Thirteen Thursday: XOXO
1. My first act of guerilla graffiti with my new label gun was to print up labels on bright red tape saying “I love you” and then stick them on certain people’s briefcases, cars, cards and such.
2. I’ve decided that my graffiti tag is XOXO.
3. My son Dylan’s birthday is February 13th (which is why it’s circled on the calendar). I’ve always told him that he was born the day before Valentine’s Day because he’s such a sweetheart.
4. Has anyone ever found a style of designer checks where you like all the designs? There is always one ugly one thrown in the batch that I save for paying the bills I really dislike.
5. My definition of a cliché: Lingo that’s been played.
6. Blogging: Rapid fire writing.
7. My best cry of last week happened while watching the Susan Saint James and Dick Ebersol family on Oprah talk about losing their youngest son Teddy in a plane crash. Teddy’s brothers were on the show too, one of whom survived the plane crash, as did his dad. Having lost two siblings, one violently, the show really hit me hard. I also related to the strength the family showed and the fact that they are avid Red Sox fans.
8. Best read of the past week was a speech made by U2’s Bono at a recent Presidential Prayer Breakfast that I found on (L)amb. Bono began his speech with a joke…Please join me in praying that I don’t say something we’ll all regret…. but soon got to the real reason he was there: It’s not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It’s not an accident. That’s a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor… ‘As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.’ (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor…. And finally, it’s not about charity after all, is it? It’s about justice.
9. Everything in February has a Valentine theme. The February Museletter, the homespun local publication that I co-edit, is always printed on bright pink paper. I’m currently drafting a blurb for the next Spoken Word Open Mic, February 18th 7 pm at Café Del So, for the Floyd Press. It starts, “Is there someone you want to serenade?”
10. When putting the Museletter together in February, I looked for good love quotes to sprinkle throughout the publication. Here’s one of my favorites by poet Anne Sexton: Love and a cough cannot be concealed. Even a small cough. Even a small love.
11. This space could be yours. Leave a good love quote in the comments and I’ll put it here.
12. Best news of the week: On Wednesday, a group of 86 evangelical Christian leaders went against the Bush Administration’s environmental policy (or lack thereof) by issuing a “call to action” on global warming. “The Christian leaders said they were impelled by their faith to launch the campaign out of a growing realization that the threat of global warming was real and that the world’s poor would suffer the most,” one newspaper reported. Of course the nightly news felt they had to feature a counter comment, ‘They should be pursuing causes that protect the sanctity of life,’ one far right talking head ironically remarked. DUH?
13. Best Grammy moment: For me, it was Bruce Springsteen’s solo performance of the title song from his new recording, Devils and Dust, which one reviewer called “one of Springsteen’s most nuanced, intense looks at what it means to be an American in dangerous times.” In a break from of all the flash and glitter, Bruce sat under a spotlight on a stool with the lights turned down low. After singing his acoustic number with piercing intensity, he took off his guitar and spoke the words, “Bring them home” before walking off the stage.
Post Note: Go see Nicole at the The Girl Next Door for the details on 13 Thursday or click on the 13 icon on my sidebar to see links to other players.
February 9th, 2006 9:14 am
my favorite love quote, from the 2005 proverbial cat calendar (february):
Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking in the same direction together.
yes, it was last year and yes, i still keep that one up!
February 9th, 2006 9:23 am
My favorite love quote is about marriage. We put it on the front of our wedding program when we got married. It was said by Bishop Jeremy Taylor, a clergyman in the Church of England who lived from 1613 – 1667:
“Marriage hath in it less of beauty but more of safety than the single life; it hath more care, but less danger; it is more merry, and more sad; it is fuller of sorrows, and fuller of joys; it lies under more burdens, but it is supported by all the strengths of love and charity, and those burdens are delightful.”
February 9th, 2006 9:23 am
I watched that Oprah! I cried thru the whole thing. It hit me hard as well. What strength that family has. I would love and sit and talk w. them.
I read that speech over at Lam(b)’s too. I love Bono.
I like all my checks. They are by Mary Engelbreit.
A quote hmmmm….I like this one today:
“The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”
– Bertrand Russell
I’m up!
February 9th, 2006 9:43 am
I had two that I liked a lot. I used the first one in one of my posts this week.
“I would rather have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love” ~ Robert Tizon
“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” ~ Judy Garland
Didn’t watch the Grammys and this may be blasphemy but I never have liked Bruce Springsteen’s voice or his music in particular. Just not my style.
February 9th, 2006 9:50 am
I like today’s Love Quote of the Day
If I love you, what does that matter to you!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Happy bday to your son and Happy Valentine’s Day to you (I will be gone next week), My little list is up.
February 9th, 2006 10:11 am
Happy Birthday to your son! My son’s is the 2/15. So he is the day after. It makes it easy for family to remeber. My fav quote is :
Friends, books, a cheerful heart,are the most choice companions we have here.
-William Mather
February 9th, 2006 10:31 am
Happy birthday to your son! Yah! I love birthdays!!
One of my favourite quotes:
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” Dr. Seuss
Got my 13 up!
February 9th, 2006 10:46 am
Oh, now, this is funny. I’ll apologize in advance for not reading your whole list – yet – because I have to go get on the treadmill before my morning free time slips away from me. But right off the bat – I came to tell you that I wrote a dream for you today in my 13, and look at our tags. And our mentions. We could be neighbors, I think.
xoxo!
February 9th, 2006 10:55 am
I love your banner quote, as you saw last week! 🙂 My 13 are up!
February 9th, 2006 11:08 am
Happy (early) Birthday Dylan!
I love the check idea…saving the bad ones for the bad checks. Great idea :p
Favorite quote: Remember, God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so.
Thanks for stopping by today.
February 9th, 2006 11:17 am
Happy pre-birthday Dylan! Yes he is a sweetheart.
Colleen asked:
Has anyone ever found a style of designer checks where you like all the designs? There is always one ugly one thrown in the batch that I save for paying the bills I really dislike.
Kathy answers:
Mary Engelbreit checks are all adorable. Here’s a sample: http://secure.checksinthemail.com/product.aspx?productid=812&lid=29
but mine are cuter, from another selection.
Also:
I wish I had a gun label before you and Josh got one – I could have sent an “I love you” before you thought of it. Guess I’ll settle for a love quote. Here’s a goodie: “Tell me whom you love and I will tell you who you are.” -Houssaye (a French novelist and poet)
February 9th, 2006 11:26 am
Here’s a funny love quote for you…
“Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence”
–H.L. Mencken
It was said in cynicism, but I choose to see it as hopeful.
My 13: http://www.dcroe.com/blog.html
February 9th, 2006 12:04 pm
Oh man I wish I had seen The Boss’s performance. I’m bummed that I missed it.
This quote is from my list of favorite quotes. It is from Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons and was expressed by Arcady following Katya’s response to his profession of love. “Who has not seen such tears in the eyes of his beloved has never experienced the degree of terrestrial happiness of which man is capable when stunned with gratitude and overcome with shyness.” I read that long before saying the three big magic words to anyone. When I met my wife years later and did finally say the big three, I was reminded of Arcady’s sentiment.
February 9th, 2006 12:08 pm
Kath,
did you notice you weren’t the only one to mention Mary Engelbreit checks. I checked them out (pun intended) and they don’t really do anything for me. I like the ones I’ve picked, but there is definately one in the group that I like less than the others, which is why I keep changing my check design. When I worked at Seeds of Light noticing people’s checks was a favorite past time of mine.
I love all the quotes everyone’s coming up with. I’m collecting them for a future post.
February 9th, 2006 12:24 pm
Yes, I noticed after I wrote my comment that it was mentioned further up. I’m in love with everything Mary Engelbreit, so that’s why her checks do do something for me. She’s into putting quotes on her art work too, which I also love.
It’s interesting what you say about spending time looking at people’s checks while working. I don’t do that, but I do “imagine” people who work in banks etc. looking at mine. I even had a time I’d write “thank you” on them, just to keep the people guessing as to who the message was for. It was for anyone who saw it. LOL.
I have the same thing with stamps. I always ask to see what they have at the post office when I purchase them, and never do I buy the boring flag stamps. My reason for doing this is the same…ie, I “imagine” people looking at them.
Guess we’re cut from the same cloth (except for Mary Engelbreit).
February 9th, 2006 12:37 pm
Great post! I love number #1, #8, #12. Great food for thought.
February 9th, 2006 12:41 pm
I like your definition of blogging. That is so true. Talk about writing on the fly! That excercise is good for the writer though!
My 13 are up.
February 9th, 2006 1:18 pm
Congrats! You have been nominated for a blog award at One Woman’s World. Come on over and nominate some of your favorite women bloggers!
February 9th, 2006 1:23 pm
Totally with you on the checks. I often feel that the gas company (or whomever) doesn’t deserve a nice check. Ditto postage stamps.
February 9th, 2006 1:51 pm
“The whole world sees you as one person, but the right person sees you as the whole world.”
Great list. Happy TT!
February 9th, 2006 2:09 pm
I watched that Oprah, too and was very moved, also…What a strong family they are..I love that Susan St. James is like a fierce mother lion…(without the needs of a lion to stalk prey, of course)…gathering her cubs around her and that includes her dear husband, too…I’m so glad you mentioned this Colleen…
A “Love” Quote…
“There is nothing Love cannot face. There is no limit to it’s faith, it’s hope and it’s endurance.”
There is a quotation I’ve used when performing Wedding Ceremony’s that involves the meaning of ‘The Ring’..I don’t know if this fits into the catagory, but…here it is in case, anyway…
“These rings symbolize your love for one another, unbroken, they encircle your fingers as your love surrounds you both, with no beginning and no end….they are the outward symbol to all who see them of your commitment to one anther,”
February 9th, 2006 2:19 pm
Three favourite love quotes:
“Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.”
“To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world.”
“Forget love… I’d rather fall in chocolate!”
February 9th, 2006 2:30 pm
Speaking of rapid fire writing…I blogged 6 entries today! WHEW!
Including Thursday 13 and Thankful Thursday!
I am also going to comment on your other posts…sorry I haven’t been around much this week…I’m making up for it today! Ek!
February 9th, 2006 2:40 pm
No love quotes from me today but thanks for the link, I’m glad you liked that Bono speech. I was worried about such a long post, but I thought it was worth reading.
I’m going to find the Springsteen performance somewhere, I love him.
Nice post!
February 9th, 2006 2:47 pm
I have a Valentine baby too. Born on Feb. 12th 🙂
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Janne/Thursday+Thirteen/
February 9th, 2006 3:40 pm
Happy Birthday to your boy! My boy turns 40 on Feb. 19th!
I saw the Ebersols on Oprah, and I marvelled at their strength together.
I love all my checks – they’re tulips, 4 different designs and colors, hand-painted.
February 9th, 2006 6:02 pm
WOW what a great Thursday Thirteen….I absolutely LOVE the “Love Quotes”…….I also thought Kathy was the commenter about the “Mary Englebreit” checks. I know how much she likes her. I was shocked to see it was Nancy.
I love all my checks….they are NATURE ones and when you buy them, donations go to WildLife.
I missed “THE BOSS”….and he is one of my favorites.
And My quote is really my bumper sticker: LOVE IS THE LAW!
February 9th, 2006 7:15 pm
I sign all my correspondence to the ones I love with XOXO. Yesterday, when I sent an email to my mom from work, the spell checker offered me up this potential replacement: xBox.
I wish I could explain why it upset me so.
“All love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon sand.” Ella Wheeler Wilcox
February 9th, 2006 9:15 pm
Wow. Lots to think about in this list.
1. I couldn’t watch the Oprah show. I saw the ads and knew it would be too emotionally drenching.
2. I saw the debate on CNN this morning about Christians and global warming, but I didn’t know why they were discussing it. Thanks for the background.
3. I like your red labels and the xoxo’s.
4. I can’t think of a good love quote right now. Are you posting all that you bet as next week’s TT13???? Appropriate for Valentine’s Day week.
February 9th, 2006 9:25 pm
Loved that Bono speech! He is the best.
February 9th, 2006 9:28 pm
Great list! You had me cracking up with the remark about the checks; I’d never noticed it until you pointed it out, but you’re SO RIGHT! And I LOVE the quote from Bono; I wish there weren’t many people who call themselves Christians and then refuse to help the poor. It seems you and I have a lot of the same views on things, actually; number 12, for example.
February 9th, 2006 9:31 pm
i can’t remember the last time i wrote a cheque, i use my debit card and pay my bills on line.
i usually post my tt late wednesday night, otherwise i never make it to everyone, that’s why i’m already onto friday, but i’ll link you up at my place for the tt.
February 9th, 2006 11:40 pm
cool list! and the comments are cool too cause people write so much!
come check out my list!
http://killired.blogspot.com/
February 10th, 2006 9:04 am
#8 Bono…this guy does some wonderful things, and yes that was a great read! DL
February 10th, 2006 3:55 pm
It’s a long quote, but I love it:
You know,
I look at you
and it’s funny, you don’t remind me of myself exactly
but you remind me of a certain time,
I remember what I used to think love was then;
that it was like fireworks, the explosions, the highlights,
but it is not.
It’s time:
to go through the seasons together
through change
through the ups and downs,
to be able to look at your beloved
and say,
“We did that together as one,
we chose each other above all things”.
That’s love.
It’s unexplainable.
It’s a secret
that can only be known
once you’ve done
the time.
-Alan Rickman in “Dark Harbor”
February 11th, 2006 9:35 am
I wish Elvis Costello could have done The Scarlet Tide this year at the Grammy Awards. He’s changed the lyrics of that one when he performs it in concert to “Admit you lied and bring the boys back home”
Here via Michele’s