Savoir Faire Is Everywhere

Last week, we went to Hayward, Wisconsin to see the sights…and by "sights" I mean "weird things." We stopped into a candy store and the lady behind the counter asked if we'd seen the Largest Muskie - a real one that had been caught, stuffed and mounted. We had not seen this 7th wonder of the freshwater world so we headed into town to see it. We saw a sign on the front of a bar and pulled into the parking lot and looked around for the entrance to the "museum" but couldn't find it. Someone said, "I think the entrance to the museum is inside the bar."

Nope. The "museum" was inside the bar.

So, we spent some time with our children in a dive bar in Wisconsin looking at taxidermied wildlife while the midday drinkers looked at us. The kids found the "exhibits" interesting but not as interesting as they found the bar patrons. As we walked out, Miguel said, "Mom! Some of those people were drunk!"

Museums really are educational.

Here is a lovely collage of some of the museum's offerings:

 Where have I been when not visiting museums? I've been at VillageQ channeling Clark Griswold and talking about giant muskies! I've been at the HuffingPost writing about family dinners and same-sex marriage. I've been on the Mom2.0Summit blog answering questions about writing and fear. And I've been hard at work on Listen To Your Mother.

Do you remember Tennessee Tuxedo? Klondike Cat? Savoir Faire. I feel at little like Savoir Faire so I dug up this old intro and reveled in a bit of nostalgia.

http://youtu.be/VMt3GOyRkU4

And where will I be next week? Right here. For Peep Week 2014. See you then.

Listen To Your Mother Twin Cities 2014

Galit, Tracy and I are thrilled to be bringing Listen To Your Mother back to the Twin Cities on May 8, 2014 at the historic Riverview Theater. Last year was a great experience for us as directors/producers but also for the cast who read their work to a packed house. But it is a new year and it's time for a new cast. We are now accepting submissions for consideration for this year's show.

If you have a story about motherhood to share, please send it to us at ltymtwincities@gmail.comand do the following:

1. Make sure the piece is no more than 4 to 6 minutes in length when read aloud.

2. Put the title of the piece and your name in the subject line of the email.

3. Attach the submission as a Word document with the title of the piece and your name on the first page.

We will be accepting submissions from now through February 3, 2014.

Keep in mind that you don't have to be a mother to submit. You simply have to have a story about motherhood.

Here are the stories we shared last year. Will you share yours this year?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2VCH5-QUIM&list=PL5oPQWgVdsDkaevsjrlsSr4g07SJDyWL6&feature=share

PHOTO CREDIT: VIKKI REICH

On Swaying

Early in my life as a parent, I noticed the way I held my babies, the way I would rock back and forth and whispered to them. This isn't something I learned from my own mother, at least not that I remember. I also noticed Luisa doing it and my friends and even strangers in check-out lines in grocery stores. There is a common rhythm to this swaying that we do when soothing someone we love. I reflected on this and what swaying has come to mean in our house and am thrilled that the post is featured on Mamalode today.

Here is an excerpt:

I saw Luisa standing in the pantry staring out the window that was perfectly framing a full moon. She held our daughter against her chest and swayed back and forth and stared out the window, whispering words of comfort like a secret.

These are constants–the moon, the movement of the tides, the instinct to comfort.

You can read the rest here.

PHOTO CREDIT: VIKKI REICH