On Nostalgia

Recently, I've been particularly enamored with the power of nostalgia. It began when I was at a Billy Joel concert last week and as the Piano Man belted out hit after hit from his career, moments of my childhood flashed through my mind. Driving to soccer games with my Dad, summers on the boat, sitting on the pink carpet of my bedroom waiting for songs to play on WALK (a popular long island radio station) so I could hit record on my red cassette player and get the song on tape... Billy Joel's music brought me back to moments and places from growing up that I hadn't thought about in ages.

And then I went to Washington D.C. for the weekend and the entire city served as a nostalgia explosion, each national monument, sidewalk or museum reminding me of some time in the past when I'd been there during the glorious years that were college. It filled me up with a joy so potent, I wish I could've bottled it up to save for later.

Nostalgia is pretty amazing. That a song, smell, place or object can suddenly transport you to another time and even make your insides tingle with the pleasantness of the memory feels quintessentially merry:) So this week I challenge you to indulge in something nostalgic. Play a loved-but-since-forgotten song or visit that former favorite place you no longer frequent and then pause for a moment to enjoy just how beautiful your own personal past is. Because even though life can't always be Billy Joel songs and college, it sure is nice to be able to go back and visit:)

Hump Day Distractions

hehe.

Good Hump Day my merry friends! Today is one of those chilly "don't forget that winter is coming" sort of days in NYC and it took a trip to Duane Reade for tights (which I'd opted not to wear this morning) to fully clothe myself for the day (doh!) Wherever you are today, I hope your apparel is sufficient and your Wednesday is speedy.

* What does your drink of choice say about you? (via CupofJo)

* One of the things I look forward to most about having kids is making them look ridiculous.

* These photos are stunning and also delicious (still on a fromage kick over here!) (via CupofJo)

* Is America ready to go green?

* Do I need this blouse? I think I need this blouse.

* And while we're shopping, these shoes.

* So apparently I'm super late to the party and THIS is a viral sensation. What does the fox say?

* Kinda like Sleep No More, but possibly even more amazing? (wish I was headed to LA sometime soon!)

* Remember.

* The season of slow cooking is upon us and THIS looks yum.

* Scotchy Scotch Scotch

* It's a little bit nuts how many of THESE I can relate to.

Take me home.

Come here guys, I need a hug!

As you may have noticed, last week was a bit... off. A bit less merry... filled with more of life's tough stuff than anyone prefers. And you know what I wanted more than anything as the week wore on? To go home to my Mom and Dad's. Now this isn't the house I grew up in- there's no childhood bed or memories there, but it's where my parents are and I wanted to lay on their couch and listen to their voices and let them feed me delicious meals. I'm a married, professional woman and when life got tough, what I wanted was my Mom and Dad.

As I grow up and become an "adult" (used in quotations because I'm still not positive when exactly I'm old enough to fit into that category) I'm amazed by how much I still need my Mom and Dad. And it's not just because my Dad knows how to hang a light fixture and my Mom knows how to make a yellow-ed bathing suit white again... it's because their presence can calm me in some unspoken way. Traveling home with Dr. H for a day with my Mom and Dad took the weight of a very heavy week off my very tired shoulders. I guess even if we grow up and grow older, we never stop being our parents' kid. Awesome.

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P to the S: Seektobemerry is now not just a blogspot, but also a .com! Typing www.seektobemerry.com into your browser will bring you the same bloggy goodness as www.seektobemerry.blogspot.com AND I'm way more google search-able! Check it out, tell your friends!

Just a little comfort (object)

World, meet Rolly. Rolly is one of a well known one-hundred and one dalmatians, and he has been my "lovey" for almost as long as I can remember. That's right, I (still) have a lovey and I'm not afraid to admit it. A holdout from the childhood era of comfort objects, Rolly has been to sleepovers, summer camp, college and on countless vacations, even surviving one terrifying "leave behind" in Hong Kong. Rolly has been cuddled blind (repeated attempts to sharpie-repair his pupils have been unsuccessful) and snuggled flat (he used to have a pudgy belly). Even Dr. H loves and respects the power of Rolly.

While it may seem juvenile, I don't see how a favorite stuffed animal or blanket is any different than a beloved hooded sweatshirt or a delicious home-cooked family recipe. Material things are capable of bringing us comfort no matter how old we are because they evoke a feeling inside us. Though there obviously comes an age when always toting around your comfort object "just in case" is no longer appropriate, I think that if you want to grab a stuffed animal when you get home because it's been a brutal day, why the heck not!? Do you still have a comfort object in your life? Are you willing to admit it!?