If you dare…

The Replacements have this song I just love… well.. they have a lot of songs I love, but this one in particular, called “I Will Dare”, has a fun little guitar riff that makes me want to bounce…. not hip shake.. bounce. (in case you’re not familiar it’s here www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiCl0AyYxyM)

The lyrics of this song go something like this:

I Will Dare, The Replacements

How young are you?
How old am i?
Let’s count the rings around my eyes
How smart are you?
How dumb am i?
Don’t count any of my advice

Oh, meet me anyplace or anywhere or anytime
Now I don’t care, meet me tonight
If you will dare, I might dare

Call me on Thursday, if you will
Or call me on Wednesday, better still
Ain’t lost yet, so I gotta be a winner
Fingernails and a cigarette’s a lousy dinner
Young, are you? 

Meet me anyplace or anywhere or anytime
Now, I don’t care, meet me tonight
If you will dare, I will dare

Peer pressure is so huge in high school. I keep wondering if it really lessens up as we become adults, or if we just are being pressured to do more reasonable and practical things, so we don’t really notice as much that it still exists. Is worrying about “The Jones” and what they’re thinking of us really any different at 30 than our classmates at 16?

When is the last time you were dared or felt dared? When was the last time you felt the jolt of energy from taking a dare? What if dares were things that challenged you in a positive way to be bigger, better, stronger or more committed than you are? What if we used dares in a way to encourage someone to reach a new level in their lives.

What if you dared happiness… or love…. or silliness… what if your dare to someone inspires greatness?

…

if you will dare….

I might dare…

Saying stuff,

Sarah

But I LIKE tomatoes.

So I wrote a long “newsy” post for my non-holiday greeting in December and then essentially wrote nothing until… well… yesterday.  Here is my 6 month catch up for all interested parties.

December we did all make it to Arizona for Christmas, save for MacKenzie, who had other big plans.  Matt and I made it back right at the new year, and dad… well… dad got distracted and staggered back into town all tan and slow moving sometime in April by way of Mexico.  OH!  Yeah.. we all went to Mexico too… that was good.  8 days in sunny Mazatlan with my boys and I didn’t even get a sunburn.  Success.

I never did make it out west for a ski trip this spring, despite many days looking for a good plan.  Instead I worked a bunch, skied around Minnesota areas and dated this guy, Fred.  We fit in a few trips to Lutsen Mountains, which turns out to be a great deal of fun without a plane ticket.

I hired some great people to work with me… then I myself actually got hired on to my company, thus ending my 10 years of probation.  If I don’t work out now, I’m pretty sure I’m not to blame.

This year I’ve reconnected with a few old friends, which has been wonderfully rewarding.  I’ve seen a lot of hockey games from High school through pro, I’ve been to a few Roller Girls bouts.. which I still say is brilliant entertainment.  I also read a book, lit some stuff on fire to sit around outside, took in a few concerts of all varieties and have generally been having a very full and satisfying year.

I was even asked to speak to some teenagers about what they see, and what really exists out there for who they can become as people.  Seriously…  someone thinks I’m a role model.  It was really an honor to hear that.

I’m also learning to give much more thought to what it is that I say these days.  This Fred… he’s a pretty nice guy.  And earlier this spring I was buying a tomato at the grocery store and choking on the price.  I said to him… “I wonder how hard it would be to have a tomato plant on the deck… and maybe some basil.  I love them in the summer and hate paying for it.”

So Fred says something about how he can help me with that and time passes by.  Ground thaws, it warms up and all of the sudden it’s time to plant the tomatoes and herbs that Fred has started for me.

39 Tomato Plants.

10 Basil Plants

10 Oregano Plants

10 Cilantro Plants.

He tilled a garden bigger than the upstairs of my house and we have planted there… plus in pots on dad’s deck.

While thinking of what to do with THAT many tomatoes canning came to mind and if you’re going to make tomato stuff salsa should really be considered..

add

6 green pepper plants and

6 mild jalapeno plants to the mix.

I’m wondering what the heck I’ve gotten into.  Dad of course has to one up Fred… he is the dad you know, and he comes home with 2 broccolli plants and 2 more tomato plants that are much further along… ie…

bigger.

I’m doing my best with all this considering that I don’t really much do dirt or things that are dirty.  I’ve killed every plant that has ever come into my possession.  There are NO gardeners in my immediate family.  I’ve never first hand seen a garden tended to and I’m downright nervous that things will start dying under my care.

So… I’ve purchased some gardening gloves.  I have my knee high rubber boots in close reach.  I’m going to learn how to can this stuff…

and all y’all better be prepared for me to be dropping fresh produce off at your house when I’m in the neighborhood.  I’d be pawning plants off on everyone I know.. (and honestly still might start doing that) ….

but I LIKE tomatoes…. just not maybe the hundreds that could potentially be produced by my saying I might like a plant.

Says Me!

Sarah

Wouldn’t it be nice…

if I every updated this blog!?!? Yes.. yes I think it would be…

This week I learned how to use the rider mower and have discovered that I am a huge sissy. I may think that I’m a skier and am pretty adventurous and out there living life.. driving in traffic, etc. But the sad reality of the situation is that I, Sarah, don’t like to go fast on the mower.

So that is what I will leave you with today.

Sarah