Hand the Girl a Coke

In 1971 I was a blond-haired, blue-eyed second grader at Dean Goodsell Elementary School.  Mrs. Inez Nelson was my teacher and the most devastating thing that happened to me that year was not getting invited to Cherie Kelsey's birthday party.

1971 is also the year I fell in love with Coca Cola.

It was this commercial.  Even today it still ranks as one of my all-time favorites!

And I don't mean it was the soft drink that I fell in love with.  My family rarely drank soda or pop... or as we called it soda pop.  That is a bad habit I didn't pick up until my college years.  What I fell for was the whole idea of granola-munching, tree-hugging, sandal-clad people (even though I'd never think to string those descriptions together until much later in life) whose only interest was sharing the love worldwide.  Seeing this on tv is about as radical hippie-peace-freak as my ultra conservative little community ever got.

I'd like to buy the world a home
And furnish it with love.
Grow apple trees and honey bees...
And snow white turtle doves!

What a way to sell a lifestyle!  And Coca Cola was at the very center of it.  When I pick one up today, that's still the jingle I hear begin inside my head more than 40 years later.  That's powerful!

Last night and today, the social media world is buzzing about Miley Cyrus' performance... appearance... spectacle... I'm not sure what to call it at the 2013 MTV Awards.  Except shocking.  It was shocking!  And it leaves me wondering if she, and other young (and often equally shocking) performers today are shaping the thoughts of today's youth the way this Coke commercial affected me.

If you're a parent, that's got to be a sobering and frightening thing to consider!

Rather than rant with outrage like so many folks are doing, maybe today I'm going to just retreat into my happy place and count it as a blessing that I won't be here to know what the world is like in 2055.

Now... hand me a Coke!!  I'm gonna go work on furnishing that home with love!

Dreaming of Mid-Winter

Photo courtesy of A Day in the Life of a Fat
Chick's Facebook Page

I know it's been hot enough to keep us all stuck in fantasies of blizzards and snow encrusted pine trees as we wish for a day of weather that calls for mittens and sledding trips but... are we already starting on Christmas preparations?

When I checked the countdown calculator it said there's still 153 days before the big day.  Shouldn't I be able to procrastinate about 140 of them away yet?

Actually we have some pretty big plans for Christmas 2013!  It will be Derek's and my first Christmas in our own home.  And I know he wants to put up enough lights outside (and in) to make it visible from space.  I admit, I'm pretty excited to get my decorations out so we can see how our stuff works together.  And I think we'll end up with something pretty darned impressive by the time it's all rounded up and out of the boxes.  Just thinking about it makes me smile!

And you know I've been saving ideas on Pinterest since the day after last Christmas.  Even on a "secret" Board so everyone will be surprised by the cute little cards and table decorations I'm going to make and the special recipes that come out only for Christmas dinner.  Some of those come from his family, some from mine and some I'm planning on having as new to both of us.  Which is risky since he's beyond picky about what food he will eat... so there'll be some of the old familiar foods presented in a new way.  Christmas 2013 is my chance to make a unique spot to fit into this new family.

Photo credit:  www.dailydawdle.com

For all the advance planning that goes into making Christmas such a beloved time of the year, I still think each holiday needs its own time and space to be enjoyed.  Sometimes I complain about the over-commercialization of them overrunning each other and having the Christmas decorations up for sale in stores before Halloween.  So while I may be plotting and planning and collecting ideas and recipes all year long... Christmas stays in the boxes until after the Thanksgiving turkey has had a few hours to digest.

No more snowy scenes until winter!  Summer should be enjoyed for what it is -- the time for playing in the water, s'mores round the firepit and burgers on the outdoor grill!!