Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A New Post, about Nothing.

You know when you don't have much to say? And you want to say it anyway?

I've got nothing at all clever, or even particularly interesting today. I just wanted to post over the spirit pictures below, as Halloween is over and my little girl is back to being a little girl rather than a chiffon shade.

Yesterday was Sarge's birthday, and he's on vacation. I took Hedgie to school and we spent a quiet day together, just hanging out. Nothing exciting, just hanging out. I watched him wander the nuclear wasteland in "Fallout." We listened to Flamenco music for an hour, then to bazouki music and he grew nostalgic for his upbringing. We had lunch together--raiding the fridge for leftovers. I baked him a chocolate cake. We did three loads of laundry and he folded, very nicely I might add. We watched some Monty Python--you know that obscene sex education skit, the one that always makes me blush and cackle at the same time. We spent a long time discussing how to keep Hedgie grounded even though she attends a school full of uber-wealthy, silver-spoon children and we live modestly. I begged him to write me a "meme" to post and he refused. I knitted and he pottered.

Then he left to pick up Hedgie from her cello lesson, and to grab take-out burgers and french fries, a delight that I don't often indulge in. They returned home for presents and cake, and Looney Tunes, and after that, in true Victorian dinner party fashion, Hedgie gave us a cello demonstration, and we were amazed at her good tone--no squeaking and screeching!--and then she gave Sarge a little lesson, laughing as he hunched over her quarter-sized cello.

That was my day. And this was my post. Oh and I left out the very private bits because I am nothing if not circumspect.

31 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

It sounds like a perfectly delightful birthday, in every way!

just bob said...

"Nothing" sounds quite appealing!

Abi said...

That sounds like a lovely birthday :)

The image of Sarge and the cello is so cute!

I'm in a similar mood, nothing to say yet I want to tell everyone!

Brian Miller said...

happy birthday sarge. actually it sounds like a delightful day!

Karen ^..^ said...

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE posts like this, Leah.

Sometimes I truly envy your life. But then again, I have a pretty good life myself.

It feels like, through reading your blog, that I truly know you, that we've been friends for a long time. And I like being your friend. You are a truly good person. Interesting and funny. Purely well read and very grounded. Down to earth, yet a seriously deep thinker. I love the combinations there. You, Hedgie and Sarge totally ROCK.

Karen ^..^ said...

I do miss your gorgeous antiqued paper blog, though.

Hunter said...

There is a hidden beauty in life, and I so envy your ability to effortlessly find and communicate it.

Very nice post.

Pat said...

Is Sarge Scorpio too? MTl's is tomorrow - 4th. And are you Pisces by any chance?

Ponita in Real Life said...

What a beautiful nothing day, Leah! And a very Happy Birthday to Sarge.

Sounds entirely lovely... all of it.

Kat Mortensen said...

It may seem like "nothing" to you, but it was charming, honest and enviable to me.
MP makes me "cackle" too. Exactly.
I love the cello.

nick said...

Strangely enough, I'd never seen th Sex Education sketch so had to watch it. Excellent stuff, I can just see a public school master doing it in exactly that style.

A cello demonstration - what a great idea for a birthday. And it sounds like Hedgie's getting very proficient.

Megan said...

Happy Birthday, Sarge!

I like these little 'nothings' posts because they are so not nothing!

Merely Me said...

You would think I would stop by more than once in a while to get my peace fix. Life is crazy and your posts are beautiful. Previous pics you posted are awesome!!! Awesome!

Mr. Shife said...

Not a bad way to spend a day. It is the little things.

Barlinnie said...

Hen, if that's how wonderfully cosy you can describe 'nothing' please feel free to sit next to me the next time I draw a blank on topics.

Another layer peels away...

Ronda Laveen said...

I love pottering. Knot (sic) so hot with the knitting. Sounds like a wonderful fall birthday. And you gave the perfect "circumspect" gift. Love the snood, dahling.

Mike said...

Ahh! "The Meaning of Life" A very tough scene to watch in mixed company!

Dot-Com said...

The greatest posts tend to be random rambles. Gotta love it, thanks for sharing your day!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a wonderful day, filled with good company and the simple pleasures.

mapstew said...

That was a grand day. All good.

Happy Birthday Sarge.

Leah said...

Willow: I admit, it was very nice. Now for my birthday, though, I like a little more of a bang! But that's just me...Sarge was perfectly happy.

Bob: sometimes nothing much is very restful.

Abi: isn't that feeling of wanting to tell all about nothing a funny one? I often have it, and do tend to indulge...

Brian: I have duly passed along the birthday greetings, thank you so much from Sarge!

Leah said...

Karen: that is the MOST loveliest sweetiest thing to say. I think that between this blog and our outside communications, not to mention all the things we share in common (even the hard ones), well, you definitely do know me. It is nice to be known isn't it? Anyway, I really needed to hear something like that today. It helped me. xo

Leah said...

MJ: I'm sorry, but alas the chocolate cake is gone, already! We totalled it. Utterly totalled.

Karen: I have restored the antique paper look! The white was just too glaring, don't you think? But then I couldn't find the previous color.

Hunter: the truth is that if I don't focus on the little beautiful things along the way, I have a real tendency to get bogged down in gloom. It does seem to help to try to look at my days with a certain rosiness. It's sort of like smiling until you actually find your smile.

Pat: Yup, Sarge is a Scorpio. I'm a Capricorn--my birthday is January 8th (get ready, I'm gonna be celebrating that puppy for a week before and a week after...). Happy birthday to YTL!

Pony: I passed your greetings on. Sarge loves to get birthday greetings! It was a beautiful nothing day, sometimes those are the best.

Kat: isn't MP funny like that? The surreal wild humor is definitely cackle-worthy. Not just a giggle, but a cackle. We laughed our heads off at that skit.

nick: didn't you just LOVE that one? It is SO embarrassing to watch, but it's my favorite of all. Second only to "he wasna so much a man as he was a blanc-mange." We're forever quoting that to each other around the house, for absolutely no reason.

Leah said...

Megan: I passed your greeting along too! And you know, I actually love when other bloggers do posts like this so that you can get a glimpse of a day in the life...of course, one always leaves out "and then I paid my bills, and put my head down on the desk and wept" or "Sarge and I fought ferociously over something or other but I can't remember what!" or "the pull chain in the toilet tank broke off and now I have to reach in there to flush it because I can't be bothered to fix it!"

Okay, I went off on a tangent there...

Leah said...

merelyme: I try to post peace to soothe my anxiety. It actually does work.

And give the little one a squeeze for me!

Shife: you're right. And I like to remind myself of it all the time. Hugs to Baby Monkey!

Jimmy: see now, I wouldn't mind hearing about a "nothing" day of yours too, it would be fascinating!

Ronda: haha! you mentioned the "circumspect gift," you rock! Well, what's a birthday without it?

otin: truly, it is difficult to view in mixed company, even with one's own husband, and Sarge was at the birth of his daughter! I still have trouble watching that with him!!!!

Dot: You're right, I really enjoy reading other people's bloggy rambles too!

Cinnamon: the company was very nice, it's true. And the cake, even better! just kidding. But the cake was really good.

map: Sarge thanks you for the birthday greeting!

Maria said...

I do so love a day drenched in plain. I have way too much going on in my life and I adore days of nothing. I like waking up and having no where to go and nothing I have to do.

Ms Scarlet said...

I doubt I'd manage to fit all of that into one day!
Private bits eh?!
Sx

Candie said...

And me I like your new post about nothing!That was something!LOL ;D

Baino said...

I love little glimpses into normality too. Sounds like a perfect day frankly full of small highlights rather than big bangs. I'm a great, and I mean great washing folder because if I do it particularly well, I can avoid ironing. I'm so glad you're encouraging Hedgie to play the Cello. I wish I'd persisted with piano.

The Unbearable Banishment said...

But isn't this post the perfect metaphor for life itself? Just when you think "nothing" is happening, you look around you and find that there's plenty going on. John Lennon said that life happens while you're making plans. Or something like that.

nick said...

My God, I never saw Man Turns Into Soctsman either. How did I miss so much? Must be because I was a poor impoverished bookseller and had no TV at the time. I must rectify these glaring lacunae in my consciousness post haste....