Five Questions
Me and Muhammad, 'at work' in the Greenmarket, NYC; summer1995.Around Christmas, my friend Kerrie at Life at Number 14 interviewed me as part of a meme with a difference.
It's time for me to follow through! Here is the interview:
1. You have lived in a number of places worldwide...do you have a place that feels like your spiritual home..??
I feel a very strong connection with New York City. I met my husband there on the corner of Thompson and Grand. :-) I loved living there. I felt a sense of freedom and liveliness that I've never felt anywhere else. I miss walking out the door and seeing where the energy takes you.
It was not an easy life; I was the ubiquitous 'starving artist' having fun in my little rundown shack of a west village apartment with my 3 other roommates. The downstairs neighbours would have mad loud parties all night long followed by mad naked orgies spilling out into the hallway. And they were the sorority girls! But I loved it. Where else can one see a Hal Hartley film followed by a discussion led by Hal Hartley himself! And when I wanted out, all I had to do was hop on the train to the mountains for a beautiful visit with my Aunt and Uncle.
NYC is amazing. You can literally buy a hammer in the middle of the night there. When I first moved to Canberra from NYC, I was in culture shock and would offer up that hammer joke often, to whoever would listen. At that time, the shops in Canberra closed at 5:00pm. I'd barely started my day by then!
I sometimes feel that we'd move back to NYC in a heartbeat but it may be a part of my bygone years now. I'd need more money now, that is for sure. I've been softened by a little more wealth and a lot less exercise.
2. What is it about Blogging that appeals to you..??
Initially, I was unsure about blogs. I thought that having a blog meant I'd have to write interesting or meaningful things all the time and I was pretty sure I wasn't that clever. I didn't know what my blog would say. I could write exclusively about grieving, but I already had other places on the net to do that.
Then when I quietly started one and started looking around (I still am learning how to use this thing!) I found a whole world of crafters. So many people making so many beautiful and clever things! I feel it was just the kind of injection I needed to inspire the artist part of myself that has been neglected. That is why my blog is called Sum of Mum. I wanted to convey that there were many parts to me. It feels like one of the first places on the net where I can share all of me.
3. Parenting is both a joy and a trial, often within a five minute span. Tell me about your greatest parenting joys...
Lately the bubster has been giving me long long hugs and saying, "I just wuv you mummy, so so much!!!" That is a beautiful pure feeling. It's those moments where I am not hassled by something else, a need or a desire to be somewhere else, those moments where we just be. I love those. It's a true and constant exercise in being in the moment.
4. ...and your greatest parenting trials...
Being in the moment. LOL!! Time moves so quickly that I find the growing up part difficult. I'd like to have him stay little for a wee bit longer. I'd like to manage our time better so that we can flow more. I find it hard to balance the things I want to do with the things he wants me to do. LOL I have to tell myself - let it go - because before I know it, he will be all grown up. That song by Cat Stevens really says it all.
It's time for me to follow through! Here is the interview:
1. You have lived in a number of places worldwide...do you have a place that feels like your spiritual home..??
I feel a very strong connection with New York City. I met my husband there on the corner of Thompson and Grand. :-) I loved living there. I felt a sense of freedom and liveliness that I've never felt anywhere else. I miss walking out the door and seeing where the energy takes you.
It was not an easy life; I was the ubiquitous 'starving artist' having fun in my little rundown shack of a west village apartment with my 3 other roommates. The downstairs neighbours would have mad loud parties all night long followed by mad naked orgies spilling out into the hallway. And they were the sorority girls! But I loved it. Where else can one see a Hal Hartley film followed by a discussion led by Hal Hartley himself! And when I wanted out, all I had to do was hop on the train to the mountains for a beautiful visit with my Aunt and Uncle.
NYC is amazing. You can literally buy a hammer in the middle of the night there. When I first moved to Canberra from NYC, I was in culture shock and would offer up that hammer joke often, to whoever would listen. At that time, the shops in Canberra closed at 5:00pm. I'd barely started my day by then!
I sometimes feel that we'd move back to NYC in a heartbeat but it may be a part of my bygone years now. I'd need more money now, that is for sure. I've been softened by a little more wealth and a lot less exercise.
2. What is it about Blogging that appeals to you..??
Initially, I was unsure about blogs. I thought that having a blog meant I'd have to write interesting or meaningful things all the time and I was pretty sure I wasn't that clever. I didn't know what my blog would say. I could write exclusively about grieving, but I already had other places on the net to do that.
Then when I quietly started one and started looking around (I still am learning how to use this thing!) I found a whole world of crafters. So many people making so many beautiful and clever things! I feel it was just the kind of injection I needed to inspire the artist part of myself that has been neglected. That is why my blog is called Sum of Mum. I wanted to convey that there were many parts to me. It feels like one of the first places on the net where I can share all of me.
3. Parenting is both a joy and a trial, often within a five minute span. Tell me about your greatest parenting joys...
Lately the bubster has been giving me long long hugs and saying, "I just wuv you mummy, so so much!!!" That is a beautiful pure feeling. It's those moments where I am not hassled by something else, a need or a desire to be somewhere else, those moments where we just be. I love those. It's a true and constant exercise in being in the moment.
4. ...and your greatest parenting trials...
Being in the moment. LOL!! Time moves so quickly that I find the growing up part difficult. I'd like to have him stay little for a wee bit longer. I'd like to manage our time better so that we can flow more. I find it hard to balance the things I want to do with the things he wants me to do. LOL I have to tell myself - let it go - because before I know it, he will be all grown up. That song by Cat Stevens really says it all.
5. What is on your "To Do" list..??
Everything. LOL! I'll have to live to be 110. :-) Traveling more. One of the benefits of being married to an academic is the opportunity for Sabbaticals. We've traveled quite a bit already. If the bubster is to be our only child (not how we wanted it but I don't get to make the rules) then traveling with him is quite feasible. I try to think of it as something we can give him as an only child.
My immediate "to do" list is about organization. I want to reduce our stuff and as part of that, I will be going through all my fabric and scraps. Making stuff is the result of that I hope! Exercise is also a big one on my list. I want to get back into some sort of shape. As a former dancer, I know that muscle tone supports emotional tone and stamina. Energy would be wonderful! Along with this goes our desire to learn more about macrobiotic and Japanese cooking so that we can feed our bodies better. I've recently discovered how wonderful agedashitofu is. Wow!!
Another thing I want to explore is illustrating the bubsters stories. I think that would be so fun for him to look back on his stories with full illustrations. He tells some doozies!!
-------------
So that is me! Want to be part of it?
Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation, a link to this post and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Everything. LOL! I'll have to live to be 110. :-) Traveling more. One of the benefits of being married to an academic is the opportunity for Sabbaticals. We've traveled quite a bit already. If the bubster is to be our only child (not how we wanted it but I don't get to make the rules) then traveling with him is quite feasible. I try to think of it as something we can give him as an only child.
My immediate "to do" list is about organization. I want to reduce our stuff and as part of that, I will be going through all my fabric and scraps. Making stuff is the result of that I hope! Exercise is also a big one on my list. I want to get back into some sort of shape. As a former dancer, I know that muscle tone supports emotional tone and stamina. Energy would be wonderful! Along with this goes our desire to learn more about macrobiotic and Japanese cooking so that we can feed our bodies better. I've recently discovered how wonderful agedashitofu is. Wow!!
Another thing I want to explore is illustrating the bubsters stories. I think that would be so fun for him to look back on his stories with full illustrations. He tells some doozies!!
-------------
So that is me! Want to be part of it?
Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation, a link to this post and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
Comments
Travel up this way to the Seattle area, okay? :)
miracles,
k-
When I read you moved from NYC to Canberra I nearly fell off my chair. I've spent time in NYC and lived in Canberra. I'm amazed you actually survived the culture shock.
Oh, and we also wonder where everyone is hiding in Canberra. Mr Tacc is from London - Canberra terrifies him.