mixed with sugar

all hands on deck

2012-01-17T21:57:00.001-05:00

Not long ago, Dale and I came to the conclusion that our sad deck needed to be replaced rightthisminute. Really. Nails were popping up everywhere, it's break-neck high and the yard slopes at an alarming rate; we wouldn't, couldn't allow anyone to actually go out on the deck. Last winter, with all the snow, I kept waiting to hear cracking as it ripped away from the house. Luckily, it did not. So, we did the dirty deed and got estimates. Long story short, we decided to rebuild the deck and go ahead with the work on the rest of the house that we thought we'd put off until a bit closer to retirement.

The deck, updating the kitchen with a pinch of remodeling, building the banquette around the table, gas logs and bookcases in the living room, and a few things behind the curtain that will make our world run more better. Oy. When I put it in writing it looks like a lot. Luckily, we won't be doing all the work ourselves, but there will be a fair bit of that too. I'm updating all the appliances and as much fun as I thought it would be, it's more pressure than anything else. Oh, I know. Boo-hoo. My son calls it a first world problem. But really? It's money I want to spend wisely and get the best for our dollar.

The deck is underway now, and we're just beginning to get a taste of the two-steps-forward-one step-back nature of remodeling. We thought it would be finished this Wednesday, now, not so much. Maybe Friday. Hope so.

five years?

2011-04-24T08:07:00.003-04:00

Five. I wouldn't have thought five years ago this would still be here. Yes, I took a year off . But. Still here. I spent some time the other day rereading old posts and I have to say, with the exception of my horrible grammar, I mostly enjoyed taking a walk back. One of my favorite times was when the June nablomo theme was 'Home'. It was so lovely getting down in writing where we've lived and what home means to me.

In sharing who I am, I've come to realize, somehow, the blog comes off a lot more serious than I really am. I'm a sarcastic smart ass, always cracking wise, being irreverent, and making people shoot milk out their nose. Plus, I keep thinking you can here the tone of my voice, so I realize sometimes things I write sound weird. I spose I need a straight-man.

I remember when I decided to start blogging, I had just learned about blogs and had started to read a few. When I found myself enjoying a particular blog I would go back to read their first post, and when I read blackbird's first post, it said something to the effect that if you like to read blogs you should be writing one. So I thought why the hell not? It was a little daunting at first; to be anonymous, or not to be, that was the question. I started out being vague, but that got to be too much work, I'm a fairly transparent person. And? Always take people at their word (sometimes to my detriment). Luckily, here in blogland I find by and large people are upfront about who they are, even when they're anonymous. And almost always nice (Well. There was that one weird guy. But he went away pretty quickly).

I never was much of a journal keeper, so it's nice to have a record of things. I still run into the problem (in my own mind I'm sure) of 'Damn, why'd she write that? I was just writing that. Now if I post I'll look like a copy cat'. There are a couple of you out there who in many ways make me feel like we're leading some weird version of a parallel life. That or the Hundredth Monkey phenomenon.

millet muffins

2011-04-20T22:11:00.000-04:00

I've subscribed to 101 cookbooks for a few years now. We're not vegetarians, but we do enjoy eating vegetarian meals now and then, so we treat it like a...kind of food, say Italian or Mexican. Plus it's a good way to use all the wonderful fresh veggies that are available at the tailgate markets around here. This is not really a 'vegetarian' recipe, but it is in the new cookbook I bought the other day.

I made the roasted strawberry recipe that was recommended to go with the muffins. Dale really enjoyed it but I thought the taste of the olive oil was too forward, next time I'll probably leave the oil out. The muffins themselves? So. Good. A brown and slightly cracked top with a lovely light crumb. Slight lemon flavor from the zest and lightly sweetened with honey. I hate muffins and other sweet-ish breakfast type things that are nothing but sugar in your mouth, these are perfectly sweetened. Add a great bit of crunch from the millet. Too good really. They make you want to be bad.

in the kitchen

2011-04-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

can't wait for easter...

2011-04-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

When the boys became older teenagers I stopped going all out with the homemade Easter business. That lasted until a few years ago. When I made these they asked why I thought they wouldn't want Easter any longer, and I said ?. So it's still bunny-land over here even though one of them is closer to 30 than I like to admit sometimes (ya know, it's not MY age that freaks me out, it's how OLD my kids are getting that really does it for me). It's all good because I usually find something I can't wait to make. Like for instance the Bunny Nuggets I found on Ravelry:

But of course I had to make something to put the bunnies in so my mind automatically went to pirates and sea-faring bunnies. It was so obvious.

And since it's for Easter and all I thought I'd throw a chick in as well.

And now we wait. Easter is a bit late this year, so I'll more than likely have to refill the candy more than once if I leave them where the men can find them. That's okay.

Bunnies and chick are raveled.

time

2011-04-01T14:50:00.001-04:00

Time is a funny thing. I have this friend I've known for years and years. We were young mothers together. We were young mothers together beginning at a time when both our husbands were deployed overseas. They (our husbands) didn't know each other, were in different units, different everything. But we were fast friends. You know the one, the one it seems you've known your whole life the minute you meet. We went through everything together, baptism by fire so to speak. Then as things happen in the military, someone gets transferred. First it was us, we went to Iceland, but lo and behold, they were still at Lejeune when we returned. Next they went to Okinawa, then we went to Vienna, and they went to Hawaii. By the time they returned from Hawaii, we were out of the Corps and here in Asheville. We always seem to find our way back to each other. I don't think we've even laid eyes on each other in almost 20 years, but every time we talk on the phone, the time between just falls away. It pretty amazing, a unique experience. This blog is a little like that, stay away a year, come back and with the first comment, time falls away. Thank you all for that.

meanwhile

2011-03-25T14:36:00.000-04:00

Hello there...

It's been a while. How are things with you? All is well here, took a bit of a break but now...I think I might be in the mood to come back. I really don't expect anyone to be out there; especially since I took the old blog down for a good long while, but here I am. So much to tell and yet really not so much at all. So. I'm working on a few things and I hope you pop on over from time to time.

And? This whole thing is still in italics and I can't figure out how to switch it back. It SAYS it's not, but clearly it is...

mittens

2010-01-15T16:27:00.008-05:00

It's been so cold (in the teens during the day) that I decided to finally knit a pair of mittens. They're done and I love them. Of course the weather has turned warm again. The day I blocked them it was 50° and it's been warm ever since. So I recommend knitting outer garments to improve your weather if it's too cold for your taste.

wishing you peace and happiness

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:00

may all your Christmases be white...

2009-12-25T16:30:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas!

boy...is it ever getting deep around here

2009-12-20T20:43:00.001-05:00

How deep you ask? 12.5 inches. That's how deep. And geez louis 36 hours without electricity. I know why the pioneers lived to the ripe ol' age of 29. They spent all day everyday making food and heat. Cross that off my list of things to do. The thing that gets me is growing up in Colorado, it snowed like this with regularity so people when on about their bidness. Here? Not so much. The whole city was shut. Everything. They had to call out the National Guard to get people out of their cars on the highway. There were people who were stuck for almost twelve hours (that happened to us once when we had just returned for Iceland of all places. We were stuck on the beltway in DC. For twelve hours. That was a treat with a two and six year old I can tell you.). Anyway, nothing was moving. We live in the mountains and it HAS been known to snow here. You would like to think they would be a tad bit more prepared for when it actually happens.

It is awfully pretty though...

And? May I say? Thank You for the lovely birthday wishes!

48...is great!

2009-12-14T07:09:00.001-05:00

Today is my birthday, and I love birthdays. I never worry about getting older (I'm living to 100, you know) because I love birthdays so much.

Dale gave me this wonderful ring as part of my birthday gift. He found this artist on Etsy who will stamp things on what she calls poetry rings. Dale asked her to engrave words from our song. When mountians crumble to the sea...

There will still be you and me.

I'm a lucky, lucky girl...

well, hello there...

2009-12-07T00:07:00.002-05:00

Geez...I don't know what happened. I was taking down the Halloween decorations, keeping an eye out for bears and suddenly it's December and the tree is up. Sheesh. This whole year has just blown by at warp speed. That lovely wreath up there? Was an idea I stole from Tia who stole it from someone else who I'm sure, stole it from somewhere else. You know how it goes... I remember something very much like this one when I was a girl; only they were made out of those IBM data cards my dad use to bring home from work. This one is sheet music.

So. Anyway. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. All I had to do was bake a pie (pumpkin-pecan), make cranberry relish, and bring a bottle of wine (an exceptional little Spanish number called Juan Gil)(love,love,love Spanish wines, the only thing I like better is a good brunello, but those are very expensive so I have to settle for baby brunellos most of the time...sigh). Um...where was I? Oh yes, pie...cranberry relish...wine. Thanksgiving was a treat. The only thing to make it better would be if Dale and Samantha could have been with us.

I have been knitting and felting nests and needle felting eggs for Christmas ornaments to go in the gift boxes this year, I found this cute pattern here.

What else. Oh. I'm (literally) walking my ass off. Finally able to walk for exercise, but I still can't walk the hills in the neighborhood so I'm stuck on the treadmill for a while longer. But I'm not complaining because I am SO happy to be moving around again after the hip thing.

And? I haven't purchased one single Christmas present. Oy.

a halloween tail

2009-11-02T10:12:00.007-05:00

On Halloween, about midnight, I let the dogs out into the front yard. I was dog sitting Chris' dog, Fiona, because he was having a party and it was just easier for her to be here. So, anyway, I let Jack and Fiona out and I noticed there was a smell hanging in the air, all over the yard; kind musky with a sulphur undertone. It was weird. The dogs started going berserk, they were running around the perimeter of the fence, barking like mad. Of course, it was raining. I noticed the the security light had come on back in the driveway and the trashcan had been overturned (it's a BIG can, tall and on wheels). Hmm. Finally, I got the dogs back into the house and that was the end of it. Or so I thought. Yesterday, my neighbor called me to let me know that about that time I was running around the yarn. In the rain. In the dark. Chasing crazy dogs. There was a black bear (yes. BLACK BEAR) cruising through the neighborhood looking for something good to eat.

This isn't the bear she saw, this photo is from our local 'bear aware' website. I've lived in this house for 14 years and there hasn't been a bear before (that I know of). We've had big tom turkeys walking down the middle of the road gobbling, and I saw a fox running down the driveway this summer. It looked like it had a sandwich in it's mouth, which I thought was weird until I realized it found a big piece of bread Dale threw out for the birds. Years ago, there was a pair of foxes that played in the snow. But bears? Not so much.

time change

2009-11-01T19:10:00.002-05:00

I love the Sunday when daylight savings ends. There is a shift in time yes, but in me as well. It's almost as if I am existing outside of time, in a shadow of time. This feeling last too; until my body and my life catch up to the change in time. Usually a week or so. And then? I like the digging in and cozy feeling of wrapping everything up before dark and closing the doors and curtains against the dark, turning on the lights. Don't get me wrong...I love when the days get longer and we have the free run of summer, but equally, I love the recharging that happens in the darker months. I know this probably sounds very off the wall, but there it is.

boo

2009-10-31T10:13:00.006-04:00

Happy Halloween, y'all!

lace goes in the sock column...

2009-10-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

I must be deficient somehow because I started the lace bit on my shawl and had to tear it out TWICE. I could. not. figure out what in the hell I did wrong; smoke started coming out of my ears and then my brain crashed. So. I frogged the lace bit and I did a slight ruffle-ly-thing instead. It's cute but it's not the lacy bit either. Now I'm a lace-don't as well. Crap. And I still need to block the shawl. Actually, after living with it for a minute I think I like the ruffle better than the lace anyway. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Because I am a copycat I have been compulsively making silhouettes for Halloween. Probably because of my lace inadequacies. But whatever. It's Tia's fault. The link for the witch and the werewolf are here.

I love, love, love the crows.

Oh. And did I mention I blew out my back last week? No? Well, I did and I'm pissy about it. Not that you could tell. But really, I'm not as sweet as I usually am. I stubbed my freaking toe going up the stairs which shot lightening straight up to my sad, sad hip and whipped around to blow my back out. Stupid stairs. Stupid hip.

you want to know...

2009-10-19T23:53:00.003-04:00

...how sick and twisted some people really are? I've recently been uploading months worth of photos to flickr and I've noticed one particular photo seems to be very popular.

My first thought was...That's weird...people must really like knitted rugs (it's in a set called KNITTING). But then it dawned on me. The title of the photo is 'Homemade. Happiness. Underfoot.' People who (thankfully) remain nameless are searching for pictures of (ick. ick. ick.) feet. I know this is true because after I changed the title to 'Homemade. Happiness.' the hits stopped on this particular photo. Pardon me, I have to go scrub my brain now.

pie and hot coffee...

2009-10-13T21:28:00.005-04:00

...in honor of Daddy's birthday.

meanwhile...

2009-10-10T10:34:00.005-04:00

It's time to think about fruitcake! Need to order the citron and get on with it. I've finally found a place that has the stuff sweetened with sugar instead of a chemical pretending to be sugar.

It was cold here. Blanket-on-the-bed-close-the-windows-at-night cold, then yesterday it got up to 85°. Then it rained. So I gave up and turned on the air conditioner. And today? It's about 52°. Maybe.

I'm ready for the time to change. Ready to dig in and cozy up with Hunny Bunny. Make soup and bread and wintry things. There's something energizing about this time of year. After I get over the urge to nap when the days first get shorter, that is.

hello autumn

2009-10-07T07:15:00.002-04:00

There at the end I started getting all wistful and shit for summer, which never happens (not being wistful, just being wistful for summer). I think it must be that I've finally gotten into the groove of summer without the kids; even when they were teenagers and later, they were still around a lot in summertime. Now with Dale in Colorado and Chris on his own, I was left to...you know...decide what makes me happy. All day. Every day. You know how it is, when they're kids things move so fast. But let me tell you, you blink and it's over and it can catch you a little unprepared; especially when you try to make your own life without them and they bounce back a time or two. It's like they're trying to psych you out; I'm gone...hahaha...no I'm not. But then, eventually (thankfully, horribly) they really are gone; it's exciting and scary too. So maybe it's not just summer I was feeling all wistful for. Maybe it's the mom thing too. They're on their own and happy (we're so happy they're happy!), I love all the time Dale and I have to ourselves, and to be finally...really...doing what I want,whenever I want; but a teeny-tiny part of me misses the mom-thing. How do you turn that off?

under the boardwalk

2009-10-06T08:20:00.000-04:00

For whatever reason, I couldn't remember to bring my camera each time we went to the beach this last trip. It was like some complete mental block or something. I did manage to bring it once and actually take pictures too. Although this is just about the only one I'll claim.

I am sick, sick, sick with a cold-flu-thing I caught from my kid who was over here the other day just long enough to give me his cooties. Well, at least that leaves me lots of quiet time to work on my shawl. When my head doesn't hurt. Sigh.

knitting...for real

2009-10-03T21:33:00.003-04:00

My dishcloth craze has, at last, begun to subside. Thankfully. It was getting to be a little much even for me. I'll always make those little things, just hopefully, with less zeal. I've started a lovely shawl I found on Ravelry called Wandering the Moor by Celeste Glassel. It's just so pretty. I 'll be getting to the lacey bit soon and then a good blocking and it will be done. Crap, I hate blocking...

back to the beach

2009-09-24T08:54:00.002-04:00

We almost didn't make it this year, but we are, at last, getting in at least one long weekend in just under the wire. Not our beloved outer banks this time; instead further downeast than we usually go. Which is technically still the outer banks, just not our outer banks (bank?). Cross your fingers the rain will stay away...

stay-cation

2009-09-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

My grandmother use to use this big pot for something. Laundry or hog boiling or some such thing none of us has ever had to imagine. My mom gave it to me after my dad passed away (it was his mother's pot). I figured if it could withstand fire on the outside it could withstand fire on the inside, so we turned it into a fire pit this week. Dale wasn't so sure, but know sees what a good idea I had.

I love fire. But...umm...in a good way. Not a scary, quit-playing-with-the-fire way.

Dale takes a week of vacation for our anniversary every year; we're having the best time, sitting on the back porch, making fires, having friends over, and basically just being as lazy as can be. Haven't felt this relaxed in a while. Too bad he has to go back to work tomorrow...

thirtyone-derful years

2009-09-02T08:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's true. 31 years. And really? It seems like yesterday, or the day before yesterday, but not 31 years. Truthfully, 100 wouldn't be enough...

little gifts

2009-08-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

It took me long enough, but I was able to get a few photos of this little guy. I may as well admit it, I'm a birdwatcher . I said a birdwatcher. There I said it. I'm not freaky about it, I don't have a life-list or anything. Well, I have a list, but it's of birds I've seen, not the ones I want to see. Someday. I don't take it that far. Just because I have binoculars and recognise some of the birdsong, doesn't make me nerdy. Well, maybe a little, but not a lot.

Seriously. How extraordinary are they?

They're these little treasures that flit in and out of your life, and all you have to do is look.

underfoot

2009-08-24T22:23:00.000-04:00

Homemade. Happiness. Underfoot.

Stacked.

loving right now

2009-08-22T12:12:00.001-04:00

Little bites of sunshine.
This Link Within thing I've had on my blog for awhile now. Nice to have the good ones I've forgotten about pop-up here and there.
Cleavers for tea. Oh so good for getting rid of the bloat from the steroids without having to take a diuretic.
Numi Dry Desert Lime.
Ponds skin cream. Good. Old. Fashioned. Moisture.
Being able to walk. For exercise. EVERYDAY.

wired and tired

2009-08-18T20:42:00.003-04:00

I'm about halfway through a twelve-day course of steroids because, according to my ortho guy, my hip is 'hot'. 'Too hot.' And the steroids will 'cool it off'. I love medical terminology. I am incredibly wired. And tired. Tired with a capital T. And apparently incapable of complete sentences. It's kicking my ass. I feel like I've taken really bad speed. Not that I'd ever have an occasion to know what that feels like; I can only imagine. I will admit, however, that as bad as some of the side-effects have been (never had to take these before) my hip is, in fact, better. I've been able to walk almost a mile and a half on the treadmill everyday for the last four days. It takes me half an hour, but at least I'm walking again. And damn, I guess you really never do know how much something hurts until it starts to feel better. That's it, that's all I got. Gonna try to take a nap now.

in my own little corner

2009-08-12T08:24:00.001-04:00

Sitting on the back porch, drinking coffee the other morning, I realized that I had (as I do almost every morning) some thought running through my head; those thoughts were the reason I started blogging in the first place. The narrative running through my head. Though, it doesn't always seem to be something I want to share on a public blog. Anyway. I realized this was the answer to my book making dilemma. Making scads of books but having no idea what to fill them with. So. I've decided to finish this mish-mash of a journal I'm making and WRITE DOWN THE THOUGHTS I HAVE IN THE MORNING! I can do doodles and stick poems and quotes in there too! As if it were a REAL JOURNAL! Like a big girl! Only without spell check! No dark-and-stormy-night shit though...Ooh, and maybe it'll get my blogging juju back to where it once was.

titles can sometimes be a problem...

2009-08-11T11:06:00.002-04:00

You know, if your subject is say...headers; what do you call it? Without getting hits from all the pervs? I'll wait a moment while your imagination runs wild---okay. I've been playing around with my photos, I see things in pictures so I've been taking a lot of pictures over the past couple years. Thousands. It took me quite a while to upload everything to flickr not too long ago, anyway, I never really thought of myself as a photographer, but I do have a way of seeing things that pleases me and I've gotten some awfully nice compliments from people who's opinions means a great deal to me. So now, not only do I see pictures everywhere I go, I see cropped bits for headers in gobs of my photos. Seriously. How often does one really need to change the header? Things may look different around here...often. Bear with me, it's probably just another phase.

in-between

2009-08-08T09:48:00.004-04:00

There's been a touch of Autumn in the air for a while now, a chill instead of coolness and the little dogwood (always the first to go) at the bottom of the yard is starting to change. So soon? The colors are at their peak the second or third week in October here and I don't think I ever remember things starting this early. Really and truly, I hate this time of year; the in-between time. Summer is waning and fall is waxing, but not quite. yet. I get antsy and believe it or not, just a touch moody. I know. Who would believe it? Soon though, plants will give up and die and the leaves will turn in earnest. The spiders will spin their webs, the praying mantises will appear, and all will be right with the world.

tea...a photo essay

2009-07-31T08:21:00.002-04:00

well...ick

2009-07-27T11:36:00.005-04:00

I decided kind of late in the season to plant a container garden, beyond the usual herbs and tomatoes. We have a long growing season here, so I figured I'd give it a try and if all goes well, I'll plan for more next year. I planted more tomatoes; because you can never have enough tomato sanwiches y'all. Also, some peppers, and two varieties of eggplant. I think I mentioned that in another post. Things are humming along nicely.

This was my Japanese eggplant a few days ago. Pretty. Yeah well.

This is what it looks like now; it looks as if a mouse is hanging off my lovely eggplant. Ick. But. I'm sure it will morph into something we'll want to eat. Eventually.

and the winner is...

2009-07-26T19:50:00.001-04:00

MsCellania, email me with your address and I will send them off to you forthwith. Thank you all for playing along! If anyone is really interested I'll post my recipe for the dishclothes so you can start you own ~~bag of potato chips~~ collection of dishclothes.

knit-knat

2009-07-22T11:05:00.000-04:00

Tiny and not-so-ugly

For Christmas last year my BFF gave me crocheted dish clothes she likes to call Tiny-Uglies because they're tiny and ugly. They're the best dish clothes I've ever used. Seriously. Great. If I could wax poetic about a dishcloth I would; I am sick in love.

They are so great, (they are all I use) that I decided to knit some.

I think that was in January. I have knit enough dish clothes to fill the drawers of almost everyone I know, including the friend that got me started (we share back and forth), everyone loves them almost as much as I do. I was so tired of big projects. And scarves. Dish clothes are so elegant in their simplicity; you get to knit, they're something you don't have to give much thought to, and have something lovely and practical to use.

I've decided to do family Christmas gifts this year that will be handmade and center around home and these will be part the gift. In the spirit of sharing and Christmas in July I'm going to give a set away to a commenter on Sunday July 26. Just leave a comment on this post before then. Hey! The way things are around here that means you have a 1-in-5 chance of winning, and I promise you will be sick-in-love too!

Did I mention the rugs I've been knitting?

I know why...

2009-07-20T10:59:00.004-04:00

...the mocking bird mocks. It's own song? Sounds like a whining dog. Which, I might add, starts to drive you crazy after three or four days, especially when there seems to be a flock of them in the backyard. Just thought you'd like to know...

home again

2009-07-12T08:26:00.002-04:00

So happy to be home again, I can't even tell you...I finally figured out why I hate leaving home so much. It boils down to the fact that I'm spoiled. Rotten. You leave home and have to deal with a shower heads that hit your shoulder instead of the top of your head, and most of the time you can't get the pressure right, or the water is soft and you can't get the soap rinsed off, and the stores don't sell your brand of whatever. I use to be adventurous, now? Not so much. I think everyone should just come see me and everything would be great.

We spent a week with my mom and the rest of my family in Mississippi. Damn, is it ever hot there. The cold water won't even run cold, it's so hot. And sticky. It was, however, good to see Momandem (Mom and them in mississip). She's doing much better now and getting stronger but the illness has aged her five years at least; her humor though, is still as wicked as ever.

blueberry jam

2009-06-30T15:02:00.001-04:00

There was a time I put things up every summer. Jam, zucchini relish, vegetables, applesauce; I was quite ambitious back in the day. I got away from it a few years ago, but this year, the urge to can has returned. Blueberries are perfect right now so blueberry jam is first.

It's almost like magic. Some beautiful, just ripe fruit; a little sugar,

and a few glass jars. Stir, stir, stir.

Yum!

dizzy

2009-06-08T18:53:00.002-04:00

Boy is my head turning... And the only way I know this is because I don't have to take the pain medication every four hours anymore. So when I do take it I can actually gauge how loopy it's really making me. Hmm. Well, anyway, all went well and now I'm off the crutches and onto a cane and sometimes (for short distances) I don't even need that. The pin thing wasn't nearly as bad as I worried so go ahead...get a pin in your leg. Not such a big deal after all. Ooh I have pictures for later, they're really actually cool and nothing gross to see (so much). But not today because I have to go have a nap now. Thanks for all the well wishes. It's nice to take that with you when you're going in for something scary. xo.

boys of summer

2009-06-01T19:46:00.002-04:00

It took me awhile but I've finally decided on a theme for the summer. We had a crawfish boil for Dale's birthday last week. I swear the yard and table looked like something out of a magazine. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture until it was dark and then it was just what you see up there. So. Much. Fun. we decided to do it every year. There's this friendly company in Louisiana that'll overnight the mudbugs. You get beads too, no shirt lifting required. They're all fat and happy when they arrive; the trick is to keep them from crawling away while you wash 'em. I swear it was like some southern version of Annie Hall, y'all. For entertainment (besides chasing the crawfish around) I played some old stuff that just says Summer; Marvin Gaye, Earth Wind and Fire, Deon Jackson, King Harvest, lots of Motown, and some Talking Heads and Pretenders thrown in for good measure. We Walked on Sunshine and it felt good. So the theme this year is The Boys of Summer (okay, maybe not all boys but you know), I'm going to grill everything I can and shake my groove thang while I do it..

Ooh! And P.S. We won a blue ribbon at the US Open for our lager! See you after Thursday...

in for repair

2009-05-30T12:17:00.003-04:00

First things first:

I'm bad and I know it and I do not deserve to have any blogging friends because I am a shit.

There is so much to tell you about. The visitors, the move, and the first annual crawfish boil and clambake (which will be two separate parties next year, oy!), oh and the un-freaking-ending rain. And I will. Tell you all about it. Later.

What I really need to get off my chest is this freaking hip surgery I have to have on Thursday. It's not really such a big deal, it's not a replacement, but I am in a dither none-the-less. I think it's the giving up of control over...everything. And the pin through the femur so my hip can be put in traction during the 'procedure'. Yeah, the drilling through the thigh bone thing has me going too, but mainly it's being unconscious and having no control. And I hate anesthesia. And hospitals. Luckily, I won't have to stay overnight if the pain can be controlled. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain so there's that.

The recovery isn't long. If I do what I'm told (no bending, lifting, kneeling for a MONTH) I'll be good as new. Or as new as a 48 year old can be. And the up-side to the enforced rest is, I'll be able to finally get my 9 million photos uploaded to flickr. And. I hope to get back to blogging because I've missed it and all of you too. So please, think good thoughts for me on Thursday.

so anyway...

2009-04-14T19:41:00.002-04:00

The upholstery class went well and we have three new chairs. I've got pictures, I just need to get them off the camera.

And? As time passes and I get use to the idea, I know in my heart of hearts, Dale and Sam are going to be very happy and successful when they get where they're going. The truth is, that's part of what bothered me at first. Not that they are going to be happy, but that they'll be happy so far away. The funny thing is, once they said they were moving, we admitted we are thinking of moving to the pacific northwest when we retire. So perhaps, we won't be so far apart after all. Who really can say what the future will bring? So, I have decided to open my hand and let them fly away with no guilt from me, only my love and happiness for their awfully big adventure.

as the world turns...

2009-03-10T23:15:00.004-04:00

I need to have hip surgery. Gah. I know. I'm not getting it replaced, just spruced up a bit. After much rigmarole I was diagnosed with a torn labrum in the joint. Following much more rigmarole it was recommended I have surgery. I kind of wish the surgeon hadn't gone into so much detail because I am completely and totally freaked out by it. Completely. Totally. Nauseatingly. Freaked. Out. Not by the surgery itself. Per se. But by the thing they have to do to my leg to get into my hip joint. Ick. I had it scheduled for this Thursday, but I canceled it because of the recovery period. We're going to my mom's (she's 82) in April. And? Chris and Kristy are getting married in May. And? Little Dale and Samantha are moving to Colorado two days after that, so I'll be uh...busy (and drunk). I've decided to suffer in silence until June. Whining on the blog doesn't count. Yeah, yeah. yeah. I'll get to the wedding and the move in a post to be named later, for now it's all about me. me. me. And besides, I'm sad about the move and don't really want to think about it too much today. I'll think about it tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day...

hip to be square

2009-03-03T09:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Square Root Day

why I'll never make it in the big-time

2009-02-27T21:00:00.001-05:00

Perhaps you missed it. I added a list of the books and the magazine I've been featured in on the side bar awhile back. But it felt weird. And just...weird. So I took it down, I've never felt comfortable with self promotion, it feels...weird. I had a booth once in one of those warehouse art/craft/junk places and did a fairly brisk business. Actually, I couldn't keep the place stocked; made me crazy (er), it was cute though.

We called it The Kitchen Window. It was decorated to look like a kitchen and Dale painted this painting of our front yard in a folk art style, it was his first go at painting and I have to tell you, I treasure it. I call it Mount Areola (or boob hill for short). He still paints and now thinks this one is amateurish, but it's one of my favorites. At the booth there was no promotion involved, you just made your crap and put it in the booth, the people there took the money and sent you a check. Even so, it became too much to deal with, the boys were young and busy and what time I did have for making crap was spent making things to sell and it took all the joy away from creating. I've thought from time to time that I'd give it another go, etsy is really tempting, but I've decided if I can't list the books on my side bar I'm not going to even think about etsy. I'll just make presents.

happy valentine's day

2009-02-14T12:11:00.002-05:00

the good the bad and the ugly

2009-02-02T08:12:00.001-05:00

Actually it's the good and the bad-ugly.

This? Right here? Is the Bad-Ugly. This...chair use to live in my living room. Yes, indeedy. Albeit, under an ill fitting, cheap-ass slipcover, but live there it did. It's a good piece of furniture. Really. Solid oak frame and everything. On my little blog break I took a class. An upholstery class. Which, I've been meaning to take for years. Really.

It paid off because this is what lives in my living room now.

I'm taking the class again, because this is a big project. We've been dragging this chair around for more than twenty years and it's nothing but a frame and springs (Look! My Hunny Bunny has his shirt on.) but as I said, I always knew I'd take an upholstery class (that's my story and I'm stickin' to it).

This is the chair Dale is working on. The first time I took the class he took a finance class and I had more fun, so now he's taking it too. This one will be a quickie so he'll be able to work on another one as well before class is over. Like I said, we're going to be all full up on chairs over here before too much longer.

so what's new?

2009-01-31T11:44:00.002-05:00

Boy. You blink and two months have past. Who knew? So, let's see... My birthday was just about perfect and so was Christmas. Low key and lovely. The new year dawned in a state of peace and calm so I have high hopes for the year to come. And how 'bout our new President?!!! Lots of hard work to come but I think most of us are ready to do our part. You know we'll have to take up some of the slack, but what else is new? I'm taking another upholstery class and this time Dale is too, we're going to be all full up on chairs over here pretty soon. I'm doing Schmutzie's grace in small things, or making a good attempt anyway. Still working on that balance thing. So, there you go. And? I think I lost some people on my link list when I switched over to the new one (link list that is). If you're not there please let me know so I can put you back. See? Not so much has changed. My grammar is still as good as ever.

giving thanks

2008-11-29T16:39:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving was so wonderful this year. We were all together, Dale is so much better now than a year ago, and the whole family is moving in the right direction (knock wood). And? I didn't have to prepare the whole meal myself. One of the great things about having adult children is being able to say, 'I'll cook the turkey, the dressing and a couple pies. What are you cooking?' Truly something to be thankful for. That and having the foresight to teach them to enjoy cooking. Now? I'm loving getting ready for Christmas in a way I haven't in years. So much hope in the air these days I feel as if I will burst. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving too.

sunshine

2008-11-25T19:30:00.002-05:00

If the sun is shining in the mornings this is what I see...

tooth fairy

2008-11-24T18:36:00.003-05:00

It's coming back to me. This blog business. I can feel it coming back and that makes me happy. The thing that REALLY makes me happy and is my little bit of grace for the day is to have a dentist that will drop everything on a moments notice to give you his undivided attention and care when you have broken a tooth. He really is gold.

hello there

2008-11-23T12:06:00.002-05:00

Do you know schmutzie? I was tooling around this morning and read about her new idea. schmutzie's doing five things a day (?!). I will be aiming for ONE. I have much to be grateful for and find grace in many things, but I'm easily carried away and am trying to find BALANCE in my life. So one. And who knows, maybe I'll get my mojo back in the process. So today's grace is schmutzie and her wonderful idea (which I know sounds like two but is really ONE), because as quickly as this year has flown I need to remember to be present in my own life every day, no matter what that day brings.

let's not call it goodbye...

2008-10-17T23:26:00.005-04:00

As you can tell by my absence, I've lost my blogging mojo. It happens. I thought I'd take a break and be all eager to come back, but instead what I found was really no drive to come back to it at all. The only regret is that the friends I've found here in this little world are still out there floating around in the ether without me. I pop in once in a while but usually don't comment because it's a bit like going back to your old neighborhood, you know everyone but don't really belong anymore...you know. Those of you who know me know I go through phases and I find I'm on to a new one, or more precisely, back to an old one. Back to the basics, for me anyway. Keeping house the way I use to and creating from not much of anything. Remaking and redoing and finding contentment in the doing of it all. My freezer is full of summer for the winter for Pete's sake. Anyway, I hate when people just disappear and didn't want to be like that, I'm not saying I'll never come back, but for now, who knows. Be well, friends. I hope to hear from you sometime...

so maybe I'm back-ish

2008-09-23T13:25:00.001-04:00

Still trying to catch up with y'all and can't even seem to comment or reply. I know! I can be such a bitch. But really, I've been busier than a one-legged man in an ass kicking contest and right now I kind of resemble the one-legged man as I apparently have a labral tear in my hip joint (I don't KNOW how it happened but it hurts like a son-of-a-bitch). And? The only guy who does the surgery in this part of the state is in Charlotte, 125 miles away. Bastard. I've started about eleventeen post and thrown them all away. Yes. I'm busy. But. Do you really want to hear about it? Probably not. Ooh. We're all out of gasoline here. Really. Peace Officers have to be at the stations that have gas to quell the rioting. No shit. And folks are waiting upwards of an hour for fuel. Needless to say, we are keeping our butts home. I don't know why this is happening here. I've heard about half a dozen reasons and it all sounds like they're making it up as they go along. Bastards. And? I'm taking a class. Learning how to reupholster furniture. I'm working on my sad, sad wing back and the bonus is, by taking the chair apart I can finally see how a slipcover will go together so I can make a slipcover that actually fits instead of the crappy ones you buy. See? Not riveting. But that's okay, I'm quite content to lay low. Hey! Wake up! You have drool on your face.

cicadas sang the song of August

2008-09-08T09:53:00.002-04:00

We've gained and lost so much in the past year and the changes were getting hard to manage, so I decided to take a step back to the basics of just looking at the day ahead. What to do, what to eat. Working in the yard, the art room, the kitchen. Playing with the dog, walking with Dale. Letting go of things and people that are gone, some for the best, others that will leave a space in my heart never to be filled again. Beginning to look forward, a step at a time. Grateful for the peace and calm I'm beginning to feel, and remembering always that life is good, life is sweet; if there is no turbulence you can't know how sweet it really is.

Oh my. How melancholy that sounds. It's not though, believe me; summer was lovely and gave Dale and me a chance to recharge our batteries. Paying attention to right here instead of out there. We just spent a beautiful week at the Outer Banks celebrating our 30th anniversary and it was perfect. Otherwise just hanging out and...hanging out. Well, and work. You know for money, but mainly hanging out. Not me of course, but one of us has to go out and bring home the bucks.

I can see I have quite a bit of catching up to do out there in blogland, y'all have been busy. So, Hey! I'm back, come on over for a cocktail...

see you in september

2008-07-14T19:21:00.007-04:00

With summer slipping by so quickly I've decided to take a break from the blog until Autumn. Have a wonderful summer and I'll see you soon!

time flies

2008-07-12T13:10:00.003-04:00

Only yesterday I was impatiently awaiting summer, and now July is half-way through. Lately, time seems to be slipping through my fingers and the more I try to slow it down the faster it seems to fly. Why is that, do you suppose? When I was younger, time seemed to take longer and there was that time not so long ago when it just stood still; right now, however, time is an LP being played at 45 rpm...

hello again

2008-07-11T21:47:00.003-04:00

We've been on vacation. We stayed right here at home and for once I layed down the law. No projects. Usually when Dale has time off and we don't go somewhere away, we're scheduled to the hilt with Big Projects we've been waiting for a large chunk of time to accomplish. We went to a ball game, the movies, to dinner. We took walks, saunas, and the boys to lunch (a rare treat). Read books and played games we forgot were so much fun (dominos and cribbage). Went to bed early, went to bed late, drank coffee, and laughed and laughed. It was the first time since all the upheaval from last year that we allowed ourselves to just be and relax. We needed it too, I hadn't been sleeping and Dale was working a lot of overtime. The dark circles and bags under my eyes are starting to go away, and now our real vacation is just over a month way. A week at the beach for our anniversary. Woo Hoo!

But alas, real life comes back. One of our beautiful maples in the front yard is dying. There's some question as to what's killing it, but whatever it is, it's killing it quickly. We got the estimates from the tree people and I'll tell you, if you're thinking of making some big money, go into the tree removal business. No shit. So, to cheer me up at the loss of my favorite tree, Dale has designed a front porch for that side of the house, of course it's probably a few years away, but how sweet is that? He really should have been an architect.

home...and what that means to me

2008-06-30T18:08:00.001-04:00

I look back at this month, thinking about all the places we've been and the things we've seen. It's been lovely remembering; it's not good to dwell too much in the past, but it is nice to look back now and then. There are many other place I could tell you about and adventures we've had, but it seems like I'm giving too much away at once to tell them all now. Oh! Here's one I've written about before...it's pretty funny. I'm sure there will be more stories in the future, but for now, I want to say, what it all boils down to for me, is Dale. You start a life together and struggle and laugh. You have a couple kids and struggle and laugh. You go all over the earth, sometimes together, sometimes apart and you struggle and laugh. You get kicked in the gut occasionally, but still, you struggle and laugh. You get sick, fat, bald, grey, old, whatever and you struggle and laugh. My God, how wonderful is that? To have a hand to hold your whole life through. And really, you can't ask for more than that. Wherever I am, if Dale is with me, I am home.

home-brew

2008-06-29T20:44:00.004-04:00

It's bottling day and we put up a lovely little summer ale (isn't it pretty?). Dale wanted to call it Paula's Ale but I want to stick with the summer camp theme, so for now, we'll call it Camp Gitchy-Goomy Ale. Gitchy for short. You know, like, 'Hey! While you're in the fridge, grab a Gitchy for me, please!'

Before you can bottle, you have to wash and sanitize EVERYTHING. But. That's good because you don't want cooties growing in your beer. Seriously. You don't.

I love the caps. I don't know why. They just please me. In two weeks, we'll be enjoying the fruits of our labor in frosty glasses. Next week we're brewing a heffewiezen. Which, by the way, is great with a wedge of orange. If you haven't tried, it you should. Yum.

all over the map

2008-06-28T23:51:00.002-04:00

I got my hair cut yesterday. A little shorter than usual, you know, for summer. Yesterday it looked fine. This morning it looked like this:

I even had that same stupid look on my face. Good thing the curl comes back when I get it wet.

Doing the home thing has got my recollection recollecting. When we lived in California, there was this car guy named Cal Worthington. He had this schtick; Cal Worthington and his dog Spot. Except it never was a dog. Back in 1978 he looked old as hell to me, but really, he was probably not THAT old. I think he's still around. So, if you want a better car go see Cal. Go see Cal. Go see Cal. Go see Cal.

Those tricky NaBloPoMoFo's are tryin' to get me involved in ANOTHER month of posting with their tempting Food Theme for July. I ain't fallin' fer it. I jist ain't. Although, since it's gotten all freewheelin' and it's-your-thing-do-what-you-want-to-do over there at NaBloPoMoFo, I might make my own rules and post about whatever-I-want-when-I-want. Oh, wait. We all do that anyway. Would you look at the time? It's almost midnight and I don't want to blow it now that I really am in the home stretch (heh-heh) so gotta post this thing.

all fluff and no content

2008-06-27T19:32:00.004-04:00

I'm not ordinarily a musical movie fan unless it Gene Kelly or something. But. I'm going to go see Mama Mia just because Merle Streep and Pierce Brosnan look so freaking good. I swear.

busy-busy-busy

2008-06-26T20:33:00.002-04:00

I have an inbox filled with emails that I haven't had time to read or respond to and it makes me feel like a shit (tomorrow, tomorrow or Saturday) (I swear) We put in three more windows today (Thursday) and did the prep all day Wednesday. Tons of work but they look SO good! I have to go tomorrow and find new window coverings for the art room. Something snazzy to go with the bee-ute-ful windows. Now? I'm going to drink some gin and go to bed. Y'all have a good night.

how we got here

2008-06-25T20:23:00.005-04:00

In the early 90's the Marine Corps was a wild and woolly place to be. Congress was putting a lid on military spending so instead of cutting star wars initiative's and pie in the sky crap, the military as a whole began cutting back in personnel. They gutted the senior ranks, you know, the one's who would be collecting a pension in the near future, also the ones who could find their asses with both their hands, but I digress; if you came up for reenlistment during that time you were screwed. And we were. Dale had four years left until he was eligible to retire. Anyway, we found ourselves in a sort of free fall, we were scared and confused. And I'll be honest, probably more honest than I've ever been with you, we were teetering on the edge of a precipice I never want to look into again. Near poverty is a frightening thing. We had some savings, so we stuck a pin in the map and picked Ashevillle as a likely spot to start over, and here we came. It took two years for the job Dale's is in now to come along; and we weren't without prospects, education, experience; but sometimes it takes a long time for it all to come together. There were crap jobs and crappier jobs, but you do what you have to do. The kids don't remember how poor we were, they only know it was cool because mom could make happy meals and pizza at home; everyone else had to go out to get it. Looking back now, I'm sure I flirted with depression (hell we dated, but, it was going nowhere so we broke up). That's why Dale and I feel such a connection with this place, we had to really dig down and hold on here to make a better future for our family, but we did. We did it. We came through. And the funny thing is, for all the struggle and hardship, we are better off. Much better off, in fact, than we would have been if we would've stayed in the military for those last four years. Those fucker's did us a huge favor and they don't even know it.

one home less

2008-06-24T21:32:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned in the past that we lived in Iceland. At Navel Air Station, Keflavik to be exact. Yesterday, we learned that the facility was disestablished in September 2006. It made me sad enough to cry a bit. It was a little like hearing your childhood home had been bulldozed and finding a parking lot in it's place.

Iceland is a stark and beautiful place.

They used the terrain there to train for the moon landings.

I've seen dumpsters blow across parking lots in a high wind, and it takes a team to get kids on the school bus. The water is warm in the toilets thanks to geothermal heating. Chris was born and learned to walk there. Little Dale started school and became a Big Boy there.

You can often see both ends of the rainbow there.

Glaciers,

geysers and volcano's oh my.

Waterfalls like you wouldn't believe. And a population who are pacifist but deeply distrustful of outsiders. While we were there a million years ago a woman was elected president of the country. There were Russian spies and CIA. All very diplomatic. People would strike up conversations with us, slyly asking what our husbands did at the base. I always told them mine emptied trash cans. They hate when you say that. In Iceland, when you're born, your last name depends on whether you're a boy or girl. If you're a boy and your father's name is Thor, your last name is Thorson. If you're a girl and your mother's name is Svana, your last name is Svanadottir.

The language has remained so true, school children of today can read and understand the sagas of the twelfth century. It's a country of stark contrast. Light filled in summer and so very dark in winter; never much more light than dusk. When you move to place like that, away from friends and family and things you are famililar with, like the food and language; the people who are there with you become in many ways your family. Even the place itself becomes part of you, I don't really know how to explain it, I've never had that same sense when we've moved around the US, just when we've left the country. I know Iceland is still there, and even the base, I'm sure has been turned into a town for the Icelander's, but it will never be the same as it was. That's probably good anyway, nothing ever really stays the same...

why is it...

2008-06-23T16:05:00.002-04:00

you can go three or four years without so much as a bad cold and then get really sick twice in a month?! I'm here to tell ya, I'm done with this being sick crap. First strep and now either food poisoning or some kind of bug. Probably a bug because no one else is sick. Thank Goodness Gracious. Anyway, I'm going back to bed, see ya tomorrow.

bah humbug

2008-06-22T19:32:00.002-04:00

Oh, wait...wrong month. In an effort not to fail miserably at NaBloPoMo just as the finish line is in sight I guess I'll have to come up with something. I don't think there was mention of QUALITY, just QUANTITY. You know. 30 POSTS in 30 DAYS. There I go splitting hairs again. I was actually having a pretty good day until PEOPLE decided to PISS me off and now I'm sulking. Aren't you glad you stopped by? I need to start digging around in the photos again and get back to the theme of things I suppose. And The List. The Summer List. Okay. I feel like I may have direction again, tomorrow's post may not suck so much as this one. Cross your fingers...

I have to share

2008-06-21T16:24:00.008-04:00

A new (to me) blog that's about food. It's beautiful and the recipes are delicious. This is a photo of today's recipe offering, the photo is hers.

Spicy Rustic Red Lentil Soup with Thick Yoghurt

The blog is called A Life (Time) of Cooking. Even if you don't cook, it's beautiful to look at. So. Go. See.

things I love about June

2008-06-20T20:45:00.002-04:00

the softness of the breeze
the way it smells
birds singing day and night
iced tea
all the windows wide open
twilight
fireflies

satisfaction

2008-06-19T22:42:00.002-04:00

One of the most satisfying things about my boys is: they can cook. They're right good at it too. Take tonight for instance. We all went to Dale and Sam's for dinner. Chicken enchiladas. And? I didn't have to do a thing but sit back and enjoy myself. I was going to take a picture of the meal, I even remembered to bring the camera, but did I remember to snap a photo? NO. At least not until everything was decimated. Suffice to say, they looked as good as they tasted. How great is that?!

home-work

2008-06-18T22:22:00.003-04:00

Right before the Great Heating Disaster of 07, we were planning on putting in new windows. Well, good thing we waited because that little piece of procrastination saved our lives. Anyway, now that we are in no danger of having our heater kill us, we have begun the window installation.

Dale, being the handy sort wanted to install them himself (with a little help from me or the boys, whoever happens to be around).

I started taking pictures after the old window was removed, but here he's working on the sill.

He and little Dale installed the first one today, don't they look cute with their heads together? It went so smoothly, we figure if we get started early one day we can get 4 or 5 installed in one go. I think I'll let someone else help out on the days we need scaffolding.

Dale wanted me to tell you, the caulking isn't done and the siding needs washing. After the back of the house is finished. So, it'll look better then. Really. He'll wash the siding. He promised.

in which we begin to look like alcoholics

2008-06-17T12:50:00.001-04:00

We need to buy a BEER fridge. Remember when I told you I went to beer school? Well, since then we've been brewing our little hearts out...

We have a small fridge the boys used at school. Until recently it was used for extra milk and such. Now? Packed with BEER. We also have a smaller fridge that came out of the camper we're going to redo some day, and it's packed with BEER (the fridge not the camper). And? We have a batch we'll need to bottle in another week or so. See the thing with brewing is this; the beer reaches a point where it must be refrigerated to finish it's...thing. Some beers take two weeks, some take six weeks. That's a lot of fridge real estate we're talking about here as each batch makes about two cases. Of BEER. Of course we don't drink ALL that beer ourselves. We're beginning to be like those neighbors that grew too much zucchini and have to resort to making everyone they know take some. Okay, maybe not exactly like that. People tend to like beer better than zucchini (although, I do have a slammin' recipe for zucchini bread). And it is pretty good beer. But still...

monday-monday

2008-06-16T12:29:00.002-04:00

It finally stopped feeling like Saturday on Sunday.

The weather's straightened up and it's as it should be.

I'm making a summer list, got the idea from bb, I'll let you know how it goes.

Posting every day is becoming...hard (as I'm quite sure you can tell). I'm not giving up though.

I was a bit blue last night thinking of my daddy, but I feel better today.

Alright then...

happy father's day

2008-06-15T20:41:00.007-04:00

Since I've been strolling down memory lane for NaPoBloMo, I think I'll stay there for Father's Day. Let's visit Iceland! The weather was not at all like you'd think. Okay, maybe it was a little like you'd think. But, not all the time.

I think this one must've been taken around Christmas time. I have GOT to start writing on the backs of photos. Oh wait...we don't have to do that anymore. Aren't they cute?

Chris' hair is longer and little Dale has short sleeves so it must be nearly summer here. Why is my husband almost always half nekkid in these pictures you ask? Because that's what Marines do. All the time. Even in winter. Bless their vain little hearts. Happy Father's Day, babe.

in my opinion

2008-06-14T11:41:00.004-04:00

I'll start right off by saying, this usually isn't my thing. But seriously? How stupid is this? And more importantly, how stupid do they think we are?

Apparently there's a new razor just for us ladies! It's named for the Sun! And now it Shimmers! And it's 6.99! Each! Yeah? Well whatever. My rule for razors? If the manufacture name rhymes with nic? Don't buy it.

just like the movie...only different

2008-06-13T17:28:00.001-04:00

It's been like Groundhog Day around here. For three days, I've awoke thinking 'It's Saturday'. And? It lingers all. day. long. I go around asking everyone, 'what day is it, is it Saturday?'. So. Not only do I not know what freaking day of the week it is, I can't remember that I've asked everyone what day it is. Every five minutes. I hate when that happens. Tomorrow IS Saturday. So I wonder, what day I'll think it is then?

still at Camp Lejeune

2008-06-12T21:53:00.002-04:00

All the years we called Camp Lejeune home, there was always a big July 4th show. Some years the shows were bigger than others, bigger acts, more fireworks, whatever. One year we saw Chicago, Sinbad, and Toni-Tony-Tone'; very big stuff back then. But this year, the year this photo was taken (1985) was the year I was pregnant with Chris and Dale was getting ready to leave for Iceland (little Dale and I couldn't join him until our housing was available). This photo has always been, to me, a moment of calm before the storm, so to speak. I love the way little Dale is relaxed in my arms and we're watching the fireworks together.

love letters

2008-06-11T21:08:00.001-04:00

While not necessarily about home, they were sent to me at home all the different times Dale was away. And let me tell ya, there were a lot of those (times away, I mean)(and love letters too). In those days, we didn't enjoy such things as cell phones and email; it was old school for us. If he was on board a ship we could go a month or more without a letter from each other, but when the mail finally came, there could be dozens of letters at once. This created a unique problem with chronology, if you read letters out of order things can become very confusing...quickly. We solved this problem by numbering the envelopes; a tiny number on a corner of an envelope is a very, very Good Thing. I look at some of these letters every few years or so and I'm always amazed at how the dreams and plans we had have remained true over the years. Getting to the other side of those plans and seeing them come true, to stand here now and look back, I can see what a lucky girl I am.

day 10 and I'm still here...

2008-06-10T20:22:00.003-04:00

Who'da thunk it? Cross your fingers that I can keep comin up with home-y-ish bits. Only 20 more days to go! Did you see? Over there on my sidebar? I made a NaBloPoMo button from a thing I made.

Here's a bigger picture of the button. And thanks to the nice people at blogger, I was able to make it click-able. Love those nice blogger people.

What the thing is is this. A tissue box. I was sick to death of looking at ugly tissue boxes so I made a nice place for the fugly boxes to live.

I know you only see three sides, but the other side is boring. It was the first bit I worked on and I hadn't hit my stride yet. Not fine art, but it's nicer to look at than the alternative.

finding home

2008-06-09T20:14:00.006-04:00

1984

We've moved around and around; sixteen times in all. We moved to North Carolina for the first time in 1983, little Dale had just turned 1 days before we arrived. I've never lived in a big city, but when, on the way to Camp Lejeune, the interstate dwindled down to a two lane as we drove through Raleigh, I knew I was in for a new experience. I don't think either one of us had ever lived anywhere that didn't have interstate access, but in those days, I-40 ended in Raleigh and it was years before it was completed, even then it didn't come within 50 miles of Camp Lejeune. To say Jacksonville was a small town is an understatement. And from what I hear, it hasn't changed much in all the years since we last lived there. It's really kind of comforting in a way, to know it's still the same place. It's where North Carolina began to seep in. Into our sensibilities and our lives. It was another beginning, being parents, building our family. It was a very good place for us to call home.

picture perfect sunday

2008-06-08T21:56:00.003-04:00

From the kitchen door.

home made

2008-06-07T21:25:00.004-04:00

I love bits and pieces from old houses and other things, I have a love affair with rusty old hardware. People send me boxes of old crap they clean out of their garages, or better yet their Grandma's garages. I'll take just about anything and file it away, usually it's not long before an idea will come and Dale or I will make something from it. Most things in our house come about that way, in the early days it was because it was cheap to do it, now, it's just our way.

This is the newest thing we've made, I haven't had a chance to paint it yet. It's the nightstand for the guestroom. Everything was something else once; except the little glass knob (it was always a glass knob). The dark front legs, are the last of an old piano I broke apart with a sledge hammer.

This

And this were also pieces of that same piano. Dale made them for me. I know not everyone cares for the look, but that just leaves more crap for me to nail together.

happy birthday!

2008-06-06T14:01:00.005-04:00

Today Dale is 26. 26! And here! And happy! And whole! Last year I wrote of my hope of telling you of fading fear and homecoming and I am! I have! I will! Everything today is an exclamation of happiness and love and contentment. Dale is home, both my boys are doing well, and we are so incredibly thankful for so many things. But really, I have to ask. Do I look old enough to have a twenty-six year old?

lemon ice-box pie

2008-06-05T10:20:00.001-04:00

I loved when my mom would make lemon ice-box pie when I was a girl. All puckery-tart and creamy-sweet. The only reason there's a written recipe of her version is when I was really learning to cook, I made her go slow one day so I could write it down. My boys love this pie as well, I'll have to mess around with it to create a version little Dale can eat now. I've been working on a project for the boys, cookbooks for each of them that contain their own personal favorites. Because even after you've made your own home, it still feels good to go back home. Even if it's only with a meal...

back to california

2008-06-04T08:46:00.000-04:00

When last we left off, I was living in California on the beach with my Hunny Bunny. From there, I moved back to my parents because Dale had to go on a six month unit deployment overseas and everyone had a conniption fit at the idea of me living in California by myself for six months. But. When he returned we moved back to the beach. Not on the beach this time, but about a block away. Just in time for our first anniversary. We were bad about taking pictures in those days so they're aren't any I can show you of that place.

Our neighbor was this surfer dude named Mike who had a golden retriever named Harmony. He'd been drafted to go to Vietnam and decided when he returned he'd only ever do what he wanted to ever again. So, he had a job that paid his rent and bought kibble for the dog and let him take off up the coast whenever surf was up. He was kind and quiet and came over to pick up a mousetrap that tripped right after Dale left for work one day (even though it creeped him out too).

We didn't have a lot of money in those days, so we improvised things. MacGyver-ed our way. Like when we wanted to grill. I'm laughing my ass off just thinking about it. There were these stepping stones in our back yard so, we lifted one and dug a hole for the charcoal; to make the grill I took the rack out of the oven and put it over the hole. We'd grill away and after the coals burned out we'd cover the hole over with dirt and put the stepping stone back. We grilled that way the entire time we lived there.

first home

2008-06-03T08:37:00.002-04:00

Dale and I were married when we were both very young. Babies. Shortly after we married, we moved to California, as Dale was in the Marine Corps. Every household item we owned fit in an old footlocker my dad had given me. Armed with that and the absolute absence of any thought of failure we set out to make our way in the world. We were so freaking fearless and brave and earnest, we didn't know anything. We were in love and that was all we needed.

This was our first home. It looked like a little houseboat and it was right on the beach. I'm sure there's a high rise condo there now, but then, it was charming and wonderful. The doorknobs were glass and the rooms were bright and airy, the only real problem was the bathtub. It was just a tiled box that kind of freaked me out. Good thing I'm a shower girl.

We walked across the road and down the steps to get here. I loved living there.

My mom and dad came to visit us that first Christmas away. Good thing too, because I could barely cook and who knows what we would have ended up eating. I think if you look closely at the picture you can see my mom was mixing the dressing for the turkey in a plastic ice bucket from a motel Dale and I stayed in on our way to California...

I could cook 5 things pretty well and I rotated them weekly. If it's Thursday, it must be spaghetti. My mom never cooked from recipes so it took me a while to get the hang of it. I remember the first time I made biscuits. Someone had given us The Joy of Cooking as a wedding present and we wanted biscuits, so I flipped through the recipes finding one I had the ingredients for. Landing on Ships Biscuits, I followed the recipe e-x-a-c-t-l-y, waited for them to emerge from my itty-bitty oven and WALA. They were as hard as freaking rocks. We couldn't even get the dog to chase them. I called my mom crying and told her how I'd screwed up the recipe and she said 'Honey, ships biscuit are suppose to be hard'. Yeah. The other name for that biscuit is Hardtack. I took little solace in the fact that I hadn't really messed up the recipe. Live and learn. What I did learn, was I needed to get staples into the kitchen and luckily my mom helped me out with that while they were there.

It makes me a little breathless to remember the beginning...

homecoming

2008-06-02T08:09:00.004-04:00

We hung these prayer flags on the house when little Dale left for Iraq. Even after he returned to the States, we left them there. I felt that if we took them down before he was home for good, before his journey was ended, we might jinx it somehow. We took them down not too long ago because he is HOME. Well and truly home. No more ties to the Army, nothing. Now the only thing that will take him away from here is his own desire to go somewhere.

We thought for a long time about what would be the best way of disposing of the flags and came to the consensus that one should be put away and we would burn the rest. As we watch the smoke take our thanks to the heavens, I am thinking of all the others who are touched by this war and more prayers for those still there and those who won't be coming home. Life is sweet, and sometimes it's bittersweet. I know there's a long road for others, but for right now, just this moment in time I'm reveling in the joy and happiness that my boy is home...

home

2008-06-01T20:54:00.003-04:00

The NaBloPoMo theme for the month of June is Home. Home is my Thing. It has been the theme of much of my artwork and I've spent my entire adult life (and part of my teens) making a home. I'm actually very good at it and take pride in what I've accomplished. There have been times when being a homemaker was considered a bad thing to be. Those were not easy times, but I wouldn't change a thing. So 30 posts in 30 days about Home and whatever that means to me. Here goes...

stick out your tounge and say ah

2008-06-01T11:02:00.001-04:00

I didn't think you could get strep throat when you're old. Well, middle aged. I haven't had strep since I was 14 years old. Damn it. How long does it take for antibiotics to work anyway? And? My head hurts. And? No one will come near me. And? I keep typing commas for periods and periods for commas. And? Did I say no one will come near me? Shits.

DC

2008-05-28T23:38:00.009-04:00

I was completely charmed by and smitten over DC and Mary. And? I can't wait to go back again NEXT year. Yes, we are already plotting our return to the land of Many Museums and MARY. Dale decided to play hookie from moot court and went along with me to meet Mary, who by the way is exactly the person you'd think her to be. Witty and sharp, kind and teasing; and not nearly the potty mouth she claims to be. But I? Cussed enough for all of us. Like she said, we drank and ate and talk and gossiped (in a good way) about all the bloggers we know. Mary and I are likethis now and we think we should all have a blogger thing. Anyone?

The town was absolutely delightful, not at all like the big city it is, but a town. The people were warm and engaging and very helpful when we needed it. The National Gallery was my favorite, I went back as often as I could. There was a sculpture garden by the Archives that had a jazz band Friday, we spent the evening drinking sangria and listening to jazz.

The weather couldn't have been better. I'm not doing a very good job of conveying the fun and the grandeur of our visit there, I think I'll have to let it all sit in my brain for a bit to...you know...convey it. My brain is addled and I swear I walked about 25 miles while we were there, it was all wonderful. Although...

Mr. Lincoln could use a good scrubbing.

let's pretend

2008-05-23T14:53:00.001-04:00

Pretending to work on the computer so the maid doesn't freak me out while she's cleaning. I hate being here while they clean, I thought I stayed gone long enough to avoid her. I'm not the cleaning lady type, I falways feel like I should clean up after myself, but there's no other way to get clean towels. My mother use to clean the house before the cleaning lady came. That didn't last long, eventually she just became someone to help with the floor wax stripping and window washing. Yes indeedy, that nut didn't fall far from the tree...

some things I've learned in DC

2008-05-22T08:26:00.003-04:00

While nice and friendly when you speak to them directly, people don't really like to make eye-contact aroun' here.

It's very easy to get from here to there and everywhere in between (if you have the right amount on your Metro card).

There are an awful lot of helicopters flying hither and yon. It's all-helicopters-all-the-time.

The National Gallery? Brought tears to my eyes. Yes, I am a big freak. So what.

And I've discovered LAPTOP! LAPTOP! LAPTOP! MUST have a laptop! With a mouse! And wireless!

this and that...here and there...

2008-05-19T14:09:00.004-04:00

Thanks for all of your kind words. It's hard to lose a beloved pet, but I am happy knowing she had a good life and was happy. There was no suffering for her at the end and really, we owe them that for all the unconditional love they give us, no matter how hard it is to make that decision.

The rosebush is so big and beautiful this year, after the late freeze and drought of last year I think we're getting double the beauty. The fragrance permeates the yard and the house in the morning when the sun hits it; I'm trying to convince Dale to plant climbers all along the fence, although, given the way this one is growing it will cover all that side before too long.

We're preparing to leave for DC on Wednesday and I have a DATE with You-Know-Who! We'll be getting likkered up and saying inappropriate things in public places! I'm also taking a laptop with me so I can blog and shit while I'm there (when I'm not drinkin' and cusin') (and sightseeing).

I went to beer school. Yup. Beer school. Dale and I have made beer before but it was a a few years ago and we were thinking about getting back into it so, I took a class with this Home brew King. He has a shop in my neighborhood. Really, he has trophies and ribbons and shit and travels all over the country for competitions so I thought Why Not? Anyway, we've made a Lager that'll be ready over Memorial Day weekend, and we just put a Cherry Lambic in the fermentor. That one won't be ready until July because it has to age in the bottle for awhile. After we get that one out of the fermentor we're doing a summer pilsner, so you know, we'll have lots of beer this summer (there are still some reservations open for the new guestroom). And this fall I'm making a hard cider. I have decided I love cider and am working my way through all the micros available around here. We live in a very beery-ciderish town and we got some humdingin' breweries around here. It takes a while to try them all because I'm only good for about one and a half and then I need a nap.

goodbye loyal friend...

2008-05-17T08:00:00.003-04:00

Our sweet, brave girl died yesterday.

Goldie

March 1996-May 16, 2008

She was a Good Dog.

pole beans

2008-05-05T08:13:00.001-04:00

I love the snap of the beans when I prepare them for dinner; every time I do it reminds me of my grandma. When I was a girl, I would sit on the porch with her while she snapped away, putting the little ends in the pocket of her apron. She made quick work of the beans; she had a rhythm and it was beautiful. I wish I had a picture of her hands...

um...

2008-04-29T07:43:00.005-04:00

I got the email from NaBloPoMo about the May theme. The theme is Voices (in my head?). After my inappropriate giggling stopped (I am 14 in my soul), I toodled my way over to the website to see what else has been going on since my failure last November. My page is sad. It says 'you have no friends' which I thought was kind of bitchy, considering NaBloPoMo doesn't know me that well. Then, I noticed the Groups tab and became intrigued (to say the least).

There's Staci/Stacy/Stacey/Stacie (16 members) as well as Amie/Amy/Aimee (11 members), that led me to remember Tony, Toni, Tone' (I'm pretty sure they only ever had 3 members and who knows if they blog).

Then came the oh so disturbing Zit Poppers, I really, really, REALLY don't want to know what they talk about, but there are 12 of them. That we know of.

There are 55 Really, Really Ridiculously Good Looking Bloggers, 5 Dudes, and 3 Lutherans.

There are groups with only initials I couldn't figure out and so became afraid and wouldn't click over to see what the letters meant.

28 people Blog From Work and probably shouldn't, because they could, you know, get FIRED.

9 from Utah and 8 from New Hampshire. 53 red heads. 2 republicans, and 9 old hippies, can we all just get along?

31 members of something called Quarter Life Crisis. Kids! Get a grip! And remember, it'll ALWAYS get worse, but then it will get BETTER! All the time! That's how life works. Just get to bed on time and have something nutritious to eat now and then and it'll be fine. And? Would it kill you to call your mothers?

There are funny groups and sad groups, much-too-much groups and eh, whatever groups. There are groups of one, just puttin' it out there and hoping someone feels a kinship; I hope they all find someone to be in their group (especially the Group Cruise lady).

Y'all are MY group. Whether you like it or not. I'm just sayin'.

this and that

2008-04-26T11:05:00.000-04:00

Has anyone noticed how weird the word verification whats-it is getting? I can hardly read it and I never get it right the first time anymore, it looks like tagging or some shit.

Speaking of WTF. I put that little button over there → → to remind me when it was my blogoversary. AND? I forgot. I posted about summer camp instead. Maybe if it stays up there all year I'll remember next time. So, anyway, Woo Hoo! Two years!

Last spring we had a very late freeze and then a terrible drought that just about drained all the lakes around here. But this year! The plants and trees are rebounding and beautiful so I brought some lilacs into the house. They're just so pretty! Unfortunately, I've spent the entire time moving them from room to room because the fragrance is so strong it's giving me a headache. C'est dommage!

And? The kitchen construction is done (on time!) and we are left with the finish work. After taking everything down it looked a little forlorn.

This is after Dale put the trim up. I still have to paint the trim and we won't start building the new banquet and table until June or so. In the meantime, we'll put the shelves back on the wall and live with it like it is until the new stuff is done and then bring it all in at once. We lost a little light but doubled the air flow. And it's pretty. It'll be good.

camp run•a•muk

2008-04-24T16:08:00.001-04:00

It's that time of year, I know I look forward to. It's time to decide on the annual Summertime Theme. As some of you may remember, for the last two years I've gone with Eat Like an Italian, I think that's going to just be the thing we do EVERY summer because, you know, it tastes good and there's wine. And now what with all the lovely CSA veggies I'll be receiving each week, it would be silly to change now. Maybe just add the whole Mediterranean into the equation as I've decided I love Baba Ganoush, and make it often (it's also fun to say. Go ahead...say it). So now I'm looking around for the Theme. I'm thinking Summer Camp. I never went as a kid and it always looks so fun in the movies, well,except for Friday the 13th, that didn't turn out well for anyone.

I'm thinking I could drink cappuccinos in the morning, then make things in the afternoon with popsicle sticks, and then I could use the leftover popsicles sticks to stir cocktails in the evening, while I prepare our lovely Italian meals. I think that could work! Now, I just need a name...