tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27877093461603685642024-02-19T01:58:30.932-07:00create or perishcreation is necessary to my sanityAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241568322573908674noreply@blogger.comBlogger1020125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-60608897073552927902015-05-14T16:44:00.001-06:002015-05-14T16:45:16.535-06:00wtf (originally written 2011?)Okay, so here's July & I haven't really done anything this year that I had intended when the year started. Six months in & I am in exactly the same place I was last year. Same job that sucks away my time/life/creativity. Same lack of physical exercise. Same lack of mental stimulation. Same time wasting, soul leeching activities. Same relationship problems. Same lack of time spent on what I really want to do. Nary more than one blog post this year. No Spanish language course. <br />
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Okay, maybe some things have changed for the better; I did pay off my credit card debt this year (only to charge a few things back on, of course. Ironic?) I did finally purchase my MacBook (hence the new credit card debt -but a great deal, not to be passed). I am having the downstairs bathroom finished -& mostly to my specifications. But not much more happening than that. <br />
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I am in a rut. A repetitive, reactive rut.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-62159232863898000502015-05-14T16:42:00.001-06:002015-05-14T16:44:42.092-06:00What's new, pussycat? (originally written 2012)I've started a journey -long overdue- on a new career path. Cosmetology. That's right. At 44, I've decided to finally pursue a career that I've wanted since as long as I can remember. What stopped me, you ask? Probably no one or nothing to blame but myself. You know that old Eagles lyric, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;">So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;">And we never even know we have the key." Yeah, that's me all over. Constantly finding myself trapped in cages of my own devising. Well, here's step one. I'm in my second "cluster" (aka semester). ONLY two more to go. </span><br />
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-79661442789463234402015-05-14T16:39:00.001-06:002015-05-14T16:42:26.260-06:00Thinks to share; braincells to resuscitateWell what the heck? I've been away for much longer than I had planned. Years. Literally. Facebook, I blame it all on Facebook. It's a guilty pleasure; a way to keep in touch with family & friends; a meeting place for new friends; meetings of like minds; pots of controversy that stir up anxiety; discussions -sometimes even with no trolls; sharing of info; waster of time; an addiction. It's also become a lazy person's method of "writing" -if mini blurbs about random topics can be called writing. I like it more than Twitter. In fact, Twitter I like about as much as I do Vines. My kids love Vines. Ask them how much I enjoy Vines. They'll tell you not at all. Seven second videos fuel some kind of rampant attention deficit in our younger generation. I find them annoying at best. ~Every~so often there might be a gem. But holy cow, it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Who has time for that? Twitter is the same. How many words and spaces can I fit into a 140 character thought? Forget punctuation. No thanks. Facebook, on the other hand, I can write as much or as little as I want. I don't have to use acronyms to make use of a small space. I can use punctuation. But usually it's just a small thought about something I read online -a blog post, or more likely, a news article of some sort. Maybe a meme about a current event. Maybe it's something that happened in my family -a brag, a whine, a picture. But the way Facebook is now run, it changes my feed constantly. As in, if I refresh, what I see in my newsfeed looks brand new or nearly so. And so I've become like the proverbial rat in the experimental cage that pushes the bar for a treat -a new drug. Continuously. Constantly. Checking & rechecking the newsfeed. Refresh. Refresh. Refresh. It's finally come full circle, though. I think. I hope. I'm bored with Facebook. It's the same old shit. Same old complaints from particular people about the president. Or the same old memes, regurgitated from 3 years ago. Or news stories about missing children that nobody bothers to fact check if the child has been found but gets reposted anyway. Even though it happened months or years ago, and the child, indeed, has been found. The same old jokes. The same old politics. The same old high school mentality. If I could filter out all that crap & just get personal updates from friends & family, I so would.<br />
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And so, here I am. I would shut down my Facebook page but it's really the only way to share what's happening in my life with the people. UNLESS. Unless I can transition back to blogging. I can post here & direct friends & family to this page. It might even be a little more personal. Definitely it'll weed out the drive by comments & "likes". That might take some getting used to, not getting those little ego strokes. But at least I'll know that if someone truly wants to know about whats happening in my life, they'll have taken an extra step more that clicking the "like" button. <br />
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Yeah, my other concern about using Facebook as my sole means of communication online, I seriously felt my brain cells withering away. Seriously. It was like even my actual thoughts were becoming blurbs. I was forgetting to use grammar, spelling, punctuation. And maybe that really doesn't matter in the bigger scope of things. But these other, faster, "concise" methods of online communication really are lazy. There's no challenge in typing a 20 word -or less- comment. I need more stimulation than that. Vines are 7 second videos; Twitter is the written equivalent; Facebook is the 20 second cousin. The fact of the matter is, I miss communicating in full, coherent paragraphs. I have thinks to convey. Loads of thinks. Thinks to get off my chest. Thinks to share. Thinks longer than 3 sentences.<br />
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So there might be a learning curve here. I've been away from regular blogging for so long that I've forgotten everything I know about HTML. I'm sure there's a new interface here on Blogger that I'll have to learn. I won't be able to make up for lost time; there's been way too much happening to be able to tell you about everythink. But I can start today. And I can come back tomorrow. And the day after, etc etc etc. And I can wean myself off of Facebook. At least that's the hope. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03241568322573908674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-2525461698826211622011-08-20T09:01:00.001-06:002011-08-20T09:48:16.083-06:00What can we say? We love color!Fi & I (& later Lib joined the party) decided to sort our polishes by color instead of brand. Hope this helps avoid future dupes.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965467308752130'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwoCpP746JTkp15TSOavI5pLRIhouM_S1Na_xY-ivdosB150ijcE2v0gdtVN6Qkjy50Btetg8MSLpLgr5B6_13Q3RDBc4lpbv_aHkQDL2F_qnftRq7XI2hwVXOsm0IHpB9JeJ36eyskw0/s288/8.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965475672031602'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVVBl1u-9q-fY_NZwqknPreCiIdalRq5U5Ox6mYyUrehkyoCra41QQJdcih8UOcrBk7ifIoHN3EnHQYJBOw4CZJccF6tAG_O6G24v6McMVkXJa8Mh4_QkslUGgBxYNKzLxN8PY0YWXv0Q/s288/2.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965479903803602'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTMGz1aJCK743j0L1MVyjMa47XV4f92_oOXhojJZG7s8m85-qaKghr238V66gN_7DSY5wdeA_JGN6l34P4HJp0Osvk5tHdPV-MGNLzHHehbn_3OloqBI7g5aNNCYjkToKC84uai7pZAY/s288/0.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965481806274402'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNITOyokJZX6WnLXXYaojKlSCpes0ScLylpGR3YEgMsALY9D81YtDZyzBn3pNCDAt_xjgUERf6Vh7nR6IFv3jvzv-OSMHZ647AwLIkg2GWS4Rp-T7OC6wfCEvPw7431P5AP4LiiQhBxL4/s288/1.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965489665981826'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpbNToHJChb816haHOCCOrreSUF4XB2BqsaAVoaeWckEivivAWZjoWwPmI1KG96cDP2962ZVhm9BugmylpZPxbIblsGIUAoza_Hi-J2NSV3MUxVBgfOc_eKdKyvRB13ANrPt4cxh1g2k/s288/3.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965495739649394'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvx473fnjuuCM4XWZg1zc_VokmfZRFloIXxSCZkaOsRt_C4b_BqnowT0Hwr8iytsrjx62zlvrq_nHIJhNve01-U8A98jokaxsuHeKXfl7oZoN8mGpC-Z_ExDJhfs64_j5WJhhZydY1cFc/s288/4.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965499236048818'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiShygbRA3lmUPngE3PK8ULplvCaiieVRgToi6NGWDEoxE5WuVIqfpV32P9K7rP9zdgQX8Qayf8o-FoKYFKLtx5CHJZ_iaEPu6h-nFRCSOapXpUE9KFeWMLFAc1jd3nh_H2Z75DrSgTp0/s288/5.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965508695950210'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvhpKA6ZrIcChc4Vt3kb_UI6VAItw4WRAkQXivvSL-k3JKuK-p7F-ZLyW-MuB7IMTYPIy9WWBBBX6AXw-1lQpM7bUSwS6yxbxOUjQJb9pSBy9YxI9a4eIXSfonyylqH4pMhVU9LfTCm0/s288/6.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='https://picasaweb.google.com/rockymtmama/CreateOrPerish06?authkey=Gv1sRgCLqq467Ss8_PUg#5642965512685750898'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOmw9CdanBqvKkm80cQanQOcuDWIwRM4zWBE6stA2Dk216h4Cho0hgSZv6wD5Lyue4Ohk53RdXO0iVf6gl-tSiNtw6iv7fppBHWkTYRV7g-0OIpN4r-Y5A-VlF82R1TVolUK4hg7rLuI/s288/7.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-34397157624784506662011-04-23T17:23:00.000-06:002011-04-23T17:23:36.504-06:00Back in the saddleNew(used)computer!! An old emac G4. Why didn't I think of this before?! A bargain for $149+. To think, I've been away from blogging for so long that probably nobody even checks to see if I've updated -because I haven't. And for what? Because my laptop & the PC were useless? Because I thought I had to save my pennies for a "Mac"? Well, got the Mac & I'm back online without cutting off an arm. I'm pretty stoked! On another high note, I'm actually blogging from my new (not used) iPhone 3GS!! It's almost as good as using a laptop! Did you miss me? I missed you! Aaaaah...it's good to be back.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-36784782237066335212010-02-26T05:58:00.000-07:002010-02-26T06:17:09.637-07:00a temporary fixWell, after my promises to post more frequently, what happened??! My computer crashed. Kind of. Sometimes it works. But too frustrating to bother trying at this point. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of uploading the xmas pictures & didn't have a chance to move them to a memory stick. Grrrr. Guess I can open up the back & check out the insides before I call someone in to repair. I got a good 2 years out of a $200 laptop -hours of daily use. Not too bad, really, considering. And no, we didn't get the extended warranty: It cost more than the laptop itself. <br />
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Garrett got his bonus a couple weeks ago & bought a laptop for himself. So, here I am. <br />
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What's new? I went back to work 2 weeks ago. I was spurred on by the need to pay off the year of debt that was accumulated while I wasn't working. And a desire to save moola for a laptop of my own choosing (mac). And, truth be known, to get my ass off the couch & get some exercise. And adult conversation. And, well, the reasons are myriad. So far, so good. I'm really enjoying it. <br />
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Oh, here's a tip: another reason I've been MIA & now I'm back? I blame it on the drugs. Seriously. Gah. Is there no happy medium? I mean, c'mon, are they not called "happy pills". It's so freaking bizarre, that distinct difference in creativity (or lack thereof) when I'm on them as opposed to when I'm not. Which is it now, can you tell? I'm sure my family could tell you the answer.<br />
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It's almost 6am. Time to make the doughnuts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-77436290682745661772010-01-26T20:17:00.000-07:002010-01-26T20:17:11.004-07:00I'm right here!So my computer crashed, so to speak, on Saturday. Trouble's been brewing for a couple weeks. You know, slow to start, slow to connect kind of stuff. Then last week it wouldn't start at all. I deleted a bunch of stuff in the hopes of freeing up some space. Apparently I need to do a bit more cleaning than that. Luckily I already removed all my pictures -EXCEPT my San Fran pics. I was panicky at first, thinking that those 700 pictures were a goner. Late last night I remembered that I had uploaded all those pics to Flickr. Whew! So really, the only "important" things I have on my computer are knitting pattern PDFs that I haven't printed out yet. And a couple vids of the littles. Dang it, I used to be pretty good at troubleshooting and fixing my computer. I was teaching myself HTML. I haven't messed around with computer details in so long, I feel really out of the loop. Kind of out of sight, out of mind. Out of practice. Whatever. I suppose I've been spoiled by having a new computer the last couple years. And by Blogger going to the user friendly blog building interface. I suppose it's time I got back in the loop & did my research about recovering this particular laptop. Wish me luck!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-42212540681051641132010-01-19T21:13:00.001-07:002010-01-19T21:19:35.779-07:00love/hate relationship pt 4So in November the headaches were so bad that, even though I wasn't necessarily sleepy or tired, I had lie down & keep my eyes closed in defense from the pain -on a nearly daily basis. Blech. And then I had to take Tylenol PM periodically to escape the pain to get to sleep at night. Yeah, not a fun month. <br />
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Sooooooo, here's what I did: I purposefully quit taking the Prozac just to see what would happen. I wanted to be more cognizant of how & when it affects my body & to therefore have more of a handle on the situation. And all the better to gauge if I want to continue with this particular treatment -tease out the difference in strength between those pros & cons that I mentioned earlier.<br />
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I didn't keep a physical diary, but I do know that I felt fine for a week or so. Then slowly my mood slipped lower & lower; I could feel my ire over stupid little things rising. The bitch was back, so to speak. And I wanted to stay inside, preferably in bed, crying. BUT at the same time, the headaches were gone. And I started to feel the urge to "create" (Ta da!)<br />
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Being mindful of my experiment, I refilled my script & proceeded to surmise the effects of taking the meds. So far I've been pretty darn sleepy, getting more chill daily, and almost immediately, the headaches to beat all came back. Just as I suspected. What to do, what to do?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-33614711586662981262010-01-18T22:36:00.002-07:002010-01-19T05:57:36.720-07:00love/hate relationship pt 3Hmmm, so that's the "love" part of the relationship. I get that even keel, chill attitude, pretty much all day, every day. And that's good for everyone, right? I'd agree, except here's the "hate" part of the relationship. <br />
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At the outset of taking this drug, I'm beat. All the time, tired & yawning & eyes tearing. I want to just sleep for inordinate amounts of time. It's not even so much "want" as "can't keep my eyes open". Thankfully I'm not working right now, or I'd be falling asleep at work. Yes, I would. I'd compare it to a mild form of narcolepsy, except I don't just fall asleep randomly. But I <i>could </i> fall asleep at will. Now, for someone like me who often finds herself wide awake with insomnia for days on end, this should sound heavenly. And I guess it could be. But I have things to do, people to see, places to go, so sleeping all day puts a damper on accomplishing anything for about the first week or so. At some time in the 2nd or 3rd week, I start to feel "normal", & by that, this time, I mean "not sleepy all the time". <br />
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Another aspect of the "hate" side of things: Prozac kills every ounce of creativity in me. I don't want to write. I don't want to sew. I don't want to paint. I don't want to read. I don't want to cook -as in create my own recipes. I don't want to snap pictures. I don't want to blog -hence the 3 month hiatus, see? I don't mind knitting, but I think that's because it's so meditative & really takes no extraordinary thought process. And if you know me, you know I HATE not being able to express myself creatively. <br />
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So then, I get no highs, no lows, no creative juices flowing. And no sex. That's correct. Absolutely no interest in it whatsoever. And I'm a Scorpio, for crying out loud! It's a sad state. Gah! <br />
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I feel like there's something else that I'm missing here. But really, those are probably the most important pros & cons. Oh, I remember now. Headaches. I get serious headaches recently & I'm attributing that to the meds. More on that later.<br />
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Truth be told, Prozac makes for a kind of boring existence. Honestly, boring. After a while I miss being able to be really giddy, happy. Or even to be good & pissed off when necessary. Instead, everything is a-okay. Not a bad attitude to have & actually, as I said before, more like how I used to be. It's a relief to not feel "out of control", but really, am <i>I</i> "in control"??<br />
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TBCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-18624462171004205592010-01-17T10:23:00.003-07:002010-01-17T11:19:13.397-07:00love/hate relationship pt 2So here's been the usual routine: I take my meds faithfully...until I feel absolutely "normal". And what exactly is "normal"? Is normal for me the way I am WITHOUT the little white capsule? Or is the definition of normal that socially acceptable persona who is patient & kind. FYI, that's kind of, really, the way I USED to be, before 6 or 7 years ago. I once heard this quote, "Depression is rage turned against oneself" & thought it was appropriate. <br /><br />But on the flip side, is it true that "Rage is depression turned against everyone else"? In my case, yes, yes it is. My kids even have named that alter ego "mean mommy". Yes, seriously. Without that darn mood stabilizer, I am a bitter, screaming, irritated, raging, throwing, slamming bitch. Mean mommy. As in, "Oh no. It's mean mommy. Let's go play in our room." Hearing that really made me wake up to the realization that without Prozac, I was turning into a carnate version of Mommy Dearest. Thankful for the grace of God, I did not purposefully or inadvertently lay a hand on my sweet girls during these bouts of temporary insanity. I just kind of stewed inwardly, muttering under my breath, until, like a whirling dervish of over-energized fury, I spewed all manner of mean, angry words as I stomped through the house performing some semblance of housekeeping; i.e. throwing some item in the general direction of it's home, slamming doors & cupboards, etc, etc, etc. Eventually I would end up in crumpled pile of overwhelming sadness & disgust & shame, bawling in the bathroom-bedroom-behind-some-closed-door. Spent, I resurface to face the world & the girls come out of hiding, asking if I'm okay. Yep. Temporary insanity, I tell you. Or at least that's how it feels.<br /><br />So, I take the meds religiously until I feel chill on a 24/7 basis. This takes about 2 - 3 months to achieve. And then I forget that I need to take them to feel chill. Or I feel so chill that I think "Hey! I've beat it! I'm normal! I don't need no stinking pills!" (Like the time I fell asleep with my contacts in, woke up with perfect vision & thought "It's a miracle! I'm cured!" LOL!) So I stop ingesting the prescribed dosage or I forget to renew the prescription. Eventually, inevitably, the chemicals from the Prozac that have been built up in my brain fade away & I cycle back into "can't get out of bed-can't leave the house-endlessly crying-barely caring for self-contemplating my demise & subsequent effects on those around me". After that spell, "mean mommy" returns. And so it goes. <br /><br />TBCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-15452898516008135912010-01-16T20:16:00.003-07:002010-01-16T21:03:30.191-07:00moviesHere's something I used to post about. Used to. Why did I stop? No clue. Let's give it another go.<br /><br />Madster & I viewed this "horror" flick last night. Maddie's been working on her "ability" to watch scary movies. You know, getting used to being frightened temporarily without being afraid after the movie is over. I figured this would be an appropriate flick towards that goal. I was not disappointed.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127180/"target="_blank"><img src="http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9420/dragmetohelll.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Typical Sam Raimi. You know, over the top "horror" & special effects. Not brilliant special effects, mind you, just over the top. By that I mean the kind of effects that make one squirm & squeal & laugh out loud all in the same shot. Not overly scary, but some good sequences that made us jump. Maddie still covers her eyes & plugs her ears when she thinks something really bad is going to happen onscreen. It took until about halfway through the movie for her to realize that this movie wasn't all that "bad". <br /><br />Also plenty of those "something" following the main character shots reminiscent of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083907/" target="_blank">"The Evil Dead"</a> but perhaps perfected in this version. And one scene in particular looked higher quality than the rest of the movie -the money shot, shall I say? <br /><br />Side notes: Justin Long was too good for this role. And the ending was NOT what I expected. At all. <br /><br />If you don't "get" Sam Raimi's work, skip this one too -unless you can watch it with an open mind & not expecting to be "scared sh*tless". But if you do enjoy his other work, you won't be disappointed here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-47903236375873377722010-01-16T14:52:00.003-07:002010-01-16T14:58:00.772-07:00ch-ch-ch-changesthere, just a few to start. And I combined my old blog with this one because, well, what a waste to not use it anymore. Some stuffs I had completely forgotten about! And you too, I bet; or maybe other (older) aspects of my life that a new reader wouldn't even know about! It's refreshing to see that I have over 1500 posts in 5 years. Sadly, only 82 were from last year. That too has passed. Hmmm, should I go for the daily post goal?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-34881317127918664582010-01-16T10:42:00.003-07:002010-01-16T10:58:22.669-07:00it's a love/hate relationship pt 1between me & prozac, that is. I find it to be a necessary evil. I've posted before -at least I think I have- about how I've had depressive symptoms pretty much all my life. Hereditary, I think, since I have a maternal aunt & a paternal uncle (& who knows who else, because it's just not talked about) who are so "afflicted". Anywho, I finally bit the bullet a few years ago after I had Lib & post partum depression was unbearable. After a couple weeks of incessant crying & ruminating on my life (or possible lack thereof), I called my doc & begged for some kind of relief. Fluoxetine was her answer. And a therapist -which has been an on again/off again experiment. <br /><br />Needless to say, breastfeeding Lib was out. I felt like I was letting her down, but hey, at least she still had a mom in her life to bottle feed her. Those little white capsules were a lifesaver thrown to a drowning woman -and for her family.<br /><br />TBCUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-81129772616926208712010-01-15T13:34:00.002-07:002010-01-15T13:45:26.985-07:00heard ya missed me; I'm baaaaack!Well, not exactly so much today. Just in general. I'm still here, just haven't been so motivated to write lately...or the last 3 months. And that's a story for a longer post. Thinking of re-doing the layout, etc. Maybe altering the focus for a temporary kick. Yeah, that kind of stuff. Yep. I'm back for sure. Truth be told, I didn't think very many people actually read this, since I don't get many comments & no one even commented that I had been away. Then Nikki voiced some sarcastic 21 year old comment about the link to my blog in my Facebook page. And I watched "Julie & Julia" last night. Inspirational for blogging, no? Check back tomorrow for some revisions. & pictures. I have pictures. You tell me if the girls have changed since I last posted pics of them on here. I have videos too. Well then, I'm off to the the girls' school for my Friday afternoon volunteering stint. Then gymnastics for the littles. BBL :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-59144954453286103572009-10-10T22:01:00.002-06:002009-10-10T22:22:48.980-06:0010 on the 10th @ 10pm :DI got this idea from my blogging-friend <a href="http://cpollen-greenelevations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rosey</a>. <br /><br />Here's my list of 10 -with 2 hours to spare!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 51); font-weight: bold;">10 things that put a smile in my heart -without fail</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">a. listening to my daughters' laughter</span><br /><br />b. thinking about the Penguins winning the Stanley Cup<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">c. seeing that man jogging in the morning -he looks like I imagine a professor from the 70's might look. He wears what looks like dark blue Dockers, & a button up long sleeve shirt & a knit pullover vest & running shoes. & he wears silver wire rim glasses & his hair is kind of like a graying Gabe Kaplan style (Welcome Back, Kotter)</span><br /><br />d. seeing either or both of the two sets of older couples on our block going to or coming home from morning mass -every day<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">e. good graffiti (not tagging)</span><br /><br />f. talking/chatting/hanging out with girl friends<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">g. birdsong in the morning</span><br /><br />h. snowboarding<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">i. creating/crafting</span><br /><br />j. interesting architecture<br /></span><br /><br />Plain & simple, no pics to post today. And not exhaustive: next month might be another list :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-706226708980349812009-10-09T18:33:00.001-06:002009-10-09T18:39:30.756-06:00spilling her heart on the page<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93sgbIeJ_EcgAgZNLQH_1qLMymDDWJ-JtsxyassqidvqNH1ZJA750PtM5fMYShRhieRAEgse4BQNM92mcwCCk2mpZl0rcJV4dm-P5uRrO2QzVEaxUCot6PQsBLTcUKLRAeaKYXPsx68o/s1600-h/P9220139.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; clear: both;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj93sgbIeJ_EcgAgZNLQH_1qLMymDDWJ-JtsxyassqidvqNH1ZJA750PtM5fMYShRhieRAEgse4BQNM92mcwCCk2mpZl0rcJV4dm-P5uRrO2QzVEaxUCot6PQsBLTcUKLRAeaKYXPsx68o/s400/P9220139.JPG" border="0" /></a> deciphered, for your reading ease:<br /><br />"Your heart is the trophy!<br />You are the true love.<br />We spend the time together.<br />You are like a snowman.<br />You are like a diamond, red or pink.<br />You always smile.<br />You are like a silver button.<br />You fill my heart.<br />You are joy."<br /><br />And I melted.... Have I told you lately how much I love my kids?!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4qxXG-jnnRlWLrhY0Fls-SJpYag8GUoq1hFouVFGgvohfbfoYS5Q778jRC66MDJQL3QBqQT6npWGVaREUjyIK-pHB9H6PuxbakBMrCOIw_WbDMtTV7eauDgwWEbVRZpQlqfGp6nzxr8/s1600-h/P9220140.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; clear: both;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-4qxXG-jnnRlWLrhY0Fls-SJpYag8GUoq1hFouVFGgvohfbfoYS5Q778jRC66MDJQL3QBqQT6npWGVaREUjyIK-pHB9H6PuxbakBMrCOIw_WbDMtTV7eauDgwWEbVRZpQlqfGp6nzxr8/s400/P9220140.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><img src="http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif" alt="Posted by Picasa" style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: border; -moz-background-origin: padding; -moz-background-inline-policy: continuous;" align="middle" border="0" /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-75546035779142589222009-10-09T17:42:00.000-06:002009-10-09T17:43:01.209-06:00for Nikki<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2cWyNhbRJe7-1Vp5w_x5MSFQ1ta_GomjsjBciPVGVsNsdYS9dstl30fu5Q5eDDg2cfDVnB332mOKB9DjqVm1m28BYkUQfwzsoWX09LVAf2dr9ziwGd8InTA6NStQv9BY0YGDJ0M_4jI/s1600-h/cards+sept+09.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CLEAR: both" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2cWyNhbRJe7-1Vp5w_x5MSFQ1ta_GomjsjBciPVGVsNsdYS9dstl30fu5Q5eDDg2cfDVnB332mOKB9DjqVm1m28BYkUQfwzsoWX09LVAf2dr9ziwGd8InTA6NStQv9BY0YGDJ0M_4jI/s400/cards+sept+09.jpg" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-31761561606777907482009-10-07T20:19:00.002-06:002009-10-07T21:36:53.525-06:00randomnessnew wheels for Fi: what is old is new again -or I was having 80's flashbacks<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1Vb30zakSl2PlQui5MM8cfW5afFqNzDt-l-DgusziHG1gwFlRrrVubvQqbqTqZRs8WTZkHJwij3AdmnS493e1wYhq6D7VZzkQTgFBxhCUBLmS4zjfO1Rgjiv4kdemnuJ6CJnQO5O7J8/s1600-h/P9180086.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR1Vb30zakSl2PlQui5MM8cfW5afFqNzDt-l-DgusziHG1gwFlRrrVubvQqbqTqZRs8WTZkHJwij3AdmnS493e1wYhq6D7VZzkQTgFBxhCUBLmS4zjfO1Rgjiv4kdemnuJ6CJnQO5O7J8/s320/P9180086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390049301696558338" border="0" /></a><br /><br />NatGeo in our laundry room: the spider versus the millipede thingy. I have never actually seen a spider wrapping up it's dinner in a web, à la Charlotte; it was fascinating. The spider was working it's little bee-hind off & the meal was doing it's best to wriggle away. I think the dinner got away: When I looked a couple hours later, the show was over & the entire web was gone...and a few days later I saw said escapee crawling across the floor.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCGZq_pBhceNGRPC8MEc2gKLUjfZ8ZBLvUbqeLvtqw5F-2aYZtjTiv37Y9AavrVBmamzROZgu9dZyDR-QeOi5NlC3THCLllL4A0m9nM8Ip9dnTwB3UPtIXR_QKLgL7DttSGnrMw97bqs/s1600-h/P9220103.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCGZq_pBhceNGRPC8MEc2gKLUjfZ8ZBLvUbqeLvtqw5F-2aYZtjTiv37Y9AavrVBmamzROZgu9dZyDR-QeOi5NlC3THCLllL4A0m9nM8Ip9dnTwB3UPtIXR_QKLgL7DttSGnrMw97bqs/s320/P9220103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390049295004816018" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This was how we chose to entertain the girls one night while waiting 45mins for our food to be served at an Ethiopian restaurant. Maddie was taking pictures with her phone, Fi was playing sudoku on Garrett's phone, Lib played chess on mine. Sign 'o the times?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOZJdGkciO0jV8hhaj1P-LS9bOiOjQQPaGHVk-KOR-lUjx5udaATKifyM8F3UwXUbgTG5YsMSiCmMxufcbILugnRdmKIuJVbzu2vqOT0pxM6aHVV6bCjqR-6O-uRXN1fYsId3Mhv4zlU/s1600-h/P9190099.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOZJdGkciO0jV8hhaj1P-LS9bOiOjQQPaGHVk-KOR-lUjx5udaATKifyM8F3UwXUbgTG5YsMSiCmMxufcbILugnRdmKIuJVbzu2vqOT0pxM6aHVV6bCjqR-6O-uRXN1fYsId3Mhv4zlU/s320/P9190099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390049286266969714" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Looky what our school got over the summer: Denver's first public elementary school authorized by the International Baccalaureate to offer the PYP programme!! Sweet!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaFiOgaarIU4YqYF4tT6dXyxH_4KlyFBniAp91QM95zAJGWRZU3eDLsxP9u3MVBuDTnl9bg4cCp6oB1jKXubnCXM4xVZ3oaoLZm9OSrelGIaC_7-NseMvA3YrfuvgT6u_CFbWa-giHG8/s1600-h/P9180093.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTaFiOgaarIU4YqYF4tT6dXyxH_4KlyFBniAp91QM95zAJGWRZU3eDLsxP9u3MVBuDTnl9bg4cCp6oB1jKXubnCXM4xVZ3oaoLZm9OSrelGIaC_7-NseMvA3YrfuvgT6u_CFbWa-giHG8/s320/P9180093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390049273347971234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />late one Saturday morning a few weeks ago, we heard fire engines -no big deal. Lib asked if it was on t.v. or outside, I said outside & then the sirens got louder & closer. Yep, 2 of the these bad boys and a rescue truck across the street from our house. Exciting & good eye candy ;P Thankfully it wasn't a serious fire!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_IfRzbiHUpDIzdrh_g8tO_ImgLX7k3skOnu2juQO4SMIMycJPKwuJPN1GMGhYqdGx1FbMjuqfd4Zum6jXR3KDqD1Xe0Msp8hvXs_uH6kCPf7MHRaDoOnyEGxaQ4ozAUFJ__7XdzMK84/s1600-h/P9130085.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_IfRzbiHUpDIzdrh_g8tO_ImgLX7k3skOnu2juQO4SMIMycJPKwuJPN1GMGhYqdGx1FbMjuqfd4Zum6jXR3KDqD1Xe0Msp8hvXs_uH6kCPf7MHRaDoOnyEGxaQ4ozAUFJ__7XdzMK84/s320/P9130085.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390049265113637074" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-19855474126464463892009-10-07T20:08:00.002-06:002009-10-07T20:17:50.444-06:00since we're expecting snowhere are the last vestiges of summer 2009<br /><br />monkey girl rigged up a jump rope to the monkey bar<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdq0BEOPwFULFCN6cTLe_eEhwsWkKHwaGLZBpwrHIuSVw3rKJYUqvT8jKm8QTf3TfWSMWJ-nPXfXAhNhLmsj5poS2u8rBlG7brbs0nCS_0uG-4O9jaJT9ykeG7CiwwQpD_tXs6kKXZPzc/s1600-h/P9070018.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdq0BEOPwFULFCN6cTLe_eEhwsWkKHwaGLZBpwrHIuSVw3rKJYUqvT8jKm8QTf3TfWSMWJ-nPXfXAhNhLmsj5poS2u8rBlG7brbs0nCS_0uG-4O9jaJT9ykeG7CiwwQpD_tXs6kKXZPzc/s320/P9070018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390046884995849810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFprdce0oyQvl4KKV87WIfdfscD4Gx7O-DVevDGOQJa1d2e118wxcTJGboFKpjHjkpw7b3JqMabZdkD9WpJWPxHemucOzdpBZkowA1HJd6zIPrNsndzaQBph0kLD85nB8zOepdXCabR9w/s1600-h/P9070015.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFprdce0oyQvl4KKV87WIfdfscD4Gx7O-DVevDGOQJa1d2e118wxcTJGboFKpjHjkpw7b3JqMabZdkD9WpJWPxHemucOzdpBZkowA1HJd6zIPrNsndzaQBph0kLD85nB8zOepdXCabR9w/s320/P9070015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390046871385825938" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPgNtn2APEa0grQBG5p0ijXucXOWi7vbmX4Ya1mp5MIGxfqkFKIw2M8GVDGL3Mz9Lp0M4oN7ZXtwl5faeNFW3z5qfTwr1xErmgzZmYYO5m2CkegkB6DAuwpF_8hkkTYqur0mRPbPgll4/s1600-h/P9070005.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipPgNtn2APEa0grQBG5p0ijXucXOWi7vbmX4Ya1mp5MIGxfqkFKIw2M8GVDGL3Mz9Lp0M4oN7ZXtwl5faeNFW3z5qfTwr1xErmgzZmYYO5m2CkegkB6DAuwpF_8hkkTYqur0mRPbPgll4/s320/P9070005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390046861583180130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJKJg1hc7b94rhyphenhyphen1YpXPJ_c1OoG-vlV8_68MwJtLUsI4y0yOvVnFCBLm7KcD3tXWGf_F8Ho8eezH2DhSMfoznQ8TUEwj_7iAymCw0t3jnuzF4YAfvGPYqfPeNr_fBxV9x7Bbe53IzBu4/s1600-h/P9070001.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJKJg1hc7b94rhyphenhyphen1YpXPJ_c1OoG-vlV8_68MwJtLUsI4y0yOvVnFCBLm7KcD3tXWGf_F8Ho8eezH2DhSMfoznQ8TUEwj_7iAymCw0t3jnuzF4YAfvGPYqfPeNr_fBxV9x7Bbe53IzBu4/s320/P9070001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390046851042829474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lib did not find the jump rope swing to be fun -or comfortable<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNZKUkf8rpchz0wpVQpiBHMAueqc_n8fqfp5BvERpWKJ2AhC1Ag-6qLP_zE9hIkphn1rx9GrPDwvCz-m0rBkmH0yU2ClREWG60w-1_Fae5iUqDViZYuFwS0cl6gR7n2xZ_ChGFivNR14/s1600-h/P9070028.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxNZKUkf8rpchz0wpVQpiBHMAueqc_n8fqfp5BvERpWKJ2AhC1Ag-6qLP_zE9hIkphn1rx9GrPDwvCz-m0rBkmH0yU2ClREWG60w-1_Fae5iUqDViZYuFwS0cl6gR7n2xZ_ChGFivNR14/s320/P9070028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390046895355998434" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-56812575339580925342009-10-04T12:33:00.003-06:002009-10-04T12:43:16.905-06:00a few more memoriesthe reason I started the list of appealing-to-me-things, & then I forgot to post them:<br /><br />the sound of a flash bulb going off, you know that high pitched sound that I can't accurately describe right now but it kind of starts lower in pitch & slowly, but not so slowly, whines higher until it "pops"<br /><br />the way those old Kodak flash cubes looked after they were spent<br /><br />the way a wiggly tooth used to make my scalp tingle -I'm guessing it was neuronsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-88881167662973343212009-10-02T21:33:00.003-06:002009-10-03T07:17:54.519-06:00this 'n thata few things that I find appealing:<br /><br />that fresh out of the wrapper, new sponge wetness<br /><br />stepping on sand near the edge of the water at low tide & the look of the sand when my weight displaces the water immediately surrounding my foot<br /><br />katydids & praying mantises & stick bugs<br /><br />dental hygienist appointments<br /><br />listening to the littles carry on conversations<br /><br />rediscovering favorite music from my childhood that I had forgotten about in the chaos of everyday life<br /><br />imagining everything I drive past turning into cartoon or mosaic<br /><br />imagining brilliant color where there is none<br /><br />the sound of a breeze in the woods<br /><br />the pinkish "color" of gasoline seen through the little window in the hose while it's being pumped from tanker to in-ground tank<br /><br />the sound of gas station tank lids being lifted & dropped on the pavement for the tanks to be "sticked" late at night/early in the morning<br /><br />the cloud of mud & muck & algae that dissipates when river rocks are moved looking for crawfish<br />and the smell that goes with it. And the feel of the teeniest fish biting on my ankles in the process.<br /><br />finding the smallest of small seashells -amazing that something soooooooo tiny lives in an expansive ocean<br /><br />wooden matches<br /><br />memories of smells:<br />-the gas smell from old time kitchen stovetops that had to be lit with said wooden matches<br />-my mom's old lily of the valley perfume<br />-school paste & tempera paints<br />-that rosin-y smell in gym class<br />-my dad's old Aqua Velva<br />-Blue Jeans cologne from the 70's<br />-wet pine needles on the forest floor<br />-axle grease, motor oil, gasoline vapors<br />-fresh cut hay<br />-waking to Sunday morning breakfast cooking in my mom's kitchen<br />-fresh mimeographed paper -and it's accompanying warmthUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-54836790447581875082009-09-30T10:27:00.005-06:002009-09-30T17:05:42.405-06:00food stuffsfirst up: we had a blast making delicious & nutritious (and easy!) gnocchi. They turned out okay, but I'll make some adjustments to <a href="http://elise.com/recipes/archives/000935potato_gnocchi.php" target="_blank">the recipe</a> for next time. I think I'll try boiling the potatoes in the skins instead of baking. And maybe use more egg and more flour and maybe some ricotta.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6p9FiBo49_Y0xIoOgwQo1UdgTxHHtf6m6l9A914rjxmS07JLcXM0DpN4pGGOtW4oDGHTCKtIhvRfW6THT69sQwRHFWFKvBC3Iz6iqJyVwZcgjyG1HNYbibMYdfy7bWoH5A-7rgSiDY0/s1600-h/P9070034.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid6p9FiBo49_Y0xIoOgwQo1UdgTxHHtf6m6l9A914rjxmS07JLcXM0DpN4pGGOtW4oDGHTCKtIhvRfW6THT69sQwRHFWFKvBC3Iz6iqJyVwZcgjyG1HNYbibMYdfy7bWoH5A-7rgSiDY0/s320/P9070034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298922432105618" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Lib's job was to cut the dough into individual dumplings<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioh-ry9iL-KC7ynLW4IyL_YBdmX8HqDau3tTV_2ty74d9Ch6xwPQTv-qTRBqsS-DmD78GdTo3iyC5umSyP_HdVwo6KwQuByxf9K9_6SwcgdIbuyRfwytRbxSMhyphenhyphen9yFV0qZxwVeCnvNCs0/s1600-h/P9070033.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioh-ry9iL-KC7ynLW4IyL_YBdmX8HqDau3tTV_2ty74d9Ch6xwPQTv-qTRBqsS-DmD78GdTo3iyC5umSyP_HdVwo6KwQuByxf9K9_6SwcgdIbuyRfwytRbxSMhyphenhyphen9yFV0qZxwVeCnvNCs0/s320/P9070033.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298898491530786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Fiona's job was putting the divots in each dumpling (the better to hold the sauce)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28VoCSGAK_P6XlYmn8_O1WDfTsYdFuA5NH8ie8Uk3cctftENc1PzUmb64Aouyf2VtIs3euwvDwx8nX7kH19uHQyvIgJxO6DAwwfBhNGhLTUKToSRG6ntaLBY0B35f3jmaR7QX11mGTD0/s1600-h/P9070030.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28VoCSGAK_P6XlYmn8_O1WDfTsYdFuA5NH8ie8Uk3cctftENc1PzUmb64Aouyf2VtIs3euwvDwx8nX7kH19uHQyvIgJxO6DAwwfBhNGhLTUKToSRG6ntaLBY0B35f3jmaR7QX11mGTD0/s320/P9070030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298913186003602" border="0" /></a><br /><br />don't they look good -even before boiling?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmtByvjQ0XVHwXHSOmQNJjz4tuWW7G1-wKn74SCYySMo3GBGk2l_SbFU8wNhyphenhyphenWrhb9vJwy3HmCyckwaJpQY2WN2fRXZt8CCdsjhmy3zXwR7ScEe0Xp3tSo8qNN3Jd-FhN_XZg1MJ8sUo/s1600-h/P9070039.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmtByvjQ0XVHwXHSOmQNJjz4tuWW7G1-wKn74SCYySMo3GBGk2l_SbFU8wNhyphenhyphenWrhb9vJwy3HmCyckwaJpQY2WN2fRXZt8CCdsjhmy3zXwR7ScEe0Xp3tSo8qNN3Jd-FhN_XZg1MJ8sUo/s320/P9070039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298893739289634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />after boiling<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8yxg-yDF4_3lJz9GoJzgg3I7DqXM7ZBVoBudjT3p-h59lNBtudHbHQNaEWpugBlFvQwlaiK6-E9KK8zSYRGjOmga9vMqpIf13zYC966iArQNfXfH4zf02sdUUJPiwWA7wYHZOK47Oo4/s1600-h/P9070040.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8yxg-yDF4_3lJz9GoJzgg3I7DqXM7ZBVoBudjT3p-h59lNBtudHbHQNaEWpugBlFvQwlaiK6-E9KK8zSYRGjOmga9vMqpIf13zYC966iArQNfXfH4zf02sdUUJPiwWA7wYHZOK47Oo4/s320/P9070040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298445176933202" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Fi chose to test the divots & decorated her plate before eating. Presentation counts for something, right?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikL6lpfcKsv-8sknJj8DKzmSK_p069ZLTJzNBwK9d2kuuxsFBXAEgcRbS_LvhNQxysinuo9DTuNhiXewePfdphCbNnD9no0TKmmeFGe4HSWodiZivEKuPo8cz869pHLPcWY3cAlPZpoYE/s1600-h/P9070044.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikL6lpfcKsv-8sknJj8DKzmSK_p069ZLTJzNBwK9d2kuuxsFBXAEgcRbS_LvhNQxysinuo9DTuNhiXewePfdphCbNnD9no0TKmmeFGe4HSWodiZivEKuPo8cz869pHLPcWY3cAlPZpoYE/s320/P9070044.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298432872170722" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Dinner at my good friend Kelly's house. Both recipes came from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Contessa-Back-Basics-Ingredients/dp/1400054354/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254329567&sr=1-2" target="_blank">the Barefoot Contessa</a>. So delicious!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJnH6fzy0zhvU5ZaNxFWToqpYyH7WTXaZ4dPHf_ls8Chyphenhyphen4ztinzJ6uyIoocn8fMsc6tjegHfNmn-PUh3k8BGiK6G85QYhDbX-QNf6h7FyAdJ1bPWAXixBVoukAQKNRmaB9_T3BdfNFF0/s1600-h/P8290058.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJnH6fzy0zhvU5ZaNxFWToqpYyH7WTXaZ4dPHf_ls8Chyphenhyphen4ztinzJ6uyIoocn8fMsc6tjegHfNmn-PUh3k8BGiK6G85QYhDbX-QNf6h7FyAdJ1bPWAXixBVoukAQKNRmaB9_T3BdfNFF0/s320/P8290058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298424292107442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I was hungry for matzo ball soup, well before fall. Homemade stock, natch-what else to do with the leftovers from beer can chicken? I took my inspiration & a few tips from <a href="http://blacktable.com/gillin040407.htm" target="_blank"> this website</a>. MMMMMM comfort food!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8JW04WA4aUwUMKSJMcZLv7SKqqViYHmUdujhiKzOxDBBcitYKMe0MbBZ8dstDIBWi5XKSMAFsC9EijLIUQ8JHcA8j6SX2IXX-1S8axMw39UjWDnRG-HuZ1U_vU90kwp0l5TiI71m8WY/s1600-h/P8290054.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8JW04WA4aUwUMKSJMcZLv7SKqqViYHmUdujhiKzOxDBBcitYKMe0MbBZ8dstDIBWi5XKSMAFsC9EijLIUQ8JHcA8j6SX2IXX-1S8axMw39UjWDnRG-HuZ1U_vU90kwp0l5TiI71m8WY/s320/P8290054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298415201619586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />the banana bread recipe that I've been using for so long that I don't need to refer to it anymore. This time I improvised a bit & used peanut butter for the fat instead of vegetable shortening. It was tasty without being overwhelming. Bonus: peanut butter has less fat than shortening -& it's a healthy fat too! I also used white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet or milk chocolate. I will definitely try this again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22Zjeezs_mWtiH6ECpp_2GujnnGP9dTLsM7ZKe1yNcdF-7zxgeyAvYsJjZKN5r4EeGjgpAdzceoUwJ4kBXDz_SfyXzNOBSRYEDwL2LyEiVQSkJ58gdv6-zoH7Kq-5MPzqvBgeoOFWfMA/s1600-h/P9050028.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22Zjeezs_mWtiH6ECpp_2GujnnGP9dTLsM7ZKe1yNcdF-7zxgeyAvYsJjZKN5r4EeGjgpAdzceoUwJ4kBXDz_SfyXzNOBSRYEDwL2LyEiVQSkJ58gdv6-zoH7Kq-5MPzqvBgeoOFWfMA/s320/P9050028.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387298403368614226" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-62155861130370576612009-09-29T17:27:00.003-06:002009-09-30T11:20:05.226-06:00two finished projectsI'll post details later...I just wanted to get the pics up since I haven't been here for awhile -& now you know why :)<br /><br />The first hat is called <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spring-beret#" target="_blank">Spring Beret</a>. I think I'll do another one but in a different color -and probably a different yarn. This is in Lily Peaches & Cream cotton. I'm afraid that it'll shrink like the dishcloths I've knit...and then I'd have an American Girl Doll sized hat for Fiona's Julie ;P<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4zpypZu1dZjcRjxo6iLrk22-5-jOq23vyvwixGXIm13keTcjWsF6p8aWfKeddW-YBh0ae653nzDaYdjdFIxiWiM_v_-clTNySmt1Y2g5pTB6YtUQ1p438CgsrPx-YWtB93M0Hl87b8M/s1600-h/P9070032.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4zpypZu1dZjcRjxo6iLrk22-5-jOq23vyvwixGXIm13keTcjWsF6p8aWfKeddW-YBh0ae653nzDaYdjdFIxiWiM_v_-clTNySmt1Y2g5pTB6YtUQ1p438CgsrPx-YWtB93M0Hl87b8M/s320/P9070032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387035847306656002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQNiDW6ZdiM4Gl2T8wFEr_1uN0EvmWV-MjyHmq6N05nR1WeDSQRIwDLc1Jpgzz-ExMnckR1hjiRp9PEi245uBWTax-Z735dW7Wieh45zvwsk6Q0gT8rYosN5cCXUZGnjYJ1sCaNfmPQI/s1600-h/P9070031.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQNiDW6ZdiM4Gl2T8wFEr_1uN0EvmWV-MjyHmq6N05nR1WeDSQRIwDLc1Jpgzz-ExMnckR1hjiRp9PEi245uBWTax-Z735dW7Wieh45zvwsk6Q0gT8rYosN5cCXUZGnjYJ1sCaNfmPQI/s320/P9070031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387035752013655714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIHntSvOSL7xtVZdn8mPZOqLOy4CTQAv__z8Ofu6JQ104XZZEknZXXqicoRiLwkNrKgRadcJXTwtmK3aKOJiHZqcbLxWbk95RJebhslESW-Aa-zkzvuMVRjjoFN0KNwrQAYxzcvn9Z2M/s1600-h/P9070029.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrIHntSvOSL7xtVZdn8mPZOqLOy4CTQAv__z8Ofu6JQ104XZZEknZXXqicoRiLwkNrKgRadcJXTwtmK3aKOJiHZqcbLxWbk95RJebhslESW-Aa-zkzvuMVRjjoFN0KNwrQAYxzcvn9Z2M/s320/P9070029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387035738632153474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This one is called <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTfoliage.html" target="_blank">Foliage</a>. I had seen the pattern last year some time, then while I was still working at JoAnn's I saw this yarn that was part of a four skein kit to make a felted purse. I thought it would be perfect for the Foliage hat. And then the kit went on clearance for $7.00 (plus discount!)!! And voila! A handmade christmas present from me for Olivia (hence Fiona is modeling)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1RZFOcqzqurjyi8kz3deJEL-z5DajwsCUBiK2WGyUNjZ1HEiFZZPRjhPckEsFZjBR0IFXZ1-QCYwbsbpxkubDzrJxBvMfBRXjnCkmzdxgaDBsFu7iutxKrsEHHpLqlfGzRhDjLUEMYQ/s1600-h/P9180090.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii1RZFOcqzqurjyi8kz3deJEL-z5DajwsCUBiK2WGyUNjZ1HEiFZZPRjhPckEsFZjBR0IFXZ1-QCYwbsbpxkubDzrJxBvMfBRXjnCkmzdxgaDBsFu7iutxKrsEHHpLqlfGzRhDjLUEMYQ/s320/P9180090.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387035727818970610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2jzOGzEqpfj_y91sPyB1fYr6Gyv060jQfm3NMQBvu-b6_z2DCjWKE0efGmfcyRAxylXL8BevrEkvLqx4UXn6SjZklDb1tfgMbJ_vIdF-fQUYl564g6GOIN76rPYhBwODzwCqqJEqqeo/s1600-h/P9180089.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2jzOGzEqpfj_y91sPyB1fYr6Gyv060jQfm3NMQBvu-b6_z2DCjWKE0efGmfcyRAxylXL8BevrEkvLqx4UXn6SjZklDb1tfgMbJ_vIdF-fQUYl564g6GOIN76rPYhBwODzwCqqJEqqeo/s320/P9180089.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387035718098775234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiidZ0cT3GtYY9BI1AK4pOSJX6PPqyBqVh7d_SCwdo4uKimmq74WTCf6PonriZTpcI5MidhNfGesNJym6gI5x5InMb-uBV-_WPjViq3xgJ44PDsTd5Qm6GMrqkBhTqBq3mHr7SaFK4aY/s1600-h/P9180087.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiidZ0cT3GtYY9BI1AK4pOSJX6PPqyBqVh7d_SCwdo4uKimmq74WTCf6PonriZTpcI5MidhNfGesNJym6gI5x5InMb-uBV-_WPjViq3xgJ44PDsTd5Qm6GMrqkBhTqBq3mHr7SaFK4aY/s320/P9180087.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387035704468579154" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-376135835847629372009-09-29T17:23:00.003-06:002009-09-29T17:27:24.414-06:00kids these daysgenerally don't appreciate their roots. And why, oh why, can't we have decent, innovative music here & now in the 2000's??? Must I ever more listen to "classic" rock? *sigh*<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jhwSHw5kpec&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jhwSHw5kpec&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2787709346160368564.post-84743618146886049382009-09-22T08:23:00.005-06:002009-09-22T08:53:10.047-06:00hyper sensitive sensory system<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zRw0wuAUY9occEl13zIuo-AQtMQ_9GJrmV6qsjO5Mgn42iQJYlUsQyLotFpFjA8vpiZMkBqADgWDa9MEs1nVrbF9Jukbewwlvj3QewtZ1wS46dKbQc8dYT54YKnENy5ym0TZDuanx0s/s1600-h/P8160113.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zRw0wuAUY9occEl13zIuo-AQtMQ_9GJrmV6qsjO5Mgn42iQJYlUsQyLotFpFjA8vpiZMkBqADgWDa9MEs1nVrbF9Jukbewwlvj3QewtZ1wS46dKbQc8dYT54YKnENy5ym0TZDuanx0s/s320/P8160113.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384303484899243154" /></a><br /><br />I know dogs have an acute sense of smell. And their hearing is also superior to humans in some respects. I imagine it all works together beautifully, as a complementary package. What I'm wondering today is exactly how acute is that system? I mean, it's one thing for my dog to hear the milk truck coming 'round the corner at 3am -and bark in warning for the whole neighborhood. And of course, the mailman gets a daily dose of "keep away from my territory" starting when he's 3 houses down on the other side of the street. But how hypersensitive are her senses to wake up at 5am when a coyote is padding down the middle of the street? And you know, me being the light sleeper that I am, I was immediately & rudely awoken so as to all the more quickly jump out of bed & take a look out the window at what intruder might be lurking nearby. Don't get me wrong, this time I wasn't disappointed. I'd started to think that the neighborhood coyote thing was an urban myth. But still. The twilight was silent -the birds weren't even singing yet. It's not like a coyote is clomping around in Doc Marten's or unlaced high tops. Padding might even be too loud of a description. Or was it the scent? Funny that she couldn't care less about the neighborhood fox. Ever. And the fox is the stinky one. It's the cat who get's all territorial with the fox. I loved that the coyote stopped to pause & consider our house more than once. Was it tempted to break that Cody mandated perimeter out of curiosity or defiance? Or was it hearing that vociferous warning & moving on down the line to less injurious pastures? Personally, I think our dog would sooner play than attack (not that I'm testing that theory out on the mailman anytime soon.) She's just that kind of gentle soul. Big old bark, no bite at all. And that's fine with me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2