Revolving Chaos

This Year's Box

2009-02-13T09:50:00.002-07:00

Everyone's doing the iPod valentine lately - here's our version. Used a cereal box. It was fun to do. Family Fun has a great version of the iLove valentine on their website.

It Wasn't Pretty

2009-02-12T19:49:00.002-07:00

Sorry, no pictures of the bread. It was pretty much a complete disaster. Heavy as a brick and not really any pumpernickel properties at all. It was the wrong color and the whole wheat overpowered the molasses, cocoa, and caraway.

The little scheduling experiment is working pretty well, though. Haven't quite reached nirvana - but I've lost my resentment towards work really quickly - actually enjoying it again. Weird.

Hitting all kinds of child rearing milestones this week. One of which is our very last school party ever. It's making me a little sad to think we don't have any more valentine boxes, toilet paper mummy races, or winter holiday bingo games ahead of us. It's just not fair how it all slips through your fingers. My new philosophy on adolesence is that the rebellion isn't so much for the kid to want to test his wings as it is preparation for the parent to accept (or eagerly anticipate) the separation. Somewhat akin to the misery of the last few weeks of pregnancy.

So, I'm hoping for a quiet weekend, I have two netflix envelopes waiting for me, a zillion projects to work on, an out of control pantry that needs attention, and maybe even Coraline. We'll just have to see.

the best blog post EVER

2009-02-06T13:52:00.003-07:00

I'm trying something new. Instead of letting each part of life "infringe" on the other I'm going to try a little scheduling discipline.

That's pretty vague, isn't it? Here's an example: my work life is out of control. So, instead of wasting my precious personal time trying (unsuccessfully) to catch up I'm going to keep work within its proscribed timeframe. My theory is that if I can do that then I'll be happy and content (due to the absolute Nirvana that my personal life has become) that I'll become absolutely unencumbered by any external worries and my mind will focus (like a laser beam) on my work.

What? It could TOTALLY work.

Shut up, it could so work.

The other part is I'm trying to focus more on keeping forward motion on each task rather than focusing on completion. Nothing is ever done, it's just depressing.

Moving on...

Something much more exciting is the big box from King Arthur Flour that was delivered yesterday. Oh, yeah, there's some homemade, whole grain Pumpernickel bread in my future. According to the experts (John) Pumpernickel is tricky and best made using a combination of a pre-levain AND day old bread. I have a fairly simple recipe to start with that doesn't employ either of these techniques, we'll just have to see how it works out. Baby steps for me...(although I have graduated to using a scale as opposed to those measuring cups the amateurs use). If it's pretty I'll post a picture.

Post-Holiday Funk

2009-01-10T19:45:00.002-07:00

Hi all. Recovering from the first week back in reality. My two-week holiday break was really great. I think I could get used to being a lady-of-leisure. I have so many projects going on that still aren't finished...work is just getting in the way!

You probably didn't notice since I update my blog so infrequently, but I also took a break from the computer. Ignored email and the internet to the best of my ability. So, if you're waiting to hear from me, my apologies...working to catch up.

One of my goals for the year was (yeah, past tense...already) to pare down all the running around we do. That was pretty foolish of me. Dance competition season starts in 2 months...and the extra practices are in full swing. The girls are doing great - but they really do need the additional time. If anyone's interested in coming out, we'll be in St. Chas March 13 weekend. Let me know and I can get you more details. You should call my cell, because I'll be in the car.

Redecorating my "studio". Got a few new Ikea pieces and re-arranged a bunch of other furniture that we already had. I think it's going to work out. I bought paint today but it'll probably be next weekend before that happens.

Dang, this is a boring post. Sorry.

At This Pace...

2008-12-22T08:50:00.003-07:00

I could be chiseling my blog posts on stone tablets. I know.

I've been wasting technology very consistently all week. Here are a number of charming, happy memories that I neglected to capture on camera:

Claire's first orchestra concert

Claire's second to last classroom party ever

Norman Rockwell worthy Christmas Pageant

Birthday dinner party for the December boys last night

Elsie's immediate infatuation with....karaoke. Guess it's genetic. Also, apparently, the mic is pretty tasty.

Just like last year, I am loving Twelve Days. Unlike last year, I have not been posting daily updates. Sorry. Here's a bit of a catchup. And, yes, my catchup shot is like...three days old already.

Check This Out...

2008-10-21T20:29:00.004-06:00

Very, very sweet video from one of Claire's classmates. I wanted to post the video directly to the blog, but they disabled the embed code. I suppose I might have done that too if my kid was posted on You Tube. Anyway, made me tear up a little. Go check it out:

African Vision of Hope

Where the hell have I been? I don't know...just busy. Here's what I haven't blogged about since my last post (not necessarily in chronological order):

Claire's birthday parties
Dancing at Busch Stadium
Pumpkin picking at Eckert's
Trip to Disney
Hurricane Ike
Trip to Houston
Girl Scout Cookie Caravan
Trip to California
The Sale of my Childhood Home
The Great Panic of 2008
Picnic and visit to New Salem
OktoberFuest
Bizarre Email Exchange with Group of Small Minded, Racist, Religious-right, Texan Stamping Ladies
Football Season
Strange Folk Art Fest
Mary's Birthday partay
Dad's Birthday partay
Random Act of Starbuck's kindness
Angela B's surprise birthday
Visit from Paula (including scary Lemp Mansion and the delightful Emma)
Twelve Days Preparation
Big Picture Scrapbooking Class (Design Your Life with Cathy Z. LOVES IT)
and a Whole Lot of Dancing

w h a ?

2008-08-28T20:44:00.005-06:00

Tired. Stupid tired. Weepy tired. Bored and tired.

Half listening to Obama...and have to say: He's no Bill. I miss Bill, would vote for Bill again. Monica? whatever. How does that compare to Iraq, and the economy, and big oil, and...and..
Sorry, didn't mean to get emotional. Just that I miss Bill. Life was just all rosy when Bill was around. We had a surplus. And can someone say healthcare? Yeah...he tried and now he can say he told you so.

Speaking of Bill - there are a lot of Bills in my life these days. Do names cluster for other people? I have multiples of Scotts, Kims, Bills, and Richards in my life...more Kims than anything. Are these especially common names? Because I don't really think so. I thought Michael and Jennifer were the most common names.

Waiting around for bedtime, going home tomorrow. Looking forward to a long weekend...maybe even extended a bit depending on what Gustav decides to do. I think I may be wrapping my computer in plastic before I leave tomorrow. Isn't that just weird?

My head is completely full of work crap. Not too many fun thoughts sneaking thru, but one super bright spot is the TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS kickoff note I got from Beth. I started working on my project quite a while ago but haven't finished yet. Can't wait to get back to it.

So, have you noticed that Joe Biden's teeth are freakishly white? It's just not right.

Sheesh, I'm kind of random tonight huh? No, I haven't been drinking. I told you , I'm stupid tired.

PS - my hair looks FABULOUS. and I'm in Houston. For those of you who can grasp that enormity, here's the key: Aveda Smooth Infusion. Now go into the world and do good hair.

Hello.

2008-07-06T11:19:00.003-06:00

Hope you all had a happy 4th. We did...hosted a small family gathering here and really enjoyed it. We had food, and fireworks, and Wii Rockband.

I should be working, but feel the need to procrastinate first. Thought I'd check in on the blog. Which reminds me - I'm terribly overdue in making a shout out to MARJORIE FROM TEXAS!

Marjorie is one of my favorite people in this big world and she found my blog and left a comment a few months back. Marjorie, a big, long, newsy email is heading your way.

If I'm lucky today I will get to scrapbook. I have not had the time for scrapbooking lately and I'm dying to get back to it. I was able to catch up on all Claire's school year stuff - thanks to the Becky Higgins KOTM. She put together the best system for school memorabilia. She swears she's not going to offer it again, but I think that's crazy. It's one of the best, most practical kits I've ever seen. Next up on my SB to -do list is Claire's dance book. I made the title page and gathered photos from every year she's danced...so I'm poised for some serious productivity.

Lame post, I know...but I should get to work. I hate posts without pictures, so here's a random one. I made strawberry jam a couple of months ago. I was very worried about it being runny since I didn't use pectin. Ha. It's not runny. It's not spreadable. Not even sliceable. Guess I'll try again next year.

Some Years Are Bigger Than Others...

2008-05-05T21:19:00.005-06:00

...if I may borrow a line from the Smiths. Cinco de Mayo celebration was low-key. Just the three of us. But, the fajitas and guac were fierce. (If I do say so myself). The only evidence I have is this tortilla wrapper.

We've had a busy couple of weeks. Managed a quick trip to the zoo. I ended up with a bunch of cute ZOO pics, including this sweet one of little Elsie.

We also bought some patio furniture. That was interesting. My (wonderful) husband can get just the tiniest bit stubborn from time to time. We were able to get all the boxes in the Expedition but needed to tie the back hatch down. He didn't have any rope in the car and he was sort of, um... PISSED... that the store didn't have any either. (IKEA always does...) He refused to buy any. Refused to call my dad for the truck, refused to call my sister so one of us could ride home with her. We spent an hour in the parking lot re-arranging lawn furniture until he could close all the doors. Nice.

Claire was selected to be a poster-girl at school for some of the "Character" posters they're working on. Her winning entry was, "I have the right to talk to my friends and the responsibility to do it at the right times." The irony there is unbelievable...

She wanted curly hair for the photo shoot, I think it turned out cute:

The only other thing I have to say is, take it easy on Miley, y'all. I have this bizarre maternal, protective instinct about the whole debacle. She's only 15. Fifteen year olds do worse things than this all the time. But I can't imagine how a 15 year old can cope with the kind of backlash she's suffering through right now.

Alright, that's all. Carry on.

My Life in a List with Links

2008-04-22T07:46:00.012-06:00

It's been over a month since my last post. I had a million things to say, no time to share them. So, I think a list is in order to catch up. It's not in chronological order. I no longer have that kind of cranial fortitude. I decided that every item on the list should include a link to a related website. Just in case, dear reader, you need a little context.

Your Austen Heroine - Which Jane Austen Heroine are you? I am, apparently Elinor Dashwood.

Marlboro Man Sandwiches - Yes, from the Pioneer Woman herself. We had these for our Sunday night supper. Just okay. I skipped the hot sauce but found them a little bit too salty, I think it's the Lawry's I didn't care for. Might try again with a little seasoning change up.

Harlem Globetrotter - I spent two hours on a SW flight chatting with a former Harlem Globetrotter who was flying in to hang with a few other former Harlem Globetrotters while the current team was playing in StL. Also saw a blazing apartment fire on takeoff - it was intense. I could see the bright orange flame through the holes the firemen made in the roof. Crazy.

Houston Classic Country - I'm sorry but there is no better place to hear "Looking for love in all the wrong places..." than Houston, Texas. Except possibly Pasadena, Texas - but I'm not a big fan of Pasadena. You can take a listen yourself, thanks to the miracle of the world wide web. http://countrylegends971.com/ While in Houston I was also surprised to hear the Violent Femmes. But not on this station.

CKC - Sigh. I so look forward to the scrapbook convention each year. I spent GAZILLIONS of dollars. I was surprised to hear afterwards that the country was still facing a recession because I certainly did my part. Seriously, I spend a lot but not as much as some. There were ladies who spent thousands of dollars. Even if I had that kind of money to spend at CKC I don't know that I'd find a way to unload that much cash.

HBO - I think I mentioned that I got sucked into "In Treatment" so much that I came home and ordered HBO. Missed it you say? Well, it's not too late you can watch it here: http://www.hbo.com/intreatment/ Still kind of loving HBO. I enjoyed (but didn't l o v e) the John Adams series.

My sister's blog - Mary has joined the blogging masses. Check her out here: http://www.splendorfallsmc.blogspot.com/ AND I've added a link to her site in my permanent link list.

King Corn - Okay, PAY ATTENTION TO THIS ONE. It was a life-changing experience. You need to see this, find it, watch it. I have been making great strides in putting more wholesome food on our table but DANG. I knew about high fructose corn syrup but not quite how bad it was. What I didn't know about was the BEEF. Cattle aren't supposed to be corn fed. My grocery bill is about to get a lot higher.

Earthquakes - I'm tired of earthquakes. In a few short hours I've gone finding them exciting to absolutely dreading them. Hello? We are not in control. Did you realize that? Life could change (i.e. STOP) at any moment no matter how careful we are. Not a happy thought for a control freak. This is as good a source as any for earthquake information (and basically there isn't any.) Can't predict. Dunno if this is normal. Dunno if our little quakes are helpful or a dire sign. We're on our own.

That's all I can muster for today...I'm heading downstairs to paint "Sissy" and "Bud" on the doors of my Expedition.

Pure Sweetness

2008-03-16T20:12:00.005-06:00

Great weekend. Claire and Elsie had some Easter pics taken - inspired by a picture of Mary and me at the exact same ages. Yes, I'm that old. Shut up already.

We also managed to do a powerful lot of shopping. I got shoes and purses and makeup and, and, and... it just goes on and on. I was joking that we were doing our patriotic duty - to spark the economy and all that.

My brother is branching out to bread (from the pretzel making - and believe me, his pretzels are high art). This makes me happy: today I got a loaf of freshly baked challah bread that I didn't even have to bake myself. PLUS I now have someone who understands that a $500 stand mixer is completely reasonable. Bargain, actually. Yeah. It's a nice warm feeling - I think it's name is enabler. Love you bro. Bake on.

{Well, this is kinda huge!}

2008-03-05T20:10:00.003-07:00

My friend Beth is the Featured Seller on Etsy today. Yes, it's the one over there...in my list of links. Elizabeth Williams. Go check her out. Buy something. You won't be sorry.

http://www.etsy.com/featured_seller.php

On an unrelated note - my sister is concerned that the aforementioned hoosier neighbors may be reading my blog. I guess it's possible, but I don't think they even know my name. If you are out there reading my blog: Well, hey there. I knew you'd come through on the blinds. Okay, well, I was hoping (praying) anyway. They look great.

CNN article about Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea)

2008-03-04T09:08:00.001-07:00

Just saw this on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/03/three.cups/index.html

{PRAISE BE!}

2008-03-03T18:09:00.002-07:00

BREAKING NEWS....

My hoosier neighbors finally broke down and bought blinds. Installed 'em too.

No more foam puzzle rug pieces propped up in the windows!

No more glaring views of the air hockey table in the dining room!

All this and they've started to put their trash cans away. Life is good.

Hallucinating?

2008-03-03T14:20:00.008-07:00

Back home after a week in Houston. It was not easy to leave the 70-80 degree weather.

On my way home as I was waiting to board my plane I noticed a woman walking across the terminal who bore a striking resemblance to Sande Kriege ( http://sandekrieger.typepad.com/ ). Walking in the opposite direction I noticed a woman who I would swear was Heather Armstrong. ( http://www.dooce.com/ ). I decided that it would be highly unusual to see two bloggers that I read in the same trip...so I decided to mind my own business and stare at the people pouring into the gate from the plane that had just landed. And, I noticed a woman that I used to work with. Soon, more and more people from my directorate came off the plane. Easily ten of them. That's when I decided I must have been hallucinating. If anyone is aware of some sort of MOD convention / group trip that would have brought everyone home on Friday- please share with me. It will put my mind at ease.

I added a couple of links to the blog that you might find interesting. In the past few months I've enjoyed several books dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan: The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Three Cups of Tea. I found these books to be tremendously helpful in gaining some perspective on the Afghan and Pakistani cultures. You should take a look, if you haven't already.

{All Better Now...}

2008-02-22T13:10:00.007-07:00

Uh, yeah...sorry about that previous post. I frequently confuse exhaustion with boredom: too tired to actually DO anything somehow translates into boredom in my fatigue affected brain.

So, today - much better. Still working like a dog, but that's a good thing. No school today, and I'm hoping that David makes it back from Georgia at a decent hour. He's already been delayed quite a bit. I guess that's February for you.

I've got something interesting to tell you about today: WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Seriously. And the recipe includes cider vinegar - which thoroughly terrified me. But I tried them anyway, and guess what? They are wonderful. The recipe (and the Organic White Whole Wheat Flour) is from King Arthur ( kingarthurflour.com ) I figure, if you're going to eat cookies they may as well be whole wheat. This recipe seems to have less saturated fat as well.

Classic Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Light and crisp, absolutely packed with chocolate chips, this is the quintessential crunchy chocolate chip cookie. To ensure crunchiness, be sure to bake these cookies thoroughly; they should be golden brown all over, without any hint of softness in the center.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable
oil3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 large egg1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour, Traditional or White Whole Wheat
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugars, vanilla, and salt till smooth. Beat in the vinegar, egg, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in the whole wheat flour, then the chocolate chips. The dough will appear oily, and because of the quantity of chocolate chips, it won't be completely cohesive; that's OK.Drop the dough, by tablespoonfuls, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies are an even golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Yield: 33 cookies.

Boring, boring, boring Sidney.

2008-02-21T13:44:00.002-07:00

I'm bored. Bored with work, bored with housework, bored with scrapbooking, cooking, eating, sleeping, reading, shopping.

Bored. I'm even bored with Guitar Hero.

Really, really bored.

{Eau de Poisson}

2008-01-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thought it'd be cheery to post a picture of Claire and little cousin Elsie. Aren't they just the cutest?

The last two weeks have been particularly crappy - mainly work related things getting me down. My attitude has turned around though, thankfuly. Probably due in part to last night's book club gathering. It was refreshing to drink wine and talk (and talk, and talk) with a group of such wonderful, intelligent women.

So, today I woke up with fresh, new resolve to make it all work and so far I've been victorious over several of life's little battles:

Firstly, I did not suffer an emotional setback when I broke two nails while putting on my prosthetic leg.*

Secondly, I bravely soldiered on with my treadmill time despite the fact that my ipod didn't have enough battery life to play even one song.

And, thirdly, I refused to buckle under even when I was unceremoniously sprayed with tuna juice while preparing my lunch: streams of juice and bits of tuna squirted out of the pouch, hitting me directly in the chest and proceeded to drip downward...requiring a complete change of clothing and a rather extensive bathe.

Mondays are the best, aren't they? I think I still stink like tuna.

*by the way, I don't actually have a prosthetic leg (but it looks like I do). It's a game I play to remind myself that there are worse things than lymphedema.

Winter

2008-01-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Did Hillary make a stop in Effingham?

So, it's mid-January and I'm not counting the days 'til spring. Weird, huh? Maybe the winter "newness" hasn't quite worn off yet.

Last weekend was super busy: I spent Friday evening at a crop with my sister and my friend Tasha. We had an uproariously good time. I didn't get much work done. (actually no quantity OR quality!) I think the other tables were jealous that we were having so much fun. I'm sure we weren't disturbing them with our incessant chatter and peals of laughter. Of course not. Saturday morning I had breakfast with my friend Jill, invited a couple of Claire's friends over for the day and THEN hit the High School Musical production at that Fox in the evening. HSM was better than I expected - and Claire was enthralled.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to a few quieter days this weekend. My gumdrop pillow experience has me inspired and emboldened. I think I'm going to *try* to sew an apron. I bought two different patterns last night and will start looking for fabric Friday. I'm thinking vintage, ruffle-y with rick-rack. We'll see.

Oh, and just one little story. I drove Claire to the bus stop yesterday morning and my neighbor pulled up her car to the curb facing mine. When the bus arrived her little daughter was having some difficulty with her backpack so Anne had to get out of the car to help her. And that's when I saw the ensemble: heavy coat, pajama pants, little footy-athletic socks...and clogs. And, I thought to myself, "Oh. My. God. We're wearing the exact same outfit!" And I am not even kidding.

{Happy New Year!}

2008-01-06T13:34:00.001-07:00

Wow, time really slips by quickly while you're on break. I haven't posted since the 28th.

I know you all are probably anxious to see the last of the Twelve Days gifts...sorry for the delay. Gorgeous earrings from Beth. Her blog is listed to the right AND you can link to her etsy site from there...in case you want some for yourself!

And, check this out: can you believe I made this? It's an Amy Butler gumdrop pillow. (Though I

didn't use Amy Butler fabric). This calls for another big thanks to Beth...she coordinated a big craft day where eight of us (not sure I counted right..) created these big adorable pillows.

What else is going on? We've been painting like crazy. My mom's house is finished and we decided that painting before they moved would be a good idea. It was a good idea, but that house has a lot of wall space.

I've also been really digging deep and working out my goals for the year. I'm following the "one word" concept. Did it last year and it was incredible how much more effective that was than having a bunch of resolutions. You can read more about the idea on Ali's site or at http://onelittleword.typepad.com/ Along those line...I think I'd better go get caught up on my email!

Oh, my word by the way is quality...

Ten, Eleven, TWELVE!

2007-12-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know you all are anxious to see those crafty gifts!

Number Ten is a set of little wooden Christmas houses from Claire. She suggested that we could turn them around and use them after Christmas as well. I think that's a great idea...and I'm considering my three-letter word options OR adding one initial for each of us (we're a three-person family) instead of leaving them blank.

Number Eleven is from Beth. I felt compelled to show her packaging as well as the gift. Isn't it elegant? Beth made little pouches with clips that are loaded with Aveda goodies. I'm particularly excited about this because my cell phone is a perfect fit!

And, number twelve is from Tasha. Are these the sweetest little birds? I'm calling them my Two Turtle Doves...

One more to open! This has been just the most fun. What an amazingly creative and talented group of ladies.

{Testing, testing}

2007-12-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

In love with the playlist on Beth's site. Wanted to try it. Unfortunately have THREE Pete Yorns. Will fix it later...

T.

A Day Behind...

2007-12-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry. Since Friday morning I've been late on every single thing. I'll have to post day ten later.

Gift number nine is a PIDGE, and I love it. Thank you Donna! What's a pidge, you ask? Well, it a very tiny knitted scarf, kind of like a detachable color. Take a look for yourself:

Claire was sick yesterday, little tummy bug. It wasn't too fun. She's much better but we kept her home all day today. Need to make sure she's good and healthy for the big day.

We had a nice surprise tonight, carolers on horseback. They come through our 'hood every year and it's just the warmest, cheeriest Christmas tradition ever. Caroling is always nice, but somehow the horses and the jingle bells just make it that much better. I choke back tears every time. I got some pictures, but as you can imagine, they're not that great.

{Day 8}

2007-12-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Day number 8 is Mary Claire! She made these clever little stands from silver spoons. They are intended to hold your recipe cards while you cook. Cute, huh? As a bonus, she also made rings out of vintage buttons. I have to confess I did receive a button ring earlier in the year - and it has gotten some major attention whenever I've worn it.

I'm proud to report that I am completely finished with my Christmas shopping. (Though I may brave the malls tomorrow to find a pair of shoes.) Now, just wrapping and cooking ahead of me. Yay! I can almost relax. Today was NOT the easy work day I had envisioned. In fact, I'm still reading email obsessively. Need to let go...

My Turn

2007-12-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

So, I had day number seven. I knitted mini-purses. Technically they are felted - but there were huge differences in the way each color felted...the oatmeal was the most stubborn, and the orange felted the most. (you can see that at picture time the orange was still in production!) All the same wool, weird how the dye affects it.

...

Today had a GREAT work day. I'm all caught up and will only work a few hours tomorrow. Then, it's vacation time and I am ready. Still have some Christmas stuff to take care of. I haven't wrapped anything at all and have a handful of little things to buy yet.

Last night was the December birthday dinner. We had much to eat and drink, much fun. I really love doing week night parties. It feels somehow extravagant - and it sort of lengthens the weekend. We shouldn't be living for the weekends anyway, should we? Here's to more fun Monday thru Thursday.