robot•jumping•rope

book,

(and an old pillowcase, enough fabric, scissors, glue, markers and time)

they might just delight your socks off.

drying carp kites (wind socks) await side-seam sewing, streamers

and bamboo poles

1. your Halloween commiseration in the comments had me in stitches (pun intended). bloody severed arms all ’round, ‘kay? it’s just a phase, it doesn’t mean they’ll all be serial killers. right? RIGHT?

2. picked up my new background pattern from squidfingers.com, where one may find a large selection of gorgeous backgrounds for free. yep, free. And how’s this for 6 degrees of weird separation? I paid no mind to the artist’s name until my husband recognized the pattern as the style of a former coworker. so I went back to squidfingers and checked out the creator and guess what? HIS FATHER WAS MY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL. told you it was weird.

3. had 2 heart-in-my-throat, life-flashing-before-my-eyes moments this week. (and so begins our “blog as tool for exorcism of fears and anxieties” portion of the show.)

The first was when a car made a left turn in front of our van and we came about 8 inches from a 35mph collision between our front end and his driver’s side door. To the “gentleman” in the Dodge Charger at Foster and 635: thanks for your kind smile and friendly finger gesture (NOT); my kids were impressed with your humility and good citizenship (NOT) - it was YOUR FAULT, dude. OWN UP.

The second was during a hike with my husband on a wooded park trail, whereupon lay a lovely salmon-colored copperhead sunning himself in the dappled afternoon light. He was directly in my path and had I not been looking down would most certainly have stepped on him. I don’t dance but in order to avoid him I did an absolutely beautiful jeté, thinking any minute his fangs would be in my (bare, sandal-clad) ankle and there we were half a mile from anything with no cellphone and no knowledge of what to do about a snakebite. Of course, all I could think of after the fact was what if the kids had been with us? - they always run ahead! we hike this park all the time! I thought snakes ran from people! poisonous snakes are pretty but scary critters! I think I might not want to get back to nature anytime soon!

4. working on another page to the blog that would include my favorite homeschooling materials, reasons why I do it, people I know who do it better, etc. Should be fun. Should be.

5. we’re putting a zip-line in the backyard. how much AWESOME is that?! I can’t wait.

6. as for frozen dumplings (told you this was random), Ling Ling brand at Costco are surprisingly good. You should try them if you haven’t already. Yum.

7. we’re studying medieval Japan this week and making carp kites and origami samurai hats. fun fun! (and I can only imagine what learning about the samurai will elicit from Halloween Planning Headquarters aka my son’s room.)

8. really want to do something here

9. this book is most wondrous. we found our hardback copy on eBay last week for $1. I see some bark rubbings in our near future.

10. time for school - see ya later.

• • •

~ happy monday ~

edited to add:

11.   white chicken chili recipe:  I cheat, (although in the past I’ve used this one and it is wonderful - and far higher in fat) and doctor it a little by adding some sauteed garlic, onions, extra cumin from Penzey’s, sometimes seasoned black beans cause I love’em, and a little mild picante for color. 

hey, at least they’re local!

dude, where’s my innocent little owl? frog? monarch? cowgirl?

my instructions for this year’s Halloween outfit:

check out the sheer amount of weaponry requested. I KNOW. I blame the xbox (and therefore, his father.)

and a gangster as his alternate? what? again, what?

sigh.

perhaps I can sway him into The Headless Horseman sans horse. then at least I could blame the bloodthirstiness on A Great Work of American Fiction.

sigh.

oh, and the 6 year old wants to be Cleopatra. something about a snake necklace and lots of gold lamé.

• • •

in completely unrelated news, this weekend looks pretty good, except for a work shindig I have to attend with the husband. me + smalltalk + nerves + semi-high heels + free alcohol = social disaster waiting to happen.

man am I a total downer today or what? it’s beautiful here but I’m moping around inside listening to stuff like the handsome family and eating extra chocolately chocolate chip cookies the kids don’t yet know I made cause they’re outside STILL playing pirates.

perhaps I’m just very cooked (perfect term) and need some cat-on-my-lap time tonight watching something mindless.

and some more cookies.

happy weekending whatever you’ll be up to -

xxxx

me

you didn’t forget, DID YOU?

Off with yer heads, ye scurvy scallywags!

The Name Game

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car),
Puff Odyssey

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie),
Spumoni Macaroon

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name),
E-Buc

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal),
Red Kitten

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born),
Nelle Macomb

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first),
Buces

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink),
The Yellow Mojito

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers),
Willard Buford

9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy),
Opium Skör

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ),
Nellie Thane

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter),
Holroyd Havana

12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL: (your favorite season/holiday, flower).
Independence Rananculus

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Blackberry Sweaty

14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree),
Oatmeal Sycamore

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”),
The Painting Hail Tour

found here

YOU’RE IT.

is good.

I’m a madwoman with the painting today. Mad I say! (and likely partly fueled by a venti americano with 3 sugars and whole milk - but who can know?)

the last of the kitchen chairs are sprayed high-gloss black (cause they were flat black and flat paint + children who like orzo and cream of wheat is just like signing yourself up for the mama meltdown club and a free giant bottle of Tylenol),

the island (formerly someone’s trash and now our treasure after the spouse added wheels and trimmy things and a $20 estate sale marble top) got its final coat of “emperor blue” (which i love, love, and also: love) to cover the original distressed black underneath.

the pantry doors got a makeunder (now this is where flat black belongs, when distressed then waxed. bring on the fingerprints!) - they were once blue. it’s a long story.

the toddler has a new chalkboard table (pics to come). he’s drawing circles on it right now.

(the best part about all this? I purchased no paint - it all came from my embarrassingly vast basement stash of sample quarts and unfortunate spray paint buys.)

What is it about the cooler weather? Makes me want to eat soup for breakfast lunch and dinner, clean every inch of every corner in every room, curl up with the kids and a board game in front of the first fire of autumn - and paint all my old things with fresh new colors. This is when I’m really glad to live in a place that has 4 seasons (don’t quote me on this in January.)

White chicken chili and cornbread for dinner, and for dessert peach tart with - and this is something so sublime it defies description and you must immediately get some and try it for yourself if you’ve not yet experienced its delights -

CINNAMON ICE CREAM.

I’ll eat a piece for you.

xxxooo

me

~ make sure to fill it with some serious fun ~

see ya monday

1. fabric from Purl and other ideas for the bedroom

2. phonics

3. possibility: shower curtain

4. thrifting

5. painting

6. schooling

p.s., a belated welcome to all kerflops and poppytalkers ~ thanks for your kind observations here and on flickr.

11 years today. 11! that was fast. I’m officially an old married lady, folks. not that there’s anything wrong with that.

when we met (through the mail, but that’s for another time) he drove a rust-encrusted metallic orange Nissan extended cab with a million miles on it, grew basil and heirloom roses in the yard of his apartment and was so skinny I suspected he had a secret heroin problem (he didn’t.) he was very funny and a little intense and shared my love for Mr. Lunch, The Style Council, the Goldberg Variations and Foo’s Fabulous, and dislike of suburbs (we now live in one), Pepsi products (only if there’s no other option!), Volkswagons and Aerosmith. He has a singular devotion to Neil Young and thinks sweet pickles and margarine are Satan. I grew up eating homemade sweet pickles and Blue Bonnet, and I’ve no more than a grudging affection for Neil’s warblings (’though Sarah Vowell might yet be right about him.)

he was stunned that I’d never seen Star Wars; I couldn’t believe he hadn’t watched the holy trinity that comprises The Godfather. He likes Harry Potter, I think it’s a poorly written, cheap knock-off of His Majesty J.R.R.T. (you may unsubscribe now.) He can’t stand sports; I’m mad for NCAA basketball. He never wants to eat out at the same place twice; I could sit in the same seat in the same restaurant on the same day of every week and order the same thing for all eternity. he hates tomatoes, my favorite food, and rarely watches t.v. shows except for BSG. I have love affairs with far too many (which is the fruit of being reared without the glowing box. don’t say I didn’t warn you…)

we’ve weathered 3 soul-sucking pregnancies, major depression (mine) and a complete spiritual overhaul that dumped us into the ragged little box marked “recovering evangelicals.” we both love our children fiercely and well, I hope, rarely fight over money (just lots of other stuff), and he actually enjoys my huge redneck family. for our honeymoon we canoed 3 days (mutual idea) then saw Ozzie Smith play one of the last games of his career (my idea). perfection. we came home to spend the next 5 years rehabbing a newly-acquired bungalow with one closet, a 5×6 kitchen and a bathroom wallpapered in metallic tiger-stripes. good times.

in the past it’s been hot wings and Leinies but tonight we’ll do a little dressy celebrating with dinner, a dirty martini or two, some good friends, and some art if it doesn’t rain.

(isn’t this the linkiest post ever? he’ll hate that. *wink* )

happy happy eleven, mikey joe. it only gets better.

• • •

wishing you all a wonderful weekend ~ and much love,

me