Happy Pride Weekend!

Happy Pride my lovelies!

Pride weekend in Portland is one of my favorite few days of the year.  And this year, so much exciting stuff is happening!

Between Obama finally deciding to be awesome and honest, and the fact that this year's Pride parade is at 100% capacity for the first time in a long time, it feels like things are finally headed in a truly positive direction.

To me, this feels like a big deal and a beautiful sign for so many of the people I care about.

Next step: http://www.lovecommitmentmarriage.org/

Happy First Day of June Friday!

Happy First day of June my Friday Friends!

Incidentally, today is also national Say Something Nice Day.  (and National Heimlich Maneuver Day, but that’s not really the tone I’m going for here).

So for all of you Friday Lovers, a little something nice:  THANK YOU for reading my silly entries, for responding, and for thinking the story about my mom was cute.

Image from here.

This is my mom.  She’s pretty great.

This upcoming Sunday is Mother’s Day (or Grandmother’s Day, or Aunt’s Day, or Sister or Sister-in-Law, Foster mom, Adopted Mom, or Significant Other, or Cousin, or Great Aunt, etc. whatever makes sense for your family).

In our family, Mother’s Day actually lasts the entire weekend. Which is lovely, and a little funny.  Those of you who have been anywhere near me during my birthday month, now understand why my birthday lasts much longer than a day.

Over the last few years, she has decided that instead of gifts, she wants to give and receive experiences.  I love this idea and so as I was preparing for the upcoming Mother’s Day weekend, I was looking forward to hearing about what we would be doing.  Spa day?  A day at Powell’s?  A trip to the beach maybe?

Nope!

This year, we will be visiting the exotic, adventurous, and exclusive…

Mom’s Office.

My mom is a photo fanatic.  She has been working on a picture project for the last several years to collect, preserve, and share family photos. 

So Mother’s Weekend this year will be spent crowded around mom’s computer, sorting, editing, and otherwise fantastic-izing thousands of pictures.

Let’s wish them a happy day/weekend and thank them for putting up with the phase we went through when all we would do in pictures is stick out our tongues or give the thumbs up.

Happy 90's Music Friday!

Hello Friday Lovers!

Even though I was born in the 80’s, I am, without a doubt, a child of the 90’s.  My favorite color is flannel.  My favorite band will probably always be Third Eye Blind.  Secretly, I think Val Kilmer was a pretty good Batman.  And let’s be honest, the two best, most relatable movies ever are Reality Bites and 10 Things I Hate About You.

Recently, I’ve been back on a 90’s music kick. (ok, fine, I’m always on a 90’s music kick.  All the good music stopped in 2000).  And I have created the world’s greatest 90’s music playlist.  In the midst of clicking “add to on the go” a couple hundred times, I came across a few gems that I had to share with my Friday Friends.

Pick your favorites.  Watch.  Listen.  Enjoy.  And believe me when I tell you that your favorite Friday-er was the best flannel-and-torn-up-jeans wearer ever.

Peaches by the Presidents of the United States of America

No Rain by Blind Melon

Steal My Sunshine by Len

Buddy Holly by Weezer

I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan

Wear Sunscreen by Baz Luhrmann

Image  from here

The End of 1000 Awesome Things Friday

Hi Friday Friends,

Yesterday, my favorite blog came to an end.  I’ve made references to it before in these emails, sent many of you specific entries that remind me of conversations we’ve had, and even spoken about it in Leadership Lunches. Over the course of four years, the author, Neil Pasricha, started here, on a mission to heal himself, and has ended up here.

1000 Awesome Things has had a hugely positive impact on my days.  I read it every day. 

Watching Neil’s Ted Talk about the 3 A’s of Awesome really got me as well.  It’s 17 minutes and worth every second. 

Watch it and be inspired to make every second of your time on earth really truly count by focusing on the small things that really matter and make us joyful. 

image from here.

Happy Titanic Friday

In April of 1997 I was 13 years old and, just like every other girl I knew, I was in love with the movie Titanic.  I can tell you with certainty, I saw it at least 6 times at our local theater.  Which means 3 things:

1) I somehow convinced someone’s parent to drive me to the theater 6 different times to see it (probably with my friend, Emma, who saw it 9 times)

2) I spent $27 on movie tickets ($4.50 X 6 = $27)

3) Clearly I knew the value of my allowance dollars.

In 2012, 3D movies cost $14 (if you’re luck)

X 6 showings (I’m not going 6 times, if I’ve learned anything in the last 15 years, it’s the value of my allowance dollars)

= $84!!!

Can you imagine?

I went to see Titanic in 3D last night after work.

And it was JUST AS EPIC AND AMAZING as I remember it being when it debuted in 1997.

Go.  Enjoy.  And know that my heart will go on.

Image from here.

Happy Easter Friday

I know that Easter means a lot of different things to different people and families.  But today, I want to tell you about how it works for the Kross family.

I have had the same Easter basket since I was 6 months old.  My mom made it for me out of blue, pink, and white yarn.  That Easter basket has travelled with us from Illinois out to Oregon, moved between at least 4 houses, and is older than my brother.

So, every year, my mom pulls out the Easter baskets from her secret holiday stuff hiding place: my pastel macramé basket of joy, a stand in for my brother and his wife, and usually some additional basket for an orphan friend or two who joins my family for the holiday that year.  She fills them with that weird shredded green plasticky stuff, and anxiously waits for us to show that same excitment from 1989.  The best Easter baskets I ever had were filled with Reese's and Lego’s.  There are few greater gifts in the world and I'm grateful that this part of Easter hasn’t changed.

Now that my brother and I are grown, the big thing that has changed for my family is that Easter is a pretty casual holiday.  It no longer requires that I wear an ugly dress chosen by my grandmother but instead, I get to wear sweatpants while my dad makes "Easter Paella.”  A few years ago, Dad travelled to Spain on a business trip and of all the things that happened on that trip, Paella is the thing that stood out for him.

Happy Friday.  Happy Easter.  Happy Lego’s.  Happy Reese’s eggs.  And perhaps, if you’re lucky, happy Paella.

Image from here.