updates & creativity

i realize it's been awhile since my last post...and that my last post wasn't one at all. it's been a busy time at the merryman house...sort of.

a few updates: my mom is hanging out with her radiologist today. she starts a pretty rigorous radiation schedule on monday, as well as a 6-month stint with chemo. i'm sure it's going to be fine, and that this terrible monster will exit my mom as soon as he sees all the weapons we're throwing at him.

my dad went for his "halfway" exam. the lesions in his liver are shrinking...praise the Lord! he is healthy as a horse...he really does look a thousand times better than he did 6 months ago. the treatment is a' working...and none too soon.

in other news...i don't normally have a whole bunch of time to read, but i do it any way. one of the best books i've read in the last two years was eat, pray, love, by elizabeth gilbert. she's amazing.

this month, TED is hosting a big ole conference...one that i'd kill to go to, but alas, killing wouldn't make money spring up from the ground to get me there. elizabeth presented a talk there. i know that most of us don't have 20 minutes, but if you have any creative persuasion "in you," please click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA to see it. if you absolutely don't have time, go to the 15:30 mark and hear her out. the synopsis is that (1) creativity is taxing on your emotions, but that (2) we have to work hard to manage the emotion that comes with it and (3) regardless of whether your work will be labeled "genius," sometimes you gotta let it out on the off chance that you might let a little bit of divinity out into the world. powerful.

additionally, my beloved has been working on ways to manage our expenses given the state of our economy. bless him. i am proud to say that over the past week, the hubs has saved us about $1200 (!) a year! seriously, he has called the cable people and bundled our services and changed our alarm company and called the insurance people. he even threatened to sell his (really cool) car to buy two mazdas. this was where i had to tell him to slow his roll, but i had to admire his tenacity.

finally, our son has been invited to his first prom as a friend. to which he said, "maybe i will wait until she finds someone she likes and then she will ask him." i said, "when a girl gets up the guts to ask you to the prom, she's pretty set on you taking her." and he said, "maybe. maybe not." bless him little heart. darn tootin' you'll get some pictures posted on that one. can't wait.