Porn from Paulie

Click on this link if you want to know what makes me pant like a bitch in heat, obviously Paulie knows...wink
ohmygod.

weekend maneuvers

as much as I detest their commander in chief I am quite fond of the troops. Esp. the Army Reserve guys that had fun with my kids & my dogs yesterday. We went up to visit my folks yesterday and on the way home from Frankenmuth (which is the closest city you dear reader might recognize...my parents actually live in a turn of the century farmhouse in Reese.

Ya know what let's get real here...Make the mitten...okay... the base of your thumb? The bottom of Saginaw Bay?? yeah right there) So we are coming home after a lovely day...we were trapped in a very slow moving spot of southbound US 23. I had noticed on the way up that right around Whitmore Lake (another small Michigan city you may not recognize) the traffic was not moving, or at best--inching along slowly. So I was prepared--we had paper towels for doggy barf and water and strawberries and if I could plan on it being hot and boring...maybe I could avoid cranky? Picture me actively channeling any zen I could grasp onto, driving the Bug (a stick with stoopid knee) and two papa-tired kids and two crazy little dogs. When we intersect with a HUGE convoy of military vehicles. I think they were Army guys...but they mighta been Marines--who cares?? They were so sweet. They were smiling and waving with the kids and they let me hop scotch around them--moving up my little clown car past the stinky semi trucks and half a house on wheels. I can imagine how goofy we looked singing at the top of our lungs to all of our favorite TMBG and BNL songs and then the LOST mix tape we made--and the dogs trying to get out of the car; because if it stops it's time to get out right?? For some reason (maybe all the cheese my dad fed them?) The dogs decided to fart every 15 minutes or so. Seriously it took 40 minutes to travel from Brighton (hey! a third little town you have never heard of!) past Whitmore Lake. ARRRGH. The fun peeps in the convoy made the time pass a lot faster. Well how bored can you be flirting with the military guys and alternately waving doggie fart out of sunroof!! We counted three female drivers amongst the convoy and lots of "Cartman" sunglasses so we had fun saying "RESPECT MY AUTHOR A TIE". Didn't see a single weapon anywhere either. That was a relief because then Zoli could interact with them, admire them, without the guns involved.
We made it to Izzy's piano lesson in A2 on time. Mission accomplished.

My Mommy's quilt

My Mommy made it! Ain't she awesome?

black raspberries

I have a spot in my yard which, a Brazillion years ago, Matt & Petey made a raised bed for Mother's Day. Except we used pressure treated lumber. OOPS! so much for veggies!

So we lined it with heavy gauge plastic and went for it anyway,despite the potential for formaldehyde leaching-- It is planted mostly with perennial flowers (wild rose, black eyed susans, daisys, chickory, Queen Anne's lace and native grasses, some herbs that are there for my pleasure more than the kitchen. Stuff like Wormwood, basil, mint, chives--my witchy meadow. It looks like weeds--but the butterflies like the milkweed and the lavender; and I love watching the bees prowl around the overgrown mess. Isabel plopped a white pine seedling in there this spring. And it appears that this summer the raspberry cane Zoli planted about five years ago is producing fruit. They are small and seedy but kinda tasty. The original cane has grown over the whole box (six feet across at the mid section) and rooted itself into the soil on the other side. So we have a black raspberry arch and it is fun to nibble when I am watering the lawn. I would guess that if the wooden beams are now crumbling apart that any formaldehyde has dissipated and we can snack freely.

snatched from TLC.com

"a new photo of actor Alan Rickman is featured in Entertainment Weekly... The article, about "The Movie Stars We're Loving Right Now," says the following about the acclaimed actor who so memorably portrays Professor Severus Snape: ... Alan Rickman As the icy, humorless magic instructor Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (opening July 11), Rickman may not be on screen long — but he owns every minute. He's magnificently intimidating, whether jousting with Daniel Radcliffe's Harry or turning a simple retort (''No idea'') into a mini-symphony of contempt. A stage veteran, Rickman can go from villainous (Die Hard) to heartbreaking (Truly Madly Deeply). NEXT He's the lecherous Judge Turpin opposite Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd."


EEP!

120 minutes

In an effort at better parenting I m severely restricting Zoli's (and Izzy's but she isn't quite so hard) screentime to 2 hours. That includes TV, computer and video games. We may kill each other before the summer ends. Z is in particular having a moment.
too bad.

Satisfied

Well that was lovely. Absolutely lovely. *BEAMING & BOUNCING* We drove about an hour north of Chicago in order to attend an SCA event called Border Skirmish.

Where after taking WAAAAY too many photos we attended court. (more on that in the next paragraph) --I sucked up all my battery juice on the first round of fighting-- but man did I have fun-- I took pictures of everything except Zoli & Gregor (who were very busy imagining themselves into black holes far far far away from us.) They surfaced on time for meals but we seldom saw their mysteriously compatible selves. Odd little men.

So court...right. I am always happy to watch "my boys" beat bruises onto each other. I am even happier if I get to take pictures of them doing it, as you can tell by looking at the three new albums at the .mac account. (Which you can access by the cleverly labeled link in the upper left corner of this page.) But COURT!! right...His Maj Hrodir (my darling monkey boy) accomplished the treaty-ing of us into Northshield despite HRM Dag taking an incredibly long time to sign his name
(--it's only three letters!) and despite Duchess Mads
1.) threatening a ululating Turkish dirge
2.) threatening to kidnap Isabel and hold her hostage so we wouldn't "defect"
3.) growling and poking right up until our names were called.

No dear reader, don't get me wrong. She was teasing and playing. Maddy is my girl and she had my back. I admit I was getting a tad bit nervous and she literally held my hand and made me laugh. I mostly managed to keep my shit together, but when I looked at Giulia and Himself I started to tear up. Then Felix smiled like he totally understood-- and then I looked at Tinn and he winked. That did it. I was a blubbering fool. Crying like a little girl.
When Dag asked us if we were willing to give up our "Inheritance" Petey & I just looked at each other and without hesitation...we jumped ship. Inheritance snert. Our inheritance was the entire hall shouting out "welcome" when we turned around.

When we first attended an event (almost four years ago) I wasn't even sure what the whole kingdom division indicated (geography--that's it just yer zip code) and we sorta got ourselves emotionally entrenched in Northshield. Happily now as FunkyChris says, we "switched tribes". And we can properly call ourselves "Children of the Ice & Snow." No more pronoun problems for me baby!!

I am my mother's savage daughter. I run barefoot cursing sharp stones. I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice..

ps
L. the scroll rocks. I love you.

summer night

We finally broke down and opened our gift from Chris and Gretchen. We had been saving it's maiden fire for "the new house" but as "the new house" doesn't yet exist and it was time for a fire... we lit that puppy up. It was a beautiful addition to our evening.
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice and we celebrated my third favorite holiday. Izzy and I went to Depot Town and got some new incense from Apotheke then we ducked next door to Enchanted Florist and got lots of yellow and red flowers. The kids sacrificed some sugar to the fairies and Petey and I dedicated our wheat beer to it's namesake Oberon! We had a circle of six white candles & all was well. The fireflies even showed up to our party. Pictures are of course are at the .mac album which you can peruse by clicking on the PIX HERE button in the upper left of this page.

Those following Miss Isabel's adventures with her friend Rozamund the yardfairy will be happy to know that milk was drunk and sugar was danced in. Shells were redecorated and it seems the lilac fairies had quite the event in our yard. Despite Petey and I staying up till well past dark--hmmm fancy that.

Summer Solstice

One of my missions today is to get some red & yellow flowers for Solstice. Yep, today is Midsummer. It would be cool to be at Stonehenge itself. But, seems as I don't really buy into the whole group mind think anyway I'll just mindfully display some posies, drink some wheat beer--talk to my kids about the tilt of the earth--maybe walk down to the river--hug a tree. Maybe a "bonfire" in the patio fireplace tonight because once I feed Izzy some fairy lore she is gonna want to stay up late.

PUCK
The king doth keep his revels here to-night:
Take heed the queen come not within his sight;
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath,
Because that she as her attendant hath
A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king;
She never had so sweet a changeling;
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild;
But she perforce withholds the loved boy,
Crowns him with flowers and makes him all her joy:
And now they never meet in grove or green,
By fountain clear, or spangled starlight sheen,
But, they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn-cups and hide them there.

HP7--the serious countdown

What a cool thing to realize, that we are alive during the publication of such a seminal work of literature. Take care of your books kiddies, your grandchildren will be thrilled to have your first editions. thirty more days-- about 716 HOURS!! eee eeep eeep!!!

Bill&Fleur gonna get married. I predict a MidSummeresque event w/Tonks & Lupin

Sadly, Snape is gonna die--"doing what is right"


Harry very well may die BUT there is the whole MoM & 12 kids prediction Prof. T made
DA's army will take some hits prly not R&H

Voldysnort will of course die..a horrible crumbly magic all gone death

I shall prepare my yard swing with extra pillows, (it hadn't better rain!) m&m's, Strawberry faygo, Woodchuck pear cider.

well she is back. Lost her tags and got hauled out to the pound. AGAIN! $25 bail AGAIN. The kid out there was so sweet he made all the training suggestions he possibly could And I pointed out that they failed. He was very sympathetic and I was pretty sure he was gonna waive the fee but then they got busy ( a dude brought in a baby mink!) and the cranky girl charged me anyway.

Anybody got a rat?

Better yet, does anybody want a Jack Russell Terrier (ist).  She is really cute! Very smart. She is as fast as greased lightening. Four years old, crate trained, all of her shots. She can open doors and  windows, refuses to stay in the yard, has a great prey drive and is stubborn like you would not believe.   sigh.

She decided to split when Siri was here, she came back via friendly neighbor after lunch and then was pretty good for several days, but this morning I made the mistake of leaving the slider unlocked (normally she won't go out in the rain. I thought the rain smelled better than the Air Conditioning and had opted for some pre coffee fresh breeze.) My bad. She has been gone for an hour now.

pipe dream

House shopping.
We are gonna walk thru it later in the month.

(following blurb snatched from a Midtown online newsletter)
5. Heritage Museum 110 E. Ferry
Josephine Love’s Heritage Museum (formerly Your Heritage House), a children’s art center, started life in 1887 as the home of William Jackson, managing director of the Michigan Telephone Co. Another of John Scott’s Queen Annes lining Ferry, the house was acquired in 1926 by the Merrill-Palmer Institute. In 1975, Love moved her museum into the building, now owned by the Detroit Institute of Arts. The guys featured in the old News article below want out. They want $600 thou. when you say something like intricate woodwork & six fireplaces I kinda get interested.

Architectural firm to relocate into historic Midtown museum ---2005
The Architects Enterprise is renovating the old Heritage Museum & Fine Arts Center, located at 110 E. Ferry in Midtown, to become its new Detroit office.

The president of the firm purchased the building after he stayed at the Inn on Ferry Street during a visit from Chicago. He fell in love with the nearby museum, bought it and made plans for the firm to relocate there after an extensive renovation of the structure is complete.


The exterior of the building requires heavy renovations, and the interior will have to be revamped to facilitate architectural offices. The company was inspired by “the beauty of the building, and wanting to help with the redevelopment of the city of Detroit,” says Lincoln Calhoun, senior project manager of the Detroit office.

Construction on the project began in July and they are anticipating the move just after the first of the year.

Source: Lincoln Calhoun, senior project manager for The Architects Enterprise, Detroit office

Bloomsday

On June 16, James Joyce aficionados the world over celebrated Bloomsday. Except us. We screwed up. I think it is also Van Morrison's b-day. On year's past we have had parties or AT LEAST A DRINK! But this year in our dotage it slipped right past. The day is named after the main character an everyman and advertising salesman named Leopold Bloom, of Joyce's most excellent novel Ulysses. The entirety of this ginormous, book recounts one ordinary day, June 16, 1904, as various characters go about their ways--many en route to a funeral in Dublin.

It is awesome. I've told you my Guinness Fleagh stories right?

oooh my Tarot Card

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Frisell--Skirmish--then Pennsic

This weekend we are driving into Deeeetroit to see Bill Frisell. A very hip and unique guitar player that we both like very much. NEXT weekend we shall travel to the SCA event known as Border Skirmish and we shall get treatied into Northshield as right and proper members of the populace (despite our living in the center of the Middle) and I am soooo excited. Her royal majesty Queen Giulia was giggling saying she was gonna get me some sweats that say WAR BOOTY on the booty because that would funny and true! It seems when King Dag asked my King, Hrodoir what it would take for Northshield's army to play dodgeball on the Middle Kingdom's side HRM promptly responded something along the lines of "We want Pete and Daye." So.... Dag is gonna sign our citizenship treaties and we get to be really and for truly citizens of the Kingdom of Northshield!! WOOOT WOOOOT!! We had petitioned for citizenship once or twice and those earlier kings had valid reasons for their denials and we just continued to play where our hearts lay. Somehow swearing fealty to Northshield consistently as long as we have played (almost four years now) we came in under a NS king and only once did we not swear allegiance to NS--that when Duke Felix and the grand poohbette ruled the Middle. We knew our friends loved us despite our geographical/lake issues. It was okay. BUT soon SOON...(thanks to TRM Hrodir and Giulia) our house, yard & kids will be a tiny spot of Northshield right smack in the Middle. hee hee I am so geeked! Even my email inbox is excited. Last night we got the confirmation numbers for WAR, and convinced Matthew to watch the kids so they won't be bored out of their heads and also in the email I got this silly little thing--some list about "geeky vacations."

Prepare for war!! Let's embroider!

Garden update

I literally had to drag my ass up (three blocks due West) to water the garden last night...man-- one day at the water park and I am whipped! My tiredness was in spite of my endocrinologist proclaiming the drug and the drug dose CORRECT!! (YAY!! I don't have to go back for A YEAR!!--SWEET!)

So Pete and Izzy went with me last night and we took the doggies (Bree likes to dig in the wood-chip pile). But you might have noticed that I typed doggie (s) --plural. Both JRT's went to water the veggie plot. We all forgot how much Jarvis likes to wrestle the hose-pipe. Much like bikes (which he is sure is some advance species of gazelle) and vacuum cleaners-- Jarvis is pretty sure the hose needs to be defeated. Noble Jarvis, War-like Jarvis...my fuzzy little maniac. So-- I am watering the tomatoes (which are going gang busters--specially the Cuban cherry ones) and the green beans and Jarv realizes that I am "under attack" from the dreaded water snake and he immediately leaps the little border fence to start snapping at the stream of aqua. His pokey little feet just starting to trample tender greeenie beanies (who are recovering nicely from the slugs or whatever doesn't like soapy spray or "dia-TOE-ma-key-EE-us" earth-- and he was promptly leashed and restrained by the Master of the Hounds.

If you haven't ever seen Jarvis fighting the hose...well your life just isn't complete. He growls and bites at the water trying to eat it like a spaghetti noodle. It is VERY amusing. Playing tag by hose is also a hoot--I am sure you have seen the game people play with their cats and a laser pointer? We do the laser pointer thing inside sometimes, but Jarvis has the same instinct to track down and devour the water jet from the hose. Compared to a boring sprinkler--It is a much more fun way to water the back yard! My dogs are nuts.

Nancy Drew/Kitchi-iti-kipi

This Morning in the Freep---

Today's rambling is centered on page 2A. The Freep has this fun soundbite thing called "Five Things" and ya'll know how I love lists...It is a list about something light and fluffy that pertains to the general area and I suppose because the new film opens Friday-- today's "column" was about Nancy Drew.

I LOVED Nancy Drew when I was a kid. In fact I'll bet that is where my whole "Is it a series?" fetish came from. I hate reading only one "piece/book/story" by an author. I have read everything (okay not King John but I tried... twice) Shakespeare wrote. Everything Stephen King wrote, everything Phillipa Gregory has written, Anne Rice (mmm... Beauty Trilogy...kinky soft core Vash!)--ya ...you get it. Funny that I like the J.D. Robb stuff but not the Nora Roberts stuff...But I wanted to talk about Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys...and my tree.

FLASHBACK (oooh now I am just like J.J. Abrams!)
Summer Vacation: 1978---When I was a precocious little reader I used to have to hide to get away from the sisters. They wanted to *PLAY*--gack...like with toys and shit!! So, I would climb up to the top of this massive white pine tree that was in my yard. There was tree limb that curved out like hammock or a reclining chair. It was wide enough that you could fidgit comfortably if one needed and this huge tree even had a handy divot for holding a can of coke or a strawberry Faygo. So I would clamber up this tree, book soda and maybe a Hershey bar with Almonds (cost .25 cents!!) or a bag of Cheetos-- I would climb up so far that my sisters couldn't even see me let alone climb that high-- and I would read. Cool breeze, shady, pine scented and PRIVATE. I would read until Daddy whistled me in for dinner. At least this plan worked until I grew up enough that I had to start *cooking* dinner but there were several summers that my tree limb was my mecca. All I needed was a library book.

I used to check out like 15 or 20 books. I would go into town with Mom when she went grocery shopping and dear reader..I shit you not...AT THE TIME... I read EVERY book in the children's room/Young Adult section of the tiny tiny Vassar Public Library. I distinctly remember my mom signing apermission slip so I could check out "ADULT fiction". But that was after I read every single Nancy Drew book--many of them twice. I liked the red head better than the blonde and I am geeked that the old series is out on DVD (helloooo Netflix)--The Hardy Boys were such a spin off..they never really had the appeal for me that spunky smart convertible driving Miss Thang had workin'---sigh. Yeah so the movie opens Friday and it looks "cute". I'm taking Izzy. Funny that half the books I loved when I was up in that tree are now Movies..."How to Eat fried Worms"--that was a hoot! I made the kids read the original. They both preferred the book. "Holes." ?? Same thing.

On the same page of the paper this morning there was another summer vacation flashback

When we were kids my dad dragged us to literally every State Park in Michigan. I swear to god. I can camp. I can start a fire with one match.(usually) I can paddle a canoe and I have a shit load of funny camping stories, the time my sister fell off the poop log, the time she and I were attacked by the mama brown eagle--the time Kat (the baby sister) tried to go swimming in the River portion of Niagara Falls--BUT... BUT! dear reader, today in the Freep there was also a little blurb about my most favorite state park EVER!

The most beautiful place in our state. The Mirror of Heaven. A massive spring fed pond up by Manisitique. Kitchi-iti-kipi. Over 40 feet deep, absolutely clear water swarming with brown trout the size of fucking alligators. Prehistoric tree trunks pointing their fossilized black fingers down to the un fathomable depths. And "the raft". If you have every been to Michigan (because some Northshielders may not get this image) you may be familiar with the treated lumber they use at the state parks for all the sign-age, outhouses and picnic tables, that ubiquitous dark brown stain that is so reminiscent of telephone poles. Well the square raft at Kitchi-iti-kipi is constructed of this same material as is the lever on said raft-- that connects to the steel cable which is stretched across the 200 ft pond... the spring is o big and the raft so secure That it takes two grown men ( and my dad is pretty butch) to pull the raft across. When the raft reaches the dead center of the spring it is tradition to stop and stare through the viewing area set into the floor of the raft and *try* to see the skeletons of the young Indian lovers who, legend has it, drown in the pristine waters. The story goes that the girls' father didn't want her to marry the crazy young warrior so they ran away together and were trying to navigate the big spring (sadly--the raft didn't exist then..) and while they extended themselves on bridge like branch, both fell to their watery deaths...It might have been winter and their saturated clothes had some negative effect on their swimming ability. The shore is very steep..but anyway...yeah the seriously most tranquil, unpolluted spot I have ever witnessed.

In fact that is where I first encountered the saying. "Take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints."

Pick for the Week: Tiny Ninjas. Doing Shakespeare.

From my Shakespeare google alert list...written By Catherine Andrews , I found this gem--

"The Shakespeare in Washington festival is starting to wrap up, but there are still plays to see and things to do. For example, if you’re in the mood for some Shakespeare but are looking for something slightly more offbeat, try the hilarious Tiny Ninja Theater’s productions of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet. The cast is populated with... inch-high plastic ninjas and dime-store toys. No, seriously. But give it a chance; in addition to being the funniest production of a tragedy that you’ll ever see, it’s skillful and often poignant. 6 pm at Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Monday through Thursday. (Monday and Tuesday is Macbeth; Wednesday and Thursday is Romeo and Juliet). Free."


Okay ninjas and Shakespeare! That concept is almost as good as Hockey & Chinese take out!

very funny ha ha

Good morning dear ones,
One of my faithful readers (who shall go not unnamed...RICHARD) and his partner got me good yesterday. These dear dear friends of mine, two of my oldest and most beloved (jerks) pulled a snotty prank.
(there will be retribution. bwa ha ha ha)
You see--I have long thought they needed to make their relationship less of a "guideline" and more of a formal commitment. I poke them a lot about it. But that is my opinion *sigh* and I just want to be in charge of the food at the party--oh hell--truth be told I want to run the whole damn reception. I could be a wedding planner ya know..I'd be good at that.

People tell me I throw awesome parties--so anyway yesterday. (seriously Any excuse for an ice sculpture!)
Right-- We are on our way to see a Tiger's game with Chris and Gretch and we are all laughing and chatting and suddenly R. turns around and from the front seat says to T.-- "Oh we should tell them about our date!" T. immediately blushes and they start this whole charade--insinuating that they were finally gonna tie a knot in a length of Japanese silk rope--and I bought it. They mentioned the "3rd or 4th weekend in July" which in my endoftheday tired and nothavingacalendar and excitedtobewithgrownups brain--nothing registered. Not clearly-- I knew the 21st was something..Twasn't an SCA event..maybe it was beerfest? "What ever" I said aloud. "Your wedding trumps it all." So the conversation continues around me and I still struggle to remember why the 21st of July should be important...My multi track brain starts wondering about table rentals and pretty places in Lansing--what flowers will hold up well-- how far ahead would we need to make various reservations because--- It was only 42 more days till...GOD DAMN IT!!! That's when Harry Potter 7 comes out!!! The light finally went off in my little pea brain and I got the joke. It really only took about five minutes, but I did manage to put the fear in their sorry asses. They promptly realized how serious I was and they had the proper amount of guilt for being mean. Humph--they can order their own damn ice sculpture of a giant rooster with ROYGBIV tail feathers!

rather unusual Thursday night

Bravo Brookie!!! What a hoot! Last night we went out to support our friend (lily's mom!) in the A2ct production of HAIR! (which runs through Sunday at the Lydia Mendelsson Theatre. Brooke did marvelously and I am so proud of her. She is the Energizer bunny--First she goes on the zoo field trip with her daughter's class-- then in the evening opens the run of a wonderful bit of musical theatre. Brooke played Jeanne (the pregnant chick) who has the hots for the main character (who did manage to make me cry). I found it a little ironic that the Director was really about as preggers as Brooke's character. The cast was lovely. Wonderful group choreography and there was some serious belting out of old top 40 songs--which I was all over. I woke up this morning with "Leeeeeeeet the sunshine----Leeeeeeet the sunshine" stuck on repeat in my brain. I really like that soundtrack. My mom played all that crap when I was a kid so I know all the words...fun for me... I do feel the need to embellish a pair of denim bell bottoms tho!
Good job Brooke it was fun. Thanks.

bondage? chainmail?

Isn't it interesting/exciting to consider new projects?

Crafty little bitch that I am! (snort) Consider dear reader, that my current SCA projects include dressing Isabel (AGAIN! she keeps growing) and feeding the Northshield Army a Roman Beef Feast during war week; I am looking forward to Fina and I are baking bread at Gimli (in a real oven from wild yeast!). I would like to finish the couched beadwork heraldic device I started two years ago but that just is so sloooow. My current mundane projects include writing the Wedding chapter of daBook and never finishing the crochet (baby Alpaca yarn... oooo) Ravenclaw scarf FOR ME! Does the garden count as a project?--enh not so much. In my mind--Projects need to be crafty, I don't know I guess gardening is a project. It is just that when I think new project I want to buy yarn. It is easy to want to buy yarn when I get email news letters from kick ass stores like Threadbear in Lansing.

"Habu Textiles – one of our first visits was a private appointment (prior to the opening of the sales floor) with the most gracious Takako Ueki, the US representative for this Japanese fiber vendor. Their yarns are most unusual (silks, stainless steel, mohairs, chenille made of cork, cottons, a paper yarn made of viscose, and more), their design sense is flawless, and (big surprise to Rob) the cost to make a garment is MOST affordable (most things are under $100, with only a few over that, like a stunning jacket for just over $150). We ordered kits, open stock yarns, patterns, and more, and best of all—WE SCHEDULED A TRUNK SHOW AND IN-STORE EVENT! Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23, Takako will be here in Lansing to host the trunk show (between 50 and 80 garments will be in the shop) and conduct one-hour workshops on how to use their yarns, how to read Japanese patterns, and how to achieve the best fit for you using their patterns and yarns. SIGN UP NOW SO YOU DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS SPECIAL EVENT... Workshops will be on Saturday (1pm, 3pm, and 5pm) and Sunday (11am, 1pm, and 3pm) and will last one hour each and cost just $10, but only ten participants will be in each session (e.g. they'll fill FAST—hurry up and sign up NOW)"


Japanese stainless steel yarn----oooooh I gotta git some of that!

Krazy Hair Day

I loved it when my elementary school did it--the last week of school is "spirit week" with theme days like PJ Day and Twin Day--FUN FOR ME! Well--neither of the boys were ever really into this silliness, maybe "hat day" --but boy oh boy is Peanut. She takes her wackiness full on (just like her momma). This is the delightful conclusion of rampaging through the barrette bin with only one cup of coffee in the designer.

She decided to name our hair confection "babushkafairyfluffbride". I particularly like the little Japan-anime puff balls.

I'm sure she will start a new fashion trend!

"The fourth step of the Eightfold Path is Right Conduct, meaning to keep the five precepts of not taking life, not taking that which is not given, not committing sexual misconduct, not lying, and abstaining from all forms of intoxication."

Well I haven't ever killed anyone, or stolen anything (well since a souvenir coffee mug that had a five finger discount in 1984) but when we get to the sexual misconduct I am gonna need more specifics. I don't like liars, so I try very hard to not be one because they only thing i hate worse than liars is hypocrites---oh I screwed up again--I don't think I am supposed to really HATE anyone...and I do-- but that is another step. The Loving kindness step right? and that last bit abstaining from intoxication... ah well I guess I just keep trying. Really?? no booze at all? ever? Monks drink..okay maybe I am confusing European monks with buddhist monks. I am doomed.

soggy veg

I am a fan of animation.
I really like Nick Park's work. He is the creator of the Wallace and Grommit series. They are doing a nice thing here at this page. One of Park's early bits was called Creature Comforts and was a biting & well done British programme (one can surmise--if one hangs out long enough--that I am also a fan of UK TV ...and--uh... run on sentence fragments) that was rather Seinfeld-esque. You know, not really about anything--like this blog! I was worried because the last time a British show got translated to the American vernacular-- it kinda lost something. I am referring to The Office. Now HBO did okay with Extras which I adore.

Anywho-- Last night we DVR-ed (is that word?) the new AMERICAN version of the Creature Comforts. It was okay. Kinda soggy and limp--like British vegetables. OR Like the vegetables in my garden which at the moment are practically drowning. And it appears that not only have the green beans sprouted (magically over night cuz I swear they weren't there yesterday) but them seem to have some sort of wee beastie chewing holes through the leaves. I couldn't really investigate as I had the doggies and it was starting to rain. I shall venture back up if it ever stops raining. I know you are dying w/anticipation.

You probably are not wondering why we DVR-ed (...yeah it a word. There is a precedent set.) the animation. If you're a true friend you may not even be wondering why didn't watch the Sens lose (we did get the last five minutes)--cuz dear reader, Last night I FINALLY got to see Pan's Labyrinth.wow wow wow. Holy shite! What an amazing film. It is really two films, not unlike Lady in the Water. The double story lines just brush against each other. Real life scary tyranny running parallel with fantastic magic. I couldn't help but draw a comparison to the poem The Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti. This film while ostensibly about a ten year old child, was very much inappropriate for little ones in love with Stinkerbelle--but friends--if you like bloody fight scenes, guerilla warfare and incredible cinematography get your butt onto Netflix and pop this puppy up to #1 in the queue. I haven't seen a film this good in AGES. It was really stupendous. Here is a link to a little more cogent review click here.

Hey--maybe some of the creepy crawlies from the Labyrinth are nibbling on my bean plants.

I have shame

Not a lot mind you... but I do have a little. Saturday was definitely the highlight of the weekend, apparently some of it is on tape (Andy--sweetie-- I will make you a cheesecake if that never leaves Geo-girl's house--'k?)

Saturday, dear reader, was the NPNA Rummage Sale. We had perfect weather and the sale was a success--except for two addendums; I shall list them forthwith.
1. not eating but working your ass off all morning will then result in thirsty happy guzzling at beer'o clock (normal people peg this hour at about 3 pm). I went from zero to 60 in about 2 hours. I had 2 whole grain waffles w/peanutbutter & coffee at about 7:30 am. Zoli claims I had a handful of chips but I don't remember them--then after the Sale we grilled Brats--but I of course was shit faced by then and one feeble weenie had no chance of combating the gallons of Oberon I apparently imbibed thus making a complete ass of myself--hey it's my yard and I didn't hurt anybody. i did forget to make potato salad. It seems I felt the need to proclaim my political alliances in chalk--all over the front porch. Up the wall and the posts--yeah somebody get the short leash. Don't drink & chalk. I should leave graffiti to the professionals.

2. RAIN Rain normally is a good thing. We like it. Don't have to water the garden the way it has been raining lately. I was thrilled the massive 16 hour lightening filled cloud burst waited not only till the sale was officially over but just long enough for us to cook the brats. Then I decide to dance. We had lots of great music and I was happy and I danced. I do remember singing "Wonderwall" with Chris. I'll bet we sounded awesome! Dancing and playing hose tag with the kids (yes in the rain) On the wet grass. I kept falling on my ass--or on my knees--or my face---finally the alcohol level reached my brain and I went to sleep @6 pm!!! But not before I tried to convince Kevin *story deleted from pure embarrassment*. Mortifying. There are of course pictures at the .mac album.

Be there or be square

The third Shadow Art Fair will run from noon to midnight, Saturday, July 14, at the Corner Brewery.