In praise of rose-colored glasses

...and what exactly is a "toddlin' town"?!?

"take a permanent vacation. you're blog is boring. you write like your cinderella on acid. or june cleaver. you must wear rose-colored glasses a lot."

That was a comment left on the post in which I had explained that I was taking a blogging break while on vacation. Obviously, someone is not a huge fan of my blog. The same person (hello--you leave your IP address when you leave a comment!) left a few other fairly hostile comments on other posts as well.

I had to laugh. First of all, the "Cinderella on acid" comment was genuinely funny to me. But the other reason is because, as a rule, I'm not the most optimistic person in the world.

I have a lot of Irish in me...and it's common knowledge that it's typically Irish to either be in a jubilant mood or be in the pits of a black depression. Maybe I'm not quite that extreme, but I do battle times of being really down in the dumps.

I honestly didn't realize that my blog comes across quite differently. I guess it can often seem somewhat light and trivial, although I firmly maintain that it is often quite serious as well. I could give you concrete proof in the form of links to various posts, but I won't bother.

Quite frankly, I do find it odd that someone would take the time to leave such hostile messages on a blog. If you don't like reading it, that's your perogative, right? Just click elsewhere.

Anyway...what's so wrong with rose-colored glasses? I'm not talking about denial here--it's foolish to duck reality, of course. But I believe we all know how awful everything is. Why wallow in it? Why not try to put a positive spin on things? What's so wrong with trying to have a good attitude about life? What's so bad about trying to make someone smile?

I guess I think it wouldn't hurt to put on those rose-colored glasses every once in a while.

That said...

That toddlin' town?

One thing I HAVE to be positive about is this past week...I don't care if it means I'm channeling June Cleaver like crazy.

I had the most wonderful time with my mom and two sisters. My mom and Lisa came from Round Rock, Texas, while my sister Beverly came from Casper, Wyoming.

We talked endlessly, laughed an exorbitant amount, and shopped till we literally just about dropped. It was a wonderful, rejuvenating, recharging time of laughter and fellowship. (We also ate some pretty amazing meals.)

But one of the highlights was our day-trip to Chicago. Anyone who reads this blog knows I have a passion for the Windy City. We had a blast shopping, dining, and just soaking up the atmosphere of the place.

But there is one thing bugging me. You know the song that goes, "Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin' town...."? WHAT does that mean?

I gave a Google search my best shot, and all I can come up with is that it has something to do with jazz and/or dancing. Can't find anything definitive, though. If you know, PLEASE enlighten me!