a picture says a thousand words...

...or that's what I'm hoping for anyway...not a lot to say...LGK is in Oregoon, fixing up the old homestead; so the kids and I have been going to the movies, gorging ourselves on pizza & nachos and staying up til midnight.

That being said...here are a couple of pictures that my mom sent me this week that made my day......

I am actually "somewhat" photogenic when I don't know there's a camera (not to mention I find the sepia tones quite flattering *wink wink*)

The young master, looking pensive (yes, he's growing up awfully fast...I don't want to discuss it!!)

"insert your grammatically incorrect and poorly spelled LOLZ cats caption here"

someday I'll tell you about Molly's obsession with the Yule Log cake. She finally talked my mom into baking one while she was in town. The look on her face is so priceless...and SO Molly!

SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks! Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things.. nothing made up!You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. And you cannot use the same word twice

(Note: I got this from Alana and can I just say it’s totally unfair that a fabulous swear starts with "A" - that made it too easy! ;P)
WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Rachel
BOYS NAME: Riordan
4 LETTER WORD: Rich
GIRL NAME: Rebecca
OCCUPATION: Realtor
COLOR: Red
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Runderwear? I mean Rag de Dew? Oh wait I’ve got one...Ring
BEVERAGE: Rootbeer
FOOD: Risotto
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Rose Petals (?)
A PLACE : Rhode Island
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Resting My Eyes
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: RRRAAAAAAA

and now for the kids’

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Max
BOYS NAME: Matthew
4 LETTER WORD: More
GIRL NAME: Meghan
OCCUPATION: Maintenance Man
COLOR: Marroon
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Mittens
BEVERAGE: Malt
FOOD: Macaroni
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Mouthwash
A PLACE : Malaysia
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Morning Hater
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: MMMAAAA

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Molly
BOYS NAME: Montague
4 LETTER WORD: Moxy
GIRL NAME: Maxine
OCCUPATION: Medicine Man
COLOR: Magenta
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Medal
BEVERAGE: Mead
FOOD: Muffin
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Magazine
A PLACE : Minnesotta
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Monkey Invasion
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: MMMMEH!

speechless...

wordless...I am a bit.
He did it. We did it.
Yay!

To heck with Joe-the-Plumber....

"Rachel-the-Waitress" and "Leigh-the-Carpet-Puncher" voted today? how 'bout you?

Actually it was quite a relief. I wasn't sure if we were going to be able to because we're still registered in Oregoon...but we were able to register today and cast "provisionary" ballots. Yay!
Now we're watching the comedy central coverage (because I pride myself on getting my news from Stewart/Colbert) and in a while we're heading downstairs for the "real" news with Oma.
It's going to be hard going down the stairs while crossing all of my fingers & toes. Hope I don't fall down...........

Twick-o-Tweet

A few pictures from Friday night. Max made a very handsome Vampeer (let's hear it for Oma's costume closet!!!) and Molly the Odd was Emily the Strange.

And the dog was a bumble bee...but he hated the sweater so he didn't get to go trick or treating.

Their first door-to-door trickortreating was a rousing success! 2 buckets each!!! sweet!

sooooommmmmedaaaaay...

I will learn how to take a good picture...in the mean time, here are a few shots from the GSPC halloweenie movie night/costume contest on Sunday night @ Brewvies
(left to right: "Sexy Girl Jesus" & Hellboy (AKA the lovely Barn-Gleasons) Mr. Hunter as a comicbook character I can't remember...and LGK as his own character-creation "THE HECKLER" (I must try to get a better picture of this getup on Friday..it's spooky...and he got waaay into character! If I hadn't already decided 15 years ago that he was swoony-angry and I was gonna marry him...I woulda' on Sunday fersure!)

Finished up the young Miss & Master's costumes over the weekend so we're all set. More pictures soon.....

oh and another thing.... Eat-your-heart-out-guy-whose-idea-we-stole-for-a-Modok costume...

Ours is waaaay cooler!!! Yay Jeff!

if I only had a brain...

A play in 2 acts

(scene: last night upon my return from the laundr-0-mat)

Me: Honey, can you think of any reason why I only washed 2 pair of your underwear tonight?
LGK: No, there should have been more...I'm totally out..and I know I've been putting them in the hamper
Me: (rifles through the closet, upending hampers & throwing things around...convinced that he's fibbing and that he stashed them somewhere else and/or didn't wear any...)
Maybe the dog ate them??? No wait, I'd believe that if they were mine....but yours????

later
(scene: getting ready for bed)
Me: Where the hell are my jammie pants and work pants for tomorrow??? hmmmmm...I must be losing my mind!!!

Act the Second:

The next morning 8:00 AM

(Scene: the laundr-o-mat)
Me: Excuse me sir? do you work here? did anyone by chance leave a washer full of clothes here overnight?
Laundry Guy: Yup. There over there *smirk* happens all the time....

~Fin~

That, gentle readers is an indication of how scatter-brained/insane I've become. I left an entire load of laundry at the 'mat overnight....
Have I mentioned that I miss my w/d????? and does anyone know where I left the dog????

mememememe

Where is your cell phone? In my pocket
Where is your significant other? Carpet-punching
Your hair color? newly Dark Brown
Your mother? Superb/fantastic/the best
Your father? My bio father? Reclusive.
Your favorite thing? Mi Familia
Your dream last night? frantic & vaguely morbid (most of ‘em are these days)
Your dream/goal? financial-independence
The room you’re in? Chilly & dark
Your hobby? Various Craftiness & pulp-mystery book reading
Your fear? Old-age-body-breakdown
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Wherever LGK & the kids are
Where were you last night? Super Wally World
What you’re not? Patient
One of your wish-list items? $
Where you grew up? SL, UT
The last thing you did? Took a nice warm bath
What are you wearing? My work uniform
Your TV? Ridiculously large
Your pet? Sleeping on my lap
Your computer? Right Here
Your mood? Excited for my Mom & Bob’s visit
Missing someone? My Mom & Bob, my in-laws, my little sister, Ashley, Kirk, Paige & Forrest...the list goes on and on
Your car? Lego
Something you’re not wearing? A nose ring
Favorite store? Target/Cost Plus/any book store
Your summer? Emotional rollercoaster
Love someone? Yup
Your favorite color? Lately? Dark turqouise. Traditionally? Black
When is the last time you laughed? Last night at the kids (but in a fun way not a mean way)
Last time you cried? Yesterday morning (did I mention the emotional rollercoaster?)

because Sarah Silverman says so...

and I feel compelled to do her bidding...not to mention Leonardo DiCaprio...I mean come ON!!
This is for my friends back in Oregon...Ashley, because she doesn't always vote and actually told me she "didn't see the point" after a recent election...and for Leif...because he HATES it when famous people get on political soap boxes
I'm not sure when the deadlines to register are...and I'm still crossing my fingers that my mail in ballot will be forwarded to Utard in time...but if you haven't yet, and you just so happen to be perusing my blog for some unknown reason (I'm fairly sure that all 4 of my regular readers are already registered and fully intending to vote)...Do it, Do it now...and then, on the 4th....VOTE....or...
don't bitch

to my one and only....

In just five minutes it will be my darling LGK's birthday. He deserves the best birthday in the world because he's the best husband I could ever have hoped for...and the best father...and the best friend.

The best. I mean it. Bar none.

(It seems my verbosity is lacking as it approaches midnight...I need to get a thesaurus)

He's not very excited about his birthday (something about 40 being just around the corner) but I want him to know how much I love him...and it seems that such sentiments are traditionally expressed on the internet nowadays...so here goes...

I love you.

umm....yeah....

sorry, I couldn't resist....
job opportunity????

now all I need is a flowery basket

just got back from a trip to Lindsey Gardens with the fam. Little Miss is mastering the concept of balance as it pertains to bike riding sans training wheels. And we finally got a new innertube put in the young master's tire so he can do some 'sploring. AND while digging around in the garage I found my new treasure....

(this is actually a google image of the same model/color - not my actual bike)

It was all rusty & spider webby but an hour with some steel wool and a little WD40 and it looks great....I filled the tires with air (we'll have to see how long they stay inflated)

Oma says they bought it in 1962 and it's got a sweet little rack on the back so I just need some little bungee cords and/or a basket....oooh, and a bell...

Tonight: Geekshow Podcast presents Empire Strikes Back @ Brewvies

woohoo!

sorry to get all political on yo' ass again but I found this today
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/economyvideo
and among the billion other things I need to read for work (menu knowledge test tomorrow!!!) I plan on reading the economic plan here http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/economyplan

other than that...the geek-con was incredibly underwhelming and LGK is on an airplane right now which "totally sucks". The kids and I just watched Superman Doomsday http://www.warnervideo.com/supermandoomsdaydvd/ (with voices by some of my favorites in the Whedon Club (James Marsters & Adam Baldwin) and Molly has finally admitted that Supes may be "neat" afterall...not awesome...but neat.
(not as cool as batman though - but then again, WHO is?)

George Bush with Lipstick

got these pictures in an email from my stepmom (from an Alaskan Women Reject Palin Rally)

glad to see I'm not alone.

Not much to report on the personal front. Good week. Like the new job. LGK's going to Vegas for two days, to learn everything there is to know about carpet cleaning. Going to a geek convention today...perhaps I'll have something to report after. Hope I don't pick up any Klingons.

have I mentioned....

how much Sarah Palin scares me? (makes me mad)

these people express it better than I

http://womenagainstsarahpalin.blogspot.com/

survey goodness - TNG (The Next Generation)

The kids wanted to do a survey too and this one seemed innocuous enough so here goes...
Molly first:
1. What is your occupation right now? currently: child
Want to be a veterinarian when I grow up
2. What color are your socks right now? No socks
3. What are you listening to right now? My mom asking me the questions on this survey
4. What was the last thing that you ate? A slice of sourdough toast with butter and honey
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I can’t drive at all duh
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My grandma
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, she’s my mom
8. How old are you today? 8 and 4 months
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Kyaking
10. What is your favorite drink? Earl grey tea
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? No
12. Favorite food? Potatoes
13. What is the last movie you watched? Princess Bride
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
15. How do you vent anger? I throw rocks at things...just kidding....I shout "Mehhh!".
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Littlest pet shops
17. What is your favorite season(s)? Winter
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Both
skipping 19 - 21
22. Living arrangements? With my German Oma
23. When was the last time you cried? 4 days ago ‘cause I hit myself in the head
24. What is on the floor of your closet? Splattered linoleum
25. Who is your oldest friend? My brother Max
26. What did you do last night? Watched a movie and went to walmart with my mom & brother
27. What are you most afraid of? Dick Cheney wearing a gorrilla suit (*her answer I PROMISE!)28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? None because I’m a vegetarian
29. Favorite dog breed(s)? Yorkie Chihuahua and Bijon Fris
30. Favorite day of the week? Sunday (it’s pancake day!)
31. How many states have you lived in? 2
32. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds because it doesn’t hurt the oyster
33. What is your favorite flower? Dodder (in the morning glory family)

And Max’s turn...
1. What is your occupation right now? dishwasher and garbage disposal artisan
2. What color are your socks right now? White with grey toes
3. What are you listening to right now? My mom asking me the questions on this survey
4. What was the last thing that you ate? A piece of toast with peanut butter
5. Can you drive a stick shift? No
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jerry
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes, she’s my mom
8. How old are you today? 12
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Swimming in the olympics
10. What is your favorite drink? Microbrewed root beer
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Just for halloween
12. Favorite food? Pizza
13. What is the last movie you watched? Finding Nemo
14. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
15. How do you vent anger? I scream
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Legos!!!!
17. What is your favorite season(s)? Spring
18. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries
skipping 19 - 21
22. Living arrangements? Oma’s attic
23. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday ‘cause I hate division!!
24. What is on the floor of your closet? I have no closet
25. Who is your oldest friend? My sister Molly
26. What did you do last night? Watched Frontline "Bush’s War" w/ Oma and went to W-mart
27. What are you most afraid of? The destruction of the world by nuclear bombs
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? None because I’m a vegetarian
29. Favorite dog breed(s)? Labrador retriever & demonically possessed chihuahuas
30. Favorite day of the week? Sunday (it’s pancake day!)
31. How many states have you lived in? 2
32. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
33. What is your favorite flower? Roses

survey-o-rama

1. What is your occupation right now? mom/wife/caregiver/soon-to-be server @ the O.G
2. What color are your socks right now? no socks..I really only wear socks to work
3. What are you listening to right now? the kids playing, Oma's tv downstairs
4. What was the last thing that you ate? runny quiche
5. Can you drive a stick shift? I can and I do
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Oma's nurse and some prerecorded credit offer
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? noone sent it to me but I stole it from Alana, and yes
8. How old are you today? 35.
9.What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? I enjoy the gymnastics and swimming in the Olympics. That's about it. Not much of a sporto
10. What is your favorite drink? lately, these big ginseng iced teas from whole foods. Sweetened with honey, I especially like the pomegranate
11. Have you ever dyed your hair? since I was 14 but it's finally back to my "natural" color now
12. Favorite food? California Roll
13. What is the last movie you watched? in the theater? Wrath of Kahn @ brewvies
14. Favorite day of the year? any day that goes the way it's supposed to is good with me
15. How do you vent anger? I piss & moan but then I get over it
16. What was your favorite toy as a child? when I was little...my fisher price farmhouse with the door that "moo-d"
17. What is your favorite season(s)? Fall
18. Cherries or Blueberries? NW pick your own cherries, pitted and frozen
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? sure.. why not
20. Who is the most likely to respond? prolly nobody
21. Who is least likely to respond? LGK
22. Living arrangements? durrently residing w/ hubby & two chitlens in the upstairs rooms of my Oma's funky old house
23. When was the last time you cried? I think a couple weeks ago, out of frustration and hormones
24. What is on the floor of your closet? shoes. dustbunnies
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to? not sending it..
26. What did you do last night? went to Wallyworld w/ the kids and went back and forth between watching Princess Bride and Frontline
27. What are you most afraid of? the death of my loved ones...regular fobias? moths, birds (inside - not in the sky...that's fine) and my teeth falling out
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? how 'bout a boca? w/ pepperjack cheez
29. Favorite dog breed(s)? The elusive "Wergie" (1/2 chihuaha 1/2 yorkie)
30. Favorite day of the week? whenever LGK and I are both off
31. How many states have you lived in? 3 1/2
Diamonds or pearls? neither please. Pearls are pretty but they make me sad. So do diamonds. I do like Opals & Amber though
33. What is your favorite flower? black eyed susans & lavendar

you down with O.G.G?

yeah you know me...
ok that was weak I know...anyway, got the job, start with orientation tomorrow and train next week. I think I'll like it there, very clean, and the managers I've met seem very nice.
It feels good to have a "job"...I'm a little bit stressed out about the schedule shuffling that will have to happen, but Oma's doing allright for the most part and should be able to get her own lunch etc and the kids are pretty self sufficient for several hours at a time. It will be good for me to get out a little bit here and there and I'm not gonna lie, the $ will help. Here's hoping it's "good" $.
cool, it just started raining...now I don't have to go for a walk :) actually I was looking forward to it but I've blown my knee out twice in the past couple of weeks so it takes even more conniving than usual to motivate me to get out. Once I'm out walking I'm happy...but gearing up to do it??? not so much. Rain is good though..it means I don't have to water later - Yay
The kids and I are headed to the library this morning. That's 2 field trips in one week thankyouverymuch. We did the planetarium with Oma on Monday (and got a family membership - Sweet!) I can't wait to see the U2 show @ the dome theater.

head for the hills...

Just in case I was even remotely thinking about voting Republican....(I wasn't Mom, don't panic)



McCain managed to find the "Anti Rachel" (don't let the vague "Milfy" similairities fool you) to be his running mate. Seriously, I couldn't disagree with any candidate more than seem to with her. And the thought that a feminist, or Hillary supporter would vote for her is insulting...I don't base my votes off of genitalia and that's about all I've got in common with this woman ( oh and the milf thing with the glasses obviously ;0)



"Because, when the president dies, you want someone who thinks like Sean Hannity and looks like Megan Mulally to take over" (quoted from a funny guy on the GeekShowPodcast Forum)

ohmigoodnessmytummy!Ican'tstoplaughing

found this apropos upon our return to the motherland

welcome to O.G. biatch

had an interview at the d.t. Olive Garden today. Good interview. Nice manager. 2nd interview next Tuesday. I always said that if we'd gotten an O.G. in the burg I'd have left the bee's in a minute. It seems like a really nice place to work. Very corporate, but they treat their staff well, and it's nice & clean :) smaller sections than I'm used to but I like the idea of not running around like a chicken w/out a head. My first choice of the places I applied is still the Oasis Cafe. I'm trying to schedule an interview with them for early next week too. Either would be nice...so wish a sista' luck

KAAAAHN!

Not much to report today...huge storm last night...nice and cool today...

Good weekend. Had a GREAT time @ the Republican Friday night and at farmer's market w/ the Barn-Gleasons & Jefferson. Good Friends are so Good to have :)

Last night, caught a bit of the geekshow podcast double feature @ brewvies....Wrath of Kahn and Empire Strikes Back "The Healing of the Nations"

(seriously, Kirk & Ashley, if you read this? you would frakking LOVE Brewvies!! but I digress)

it was awesome, very much like being in an episode of Mystery Science Theater. The best part was the drinking game, every time Cpt. Kirk says "Kahn" you have to drink....there was much potential to get hammered...which I didn't but it was still fun :) I guess the power went out before they could start Empire Strikes back but everyone had fun nonetheless. It's awesome to finally have a social life!!!



And on a totally unrelated note: I've found my favorite LOLCAT ever! Molly loves these things but I've never understood why the spelling and grammar are so awful...this made me spew when I saw it on the geekshow message board....oh and there's a new podcast here

ghetto-bee's

wow. I know that one is not supposed to blog about ones workplace...but I have to make a brief comment on the incredible deadness that is the bee's I just spent my first shift at??? 4 hours = 4 tables. (not to mention the only $2 an hour server wage in this fine state! ummm yeah, can't really make a living like that) My former workmates will understand when I say this place is so ghetto it makes the 'burg 'bees seem like a 4 star (****) establishment. Not clean. Not organized. And probably a good thing it was slow because I don't think they could have handled the business. I was asked by 3 different employees (on my first day mind you!) if I "blaze".... And the potty mouths on the staff??? Made ME blush! and that's fracking saying something!!!!
I'm on the schedule for next week but needless to say I will continue applying at different venues in hopes of finding something more lucrative. wish me luck.

refrigerated bliss!!

big news today!! we finally replaced this

with this

that's right! no more defrosting the 1 foot x 1 foot ice cube that's supposed to be a freezer every other day!!! and this new fridge? keeps all of the food cold...not just the stuff on the top shelf! AND it's got those shelfy things on the doors!!!! and they're big...like big enough for a big ole' salad dressing bottle!

I am in domestic bliss!!!!!

(next up: need to buy a convection oven so I can do some bakin')

Geek Love

LGK is so excited to be a new panel member for the Geek Show Podcast!! They did the show at the local cinemapub Brewvies (which has become our new watering hole of choice - they have BIG beer! and you can watch movies too I hear)



Anyhoo...this coming Sunday the GeekShow is also hosting a double feature
Wrath of Khan and Empire Strikes Back!!!
Thrill!!!



(sorry the image is so wee...it's pretty funny though yes?)

Grutze!!!

Gesundheit!
but seriously
Grutze (according to Wikipedia) is...."A popular dessert in northern Germany ... Rote Grütze", red fruit pudding, which is made from black and red currants, raspberries and sometimes strawberries or cherries cooked in juice with cornstarch as a thickener. It is traditionally served with cream, but also common with vanilla sauce, milk or whipped cream. "Rhabarbergrütze" (rhubarb pudding) and "Grüne Grütze" (gooseberry fruit pudding) are variations of the "Rote Grütze"."

I have wonderful memories of strawberry rhubarb grutze as a kid,and if memory serves,it was one of my Opa's favorite treats (and Opa? He loooved his treats...and his butter, an inch thick. So does Oma but that's another story, let me just tell you that in this house? butter is a food group, potatoes are vegetables, and Oma's biggest complaint? that I make her eat according to the food pyramid (a new concept apparently) lucky for me I'm used to picky kids)

So after hitting the farmer's market on Saturday (where I saw lots of caveman club-sized zuccinnis) I returned home with 2 bags of plums (we had a gorgeous and huge plum tree in the yard in Or...one of the few things I'll miss about the property) so I bought them for nostalgia sake...and then thought "what the hell am I gonna do with all these plums?" I was going to make a PflaumKuchen but....then I remembered...the oven? yeah it kind of blew up last week (don't get me started on the appliance situation in this house...suffice to say Oma and Opa bought the appliances (fridge/oven-range) USED in the 50's!!! - so yeah, they don't work so great anymore, but hey, they definitely got their 20-bucks worth)
so, baking not being an option we decided to try making a Pflaum Grutze...and it was 'nu-mee!! Molly helped and Oma supervised and we each ate 2 bowls for dessert!

Usually it's made with berries, but cherries or plums work fine and I'm going to try with peaches next week.
here's a "recipe"
it's not very precise (Rachel Ray I'm not!)
take your fruit, however much you have...in our case, 2 bags of plums when cut up turned into I'd say roughly7 cups of fruit
put it in a pot with enough water to "cover" the fruit (4 cups or so) bring to boil on a medium heat
add sugar (in our case today we added 3 cups)
you can also strain the fruit after it boils if you want a clearer grutze but we left the peels for tartness and "tooth"
bring back to a boil
now take some cornstarch (the technique used here was the "old fashioned" method of 2 "heaping" forkfulls for each cup of liquid...give or take....mix it up with water and add to the
fruity goodness in the pot
(I think this is kind of like thickening gravy...but when was the last time I made gravy???)
bring to boil again then serve in cute little teacups and let cool.
Oma likes hers with sugar sprinkled on top (because nothing is sweet enough) and milk (but surprisingly no butter) I like mine plain.
I think I'm having some for breakfast
and in our continuing adventures in German cuisine...I think I am going to use the potato ricer tomorrow!!! and maybe make some "Gurken Fleish" ...that's cucumbers & meat folks! mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........

loook! culture!!!

went to the "Monet to Picasso" exhibit at UMFA with Oma on Friday (we qualified it as "art therapy" because being "homebound" she's really not supposed to go "out" - BUT she can go to church and/or get her hair done - neither of which does she do so we talked the nurse into this instead)
The kids enjoyed the exhibit and it was a nice overall lesson on what the impressionist/expressionist movement was about - Max enjoyed the revolutionary aspect.


In general, I was hoping for more; more "famous" stuff...more Monet (I was lucky enough to see an exhibit of several water lilly paintings in London waaaay back in the late 80's) but I would have liked more Picasso & Van Gogh too....all in all a good exhibit though, well curated I thought and edumacational for the kidlettes.


Below, a few of our favorite pieces

Max was especially excited to see THE Thinker

Max's favorite painting, by Monet (reminds me of the little match girl)

And this one's Molly's favorite, by Tissot, she was "amazed" at how real the dress looks!

Shennanigans!

so I broke down and called the 'bees here in town and I start next week. Apparently no training or anything....just come in and get on the schedule. hmm. If I'd known it would be THAT easy....
truth be told I'm not totally jazzed to go back to work, and I predict thorough exhaustion may ensue (what with trying to manage this big house, manage Oma's care, not to mention the kids & the homeschool thing) but LGK has been working REALLY hard this past few weeks...and I'm talkin' sweaty manwork so I figure I can work a couple of days a week. Plus, I HATE being broke!!!! and after all, it is all about, as they say, the Benjamins

Went and bought tickets to a museum exhibit this morning. Oma, the kids and I will be going to "Monet to Picasso" at the UMFA tomorrow morning...Oma's first outting and some "culture" for the kidlettes.

Why I love SL, UT part DUCE

Delicious Cheezy Goodness!!!!!!!

why I love SL,UT

so to be honest, last week, totally kicked my arse. Between the stress, the flu, the elevation, the dust etc...I haven't been "myself" (whoever the hell she is) There are aspects of this move and this house that are "less than ideal" but I've been trying to keep it all in perspective and yesterday we had a victory in Oma coming home! She's doing fantastic. Shuffling around downstairs, without the walker even! and she ate a good dinner (I made my now two-state-famous quiche - in the toaster oven noless) and she was SOOO happy to be in her own space that any problems/stress so far seemed to melt away.
I decided to take this new euphoria one step further and actually wake up early this morning to go for a walk. Exercise and fresh air have been precious commodities this past few weeks, and I realized that's noone's fault but my own...so, at 7:30 this morning I put on my sassy sneaker-ish-type shoes and hit the incredibly bumpy sidewalk*
Some friends seemed bewildered as to WHY I would want to move back to SL. One friend in Oregon predicts I'll be back in 6 months. Au Contraire!
I love this town.
to be more specific, I LOVE the avenues. This is my home turf. I love the houses (huge Victorians, funky little old houses - many of which with blasted bare brick exteriors - My favorites) I love the yards. On my walk I saw countless "xeriscaped" yards; gorgeous echinacea plants, profusions of tall grasses, sunflowers taller than LGK! Some of them are perfectly manicured, some of them are overrun w/ foliage but they're all lovely in their own way.
I love the *bumpy sidewalks. The trees here are so huge and old that the roots have pushed the sidewalk all skiwampus and I remember tripping and stumbling all the time when I was a kid (they make for fun bike rides too if memory serves)
I love the smells. Sure, when you get downtown it smells like city (exhaust, waste etc.) but up here, it smells like sprinklers & bread. I walked past 3 bakeries/coffeeshops (I can't wait to check them out!) (and Michelle...you just have to know where to look....)
I love the sounds...One of my favorite stories is of the first morning we spent "in the country" in our old digs. The neighbors? they had a donkey. and it was verbally abusing a gaggle of wild turkeys. it was loud. and it was SO overtly "rural". I cried for 2 hours. What the hell was I doing there?!?!? I'm not THAT much of a city girl, but Come On! This morning, I enjoyed the symphony of distant traffic, a few dogs barking and one of my avenues co-dwellers, practicing the violin. It was delightful.
I walked to the West this morning because I'm not quite ready for the N/S hills (baby steps) and before I knew it I'd walked all the way to downtown (about 13 blocks) and then I turned back home on 3rd. That's 26 blocks! Which to some of you may not seem like much, but for me? That's practically a marathon!
And in that distance? 2 dozen Obama signs! Yay
What I DIDN"T see on my walk this morning? NO cars on blocks; NO stray pitbulls; NO guys in wifebeaters, riding tractors.
I'm home

Oy Vey!

What a Week!!!
So, against all odds and despite my concerns we managed to get all of our stuff loaded into the van (with the sad exception of my lovely washer/dryer *sniffle* looks like I'll be laundr-o-matting it like the old days) Leigh DID make enchiladas after all (I had my doubts but he proved me wrong in typically delicious fashion) and we even got the old homestead relatively presentable/clean...GIGANIMOUS thanks to Kirk for all of his help!!!! I'll miss the funny little noises he makes when he lifts heavy things....
ffwd to 4 am. left bright and early and made it to P-town for a final gettogether w/ LGK's clan and had an impromptu "hike" in the arboretum area...saw the biggest monkey puzzle tree ever, and said goodbye to the hobo-king....
tearful a'revoirs (sp?) all around and on the road again...
we made the drive to SLUT in two days (I am not so much with the long distance driving...I'm a bit of a car "napper" and when you're driving? I hear that's not a great idea) so we made lots of stops and I drank a LOT of coffee/soda...we made it into town on Monday afternoon...and GIGANIMOUS thanks go to our good buddy Jerry for all of his help UN-loading!!
In a perfect world we would have had a week, just to pack up all of Oma's stuff to make room for all of our stuff, but as it's worked out, the house is just jampacked with chaos right now. Boxes Boxes and more Boxes...I've been sorting through Oma's stuff and boxing the upstairs up (you'd be AMAZED at how one little lady can have SO much stuff!! I mean this is a big house and it's PACKED with STUFF!!!) This whole packrat thing must be genetic. And she buys multiples of everything!!
On the plus side: While living here, I will NEVER have to buy envelopes, tape, white thread, aluminum foil or sugar cubes.
you can never have too many sugar cubes.
So, it's been an incredibly busy week...and a tumultuous one. My first week here as "caregiver" and it's already been an emotional rollercoaster.
Got in Monday, visited Oma, unpacked
Tuesday...went to visit Oma at the care center....she wasn't there!!! and none of the fine personnel could tell me WHERE THE FRACK she WAS!! turns out she'd had chest pains and was taken to the ER. Fantastic. I was pretty sure this was it and she was having a heart attack. Thank goodness that was not the case... Spent the day at the ER with her, getting tests and fluids drained (rrrmmmm...) then got her settled back at the care center.
While at the ER I was apparently exposed to some kind of nasty bug, coupled with stress and exhaustion I was LAID OUT on Wednesday (nastiness! both ends....'nuff said)
Thursday, still felt like crap...kept unpacking...
midnight...get a phonecall from Oma...she's having chest pains and is pretty sure she's "goin' home" and by "home" I don't mean the house...so I rush to the care center @ 1:00 am and get her calmed down/medicated...now she's ok..not going to the bright light afterall....
All of this going on while I'm trying to get her house clean/organized/ready for her to come home this coming Monday....
Friday....Max catches the gombuu and I'm still having residual effects (debilitating tummy cramps) Leigh got to go out with buddies though and I think he had a good time - gawd knows he deserves it! I got to briefly see Unka Jeff & Barndogg (sorry that I missed the lovely Charity) Can't wait to spend more time with these great friends!
(on a side note: LGK got a job working for our friend Jerry already so he's been out cleaning carpets and making a hard-earned buck or two! Manly labor! *swoon*)
Yesterday was ok...went to the laundromat, which happens to be right next to a delightfull little coffee shop/french bakery...nothing like sipping a lemonade and sharing a fresh baguette with Molly while waiting for our clothes to dry. And on another positive note, the dryers at this laundromat actually dry your clothes!! for less than a small fortune!!!
Everyone's exhausted and Max is still sick.
Today...Leigh gets the Crud.
It's definitely making the rounds...and at the most inopportune time to say the least.
But, today I feel better and I've almost got things organized enough to move Oma home tomorrow. Oxygen and potty chairs and wheelchairs to be delivered tomorrow morning. There's still a TON of stuff to do and I'm sure that this "ride" will continue to be a tumultuous one but tomorrow...Oma gets to come home and that's the important part.

7 trips to the goodwill, 4 dumpruns....

and we're still not done with the frackin' packin'!!! Seriously! how much stuff can one family have????!!!! and how much bubble wrap does it take?!?!?!?!
Actually, we've "purged" quite a bit...the kids have a fantastic attitude about the whole thing, and LGK? He kicked ass and cleaned the kitchen! you should see the range top - which is to say, you actuall can see the range top - for the first time in a while
In other news...worked my last shift @ Shennanigans last night...a few tears were shed...And Wednesday night a few drinks were had...a few songs sung (G&R anyone?!?!) and a few lapdances given....boy are my legs sore!!!
tee hee
ok
back to packin'.
see you Utards next week!!!!

by the way...this

is the best packin'/movin' music!!

"outted"

as Alana puts it "LGK outted" us. No sense trying to keep it on the DL anymore (and I wrote to my dad's family so they wouldn't find out here)so....yep, we're loadin' up and heading back to the Mother Country. Next Sunday's the day....
and can I just say that it's fracking AMAZING how much CRAP we've accumulated in this house in 10 years!!!????!!!! Purging has been long overdue but as we pack we're getting rid of a ton of junk (considering we're moving into a smaller space upstairs at my Oma's house we have to!)
The folks at goodwill get excited when they see me coming with yet another load of stuff every day.
To answer some questions that I've been getting a lot:

No, we're not selling the house yet. Or renting it yet. Time is of the essence with this move and I couldn't possibly wrap my brain around getting the house rent-ready or ready to be put on the market in 3 weeks. So, we'll regroup in a few months and LGK may come up and finish up some projects and we'll put it up for sale. We'd rent it if we knew someone willing to live down here/work on it...(hint hint PettenClaibornes)

Ringo found a new home, with my boss Tom. He's got 10 acres, 2 other big dogs to play with and Tom lets him sleep on the bed. My guess is that he's in Dog-Heaven!

Yes, we will still be homeschooling (are you kidding? the fact that LGK is self employed, the kids are homeschooled and I can waitress anywhere are what make it possible for us to move right now)

The kids are excited to move. As Max so eloquently put it the other day "Mormons can't be any worse than Rednecks"
and LGK is excited too, I think. Regardless, he's the best husband in the world...and the best friend I could ever ask for or hope for.

That is all for now. gotta go pack some more

all work and no blog make Rachel something something

so,
long time no bloggy.
I've got news. And I'm going to post it. Soon. There are some folks I still want to tell in "person" so they don't read it here first and get all butt-hurt
so
news soon.
but not today.
suffice to say, things at the Kade compound are tumultuous but not in a bad way.
So with this stress I found some solace in the following..... a little tidbit that I discovered last night (watching Buffy season 6 finale).
I've always loved Sarah MacClachlan and she did a song of this that I LOVE!
Those of you that know me, know that I'm not overtly religious or spiritual and you may find it curious that I would be so moved by a prayer...but as far as saints go, Francis has always been my favorite (I remember a neat statue at a church in NM when I was a kid, and he had a little bird on his hand and a lamb by his feet - and it was so cute!!! that's the extent of my religious-ity)
But I want to share the following with you (my 3 loyal readers) because it's helping me right now


"Prayer of St. Francis"

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

A very merry un-birthday to me!

Yesterday, Saturday, we celebrated my early birthday (as I will be heading Utard-way next week to visit/care for my Oma and that will be coinciding w/ my big three-five)
**just got invited to Burt's for my b'day!!! perhaps I won't be sitting alone in the dark after all!?!?**
anyhoo, yesterday....
Had a lovely breakfast, complete w/ facon bacon *Yumm*
Went to see Hellboy II *AWESOME*
and received some loverly gifties from the fam including:
A "slightly sinister" crafting/knitting book



a GIANT bottlecap shaped tin bar sign (soon to be painted with my logo and used as a sign for my booth!) proof that you really CAN find anything on the ebays.

a couple a DVD's; ONCE and SWEENEY TODD

A new red "swade" slipcover for my beat up old wingchair

and a badass customized pair of extra high top Chuck Taylors...(black, with red leopard print tongues, red laces and b/w skully insides!!!) that LGK designed and had custom-manufactured for me here
KEWL!!!

and then we had SLURPEES!!!!

What more could a gal ask for for her birthday I asks you!?!?!

anyhoo...that's the update for the weekend. I'll be offline for the next week. Headed to PDX bright and early Monday morning, flying to SLC and I'll be back NEXT monday. Oma's house is actually still "hardwired" - so absolutely NO internet connection - not even modern telephones...she's got these crazy old rotary phones from the 40's...can't even hook up an answering machine to those bad boys...they're Old School!
Thanks for the happy/healing thoughts kids...see you next week.

Introducing.......Big Mobey!!!

I know he'll take this picture and photshop the hell out of it (perhaps adding a fur coat?) but can I just say *swoon*?!?!

isn't it ironic?

doncha think?
no black flies in my chardonnay today...but a couple of things that strike me as silly/ironic
My daughter, who is not much of a "self entertainer" is trying very hard to keep herself occupied while her big bro' is at grandma's house...Mom & Dad are both working on business/crafty stuff so I asked her to find a game to play. What does she choose? The Planet Earth DVD game - cool game but it definitely assumes that you've just watched the documentary...and it's on a highschool level...did I mention that she's 8? So, yeah, she doesn't know any of the answers...so, she's constantly asking for help and telling the TV that it's stupid.
And another thing?
strangely enough, I sell more dogtags than just about anything on etsy. And I'm in negotiations to do a line of dog tags for karmacharms.com...
so, I thought if I'm going to be a dog accessory designer/manufacturer my dogs should probably sport some right? Ringo, good boy that he is, is dutifully wearing his (doesn't even notice it to be honest) Fergie on the other hand? HATES IT!!! he's growling at it, biting it and frantically rolling about as if he's posessed, trying to get it off.
(have I ever mentioned that some of my main reasons for gettting a "Wergie" or a little dog were that I wanted to pretend to be Paris Hilton and dress him, and carry him in a fashionable handbag? (maybe it was a biological clock thing now that I think about it...) Yeah, he won't wear clothes either. And when I tried to put him in the gorgeous gold-tone carryall that I got for him last summer (for my birthday no less) he screamed like a demon and bit me. I gave the bag to my friend Ashley for her ferretts. pooh

And on another note, thanks to the friends who've shown support & positive vibes regarding my family/Oma issues. We're still waiting and seeing. Thanks though.

the fourth of July and trying to relieve sadness with baking...

a day of celebration...a day when the locals have an excuse to lounge in their "yards" (and I do use the term loosely...does a conflagration of cynderblocks, burrel wood statuettes and a Chevy Nova bumper qualify as a yard or garden??) wearing naught but their Walmart shorts, Curslite (that's Coors Light) in hand, as junior sets the county ablaze with contraband fireworks...the neighbors are playin' horseshoes and subjecting the entire neighborhood to their "classic rock"....A day when free candy is to be had by the grocery bag-full at the local "parade" (again I use the term loosely...not a float to be seen, but MANY log trucks, tow trucks & rodeo queens from far and wide) and a day when the best view of the local fireworks is from the highway..sitting on the hood of the car and watching the heavens 'splode...
OK that last part is actually kind of cool.
While I find it hard to get too jazzed up about this, Independence Day...(I've been reading some revisionist history which has illuminated for me the fact that the revolution as well as most of our country's exhalted history has perhaps been skewed in the telling...really it's all been about rich whitey all along - SURPRISE!)
I DO get a kick out of the fireworks, and surprisingly enough our little corner of nowhere has one of the better displays I've ever seen.
We'll be bbq-ing at the in-laws this afternoon...not necessarily because it's the 4th but because relations (a cousin and the great grandpa) will be in town. I'm making split pea/low-fat guacamole and the house smells great right now...Oatmeal cookies in the oven too. Thank goodness it's not too terribly hot today 'cause I had a sudden onset of domesticity and I was gonna turn the oven on regardless...
The past few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster. My Oma is not, as some of you may have gathered, doing well. And I'm far away. And helpless. I don't know what's actually going on with her and while all I want to do is fly there (on a metaphorical white steed) and play Florence Nightengale....there's nothing I can really do. I feel some kind of need to "see her one more time"...but as my mother lovingly pointed out, maybe it would be better to keep happy/healthy memories? It's been weeks of tests and unanswerable questions. Weeks of "wait and see" and we still don't really KNOW anything and it's making me crazy and OH SO tired (yes, I am generally a tired girl but this is REALLY draining).
My son wants to know what's going on. I don't know what to tell him. I don't want to be alarmist but he knows I'm crying several times a day so he wants to know what's up. He's so mature in so many ways...but he's also SO empathetic/sympathetic and I don't want to put him through too much....Much in the same way my mom is still trying to shelter me.
I've never been exposed to much death. I've been very blessed and very sheltered. I was protected from my Opa's passing when I was 12 and I have only happy memories of him really. There was a girl in highschool, a casual friend, who committed suicide and I went to her services...that really hit a lot of us kids hard...and it definitely influenced my attitudes about mental illness and suicide (that's another post maybe). Our friend Scott took his life several years ago now...and I didn't get to say goodbye. Nobody did. My friend Gina's husband died unexpectedly last year and while it made me very sad for her...I was more than a little bit appalled by the vultures and drama-whores that surrounded her..I couldn't be a part of that, and as a result I don't think I was "there" for my friend. Something I will always regret a little.
Part of me wants to say goodbye to Oma. I've been calling her more often and trying to stay cheerful when I'm on the phone with her. I've run the gamut of emotions off the phone though. I started practicing telling myself that she's "dying". It could be days, it could be months... so much depends on whether she'll take treatment or if the treatment works. I don't think my mom was really willing or aware of how bad it was until she went to see her.
She may have to go to a care center or a hospice or whatever they are called.
I hate that idea. When I did CNA training I swore to myself that noone I loved would ever be in one of those 'horrible places'...but in reality, what can we do? I used to think the families of those poor old people were so heartless, letting strangers care for their family...but again...what else can we do? I can't take care of her. Neither can my mom.
I wish that my romantic ideas of death and passing could come true...but I just don't know it that will be the case.
I think she's ready to go. I think she'll see Opa and that makes her (and me) happy.
I'm very glad and lucky that she and I don't have any issues. I don't have to "make peace" with her about anything before she goes...I just wish I could help. But I can't so I'm making cookies.

my early birthday present

I've been told that I have an uncanny ability to "spoil" my birthday/holiday gift surprises because I always do one of the following: buy myself the thing that's already been purchased for me...go into the garage for the first time in a year only to discover my "hidden" present....or....become single-mindedly obsessed with an item and hint about it unceasingly until LGK just takes me to the hardware store and says "fine".
so now....I have this



and I can make my own holes in my bottle caps at my own table wheneverIdamnwellplease!! (no more trips to the mil's to use her drill press!)

mememe

One of them there meme things...I’m not sure what the implied significance of any of these books might be (or why there is SO much Jane Austen on the list) and at just about half of them read I can’t decide if I am woefully under-read or relatively well-read (typical level of self-imposed mediocrity I’m guessing :o)
100 Books

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.



1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass)
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (I have read many, but not ALL)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye
19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis (yawn!)
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt (one of my all-time favorites)
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte's Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Indiana Jones and the Really Bad Decision

my son, is a genius! look what he made!!!!
I can't wait to see this on the montage of his career when he is presented with a lifetime achievement in film award!
this is just his first attempt - and he assures me there is more to come :)

8 year old wisdom

We've all seen those email fwds that are "from the mouths of babes" "Kids say the craziest things..." right? I've been meaning to share Molly's latest wisdom for a few weeks now...
Molly has a tendency (and genetic inclination) to wear all of her jewelry/accessories at the same time (a tendency that prompted my stepfather on more than one occasion to ask my mother "are you going to let her go out in public like that??!!" )
anyway, she had a couple of pins/broaches on her shirt and had forgotten to take them off when putting her clothes in the laundry. When they went through the drier they melted/came off their pinbacks. So, I decided to take this as an opportunity to teach her a valuable life lesson about jewelry/makeup. I still forget to take my lipgloss out of my pocket and melt at least 2 a year (thereby also ruining many a shirt of LGK's) As I tried to explain the concept of pocket emptying to Molly I said "someday when you wear makeup....." that's as far as I got. "What if I don't want to wear makeup?" she asked sassily. "Well you certainly don't have to" I said, somewhat taken aback. "Because I think I'm beautiful and perfect just the way I am" she declared defiantly - and I rejoiced inside! (One of the biggest challenges I find in raising kids, male or female, is making sure they have positive self image. Despite the best of intentions, we all know that there are inumerable social influences that conspire to make us feel fat/ugly/stupid/unworthy) So I was thrilled that my little girl ( who is gorgeous by the way) knows that she is and I pray that she keeps that confidence!
but then, as she is oft inclined to do...she took it to another level ...
"Besides mom, sometimes sometimes if I make a mistake on a painting and I try to cover it up or fix it..."
hmmmmmmm - where is she going with this??? I said to myself.
"like that zit on your nose that you put makeup on Mom....sometimes when you try to fix it you just make it worse."

that should put the marzipan in your brainpan bingo

A few pictures of some new items (some custom) that will be posted on my etsy soon and possibly "available at a retailer near you" soon too (read on for more)






and this is the first of my palchemy creations (from a few posts back) made out of a French prepaid phone card with Peter Gabriel on it and some findings that I got from Drew for our Palchemy/Trashion challenge (by the way...Peter Gabriel? old. looks a bit like Billy Joel now...when did that happen?????
(there are more palchemy creations drying/waiting for pictures)


Wow! Where has the 4 day weekend gone?!?!? Actually it's been a great weekend...it wasn't even my birthday and LGK played rummy for 2 1/2 hours last night (and he beat me for the first time ever!!!) It was awesome! Market yesterday was uneventful (and unfruitful)..which led to some serious brainstorming and debate about what direction to take this little crafting venture of mine. The idea has always been "exposure" but short of flashing them my naughty bits, I think I've done all the exposure to the local farmer's market types that they (or I ) can handle...I'm seeing a lot of the same folks every weekend, and they're quite frankly coming to market for their lettuce and eggs...not necessarily for their bottlecap jewelry. We did make some new display racks on Friday (Max even got to use the nail gun!! yikes!!) and I don't regret the new racks because I still plan on doing the professional business women's fair and the spring/earthday fairs next year...BUT if things stay this stagnant at market, I'm not feeling compelled or obligated to continue going every weekend.
Anyway, there was much discussion about wholesale/retail etc. too. I've been "meaning" to get out there and hawk my wares to some local shops...now I just need to ride this wave of motivation and do it. I came home yesterday and made a list of stores in the area that might be willing to do consignment and/or purchase a small "starter" package. We're going to get to work on a brochure this week too (I'll keep you posted) I'm thinking about hitting the owner of the bead store up..and the salvage/recycling place heartwood resources has a craft consignment shop that I think will carry my stuff....other thoughts: my friend JoAnne's nursery/gift shop, the "head shop" in Sutherlin, tattoo shops...(any other suggestions are welcome of course :)
I'm also thinking that if I put together a retail "presentation" we can "write off" trips out of town...to Eugene, Portland etc. Maybe I can talk my mom into brokering for me in NM? and what about SL?! I'm thinking blue boutique? Grunts & Postures??
The possibilities are endless! Now I just have to get to work!!!!!

Also had some email conversation with the buyer for karma charms they specialize in accessories for large breed dogs and they approached me about doing a "drop shipment" of tags/charms through their website. I'm sending them some samples which their puppies will "test" for a month or so and then we'll see what happens with that.

On a personal note, we are still waiting for difinitive news on my Oma's "condition" - gotta love all the "inconclusive" tests that they put one through (charging an arm & a leg no doubt for all of them) I've been in every-other-day contact with her this past few weeks though and her spirits are good (as long as the fluid doesn't build up and make it hard for her to breathe) My mum and I are just kind of waiting now to see what happens next and if one or both of us need to go down there and help her out. Those of you who know me, know that I HATE not knowing what's going on (almost as much as I hate brusslesprouts and the smell of boiling chicken) but I'm dealing as well as I can. Thanks to anyone who sent positive vibes my Oma's way
On a positive note, LGK's business is very portable so we'll be able to pack up and travel on little or no notice if needs be. We'd been planning on a trip in September but we're thankfully able to be flexible if the need arrises.

Went to see a matinee of Indiana Jones today. I enjoyed it. Couldn't help thinking of Spielberg and Lucas sitting around talking..."hey, you know what would be cool?" "Aliens!" "Hell's yeah!!" I mean really, aliens? So what if it's a bit out there! what did they have to lose? And it's their movie so I say goforit! Not any stranger in my book than the thought that the arc of the covenant or the grail are real relics. Who's to say that "space daddy" isn't an alien? And another thing...are refrigerators really lined with lead? and would climbing into one save you from an atomic blast??? I'm just curious.

I apologize for the rambling nature of this here post...and the lack of witty. I especially apologize to my reader(s) in Croatia and Austria (yes, I got a sitemeter/tracker!) today's offering is definitely just journally but hey....I do what I want...call me George Lucas!