bits and pieces

yesterday I was called ma'am by a group of middle school boys.

an hour later I was called sweetheart by a middle-aged sales clerk.

today marks two years since I graduated from college.

so I'm not really sure what to make of all of that.

(and yes I realize I should stop being stunned that it's been 2 years and that the number and distance is only going to keep getting bigger)

in the midst of a very chaotic work week, we also had a gardening event at one of our community gardens that Sheryl Crow came to.

so there's that.

and yes she is as tiny as she looks. If tiny means you take how she looks in these pictures and than multiply it by about 100 for how she looks in person.

the best part was that the kids who we were doing the event for had totally no clue who she is or why she is famous. They knew she was a "famous singer" because that's what they were told by their after-school counselors, but beyond that they could have cared less. While the media trampled the vegetable garden (way to go camera men) trying to get the perfect shot of Sheryl, the kids just kept on planting, painting and otherwise partaking in the activities we had for them.

all they cared about was the fact that they got to leave school early and had full permission to play in the dirt, to paint with bright colors on fun objects and to dig in the mud.

that was beautiful to see.

and it meant they asked adorable questions to Sheryl, like about what kind of songs she played and why she couldn't play a song for them right now.

(ignore the awful green shirts please)

we also got to go to her concert that night and to meet her during the meet and greet.

as I watched her play all sorts of instruments, kiss her adorable son good-night on stage and sing, I was struck by the joy with which she performed.

it was clear that she has lived her life doing the thing (music) that brings her joy and allows her to feel alive. I hope I can have that kind of joy radiating from me twenty-five years from now.

although hopefully it will not be from a stage with an accordion strapped to my chest (did you know she could play the accordion?!?), because we all know that would not bring me joy, but only panic and embarrassment. :-)