1:09 a.m. - 2003-09-30
Stress
What's most important to people often is shown in the first thing they reach for when stressed. On the news tonight the effects of hurricane Juan on our province of Nova Scotia were being shown. The longest line ups? Nope not batteries, genrators, food, or gas. Coffee. No power meant no heated water. People were also digging out the barbeques and propane stoves just for the purpose of brewing coffee. Neighbours were sharing their camping gear just to make certain no one went short - of coffee that is. Closer to home I sent my number four son to the store for some supplies we ran out of - notably milk. He came back with a bagful - of chocolate bars and cigars, one of which he stopped at the park to partake of before he came home. Too many days of working overtime and weekends as well. Good thing I like the smell of the cigars he chose, I guess.
It's odd too, how music, movies, or a familiar actor or show will automatically drop one's stress level. I've mentioned before, dear diary, that when my sons' dad left I rented every comedy movie I could find to keep their spirits up. There are still some movies that they'll tune in no matter how often they are played in a week. This weekend it was the first Batman with Michael Keaton, Crocodile Dundee and Three Men and a Baby. The first two I understand, but although I love the third one too, I always thought it was a "chick flick" - what female doesn't enjoy watching Tom Selleck's antics. Maybe it's because my guys saw enough of babies growing up that they could identify with the three males and their dilemma in looking after an infant. My youngest was commenting on the weekend that he was too young to look after babies - kittens that is. I noted I had started looking after my sisters by the time I was five and babysitting out at the neighbours by the time I was seven (rural communities are a little safer that way). His comment was that that was because I was female and so it came naturally - then he ran for cover. Coward.
My "pacifiers" are slightly different, there were clips of Laugh-in running on one channel unexpectedly and I was mesmerized until they were finished. My guys didn't leave the room until they were done either - good comedy gets better with age I guess. That brings to mind Danny Kaye, always underrated as an actor and Victor Borge. They've both been featured lately. Well ok I was watching White Christmas, wondering why Danny Kaye didn't get to play the leading man more often and thinking of other movies I've enjoyed with him in them. Maybe there was a prejudice against red heads or strawberry blonds then if they were males. Trying to find another show, I stumbled on some clips from Ed Sullivan's show the other night. A young Harry Belafonte at the earliest stage of his career singing traditional songs from the West Indies and, as an extra treat, a pretty, young Miriam Makeba singing "Strawberries" - a song I've always loved. Now I've got "Adventures in Babysitting" on. It launched Elizabeth Shue's career, I think and should have done the same for the young actor who played Joe Gipp too - don't know if it did or not since I can't remember who played him. I also don't understand why the show amuses me so much - maybe because I've spent so much of my life looking after children that I can see how those incidents, with a little imagination could happen. I guess it's all in what memories are attached to a certain time or experience.
Stress relief today, dear diary? Well, I decided to let the kittens have the run of my bedroom too. It faces south and gets the most natural light during the day, there is a window they can easily look out of and it has the "Magic Mirror" that their mom loves to parade in front of - I thought she would want to treat them to a show too. What did they decide to do? Take over my bed and snooze in the sun all day. Looked like a miniature pride of lions. What the heck, I crawled under the sheets and curled up next to them for a while. Nothing like falling asleep to purring in your ear and cuddling with kittens who are obviously dreaming of chasing butterflies and other wonders in the sun, right?
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