Speeding Away

Ok, so not really speeding, but is has been a number of months since I have posted to said blog. Primarily due to being very busy. But, trust me, the Siren has not left Marietta, although that WOULD be news. There was an election, although how one knows who to vote for, I cannot tell you. I did get one letter from a candidate, who I voted for because she actually took the time to send me a letter. I know, not the best way to run a democrazy, but at least I voted! One of my goals is to attend an actual council meeting. Local politics is always interesting, as we learned in Pequea, and I am sure Marietta fits a similar bill.

If any of the candidates had asked me, I would have asked them the following questions: (Actually a friend of mine came up with them, so at least TWO of us would have liked to ask the following)
What is your vision for Marietta?
What are the current issues for Marietta - siren, levy, town improvement from more trees to increased police enforcement to snow removal, zoning, creating a business community?
What would your primary focus be as an elected council person - your role as a community leader in Marietta?

So, what are the chances of them ever holding a candidate forum so we could be informed voters? Well, I am not holding my breath. Instead I will watch the wonderful show that is Marietta during the holidays, and remind myself that THAT is why we moved here.

Supermodel

So I did it, and actually went forward with getting baby (ahem, TODDLER) pictures done at Sears for AZ's bday #1. I went back and forth, I mean, I HAVE a camera, what can they do that I cannot? And isn't that just joining the consumer bandwagon that I always want to reject.... but then again, I have ONE child, and he sure is cute : ) So off I trundled to Sears- who I currently hate because they turned down a refund I am due. But they were not so expensive, and could get the little man in ON his birthday. So two days and several hours of clicking and selecting later, and I paid a pretty whopping fee for some awesome baby pictures. Even though the girl who took the pictures had all the enthusiasm of hmmm..... those teenagers at Taco Bell who are not ever sure they have cups, let alone drinks to put INTO the cups.

But anyhow, despite the fact that she was obviously no zest for child photography, she took some darn good photos. I had the job of chasing little man around and putting him in front of the camera for the 5 seconds before he dashed off - his goal being to grab the camera and the button that made it work. Or to toss the blocks in a fun arrangement, narrowly missing the camera, or to pull down the lights by the intriguing cords. Grandma tried to solicit grins through funny faces and absurd noises- and Grandpa watched from a somewhat safe distance.

The pictures were great, better than I could have taken, and he will never be one again. So I have given up on buyer's remorse and decided that this is a long term investment-something to look back on when he is 16 and claims to not be my child, or at least not a child who has to hang out with me in public. But for today, he is my little man, and I have an "Bronze Package" of photos to prove it.

Birthday Boy

Birthdays are fun, and more fun when there is a baby involved- although apparently once they turn ONE they are no longer BABIES- now he is officially a TODDLER. A BIG boy! He is not offically walking yet... but onto toddling, no more referring to "the baby." I always thought that it was best to call him by name, but I think people get confused by us having two name choices for him, A to Z! A or Z! A and Z! Anyway, I almost did NOT schedule a birthday party for him, being so busy, but then I realized I was making way to big a deal out of a 1 year old's birthday party. All he would care about is playing, and if the party is for HIM, that is all I had to worry about. So I ordered two cakes- from Loaf of Bread Bakery in Lancaster, http://aloafofbread.com/ one carrot cake, one Mexican Wedding Cake- which no one had heard of, but a vast favorite with the whole crowd. It has the texture of a carrot cake- cream cheese frosting, nuts and pineapple on the inside, along with a ribbon of cream cheese... YUM. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mexican-Wedding-Cake/Detail.aspx (I found a recipie!) Then I went to Cherry Hill Orchard and bought some of every bit of locally grown fresh fruit they have. So- cherries (WOW!) Apricots, blackberries, blueberries and strawberries... and put them in bowls ready to eat. Cheese from a local dairy and bread (from the same bakery) and some iced tea make with berries. I love that his birthday will be during FRUIT season every year! Anyway, kiddo had a good time, and our guests did as well, for Fruit Fest 07. And I remember that having a birthday party for him, it is important to consider if I am doing something for ME, HIM, or OTHERS. (The carrot cake was for me- that is my favorite! Luckily he was quite taken with it as well) Grandma and Grandpa C had fun, as did Aunt K and Uncle S, and Auntie Janna and other assorted guests, who helped bring on the good cheer and a rousing "Happy Birthday" song. I was short on taking photos, but I did get a few shots to share with friends and family far away from festivities. So happy birthday, AZ! My favorite part was telling his birth story- how just a year ago we did not have a wonderful son, and now our lives have changed forever, in the best possible way.

DW Rocks Hard!

So today I gave DW a hug and sent her off to Hard Rock 100, yes a 100 mile race. And this is such a hard 100 mile race, that she had to run an easier 100 mile race to train for this one! So she is off to rock Hard Rock http://www.run100s.com/HR/ and she has no idea how amazing she is! Not to mention that she is one of the best friends that anyone could ever ask for. She will never do a blog, so I will have to post updates on here for her. Needless to say I wish that AZ and I could head her way and crew- that would be wonderful, but sadly impractical right now. So we are cheering for her from the sidelines!

What I am listening to today....

So while driving to and from Marietta, when the siren itself is not blowing, I am listing to Brandi : http://www.kksf.com/cc-common/new/6/player.html?art=978&loc=0&gateway=exiting we are on a first name basis, because she was born on my birthday. So why the melancholic tones? Not sure, but I love The Story, the perfect song for one of those days. For the other days, I like http://www.myspace.com/amyrigby07 Amy Rigby- right now these are my two rotating CDs in BETTY (more about BETTY later) Any songwriter who references Rasputin is OK by me.

The son is enjoying a CD I bought on a whim, http://www.amazon.com/Last-Breed-Willie-Nelson/dp/B000NA1ZLA who knew? I am not opposed to the old style country in general- I mean, Patsy Cline is certainly cool, but Heartache by the Numbers makes my little dude rock out with his favorite little dance. (Video may some day follow if I get more tech savvy....)

Marietta, PA: Since the only official Marietta website I can find is run by the Marietta Militia (would THEY fight for the Marietta Siren?) Here is our favorite WIKI link to Marietta information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marietta,_Pennsylvania home to the Susquehanna Waldorf School, the New Day Cafe, and the Marietta Siren and the assorted motley crew. Not to mention the most obnoxious misused air raid siren ever to interrupt a baby's sleep to announce a FALLEN TREE BRANCH. Yes, they use the air raid siren to announce such events, to keep the population safe from such deadly hazards. In Pequea, we would find a neighbor with a chain saw to chop it up (someone ALWAYS had one in the back of their pickup truck, along with some thirst quenching PBR and some sort of lengthy firearm). Anyway, no crazy town alert required.

The Positively True Adventures of the Marietta Siren

Welcome to the Positively True Adventures of the Marietta Siren, known not for the melody, but rather the volume and frequency of announcing important news events in the town of Marietta, PA, and the home of the Marietta Siren and her cast of assorted human and animal friends. We are using the less traditional siren as in our WIKI definition: A civil defense siren (also referred to as an air raid siren, tornado siren, or outdoor warning siren) is a mechanical device (modern day sirens are electrically-powered) for generating sound to provide warning of approaching danger and sometimes to indicate when the danger has passed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_defense_siren

Really, now, there has to be some sort of benefit to the truely obnoxious Marietta Siren, and for now, this is IT. For the far-flung friends and family, this is the place for updates, cute pixs, and general notes on our lives in Marietta, PA and the surrounding landscape of Lancaster, PA.