better...it's just right where we left off.

We came home and let the chickens out...a while later we found our favorite chicken Stumpy resigned from chickenhood just outside the coop. She was the friendliest, strongest, cuddliest, most handicapped chicken in the world...she will be missed. Coopa, Chicken Soup and that other chicken are ok, but I can tell they miss the Stumpster. She was the rock. Pour out some OJ for her next time you have an omelette.