Placate Popcorn: Why Get Tatted Up?

Somebody help me. If you understand the desire to tattoo oneself, please stand up. If you can type standing up, now explain it to Popcorn. This one really slays me. I was born without the body- as- a -canvas appreciation gene. I understand make-up, nail polish, jewelry, tanning, "work", lipo, clothing statements...I decorate myself up as much as the next person and I do what I can to look pretty, of course! But with things that don't HURT and can be REMOVED before bed. I like to express myself...but not with a needle jabbing my skin with permanent ink in the shape of a dragon. Sometimes it appears to be an outward manifestation of utter self loathing if the tattooing is extensive. Ok, I hear the exasperated eye brows raising. So perhaps Popcorn is just, well, boring..too yesterday.(or yestercentury) I like edgy. At 35 (huh?) I like a certain edgyesque style within the confines of sort of... I appreciate creativity. I respect a certain brand of non-conformity.The funniest people I know (and the best dancers!) are the ultra out-there crowd who only know how to be the do their own thang kind of people. But really and truly, what are the reasons behind it tattooing? Isn't it telling that individuals involved in the drug culture are some of the most tatted up people? Could it be that what they think is a conscience choice stemming from rebellion might really be their very soul's effort to make invisible misery now starkly clear? Branding themselves how they believe others perceive them already? How does marking the body fit into the body as God's temple doctrine? Does it matter? What is the overarching message of a life tattooed??? Inquiring minds want to know.

Oh, I forgot to show you a picture of Gayle

Just got home from spin and realized I forgot to show you a picture of Gayle, aforementioned spin instructor extraordinaire. Hold on just a mome while I wring out my shirt, it's dripping on the keys....ok...ok there ..well, give me a minute to steady my shaky hands....dang, my vision is a bit blurred, but if I can just get this posted.... I can take a vitamin and lie down..here, OMG is that blood coming out of my ear?????...no no it's ok, just tears.....alllllllllrighteee... here's my girl!:

Pedaling Popcorn (this post dedicated to Gayle, my friend and spin instructor extraordinaire)

Have you ever been to a spinning class? The music is pulsing, the fans are whirring, the sweat flies. It's fun because you can close your eyes if you want to and get lost somewhere in your head. No talking required. I'm sort of a loner when I exercise. I don't want to chat, I want to work hard and sweat and think my thoughts. I cannot do that and make chit chat. I like to sit on the back row of bikes, wear a baseball cap with the bill pulled down low, and just be an anonymous rider. I encourage you to try a class out! Go ahead! The bikes are kinda intimidating the first time you go and have to adjust the handles and seat height, but after the first time you'll feel like a pro. Nothing special required..some will have spin shoes that clip in to the pedals, but that's not necessary. Just wear your regular tennies and strap yourself into the pedals and get ready to have fun while you spin off a ton of calories. See excercise invigorated Popcorn above right demo-ing proper spin bike posture and attire. I gotta go, class today at 9:15 : ) xxoo

Ping Ponging at Popcorn's

Our house has a silly room. Does yours? It is supposed to be a "living room". For years I had it properly living roomed up, but always had gnawing guilt that the room was wasted. We never, ever, LIVED in there. It was pretty and lovely and housed a beloved piano, but really did not warrant the title living room. It sat dormant except for the occasional piano practicing session. The Christmas tree looked nice in there once a year... but not pretty enough to hog the space for the entire year waiting for Christmas to roll back around. I decided to throw decorating dreams to the wind and bring this monstrosity in from the garage. The Popcorn men are ping pong players par excellence. Translation: rabid when holding a paddle. Now the room is ugly, but well used and I feel better. (and during December it was a great surface for Santa to sort and wrap gifts on) Popcorn, pictured below sans makeup, enjoys the new room. I think I won that volley. xxoo

Popcorn's Prescription (really God's): Loving Well

This morning I began a new four week Bible study with a group at church. The topic is Loving Well, writting by a popular teacher from Houston. The premise is this: our Christian journeys should progress, not stall out. We should improve, get better, grow toward the goals set for us by Christ. Children grow as they get older, and we should grow the older we get in Christ. We should love well. We should be capable of loving others "better" than we did last year, or the year before. That would be an indication of growth. Many of us feel that we walk around in a Christian fog and never know any real answers, we just have to guess how we are doing. No, we don't. There are growth indicators if we are only willing to look honestly at ourselves. What does loving well mean to you? Do you love others better today than you were able to five years ago? One year ago? How are you acheiving this? Are you able to accept the love offered to you by God? Loving well is God's prescription for a happy existence. Loving others is the font of happiness and satisfaction because it replaces the endless, exhausting quest for self gratification which we think will provide happiness, but alas will not. Thoughts?

Popcorn Ponders the Past

Thirty days has September, April, June and November.....

This day in history.....April 2

1792: Congress establishes the US mint to coin American money

1801: During the naval battle of Copenhagen, Nelson ignores a signal to withdraw by putting the telescope to his blind eye

1958: National Advisory Council on Aeronautics renamed NASA 1966: Soviet Union's Luna 10 becomes spacecraft to orbit Moon

1982: Argentinian forces invade the British run Falkland Islands

April 2nd birthdays 742: Charlemagne, French emperor 1725: Giacomo Casanova, Italian lover, writer and philosopher 1805: Hans Christian Andersen, Danish author of fairy tales 1840: Emile Zola, French author 1891: Max Ernst, German painter 1914: Sir Alec Guinness, English actor of stage and screen

April 2, 2008....I wonder what bloggers of the future will write here??

Popcorn's Pastime: Beautiful Birds

I love birds. Recently I filled a birdbath and a window box outside my kitchen window with birdseed instead of water and flowers. There is a lovely Bradford Pear right outside that window with lots of good branches for the little creatures to perch on. I wondered if the birds would notice and be brave enough stop a minute and graze. THEY ARE!! I have enjoyed the most beautiful show of bird visitors. My favorite favorite are the cardinals. They are so beautiful! And people these birds are three inches from the large window so I am able to get a really really close up look at them. They like to grab on to the sides of the birdbath and peck for a while. Then they flutter up to a tree branch and look in the window right at me and I swear they are saying "thank you lady, it was delicious!" The males are brilliant red, the females are tan and red. They communicate through song, isn't that sweet? The female will sing from the nest (I don't have a nest, but I read this about them) letting the male know when to bring the food. The male sings back to her, "ok honey, I'm on my way with a beak full of worms". I've had both males and females at my window, probably mates. I've enjoyed my big screen window to nature this spring.