"Oh, magic hour when a child first knows it can read printed words!"

I spent half of my childhood in another world...

"The childhood shows the man

As morning shows the day."

And that's how Clara C's it!

"Too many people grow up. That's the trouble with the world, too many people grow up."

Someone called earlier today and asked to speak with my mother.  They assumed that I was her, so when I answered the phone they simply said, "Melissa?" and I unprofessionally responded, "Nope." Then the caller figured out it was me (because I'm the only one who is ever home) and I told him not to worry about his mistake because all of us girls sound alike and he said that it was because we were all growing up.  


I was temped to tell him that the voice is deceptive.  I still have a lot of growing up to do. 

Maybe I will never grow up.  I always had a crush on Peter Pan anyway.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

-George Bernard Shaw

And that's how Clara C's it!

Outdoorsy People

I like outdoorsy people.  Lots of people are outdoorsy.  Even famous people enjoy the outdoors.

Gregory Peck enjoys flying planes.

Audrey Hepburn takes great pleasure in riding her bike.

Paul Newman works the fields when he gets the opportunity. 

F. Scott and Zelda like hiking...and sitting on rocks.

Cary Grant clearly loves animals. 

Michael Caine digs hunting. 

Julie Andrews simply adores frolicking in the hills. 

Robert Redford wrangles bears in his spare time.

Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart enjoy boating on remote rivers. 

I would probably be friends with any of the above people. 

And that's how Clara C's it!

Thief in the Night

My mother and my sister decided to have a garage sale this summer.  They have been planning it for the past couple months and the week of the sale is approaching.  Under normal circumstances I would not be opposed to a garage sale.  Sure, sell everything in the house, what do I care.  It's not like I need an old rocking chair or a set of German knives.  However, this garage sale is different.  


For the past couple weeks my mom has been sorting through our books and putting the ones that she wants to sell in boxes.  I didn't have a problem with that.  I don't read half of the books on our book-case anyway and so I don't really see any reason to oppose selling them.  BUT YESTERDAY!  Yesterday I went downstairs and what did I find?  AN EMPTY BOOK-CASE!  I almost cried.  


I don't care if mother gets rid of our American Girl Doll books, or Betsy, Tacy (I secretly hated those books anyway), but she is selling the picture books that shaped my childhood.  There is no WAY that some child is going to get his greasy little mitts on Fritz and the Mess Fairy.  They wouldn't understand the themes, or the complex moral issues addressed.

So I am becoming a book thief myself and stealing BACK the beloved books of my childhood.  I don't know what I will do with them, or where I will keep them, but at least I will know that they aren't being drooled on by some ungrateful child.


On another note, dear reader, there are going to be some changes to the blog.  I am thoroughly un-satisfied with the way it looks.  I just wanted to warn you so there aren't any surprises.  Well, there may be a couple surprises.  I like surprises.  


And that's how Clara C's it!

The Problematic Lion

Google Image "Lion Face" and this is what comes up.  I don't know why I think it's so funny, it's probably better than anything I could draw.  I think it's the eyes.  

This Just In! Boredom Results in a Most Random Blog Post!

We like to ride on executive planes.  We like to sit around and get real paid.

  

Emma, my eldest sister has been home the past couple days and so that means that we have forced family togetherness aka family golf outings during which Hannah insists that we wear our matching Spring Lake Golf polos even though we both haven't played in four years.  

Adorable, isn't it?

Forced family togetherness cut into our Gatsby party prep time, but it was still a success, with the exception of the tiny, inefficient gelato spoons which I was clearly upset about:

Portion control...really?

I'm already planning another party in my head.  This one is going to be a "Bilbo Baggins' 111th Birthday Party" party.  I think it will be a hit.  Think about it, fireworks, ale, pipe smoking, dancing, food, and very short speeches during which the host mysteriously disappears.  I can't think of a better party.  

Gandalf also has a nice beard (I can't believe I left him off the list), but since he's a wizard he probably uses his magic powers to make it grow.  I suspect Dumbledore of the same trickery. 

Today is the summer solstice. I sacrificed small animals to the sun gods and danced pagan dances around a large bonfire. 

And that's how Clara C's it!

Girls, not Sissies!

Yesterday was Father's Day.  


I am my father's daughter.  I'm not a "daddy's girl", we just understand each other. 


I couldn't find a (good) picture of my dad and I, so here is a picture of my father on his third birthday:

 And a picture of me on what I can only assume is my third birthday:

I think my father deserves a round of applause, or maybe a handshake, or something because he successfully (with my mother's help) raised three daughters.  That's not the easiest task.  One day he said (and I quote):

"I raised girls, not sissies."

That's right, Paul!  And yesterday, I saw a spider and killed it myself, so I guess you raised me well.  Happy Father's Day. 

And that's how Clara C's it!

Old Sport

I'm pretty much convinced that Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby is the only man for me. 

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."

I like this font because it makes me feel like I am using a typewriter, even though I am clearly not, because I don't have to pound upon the keys and return my carriage every twenty or so words.  

Anyway, if you have eyes you can clearly see that there have been some changes to the old blog.  And that's all there is to it.  I was getting bored with the previous lay out.

"'They're such beautiful shirts,' she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds.  'It makes me sad because I've never seen such--such beautiful shirts before.'"

And that's how Clara C's it!

A Mother's Wisdom

This is what my mother said to me after Zoe (our dog) was called down to the end of the street by two little boys on bikes so that they could pet her and kiss her on the head:

"The whole world would be a better place if everyone was just like Zoe.  If all people want to do is pet you and kiss you, you must be doing something right." 

Moral of the story.  Be more like my dog.  

And that's how MAMACITA C's it.

Clara's Big Adventure: Part Two

The Chicago adventure was quite the success.  I didn't end up getting a Chicago dog, but other than that it was probably one of the best days of my life and definitely the best Monday of my life because let's face it, Mondays generally suck.  Once we got to Chicago this is kind of how the trip progressed:

The Bean

The Bull

The Library

Some very happy people at the fountain.

The amphitheater

The Head and the Heart

People watching.

Iron and Wine

Posing for photos.

Made a new friend.

Met the Head and the Heart

Oh Heaven, go easy on me.

And that's how Clara C's it!

Clara's Big Adventure: Part One

Tomorrow I am going on an adventure.  This is how the adventure will go:

Driving...

Train.

Millennium Park.

Quest for the best Chicago Dogs.

Iron and Wine.

Starbucks.

Driving...

So it's like a sandwich with driving as the bread and adventure in the middle.  I can't wait.

"Let us step out into the night (or mid-afternoon) and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure."

And that's how Clara C's it!