A Year in My Life

Charlie Hoo? Charlie Gula!

2012-02-23T17:13:00.002-05:00

This is Charlie, who is so going with me to Vietnam and Oz. He may even get his own blog. It's always nice to have a cuddly friend on those long overnight flights. The husband (Happy 27th Anniversary, dear) has no problem sleeping anywhere anytime. I don;t, and I'm hoping Charlie will help.

The Wonder of Warranties

2012-02-22T21:57:00.002-05:00

Lady Mixalot got cranky and stopped working properly last Thursday. Since she was less than a year old, I called KitchenAid. They shipped me a brand new mixer, and said to return the old one, postage-paid, in the box in which the new one came. The new one came yesterday, and will debut on the bread-making stage tomorrow. This is the old one, boxed up and ready to return. I do love it when something is still under warranty when it breaks and the company is so good about honoring it. Kudos to KitchenAid!

The Weather Confuses Me, Too

2012-02-21T22:18:00.003-05:00

Obviously, all the snow did not melt yesterday. Nor did it all melt today. It will, eventually.

Snow Blossoms

2012-02-20T10:34:00.002-05:00

This is the dogwood tree outside the dining room window. Its blossoms today are white, thanks to yesterday's snow. I expect that the scene will be very different tomorrow or even later today since today's temperatures are predicted to rise high enough to melt much of this. At least we got a brief glimpse of the beauty that winter can be and on a Monday holiday to boot.

It's About Time!

2012-02-19T15:35:00.002-05:00

The grey/white blur in the photo is snow! This is supposed to be the largest snowfall of the winter, and it's past the middle of February. It might as well be the first snowfall of the winter. Since I took today's photo, it's started coming down harder and sticking to everything. We may not be able to sled tonight, but I expect there will be enough that I put on my waterproof hiking boots for the dog's nightly stroll.

Charlie Koala

2012-02-18T20:11:00.002-05:00

Meet Charlie Koala, obtained during a visit to Build-a-Bear Workshop with younger son's girlfriend. After obtaining Charlie and the new-but-will-be-cuddled-and-loved white bear, we took all the plush to Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Sometimes it's good to get out on the town with friends.

A Little Bit of Too Many

2012-02-17T14:09:00.004-05:00

My dining room table is a metaphor for my life at the moment. Where to start? Lists of lists of things to do, get, get rid of, take care of, remind, and/or nag about. I take deep breaths and tell myself that the things that have to get done before March 11 will, and the rest can wait or will have to.

Faithful Companions

2012-02-16T16:42:00.002-05:00

I'm living on these guys this week, or so it seems. I follow the old adage that a cold lasts a week and a half if you treat the symptoms and ten days if you don't. I'd much rather treat the symptoms than not, so these guys and I are getting up close and personal for a while. In fact, the lunchtime dose is wearing off, so it must be time for the one that will get me through the evening and the sweat I'll work up swinging a sword. I'm hoping that the weekend will see me off the sauce and back among the physically healthy.

This Is Not a Dead Snake

2012-02-15T16:58:00.003-05:00

If I had had a camera along on the second dog walk of the day, this could have been a photo of the dead snake in the street off our cul-de-sac. Instead, you get my passport, application for a Vietnamese visa, and visa photos. Once Hue University sends us the magic visa approval number, the husband and I will shoot to DC for the day and obtain the visas we need for the trip, Vietnam being about the only country in Southeast Asia for which visas must be obtained in advance.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T23:02:00.002-05:00

It was a good one except for the cold that's kicking my butt. Gotta take the bad with the good.

Tickets To Fly

2012-02-13T12:44:00.004-05:00

Is it just me, or are others somewhat disconcerted about airline e-tickets? The photo shows the tickets that will take the husband and me to Hue, Vietnam, via Seattle, and then on to Perth and Melbourne, Australia before we arrive back home to Virginia. Granted, paper tickets could get lost, damaged, or stolen, but at least there was something to look at in anticipation, while visualizing yourself handing it over to an agent, tangible evidence that you were about to travel. It seems so much more, well, ordinary this way, as if we do it regularly. I don't ever want travel to seem ordinary or regular; I want it always to be an adventure.

A Saucy Dinner

2012-02-12T19:14:00.002-05:00

My friend Gina posts great photos of some of the incredible food she and her family make. This is not like that. This is spaghetti sauce from a can, with diced tomatoes (also from a can), ground beef (low-fat), and herbs added. It tasted fine.

Most Egregious Use of an Apostrophe

2012-02-11T16:08:00.002-05:00

I helped judge a forensics (as in public speaking and not crime-solving) tournament at a local high school today. I saw this in an English classroom. As the Bloggess says, "When your wrong your wrong."

The Daily Dog

2012-02-10T21:05:00.002-05:00

I give older son a dog-a-day calendar each Christmas; this is today's page. Sometimes it's easier just to snap a quick shot of something than to explain to house guests why I'm taking a certain photo. Unobtrusive. Like today's dog.

Way Cooler than a Lamp

2012-02-09T18:17:00.001-05:00

When we took down the Christmas tree, the snake ended up sitting where there used to be a lamp. It's still there because a snake is way cooler than a lamp any day, right?

Minks? Prey!

2012-02-08T17:47:00.002-05:00

These five minks came from stoles purchased at the thrift store and cut apart. Scully hunts them regularly, pulling them down from their roost and coming down the stairs, growling softly, prey securely in her jaws. She usually only does this at night; come morning, we often find all five minks in the dining room at the bottom of the stairs.

You Can't Have a Bad Day Revisited

2012-02-07T22:13:00.002-05:00

I couldn't use this photo until the recipient of the Batman underwear had received it. No more bad days for a certain someone in Seattle!

A Cat Gets Nine of These Lives?!?

2012-02-06T15:48:00.003-05:00

If there is a sunspot, Scully will find it. Beyond that, the post's title says it all.

Probably Not the Next Best Seller

2012-02-05T17:50:00.002-05:00

As the cover notes, this is the limited spring edition ... catalog. Older son thinks he got this because, after ordering quite a quantity of firearm accessories and ammunition from Cabela's, he joined their affinity program. I'm not sure we'll be able to bring ourselves to simply recycling this. I may have to confiscate it for use in some sort of creative enterprise that will pay tribute to just what an awesome catalog this is.

If I Can't See You ...

2012-02-04T16:09:00.002-05:00

So this is an old photo, taken at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania several years ago. I've been hiding out in the basement, but really have to go upstairs soon and start on dinner and making bread. If I sit down to post there, the husband or resident guest will inquire as to what I'm doing which will require an explanation. Introvert that I am, I can unfortunately only hide down here for so long.

Leaving Me Speechless

2012-02-03T15:19:00.003-05:00

This came in the mail today, from a friend, along with a Viking knit bracelet she made me as a birthday present and another bracelet she made with a stone that seemed to her--as it does to me--to commemorate a visit we took together to White Sands, New Mexico. I was only expecting the one bracelet, which I knew was coming since I'd measured my wrist for it, and am blown away by how perfectly suited everything is to me. I mean, does this sword pendant just screams my name. I am not sure what I do to deserve such friends, but I shall try to pay it forward soon and often.

Sunshine Almost Always Makes Me High

2012-02-02T15:05:00.003-05:00

The groundhog that counts supposedly saw his shadow this morning (it was raining so hard here that he wouldn't have) meaning that we will have six more weeks of winter. It's the "more" I don't understand because I'm not really sure we've had any real winter so far. One ice storm doesn't really count, at least not to the daffodils shooting up around the mailbox.

Quilt in Progress

2012-02-01T16:12:00.003-05:00

I've never made a quilt out of old t-shirts. Figuring that I should, I'm making one out of younger son's old Odyssey of the Mind and Destination ImagiNation t-shirts. I'm having the time of my life quilting around the shirt designs! A fellow quilter told me that I'd only ever make one of these because they are so tedious. Not! I'm already thinking about other t-shirt collections I might use in future such quilts.

Late Afternoon Relaxation

2012-01-31T21:51:00.002-05:00

With older son's new job, we're sharing both a car and dog-walking duties. At least today I managed some down time in the late afternoon.

We Are All Stories

2012-01-30T15:01:00.002-05:00

The netbook I'll be taking on the trip to Vietnam and Australia. The lime sticker is, naturally, because the computer is lime green. The LAMP sticker is from a Kickstarter project I'm backing and seemed totally appropriate given that the netbook will be used to post the stories that are our trip.

Rules of Work? Rules of Life!

2012-01-29T18:17:00.002-05:00

The top in a stack of pages from last year's Zen calendar that I shall post on the bulletin board behind my desk. That Einstein was a smart guy, wasn't he?

Reading on the Horizon

2012-01-28T14:45:00.003-05:00

I'm donating platelets on Monday, and this may be what I read in the process. The title reminds me of a book I enjoyed several years ago, Party of One: The Loner's Manifesto. Many people are surprised when I call myself an introvert until I explain the definition I use. Introverts use energy when engaged in social interaction; extroverts gain energy. Parties and crowded social situations exhaust me, fun and interesting though they may be.

Wonder Woman ... Yours?

2012-01-27T14:57:00.001-05:00

This card from a dear friend never fails to make me smile. Thanks, Mama Bear!

Watch It!

2012-01-26T21:20:00.003-05:00

I ordinarily use my cell phone as a watch, but since I won't be carrying it while overseas, thought a watch was in order. It took me a while to find one I liked, which means analog and somewhat small without being frilly or overly feminine. As an aside, it is harder than you think to take a decent photo of one hand even if that hand is your non-dominant one.

Going Viking

2012-01-25T17:04:00.002-05:00

What I'm reading right now, the sixth of Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon Tales." It has swords and actually uses the phrase "go Viking," so what's not to like there. I think what I like about historical novels is that they make things seem so much simpler in the past. One's social class defined the attainable possibilities; there were not a lot of options from which to choose. It was often a good day to die for a warrior. Life or death. Success or failure. Simpler, at least in a way.

I See ... Well, Not Icy

2012-01-24T22:26:00.003-05:00

It's not a great photo, but it filled up the memory card so I didn't take another. This is the same tree that was covered in ice in Sunday's post. It was in the 60s Fahrenheit today, more spring-like than wintery. The peaks and valleys in temperature make it hard to get into any sort of routine. They just feel, well, wrong.

For Once, I Had No Words ...

2012-01-23T16:31:00.004-05:00

... nor do I have it in me, now, to take a photograph for today. This one from my Montana trip seems, though, to convey today's feeling that all we know or have can blow away in an instant. How do you answer a friend who says, questioningly, that she doesn't know how to say good-bye to her family? I had no words, and told her so. I hope it was enough just to have been there for her when she needed to voice the thought to someone.

I See Icy

2012-01-22T14:28:00.003-05:00

We finally got some wintry precipitation Friday night and last night. Even as the roads are clear and, in most cases, dry, the trees remain enveloped in ice. The woods seem pulled out of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, stark beauties clad in white.

Gnittink Drawkcab

2012-01-21T17:39:00.004-05:00

I took a class on entrelac knitting this afternoon. The technique gives a woven appearance which you can somewhat see in the photo. The only thing that makes the technique one I would ever do is that the class also included how to knit backward. To try to explain for the non-knitters who might read this blog: Stockinette stitch is knitting across one row, turning the piece around, and purling back across. In backward knitting, you knit across then, without turning the piece around, get the purl effect by knitting backward across the piece. There would be too much turning in entrelac to make me even consider doing it, but being able to knit backward makes it actually kind of fun. There's also a geometry in it that appeals to my somewhat mathematical mind.

Focus? Where?

2012-01-20T20:56:00.003-05:00

This is the blur that was my day. One thing after another after another after another, including older son's getting offered a teaching job starting next week, leading up to driving home (with sleet falling no less) to read some disturbing news from a dear friend. While I know life is not fair, this last little bit sucks royally.

The Mess with Meaning

2012-01-19T17:00:00.003-05:00

The guidebooks and web page printout and pages pulled from clothes catalogs are out and about at last. The husband has received his official invitation to teach an intro physics class at Hue University from March 19 to April 15, so I've jumped into planning mode. We'll spend about two weeks after the class finishes visiting quilting friends in Perth and Melbourne, Australia. Will there be another travel blog? You bet!

Mice in the Woodpile

2012-01-18T17:13:00.002-05:00

True to her terrier heritage, Biscuit has discovered that there are mice residing in the woodpile we keep on the front porch. She was determined to the point of climbing last night to find them and was extremely frustrated when none emerged to visit her mouth. When the sons were much younger, we once found a bat attached to the wall of the house behind the woodpile. I wonder what Biscuit would think of that.

Timing Is Everything?

2012-01-17T21:51:00.002-05:00

I picked this poor, misguided little soul while walking the dog this morning. Our weather has been spring-like one day and wintery the next, though without the wintery white that younger son is seeing in Seattle. I'd actually prefer it just settle down and be winter for a while, which will make spring all the more welcome at the appropriate time.

New on the Needles

2012-01-16T18:16:00.002-05:00

Well, it was new on the needles when I took the shot. A bit later, I decided to make it narrower, so I started over. It's my attempt to use up some alpaca yarn I got in Norway three years ago. I expect I will give the resulting scarf away given how many scarves I already have. It is in some of my favorite colors, though, so I could still change my mind.

Today's Inspiration

2012-01-15T16:37:00.003-05:00

This little bloom doesn't care that my Christmas cactus's many other blooms appeared and disappeared weeks or even months ago. It just knows that it appeared now, on its own terms, when it was ready, and is brightening my days. I smile just thinking about the big effect a little bloom can have. It offers an example I hope I can take more to heart this year.

Scream Art

2012-01-14T17:46:00.003-05:00

I made this faux stained glass piece on a chick trip almost four years ago. It sits in one of our living room windows. I didn't really feel like screaming today, though I might have if I were younger son who continues to be unable to take a trip without something potentially unpleasant happening. When not typing or otherwise using them, my fingers are crossed that he makes it to his planned stopping point tonight and is able to get things resolved and make it to Seattle as planned tomorrow.

There's a Reason this Post Has Two Photos

2012-01-13T20:46:00.002-05:00

I got a new lens for the new camera today (thanks, Adorama!). It's a pretty sweet 18-270 mm Tamron. These are the first photos I took with the lens: The top one is the 18, and the bottom one is the 270. I'm thinking that this baby and I are going to get along real well in Vietnam and Australia; I do indeed.

Little Things Add Up

2012-01-12T17:08:00.003-05:00

Younger son couldn't fit his gym bag into the car, so it's in the to-be-shipped pile. I happened to notice that he had a gym towel or two or ... well, you can see how many towels he put in for a workout and then forgot to toss into one of the many towel-return bins. I was pretty amazed until older son, who has a larger gym bag, told me he'd removed even more than this from his bag once. They don't get it from me. I've never found more than two in mine, and if I do, I return them on my next visit. And, no, these will not be included in the to-be-shipped pile.

And He's Off!

2012-01-11T13:32:00.003-05:00

Younger son is on his way west. Tears have been shed, and more are likely to come. We are each moving on to new chapters in our respective lives. I just wish I had the same youthful courage that he does in facing the somewhat unknown.

Yes, It Was a Busy Day

2012-01-10T21:49:00.002-05:00

Got home from karate and started to check my email. It occurred to me that I did not remember taking a photo today. Checked the blog. Took a photo. It was just one of those busy days, and that's okay.

Out the Window

2012-01-09T15:31:00.002-05:00

It was 60-ish two days ago and is snowing now. Welcome to the wacky weather world that is Central Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The snow is falling even more heavily now than in the photo and starting to stick to the ground at least in the woods. I am not displeased that younger son is delaying his departure for a day, though this should all be over and gone tomorrow if not later today.

And Biscuit Makes Three

2012-01-08T16:13:00.003-05:00

We now have three resident animals, two 14-year-old cats and one 14-year-old dog. It is good to have a resident dog again. Some years ago I was first runner-up in The Washington Post's Style Invitational humor contest with this item for an underachiever's midlife list of goals: Win the admiration of my dog. The same entry was later selected by the outgoing Invitational czar as one of the 10 Best Individual Entries of All Time though it was then listed as "Win the respect and admiration of my dog." Yes, there is something about a dog's eyes that brightens most moments. Welcome, Biscuit. We are honored to have you here.

Sunshine on My Shoulder

2012-01-07T17:15:00.004-05:00

Younger son's last weekend at home. Blueberry pancakes for breakfast (thanks, Mama Bear), a morning of target shooting, late pizza lunch, Barnes & Noble (thanks to Debi, we each got a new book), and now home where younger son continues room-cleaning and packing and husband and older son build shipping crates for him. The photo is from the drive home from shooting, taken with my point-and-shoot digital through the windshield (no, I was not driving). Rainbows don't usually happen at 1:30 in the afternoon, so I'm thinking this was meant for us on our special weekend. I'm thinking Mother Nature knows how this other mother is feeling about now.

Behind the Times

2012-01-06T15:34:00.004-05:00

My cousin-in-law Debi makes the most amazing cards. She even sends them, too, as can be seen above. I really need to write my own thank you to Debi, perhaps using one of the cards she made for me. I am behind on several things but working on catching up. (I would include a link to Debi's blog--she was one of my inspirations in starting to blog--but Blogger gremlins keep flinging poo at me and laughing. Alas...)

Mmm ... Good!

2012-01-05T13:25:00.004-05:00

We had blueberry muffins for breakfast this morning, courtesy of Mama Bear's Christmas basket. I hate to see close friends move away even if only temporarily (18 months counts as temporary if a return is planned), but if they move to locations with tasty goodness and find a way to share it, who am I to argue? The muffins got eight thumbs up by the way.

Under the Weather

2012-01-04T17:03:00.002-05:00

So much for younger son's plans to sort possessions, pack some, set others aside for shipping, and so on. Given that he spent several hours Saturday in the company of many thousands of other people in the Georgia Dome watching the University of Virginia lose in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl, he probably should have seen this coming. Here's hoping it's a bug of the 24-hour variety, and he's back in the land of the awake and kicking tomorrow.

Trading a Kid for a Dog?

2012-01-03T14:34:00.006-05:00

Our Christmas visitor, Biscuit, needs a new forever home sooner rather than later, so we're taking her on a permanent basis. Members of her first family (the non-allergic ones at least) are getting unlimited, unsupervised visitation rights. The post title above reflects the fact that as Biscuit moves in, younger son moves on and out, leaving for Seattle a week from today. Perhaps the canine addition will distract me from missing the departed human quite so much. And perhaps not.

Lazy Days on Mondays

2012-01-02T17:50:00.003-05:00

The last day of the winter break (for the husband, anyway) seemed a good day to be lazy. I worked out for an hour, donated some platelets, hit a local grocery for sale items for which I also had coupons, read V is for Vengeance, and now am heading to kendo locally since the gym in Alexandria I normally go to on Mondays is closed tonight. Really, this is what passes for a lazy day for me; hence, the photo of one of the cats. When nothing noteworthy is happening, look to a cat for inspiration.

In with the New

2012-01-01T15:34:00.004-05:00

When I was growing up, we would open our presents on Christmas morning. When not in use or being played with, the opened presents would stay underneath the tree until it came down on New Year's Day. The husband didn't like this, so it never became a tradition in our family unit. The tree seems empty once there's nothing beneath it, and I often don't think about plugging in the lights. It is as if its purpose has been served and it is just, just there. It looks even emptier now that the ornaments, garlands, and lights have been removed.

Out with the Old ...

2011-12-31T16:04:00.002-05:00

I'd say we're pretty close to the edge of the year here. I still need to write down the resolutions I've been mulling and then, either today or tomorrow, wax philosophically about them on my less regular blog. I also need to confess the abysmal job I did with the resolutions I made for 2011. I think I set the bar way too high, but hey, at least I made them. That should count for something.

The Dying of the Light

2011-12-30T21:19:00.003-05:00

The Christmas lights look so naked in the daylight. They, along with the tree, stockings, and other seasonal paraphernalia, will come down on Sunday. A taking down of the old as we welcome the new, or something like that. I reflect too much or too deeply at times, but if you can't do that at the changing of the year I'm not sure when you can.

One Confused Little Flower

2011-12-29T17:04:00.004-05:00

I don't think this little guy knows it's winter and wonder if it will make it through the night. Seeing it did give the day a bit more warmth, though; I must admit that.

Serenity

2011-12-28T13:18:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure it gets much better than this.

And What Have You Done Today?

2011-12-27T14:55:00.003-05:00

Today I have entered a photo in a National Geographic contest looking for photos that convey the essence of Montana and finished putting together these quilt blocks made of seven years of Odyssey of the Mind/Destination Imagination t-shirts. I am also making progress in Jo Nesbo's The Devil's Star and managed 45 minutes skiing to nowhere before dashing into town for a hair appointment that wasn't. I'd rest on my laurels and finish the book, but if it's Tuesday, it must be karate this evening.

Additions to the Family (Tree)

2011-12-26T18:02:00.002-05:00

The husband took younger son to his girlfriend's house today and returned with Christmas goodies including these three ornaments. I think they fit right into our assortment of oddities. Next year, though, I doubt they'll be hung together on the tree since there's never rhyme nor reason to what goes where ... with the exception of the Christmas Ape, that is.

Hmm?

2011-12-25T14:35:00.003-05:00

Chinese food on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eves is another family tradition; this was my fortune from last night's dinner. Perhaps this is not the time to say that my Christmas presents included an unsuccessful attempt by the sons to purchase one of the guns sold after my dad's death. Let's just say that if I encounter the problem of having too much free time, I have several new books, fiction and crafty, and several new yarns with which to fill it. And a new gun, a near duplicate of the one that was Dad's favorite.

Berry Good Tidings

2011-12-24T15:39:00.003-05:00

Two loaves of bread finished. One is half eaten, and one has been gifted. Three pounds of cranberries turned into sauce. Dough for two pie crusts awaiting rolling. After that, there's filling for two pumpkin pies to make as well as dough for tomorrow morning's cinnamon rolls. Merry Christmas Eve!

Waffle House? Biscuit House!

2011-12-23T14:53:00.005-05:00

We're giving sanctuary this holiday (the why of which is beyond the scope of this sound-byte blog) to Biscuit, a 14-year-old mix of beagle, Jack Russell terrier, and possibly another breed or three. Her normal home is with someone who works all day and is gone most evenings as well. She's not used to a house in which there are people home and moving around all day, which is what ours is like during the holidays. Our cats are basically ignoring her, and any negative interactions have been quickly terminated. I think it will be a good week all around.

Some Preciouses

2011-12-22T16:55:00.002-05:00

I cleaned my studio today, having decided that getting back to being creative would improve my mood. My studio is in the walkout basement and has a rather long in length, narrow in height window in which I keep things that are dear to me and that might count as clutter in the living area. Yes, that is a Shaun of the Dead action figure, along with a magnetic metallic creature, a raccoon, and a rock sculpture. The markers are for the whiteboard that hangs beneath the window and on which I scribble ideas and projects that may or may not see the light of day.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

2011-12-21T21:53:00.001-05:00

A friend gave me ninjabread men cookie cutters, and I thought how wonderful it would be to decorate little ninjas for my kendo and karate colleagues. Yeah right. I was so no good at frosting gis and belts onto the little suckers that I gave up, dumped lots of frosting on each one, and told the sons to have at them. Maybe next year.

The Stockings Were Hung ...

2011-12-20T14:55:00.004-05:00

... not quite by the chimney with care but at least amidst all the Christmas cards we've received so far this year. I particularly like the ones from the Obamas and the Warners (Mark is one of our two Virginia senators).

Gruffles, Meet Biscuit

2011-12-19T14:03:00.002-05:00

When I got Gruffles, one of the resident cats, Catbert, was convinced that it was a real dog. It will be interesting, then, to see what Catbert thinks of our guest for Christmas, a Jack Russell-beagle mix named Biscuit. The story is too long for a mini-blog; suffice to say Biscuit needs a safe house for the holidays, and we plan to provide it. Sort of like witness protection for dogs.

O, Christmas Ape

2011-12-18T20:59:00.001-05:00

It wouldn't be Christmas without the Christmas ape atop the Christmas tree. What? You mean not everyone has a Christmas ape atop their tree? And this year, he's joined by the Rantosaurus, a so-far-undocumented Beanie Baby mutation.

Temperature's Rising

2011-12-17T18:24:00.003-05:00

Our first fire of the year. It was cold enough for long enough today that it seemed like a good idea at the time. It still is ... a good idea, that is.

Think We Could Market This?

2011-12-16T15:27:00.004-05:00

The sons heard me mention that I needed to work on my arm strength, having gotten out of the habit of lifting weights regularly. The next thing I know, there's a log outside the door and an axe. I did this chopping while today's bread (seven days down, one to go) rose a bit and baked a bit. Despite having no use for the log that resulted (I don't think it's aged enough to burn), I feel an incredible sense of accomplishment.

Time for a Tree?

2011-12-15T21:46:00.002-05:00

The present chair is filling up fast. I'm thinking it's time to get the Christmas tree.

Party Time!

2011-12-14T17:59:00.001-05:00

It's time for the office Christmas party, and those are my legs looking out from beneath hosiery. I don't wear skirts often, but tonight seemed appropriate. I never wear shoes with anything remotely like a high heel. I can only dress up to an intermediate height.

On Sale this Week

2011-12-13T22:03:00.003-05:00

I made two loaves of bread today for the fourth day in a row. I'll make two tomorrow, two Thursday, and two Friday. Most of these are for the "breakfast in a bag" gifts I give to various people. One loaf of homemade bread, two jars of locally made jam, and two one-pot bags of good coffee. I'm thinking I may do gingerbread next week.

Mother's Day 2010

2011-12-12T10:18:00.003-05:00

As many days as possible for the last two weeks, I've been spending 30 minutes or more working on my karate kicks and some kendo strikes. The floating bamboo floor is heaven on my feet. Even at 6:00 a.m., when it's dark outside the windows, the room feels so open. I may have gotten the hanging bag for Mother's Day 2010, but it was well worth the wait to have it done right.

It's a Bear!

2011-12-11T20:11:00.002-05:00

Younger son was making a bear hat for his brother, and the first one was a bit too small, meaning I got one, too. The hat had no eyes or nose, so I'm working on adding those. I like the size of these eyes but think I'll see if I can get sew-on ones instead of these glue-on ones. I think my ears will be toasty warm this winter.

Who Took the Sake from the Sake Bottles?

2011-12-10T14:17:00.003-05:00

All these bottles were full of sake at the start of last night's dinner gathering. For reference, the large bottle is 1.8 liters. There were 12 people here, nine of whom had some sake at some point in the evening. One person likely was not looking and feeling his very best this morning. Note the gender of the pronoun, i.e., it wasn't me.

Hostess With (or Without) the Mostest

2011-12-09T12:27:00.002-05:00

The lighting on this poinsettia leaf could be better, but I'm in the home stretch to a dinner party and about to get to the do-a-bit-of-paid-work-I-can't-out-off-until-Monday point. Then it's coasting into hosting, though hopefully not downhill from here. Fried brain? Why, yes, I believe I do have one, thank you very much.

Taking What Help I Can Get

2011-12-08T09:21:00.001-05:00

Catbert is trying to help me clean; really, she is. And at this point, I'll take what help I can get even if it's just making me smile and grab the camera.

Works in Progress

2011-12-07T21:48:00.001-05:00

I'm hosting a dinner party of sorts the day after tomorrow. This offers a reason or excuse to clean up what passes for living quarters. What can I say? I'm working on it.

Pedaling Uphill

2011-12-06T16:54:00.004-05:00

It's a busy week in a busy time of year, but I'm trying to do the best I can, as noted on this, my new favorite tote bag. It's from the Zazzle shop of the Bloggess. I may want to be her if I grow up. In the meantime, I don't really have a knife (a sharp one, that is) yet, but there's always Christmas or monetary Christmas gifts.

The Paw

2011-12-05T14:46:00.003-05:00

Each morning when I sit down to coffee and the newspaper and any evening I sit down to read or knit, the paw appears. I want you to want me, it seems to say, reaching out over and over until I allow its owner access to my lap. Yes, this cat owns me.

Celebratory Pie

2011-12-04T17:35:00.002-05:00

This is younger son's celebratory pie, a German Chocolate Pie, pre-cooking. My hands were sticky from the coconut topping, so younger son took the shot. The pie is now out of the oven and sitting for four hours (not arguing with the directions here). I expect it will be tasty. What's not to like about chocolate, pecans, and coconut?

It Takes so Little ...

2011-12-03T10:33:00.002-05:00

to excite some people, like me evidently. I was making birthday cupcakes just now. I opened the egg carton and thought one of the eggs looked a bit off-center. Drat, methinks, it's cracked or broken. It turned out just to be a longer, narrower egg than any I've ever purchased from a grocery store. I'm used to getting eggs that defy the norm from farmers' markets or friends who raise chickens. I've never seen one like this get by the egg censors and make it into a commercial carton. Yeah, I'm just that weird that a slightly strange egg has totally made my day.

Forgotten Title Redux

2011-12-02T15:21:00.003-05:00

Younger son's Wednesday interview with Amazon resulted in a very attractive job offer. When asked about a celebratory pie, younger son requested a pie he had not had before. The list in the photo is 20 pies I found that fit the bill and also did not contain the gelatin or marshmallow vegetarian younger son prefers to do without. Whether he chooses one or picks at random, it's new pie time this weekend!

Forgotten Title

2011-12-01T21:26:00.003-05:00

A new month means a new calendar picture. I buy one wall calendar each year; this is the last page of the one for 2011. Behind it sits a 2012 calendar of Charles M. Russell artwork that I purchased in Montana. I don't expect that it will contain the profound statements this year's calendar has, but that's okay. Sometimes a pretty picture is all I need.

Nesting

2011-11-30T12:58:00.002-05:00

This corner of the dining room will be cleaned up in preparing to host company next week. Younger son works his freelance job from one corner of the dining room table when he's at home, and things he's not using get passed to this corner. Today, younger son in Seattle interviewing with Amazon. Should he get offered a job, I expect he will take it. Then, this corner will remain clean, and I expect that I shall miss the disorder I now lament.

Gremlins

2011-11-29T16:49:00.002-05:00

Why this photo did not get published yesterday, when I clicked the "publish" button, I do not know. Nor do I know where the text went. Internet gremlins perhaps, or just one of life's mysteries.

Ouch!

2011-11-28T15:13:00.003-05:00

I do so hate it when my headaches layer one on top of another. The prescription pill I took first thing this morning got rid of the migraine component of pain but left behind a decidedly sinus headache. Thanks to a stop at CVS, that pain is now abating. It might be a decent evening after all.

Ninjabread Men

2011-11-27T17:10:00.002-05:00

I find gingerbread oddly addicting. If I eat one of these, I could easily eat them all. I wish these were destined for elsewhere; alas, these were the practice run for some batches I hope to make come Christmas-time.

Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?

2011-11-26T16:18:00.003-05:00

This is the aforementioned cookie jar. My self-esteem did not appear to be inside it. Neither did any cookies. I now have gingerbread dough chilling in the refrigerator in anticipation of tomorrow's test of some cookie cutters, the shapes of which shall, for now, remain nameless.

A Line in the Lawn

2011-11-25T21:27:00.003-05:00

The weather was wonderful today, so raking occurred. Garage cleaning also occurred along with motorcycle fixing. I did none of that, though I did do some inside things. I have been told that my self-esteem may be hiding in the cookie jar, but so far I have resisted looking for it there. With my luck, there will be cookies, though since I did not make any, there shouldn't be. I am hoping to be back to some semblance of normal tomorrow.

Giving Thanks: The Aftermath

2011-11-24T17:10:00.002-05:00

In Girl Scouts, we used to sing grace before each meal. My favorite was to the tune of "Windy." "Thanks be to God, the Father Almighty. Thanks be to God, who gives us this bread. Thanks be to God, the Spirit Eternal. Thanks be to God forever." I leave the definition of "God" up to each reader, but think the sentiment appropriate every day but especially this one.

Thanksgiving Eve

2011-11-23T15:51:00.003-05:00

I'm particularly proud of the three presents in this pile that are not wrapped but instead enclosed in boxes too pretty to wrap. All they needed was a bit of ribbon to hold them shut. I'm hoping the recipients will think to use the boxes in the same way. Mother Earth will thanks us for it.

Distractions

2011-11-22T22:33:00.004-05:00

I was searching somewhat unsuccessfully for my self-esteem this afternoon when younger son suggested the search might be helped by making the orangutan Beanie Baby who will not be mutated a new suit to wear. He's now disguised as a winged hippo, and firmly under the control of the MFing Bearodactyl. As for my self-esteem, if it's hiding in the flour bin, I'll have it back momentarily since as soon as I publish this post I'll bemaking pie crust for tomorrow's pumpkin pie making.

Getting Carded II

2011-11-21T15:00:00.002-05:00

Sometime over the long Thanksgiving weekend, I really should pick up the box of Christmas cards from the floor and start the addressing. "Should" may not equal "will," though. We shall see.

I Do Love a Challenge

2011-11-20T17:49:00.003-05:00

I honestly cannot imagine pointing a gun at another person or an animal and pulling the trigger. I can, however, see the challenge in pointing a gun at a target and trying to hit even close to it. Don't ask how many shots I took that did not even hit this piece of paper. I will only smile and point to the hole in the red circle. My squeal of glee paralleled the one I let out when I finally got a boomerang to circle and return so that I could catch it without moving after it.

Not What I Intended

2011-11-19T17:09:00.003-05:00

I was going to take a photo of my shot in the red zone (i.e., the bullseye) from pistol shooting this morning, but the bag in which the target sits is still in the car that is currently is use elsewhere. So here's the other cat in the hat, er, house, Catbert. As for that bullseye, there was only one, and I'm not gonna tell how many tries it took me to get it.

New Day, New Rule

2011-11-18T15:32:00.002-05:00

I'm cheating a bit today--but it's my blog so I can cheat if I want --by posting a photo that I did not take. Younger son took this one while showing me how to do something on the new camera. His photo and his guitar, but since he's my son it does circle back to me.

They're Both Keepers

2011-11-17T17:20:00.002-05:00

This is the first photo I took with the new camera. Younger son took the first three, but this is my first. Yeah, I think I'll keep both the new camera and the old cat.

Progress

2011-11-16T17:03:00.001-05:00

I have at least opened the camera manual and charged the batteries. Ya gotta start somewhere.