To those who might be interested, I have a companion blog. This is dedicated to the art/creativity of my children. Yes, I am a proud mother but I am also a mother trying to conserve on space in her life. When this idea hit me I knew I had struck gold. Much of the children's work can now be digitized and saved. I am a happy mother now that I've come up with this idea.
So for those friends and family members dispersed throughout the country you are more than welcome to view the new blog. Please forgive me for adding those pesky letter verification things but I started to receive comment spam.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Stick horse
Last week DQ brought home a parent/child assignment. A state holiday is remembered today and the 2nd grade teachers thought it would be wonderful to have the children and parents create a stick horse together.
DQ was all pumped about it. Apparently the teachers also thought it would be cool to bate the children into a contest. In other words these stick horses needed to be made not bought and then they, the teachers, were going to judge our creative abilities.
Hopefully by now most of you know that I am not an arts and crafty kinda gal. Oh, I've done an occassional counted cross-stitch. I did a needlepoint kit once. I even hooked my brother a rug once. But I am not crafty. I buy kits. Remember that I was doing a reupholstering job lately?
So over the weekend I designed a muzzle out of paper towel tubes. I taped them together. Yesterday we got together to finish the project. See the rest of the weekend was spent preparing for Passover. I finally found a recipe for potatoe kugel that I like. Why do good recipes always have to be so labor intensive? I digress. So yesterday we spent sometime looking for the muzzle.
Once I found it. I looked at it and realized that we needed something to be the head. Well I have all these pieces of foam left over from covering the seat cushions. So I balled them up and taped them on to the muzzle. Now the nose looked too flat so I bunched up a bit more foam and taped that on to the muzzle. Voila! I now had a horses head. My original idea was to cover this in construction paper but I looked at this head again and decided it was too lumpy. So wrapped it in some of the remaining batting from the seat backs. Which then led me to realize that the paper would not hold up very well. So I measure out the rest of the material that I would need to cover the cheap chairs I have. The rest I used to cover the head. We, DQ, PF and I, worked together to sew the material together. This was a very long endeavor.
I finally had to get dinner heated, and the rest of the kids back in the house, and feed the family. After dinner I get back to designing this horse head. I use black craft foam for the ears. The eyes are large, flat brownish buttons with smaller black buttons sewn on top. The nostrils are small black buttons. PF observed that the way I folded the material around the nose made adequate nostrils and the buttons were not necessary. But I had already sewn those buttons on the stupid head and I wasn't taking them off. Earlier in the evening I had made a proclamation that the horse simply wasn't going to have a mane because I didn't have any yarn that would be adequate. (I didn't think pink or purple would cut it) I felt bad about that. While I was reiterating this proclamation to PF in our bedroom my eyes fell on my scarf. It's made from that furry kind of yarn. I now had a mane!
By the time this horse came all together it was 11:00PM! I was tired. PF was tired, and DQ was asleep in bed. Actually I think it's pretty cute. It is a red clay colored horse with a dark grey mane. So we'll see how it survives the day.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Wanting to pass on Passover
For the second time in 2 years Passover does not correspond with Easter. Now for many this isn't a big deal, and I suppose I really should be grateful for that fact but I'm not. I'm done celebrating things for awhile.
Perhaps it's the fact that PF is going out of town, and won't be back until the second night of Seder. Last year's Seder was a disaster. Really. My food processor broke; I forgot to put the turkey breast in the oven; I thought I was getting the kugel into the oven (that's how I found out the turkey was missing from the oven).
I'm not Jewish. I only started celebrating Passover with my dear husband back in 1993. We use to go to the Hillel for the dinners. The year we were going through infertility treatments we did a Seder for ourselves. Our dogs were made to suffer through it. At one point our Dancer dog started to make these noises that sounded like she was deep in prayer. We laugh about that still.
Since having kids I've started doing Passover meals at our house. PF is a lovely man but is quite useless in the kitchen. Oh he can cook but he drives me crazy asking me questions about how to do things. It gets to the point where I'm like, "Oh never, mind! I'll do it myself." I just wish he would do it. I don't care how it gets done but man all those questions is nerve wracking. Now my b-i-l is great! I love to cook with him. We work well together in the kitchen. He just does it. No questions asked. Okay maybe, "What do you want me to do?" but that's it.
So here's the problem. I really, really don't want to do Seder this year. PF is not going to be there to help, and with American Airlines cancelling flights I really don't think he'll make it home in time for the meal. I don't want to invite people over for dinner. I don't want to cook a large meal. I don't want to have to get the china out. I don't want to have to clean the china afterwards. I don't want to have to get all the dining room chairs finished in time for this meal. I don't want to have to clean house. I'm just not in the mood.
Would it be so terrible to pass on Passover this year?
Perhaps it's the fact that PF is going out of town, and won't be back until the second night of Seder. Last year's Seder was a disaster. Really. My food processor broke; I forgot to put the turkey breast in the oven; I thought I was getting the kugel into the oven (that's how I found out the turkey was missing from the oven).
I'm not Jewish. I only started celebrating Passover with my dear husband back in 1993. We use to go to the Hillel for the dinners. The year we were going through infertility treatments we did a Seder for ourselves. Our dogs were made to suffer through it. At one point our Dancer dog started to make these noises that sounded like she was deep in prayer. We laugh about that still.
Since having kids I've started doing Passover meals at our house. PF is a lovely man but is quite useless in the kitchen. Oh he can cook but he drives me crazy asking me questions about how to do things. It gets to the point where I'm like, "Oh never, mind! I'll do it myself." I just wish he would do it. I don't care how it gets done but man all those questions is nerve wracking. Now my b-i-l is great! I love to cook with him. We work well together in the kitchen. He just does it. No questions asked. Okay maybe, "What do you want me to do?" but that's it.
So here's the problem. I really, really don't want to do Seder this year. PF is not going to be there to help, and with American Airlines cancelling flights I really don't think he'll make it home in time for the meal. I don't want to invite people over for dinner. I don't want to cook a large meal. I don't want to have to get the china out. I don't want to have to clean the china afterwards. I don't want to have to get all the dining room chairs finished in time for this meal. I don't want to have to clean house. I'm just not in the mood.
Would it be so terrible to pass on Passover this year?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Colors
When I was a little girl my mother's furniture were Earth-tones. The winged chairs upholstery was fairly large flowers of yellow, green, brown and gold. The couch was that aweful green of the '70s (Mainly because it was the '70s). The fabric had large loops of threads. The threads were made of some sort of synthetic material. I always enjoyed pressing the loops under my finger nails. But I hated it when I was sick or it was summer time. That material just made you swelter in the already sweltering heat of West Texas.
I hate the colors my mother chose for her livings room. I remember thinking when I was a little girl that my furniture would be pinks and other pastel colors. Well in choosing the chairs for my living room guess what color I chose? Gold! The material for the valance I bought is mostly gold toned. The material I bought for the teak chairs is a reddish brown. What in the world happened to me? Where did all the pink and pastels go to?
Okay, my reading room furniture is a purplish color but even then the arm chair and ottoman is more gold. My living room couch is a striped beast of navy, burgundy, with tiny stripes of gold and green. My "thrown" chair is green with yellow shot through it. Do you see what I mean? I've somehow taken on the golds and greens of my mother! How did that happen!?! Okay. I'm married to a man. That might have one factor towards this but really he doesn't usually care what I pick out. He trusts my judgement when it comes to things like that. Have I become my mother? Really that doesn't bother me. I like my mom; I just didn't like her Earth tone trend. I'm just going to tell myself that the color chair I picked was better than the other choice of pale olive green.
I hate the colors my mother chose for her livings room. I remember thinking when I was a little girl that my furniture would be pinks and other pastel colors. Well in choosing the chairs for my living room guess what color I chose? Gold! The material for the valance I bought is mostly gold toned. The material I bought for the teak chairs is a reddish brown. What in the world happened to me? Where did all the pink and pastels go to?
Okay, my reading room furniture is a purplish color but even then the arm chair and ottoman is more gold. My living room couch is a striped beast of navy, burgundy, with tiny stripes of gold and green. My "thrown" chair is green with yellow shot through it. Do you see what I mean? I've somehow taken on the golds and greens of my mother! How did that happen!?! Okay. I'm married to a man. That might have one factor towards this but really he doesn't usually care what I pick out. He trusts my judgement when it comes to things like that. Have I become my mother? Really that doesn't bother me. I like my mom; I just didn't like her Earth tone trend. I'm just going to tell myself that the color chair I picked was better than the other choice of pale olive green.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Projects of major proportions.
Inspired by the story of stump removal it is time to share my story about the major projects going on in our house. Last year you may recall that I got the garage pretty well cleaned up. Those who know PF knows that this is a major feat. Especially since he helped and did not resist my efforts.
Well back in Jan. we sold our first house. You know the one that hadn't been lived in for the last 3 years. Of course it hadn't been on the market to sale either. My understanding is that is the only way a house will sale. I proved my point by forcing PF to put it on the market. Once he did that it only took about 9-10 months to sale. We did much better than I expected, too.
Now this is significant because we now have money to spend. We've been celebrating by making many purchases that we've been unable to afford. I bought brand new kitchen chairs. I bought cloth to re-upholster the teak dining room chairs that were really, really nasty (between time and children the wool didn't last well); also bought cloth to make a rather tasteful valance. PF bought a new Imac. The old computer that was bought back in 1998/1999 will be moved into the living room for the kids. Well we did have a computer for the kids in the living room but it's pretty much useless. It only plays 2 games. None of the games bought over the years can be played on it. Well PF measured the cabinet we had the kids' computer in and it is too small to hold the 1998 computer. So we came up with the brillant plan of buying a new desk.
At first we thought it would be for the living room but somehow the idea evolved and now PF is getting a new desk for his study and the "old" desk (It's only 3 yrs. old) is going into the living room. I loved this idea. I got to go shopping again! So the hunt began. I thought I had talked PF into this gorgeous black roll-top desk. But he did some measuring and the computer wouldn't fit well enough into it to close the top and lock it. Gone is my dream. Oh well, it was meant for PF after all, right? This shopping experience ended up taking about 3 weeks. I mean we found something that we both liked. It's a modular set. The return on the desk is shorter than the old desk's return. But PF had to keep thinking about it. We made 4 trips to the much hated store where it resides.
Finally last Friday we bought the thing. Now the problem is to get PF to clear off the old desk and much of the rest of the study to do the moving. I have managed to get him to allow me to go through several of the boxes that occupied the center of the floor. Now all those things in those boxes fit into 2 boxes. Over the last several days I've tried to start on the boxes to the left of the old "path into" the room was. I've hit resistance. PF won't let me near them. If I even get close to them his hackles raise, and he starts bristling. I back away slow making sure not to make any sudden movements. Why is this an issue for me? The stupid desk will be delivered this Friday! We are in no way ready for this delivery.
Oh! I suppose I should back up to last Friday. When we got to the store PF started his ponderings again. It was like he was trying to talk himself out of it. I lost my patience. So instead of getting mad and making a scene I walked away. The girls and I walked the store. We went all over the 2nd floor several times. Finally I redirected them back as the store was announce that the store is closing in 45 minutes. On my way back to PF I see a barrel chair; I've been looking for a barrel chair ever since my father died. The funeral home had one. It was the chair I sat in as we made arrangements for my father. It comforted me so much. It was like being cradled in someone's arms. So I sat down in the chair, and low and behold! the chair fit me just fine! It was perfect! So I went back to our sales' lady and told her that I had something I wanted to purchase. I got two of those chairs. Later after I thought about what color the chairs are I laughed but that is another story to be told another time. (Read the NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende.) I also got a cute little accent table to set between the two chairs. What to PF several weeks took me little more than 5 minutes to decide. OK. To be honest I've been looking for 4 years. Now that I think about it it's kinda funny that these chairs will be delivered to my house with the green door the week my father died four years ago.
Pray that we can get things pulled together and be ready for the momentous occassion. I have another story that is related to this but it will have to wait since I've already been so long winded here. I've lost most of my voice so I figure that is why I'm a Chatty Cathy in my posting.
Well back in Jan. we sold our first house. You know the one that hadn't been lived in for the last 3 years. Of course it hadn't been on the market to sale either. My understanding is that is the only way a house will sale. I proved my point by forcing PF to put it on the market. Once he did that it only took about 9-10 months to sale. We did much better than I expected, too.
Now this is significant because we now have money to spend. We've been celebrating by making many purchases that we've been unable to afford. I bought brand new kitchen chairs. I bought cloth to re-upholster the teak dining room chairs that were really, really nasty (between time and children the wool didn't last well); also bought cloth to make a rather tasteful valance. PF bought a new Imac. The old computer that was bought back in 1998/1999 will be moved into the living room for the kids. Well we did have a computer for the kids in the living room but it's pretty much useless. It only plays 2 games. None of the games bought over the years can be played on it. Well PF measured the cabinet we had the kids' computer in and it is too small to hold the 1998 computer. So we came up with the brillant plan of buying a new desk.
At first we thought it would be for the living room but somehow the idea evolved and now PF is getting a new desk for his study and the "old" desk (It's only 3 yrs. old) is going into the living room. I loved this idea. I got to go shopping again! So the hunt began. I thought I had talked PF into this gorgeous black roll-top desk. But he did some measuring and the computer wouldn't fit well enough into it to close the top and lock it. Gone is my dream. Oh well, it was meant for PF after all, right? This shopping experience ended up taking about 3 weeks. I mean we found something that we both liked. It's a modular set. The return on the desk is shorter than the old desk's return. But PF had to keep thinking about it. We made 4 trips to the much hated store where it resides.
Finally last Friday we bought the thing. Now the problem is to get PF to clear off the old desk and much of the rest of the study to do the moving. I have managed to get him to allow me to go through several of the boxes that occupied the center of the floor. Now all those things in those boxes fit into 2 boxes. Over the last several days I've tried to start on the boxes to the left of the old "path into" the room was. I've hit resistance. PF won't let me near them. If I even get close to them his hackles raise, and he starts bristling. I back away slow making sure not to make any sudden movements. Why is this an issue for me? The stupid desk will be delivered this Friday! We are in no way ready for this delivery.
Oh! I suppose I should back up to last Friday. When we got to the store PF started his ponderings again. It was like he was trying to talk himself out of it. I lost my patience. So instead of getting mad and making a scene I walked away. The girls and I walked the store. We went all over the 2nd floor several times. Finally I redirected them back as the store was announce that the store is closing in 45 minutes. On my way back to PF I see a barrel chair; I've been looking for a barrel chair ever since my father died. The funeral home had one. It was the chair I sat in as we made arrangements for my father. It comforted me so much. It was like being cradled in someone's arms. So I sat down in the chair, and low and behold! the chair fit me just fine! It was perfect! So I went back to our sales' lady and told her that I had something I wanted to purchase. I got two of those chairs. Later after I thought about what color the chairs are I laughed but that is another story to be told another time. (Read the NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende.) I also got a cute little accent table to set between the two chairs. What to PF several weeks took me little more than 5 minutes to decide. OK. To be honest I've been looking for 4 years. Now that I think about it it's kinda funny that these chairs will be delivered to my house with the green door the week my father died four years ago.
Pray that we can get things pulled together and be ready for the momentous occassion. I have another story that is related to this but it will have to wait since I've already been so long winded here. I've lost most of my voice so I figure that is why I'm a Chatty Cathy in my posting.
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