Degas

The art of the dance. Life is good.

Be true to Who you ARE

Turning 50 is a major milestone for some reason. Its liberating, a celebration of who I really am.

I no longer feel like I have to "be" something or someone to please anyone else. I thumb my nose at the societal norms that I feel are ridiculous and at the whole "pc" thing which is only a control mechanism of the small minded.

I am beyond your control and manipulation because frankly, I don't care what your judgement of me is. Its completely irrelevant, and so are you.

I can say screw you ~ this is who I AM. And I like me this way.

Its only a flesh wound! YAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!

All systems are go, just another false alarm.

Today is pajama day at preschool, and Kylie is crying because she has to wear brown shoes. They are cute, and she is cute in her little girl pj's, but no, brown shoes make her cry.

Krista is aggrevated because time is quickly running out and they have to go. Krista has to go to work and Kylie has to go to preschool. Mommy agrees on a last minute shoe change. And while no one is really quite happy, at least there is no more crying and they are both out the door.

Its quiet. Except for the little worries that nibble around my mind. Papers to write, bills to pay, a lawn that needs mowing...and a follow up mammogram and MRI today. I'm not worried so much, not exactly that because I don't believe that its anything too serious. More along the lines of contemplating lifes real priorities. The things we go along everyday thinking are so uber important. Like brown shoes and getting to wrok on time.

Does this look familiar to anyone else? Finals are only 3 short weeks away and I am fully engaged in panic mode. I have at least 3 major papers to write, way too many finals to study for, a full time job, a family and I'm an older learner.

Older learner? What?! I guess that means I'm more mature? LOL~ now thats funny! But I am older (and a grandma), and the truth is that studying and retaining the knowldege does take a different approach. My books go everywhere I go, sometimes they are even under my pillow in the hopes that osmosis is more than a theory.

I've found that what works best for me is to study with short breaks and to change subjects after a break. If I speak the material and write it, then it seems to stick better. My grandaughter loves the art history books and we look at those alot. Even though she makes up her own history to go with the photos, it still helps me with the material. Both my daughters are also in college and we discuss our classes and homework. That kinda helps too. I'd LOVE to find audio textbooks! hmmmm....could be a brilliant business idea.

State of decay in Detroit

As with most of the rust belt cities, Detroit is in decline. It has been called the poster child of Urban Decay. It is estimated that as much as 27% of Detroit is vacant now. That includes single family homes, businesses, high rises and empty lots.

Detroit was the center of the universe for a while. It was once know as the Paris of the Midwest because it had some of the finest architecture in the country. Yep, HAD is the key word. Hard to believe when you see it now. We had Motown and the Motor City, and for a while there we had some great championship teams. The Pistons and the Tigers, the Red Wings, and yes, even the Lions dominated.

FDR called Detroit the "Arsenal of Democracy" during WWII. And in 1909, Wayne county built the first mile of concrete highway in the world. This is funny, but 75% of the liquor produced during Prohibition came from Detroit! So this once major metropolis is now vacant. Large tracts of nothing where neighborhoods once stood. Trees and bushes and even pheasants are taking over the city.

Right now in Detroit there is an experiment underway called Urban Farming. There are 20,000 lots available and all you have to do is agree to grow food. There are also a couple of commercial farmers in on the idea too. Its interesting for sure. Given the decline of the cities and the growth of the suburbs, I can't help but wonder if agriculture is the future of cities.

Kinda "Back to the Future", right?