Monday, November 22, 2010

My Homage to Nancy Botwin

I bought myself a present this weekend. No particular reason I just, felt that I deserved a little something to say "You done good so far Jones, and you haven't completely cracked up yet!"


At first I thought that it would be something knitting related, but after scouring some of my favorite yarn related sites, I couldn't come up with anything. Then I went to Amazon.com where nothing from my cart or my wish list jumped out and said "Buy Me Now". So I closed up the pink computer and decided to wait until the "buy me bug" bit. I didn't have to wait long.


Saturday as I'm going to the boys' house for a cook out with friends I realize that I need a decadent, caffeine filled drink.


So into the Starbucks I go. (In my opinion, this is by far the best time of the year to indulge in the Starbucks. All of those warm and fuzzy holiday inspired drinks just make me go all gooey and happy inside.)


So I'm waiting at the counter for my Creme Brulee Latte when I spy it .


What was once described to me as the Tickle Me Elmo of the Starbucks World, the cold tumbler. A couple of my knitting friends had these this summer and when I tried to get one they were out. Unless of course I wanted to go to Ebay and pay $50 for one......whatever.


But there in front of me on the counter it sat. Ready to be my "Happy Saturday, you haven't gone postal on anybody" gift. So I grabbed it and got back in line and bought myself a present.


Now why all the fuss on an overpriced, although planet friendly advertisement for Starbucks? Well let me tell you. Spring 2010 was kinda an unhappy time and suddenly I found myself running a dance studio and trying to keep my remaining family members and myself together. Heavy grown up stuff for the girl who would be Peter Pan.


But I sucked it up, bought a few bottles of wine and moved forward. But first I realized that I needed a heroine to emulate. My first thought was of course the fabulous Scarlett O'Hara, but I rethought that idea pretty quickly when I remembered that after Scarlett's mother died, her father went crazy and then broke his neck.


On to female heroine number two, Holly Golightly. The light came on with that one when I realized, I will never be that thin and I don't like throwing parties that much. Besides to emulate someone more self sufficient. As Georgette Mosbacher would say, a woman who used her femine force.


I always pictured myself as the Auntie Mame type, but I had reserved that mindset for when I got older and my eccentricities would be more accepted. Or I could at least say that I don't give a damn and really mean it.


And then one hermit-like weekend when I indulged myself by watching a marathon of the first four seasons of "Weeds", one of my all time favorite shows, it hit me. Nancy Botwin.


In the face of death she had to suddenly take care of her family and protect them in the most creative way that she knew how. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not selling the wacky up in here, I just like her spunk. Plus she did it all with a lot of style and the ever present Starbucks cup.


I recently (last week) got promoted, but I am not about to blow my raise on a daily Starbucks run. That would be stupid. But I can sip away at the overpriced yet earth friendly advertisement for Starbucks, while I contemplate my next covert move..... how to find a new take on the 3 year old class tapping to "Grandma got run over by a Reindeer".