Category Archives: Observations etc.

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Still Chilly

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Well, it’s almost March.  That seems sort of unbelievable to me.  Almost time for spring cleaning – didn’t I just do fall cleaning?  It is a bittersweet time of year for me, the early spring.  I am sad that winter is winding down, though happy that the early bulbs have started sorouting up from the ground.  To many people right now I am sure that spring seems far off, as they while away the days under blowing drifts of snow.  How I envy them!  I am sure they, in turn, envy me and the lack of white on the ground here in Virginia.  I actually find the dearth of snow more depressing – all around me there is brown.  Brown grass, brown trees, brown shrubbery, brown brown brown.  I’d rather see a pristine blanket of white than dead vegetation the entire season.

I take a lot of flack for this.  Most adults have outgrown snow.  I think it is sad, personally, that by the time we reach adulthood the majority of us have lost that sense of wonderment that makes childhood so special.  Remember when snow was magical?  You could run outside in it and it would seem like all the world was holding its breath;  it made it seem, if only for a short while, that the world was being cleansed and renewed – sort of a metaphorical clearing of the slate, if you will.  (Not to mention the fun!  Snowmen, igloos, snowballs, snow angels……ah!)

And it isn’t just snow.  We’ve collectively lost interest in the fact that the natural world around us and all of the small, simple things that are going on every day, are amazing. I feel ridiculously lucky that I am where I am right now, able to watch the subtle changes in the trees and the sky from my window and share it with my kids.  The lack of snow is unfortunate.  I’ve always thought that the lingering snow with the green sprouts shooting through to find the sun was a miraculous sight.

Yesterday we had an errand to run at the lake and since it was just before twilight and the lake looked so serene (and I had my camera with me) we decided to stop at one of the beaches and enjoy it for a few moments.  The sun was just dipping below the horizon, a few straggling ducks were still out and about, and the smell of smoke from someone’s wood fire hung in the chilly air.  It was a darn near perfect time to be out.

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They loved watching the ducks and walking around in the sand.  (For the record – their coats were in the car, and I tried to make them put them on, but no luck. )  They even found two little shells by the water’s edge.

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Not that they need anymore shells.  My parents have a shellfish addiction (clams, oysters, mussels) and there is an impressive mound of shells out near the garden where they toss them after meals.  My kids think it’s the most incredible thing in the world, and they came home the other night with a bag full of them each.  My house runneth over with shells.

But back to the spring prep.  I’ve dug out some Heather Bailey fabric I’ve had for awhile that I think is perfect for this time of year.

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I am obsessed with this fabric!  So far it has become a carrying case for my knitting needles, but I think it is going to turn into many other things as well.  A new apron, some placemats, pillows, maybe a quilt………..

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And Now Back to……Me Against the World

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What a week.  And it’s not even quite over yet.

There’s the new cat.  He’s a little lovebug, let me tell you.  If nothing else, I have gotten a ridiculous amount of cat cuddling this week.  And though I am nearly finished with the second sock I’ve been toiling away on, it’s kind of difficult to manage it all when your  little kitty keeps attacking your yarn and launching his little fishy smelling face straight into yours with a “purr”!  The same day we brought home Jasper, Paul brought home a new car.  In fact he was gone all day driving out to pick it up.  Sunday was fully devoted to grocery procurement and cleaning.

By Monday I was allowing for full cat interaction, hoping Jasper’s introduction into the general population wouldn’t cause too much fur to fly.  So far, it hasn’t.  Sushi has yet to venture back into my bedroom but for the briefest moments to scarf down some kibble.  I had to move a litter pan into the hallway to avoid problems there. She’s pretty much been herself otherwise, though her eyes widen as big as saucers when she catches a glimpse of Jasper, and she runs for the relative safety of under Neve’s bed.   Milo seems to be in denial.  He has been slowly ambling about his normal routine, very very studiously avoiding “seeing” Jasper.  It’s hilarious to witness.  You can almost see his thought bubble: if I don’t see it, it isn’t there. Jasper doesn’t seem to care whether they interact with him or not, as long as he can run around and eat and poop whenever he wants.  Considering he’s been at a shelter in a cage for several months, I can’t say I blame him.

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Monday he went to see the vet.  I brought my mother to help with Oona.  Thank GOD.  We were there for forever and a day (seriously, when I die I am convinced that should I end up in limbo it will smell of bleach and dog and have bad fluorescent lighting).  The cat Did. Not. Like. It.  But, he got his de-worming that I asked for as a precaution, they checked out his sneezing but could find no evidence of any problems, and treated him for fleas.  (I also got two extra doses for Milo and Sushi, just to be safe.  Yes, I am paranpoid, but thoroughly so).

The real drama on Monday was being pulled over by a state trooper whilst at the Dunkin Donuts drive – thru.  I kid you not.  He had passed me on the highway and by the time he turned around to find me I was ordering my coffee, so he decided to POUND ON MY WINDOW.  Lovely.  There’s nothing less embarrassing than being in a busy drive – thru with lots of witnesses and having a large cop pound on your window and tell you to finish your order and pull to the side, all because your inspection sticker expired 9 days ago.  Ah well, that is simply how my life is.

Tuesday Emily had after school chorus immediately followed by Girl Scouts so I was once again driving aforementioned uninspected van and praying not to be pulled over yet again, because even though at last count there were no less than SEVEN other cars in my driveway, the only one driveable and legal (sort of) is the van.  If that is not a sad statement, I don’t know what is.  Anyway I took my life into my hands and brought Neve and Oona to the grocery store while Emily was at the meeting, and remembered that it’s never a good idea to take a child who does not excel in listening to me to the store.  She also pointed out to me that it was “inappropriate” for me to allow her to watch Chowder (a funny cartoon we all enjoy) because one scene shows a woman made out of ice cream, and there is a suggested shape of bosoms.

Wednesday I conquered the laundry mountains of doom.  Truly.  It’s all done.  How?  I was exhausted, and I am pretty sure that my washer, dryer, and garbage cans were as well.  Still, I had to drive out to two different locations to pick up the Girl Scout cookies that had arrived for both girls’ troops.  I also spent a lot of time chasing Oona.  She inexplicably and suddenly developed a taste for the little rocks in the large potted plants in the sun room.  I guess they must taste good with the cat food she seems to have such a fondness for these days.

And then came this morning.  As I watched my kids run for the bus (Emily loping rather awkwardly and ungracefully in her thick white athletic socks and slippery black patent leather clogs that she can’t quite keep on her feet, her hair an abject failure despite brushing) I felt a could finally find some relief.  I had some minor projecs to tackle today (cat litter, sink full of dishes, fix shower organizer that somehow fell and exploded all products everywhere for no good reason) and then there was nothing else major to worry about.  I could enjoy a mostly decent house, a half day for the girls tomorrow, and a long holiday weekend.

Then I discovered Milo lougning in plain sight in Neve’s room.  Odd, thought I to myself as I wandered over to him and nuzzled his cute kitty face.  He lifted his head slightly and nuzzled me back softly, breaking into his trademark “insta-purr”.  And then, he sneezed fully into my face.  And then he did it again.  And then he snorted, and began making the unmistakable “I have a bad cold” noises.  And by the way, Jasper is still sneezing, too.  So it’s bck to the vet tomorrow morning.  Just another instance of “things can’t ever just be boring and normal here”.  Because if there had been no real ramifications of inserting a new cat into the house it would certainly be a sign of the coming apocalypse.  Nothing can be easy.  Not here, no way.  I need a nap.

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In Which I Am (Literally) A Bang – Up Driver

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Happy New Year!

The tree is undressed and waiting to go into storage, the majority of the festive touches are packed away, and the toys have found their permanent homes.  We marked the dawning of 2009 in front of the t.v., everyone being too stuffed – up, snotty or congested to go to any fun parties.  Our neighbors had a gathering I would have liked to attend, but I couldn’t bear to be the Typhoid Mary of the neighborhood.  New Year’s Day we spent eating more pigs – in – a – blanket and apple pie while Paul worked on the deer damage to my car from December 2007.  I’ll tell you what: car paint and refinisher is some nasty awful smelling stuff.  If we all come down with some nasal or brain cancer, we’ll all know why.  It’s like filling your house with the strongest smelling nail polish you can find.  Blech!  But more on that in a moment.  First an update on the newest knitting projects that I am egregiously behind with.  A pair of socks I started right after Thanksgiving (intending to gift them to my mother) with Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ Socks That Rock in colorway Grimm’s Willow Wren.

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As you can clearly see, they did not get finished in time.  But fear not, I am determined to get them off the needles and onto her feet before January has left us!  They are a bit time consuming, what with all the fussy cabling, but very enjoyable to knit.  The pattern is called “Slippery”, from Knitty.com.

I also couldn’t resisit starting on a pair of classic bright red mittens for Neve.  All I have done so far is one cuff (gimme a break – I just cast them on last night).

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I am a bit nervous about these, since I have never knit mittens before (the thumb poses a challenge anyway) and the book I have, although quite lovely, does very little to explain how the thumb should be executed.  So in true to myself form, I cast on anyway and am hoping I’ll figure it out as I go.  If not, I am sure there are plenty of excellent tutorials online somewhere.  I love the internet!  I never would have found the nerve to buy great yarn and try challenging projects without so much virtual knitting support!

These two projects have usurped all others I have been trying to slog through.  I want them done and then I will try to finish up all the other loose ends I have hanging over me.  Plus at Thanksgiving my grandmother brought me a beautiful hank of sock yarn from a yarn store in upstate NY.  It’s a yummy handpainted Superwash from Kraemer Yarns, which I have never heard of before, but us wool addicts always love discovering new sources of pretty yarn!  Point is, I am practically foaming at the mouth to roll it up and get it worked into some socks!

I still have some fun holiday related stories for you, but for today I will leave you with a shameful exploit in the life of a former transit bus driver.  You all know I used to drive big beautiful diesel transit machines back in the day.  35 feet long, 8 feet wide……you get the idea.  I was pretty darned good at it, too, if I do say so myself.  So Paul was probably more than a little justified in expecting me to be very good at driving the vehicle he chose for us when we found out we were expecting baby #3.  I had wanted to simply squeeze a car seat into my car.  I loved my car.  It was a big, beautiful tank of a car and I was set on fitting all 3 kids in the back.  Paul wanted something more roomy, and suggested selling my much – adored European sedan in favor of a used mini – van.  I suggested he might do better jumping in the lake.   In fact, I think I did say something like, “If you buy me a mini – van I will push it into the lake before I drive it”.  Hey, I was pregnant, nauseated and hormonal, and frankly, I despise mini vans.

Eventually he sold me on the idea of a VW Eurovan.  I still wasn’t too crazy about it, but it has that kind of boxy European quality I love and is much roomier than a standard mini van.  So he bought one.  Well, two.  He got them used on Ebay, neither one of them in working order, but good enough that he figured he could make one kick a** van out of the two.  They were dropped off a truck into our driveway in February ’07.  In August ’07 Oona made her entrance into the world.  In December ’07 Paul got the van done.  For the 4 interim months I squeezed all the kids into the back of my car just fine, thank you.  In the almost 10 months that he worked on the van he rebuilt parts of the engine, refurbished the interior, put in new headlights and tires, and then put in a monumental amount of time smoothing out dents, grinding away body rust, filling in patches with body filler, and repainting.  This part took months.  Months, I tell you.  I was afraid to drive the stupid thing.

So imagine his reaction when this past month (After a year of driving it exclusively, I’d like to note) I put a rather big dent in it backing it into the garage.

Because he has a lift installed in one bay I have to park the van in the second bay, and the walls are lined with shelves of automotive stuff, so it’s (to me anyway) kind of a tight fit.  If I don’t line it up right as I am pulling down the driveway I have a difficult time backing it in straight.  And when it’s just after morning bus stop and it’s dark and rainy and I need coffee I tend to be more “mistake prone”.   And then I have to correct.  And I have been known to “over correct”.  You know, like right into the shelves, or the garage door.  So I scraped up both sides a bit and dented the sliding door.

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Now, let me further point out, in my defense, that we’ve been married almost 13 years, and in that time I have had no accidents, nor have I destroyed any car in any way.  The deer damage with my BMW was the worst thing that ever happened, and it was relatively minor, when you consider I was doing at least 50 when it jumped out in front of me (smashed headlight, cracked bumper, dented fender and hood).

But Paul is all about car perfection. So I wasn’t sure how the van dent was going to be received.

He took it pretty well at the time – bigger fish to fry, I guess.  But it has become increasingly clear that he hates me for it.  He’s been pointing out to anyone who’ll listen just how much work I’ve created for him.

Oh well.  We can’t all be perfect.

Right?

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They Don’t Make Them Like That Anymore

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It’s all rain here today.  Generally this is my kind of day because it makes you feel all cozy and you don’t have to feel guilty for curling up in bed with the baby all day.  Everyone forgives you tht litle luxury on a cold rainy day.  Oona is napping now, and instead of napping with her, I have been inspecting the rain’s effect on the house.

Normally when it rains this hard our bedroom window leaks pretty badly and the gutters out front become overwhelmed and pour water directly into the front garden.  Today the window is dry but the front walk and garden have become totally ponded over.  There are two forces at work here.  One is, in fact the miserably inadequate gutters (which are totally clean of debris, by the way.  They’re not clogged, they just suck).  The other is drainage.  Our house simply sits where the water naturally wants to drain into.  It flows down the driveway, turns just before the house, hits the stone edging between the front garden and the walkway and pools up there.  Whenever it rains we have an awful lot of water flowing directly at the foundation and sometimes resting there for a day or two until it dries out.

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Now, maybe I am mistaken, but I would think that when the builders are preparing a site to build on they’d have to be sure that this sort of thing doesn’t happen.  Of course, you’d also think they’d be sure to make the house square as well.  I don’t think we have one wall, window or doorway that is even or level.  Even though we are the first people to live in this house we have never met the builder.  If we ever did, as you can well imagine we’d have some choice words for him/her/them.  It’s too bad that we’d have the kind of problems that we do out of a brand new house, because I really do love the house and the property.  We have a nice amount of acreage and great neighbors.  But I have been thinking about a lot of things lately.

The last time I saw my grandfather we were talking about my house and the myriad issues we were concerned about (like will our well dry up this summer??) and he was astonished we would have any problems at all, considering the house was only 3 years old!  My grandparents house was built in the earlier part of the 1900’s and he could not recall it having any major problems.  Only what you’d expect would need upkeep and repair over the majority of a century.  They really don’t build them like they used to.  This, my friends, really burns me up, because I have always wanted an old house.  You know, a beautiful old colonial farmhouse or saltbox or tollhouse style house with some real history and great bones.  That’s always been the dream, but it’s also been something I had talked myself out of because all you hear about is the potential financial disaster an old house can be.  All of the renovating, repairing, replacing.  And then I see my now 4 year old back deck made from inferior wood and crappy workmanship and know that it will need to be replaced, and sooner rather than later.  I can see the studs popping through the ceilings, and our floors make horrible creaking noises already.  I see all that and I remember my grandfather shaking his head in incredulity.  And then I wonder why I thought a new house would be better?  And I will admit, though I hate to do it, because my husband is always ready to cut his losses and drop this house like a bad habit, that I have been dreaming a little bit more lately about those old colonials.  That I’ve been picturing my family in rooms with old wide plank flooring and real woodburning fireplaces.  Even still I love the house I am in, problematic or no.  It is surely a darn site better than my husband’s ideal home: a concrete dome.  Domes are actually pretty neat, and some of them are quite stunning.  They are also nigh indestructible, which is appealing during tornado season, I’ll tell you that!  But while Paul is techie and space age, I am quaint and old fashioned.  I can’t actually see myself living happily in a dome home.

So for now I’ll keep my imperfect neo-colonial and continue to make it what I and the family need it to be.  But don’t tell Paul I am still dreaming.

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Sweet, Sweet Done-ness

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I’ve spent all weekend feeling more unwell than I can remember feeling in a long time.  Blame it on the numerous tiny ugly germs my kids bring home from school.  Whatever the cause, the result is a total lack of anything being done on my part other than laying around feeling miserable.  However……..Emily’s Gingerbread Sweater is done!  Yay!  I feel so accomplished!!  (Nevermind the monumental pile of projects left to go)

Besides the sweater, I took some pictures of the girls raking leaves and playing outside.  The only comment I’ll make is that I am sick and was therefore no way involved in picking out their clothes.  This is proof that without me at the helm around here things don’t always go so smoothly!

First, the sweater:

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Pattern by Wendy Bernard over at Knit & Tonic.  Yarn:  Plymouth Galway.

And raking leaves in outfits of their own design:

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Happy Weekend!

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It’s Fall and I’m in Love

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I can’t believe we’re into November already!  Autumn is my favorite time of the year and it seems to pass me by so quickly, especially when I have so much on my plate.  Sometimes I have to remind myself to pause and enjoy the leaves and the cooler air.  So while dinner was grilling on the back deck I walked aorund the yard a bit with Oona, who love love loves being outside.  There’s a lot more color this year around the house than there’s been the last few falls and we were out at twilight, making it even more dramatic against the setting sun.

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I love that my driveway is long enough and that our house is set back enough that you can’t see the road from the front.  We’ve helped that a bit by planting some nice flowering trees along either side of the driveway, and hopefully they will continue to grow and thrive and look beautiful.

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Yesterday was a nearly perfect day for me.  It was a bit on the soggy side, but that just happens to be ideal “sit by the fireplace and knit” weather.  Oona and I went out early and voted (no lines, either – don’t tell me there’s not advantages to living way out in the country), got our groceries, got some cleaning done and she laid down for a nap – all before noon.  I couldn’t quite believe my luck!  The rest of the afternoon was given over to baking cookies for a neighbor who expressed a taste for them at the block party, and who also has done a few favors involving my children, so the way I see it I owe them a bit.  Then we had a nice exciting – yet – somehow – relaxing evening watching the election.  The girls played while I knitted in front of the tv.  I’ve made quite a bit of headway on Emily’s sweater, though I am way off my projected completion time of several days ago.  It is, however, fun to knit and I am excitedly getting ready to start the yoke and the faux fair isle coloring.  It’s so close!!!

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Need A Good Camera

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Because I am a technological moron, I simply cannot get the quality out of my camera that I would like.  In the hands of someone adept at this sort of thing, it should turn out some pretty fantastic photos.  But you have to go all manual – like with it and adjust light settings, etc.  First, I don’t have time to do all that when taking pictures of a squirmy bunch of kids.  Second, I lack the mental acumen to do so in the first place.  Seriously, this is why I am a painter and a knitter – I cannot get my brain to understand the concept of working with the settings on my camera to magically make them come together into a working whole.  I tried.  I played with the thing, took several pictures of Oona on various settings and not one of them looks good.

So instead I am going to drool over the very expensive Canon EOS I want.  I’m going to have to take applications for a sugar daddy, though.  Rats.

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A 50th to Remember

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That’s right, folks, my dad’s 50 this year.  He’s a young-un!!!!!!!!

Actually his birthday isn’t until December, which is what made his surprise party a real surprise.  A lot of weeks and months of planning and secrecy preceded the festivities (which, as you’ll recall, took place the Saturday before the block party here – it was a crazy weekend for me.  Fun, but SO glad it’s over!).  There were 2 surprise guests – my uncle from Florida, who stayed with me the night before, and a life – long friend of dad’s that he hadn’t seen in years.  The look of shock and surprise on his face at seeing these two was just priceless.  And he thought he was going to have an ordinary Saturday of golfing with a buddy and going home for a nap! HA!

Dad with longtime pal Chris.  I believe the correct word to describe how dad felt on seeing him there is “gobsmacked”.

The memorabilia board featuring some old jobs in radio.

From “The Stuff”, a campy (and yes, pretty bad)  horror movie that dad and Chris were in back in the 80’s.  Those b&w photos are with Garrett Morris from SNL and Michael Moriarty from Law & Order.  Another big star they met while filming (who’d like to forget he ever was in that movie) was Paul Sorvino.

Checking out the memo boards.

The gifts!

Neve liked helping grandma play bartender.

Emily liked Booboo.

Oona with her grandpa.

Enjoying the party.

Neve loves her grandpa.

Maddie doesn’t want to hear our funny stories about the old days.  She calls them “TMI”.

Maddie REALLY doesn’t want to hear.

Oona and her great uncle.

Dad with “Uncle Daddy”. (yes, we are very odd people, ok?)

More party people!

I also managed to get through the night without getting any embarrassing pictures taken of me or by me, despite the fact that I drank a few more mangotinis than I should have.  Hey, they were yummy.  The food was good, the people were fun, there may have been some happy crying.

Now go check out The Stuff. I guarantee it’s one of the worst movies you’ll ever see, but check out the newscaster three quarters of the way through.

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Weekend Update – Success All Around!

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As you may have guessed I survived the craziness of this past weekend.  There is still much to be done and plenty of looming deadlines between now and the 31st, but the major events and stress are behind me (for now!).

Saturday was a surprise birthday party for my dad (very surprising indeed considering his birthday is not  until December).  I haven’t yet gotten back the pictures from that eventful night but months of planning culminated in a successful party all around.  More on that in a separate post, once I have the graphic evidence in place!

Sunday we threw a block party (by “we” I mean the neighborhood).  There were only 3 weeks of planning, budgeting and prep for said party, making it an impressive feat to have been pulled off, and thanks are due all around to those whose hard work made it possible.  I am afraid I was not as much help as I would have liked, between the usual solo parenting and helping my mother stress out about the surprise party.

Sunday was cold but beautiful, we had plenty of food and games and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves well into the evening.  We have the best neighbors.

Our lovely location, pre – party.

Set – up began around 11 am, but the kids couldn’t wait until the slide was ready.

Wanted!!!  This year our theme was “Rodeo”.

Oona wouldn’t keep her poncho or hat on, despite the cold.

The kids loved the slide…..in fact they almost tipped it over they were having too much so much fun!

The mistresses of the face painting and tattoo table.  Another favorite stop for all the kids.

Getting the games organized.

Waiting to run the Rodeo Relay.

The kids ran a series of obstacles in a heated “Girls vs. Boys” competition.

Waiting their turn to run.

Even the little ones got a chance.

Neve cheered loudly for her team.  In the end the boys won, but everyone enjoyed it, and as an adult it was hilarious to watch.

People started filing in in earnest once the food tables were set up.

This little cutie and his lovely mum had fun watching the kids.

I also ran into some crazy people.  Actually Paul wasn’t around for very long but at least we got to hang with Lisa here for a bit.

Towards the end of the day we had to bring out the propane heater for the adults, but the kids kept warm by learning some line dancing.

Neve found a kindred spirit to copy for the dancing contest.

All in all the food was great, the people were great and the kids had a blast playing all the games planned for them.  I stayed with the girls until it was dark and I could no longer feel my face from the cold (thank goodness for the coffee pot – I’d have packed it in much earlier if not for the 5 cups of hot coffee keeping me warm!).  When we left there was a good sized bonfire going and marshmallow roasting, so my older girls were rather reluctant to leave.  They didn’t, however, argue with the nice warm bath and Sleepytime Tea once we got home and they were out pretty quickly once they were jammied up and in bed. My only regret was not getting more pictures of everyone that was there.

The cold and the extreme busy – ness of the weekend made sure that I woke up Monday with one heck of a stuffy head and body aches (although I think most of the aches were due to holding Oona continuously Sunday with little break).  So Monday I gave myself the day off, yesterday was spent cleaning ( as if you could even tell….) and now I am on to getting Emily and Oona’s costumes made for a party Friday.  Busy busy!

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Feathering My Nest & Big Busy Weekend Ahead

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The big fall cleanng has begun in preparation for cozy weather and being mainly indoors and I’m pulling out all the warm blankets and flannels.  Time to scrub the summer grime from the floors and windows and winterize the garden.  I’m busy doing that and prepaing for a MAJOR! BUSY! WEEKEND!

I’m a little stressed out with the prep and anticipation and I can’t say much more than that right now, but if all goes well I will have a marvelous time (as will my family) and there will be plenty of stories and pictures to share by Monday.

Until then, have a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful leaves!