Thursday, November 5, 2009

I wish I was the moon tonight

Without the internet working last night, I felt lost. Disconnected. Bored. Lonely. Scared.

I’m lying about the last two. And I went to bed early.

Lying in bed, after mentally choosing my wardrobe for the following day, I tried to remember what I used to do in the evenings before the internet came into our lives. We got our first computer in the early 90’s. Our sons were very young, in grade school. And then I began to remember what I did in the evenings before the internet.

After dinner and dishes, we watched television. The boys would get ready for bed and then they would come downstairs and I would read to them on the couch. These are some of my best memories of being their mother. They would cuddle close to me, one on either side as I read chapter books to them, most notably the entire collection of C.S. Lewis’ tales of Narnia. It took a long time to read that set. And I loved every minute of it.

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I got a little bored last night, so I went outside and took pictures of the full moon, setting up the tripod. They really aren’t great, but you can at least tell it’s a moon. I need a better lens.

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For beautiful photos of the full moon, visit my blogging pals Kacey here or Mary here.

And here’s one I found on Flickr that’s pretty cool. It was created with layers in PS and is definitely worth a look.

On another note, voting is going on right now over at Kacey’s Wine on the Keyboard for the October Photo of the Month contest. I’m not asking you to choose my photo. It’s just fun to have a lot of people voting and this month there are so many wonderful offerings. The theme is “Fall”. Check it out if you have a moment or two.

And now a question for you:

What did you do in the evenings before the internet?

Until tomorrow, my friends . . .

PS: The post title is from Neko Case “I Wish I Was the Moon Tonight”.

35 comments:

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

I also read to my kids in the evenings. The all-time favorite was Charlotte's Web - and I must confess we read lots of Berenstain Bear books and golden books--fun, but not of the caliber as C.S. Lewis! Did more chores in the evenings too--I must say that my housekeeping has gone wayyy downhill since Internet. V.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Before internet there was TV. I"ve justified all the time I spend feeding my internet addiction by saying that with TV all the communication was one-way, and really very little thought was required. With blogging and internet, communication can be two-way and if you're writing then in theory you should be using your brain.

In theory, I said.

susie said...

Before the Internet, i had kids at home. We didn't watch TV because we made a conscious decision not to have one....They did homework, read, played games. We did a lot of Scouting and Search and Rescue volunteering.

Now I'm on the internet!

Hilary said...

I was thinking about that not long ago, that I need to do more of what I used to do before my lap top became attached to my body every evening.
I used to do more knitting, more hand work.....rug hooking, more creative stuff.
Just lately, I have started making some room in my evenings for those things. We should be able to live without the internet, ya think?

La Feroce Bete said...

My mother read C.S. Lewis to us when we were small! The Chronicles of Narnia are a favorite memory. And oh to capture the moon.

Mary said...

Oh yes, I read to my kids too. To this day, I spend some time on the internet, but also some time reading every night. I could not fall asleep without reading first...

Thanks for including my moon shot. I think yours looks fabulous! :)

Char said...

lots of television and reading

Sarah Anne said...

I don't remember evenings before Internet. It's hard for me to believe that such evenings ever existed. *sigh* I'm not as grown-up as I'd like to think. Lol.

tainterturtles said...

I've been reading your blog over the week and I just had to respond to today's post. Everything you said reminded me of myself when my two children were little. I miss those days so much. Now my kids are college-age and I have to beg them to visit!

Before Internet....my children were young and we ALWAYS read books everynight before tucking them into bed. Gosh, I read a lot of Bernenstain Bear books!!!!!

I'm enjoying your blog.

Tess Kincaid said...

My evenings before internet were carbon copies of yours. Sweet memories.

I tried to take pics of the moon last night, too, but they came out just so-so. I need my dream camera!

Chocolate Cat said...

I used to go to bed early and read! Those were the days I finished a book weekly, now I rarely get one started!

RURAL said...

We only just got a computer 3 years ago, so the memory of not having one is fairly clear. I used to read, and read, and read.

We watched very little TV, and for a few years before I got married, I didn't even have one.

But, they will have to drag this computer out of my hands before I will give it up. This is a entirely new world. And I love it.

Jen

noble pig said...

Before the internet, I was young still so went out with friends, played!

Cloudia said...

GREAT title! I hear ya sister.

And a lovely post! Narnia. What wonderful memories those kids have today....

Glad you are back on the web, here with us, friend.

We cuddle and laugh at TV (and the cat).

Aloha, Friend!


Comfort Spiral

Anonymous said...

Television shows And early sleep before the arrival of internet.

Sugar Creek Beads said...

Seems like we have had the internet forever, but reading and taking care of my family consumed my time. Now the computer is attached to me and I feel lost when the internet goes down. I think I need to take up more reading! Jeanne
Kate, check out my post today, I have a give away you may like.

queenbuffness said...

Ahhh, life before the World Wide Web, where time goes to die...
My hubby used to go to bed the same time I did. sigh...

Gail said...

Sometimes, I yearn for the simpler times...no tv, no computers.

Deb said...

Yes, I've been enjoying the beauty of the moon these past few days. Little Jack looks for the moon up in the sky now. so sweet!
Berenstain Bears books, yep! I read those to my children and now I read them to Jack.
The past few weeks I've been working on the Christmas stocking for Jack which is the reason I have been not blogging so much.
So what did you wear to work today? :)

Anonymous said...

Moon shots are HARD. I tried again this month but not sure how they'll turn out. Haven't pulled them off the card yet.

The JR said...

We don't have internet at home. We live in the sticks and besides I work on this old computer 8 hours a day. Don't have time for computers at home.

Too much other stuff to do, horses, cats dogs, chickens, house, yard, fishing, hunting, garden.....

Flea said...

What a beautiful moon.

I miss reading aloud to my kids. We homeschooled for nine years and I read to the kids the entire time. Even when the boys were 13 and 10, I read to them. Tarzan. Sherlock Holmes. Perelandra. They listen to books on CD now.

Daryl said...

Before the internets... I did much what I do now, I get home from the office, change into my slob clothes, sit down and chat with ToonMan, give the cats some attention (which means feed them). Watch the news and then The Daily Show and then that days recorded All My Children .. now I am sufficiently mellow/relaxed .. ToonMan usually offers a movie or a TV show thats been recorded .. and by 10 pm I am in bed and by 10:01 I am asleep!

Exciting, no?

I dont even check email at nite....

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

I have an 11 year old...do I need to say more??

I saw this moon too!
<><

ellen abbott said...

Before the internet I was too busy even if we'd had it. Usually after fixing dinner, cleaning up, helping the kids with their homework and finally putting them to bed, I usually put a couple more hours in in the studio. Kids are grown now and we are, thankfully, not so busy that we have to work two shifts. Now I get to meet many new wonderful people via the air waves. BTW, I read all the Narnia tales to my kids as well.

Thanks for visiting my blog yesterday.

ellen abbott said...

Oh, and I meant to say...that's a fabulous picture of the full moon.

Dagmar said...

Oooohh I loved the moon last night too because it was full round and seemed to be very close to my bedroom window. I used to read, read and read before the internet...that was so much fun too. And yes just like me I loved to read for my two boys when they were little. Hmmm...sigh....seems ages ago.

Jo said...

I watched "Moonlighting". :-)

I painted, read, went ice-skating at the community center rink. Come to think of it, I haven't done that for a while.

I have found myself pulling away from the Internet a bit these days. There are evenings when I don't even turn on my computer.

Your moon shot is wonderful, by the way.

Sandy aka Doris the Great said...

I had 3 little girls to care for then and I worked full time. So, evenings were spent feeding, washing, cuddling, reading & tucking: then I moved on to prep of dinner for the next day (so the eldest could pop it in the oven when she came home from school). But I did always make time for me -- me and God spent some quality time together and then me and the TV spent some low-class time together.

I much prefer my evenings now!

maillady said...

great shots kate. hey i too have to go for the gallblatter removeal. wish me luck. i loved reading to my kids and nothings better than the first time they read to you. just took hailey to see where the wild things are.... great movie and such memories from when my kids read that. love to all

lime said...

ah, i too loved the bedtime story hour. we made some good memories then. glad you had the moon to entertain you last night.

thanks for stopping by my place. :)

Hilary said...

I remember those cuddle-on-the-couch days fondly too. They went by so quickly... sigh!

I spent the other day playing with the full moon too and have a post set to go for Sunday. It's quite irresistible - that orb.

Egghead said...

I read to my kiddos, read to myself, sewed, cross stitched...oh the list goes on. I still do most of these things....but now it is the grand kids that I read to.

beth said...

great question....
I wish I knew or could remember...
probably the same thing we do now, but now we do it with our laptops in our laps....

well, I guess we did more reading, too...like with books in our hands...now we just read....well, on the computer of course....

Leslie: said...

I cannot believe that my husband died before the Internet was such an everyday thing. I remember he bought us an Atari (remember those?) so I know he would have been a diehard internet fan. Back then, let's see - cleaned up the kitchen from the evening meal, bathed or supervised the bathing of my 2 daughters, read to them, put them to bed and then watched TV with hubby. After he died, I spent most evenings marking papers or planning the next day's class (I went back to teaching) and would finally collapse in bed around 11:00 pm. It wasn't until after I retired that I spent so much time writing and blogging, etc. But I've made SO many new friends and I love it!