some shots from Punkin Day

I'm back!

Sorry for the delay. NO my darlings I am not dead!! Just Had a little password issue there. Things are better! whew! I must get pictures of the party up and get thru THAT de-briefing. I should also process my "too many hats moment" last week. But first I have 97 midterms to grade!

sock monkey trench coat

"Words my lord words..."--Hamlet


I like to collect words.
I think it is a kind of poetry.
and put them together--
not randomly--but intentionally askew.

de-text-collage

Consider the sounds--pretend it is the name of a new band.

like "recycled eclipse" or "polymer frost"

said words must be written
--with intriguing fonts... my new font of inspiration is called "Bleeding Cowboys"

at some point I shall have words tattooed upon my bod and they will be good words in a beatific font.

My feet are in Cynnabar...

Petey, Isabel and I went to Cynnabar's anniversary picky nicky back last month and it was fun. Mundane clothing, lots of food and good friends. I kinda figured that was gonna be it for our attendance at Middle Kingdom events (unless Andlecrag does something at Bertha Brock Park when it isn't a blizzard) but Eua/Adrianne talked us into attending the Middle Kingdom Crown Tourney in Dayton, Ohio yesterday, she didn't have to try too hard to convince us once we saw the list of fighters competing for the Princely position.

HOLY CRAP!! Okay maybe we have some friends here in the Middle!! *insert ironic blush* We heart Logan who was fighting for my darling Kate--I mean Mistress Zaynab (In the photo--the Turkish beauty to the left of the corner post). Then the secretive Hisself (Duke Eli) was fighting for the most beautiful red head in the Knowne Worlde and damn it-- if he is gonna pontificate about McCain in my living room I am damn well gonna be there to cheer for him! Even if he doesn't say a word about it. sneaky...like a fox...or a dead possum... Then my drinking buddy Rocky (he is the dude in the helm further left of Kate) shows up to fight for my sewing buddy Ingrid and it was like OMG the whole afternoon was CRAZY! So fun!

There are several things that are still rolling around in my head.

The most obvious thing I have to process is the whole Masonic Lodge thing. Okay ever since my ex & his buddy L. snuck my teenage ass into a nearby (but closed) Masonic Lodge to see what was so "secret", well dear ones-- I was duly freaked out by the bizarre Egyptian embroidery, the straight jacket (!?) and the freaky alter (I still have no idea why they needed such a kick ass sound system) I have been a little wiggy about Masons. Might been the herbal supplements involved that long ago day (damn ginseng keeps ya up all night!) but it wasn't till I read Diana Gabaldon that I had a more mature view of this wonderful group of guys. Flash to the near past...(I know flashing is usually reserved for FWDs but ya'll know I am a Lost (tm) fan and thus enamoured of flash backs--to the future or not) and to our recent trip to Bemidji, wherein the Masonic Lodge was the site of the Japanese Feast for My King--but that site was not nearly so..ahem... regal as this Dayton, OH chapter. In Bemidji things were not as glamourous, polished or just damn impressive as the site at this past weekend's event. It was beautiful. Large heavy antiques, massive fireplaces and gleaming marble floors and columns invoked a medieval setting. The only thing I can even begin to critique is the carpet remnants they used for the list field. But I would leave that to an actual fighter to debate as my opinion that "it looks dangerous" is not based on any useful experience.

It was a fun event and I have to admit it was nice to not have to drive for 6-15 hours. But my heart is in Northshield.

smart chicken

She knows where we are. She comes to the door.

Isabel's costume

My girl wants to be "a guest at a Masquerade". Who am I to say "No."??
Isn't she gorgeous?

eff Joe the Plumber

Not all Plumbers, especially not my crew from HutzelPlumbing (without whom I would be a blubbering pile of protoplasm in the corner of the room)--just the fictional character made up by *the other guy*
last night during the debate. I shall not be manipulated!!!

It is too damn chilly to be stupid right now. The weather is of course rapidly segueing into wet cold Michigan. That would be because Punkin Day is coming up. It seems to have to snow on Punkin Day. Petey claims he is gonna make the barn warm somehow...we'll see.

Did you know what I learned during my summer of Medieval Japanese Food Research? Actually-- the first thing I learned was don't volunteer for an event 800 miles from your fave grocery store. But one other cool thing I learned was that unlike Western Brides who crave a matched set of china and silver...Japanese Brides tend to desire dishes not only for each person (esp the tea cup & chopsticks) but adapt their dishes to the season. Isn't that cool? I LOVE that idea.

Well this morning would certainly be the day to switch from summer dishes to plateware colored for Fall. Both of the big Maples have dropped about half of their leaves and socks finally seem necessary. brrrr.

R&J

Took the kids to see Romeo & Juliet on Sunday.click here

There are three more shows:
October 16 : 7 p.m.
October 17 : 7 p.m.
October 18 : 7 p.m.
Tickets are Priced at $15 or $12 for students.

Zoli loved all the "bawdy humor" and the fencing. After the clapping Isabel turned & looked at me and said, "THAT was AWESOME!" It was a very solid performance. The director edited the text quite a bit--it seemed "condensed"--but it was hilarious in the funny bits and made me cry in the sad bits. The Nurse stole the show!

Jenn McKee from the A2 News quoted the director, Chicago based David Blixt, in her recent mlive piece; where she noted that-he has been listening to Italy's current pop music hits. -"Including some really awesome, horrendous, wonderful Italian rap,".

Why? Because his cast is playing "Romeo" as if the story's taking place now.--That is what sold the show for Z. The rave props, the club clothes (Yay Melisant!!)--very hip ..in a geeky euro trash way. It was fun. You should go.

meade idea

Carol & I went to Makielsi's Berry Farm last Friday. It is about a mile from the house. We had beautiful weather and Zander was just the most charming little 3.5 year old pooper. He was busy for a good hour just stuffing his face full of berries. It was fun to watch him. It reminded me of all the times I took my kids (who are now faaaaar too cool to go pick berries with mom) and when they got bored (or stuffed) told them to find rocks for me. Zander dutifully found four rocks and moved them around the patch with us. I remember one time I tried this distraction trick w/ Zoli and he ended up lobbing an egg sized rock at an old guy who was picking strawberries several rows over. WHOOPS!! Happily Zanny did NOT throw the stones he just toted them around. It was so sunny and pleasant, the morning had that sparkling blue sky with crisp sunshine that just makes every leaf glow and every cloud a fluffy white contrast of eye candy.

So in about two hours I got a little over six quarts. The Makielski's also sell honey...guess what I'm a gonna make???

...please...read carefully

In the last few days I have experienced a lot of "knee jerk reactions". (Can you hear my dad's voice? I can.)

I have, of course-- been interacting with my fellow humans. I am watching their responses to stimuli. It scares me. For example...my students. SOME of them are in such a rush to get out the door that they hurry through everything--they read quickly--thus skipping vital plot points. They scan the quiz questions and hurriedly fill in any answer, but are surprised that they don't score well.

Or the cable guy who came out to finish a job that someone didn't do correctly the first time...(Again I hear my daddy's mantra.."Do it right the first time and you won't have to do it twice.") The cable guy was Grumpy and Pissy and stompin' around because I don't want a tangled spaghetti mess of wires hanging off the side of my pretty purple house. And it isn't just the co-axial cable aspect of COMCAST (tm) that is being convoluted and dumb. Their phone menu is knitted in a Fair-isle pattern and they don't deal well with problem outside of their FAQ's.

Back a while ago the broccoli tree fell on Jim's garage. The cable running from the pole to the Wallace house became disconnected. So in response to Pete's request for repair the company came out to the Crane rd house and put little flags in the yard!! Somebody read the work order--but didn't actually THINK before they responded...

...sorta like the MichCon (tm) crew who came out to install THE METER for the gasline--with the giant tractor of trenchline-y ness; when in fact that had been done last Fall. Again some dispatcher decided to be "efficient" (w/out actually reading the whole file) and sent out unnecessary crew, equipment and created MORE paperwork. Really we just need the meter! The propane is almost gone! I just want my stove connected to my gasline! Pretty simple actually..if you read carefully.

October the first

WHAT HAPPENED?? Wasn't it just August?

I am not even sure where to start, the garden? yeah--let's start there. I have made a connection between not only my need to do some yoga but also my need to futz in the garden. The season is shifting and the less I garden the grumpier I am. Don't get me wrong I love teaching--but the garden doesn't seem like "work". It makes me happy to be outside. Example of happy? It cracks me up no end that Luna will bring me a tennis ball and drop it beside me (where I am unlikely to notice it--what with my head buried in tomato plants or basil) and she will wait till I realize she has deposited the drippy green sphere--which I then absent-mindly lob off into the woods and i get to watch her run. She is a beautiful dog. That is far more pleasurable then defending the wording of an item on a quiz (which 85% of the class understood but these particular students decided to read carelessly so it is MY fault they filled in the wrong bubble. (Ummm. NO.) Or stuck in my little concrete cell of an office--maybe not cell--how about oven? Gack--too stuffy. No window... I may be developing claustrophobia in there!

But the garden--my pretty green space...it is rapidly becoming my half dead and dried up space. Many leaves are turning black and I am sure that tonight will be the clincher--s'posed to get down to 40F tonight. Now I realize my Northshield peeps will be shaking their heads at my whining about 40--when in fact a month ago they had a hard freeze in Minnesota, but my knees are telling me Fall is upon us.

Depress the clutch and shift into third...straight drive to icy sidewalks!