Showing posts with label meme me this. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meme me this. Show all posts
Sunday, 8 December 2019
Yarn over and over
Someone, an old babysitter maybe, taught me to crochet when I was six. I remember making long braided loops of yarn and thinking how pretty it was. Then, like kids do, I charged forth into something else and forgot all about the flash of the hook and the way the colours fell from my hands.
I tried to knit a few years ago. HA! The two sticks made me stabby. I managed to make lots of knots before completely losing my patience with the whole enterprise and hurling the knobbly bits into the trash.
And that should have been the end of it, except....
Except I remembered the hook, and started watching videos and puzzling out stitches. I’m not particularly good at it (being left-handed, and also clumsy) and it’s slow, frustrating going, but I’m ....I’ve got a Christmas project on the go now, and I want to finish it.
Knot so bad for an old girl.
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
the dread crew - stories that stick
Kate is a local(ish) blogger that I am thrilled to read (chuffed, as my old roommate would say) every time her name pops up on my reader. And like most born storytellers, Kate is an author too - of a swashbuckling tale of pirates, deep woods, the maritimes and childhood wonder. Her new book is coming out in November, and I can't wait to sit down with her pirate crew and read of their hijinks.
Today she posted this wonderful meme. By doing this and leaving her a comment here, (complete directions here) you can be put in a drawing for a signed and hot off the presses copy of:
Besides. It's an awesome meme. Here we go!
1) You are facing an epic journey. You may choose one companion, one tool and one vehicle from any book or film to accompany you. Or just one of the three. It's up to you. What do you choose? Companion: Lucy, from the Narnia books. Clever girl. Tool: A hammer, because it's both useful and a weapon. Vehicle: The car from Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Well, wouldn't you fly if you could?
2) You can escape to the insides of any book. Where do you go, and why? Probably a Karen White novel. Her stories make me feel the salty breezes and hear the foghorns of the Cape - and send shivers up my back with her eerie twists and turns.
3) You can bring one literary character into your current life. Who do you choose, and why?
Good days: Huckleberry Finn, for that dash of bad boy and free-spirit.
Bad days: Mary Poppins. Because some days, Mommy needs help. (And a bartender.)
4) Latitudes of Melt is my go-to book. I could read that book fifty-seven times in a row without a break for food or a pee and not be remotely bored. In fact I’ve already done that but it wasn’t fifty-seven times. It was sixty-four.
5) Of all the literary or film characters that made an impression on you as a kid, who was the most enviable? I loved Meg from A Wrinkle In Time. She was real and a lot like me (glasses, messy hair, a tendency to shoot off at the mouth without thinking) but she used those qualities to do wonderful things.
6) Of all the literary or film characters that made an impression on you as a kid, who was the most frightening? Gollum from the Rings Trilogy. It took me yeeears to me to get his imagined 'precioussssssssssssss' out of my head.
7) Every time I read Coming Home, I see something in it that I haven’t seen before.
8) It is imperative that _________________ be made into a movie. Now. I am already picketing Hollywood for this—but if they cast _________________ as _________________, I will not be happy. I will, however, be appeased if they cast _________________. Honestly, I have no idea how to answer this one. I HATE it when a book I love gets made into a movie. With the heat and passion of a thousand suns.
9) Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse is a book that should never be made (or should have never been made) into a film. I just.....don't.....GET THE APPEAL. (And this isn't Labyrinth with David Bowie.)
10) After all these years, the poison apple-making scene in the book/movie Snow White still manages to give me the queebs.
11) After all these years, the race scene in the book/movie The Black Stallion still manages to give me a thrill.
12) If I could corner the author Joshilyn Jackson, here’s what I’d say to them one minute or less about their book, Gods In Alabama: Mah LORD, how did you manage to write this without freaking yourself out? Your characters are really believable - I swear I know some of them from some far dark corner of a family reunion - and your situations made me gasp and sit up all night to finish. I sighed when I reached the last page.
13) The coolest non-fiction book I’ve ever read is Living the Good Life: How to Live Simply and Sanely in a Troubled World, by Helen and Scott Nearing. Every time I flip through it, it makes me want to buy some land and homestead - to go back to a simpler time and be more self-sufficient.
Today she posted this wonderful meme. By doing this and leaving her a comment here, (complete directions here) you can be put in a drawing for a signed and hot off the presses copy of:
Besides. It's an awesome meme. Here we go!
1) You are facing an epic journey. You may choose one companion, one tool and one vehicle from any book or film to accompany you. Or just one of the three. It's up to you. What do you choose? Companion: Lucy, from the Narnia books. Clever girl. Tool: A hammer, because it's both useful and a weapon. Vehicle: The car from Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. Well, wouldn't you fly if you could?
2) You can escape to the insides of any book. Where do you go, and why? Probably a Karen White novel. Her stories make me feel the salty breezes and hear the foghorns of the Cape - and send shivers up my back with her eerie twists and turns.
3) You can bring one literary character into your current life. Who do you choose, and why?
Good days: Huckleberry Finn, for that dash of bad boy and free-spirit.
Bad days: Mary Poppins. Because some days, Mommy needs help. (And a bartender.)
4) Latitudes of Melt is my go-to book. I could read that book fifty-seven times in a row without a break for food or a pee and not be remotely bored. In fact I’ve already done that but it wasn’t fifty-seven times. It was sixty-four.
5) Of all the literary or film characters that made an impression on you as a kid, who was the most enviable? I loved Meg from A Wrinkle In Time. She was real and a lot like me (glasses, messy hair, a tendency to shoot off at the mouth without thinking) but she used those qualities to do wonderful things.
6) Of all the literary or film characters that made an impression on you as a kid, who was the most frightening? Gollum from the Rings Trilogy. It took me yeeears to me to get his imagined 'precioussssssssssssss' out of my head.
7) Every time I read Coming Home, I see something in it that I haven’t seen before.
8) It is imperative that _________________ be made into a movie. Now. I am already picketing Hollywood for this—but if they cast _________________ as _________________, I will not be happy. I will, however, be appeased if they cast _________________. Honestly, I have no idea how to answer this one. I HATE it when a book I love gets made into a movie. With the heat and passion of a thousand suns.
9) Labyrinth, by Kate Mosse is a book that should never be made (or should have never been made) into a film. I just.....don't.....GET THE APPEAL. (And this isn't Labyrinth with David Bowie.)
10) After all these years, the poison apple-making scene in the book/movie Snow White still manages to give me the queebs.
11) After all these years, the race scene in the book/movie The Black Stallion still manages to give me a thrill.
12) If I could corner the author Joshilyn Jackson, here’s what I’d say to them one minute or less about their book, Gods In Alabama: Mah LORD, how did you manage to write this without freaking yourself out? Your characters are really believable - I swear I know some of them from some far dark corner of a family reunion - and your situations made me gasp and sit up all night to finish. I sighed when I reached the last page.
13) The coolest non-fiction book I’ve ever read is Living the Good Life: How to Live Simply and Sanely in a Troubled World, by Helen and Scott Nearing. Every time I flip through it, it makes me want to buy some land and homestead - to go back to a simpler time and be more self-sufficient.
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
25 things you didn't know about me
1. I love pretty linens. I was lucky I married someone who is comfortable enough in his masculinity to realize that flowered sheets and high thread counts? Get me hot.
2. The dog is named after Hugh Laurie.
3. I struggle constantly with talking before I think. The good side is that my shoes fit fine when they've been in my mouth for awhile.
4. I blog about almost everything, although since I found out my grandmother is a regular reader, I've stopped talking about my sex life.
5. I am happiest reading or taking photographs, especially with my gorgeous and divine children.
6. I would dearly love to have a third child, but it's probably not in the cards.
7. Right now I have four jobs. Ward Clerk, Secretary for my church (Yes, I am the professional Church Lady), I work for Statistics Canada, and I'm a Secret Shopper. I love all these things, and figure that between the four? I'll see everyone in this town somewhere between birth and death.
8. All these things plus having a family is exhausting sometimes. I still love it, although if anyone could slip me a few extra hours of sleep somewhere? I'd be your slave for life.
9. The gorgeous and divine children do NOT share my love of sleep. The G & D Two would like to be up all day and all night, frankly, and despite my weeping protests continue to insist that I get up in the morning and do unreasonable things like interact with them and pour them cereal.
10. Actually, it's not that bad. I've had recurring insomnia most of my adult life.
Three am is a lovely time for reading.
11. I read a LOT. Right now I'm in the middle of a haunting book called Little Bee. The one before that I loved too - Bird By Bird.
12. I was really excited about the election. I'm still an American citizen, so I can say (with pride!) I helped elect the latest president.
13. I'd love to take my kids to some of the places where I went when I was growing up. It gives me a lump in my throat to think they probably won't ever go to Mackinac Island, or watch the Cherry Parade, or even see the school I went to. This country I live in is beautiful and wonderful and amazing, but I think everyone wants to share things from their childhood with their children.
14. I'm not sure my brother and I will ever get back the relationship we once had.
15. I have a love-hate thing going on with my hair. When it's short, I let it grow long, once it's long, I hate it and chop it off. I feel a cut coming on....
16. Holy crap, this is hard.
17. I talk to my mother at least once a week. My Dad and I are better with e-mail.
18. My mother and I usually get along - unless we talk about politics. Then there are rolling eyes and we both talk circles around each other until we have to abruptly change the subject before someone explodes.
19. I quit smoking twelve years ago, and I still catch a whiff once in awhile and think wistfully about the days when I used to drive the highways with the windows open, smoking.
20. But I really don't miss the bronchitis I got at least once every year while I was lighting up.
21. I don't watch any reality tv. Instead, I watch reruns of NCIS, House, Private Practice, and Stargate Atlantis.
22. Dora the Explorer drives me up the fricking wall. So does Max and Ruby. Guess what two shows my daughter loves? Yeah. I usually try to delay drinking any coffee until she's watched her show - that way I can doze and not register every time Dora SCREAMS something or be bothered by the way Max and Ruby are orphans and probably squatters on someone else's property.
23. I used to think I'd love to go to Africa, but now I'm relatively certain I'd step on a snake or get eaten by a lion. I won't go see the ball drop in Times Square for the same reason.
24. Last summer I had a terrific vacation where I took off by myself, visited my dad and step-mum, then went to a blogging convention for a few days. It was the most fun (and the most wine!) I've had in a long time.
25. I would love to be craftier, but really? I get bored quickly.
Oh! And I missed my anniversary - but I've been blogging for four years!! Still no end to the drivel I want to tell you about....
2. The dog is named after Hugh Laurie.
3. I struggle constantly with talking before I think. The good side is that my shoes fit fine when they've been in my mouth for awhile.
4. I blog about almost everything, although since I found out my grandmother is a regular reader, I've stopped talking about my sex life.
5. I am happiest reading or taking photographs, especially with my gorgeous and divine children.
6. I would dearly love to have a third child, but it's probably not in the cards.
7. Right now I have four jobs. Ward Clerk, Secretary for my church (Yes, I am the professional Church Lady), I work for Statistics Canada, and I'm a Secret Shopper. I love all these things, and figure that between the four? I'll see everyone in this town somewhere between birth and death.
8. All these things plus having a family is exhausting sometimes. I still love it, although if anyone could slip me a few extra hours of sleep somewhere? I'd be your slave for life.
9. The gorgeous and divine children do NOT share my love of sleep. The G & D Two would like to be up all day and all night, frankly, and despite my weeping protests continue to insist that I get up in the morning and do unreasonable things like interact with them and pour them cereal.
10. Actually, it's not that bad. I've had recurring insomnia most of my adult life.
Three am is a lovely time for reading.
11. I read a LOT. Right now I'm in the middle of a haunting book called Little Bee. The one before that I loved too - Bird By Bird.
12. I was really excited about the election. I'm still an American citizen, so I can say (with pride!) I helped elect the latest president.
13. I'd love to take my kids to some of the places where I went when I was growing up. It gives me a lump in my throat to think they probably won't ever go to Mackinac Island, or watch the Cherry Parade, or even see the school I went to. This country I live in is beautiful and wonderful and amazing, but I think everyone wants to share things from their childhood with their children.
14. I'm not sure my brother and I will ever get back the relationship we once had.
15. I have a love-hate thing going on with my hair. When it's short, I let it grow long, once it's long, I hate it and chop it off. I feel a cut coming on....
16. Holy crap, this is hard.
17. I talk to my mother at least once a week. My Dad and I are better with e-mail.
18. My mother and I usually get along - unless we talk about politics. Then there are rolling eyes and we both talk circles around each other until we have to abruptly change the subject before someone explodes.
19. I quit smoking twelve years ago, and I still catch a whiff once in awhile and think wistfully about the days when I used to drive the highways with the windows open, smoking.
20. But I really don't miss the bronchitis I got at least once every year while I was lighting up.
21. I don't watch any reality tv. Instead, I watch reruns of NCIS, House, Private Practice, and Stargate Atlantis.
22. Dora the Explorer drives me up the fricking wall. So does Max and Ruby. Guess what two shows my daughter loves? Yeah. I usually try to delay drinking any coffee until she's watched her show - that way I can doze and not register every time Dora SCREAMS something or be bothered by the way Max and Ruby are orphans and probably squatters on someone else's property.
23. I used to think I'd love to go to Africa, but now I'm relatively certain I'd step on a snake or get eaten by a lion. I won't go see the ball drop in Times Square for the same reason.
24. Last summer I had a terrific vacation where I took off by myself, visited my dad and step-mum, then went to a blogging convention for a few days. It was the most fun (and the most wine!) I've had in a long time.
25. I would love to be craftier, but really? I get bored quickly.
Oh! And I missed my anniversary - but I've been blogging for four years!! Still no end to the drivel I want to tell you about....
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
nicked
Taken from Meggie. I promise to bring it back.....
Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font
1. Started your own blog - well, um, yeah....
2. Slept under the stars. - Yes, but the crashing noises out in the woods almost drowned out the pleasure of the company I was with.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii - sorta? Not a burning desire of mine.
5. Watched a meteor shower- I have, in my entire life, only seen two shooting stars. I'd LOVE to see a meteor shower. Maybe I could talk to the person who schedules those things so late?
6. Given more than you can afford to charity - And I'll do it again. Cass rolled over last night from where he was watching tv and said 'Why aren't we sponsoring one of those kids?' To which my not-entirely Christmas-themed mind thought 'Oh, crap.'
7. Been to Disneyland/world - I SO want to take my kids there, too.
8. Climbed a mountain - yes, but it was a foot-trek, not a Sherpa-guide and crampons and so on. Less strenuous, but no less neat.
9. Held a praying mantis. They're cool! They look like old men.
10. Sang a solo (in the shower) Almost every time, usually the old songs I get stuck in my head. Lately it's been Stormy Weather, the Etta James version.
11. Bungee jumped - oh fer chrissake WHY??
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. Awesome and awe-inspiring.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Cross stitch, although I do it only sporadically.
15. Adopted a child. Would love to do this.
16. Had food poisoning. As a newly-wed. A lovely thing to have in front of your new husband.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables. Those damned zucchini....
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train. Yes, in both a seat and an overnighter. I lurve trains.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked. No. There are certain things I still will not do because my father would find out. And kill me.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. - Do kid sicknesses count?
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb. And baby goats, too.
26. Gone skinny dipping. In the Great Lakes. It was lovely. Now I look back on it and wonder why parts of me didn't fall off in that polluted muck. Oh, my poor Lake Michigan...
27. Run a Marathon- are you mad??
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse Yes!!
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Too many. (yawns the mom that has two kids that get up at the crack of dawn)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - Germany. And Holland. Someday.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David - I would love to go to the Mediterranean...
41. Sung karaoke - and there's a reason I sing in the shower....
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. Miss these! Love them!
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class - although never liked it, and don't remember much.
59. Visited Russia
60.Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - Sebastian, my first doll.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar -beyick.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone - not yet (knocks on everything)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby. Two.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone. Yes. Don't anymore - I can't stand the thing.
99. Been stung by a bee - Of course!
Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font
1. Started your own blog - well, um, yeah....
2. Slept under the stars. - Yes, but the crashing noises out in the woods almost drowned out the pleasure of the company I was with.
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii - sorta? Not a burning desire of mine.
5. Watched a meteor shower- I have, in my entire life, only seen two shooting stars. I'd LOVE to see a meteor shower. Maybe I could talk to the person who schedules those things so late?
6. Given more than you can afford to charity - And I'll do it again. Cass rolled over last night from where he was watching tv and said 'Why aren't we sponsoring one of those kids?' To which my not-entirely Christmas-themed mind thought 'Oh, crap.'
7. Been to Disneyland/world - I SO want to take my kids there, too.
8. Climbed a mountain - yes, but it was a foot-trek, not a Sherpa-guide and crampons and so on. Less strenuous, but no less neat.
9. Held a praying mantis. They're cool! They look like old men.
10. Sang a solo (in the shower) Almost every time, usually the old songs I get stuck in my head. Lately it's been Stormy Weather, the Etta James version.
11. Bungee jumped - oh fer chrissake WHY??
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. Awesome and awe-inspiring.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Cross stitch, although I do it only sporadically.
15. Adopted a child. Would love to do this.
16. Had food poisoning. As a newly-wed. A lovely thing to have in front of your new husband.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables. Those damned zucchini....
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train. Yes, in both a seat and an overnighter. I lurve trains.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked. No. There are certain things I still will not do because my father would find out. And kill me.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. - Do kid sicknesses count?
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb. And baby goats, too.
26. Gone skinny dipping. In the Great Lakes. It was lovely. Now I look back on it and wonder why parts of me didn't fall off in that polluted muck. Oh, my poor Lake Michigan...
27. Run a Marathon- are you mad??
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse Yes!!
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. Too many. (yawns the mom that has two kids that get up at the crack of dawn)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - Germany. And Holland. Someday.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David - I would love to go to the Mediterranean...
41. Sung karaoke - and there's a reason I sing in the shower....
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. Miss these! Love them!
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class - although never liked it, and don't remember much.
59. Visited Russia
60.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - Sebastian, my first doll.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar -beyick.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone - not yet (knocks on everything)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby. Two.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone. Yes. Don't anymore - I can't stand the thing.
99. Been stung by a bee - Of course!
Thursday, 13 November 2008
katie did
and then she asked me to do it, so....why not?
ZE RHULS:
* Go to your Sixth Picture Folder then pick your Sixth Picture.
* Pray that you remember the details.
* Tag 5 others.
Okay. It's so simple, you'd know I'd have questions....
Sixth folder? Wha? All my photos are in Picasa and arranged by date, so sixth folder would be pictures I took a week ago Sunday, and it's the cat, Lucy.
but everyone knows the Lucy story.
The oldest photos on my computer are jumbled together in a folder called (prosaically)'Saved Photos From CD' (the remnants from a panicked The-computer-crashed-SAVE-THE-PICTURES!!!!) and the sixth image in that file? Is from January 17th, 2006. How do I know the exact date? Because I blogged about it.
Behold my (newly walking on fallen-snow) two year old daughter, after she'd lost her balance a few times and done a header into a snowbank:
Yes. Laughing at the two year old struggling to walk as she spits out snow and blinks this cold stuff off her eyelashes. I think I earned an express pass to Hades with that one....
and now my five victims! Hmm....
Badger
Coast Rat
Sarah Louise
DD
Mike
Ree
Hey, anybody else doing this? Lemme know. I'd love to peep.
Hey, did I lose count there? Oh well.
ZE RHULS:
* Go to your Sixth Picture Folder then pick your Sixth Picture.
* Pray that you remember the details.
* Tag 5 others.
Okay. It's so simple, you'd know I'd have questions....
Sixth folder? Wha? All my photos are in Picasa and arranged by date, so sixth folder would be pictures I took a week ago Sunday, and it's the cat, Lucy.
but everyone knows the Lucy story.
The oldest photos on my computer are jumbled together in a folder called (prosaically)'Saved Photos From CD' (the remnants from a panicked The-computer-crashed-SAVE-THE-PICTURES!!!!) and the sixth image in that file? Is from January 17th, 2006. How do I know the exact date? Because I blogged about it.
Behold my (newly walking on fallen-snow) two year old daughter, after she'd lost her balance a few times and done a header into a snowbank:
Yes. Laughing at the two year old struggling to walk as she spits out snow and blinks this cold stuff off her eyelashes. I think I earned an express pass to Hades with that one....
and now my five victims! Hmm....
Badger
Coast Rat
Sarah Louise
DD
Mike
Ree
Hey, anybody else doing this? Lemme know. I'd love to peep.
Hey, did I lose count there? Oh well.
Sunday, 2 November 2008
all about meme
imaginary binky tagged me for this
* Where is your mobile phone? Um, in the junk drawer? I really hate carrying it. It's de-activated, of course. I don't like being accessible all the time, and it was just silly bumping around with one.
* Where is your significant other? To my right about fifteen feet, hunched over his laptop on the couch. From all the disgusted muttering, I think he's facebook bowling.
* Your hair colour? Dark brown. There are a few (few!) remnants of some lighter streaks and a few (three or four!) grey strands.
* Your mother? Just hung up with her. She wanted me to count the Christmas ornaments she's sent to the kids the last few years. (Cass gets a fire engine ornament every year and a snowman ornament, and Bitsy gets angels and reindeer.) She found a bag of ornaments that she thought she sent to us last year and now wanted to make sure she wasn't inundating us with angels.
* Your father? I should email him and see if he had any trick-or-treaters, and where they're planning to spend Christmas this year.
* Your favorite thing? Right this minute? The patch-ed cat Lucy, who is snortling in my arms, passed out and happy that she's 'saved' me from the dog yet again.
* Your dream last night? Making an apple pie in someone else's kitchen. Never mind trespassing, I was upset because I couldn't find the measuring cups.
* Your dream goal? Published writer.
* The room you’re in? The living room. It has the pc and the laptop, the woodstove, and the tv. And the weight of the cat makes it hard to get up, even if I wanted to leave.
* Your hobby? Reading, writing, learning how to use mybaybee camera.
* Your fear? Screwing up really badly in the motherhood department.
* Where do you want to be in six years? Tuscany.
* Where were you last night? Here. Giggling at Saturday Night Live. McC did a good job. And seemed to enjoy himself!
* What you’re not? Graceful. Poised. Chic. Daring.
* One of your wish-list items? Lenses for the baybee. 'How To Crochet For the Incredibly Needle-Challenged.'
* Where you grew up? Michigan, Illinois, Indiana.
* The last thing you did? Got a glass of ice-water and (ssssh!) two mini Crunchie bars.
* What are you wearing? A strategically placed towel and a red silk robe. No, not really, but now I know you're paying attention!
* Your TV? Getting old but I won't give it up until it gives up the ghost. B hates it because I won't listen to his dreams of having a big-ass wide screen. (rolls eyes)
* Your pets? We are a pet-happy family. We have:
the kitties: Katie, Lucy, and Chumba
-and-
Jasper 'Box O Rocks' the dawg
I like cats. You may have figured this out.
* Your computer? it's a pc. Other than that, I have no clue.
* Your mood? Getting irritated because msnbc is just going over things I already know about the election.
* Missing someone? My family, my friend C.
* Your car? Big old Blazer. Mommy's truck.
* Something you’re not wearing? A sweater.
* Favourite shop? Ebay. Etsy. Ikea.
* Your summer? Gone too soon.
* Love someone? Of course - what's life without love?
* Your favourite colour? Red.
* When is the last time you laughed? Tonight, while the kids and I were working with Cass on his math skills. If he got the problem right, I tickled him. If he got it wrong, I tickled Rosey. It was silly and wonderful.
* Last time you cried? Teared up a couple of times tonight watching the recap of the election. Some of the speeches Obama made still get to me.
Thanks Sarah! I'll try to return the favour (favor??) soon.
* Where is your mobile phone? Um, in the junk drawer? I really hate carrying it. It's de-activated, of course. I don't like being accessible all the time, and it was just silly bumping around with one.
* Where is your significant other? To my right about fifteen feet, hunched over his laptop on the couch. From all the disgusted muttering, I think he's facebook bowling.
* Your hair colour? Dark brown. There are a few (few!) remnants of some lighter streaks and a few (three or four!) grey strands.
* Your mother? Just hung up with her. She wanted me to count the Christmas ornaments she's sent to the kids the last few years. (Cass gets a fire engine ornament every year and a snowman ornament, and Bitsy gets angels and reindeer.) She found a bag of ornaments that she thought she sent to us last year and now wanted to make sure she wasn't inundating us with angels.
* Your father? I should email him and see if he had any trick-or-treaters, and where they're planning to spend Christmas this year.
* Your favorite thing? Right this minute? The patch-ed cat Lucy, who is snortling in my arms, passed out and happy that she's 'saved' me from the dog yet again.
* Your dream last night? Making an apple pie in someone else's kitchen. Never mind trespassing, I was upset because I couldn't find the measuring cups.
* Your dream goal? Published writer.
* The room you’re in? The living room. It has the pc and the laptop, the woodstove, and the tv. And the weight of the cat makes it hard to get up, even if I wanted to leave.
* Your hobby? Reading, writing, learning how to use my
* Your fear? Screwing up really badly in the motherhood department.
* Where do you want to be in six years? Tuscany.
* Where were you last night? Here. Giggling at Saturday Night Live. McC did a good job. And seemed to enjoy himself!
* What you’re not? Graceful. Poised. Chic. Daring.
* One of your wish-list items? Lenses for the baybee. 'How To Crochet For the Incredibly Needle-Challenged.'
* Where you grew up? Michigan, Illinois, Indiana.
* The last thing you did? Got a glass of ice-water and (ssssh!) two mini Crunchie bars.
* What are you wearing? A strategically placed towel and a red silk robe. No, not really, but now I know you're paying attention!
* Your TV? Getting old but I won't give it up until it gives up the ghost. B hates it because I won't listen to his dreams of having a big-ass wide screen. (rolls eyes)
* Your pets? We are a pet-happy family. We have:
the kitties: Katie, Lucy, and Chumba
-and-
Jasper 'Box O Rocks' the dawg
I like cats. You may have figured this out.
* Your computer? it's a pc. Other than that, I have no clue.
* Your mood? Getting irritated because msnbc is just going over things I already know about the election.
* Missing someone? My family, my friend C.
* Your car? Big old Blazer. Mommy's truck.
* Something you’re not wearing? A sweater.
* Favourite shop? Ebay. Etsy. Ikea.
* Your summer? Gone too soon.
* Love someone? Of course - what's life without love?
* Your favourite colour? Red.
* When is the last time you laughed? Tonight, while the kids and I were working with Cass on his math skills. If he got the problem right, I tickled him. If he got it wrong, I tickled Rosey. It was silly and wonderful.
* Last time you cried? Teared up a couple of times tonight watching the recap of the election. Some of the speeches Obama made still get to me.
Thanks Sarah! I'll try to return the favour (favor??) soon.
Friday, 22 August 2008
i like to eat
1)Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you have eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
1. Venison - Have had it cooked various ways. My step-grandmother makes a venison roast that is to die for. And I don't know her recipe.
2. Nettle tea - Back when I was young and foolish and liked other tea than plain old TEA.
3. Huevos rancheros - I will get up EARLY for those.
4. Steak tartare - Yum.
5. Crocodile - I went through a phase where I dared easily.
6. Black pudding - Can't say as I have.
7. Cheese fondue - I was born in the early seventies. What do you think?
8. Carp -Ayuh.
9. Borscht - YUM.
10. Baba ghanoush - I make a mean baba. God love Alton Brown.
11. Calamari - Had it. Ate it. Won't again.
12. Pho - Yes, please, and are you making it?
13. PB&J sandwich -Nummy. Still scrumptious after all these years.
14. Aloo Gobi- Curry is a good friend of mine.
15. Hot dog from a street cart- I like to live dangerously. Actually, I just like hot dogs.
16. Epoisses - Stinky cheese? Yummers.
17. Black Truffle- Yes.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Blackberry, peach, apple, dandelion, cherry, blueberry.
19. Steamed Pork Buns - So, SO good.
20. Pistachio ice cream - My favourite, growing up.
21. Heirloom tomatoes - Never enough.
22. Fresh wild berries - Ha! You jest!
23. Foie gras - Enjoyed it until a friend sat me down and told me how the geese are treated. The same friend told me about veal. I'm still mourning.
24. Rice and beans - Oh YUM!
25. Souse and Brawn or Head Cheese - I've eaten it, but I don't like jellied things.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper- Again with the daring.
27. Dulce de leche - Apple pie will never be the same.
28. Oysters - Rockefeller? Raw? Florentine? With hot sauce? Lead me to the table, please.
29. Baklava - Every time I can find some of that ooey-gooey goodness.
30. Bagna cauda - Really easy to fix. Good, too.
31. Wasabi peas - You know, I think I've only had these a couple of times.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - Waste of good bread. Good chowder should stand alone.
33. Salted lassi - Awesome. Hard to explain and to get people to drink. 'It's WHAT?'
34. Sauerkraut - Reubens! The most perfect sandwich.
35. Root beer float - I make these for the kids.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar -Wasn't overly impressed with the cognac. Haven't had a cigar in years.
37. Clotted cream tea - I wanted to be British when I was younger.
38.Vodka jelly/Jell-O Don't like vodka, don't like jellied things. Scarred at a young age by a grandmother who used to make me eat aspic.
39. Gumbo -Love it. Still hate okra, so my almost-licked-clean bowl will have a small pile of limp green things on the lip.
40. Oxtail - I make oxtail soup every winter. I just don't tell Bear what the meat's from.
41. Curried goat- Goat isn't my favourite. Still love the curry though.
42. Whole insects - Does the grasshopper I caught in my mouth once count? I didn't chew, and I didn't mean to swallow....
43. Phaal - I like to sweat.
44. Goat’s Milk- My aunt raises goats. It's great except when they're in heat.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - Smoooooth.
46.Fugu - They're ugly, they have eyes, and they're staring at me.
47. Chicken Tiki Masala- Every chance I get.
48.Eel - Scarred from a lifetime of watching school movies about lampreys and The Great Lakes.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - Only had them a few times. But it was enough to hook me, probably for life.
50.Sea urchin They're ugly, they have spines, and exactly WHY again?
51. Prickly Pear - Good in salads
52. Umeboshi- Always a surprise.
53. Abalone - Love shellfish.
54. Paneer - No, have not, but wow! Looks yummy! Think I will make this.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal -yes.
56. Spaetzle - My aunt makes spaetzle. I can't get mine to come out as good as hers, but yum.
57. Dirty gin martini - I’ve tasted them. Not big on gin. Do like the olives, though.
58. Beer above 8% ABV -
59. Poutine - French fries with cheese and gravy? Are you kidding??
60. Carob chips -Thank GOD the carob craze has abated. It was NEVER chocolate.
61. S’mores - Not since I was a Girl Scout.
62.Sweetbreads - Can't dare me that much, sorry.
63. Kaolin - This has to be a spelling error, as the google page talks about Chinese clay.
64. Currywurst - Seriously? Curried sausage? Never, really?
65. Durian - looks terrible, tastes like heaven.
66. Frogs’ legs - Yes. But I can't stop thinking of frogs in tiny wheelchairs.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - It's all fair food, and it's all GOOD..
68. Haggis - Never tried it.
69. Fried plantain -Good. Very sweet.
70. Chitterlings or Andouillette - pretty good.
71. Gazpacho - I liked it.
72. Caviar and blini - Nope. Thought it was blackberry jam. Had my mouth all set for blackberry jam. Was so NOT blackberry jam.
73. Louche absinthe - Yes.
74. Gjetost, or brunost- Cheese, cheese, marvelous cheese.
75.Roadkill - 'What! It was still warm!' A great line from Savannah Smiles.
76. Baijiu - Probably would be good with fugu.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - Cherry. Half-frozen, if possible. Really good in the heat of summer. (Of course I'm remembering back to when I was eight, so tastes may have changed...)
78. Snail -Been there. Garlicky rubber. Not my favorite.
79. Lapsang souchong - Tea.
80. Bellini - Champers and peach juice. Yum.
81. Tom Yum- Yes, please!!
82. Eggs Benedict - Yummy.
83. Pocky -Have not been able to find these.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - Not yet.
85. Kobe beef - Worth the money and the time to prepare.
86. Hare- Have had rabbit stew. Once.
87. Goulash - Make a mean goulash.
88. Flowers - Although I don't nosh in the garden, I have had them during that foolish little fad of flowers in salad.
89.Horse - Never knowingly.
90. Criollo chocolate - Yes.
91. Spam - Good once in a blue moon, sliced very thin and fried crispy. (And then I'm disgusted with myself and don't eat for a day.)
92. Soft shell crab - Yes. With newspapers over the table so you can make a huge mess and not care.
93. Rose harissa - I like it.
94. Catfish - Can't do it. The first fish I caught was a catfish. I had nightmares for a week. *shudder* Whisker-y nasty slimy face.
95. Mole Poblano- Soo good.
96. Bagel and lox - And good hot coffee.
97. Lobster Thermidor - Yum.
98. Polenta - So good. So good.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Okay.
100.Snake"What? It was still warm!" See 75.
(burp!)
2) Bold all the items you have eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
1. Venison - Have had it cooked various ways. My step-grandmother makes a venison roast that is to die for. And I don't know her recipe.
2. Nettle tea - Back when I was young and foolish and liked other tea than plain old TEA.
3. Huevos rancheros - I will get up EARLY for those.
4. Steak tartare - Yum.
5. Crocodile - I went through a phase where I dared easily.
6. Black pudding - Can't say as I have.
7. Cheese fondue - I was born in the early seventies. What do you think?
8. Carp -Ayuh.
9. Borscht - YUM.
10. Baba ghanoush - I make a mean baba. God love Alton Brown.
11. Calamari - Had it. Ate it. Won't again.
12. Pho - Yes, please, and are you making it?
13. PB&J sandwich -Nummy. Still scrumptious after all these years.
14. Aloo Gobi- Curry is a good friend of mine.
15. Hot dog from a street cart- I like to live dangerously. Actually, I just like hot dogs.
16. Epoisses - Stinky cheese? Yummers.
17. Black Truffle- Yes.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Blackberry, peach, apple, dandelion, cherry, blueberry.
19. Steamed Pork Buns - So, SO good.
20. Pistachio ice cream - My favourite, growing up.
21. Heirloom tomatoes - Never enough.
22. Fresh wild berries - Ha! You jest!
23. Foie gras - Enjoyed it until a friend sat me down and told me how the geese are treated. The same friend told me about veal. I'm still mourning.
24. Rice and beans - Oh YUM!
25. Souse and Brawn or Head Cheese - I've eaten it, but I don't like jellied things.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper- Again with the daring.
27. Dulce de leche - Apple pie will never be the same.
28. Oysters - Rockefeller? Raw? Florentine? With hot sauce? Lead me to the table, please.
29. Baklava - Every time I can find some of that ooey-gooey goodness.
30. Bagna cauda - Really easy to fix. Good, too.
31. Wasabi peas - You know, I think I've only had these a couple of times.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - Waste of good bread. Good chowder should stand alone.
33. Salted lassi - Awesome. Hard to explain and to get people to drink. 'It's WHAT?'
34. Sauerkraut - Reubens! The most perfect sandwich.
35. Root beer float - I make these for the kids.
36. Cognac with a fat cigar -Wasn't overly impressed with the cognac. Haven't had a cigar in years.
37. Clotted cream tea - I wanted to be British when I was younger.
38.
39. Gumbo -Love it. Still hate okra, so my almost-licked-clean bowl will have a small pile of limp green things on the lip.
40. Oxtail - I make oxtail soup every winter. I just don't tell Bear what the meat's from.
41. Curried goat- Goat isn't my favourite. Still love the curry though.
42. Whole insects - Does the grasshopper I caught in my mouth once count? I didn't chew, and I didn't mean to swallow....
43. Phaal - I like to sweat.
44. Goat’s Milk- My aunt raises goats. It's great except when they're in heat.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - Smoooooth.
46.
47. Chicken Tiki Masala- Every chance I get.
48.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - Only had them a few times. But it was enough to hook me, probably for life.
50.
51. Prickly Pear - Good in salads
52. Umeboshi- Always a surprise.
53. Abalone - Love shellfish.
54. Paneer - No, have not, but wow! Looks yummy! Think I will make this.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal -yes.
56. Spaetzle - My aunt makes spaetzle. I can't get mine to come out as good as hers, but yum.
57. Dirty gin martini - I’ve tasted them. Not big on gin. Do like the olives, though.
58. Beer above 8% ABV -
59. Poutine - French fries with cheese and gravy? Are you kidding??
60. Carob chips -Thank GOD the carob craze has abated. It was NEVER chocolate.
61. S’mores - Not since I was a Girl Scout.
62.
63. Kaolin - This has to be a spelling error, as the google page talks about Chinese clay.
64. Currywurst - Seriously? Curried sausage? Never, really?
65. Durian - looks terrible, tastes like heaven.
66. Frogs’ legs - Yes. But I can't stop thinking of frogs in tiny wheelchairs.
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - It's all fair food, and it's all GOOD..
68. Haggis - Never tried it.
69. Fried plantain -Good. Very sweet.
70. Chitterlings or Andouillette - pretty good.
71. Gazpacho - I liked it.
72. Caviar and blini - Nope. Thought it was blackberry jam. Had my mouth all set for blackberry jam. Was so NOT blackberry jam.
73. Louche absinthe - Yes.
74. Gjetost, or brunost- Cheese, cheese, marvelous cheese.
75.
76. Baijiu - Probably would be good with fugu.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - Cherry. Half-frozen, if possible. Really good in the heat of summer. (Of course I'm remembering back to when I was eight, so tastes may have changed...)
78. Snail -Been there. Garlicky rubber. Not my favorite.
79. Lapsang souchong - Tea.
80. Bellini - Champers and peach juice. Yum.
81. Tom Yum- Yes, please!!
82. Eggs Benedict - Yummy.
83. Pocky -Have not been able to find these.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - Not yet.
85. Kobe beef - Worth the money and the time to prepare.
86. Hare- Have had rabbit stew. Once.
87. Goulash - Make a mean goulash.
88. Flowers - Although I don't nosh in the garden, I have had them during that foolish little fad of flowers in salad.
89.
90. Criollo chocolate - Yes.
91. Spam - Good once in a blue moon, sliced very thin and fried crispy. (And then I'm disgusted with myself and don't eat for a day.)
92. Soft shell crab - Yes. With newspapers over the table so you can make a huge mess and not care.
93. Rose harissa - I like it.
94. Catfish - Can't do it. The first fish I caught was a catfish. I had nightmares for a week. *shudder* Whisker-y nasty slimy face.
95. Mole Poblano- Soo good.
96. Bagel and lox - And good hot coffee.
97. Lobster Thermidor - Yum.
98. Polenta - So good. So good.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Okay.
100.
(burp!)
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
spell ck saves my liefe
WORDS THAT
vacuum
zucchini
definitely
received
Scotia (I know! I want to put in another I)
and
(humbly)
restaurant
What about you?
image from here
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
one flew over blackbirds nest
and stole this meme.
MEMEMEMEMEMEME
Eye Color: Hazel
Hair Color: Brown. Just brown.
--Dyed or Natural: Natural. Some leftover patches of blondish highlights and the occasional white renegade.
--Curly or Straight: Straight. Thick. Hair which must have product.
Right- or Left-handed: Left.
Tan or Pale: Pale-ish. Olive-y, actually.
Jeans or Khakis: Jeans.
Country, Rap, or Rock: Rock.
Heritage: German and Dutch. My peoples? We take over the world and make you all wear wooden shoes.
Shoes you're wearing today: Dr.Scholl sandals. Woot fashionista me!
Your weakness(es): Indian food, a good book, a better glass of wine.
Your perfect pizza: Donair, with extra tomatoes. (Similar to a gyros, Americans!)
Favorite color: White
Favorite place: The beach
Goal you'd like to achieve: Writing.
Your most overused phrase(s): What?
Your thoughts first waking up: Is it morning ALREADY?
Your best physical feature(s): Mah smile.
Your bedtime: midnight-ish. I have insomnia a lot. (Isn't that sort of a pre-requisite for being a blogger?)
Your most missed memory: The town I grew up in.
Pepsi or Coke: Pepsi. Or Diet Coke. I'm strange that way.
McDonald's or Burger King: I love Burger King, but I haven't eaten there in six years - the closest one is over an hour away. So...McDonalds.
Single or group dates: Group.
Adidas or Nike: What about them? The advertising campaigns? Just do it, I guess.
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea. Don't like fake tea.
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate.
Cappuccino or coffee: Coffee.
DO YOU:
Smoke: No, but mah GOD do I miss it sometimes.
Cuss: Yes.
Have a boyfriend/girlfriend: No.
Take a shower: At night.
Have a crush(es): Celebrities? Hot political correspondents? Um, yeah.
Think you've been in love: I'm pretty sure.
Want to get married: Been there, did that. Not sure I'd do it again.
Believe in yourself: Yes.
Believe in God: Yes.
Believe in your government: Believe what, 'zactly?
Get motion sickness: Yes.
Think you're attractive: I am passably pleasing. I have never been a raving beauty, which is okay by me!
Think you're a health freak: I am about as far away from a health freak as you'll ever meet.
Get along with your parents: Mostly.
Like thunderstorms: I love thunderstorms.
IN THE PAST MONTH, HAVE YOU:
Drunk alcohol: Yes.
Gone on a date: no.
Gone to the mall: No.
Been on stage: No.
Eaten an entire box of Oreos: no.
Eaten sushi: does fake crab count?
Been dumped: No.
Gone skating: No.
Gone skinny dipping: No.
Stolen anything: No.
HAVE YOU EVER:
Played a game that required removal of clothing: Yes
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes (sssh, you're ruining my good-girl image!)
Been caught "doing something": snigger. Yeah.
Been called a tease: Not by my husband.
Gotten beaten up: no.
Age you hope to be married: I married when I was thirty.
Number of children you'd like: Three. I have two. The third is up for debate.
Describe your dream wedding: My wedding was lovely.
What do you want to be when you grow up: Helen Mirren. So not gonna happen.
WHAT YOU LIKE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX:
Best eye color?: Green or hazel
Best hair color?: Dark hair. Blond looks funny to me on men.*
Short or long hair: Short.
Height: Average or tall.
Best first date location: Eh?
Best first kiss location: On me? On him? Around the house?
IN THE NUMBERS:
Number of people I could trust with my life: Five
Number of CDs: Hmm. There's an entire shelf of them in the livingroom cupboard - maybe 200? None newer than six years ago.
Number of piercings: Once in each ear. Used to be twice in each year, but the holes closed.
Number of tattoos: none
Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: Six? I guess.
Number of scars on my body: One major, many minor.
Monday, 4 August 2008
eight things to do
Tagged by that Hot Thing Ree -
Eight things I want to do before I die:
TX Poppet
Molly Bawn
No Internal Editor
Beggars Shot Glass
The Looney Bin
Why Mom Drinks Rum
yes, yes, that's only six. Hey! If you haven't done this, and you want to, I'd love to read yours! Send me a note so I can follow you back!
Eight things I want to do before I die:
- Travel. This may be hard, as the man I married does not like traveling, even going so far as to mutter things about snakes and other local fauna. (NS, you see, has no poisonous snakes and very few creeping things.) But I dream of Greece and Italy, wonder about my German heritage and have a soft spot for the Ireland I learnt in books - so either we'll buy the worrywart a super deluxe first aid kit, or I'll hijack one of my sisters-in-law.
- Write. More than this blog. I've always had people and circumstances swirling around in my head - the trick seems to be that I need to take a few, flesh them out and stay with them. (sigh) Someday.
- Spend some time with my grandparents and my father, learning and recording stories of my forefathers. My great-Aunt Bertie was the keeper of many of those records, and when she died, a lot of them went with her. I didn't care so much when it happened (I was in my early teens) but now I miss not having that knowledge.
- See a grandbaby or two. Although I'm in NO HURRY, (hear me, kids??) there is something infinitely comforting about that image. Circle of life and all that.
- Learn how to do more handicrafts. I can cross-stitch, but I'm absolutely LOUSY with needles, and crocheting - well, I might as well be working with dental floss and two forks. I would really like to quilt, at some point.
- Garden. Every fall I draw up elaborate diagrams, every spring they get flung by the wayside. Not so interested in canning (see #5, all thumbs) but some fresh veg would be lovely. And I'd love to nurture something besides the dreaded (and still fast-growing, thank you very much for asking!) zucchini.
- To make a difference. My mom started us out early volunteering, and I've started that with Cass (and soon will with Rosey.) I'd like to work with the elderly, to take a more active interest in the local SPCA and to work with the community, not just as a CHB member but as an activist.
- My Peace Corps dreams were tucked away in high school, but perhaps teaching English as a Second Language somewhere?
TX Poppet
Molly Bawn
No Internal Editor
Beggars Shot Glass
The Looney Bin
Why Mom Drinks Rum
yes, yes, that's only six. Hey! If you haven't done this, and you want to, I'd love to read yours! Send me a note so I can follow you back!
Sunday, 8 June 2008
old meme, new twist
Stole this from TX Poppet (now in her new digs!) This made the rounds originally as a list from a men's magazine, and people originally posted about their husbands, but now it's mutated into things I can do....
The Rules: Bold the things you can do and you leave in normal type the things you can’t. Sarcastic comments in parenthesis are encouraged.
- Give advice that matters in one sentence. (One sentence? Are you kidding? Unless it's something like: Date everyone. Be good. Or Don't Eat the Yellow Snow, the one sentence rule means I'm screwed. I babble on and on and on and on......)
- Tell if someone is lying. (My kids? Quake before me. Everyone else? Not so much.)
- Take a photo. (I'm pretty proud of the pictures I take, actually. Less thrilling, though, is the way I cannot understand Photoshop.)
- Score a baseball game. (Little man slides into home plate. Check.)
- Name a book that matters. (Oh, yeah, baby.)
- Know at least one musical group as well as is possible. (Now if you had asked me back in high school I could have written you a dissertation on several groups.)
- Not monopolize the conversation. (Me? Monopolize the conversation? I have the bhlaaag for that.)
- Write a letter. (Email. Not so good on the postal thing. Ask my mother, who is pretty convinced I'm secretly aphasic and/or going to hell for never writing thank you notes.)
- Swim three different strokes. (Isn't that a Billy Squier song? See, that high-school music knowledge coming back to me now....)
- Show respect without being a suck-up. (Uh-huh. Your worship.)
- Throw a punch. (I can never remember the thumb thing. Is it tuck it inside, or leave it out?)
- Make one drink, in large batches, very well. (I can pour you a nice glass of wine very well. But I didn't make the wine, so I guess that doesn't work)
- Speak a foreign language. (Does High School French count? It really shouldn't...)
- Argue with a European without getting xenophobic or insulting soccer. (I've got nothing here. Can I insult the rain in Spain?)
- Be loyal. (I am incredibly loyal, to the point of being ludicrous.)
- Know his poison, without standing there, pondering like a dope. (I suck at names. Faces I'm pretty good at. Drinks I can nail.)
- Cast a fishing rod without shrieking or sighing or otherwise admitting defeat. (Um, defeat? The first fish I fished for was a catfish. If seeing that slimy bottomfeeder didn't put me off fishing, why would a pole do that??)
- Play gin with an old guy. (I can!)
- Play go fish with a kid. (I do. (big sigh) I have also committed the Stupid Sin of buying Candyland. But I think I have 'lost' enough pieces now so that I can make a case to toss the damned thing.)
- Feign interest. (My kid loves Dora. 'Nuff said.)
- Make a bed. (Prettily. And teach my husband to make it as well.)
- Describe a glass of wine in one sentence without using the terms nutty, fruity, oaky, finish, or kick. ( I can! And I can look knowledgeable and wave the cork under my nose too.)
- Jump-start a car. Change a flat tire. Change the oil. (I can also change the filters, unstick a valve and tie something down on top so it won't fly away.)
- Make three different bets at a craps table. (I don't understand many card games. I never learned to play poker, so that basic knowledge just isn't there.)
- Shuffle a deck of cards. (No fancy tricks, but...yes.)
- Tell a joke. (A man and a collie walk into a bar....)
- Know when to split his cards in blackjack. (Not a clue.)
- Speak to an eight-year-old so he/she will hear. (Damn, I hope so.)
- Speak to a waiter so he will hear. (Wait. Is he deaf? Is this a trick question?)
- Talk to a dog so it will hear. (Wait. Is he deaf? Is this a trick question?)
- Install: a disposal, an electronic thermostat, or a lighting fixture without asking for help. (I don’t do wiring, period. Plumbing, yes. Painting, yes. Electricity? unh-uh.
- Ask for help. (And read the manual, and find the right tool to install it with.)
- Break another man’s grip on my wrist.( Prolly not. I can scream and bash him in the head with my (heavy) handbag, though.)
- Tell a woman’s dress size. (I'm better at men's sizing than womens, despite years of retail.)
- Recite one poem from memory. ( I think that I shall never see....)
- Remove a stain. (The Boy is in Grade Primary. They play soccer a lot. Grass stains and I are fighting looong battles.)
- Say no. ( To what? That? well, yeah....)
- Fry an egg sunny-side up.(Not often, but yes. Plain eggs don't get on the menu much here. )
- Build a campfire. ( I was a Girl Scout.)
- Step into a job no one wants to do. (Official Vomit and Poop Cleaner, right here!)
- Sometimes, kick some ass. (Yeah. Because walking softly and carrying a big stick doesn't always work)
- Break up a fight.
- Point to the North at any time. (Seriously? Is there a trick to that? I have no idea.)
- Create a play-list in which ten seemingly random songs provide a secret message to one person. (Not since high school.)
- Explain what a light-year is. (I like getting all science geeky with the boy, who has a sponge like brain for that sort of stuff.)
- Write a thank-you note. (I'm lazy. A slob. Rude to the point of...rudeness. I just don't write thank you notes. I loved your present, I did, and when I called to tell you I did, could you not hear it in my voice?)
- Be brand loyal to at least one product. (Oh, at least one.)
- Find his/her way out of the woods if lost. (Probably. And I have good, well-developed lungs if I can't.)
- Tie a knot. (See the rabbit? Now where does he run?)
- Shake hands. ( Firmly. Looking the person in the eye.)
Too bad I'm already a wife.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
what sweetney wants
A Moment In Time
Really not as pissed as I appear. Low on coffee and kid-whining-about-having-to-take-bath tolerance. Did, however, crop the picture so you can't get lost in the giant pores in my nose. (Must get facial.)
Want to do one too? go here.
Really not as pissed as I appear. Low on coffee and kid-whining-about-having-to-take-bath tolerance. Did, however, crop the picture so you can't get lost in the giant pores in my nose. (Must get facial.)
Want to do one too? go here.
Saturday, 3 May 2008
25 things of which I never tire
by Schmutzie, via blackbird, from awhile ago (hey! It's the weekend! I'm allowed to use my post file sometimes!)
1. Hot tea in my favorite cup.
2. Backrubs.
3. Coca-Cola in a big glass with ice.
4. Getting into a clean, freshly made bed (new sheets!) with new pajamas on, right after a shower
5. Listening to water - the bay, the river, the ocean
6. Putting my cold feet and rump on my built-in-furnace (aka HotBear)
7. Taking pictures
8. Old linens - the feel of them, the way they look, the way they remind me of my great-aunt and great grand-mother
9. Being called to bed by the cat*
10. Hot sunny days that smell of green things and possibilities
11. The Kentucky Derby. ** Also, hearing My Old Kentucky Home sung.
12. Roasted chicken. Ala Joke. Or Badger.
13. With roasted tomatoes ala Kim.
14. Crossword puzzles
15. Being the last one awake in the house.
16. Highway driving with the radio on. (Note: This isn't city-highway driving)
17. Reading with the kids. Or even better, being 'read' to.
18. Baths.
19. Seeing neighboring wildlife, like Harrison, the squirrel that lives in the tree right outside, and the deer in the orchard.
20. Good chocolate. Dark chocolate.
21. Baking (and mixing, and kneading) bread - it's a way to clear my head
22. Good smells: Green grass, coffee, the kids, lilacs, lavender, the ocean.
23. Kitty zen. (I know, I know, not supposed to blog about the cats so much, but he has the most wonderful comforting basso rumble purr - sends me right off.)
24. Spotting something wonderful in a second-hand shop.
25. Fine-nib pens.
Do you have a list?
*Every night. The first inquiring mmm-row?? comes between 10:30 and 11. Then the big yellow kitty gets progressively pissy (and louder) if B and I don't come to bed already, damnit! Around midnight he stomps downstairs and fixes us with yellow eyes o'doom. (Clearly his hoomans have lost their mindz.Sleep dis way!)
**And oh, wasn't it awful today when they had to put that poor filly down!
1. Hot tea in my favorite cup.
2. Backrubs.
3. Coca-Cola in a big glass with ice.
4. Getting into a clean, freshly made bed (new sheets!) with new pajamas on, right after a shower
5. Listening to water - the bay, the river, the ocean
6. Putting my cold feet and rump on my built-in-furnace (aka HotBear)
7. Taking pictures
8. Old linens - the feel of them, the way they look, the way they remind me of my great-aunt and great grand-mother
9. Being called to bed by the cat*
10. Hot sunny days that smell of green things and possibilities
11. The Kentucky Derby. ** Also, hearing My Old Kentucky Home sung.
12. Roasted chicken. Ala Joke. Or Badger.
13. With roasted tomatoes ala Kim.
14. Crossword puzzles
15. Being the last one awake in the house.
16. Highway driving with the radio on. (Note: This isn't city-highway driving)
17. Reading with the kids. Or even better, being 'read' to.
18. Baths.
19. Seeing neighboring wildlife, like Harrison, the squirrel that lives in the tree right outside, and the deer in the orchard.
20. Good chocolate. Dark chocolate.
21. Baking (and mixing, and kneading) bread - it's a way to clear my head
22. Good smells: Green grass, coffee, the kids, lilacs, lavender, the ocean.
23. Kitty zen. (I know, I know, not supposed to blog about the cats so much, but he has the most wonderful comforting basso rumble purr - sends me right off.)
24. Spotting something wonderful in a second-hand shop.
25. Fine-nib pens.
Do you have a list?
*Every night. The first inquiring mmm-row?? comes between 10:30 and 11. Then the big yellow kitty gets progressively pissy (and louder) if B and I don't come to bed already, damnit! Around midnight he stomps downstairs and fixes us with yellow eyes o'doom. (Clearly his hoomans have lost their mindz.Sleep dis way!)
**And oh, wasn't it awful today when they had to put that poor filly down!
Sunday, 20 April 2008
bouquets on the desk-top
an electronic map of this site:
All credit to the Aussie Geek, as I saw this on his site as I surfed by
HTML DOM visualization legend:
blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags
They're all beautiful - here's a sitemap for a fledgling little poetry site with only fifteen entries. This one's so pretty I could frame it...
want one? Use this
All credit to the Aussie Geek, as I saw this on his site as I surfed byHTML DOM visualization legend:
blue: for links (the A tag)
red: for tables (TABLE, TR and TD tags)
green: for the DIV tag
violet: for images (the IMG tag)
yellow: for forms (FORM, INPUT, TEXTAREA, SELECT and OPTION tags)
orange: for linebreaks and blockquotes (BR, P, and BLOCKQUOTE tags)
black: the HTML tag, the root node
gray: all other tags
They're all beautiful - here's a sitemap for a fledgling little poetry site with only fifteen entries. This one's so pretty I could frame it...
want one? Use this
Sunday, 30 March 2008
six small words that mean a big thing
I am very honored to know Julia. And I love it when she tags me with things.
1) Write your own six word memoir;
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like;
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere;
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links; and
5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
It sounds great, doesn't it? Major B even came up with a great one - poignant, strong, short and sweet.
Mostly happy, with bouts of blue.
But I - I choke on this. My feeling is that (while I'm not claiming additional personalities) my life has been cut into chunks - by space, time, situation - and I've been a very different person in each.
So I started to look around. Y'know, the tagline for this blog is six words - This is not my beautiful house - but while I love the song (and its assorted meanings) it's a bit mournful for a memoir.
The Mommy in me wants to assert herself with these:
Okay, this is harder than I thought. Free-thinking.
O-kay. Back at it.
Finally (what is it about memes that take so long?!?) I found something. Something that resonated with me - a little mysterious, but still blunt and honest and easy to read.
Has everyone been tagged? No? Okay, if you haven't, then you are now!
1) Write your own six word memoir;
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like;
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere;
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links; and
5) Don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
It sounds great, doesn't it? Major B even came up with a great one - poignant, strong, short and sweet.
Mostly happy, with bouts of blue.
But I - I choke on this. My feeling is that (while I'm not claiming additional personalities) my life has been cut into chunks - by space, time, situation - and I've been a very different person in each.
So I started to look around. Y'know, the tagline for this blog is six words - This is not my beautiful house - but while I love the song (and its assorted meanings) it's a bit mournful for a memoir.
The Mommy in me wants to assert herself with these:
- Put your coat away - and boots! Blah.
- I love you, goodnight, sleep tight! Hum - and it's not expressive of me, at all.
- Learning new and exotic things everyday. Now I sound like a Wild Kingdom commercial.
- Holy crap, this is hard. Who're you?
- So glad we're together. Kids bathed?
- Sometimes I love you. Sometimes...not.
Okay, this is harder than I thought. Free-thinking.
- Southern girl finds love up north. I'm not really Southern, and that sounds like a first-year journalism headline.
- Be polite. Granny, who let you in? And it's not the right amount of words.
O-kay. Back at it.
- Creating new lives as she goes. No.
- I am not as I appear. Ooh, I like that! Except it sounds like it should be followed with 'I'm actually your step-sister's masseuse's long-lost cousin from Upper Chesapeake!
Finally (what is it about memes that take so long?!?) I found something. Something that resonated with me - a little mysterious, but still blunt and honest and easy to read.
- Pictures fail to tell the story.
Has everyone been tagged? No? Okay, if you haven't, then you are now!
Wednesday, 13 February 2008
tell me what you're reading
Jenty tagged me.
Here are the instructions:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
I'm reading Matters Of Chance, by Jeannette Haien, a book that's good so far but I'm deeply suspicious that something hinky will happen soon; the young couple adopted twin girls in what can only be called 'weird' circumstances and I'm sure somewhere down the line something major will come of it....
Anyway. Ahem.
Page 123. Gotcha. Fifth sentence. Okay. Next three sentences:
'Before he was fully house-trained. Tessa and I went at it with everything we could think of, but it does still show.'
She came into the room's twilit luminance, entering its evocations.
Prettily written.
How about you? What are you reading?
Here are the instructions:
1. Pick up the nearest book (of at least 123 pages).
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
I'm reading Matters Of Chance, by Jeannette Haien, a book that's good so far but I'm deeply suspicious that something hinky will happen soon; the young couple adopted twin girls in what can only be called 'weird' circumstances and I'm sure somewhere down the line something major will come of it....
Anyway. Ahem.
Page 123. Gotcha. Fifth sentence. Okay. Next three sentences:
'Before he was fully house-trained. Tessa and I went at it with everything we could think of, but it does still show.'
She came into the room's twilit luminance, entering its evocations.
Prettily written.
How about you? What are you reading?
Saturday, 9 February 2008
mmm, pancakes*
I steal good stuff from Canada
You are breakfasty, like a pile of pancakes on a Sunday morning that have just the right amount of syrup, so every bite is sweet perfection and not a soppy mess. You are a glass of orange juice that's cool, refreshing, and not overly pulpy. You are the time of day that's just right for turning the pages of a newspaper, flipping through channels, or clicking around online to get a sense of how the world changed during the night. You don't want to stumble sleepily through life, so you make a real effort to wake your brain up and get it thinking. You feel inspired to accomplish things (whether it's checking something off your to-do list or changing the world), but there's plenty of time for making things happen later in the day. First, pancakes.
*obviously not a reference to the previous post!!
You are breakfasty, like a pile of pancakes on a Sunday morning that have just the right amount of syrup, so every bite is sweet perfection and not a soppy mess. You are a glass of orange juice that's cool, refreshing, and not overly pulpy. You are the time of day that's just right for turning the pages of a newspaper, flipping through channels, or clicking around online to get a sense of how the world changed during the night. You don't want to stumble sleepily through life, so you make a real effort to wake your brain up and get it thinking. You feel inspired to accomplish things (whether it's checking something off your to-do list or changing the world), but there's plenty of time for making things happen later in the day. First, pancakes.
*obviously not a reference to the previous post!!
Friday, 8 February 2008
my life would be better if I cooked more, apparently
 | My Fortune Cookie told me: You may become more amusing by trimming the edges off your teaspoons. Get a cookie from Miss Fortune |
Oh, good lord. I knew that.
Thursday, 24 January 2008
oh the interesting things you can find on the mothership**
Because - admit it - we all just wanna be big rock stars...
The ROCK STAR meme...
1. Click here.
The first article title on this page is your band name.
2. Click here.
The very last four words of the last quotation are your album title.
3. Click here.
The third picture, no matter what it is, is your album cover.
Add your name and album title to the picture and post!
Ready? Rock on!
Autograph signings to be announced at a later date.
**Postcards, all kinds of good stuff
(Oh, and I forgot to check who this photo was by before I clicked out, so I can't give credit. Isn't it splendid toast, though?)
The ROCK STAR meme...
1. Click here.
The first article title on this page is your band name.
2. Click here.
The very last four words of the last quotation are your album title.
3. Click here.
The third picture, no matter what it is, is your album cover.
Add your name and album title to the picture and post!
Ready? Rock on!
Autograph signings to be announced at a later date.
**Postcards, all kinds of good stuff
(Oh, and I forgot to check who this photo was by before I clicked out, so I can't give credit. Isn't it splendid toast, though?)
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