Two notes:

The days are getting longer which makes me happy.
Also, polite cherries (cordial) are really rather vile, and handing them to unsuspecting people who are expecting a nice truffle is rather unkind.

Thank you,
that is all.

If I were a rich man

Sooo,
you know how sometimes I link my old posts?
I've decided to go one better and just repost a whole one. It's really long and a pal who was looking through my archive single it out for a compliment so I thought I'd share it again (and update the song and phone referenced).
Here it is, from October of 2007, a really freaking long meme...

----
Jocelyn did a Jedi mind trick on me and made me do this. It took DAYS to finish so I think it only fair to give you days to read it. I'll be back next week. Feel free to pace yourself.


If I were a beginning, I would be…. "It was a dark and stormy night..." Name that book?

If I were a month, I would be…September, while learning is still something to be excited about and the fall colors are showing. It's not cold but a cozy polar fleece is perfect.

If I were a time of day, I would be… 11:11 Auspicious but in a useless way.

If I were a planet, I would be…orbiting Sirius. Don’t want to get toooo close though.

If I were a season, I would be…..Fall, bring some shorts, sandals, a warm jacket and an umbrella, who knows what you are going get!

If I were a sea animal, I would be….salty, wanna lick?

If I were a direction, I would be….west.

If I were a piece of furniture, I would be….a cozy chair; versatile and comfortable.

If I were a sin, I would be…mortal, you do know what you are getting yourself into, right?

If I were a liquid, I would be…mercury, because liquid metal is awesome and gallium just doesn't sound as cool.

If I were a scare, I would be…the one that haunts your nightmares and gives you a chill down your spine. Ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light?

If I were a gem, I would be…semi-precious.

If I were a flower/plant, I would be…some sort of scrubby little flowering shrub.

If I were a kind of weather, I would be….capricious.

If I were a musical instrument, I would be…a cello.

If I were an animal, I would be…wild.

If I were an emotion, I would be….swinging.

If I were a vegetable, I would be…delicious.

If I were a sound, I would be…water, sometimes soothing, sometimes overpowering.

If I were an element, I would be…plutonium. Can’t touch this!

If I were a car, I would be…a hybrid; a little of this, and a little of that.

If I were a song, I would be... catchy but hard to understand in spots.

If I were a food, I would be...Thai; salty, sweet, spicy, sour and sometimes bitter, but always in balance.

If I were a place, I would be…a magnetic pole, prone to wandering.

If I were a material, I would be…plaid silk.

If I were a taste, I would be…fleeting but worth repeating.

If I were a scent, I would be…floating in the air.

If I were a religion, I would be…misunderstood and misused.

If I were a sentence, I would be…compound (with plenty of parenthetical phrases thrown in for good measure).

If I were a facial expression, I would be…transparent.

If I were a subject in school, I would be…self paced.

If I were a colour, I would be...vibrant.

If I were a thing, I would be…a noun.

If I were a book, I would be…library bound.

If I were an artist, I would be…messy.

If I were a collection of poems, I would be…eclectic, an anthology type of deal.

If I were a landmass, I would be…Europe, separate but attached.

If I were a watch, I would be…superfluous. Who needs a watch?

If I were God, I would be…a goddess.

If I were a vowel, I would be...rounded.

If I were a consonant, I would be…an alveolar trill, or a sibilant s.

If I were a theory, I would be…more than mere hypothesis.

If I were a famous person, I would be…mocked for my fashion choices.

If I were an item of electronic equipment, I would be…a Droid.

 If I were a sport, I would be…a contact sport.

If I were a movie, I would be…a comedy.

If I were a cartoon, I would be…the Animaniacs.

If I were an explorer, I would be…intrepid, it only seems suitable.

If I were a scientist, I would be…mad.

If I were a relation, I would be…tenuous.

If I were a river, I would be…relentless.

If I were intoxication, I would be…all-consuming, enslaving, freeing, euphoric gratification. I am the new drug.

If I were alone, I would be…relaxing.

If I were a question, I would be…leading.

If I were a habit, I would be…addictive.

If I were in an atom, I would be… possessed of charm or maybe topness.

If I were you, I would be…tired of reading this.

"I thought of love with its head ripped off still trying to sing..."

the hookers, the madmen and the doomed


by Charles Bukowski



today at the track

2 or 3 days after

the death of the

jock

came this voice

over the speaker

asking us all to stand

and observe

a few moments

of silence. well,

that's a tired

formula and

I don't like it

but I do like

silence. so we

all stood: the

hookers and the

madmen and the

doomed. I was

set to be dis-

pleased but then

I looked up at the

TV screen

and there

standing silently

in the paddock

waiting to mount

up

stood the other jocks

along with

the officials and

the trainers:

quiet and thinking

of death and the

one gone,

they stood

in a semi-circle

the brave little

men in boots and

silks,

the legions of death

appeared and

vanished, the sun

blinked once

I thought of love

with its head ripped

off

still trying to

sing and

then the announcer

said, thank you

and we all went on about

our business.



"the hookers, the madmen and the doomed" by Charles Bukowski, from What Matters Most is How Well You Work Through the Fire.
------------------------------
I know I've mentioned The Writer's Almanac before it must be linked again because
Since the 1st, when this was the poem of the day, the phrase I used as a title has been dancing around in my head. Sometimes a poem or song phrase will stick in my head... for YEARS!
Like this line in Lovers in a Dangerous Time,
"...gotta kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight."

It just speaks to me.

Show and Tell

 I got some new shoes. That is them up there.
They make me taller than Thing One.
:D
Mama like.
It isn't going to be long until there won't be shoes capable of acheiving that feat for me, so I plan to enjoy it while I can. Plus, these shoes are actually pretty comfortable. 
I needed new shoes.
See, there is the community Christmas thing and since there is a pretty strong Scandinavian influence here, one of the productions being performed is a stage play about early northern European immigrants.
There are some Sven and Ole sketches, among other things. The full cast, including chorus (that would be me), is about 40 people.
Mr. Logo is reprising his role of last year as Ole. 
Thing One  is reappearing as one of the youth leads, and Thing Two sings AND dances, although he didn't want to try out for a speaking role. 
We'll be performing every Sunday night in December. 


Also,
I got a new-to-me monitor. My last monitor was roughly the same size as a small island nation, or, well, anyway, it was BIG! I don't mean the screen size either, I mean the rear side of that thing stuck out about a foot and a half (and no one needs a computer monitor with back, ok, that is NOT sexeh).
So a pal gave me the monitor below when we started having a little monitor issue.

Turns out, it may not have been a monitor problem so much as a computer issue. I got this computer almost 4 years ago. I'm a little worried this might be the beginning of the end for it.

Oh, and the car won't start again.

Fricking, fracking, frugging...

Copied from my Facebook note

 because I haven't uploaded the pics I want to show you.
:-p

Once you've been tagged.... (1) Turn on your MP3 player or music player on your computer. (2) Go to SHUFFLE songs mode. (3) Write down the first 25 songs that come up--song title and artist--NO editing/cheating, please....

 

Alrighty then, you asked for it, but it's an odd list!

1. Candy - Presidents of the United States of America
2. I Feel It All - Feist
3. Song of the Cenury- Green Day
4. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon
5. Stormy Weather - Etta James
6. Mr. Bad Man - Tori Amos
7. 3 AM - Matchbox 20
8. Add It Up - Violent Femmes
9. Commissioning a Symphony in C - Cake
10. Back to Black - Amy Winehouse
11. Life Less Ordinary - Carbon Leaf
12. Long, Long Time - Guy Forsyth
13. Black - Pearl Jam
14. I Want to Break Free - Queen
15. It's a Beautiful Day - Sarah Brightman
16. Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
17. Mummer's Dance - Lorena McKennit
18. Don't stop Believing - Journey
19. Thanks That Was Fun - Barenaked Ladies
20.  Barracuda - Heart
21. Creep - Radiohead
22. With or Without You - U2
23. Pork and Beans - Weezer
24. Better - Regina Spektor
25. Dreams - Cranberries

 

What can I say? It's what I like!

I tend to be a very utilitarian book owner. I don't typically buy or hold onto books just because I really enjoyed them. If I don't plan to read or refer to a book again in the future it will not take up residence with me. Consequently, my collection is heavily weighted in favor of reference books.

My public library serves most of my pleasure reading needs and I usually stop by at least once a week.

My personal book collection is small-ish.

I have one narrow bookcase in my living room,

a storage box in the corner of my bedroom closet,

oh, and a big wicker trunk,

 and, um... a smaller wicker box.

I've attempted to teach my children the importance of having good books to read available but not to be hoarders. They each have a bookshelves in their rooms (which are packed to nearly overflowing, but we sort them from time to time and pass on anything they don't read if they don't love it too much to part with it). 

Anyway, my point is, homeschooling requires books, lots of books. If one surrenders one's very cool schoolroom to be remodelled into a guestroom it only stands to reason that the books will have to find new homes. So Mr. Logo built this, but it only gets partial credit because the books have to share space with the printer and all the photo albums and whatnot.



Of course a few of the books can fit in the twin cabinets from the school room, but mostly they are full of other critical homeschooling supplies.

So, the far end of my breakfast room was stacked high with boxes of books and the overflow was taking up the windowsills, to which Mr. Logo objected. A clever solution was found and so this new cabinet found its way into our home.

Oooooo, shiny.

 It goes really well the black table and chairs in the breakfast room and it holds a metric buttload of books (that is more than the US standard buttload, but the British buttload is larger).
Not to mention, I can store stuff on top of it!

 Now, if someone with too much time and lots of spare mental energy were look at that picture closely they might wonder about why I have a cash register (I'm assuming the globe, test tubes, and balance are self-explanatory). That cash register features a fully-functioning calculator and it turns out, given the choice between a boring old calculator and the cash register version, most children and lots of adults will opt for the ulta-cool cash register model. Also, it hold full-sized coins and bills and is therefore awesome for garage sales, bake sales, etc.

I also think that learning to make (or check) change is a critical life skill and obviously the cash register makes that WAY more entertaining.

Anyway, the cabinet has cleared the boxes out and gotten the books out of the window sills. This is the drawer that looks sort of well-organized.

 Soooo, now I have another big box of books arriving this week and we get to start the hunt for more book storage again, but

I really NEEDED these books, for school, and references, and important stuff like that.



Sometimes there are just no words

photo credit

The weather of late had been unbelievably good. Warm, gorgeous fall days have featured crisp, cool mornings that heat up to glorious afternoons and then chilling off to clear, beautifully-starred nights.

My yard is covered in leaves and the colors on the trees are unbelievable. Western Washington often has soggy, insignificant autumns with the turning of the leaves lasting for only days.

This year we are having a bonafide FALL, and it is lovely.

So here's the thing...

I went to get my "new" and "repaired" car, and guess what,
go ahead,
guess!

It wouldn't even start.
So they sent me home Friday in a loaner (score!) and then,
because that didn't suck enough all on its own...
Monday afternoon I had a pal over and started feeling a little bleh.
Next thing you know,
I was puking my guts out and today is the first time I've eaten since then.
I freaking HATE being sick.

However,
Saturday I did get to go see a charity concert that featured some awesome music;
Long Winters,
The Presidents of the United States of America,
Sean Nelson (lead from Harvey Danger),
and I got to drive my zippy little loaner Yaris around downtown Seattle including some nifty little sidewalk driving
:D
tee hee

As of this evening I feel almost human, mostly.

Colorful metaphors!

It is a consistent feature of my adult relationships that although I tell people I grew up in an incredibly conservative environment it is not until some detail arises and shocks them that they truly grasp HOW conservative an environment I mean.

I recently mentioned that I got detention for using "colorful metaphor" at school. I do not mean I used a colorful metaphor ( for example - "Double dumbass on you!"), oh no.
I mean that on the volleyball court, during practice, a gal bumped the ball offsides and I went scrambling after it, when I missed it I muttered...and I quote, "Colorful metaphors!"

This was deemed a euphemism and highly inappropriate.

Today we are taking our newly-purchased used car back to the dealership for repairs for the second time in the week that we have owned it. Twice now it has konked out on Mr. Logo on his way to work. There is a distinct lack of lighted-heartedness, mirth, or joy on this subject.
It is, in fact, what some might refer to as
a sore subject.

As we transport the gimpy &*%$&%$ thing back to where we purchased it so they can attempt to actually repair it...
let me just tell you,

forget the euphemisms; I am using some colorful metaphors!

I may be picky but I know what I like!

So for dinner the other night I made mac and cheese to go with meatloaf. Actually, it was ziti and cheese, but you get the idea. After I was finished the kitchen had that,
"Logo's been cooking again" sort of look about it. Mr. Logo does adore it so.

The answer to the obvious question there (obvious to SOME people anyway) is, "No, I don't neeeeed all the cupboards open. That is just a bonus!"
Anyway,
I started with a roux, and used about a pound of sharp cheddar cheese. However, I swear it wasn't as unhealthy as it could have been (the roux used more olive oil than butter for example), and at least it wasn't fake food.
Some things should NEVER be in a powdered form, and cheese is on that list.
As are toys for children (those are NOT monkeys, and that ain't the sea)
and tea (Get thee behind me, Lipton).

So this was the stage where I couldn't keep Thing Two out of the pot,
and here is what it looked like afterward.

I had to eat fast because my pal and I had big plans.

The guy who wrote Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet did a stop over not tooo far from where I live and since we both love this book, it seemed the perfect way to pass an evening.

Jamie Ford was articulate, funny, smart, and all the things you hope for in an author making an appearance. I totally have a crush now.

He met his wife at a library and proposed in a bookstore. Now, THAT is a relationship with an excellent start.

Single worst moment of the evening though? When the old, and apparently backward, woman in the row directly behind me asked the half-chinese author of the book how you can tell Chinese people from Japanese people when you are looking at them. I KNOW my face registered horror and disbelief in the split second before I realized people looking at her from the front half of the room could totally see my face so then I attempted to slap on a nonchalant and neutral expression.
I probably managed to appear startled and addled, but it was the best I could do at short notice.

I mean, really???

Jamie Ford was very kind and diplomatic in answering the question, far more so than I would have been. That might have gone more like this,

"How do you tell a Swede from a German? What differentiates the apppearance of a Scot from the Welsh? How do you distinguish a Russian woman from a French woman? Oh, you can't always tell? I wonder what you might extrapolate from that?!"

Grrrrrrrr...

This is me

on Friday evening in a hat and scarf I made my very own self.

That is my Logo logo ™

I am soooo up-to-date.

Texting

I don't really get to chat as much as I have in the past
(much less time to be in front of the 'puter these days)
but,
now that I have unlimited text,
that's ok because now I can chat via text,
ANYTIME, ANYWHERE!
Score!

Football games go so much quicker when you are texting with your friend.

Since I'm not all

coiffed and whatnot but I was being harassed about posting a pic showing what my hair looks like currently (post black hair) this is what you get.

This is what it looked like from February til about July.

It was fun and I made an interesting discovery.

If your hair is yellowish you are a blonde,

if your hair is red you are a redhead,

if your hair is brown you are a brunette,

if your hair is black you are a ...

Flash Fiction

The steamy rumble of water boiling in the electric kettle reached its anti-climatic conclusion with the soft click of the auto-shutoff. Carrying a steeping cup of tea and a half-read book she cuddled into a well-lit cozy nest. She had the house to herself and she intended to ignore obligations and savor a peaceful moment.

I had a free day this week and I sooooooo enjoyed it

:D

Here is a little flash fiction Thing Two has written as a school assignment. It's a bit more than 55 words but it is in keeping with the general concept.

When he saw the tornado he ran for the house. Then he was swept up by the force 40 tornado. It launched him into a tree, breaking every bone in his body. As he clung to life it was just bad luck that an old tree fell on him. Unfortunately, the ambulance crashed before it could reach him. He now laid, a lifeless heap, on the ground.

The cruel and unjust end

Oh my, a meme

Cooper tagged me to answer these 8 questions.

One might think my answers would reveal something unusual about me but if you ask me, the questions reveal much more about Cooper.

1) It’s your second date with a person you met on match.com. They invite you to a formal party at a friend of theirs who lives on a massive estate in the country. The two of you are dressed to the nines and drive up a long curved drive surrounded by trees. Eventually you pull up to a huge stone mansion with lush green grass as far as the eye can see in all directions. Your date takes you inside, walks you across cherry wood floors, past delicate antiques and plush furniture to the back patio where about 70 people all sit in a dozen or so hot tubs. Everyone, of course, is naked. What’s your next move?

I am missing a critical piece of data necessary to make a decision; how is the food?

2) You have the choice of having David Letterman chaperone your daughter to her senior prom or having Stevie Wonder paint your living room. Which do you choose and why…

Stevie, hands down.

First, think how awesome that might turn out? Definite potential in the wacky yet very cool category.

Second, paint isn't permanent.

Third, I prefer Dave to stay on the other coast and crack mean jokes about celebs at a distance.

3) Twenty people are protesting in front of your house. What are they chanting?

No Nukes! No Nukes!

4) When Harry Met Sally. The diner scene. Could you pull that off? In public? (applies to male and female)

Uh huh, given the right motivation, I would totally do that. Depending on who's with me, I'm just not sure I'd still have company when I finished.

5) There are but three foods left in the world: Twinkies, avocado and spam. How long will you last before resorting to cannibalism?

I lack the background on this to choose wisely. Do people taste better than Spam? I'm sure I'd last a week before I was motivated enough to experiment with that.

6) Speaking of which, the zombies are on the march. What skills do you posses that will keep you alive?

I can shoot, use an axe or hachet effectively, drive, run faster than a zombie (for a while anyway), am possessed of a surprisingly vicious streak when properly provoked, can survive being hit by a car, and can swim and kyayk.

7) You’re in the library browsing through the stacks in the far corner when a good-looking stranger catches your eye. This person walks up to you and says you are the most beautiful/handsome person they have ever seen and will give you $50 if the can lick your feet for five minutes. OK. Now what?

In this scenario, am I wearing sandals?

8 - Religion is outlawed in favor of personal spirituality. How will that alter the rest of your life?

As long as I'm allowed to reach out to the homeless and loveless and guard against corruption I can live without the rest of it.

there are so many things that fall into this category

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

actually, that's not true.
If it were the Pacific NW would be a truly foolish place to live.

We had a picnic/bbq yesterday because we knew the weather was going to be better and the schedule was more open.

We had 15 people all together.

It was interesting to watch the kids. They played touch football, capture-the-flag and Wii games together. Thing One and two of the kids are within about a year of each other age-wise, and Thing Two and the others are just about the same age as well.
One of my pals moved here from the south and after her kids were born her folks moved out here too. The two of them came along and my dad was here so the three of them got to know each other a bit and seemed to enjoy themselves.

I stopped by the super ultra cheap cheap store and got fall paper products (cuz I'm not only cheap, I'm also lazy), and was amazed how much milage I got out of that.
I was lauded as being nearly Martha Stewart-esque.
All for $5!
Score

"We must love one another or die."

Rabbit rabbit, and welcome to September.

Hope your month goes well.

* If you know why I named my post that I have a little intellectual crush on you now. Just so you know

Thank you, India. Thank you, terror. Thank you, disillusionment.

You know, sometimes you find opportunities for gratitude exactly where you'd expect;
a coach who helps your kid, a kid who actually does all the stuff expected and then goes an extra mile, a kind friend who once again shows love to you with a gesture that speaks of an intimate knowledge of your heart.

But SOMETIMES,
these opportunities arrive camouflaged, well-hidden in the shadows of annoyance, frustration, time-pressures, and stereotypes.

So to you, mean mom at Target who was screaming at her kids, cussing at the clerk, and generally being a nightmare of a human being, to you I say thank you.

When I saw you, I was aghast in a superior and distant sort of way. Your dirty-faced kids, scruffy appearance and foul-mouthed ranting at the lady from the store about coupon specials made me feel a haughty sort of pity for your family.
When I ended up in the check-out line behind you I was annoyed. I had one item, and the $5 bill to pay for it in my hand, waiting impatiently, and your rude, loud urchins were unpiling a UNICEF life flight quantity of store-brand microwaveable quasi-food items and mac n' cheese onto the convey belt.
When the older kid decided to shove the cart as hard as she could into her little brother and he fell back toward me, it was instinct to catch him. The fact you didn't turn around at his yell surprised me a little, but at least you did decide to look when you heard me ask if he was ok.
Your whole face changed when you saw the red mark on his forehead. Instead of some heinous *itch at the store you suddenly looked to me like a fellow mommy who loves her boy.
When you thanked me and apologized and I said you were welcome, then added, "We've all been there," I pretty much meant it.
Then,
you stepped out of the shadows I'd cast all around you and created that moment.
"You only have that one thing? Why don't you just go ahead of us."

It wasn't a kidney, it was one moment of your time, but in giving it to me you reminded me of how stereotyping closes my mind and heart and no one deserves to be regarded that way, even if I don't act on it noticeably.
So thank you, thank you for being a better person than I was being in that moment.
Thank you for reminding me that most of us are just doing the best we can at any given time to make it through life and the benefit of the doubt is really the very least I owe my fellow-humans.

It happened again!!

I had a list of books on hold from the library and they were taking forever.
Ok,
well, I got some of the book I own and haven't read yet taken care of and then I bought a book (it was Nick Hornby, and was only $1.99, even in restrospect, I do not regret that choice, the pink skullhead journal [originally $12.99] for only $1.50 may have been a mistake even with that enormous discount, but I spend more on coffee some days and I can always give it away as a gift...if I can find someone who likes pink and little skulls all over their blank books) and then I stopped at the library and found a book on the shelves I'd been wanting to read (A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, he sort of turned me off with his book about his travels in America but I did like his book about Europe, and the book about Australia was really fun so I decided to take a chance on it and I even found the version of the book for kids called A Really Short History of Nearly Everything, which Thing Two and I are going to read together as a warm up for starting school soon) so I brought that home as well.
Now, wouldn't you know it, I log into my email today and guess what is awaiting me?
An email notification that I have 4 library books awaiting pick-up at my local library branch, FOUR BOOKS!
How does this happen?!
I was between number 6 and number 20 in those hold lists; how do 4 of them land on the hold shelf at the exact same time??
So now I have school rapidly approaching, 5 library books to finish in two weeks, and I'm halfway through the Nick Hornby so I really want to finish that as well.

Oh, and I'm on the board this year for that co-operative school we are involved with, and there are some fascinating complications in my life due to that.
The program Access™?
Yeah, it is a tool of satan.
I'm also the social media chick for the free clinic I volunteer with, and now I'm helping with PR in general.
Soooo, basically?
As much as I'd like to just lock myself in my room and read, I don't know if that is going to happen.

Eat me!

My dear pal Lime did a food bio meme she found over at Cooper's place.

Ten food that define who I am,
here goes;

1. Pizza, from the rock-hard, whole wheat rectangles my mom specialized in, the Chicago style place Mr. Logo and I loved as newlyweds, to the authentic Neopolitan magic we ate in Italy and have located in Seattle and the yummy american-style place we love here locally, pizza plays a prominent and delicious role in my life.

2. Yorkshire pudding, with leg of lamb or roast beast, served with mint jelly, gravy, mashed 'tatoes, and usually peas. My gramma made this, my mama made this, and sometimes I do too. So delicious and tastes like big family dinner.

3. Nachos, of the homemade sort. This is one of the things my friends and I would eat TONS of as teens, huge cookie sheets full of tortilla chips loaded with toppings and broiled til the cheese was bubbly and the chips were starting to brown on the upper tips. Yum
This is still a favorite of mine, just made some last week!

4. Sixlets, discovered at the corner store by my grandparents' house and a much-loved nostalgic treat ever since.

5. Napoleons, the pastry, OH EM GEE! Also called Mille Feuille, and delicious either way. Discovered as a child at the local bakery and much prized. We didn't do a lot of bakery shopping and when we did it tended to be that we had to order the run-of-the-mill donut rather than a Napoleon. Once I was earning my own money I would indulge more often. I last had one of these at a friend's house about two weeks ago. I exercised a great deal of self control and did not hurt any of the other guests in an attempt to take their serving.... but I thought about it.

6. Cinnamon rolls, oooh how I love cinnamon rolls. Regardless of the fact they can take hours I actually love them enough that I make them from scratch periodically. My sister made some last time I was visiting and her son calls them "Lovin' from the oven."

7. Waffles, I have loved waffles ever since I can remember. Recently, (after I failed to prepare food for the children at what COULD have been considered dinner time) my honey said, "What are you going to do if I die?" Thing One said, "Live on hot dogs and mac n' cheese." Thing Two and Mr. Logo immediately replied, "No, she wouldn't!" Thing Two added, "She hates those!"
Thing One admitted, "You're right. Oh! I know, waffles! She'd live on waffles."
This could be true.

8. Eggs Benedict, I didn't discover Eggs Benedict til I was an adult but when Mr. Logo is looking to really impress me with breakfast in bed he knows this is the sure hit. One of the local places does a crab Eggs Benedict, mmmm, yummy.

9. Curry, whether Indian or Thai is always a big, big hit for me these days. My mom's curry was never my favorite though. I don't know if I grew into it or if the curry of my adult life had just been better. My mother, a woman of diverse and sundry skills, was perhaps not the most talented chef ever to walk a kitchen floor. Either way, I love it now. I enjoy it when Mr. Logo makes it, I will actually even make it myself, and adore eating it at the local Thai place. We don't have an Indian place very close to home but when I do visit one, I always enjoy it.

10. Casseroles, this is to provide some contrast. I, as a general rule, despise casseroles. If it contains pre-processed veggies, canned condensed mushroom soup base, or Bisquick, chances are...I'd rather have a sandwich or a bowl of cereal. There are very, VERY few exceptions to this rule.
Mr. Logo considers this damage from my youth; I call it having a moderately discriminating palate.
When my friend (who specializes in french cooking) made us a casserole a few months ago she started with a roux, fresh veggies, and chicken stock she'd made herself. I cannot even begin to tell you how delicious that dish was, mmmmm, fantastic.


So there you have it, some food favorites.
When you inviting me for dinner?

lefties ROCK!

It is International Lefthander's Day

Lefties have rights, you know!



Trivia
Left Handed Facts and Trivia:

Sinistrophobia is the fear of left-handedness or things on the left side.
While many people are left handed, very few are 100% left handed. For example, many Left handers golf and bat right handed. On the other hand, there is a high percentage of righties who are 100% right-handed.
Lefties are also called "southpaws". The term was coined in baseball to describe a left handed pitcher.
Tuesdays are Lefties luck day.
Only about 10% of the population is left handed.
During the 1600's people, thought left handers were witches and warlocks.
International Left Hander's Day was first celebrated on August 13, 1976. It was started by Lefthander's International.
They say everyone was born right handed, and only the greatest overcome it. (he,he,he)
It is believed that all polar bears are left handed.

ALSO!!
According to this article,
I'm a creative problem solver and forgetful because I'm a lefty,
which means it's genetic, so get off my back, maaaaaaan.

Random much?

• I made nachoes yesterday, they were so delicious.
• I bought a basket for trash in our vehicle. There's still wrappers on the floor.
• Dust seems to migrate purposefully to my house.
• I hate it when I turn something on and the volume is already set so loud it rattles my teeth.
• Are we sure a little child abuse is really such a bad thing?
• I think I'm going to go buy a book today.

Warning, warning* POV ahead*

Sooooo,
someone posted this little quote on their Facebook or somewhere;

Most of us will never be the beautiful girl. We’ll never have the prettiest eyes or the blondest hair. We’ll never have the flattest stomach or the most flawless skin. We will probably never have an impenetrable heart. We will never become exactly who we expected to be. But this doesn’t mean a thing. You’re beautiful with scars on your knees and freckles on your chest. You’re beautiful with the frizzy hair and the dark chocolate eyes.

What the hell is that about?!

This strikes me as deeply problematic, but it's not the surface reassurance that is my issue.
I agree wholeheartedly with the assessment that every human is beautiful and worthy exactly as they are.
I am a more than a little appalled at the underlying assumption that if you aren't blonde, airbrushed, and bitchy, you should be feeling inferior. The implication is that if that is not what you are, it is what you should have wanted to be.

Who the hell EXPECTED to be that, exactly??

I have NEVER had the least blind bit of interest in possessing an impenetrable heart, nor have I ever associated that with being beautiful,
psychopathic perhaps, but not beautiful.

What I do have, I have scars and freckles. Red frizz is the natural state of my hair.

And you know what?

I have absolutely no need for some lousy, consolation-prize declaration telling me I'm beautiful even though I'm not all thing things some jackass deemed actually beautiful.

Don't re-enforce idiocy in a lame attempt to be faux encouraging.

I am smart, funny, weird, fierce, cute, and loving. I am more than enough.

Spam, spam, spam

Despite the Flying Circus' and Hawaiians' apparent affection for Spam™
I am not myself a fan of spam in any of its forms.
How closed-minded am I? hmmm?!
I know,
but I'm ok with it.

We won't even discuss the gelatinous goo in a can. I can't bear to think of it, gaah.
Regarding email; I have to say, I've never once felt the need to enlarge my penis or improve its performance. I am aware this is attributable more to my gender than my porn star capabilities, nevertheless, I have no interest in these offers.
I don't want to cash your check, see your naked pictures, or find out about your amazing job offer; leave me ALONE!!
And who are the people this works on?? WTF?!?!

Last but not least annoying, not by a long stretch, is blog spam.
Seriously? Who decided this was a good idea?!
I had to activate comment moderation because I was getting spam on every single freaking post.
Does it seem to the casual viewer that this blog would be a fruitful place for Chinese ads??
Because to me, that seems like not only spam, but STUPID, annoying, unnecessary, pointless spam.
We did however, discuss above that my approach could be interpreted as closed-minded.
It's a good thing those spam comments don't track back to individuals because I might be tempted to do something unlady-like...
bwah hah hah.
Ok, I made myself laugh, I actually can't recall the last time I did ANYTHING lady-like.
ANYWAY, that is not the point,
the point is,
they make me want...
to do such things,
I know not what,
but they shall be the terrors of the earth!

More shirts

that make me giggle.

Loving the flowers, but

not the allergies. My whole family is getting hit hard with the snots and the sneezing this year. The eyes are the worst, bleck.

Lawn mowing is a never-ending task round these parts. 3 hours of solitude for thinking.

Loving the sunshine!

Yesterday I went to the beach to read for an hour while I waited for Thing One to finish mowing a friend's lawn.

Perfections; waves lapping gently, sun sparkling on water, a light breaze, and good entertainment.

It's summer!

We are playing outside a lot.

Hope you are too!

Me so sleepy...

my dad and I stayed up way too late getting our geek on.
There may have been Star Trek episodes involved.
I feel a little ashamed now, but I had a good time, dang it,
and I will probably do it again.

I have run away to Spokane!

I have come to visit the Esteemed Elder Sister and her family. Her spawn are growing so fast! Spawn the younger (female type) just managed to convince her daddy she really ought to be allowed to get her ears pierced (her mom was totally on board). Spawn the elder just celebrated his 7th birthday; he actually had his party at my house. The EES rented a bouncy house and it was an awesome good time.

Yesterday I headed east with a friend of mine. My pal's family lives along Lake Roosevelt and she wanted to visit them. My sister lives just west of Spokane and I wanted to visit her so we headed over here together.

In just a little while we will head to Auntie's Bookstore,
w00t!!
I am VERY excited about that!
I shall stay here til Saturday so I can be home to see Thing Two (who has become a Scouting Boy) participate in a flag ceremony honoring veterans on the 4th of July.
Hope you have something planned in the next few days that will delight you!

Solstice and Midsummer's Eve

Here are some photos taken in my yard by Thing Two.

Rabbit reclining by bird feeder
Teeny bunny eating very long stem.

Baby squirrel racing around as if on speed.

Bonfire!

Fire and Pyro

We had our annual summer solstice fire.

We moved our firepit because we now have bees (4 hives) in the part of our yard where we previously had bonfires; we didn't want any drifting smoke freaking them out.

The fire pit is now right off the back patio.

Did you know that just a couple nights after the solstic there is another perfect excuse for a bonfire?

St. John's Eve (patron saint of beekeepers) is the 23rd!

There has been much with the s'mores around here.

In other news,

My dad started going to work out at a cardiac rehab and is recovering really well.

The sun's been shining and I've been out riding a lot.

We've a new community park that I took the Things to visit.

It has a huge fort/castle/ship play area and SWINGS!

Thing Two loves to swing, and really, that is the best part of any park experience.

Swings are fabulous.

Oh, and here is a fun link to remind you to use a lot, rather than alot.

Serendipity, disappointed

While browsing the shelves on my way back from the library's return desk, as I am wont to do, I happened to see a book about Naples and it HAD to come home with me, of course. The author has lived in Naples, on and off, since the 50s and I figured this would be a great way to relive some memories and enjoy a return trip on the cheap.

I've written a bit about living in Naples before, both the good and the bad.

So I very much expected the author to wax descriptive and poetic about the glories and joys of a half century in Napoli.

Turns out?

Not so much.

You know what it sorta reminded me of?

There is this scene in Sense and Sensibility in which the Dashwood sisters are discussing Edward and how the elder Miss Dashwood feels about him. Marianne is underwhelmed by Elinor's proclamation of undying passion,

"I do not attempt to deny that I think very highly of him, that I greatly esteem him."

I was less moved than I expected by Shirley Hazzard's dispatches from Naples.

I was wanting something...

more open, loud, affectionate, all-embracing, all-pervading, boisterous, bellicose, beautiful,

I guess,

something more akin to a Neapolitan style.

I've read Sense and Sensibility, so I will not doubt the author's affection and esteem for Naples, but I did not get (to my mind) and authentic taste of Naples in this particular volume.

So my Things are almost done with their school year. This should be the last week. They are done with testing and have just a few things left to do.

Next year we are sending Thing One to the local high school.
It will be the first year we haven't homeschooled.
It will be a huge adjustment but we are all looking forward to it.
We started homeschooling in Italy when our educational options were very limited. He did NOT want to learn Italian, which ruled out most of the possibilities, I didn't want to send my kindergartener to the DOD school which offered only a full day schedule, beginning and ending each day with an hour-long bus ride featuring all grades,
including high school,
alllllllll together.

Mama said no.

Instead I found an amazing group of gals and started homeschooling.

A new friend gave me the book, The Well-Trained Mind, and I loved it.

In a former life (right after graduation) I thought I wanted to be a teacher so I had a little foundation for this, and the Well-Trained Mind gave me all the false confidence I needed to plunge headlong into the venture.

(Thing One on mid-tour vacation at Gramma's house in 2002)

(Classic science experiment on the balcony with dad, baking soda/vinagar volcano, 2001)

By the beginning of his first grade year Thing One was bringing in National Geographic nature books to read to me instead of his primer. They were more interesting, you know.

When he reeled off,

"Marine biologists learned the migratory patterns..."

I realized I was not teaching this child to read.

I was merely standing in the vicinity while he learned to do it.

In a shocking display of competence I've managed to get the help, materials, and cooperation of my child to the extent that he is ready for high school without ever having been in a traditional school.

I regard that as a miracle in some ways.

Thing Two will be entering the middle school years officially.

I am rather looking forward to only teaching him next year. Of my two kids, he is the only more similar to me. Unlike his big brother he doesn't need to know what is on the schedule for the day, and if I want to jump in the car and just go somewhere to do the rest of school...

elsewhere,

he can dig it.

I've been sorting books this week (which for me is somewhat akin to deciding which children to keep) and after passing on some to friends, putting some into a sale, and deciding I just can't part with others, I have bins of books that need assigned quarters somewhere in my house.

I love my books.

More than that though,

I love that for my kids' whole lives (so far) they've thought of me as the someone who knows the answers, which is a role more often given to teachers than to parents.

I love that we've slept in when the mood struck, eaten breakfast and lunch together, cuddled on the couch during reading time, baked cookies for chemistry and measurements, watched Discovery channel and TLC for history, visited the Science Center nearly monthly, visited museums often, done school on the beach, cancelled school to help friends and relatives who needed us, and spent an absolutely absurd amount of time together every single freaking week of their little lives.

My goal has been that they would love to read and learn, and as far as I can tell so far,

it's working.

Life is good.