the happiest grasshopper

I've been told that crickets are good, they're lucky. Okay, I'm all for crickets. The grasshoppers freak me out, though! This one has taken up residence in my patch of lamb's ear and it's a creamy yellow color (unless that's what they look like before they turn brown). The full grown ones are about 2" BIG and sound like a helicopter taking off when they take flight. God forbid one lands on me, it's the scream heard up and down the west coast.

aaa...aaaaa...aaaa...chooooooooooooooo

I'm hunkered down with a good old springtime cold. Hopefully it'll pass within the next couple days. Till then, nap time!

going back a few weeks

Hey, remember that sleepover story and the info about our friends who live in the trailer? Their home is on site, the foundation is being readied and we've been invited to the foundation party (where the house will be air-lifted by crane onto it's foundation). That'll be a once-in-a-lifetime thing! Kim's taken me for a tour of the different sections, and she's excited beyond belief. Yippeeyahoo! These pictures are why they've chosen to live the country life. Bambi was born about two weeks ago after two vets told them that Lola was definitely NOT pregnant. Oops! She's up to my waist and thinks she's a puppy. Gorgeous!

jumping in with a quick hello

Hey all! I'm busier than I-don't-know-what and it's not with anything in particular, just life. The fast few days all started with 'I've got to get back to my blog' but then the machine (my family) got hold of all my time and by the end of the day there was just no energy left to keep an eye open. Great for sleep, bad for the blog! I'm putting together a gourmet meal of chili dogs tonight because the kids eat it without complaints (something I'm very much in need of right about now, hehe!). Tomorrow, I promise, I'll have something more to say...

green and nothing but

I spent yesterday on another field trip with about 60 kids and am so ready for a quiet day alone today, hehe! It must be springtime because my desire for green has kicked into high gear. This is a small grouping of the greens on hand in my studio. If I looked deeper, I'm sure I could find more! Last year I sold a large set of beads that were entirely green, as green as green could be. The buyer apparently loves all things green. She'd commented that she has a hard time finding green lampwork and was thankful that I'd created such a fun greeeeeeeeeen set. Could it be because I've accumulated all that's green? ;) I can't help but be happy with all this green color in front of me!

back in the swing

Wow, isn't it funny how when you don't do something for a while that you like to do, you feel rusty or question your ability in some way? Why doesn't the same feeling rear its ugly head when it comes to doing something less enjoyable (ie, "oh my, I hope I'm still able to clean the toilets like a champ!")? Lol! I took a couple hours today to light the torch and fight off that feeling of 'oh no' and was pleased to find that my beads formed nicely, the frit didn't roll too heavy, and while I didn't get as many made as I'd wanted, I'm pleased with what went into the kiln. Hopefully I'll be pleased with what comes out tomorrow morning, hehe!

the fairy's mission

One of the hardest silent jobs of being a parent is the act of being the Tooth Fairy. Another tooth came out last night amidst many tears. Poor thing thought everyone would laugh at her since it's one of those upper front teeth this time (and, let me tell you, it's a large gaping hole, lol!) but I consoled her and told her that everyone's teeth come out at her age and that half her class looks like swiss cheese. We got out her special tooth fairy box and found the perfect spot for it under her pillow. Since I'm up so early in the morning, I figured I'd just do my job in the wee hours. Sticking to my schedule, I tiptoed in with tooth payment in hand and slipped my hand under her pillow. No box. I shuffled my fingers around and couldn't find it anywhere, but I did manage to wake her up. Uh-oh! Luckily she thought it was still bedtime and said goodnight to me. Whew! I put my hand behind the bed and found it resting on the inside headboard. I plucked it up and placed it back under her pillow in case she wasn't as asleep as I thought, left the room and prayed that she'd fall back asleep. I muttered a few select words at myself for not being so careful, but that's another blog, hehe! 1/2 hour later, I crept back in and she was snoozing away. Whew again! I got the box and snuck to my room to do the exchange more quietly. No tooth in the box. Argh! Well, at least I had the box, I put the money in and replaced it. She was so happy that the tooth fairy came, which makes all the little frustrations so worth it :)! Still, I'll be glad when I can retire from the fairy position and will wear the newly sprouted gray hair proudly, hehe!

ps. I found the tooth on the floor behind her bed ;)

like looking in a mirror

I got this from a friend today. Hhmmm, seems she's been watching me, lol!

Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only 1 check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm, and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye - they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I'll be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but a bit of it spills on the floor.

So, I set the remote back on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:
- the car isn't washed
- the bills aren't paid
- there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
- the flowers don't have enough water,
- there is still only 1 check in my checkbook,
- I can't find the remote,
- I can't find my glasses,
- and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day, and I'm really tired. I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

anyone see that truck?

I'm so tired, I feel like I got hit by a truck. The sleepover Saturday night started it, more energy got zapped on Sunday and last night... let's just say that my husband snores. Every time he got quiet, I was treated to a sprinkling of slumber but WHAM he'd start snorting again and wake me right back up. Thankfully, it's not every night but when he snores he sure can cut wood, lol! I'm off to water my garden (no energy to do much else, except maybe buy some glass, hehe!) and decide on a quick dinner for the family.

dreams and sleepovers

We have friends who are building their dream home. It's on a five acre lot in 'horse country' and they'll also be building a stable to house their three horses. When they bought the property almost three years ago, they were beaming. You couldn't help but feel their joy! I think, for them, it was the idea that they'd be able to take care of their horses right outside their home instead of having to board them and visit them. The back-and-forth can be very draining. Owning five acres of gorgeous country land could have them floating on air, also! Fast forward to today, they're still living in the little two bedroom trailer on that property, trucking in water monthly and waiting for the local government to clear them on issues such as water well placement for their ground water and the pile of additional permits that they need to get their home built. It's very frustrating, and I give them such credit for sticking with it. The up side is, their horses are outside the trailer and they're together on their property. All that said, they really enjoy spending weekends away to get a break from the trailer life.

Last night, their youngest came over for a sleepover and what a hoot! We had a pizza party and watched movies (okay, I mostly hid from them and the noise but I was never more than a room away, hehe!). She skipped up to me at one point and said "it's ssooo nice to use a real bathroom instead of the tiny trailer bathroom!". It was sad and hysterical at the same time! The kids had planned to stay up and 'beat the record' for how late each could stay awake but DH put an end to the great plans at 11:30pm. Thank you, Matt! I was so tired but didn't want to be the mean mommy, hehe! (growing up, I remember my sleepovers and my mother hissing through her clenched teeth "you and your friends need to be quiet or else your father will have to come out here" lol!) He's off to work today so I'm left with the bunch of them, leftover pizza for lunch, more movies, and I'll probably be coerced into creating some fancy girlie hair styles for them. All those years of reading Glamour magazine really pay off once you have girls ;)

little white lies

Hhmmm. Must be that birthday I had last week, but lately I've really been seeking out comfort food so tonight's dinner will be Tuna Noodle Casserole. Where's the lie, you ask? My kids won't even walk in the kitchen if they detect fish has been there (I use that word 'fish' loosely for canned tuna, but you get the idea). They know it as Chicken Noodle Casserole *grin*. But I made the mistake of telling my Dad, and he's dieing to get one of them on the phone to spill the beans. In his mind,Tuna Noodle Casserole is cruel and unusual punishment, and he wants to 'protect' his grandchildren. When he tells them, I'm sunk. One less thing they'll look forward to for dinner, one less thing they'll eat without a hassle. Oh, and the day he does tell them is the day I'm FedEx'ing a dish of it to him, lol!

african violets

A warm memory of my Nana involves her african violets. Nan and Pop lived in a top floor apartment in the Bronx. Small, let me tell you, but she was the best in using every 1/2 inch of space to the fullest. Her front windows had glass shelves where her african violets flourished. Perfect sunlight and the radiant heat below. I would sit and study them while the grown-ups talked their grown-up talk and Nan prepared all the hors d'oeuvres in the teensie kitchen (us kids felt so fancy saying that, hehe!). I started collecting african violets because of her and had some lovely ones. Then I moved to CA. We drove across country, and I was so careful to take care of them (there are lots of bumps in 3,000 miles of road!). When we hit the CA/NV border, the 'dirt patrol' jammed his fingers in the potting soil of every one of my violets to be sure I wasn't transporting NY earth into CA. Violets have extremely sensitive roots and within days I only had one sickly plant left from the bunch I'd brought with me. Not the best of times, but I've rebounded slowly. For the longest time, I'd walk past them at nurseries. Now plenty of years later I'm up to 14 plants, I have a window that they enjoy, I tend to them most every day, and they're blooming like champions. And it's all for my Nana ;).

ps. My favorite place to find beautiful violets is http://https://www.bluebirdgreenhouse.com/ but I'd suggest getting the plants themselves as leaves can be very tricky to start. They package extremely well!

monday, monday

Mondays can get away from me so easily, what with everyone back at school and work. I did laundry yesterday so I'm protesting today and am not doing anything I should be, hehe! Oh, wait... I baked some goodies this morning. And I picked up the makings for dinner. And I prepared the meat for the dog's food (that's a whole other story). So I suppose I'm just not cleaning at all today. Oh, wait... I cleaned everything off of the dining table and gave it a warm sponge bath (where the kids sit, mainly!). Well, now it's time for a snack, and the snack of the day is popcorn. And what goes with popcorn? Movies, yes! Since my blog today is going nowhere, I'm going to list my favorite movies in no particular order because that could take some time.

1. The Wedding Singer. I don't know what it is about this movie but it always makes me laugh and it always makes DH leave the room, lol!

2. Under the Tuscan Sun. I could watch this over and over and never tire of it.

3. Baby Boom. Another faithful favorite.

4. Yours, Mine and Ours. I do love Lucy!

5. Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House. I'll love this movie forever and always come back to it with a warm smile! Listening to the prices involved in building a new home back then - well, it's a time warp!

6. Charlotte Gray. Kate Blanchett was wonderful in this.

7. Ever After. Probably my favorite Cinderella with Drew Barrymore.

8. 50 First Dates. Another Drew Barrymore. She makes me laugh, and it's fun to watch her in a comedic scene (you just know she's cracking up on set!). And isn't Hawaii beautiful?

9. Something's Gotta Give. See, this one should be higher on the list for sure, because Diane Keaton is so great in this! It makes me yearn for LI again and again.

10. Cinderella (the one with Brandy in the lead role). This is with the original Broadway score, which is done so wonderfully. Such a happy musical!

11. 13 Going on 30. Just cute, that's all.

12. The Matchmaker. The Irish countryside is beautiful and it's always a welcome flick.

13. Bridget Jones's Diary. Hilarious! I need to see the second one.

14. Chicago. I used to dance, so that explains this one!

15. What Dreams May Come. A dark movie, but if you ignore the story line and literally watch it for the color, it's amazing.

16. Big Fish. An odd movie, but a great story.

Gotta run now!

snakes... eeyyyywwwwwwww

The snake incident at my kids' school yesterday brought up a snake memory. Luckily, I only have one of those! When I was little we lived in Bedford in Upstate NY. There were rock walls all around the property and we had a pretty rock garden on the slope of a small hill in back of the house that we could see from the kitchen. It was tiered with the rocks that were dug up when the house was built, and every year my Mom would replant with all the annuals she loved. One day, while she was showing me some of the flowers she'd chosen, a litte garter snake poked its head out from between the rocks in one of the tiers to say hello. Yeesh, who'd think a woman could scream that loud?! She called the police (because that's what any non-country person would do, right?) and the officer promptly arrived. Here's the kicker. We were standing right behind him while he aimed and shot that little snakes head off. At the time, I remember thinking 'wow, that was going a little overboard', hehe! Regardless of that early drama, I prefer a snake-free school, home and yard and probably would have done just as my mother did! Yuck.

looking for the end

This week has been very busy, school-wise, and it's time for mom to take a breather. The teacher's birthday is today, party time follows lunch. The class will have a whooped up 40 minutes to sing Happy Birthday, open gifts, eat, run and scream then it's home. I saw them this morning and the excitement level is already at a critical level. My little one is giving this to the teacher. Just a pretty, mirrored box with the teacher's favorite candy (a necessary thing to know about your teacher!) and, of course, the mocha latte to go along with it. She'll need something to wash down those birthday muffins and to get her through to the end of the day, hehe! I fully realize that every mom isn't involved like I am and doesn't do what I do for the classes and teachers. Sometimes I'm jealous of their non-involvement but not at all in a bad way. It must be nice to not have this extra stuff to think about, and I would never fault anyone in any way for traveling the easy route. What I do is part of who I am - it's second nature (and it's a curse!). While I've tried to be less active, I just can't be. When I was young, first grade actually, I remember that was the one year that my Mom was room mom. Things were much simpler back then, but I absolutely remember the feeling of pride and joy when MY mom walked in with cupcakes and party makings. Such a strong feeling that to this day it's a driving force behind me. I see that feeling in my children's faces when I walk in the class ;). Hehe, and for the kids who've known me all these years, their faces also take on that dewey glow because they associate me with cupcakes!

Note to self: I've got to get out more with grown-ups!

busy day on the horizon

Don't you just love getting an early jump on the day? We're finally getting a good soaker of a rain today - the perfect backdrop for all I have to do. We've got a visit with the tax man tomorrow so I've some numbers to organize. That should be first on the list, hehe! Then we've got a small birthday celebration tomorrow for my little one's teacher so I'll be baking upwards of 100 mini muffins. How many mini muffins can each child eat without it being considered piggish? Better safe than sorry! Blueberry, Chocolate Chip and Cinnamon Crumble should do for the selection. Then its on to making my stew for tonight's dinner. While I'll hate to erase the sweet smell of all those muffins, a rainy day is perfect for a large pot of stew with some crusty sourdough. I put that particular meal off till today just so we could enjoy the rain ;). Now to get everything started...

In case you're wondering - no time at all today to get to those magazines, lol!

basket o' flowers

On my birthday my fab friend, Alex, sent flowers to me (boohoo! they made me cry!). The next day the beautiful tulips had already started to curl funny and the iris were withering into themselves. One tulip had committed suicide right in front of my morning tea. Not a good sign for birthday flowers to be giving and I was taking it personally, lol! As I walked past them this morning, the whole arrangement smelled like a swamp. Hhmmm, what to do. Alex wanted me to send a picture. They came from one of those places that 'guarantees' their flowers so I called them and discussed the odor the arrangement was transmitting. The chipper young man told me to bring them down. One quick trip and a 15 minute wait and a brand new basket of beautifully fresh flowers is making me feel so much better about starting a new year :)! I feel kinda funky for calling them on their less-than-fresh arrangement, but I know Alex would have been very p----- o-- if I'd kept the deteriorating tulips (for what they cost, they should last more than a day or two, don't you think?) and I was in just the right sort of mood this morning to go for it. Thank you, Al! I love my flowers!

ps. no, I didn't get to those magazines yet...

the joys of procrastination

How do children learn about procrastination? Mine, obviously, learn from me, lol! I've had piles of magazines building up for what seems like forever, and I have every intention of getting to them (sooner or later). I'm just showing the tip of the iceberg here - I hide the really big piles because it's embarrassing ;). All those turned pages that I want to keep for the fabulous ideas whirring around in my head. These magazines are going to help me re-find the things that will make my house the home it's always wanted to be. Kind of like 'The Little Engine that Could'. I'm at peace that I'll probably never read them all cover to glorious cover - that was a reality many years ago but llooooooonng gone. Boy, do these things multiply quickly! So my intention is to tear out all those dog-earred pages and file them in an accordian folder, by room. Yes, that sounds nice and tidy. Maybe I'll start that tomorrow, hehe! I dare you to join me...

happy birthday to me!

Let's all sing it together, lol!

Today's blog is about birthday cake and, specifically, the same birthday cake I've had every year since I-can't-remember-when. My Dad and brother used to dread this cake but had to eat a piece because Mom said they had to. Really, it would have been fine if they didn't - more for me! It's an angel food cake with Betty Crocker's Fluffy White Icing slathered all over. It's the stickiest of sticky marshmallow type of icing that's readily available. My Mom has mailed me a steady supply every year (until recently because it's finally stocked in the stores out here - someone must have found out how fabulously sticky it is!). I don't think of it as an indulgance so much as a comforting tradition that signals the passing of another year. My Mom must understand this. The number of candles means nothing. It's the number of sprinkles that matters ;) !

always the new yorker

This (http://www.alexthegirl.com/ Feb.12) is why I'm a New Yorker and why I'll always be a New Yorker. Oh, how I wish life were the same out here! I've found snippets of familiarity but nothing lasting or truly genuine. It's soothing to hear a non-native NYer's point of view, especially one who's really captured the feeling (at least for me). To some degree it validates my homesickness, not that a NYer would ever need validation *wink wink*, hehe!. No time to write now - I have to get out the picture books and visit memory lane ;)

ps. one day I'll figure out how to create a neater link to sites!

happy valentine's day

When did Valentine's Day become so busy? Oh, yeah, I have kids, hehe! Time is very short so my blog will be also. Still, I had to make my mark on this day ;).

This pillow is my favorite and nobody is allowed to use it. They're hardly allowed to look at it because then they might start thinking about using it. There was a small shop a few years back called Shady & Katie that I adored. It was one of those shops you could always drop by that always had some wonderful treasure that you either needed or might need in the future. She had some high end giftie-type things, some very affordable giftie-type things and it was all mixed in with hand picked antiques from across the country. Big stuff, little stuff, good stuff. The type of stuff I would have personally searched for if I was lucky enough to travel through town after town, state after state with nothing but an empty truck and deep pockets. Alas, Shady and Katie is closed. The owner moved out of state so my little dream shop is no more. When she was closing, she'd advertised her sale well in advance. She knew her customers would want to plan ahead. I was number three in line that morning, arriving 45 minutes early. Only ten people were allowed in at one time, and I took my time in there! I got the rest of her provence candles (a lovely true lilac scent) as many wire racks as I could justify buying (I think I got them all) and this pillow. I'd been watching this pillow for months as it moved between displays within the store. I gingerly seized it before anyone else! The workmanship is impeccable, the fabrics have a lovely hand. And it's mine ;).

room moms rule!

There's a baking frenzy today! I'm Room Mom for two classes and tomorrow is Valentine's Day, hehe! The whole school is buzzy with that excited energy of upcoming parties with the added thrill of exchanging valentines with their friends. I've got dozens of cupcakes in the works for one class - then it's on to the mountain of sugar cookies for another class. The Room Mom gig can be draining at times (like last week on a field trip when the whole fourth grade insisted that this room mom should be the one to hold the tarantula - didn't happen ;)) but when it's party time, I'm so in there with sweets and crafts, lol! Oh, and a Starbucks Mocha for the teacher, hehe! Everyone gets something at my parties !

so much for those resolutions, lol!

Before I forget, this morning while driving the kids to school, we passed two exercise machines left at the curb. Hhmmm. Just last week, my neighbor left her stair-climber out for pick-up. This morning, a treadmill and a cycle machine were discarded. Is everyone giving up on their New Year resolutions all at the same time?! Or maybe they're just going back to basics, and we'll wave while I'm walking the hills of our neighborhood in the evenings, exercising the good old fashioned way ;). Maybe they've just given up on machines. Don't get me wrong, I used to own a NordicTrac and loved it but it really isn't the same as real cross country skiing. The nice lady who bought it eight years ago seemed very pleased to be getting such a great deal, and DH had a good laugh once she drove off with it (most grateful to see it gone!). I'll walk, thank you!

On Saturday I visited my local weaver's shop with my first woven creation, yeah! I got some great feedback from them, and we laughed about some hard-learned tricks. The warp for my next project will go on the loom today. So many ideas running through my head!

first the warp, then the weave

Before winter set in, I'd starting gathering everything I would need for my new craft. I'd been wanting to start weaving for some time. Every craft or art skill I've learned, I've taught myself (with the exception of the knitting lessons from my Nana plenty of years ago). Glass torchwork proved to be the most challenging - now the challenge for my glass work comes mainly from time contraints and weather conditions (torching in southern california summers is horrid). So I thought winter and summer would be perfect times for weaving. I found a nice portable loom that can stow away easily and decided early on to use only natural fibers - alpaca, wool, cotton, silk. The warp was tricky with only a manual to rely on but certainly doable. It was getting started on the weaving that had me muttering some words, but once several inches were wound on my front roller I began to feel that familiar sense of accomplishment. That feeling makes everything worthwhile! This first weave (a scarf) will be mine to learn from. It's made with two different alpaca wools and a gorgeous fucshia pink hand-dyed silk eyelash (custom dyed by a local artist, I {of course} had to buy the entire spool because there will never be an exact pink like this again!). The alpaca is a great neutral and the pink adds contrast... but it looks like burlap with a pink stripe, lol! The good news is, I've bounded over the hurdle of starting to weave and now know what I need to do to make the next one (for a friend) come to life. And I need to get a move on with that so Val can wear it before springtime ;).

the old crisco jar

Doesn't everyone look for inspiration and find it in the simplest places? With the weekend over and the house back to myself (and the dogs) it's always a day of cleaning up, putting away and trying to get back on track from the weekend. Sort of like a dog chasing his tail, because every Monday seems to be the same, hehe! In the midst of putting things away, I happened to glance up and noticed something that tends to get ignored. Maybe it's better that way because, when refound, it creates a new sense of inspiration for me. I'd bought this old glass Crisco jar at a local antique market. It came prefilled with golf tees of all colors, and I couldn't bare to leave it there so up to the counter, part with some cash and out the door we went. Not 'needing' inspiration at that time, it went right to a shelf in a relatively busy area of my glass studio, and got lost in the background. Today, I gave it a good rattle to mix up the colors again and will study that jar over lunch. Refound inspiration is a blessing! For today, it's back to my Monday...

day number two

Time to let my sunny disposition take over your day, lol!

a day for cooking

It's a lovely day and I'm ready to type! Problem is, everything I've been thinking of over the past few days has been removed from my memory due to a wonderful meal simmering about 30 feet behind me. It's very much unlike me to draw a blank, lol! Even my little friend is rendered helpless by the smells coming towards us...