Ready for the goblins

We are preparing for the onslaught on Trick or Treaters that we get each Halloween.  We live in a neighborhood that gets TONS of kids on Halloween.  It's safe, with only one entrance, sidewalks on both side of the street, and plenty of street lights, and folks decorate big time.  We are at the back of the neighborhood, and we got 150 kids last year.  No lie, that many.  (I count the goblins so I can know how much candy to get for the next year.)


I have my big bag of candy from Target.  No chocolate, too expensive.  And I might be tempted to eat it.

I have 2 pumpkins ready to carve.  Moe and Curly are going to carve them.

Moe has decorated our sugar maple with some little skull decorations.

I have my skull earrings and my pumpkin pin on.

And it's cool and the leaves are beautiful.  Here's the view from my front porch.

Bring on the Trick or Treaters!  Happy Halloween!

Am I THAT old?

My company recently had an event where they promoted all the charities that the company sponsers via employee deductions.  They handed me a bag with some goodies, including a ruler with a magnifying strip.

My question is - if I have to use this magnifying strip, am I in need of this charity's assistance?

In other news - it's stating to look like fall!  Some of the leaves are turning.  These trees are outside of my office.  I love maple trees...

And - we've gotten 2 eggs every day since I posted about the chickens.  I don't think I'll be buying eggs for some time!

Free range eggs

Last Easter, DH was at the local hardware store.  They had chicks there, and he came home with three.  Why? I asked.  He laughed and said it would be good for the boys, and when they got bigger, he would give the chickens away.

Well, they did get bigger.  But he didn't give them away.  Instead, he threw them out into the yard.  One of the two white ones wandered too close to the dog and perished.  The remaining chickens (both hens) have become free-range suburban chickens.

I protested having the birds in the yard.  We live in a restricted covenent community, and I don't want to draw the attention of the neighborhood PTB.  I'd like to fly under the radar with our critters.

DH continued to laugh.  One of the neighbors did ask him about the chickens.  DH said that they were wild chickens - and that wasn't exactly a lie.  Because you can't catch them.  The white one is especially skittish.  Which, if you're a chicken and not in possession of much grey matter, is probably a good thing.


Lately they have been wandering into the neighbor's yards.  Our buddy Bubba (4 doors up, across the street) got a call from his wife the other morning.  She was laughing at the chickens wandering through their front yard.

DH says they're hell on bugs, and will pounce on those little lizards.  They roost in a big fig tree in our side yard, safe from the coyotes.  My sister has chickens (and a pen and a chicken house) at her home, and she gets eggs.  So we started looking.  And looking.  They were spending a lot of time in our front shrubbery.  So DH looked a bit further.

(I think the red hen is quite pretty.)

Lo and behold, we found eggs!  So we've been gathering the eggs as often as we can.  DH has made a little house for them in the shrubbery, and they're using it.

There are two kinds of eggs - white and brown.  The egg in the back is a store-bought large eggs, the other two are home grown.  Want to see what was inside?

The light yellow yolk is from the store-bought egg - the orangy one is a free range egg.  It sits up high and is full of nutrients.

I scrambled it up and ate it for breakfast.  Yum!

And here is the sunset from Saturday, in our neighborhood.

(I'll show you some tatting next time.  I promise.)

In which I want to be Don Draper's girlfriend

I love Mad Men.  It fulfills some sort of need I have for intrigue and style, character and costume.  Last nights's episode was primo - Don Draper confessed to his wife to really being Dick Whitman, and now Betty knows all of Don's deepest secrets.  (Excepting of course, his numerous affairs. And one object of desire was left waiting in Don's car in the driveway during this confession, the tryst aborted.)  The next morning, amazingly, Betty is still there.

If you don't watch Mad Men, you may want to.  You should be able to find episodes on someplace like Hulu.com. Why should you watch a show about advertising guys set in the Kennedy era?  I'm going to quote another blog here: "If you like Cheever, Updike, Richard Yates, ‘‘The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit,’’ the 20th century, design, Hitchcock, the New Criticism, melodrama, beautiful men and women, bohemia, suburbia, a pleasurable sense of doom, American history or New York City, this show’s for you."  Get thee to AMC on Sunday nights - or to your local video store - on the double.

Another teen in the house

13 years ago today, a large baby boy was born.  He was 10 lbs 12 oz and 21 inches, a chunky baby.  He gave his mama fits during the pregnancy, putting her on bedrest from the time she was 29 weeks pregnant until his full term birth.  When the time came to take the baby home from the hospital, the snaps would hardly come together on the newborn sized outfit.  His mama laughed and laughed.

Moe was a darling baby.

Here he is just a few hours after his birth.  He's being held by his proud maternal grandfather.  He was as big a a 3 month old.

Here's Moe on his 4th birthday, with a chocolate smile.  Not such a chunk here. He was charming then, and now.  And he's a mama's boy still.

And now my darling baby is growing up.  He likes to dress up.  He really likes to wear his suit for church and at my brother's wedding.

He has a quirky, funny sense of humor.  Like most boys, he laughs at farts and belches.  He likes scouts.  He's smart and inquisitive.  He has a ton of friends.

For his birthday, Moe asked for a modest list of things - a black hoodie, a game, a bit of money.  He seemed surprised, delighted, and grateful that he got them for his birthday.  This afternoon, he went biking with his scout troup.  No party.  And he thought it was a great birthday.

I'm so glad he's mine.

Happy Birthday, Moe.

Sky views

I love looking at the sky.  I wish I had a really good camera to show all that I see.  My camera's ok - it's a Canon PowerShot - but it ain't great.  It'll have to do though.

Sometimes I see nifty stuff in the sky going home.  I stopped to pick up pizza for the Stooges the other day and saw this. Pretty.

And I looked the other way, and the clouds were doing the neatest thing.

The clouds were going crossways.  It was too cool, like God was weaving using the clouds as threads.

I'm loving the sunrises on pretty days.  This was today's sunrise as I was driving in.

Yes, yes, yes, that's my dashboard and I'm driving, doing sixty something.  Don't think about that.  Look at that sky!

Sunrise as I'm coming into the city.  Ya'll, it was gorgeous.  (Click on the pictures to see them BIG.)  See the downtown skyline ahead?  Gotta go past it. Many miles before I get there.  I have a hefty commute - thirty miles one way when I'm driving, twenty when I take the train.  (There are no subways out here in the Hot'lana 'burbs, ya'll.  Just malls and trees and deer.  Oh yeah - and subdivisions.)

(Didja notice that I believe in maintaining safe distance when driving?  I do. It saves me.  I had an accident in 2003 - but that was the first one where I was at fault since the summer of 1975.  No lie.  And no moving violation tickets - EVER.) (DH swears I'm lucky 'cause it's well known that I have a lead foot.)

Oh - did you want to see some tatting?  Okay - here's the Mary Konior large cross that Cisco was helping me with recently.  I think Sophie may have contributed some of her hair to be tatted in too.  This is done in Lizbeth's Grape Pizazz, size 20.

I may give this to my sister.  I missed her birthday in all the hoo-haa over my brother's wedding.  But there may be someone who really needs this.  I'll see.

And here's a sample of the other thing I'm tatting.

HA!  That's all I'll show you until it's done!

My desk and other things

This little guy lives on my desk.  I got him at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC a few years ago.  His name is "Refusing to Listen (Evil Too)".  This is what some of my users at work are like, not wanting to hear.  Grrr.

For example, a sweet person just emailed me saying she couldn't create a requisition, a function she can do in the software I support.  She sent me a screen shot and the Create Requisition button was not active.  Are you in Inquiry mode? sez I.  No, it's not working!!!!  So I tested it - works fine.  Check again - I think you're in Inquiry mode & you can't create anything in Inquiry.  In a minute she gets back to me. Oh, she says.  Guess I was in Inquiry, sez she.  Well, duh.

Take you fingers out of your ears!!!

The Stooges have this same problem, and often.  Makes me want to smack 'em.

Oooo - have you seen the latest that LadyShuttleMaker's offering in her Etsy store?  She's made these really cool retractable crochet hook thingies to aid in tatting!!!  She calls them Hook Pens - and they are the bomb.

MUST. RESTRAIN. FROM. BUYING. (I am poor at the moment from the wedding weekend.) (And I have to buy a new desktop computer SOON.)  But oh, I want one.

And....have you figured out what to wear for your Halloween costume?  Why not go with current events and be - Balloon Boy!

Yes, you too can be part of this news/reality show phenomenon.  For only $19.99, you can be Balloon Boy in your own neighborhood. (Helicopter pursuit squad not included.)  (I wish I were making this up - see more here.)  So much cheaper than the actual Balloon Boy's wierd family's legal fees, and you can get candy to boot!

And now, in tribute to Jen's funny contest where the answer was Bong State Recreation Area, here is my mug from Big Bone Lick State Park.  This is not a made up place.  DH calls me every time he has to go that way when he travels, and we giggle.  He got me this mug.  I use it in my office.  Curly got a T-shirt, and TPTB have banned him from it wearing at school.

They have mastadon bones at the park and there's a big natural salt lick. 

What?  Did you think it meant something else?  You people.....

I really am tatting a bit these days....

Happy happy, Joy joy

I'm a happy camper!


And why?


It's not because of Curly and his fun.  I took Curly to see Dr. W and got Curly's medicine changed.  Hopefully things will be better for Curly.  But no Valium for me.  Damn.


It's not because of Moe and his fun.  Moe is working hard to remain in 7th grade forever.  I can't get him to write anything to save my neck.  He refuses to do homework.  I finally found something to motivate him - the threat of withholding birthday party and presents.  His birthday is this weekend - what can I use after that?


It's not because of work.  Like any of that is fun.  (My brother in law's theory of work is - if it wasn't shit, they wouldn't pay you.  And it's true.) (If it was fun, it wouldn't be called WORK.) I finally moved into the other building and unpacked my boxes today.  I did get a bonus when I moved - they gave me a flat screen monitor, instead of that humongous boat anchor I've been staring at.  Here's where I live at work:

Not great, but not awful.  Some folks are sharing. I supervise a group, so I rate a better space, no sharing for me.  And I found a place to hang a certification or two.  Added bonus - I can stand up and see a window.  Woo-hoo!  (You just don't know.  I've been in the interior of a converted factory for over 3 years.  This is a step up)

Unfortunately, my user community is quickly discovering where I live in the building.  Damn.  They hunt me down like a dog.  Can't a girl have a peaceful day?

I'm not happy because of watching Mad Men either, though it was mighty good last night.  And I went out to turn myself into a Mad Men character online - see how cute I am?  I'm sure you'll recognize me when we meet.

Mmm, that's a good cupa joe.

No, I'm happy because the mailman came and left me a package!  For little ol' me.  A special prize - that I won on LadyShuttleMaker's last Mondo Monday Giveaway.  I won this:

Yup, it's one of her precious and wonderful handmade ceramic shuttles!!!  Isn't it gorgeous?

Hmm, what should I tat with it?  I've shown you some of LadyShuttleMaker's lovely Marina HDT (purchsed earlier on etsy.com).  Maybe I'll use that.  I've come up with a cool idea for tatting something nifty for presents and I'll share it with you on another post.  The possibilites are endless.

Cisco and I have finished my latest version of Mary Konior's large cross.  I'll post it later.  Now I'm working on tatting up another cross of my own design.  I hope to have that pattern for you very soon!

Hey - you can be a winner like me!  Hop on over to LadyShutlemaker's blog and enter to win this week's prize - a great bead spinner.  Ooooo I wonder if it would be too greedy of me to enter?

And so - a little Happy happy, joy joy - with Ren and Stimpy! Enjoy!

Happy, happy, joy, joy

| MySpace Video

Coming up for air

Thanks for everyone who gave me encouragement and support after Tuesday's post.  Having a child with major issues is no piece of cake.  And sometimes I have trouble keeping my head above water. I've been eating too much lately, a sure sign of stress.  But it really does help to know that others really care.  Thank you.

Here's what I'm tatting - my favorite, Mary Konior's Large Cross from Tatting with Visual Patterns, in Lizbeth Grape Pizzaz size 20.  Cisco has been helping me with this.  He's not a good tatter - no thumbs.  But his good looks and charm make up for everything.

Sylvia is still missing and assumed to be gone forever.  She was bad, but sweet in her own way.  And so beautiful.

 

I'm taking Curly to see his psychiatrist tomorrow.  This was a scheduled appointment, set prior to his most recent outburst.  Hopefully we can make some changes in his medicines that will help him.  And me.  Maybe I can get some valium.

Here's a couple of things from the Charleston visit - a view from my sister's house on James Island.  This is her back yard.  I wish I saw this every day.

Maybe if I lived with this view, Curly's issues wouldn't bother me so much.

Sometimes I want to be like Sophie.  Her needs are simple.

Sophie likes a box.  A lot.  She looks warm and cozy, doesn't she?  She's sweet and cuddly.

Too bad she's dumb as toast. Also, she's a terrible tatter.  Can't get the flip.

But I wish I could have her at work.  She would be a comfort.  My office move is still in process;  I'm in limbo.  My computer is one building, my phone and all the rest of my stuff are in another. 

I hope all will be better by Monday.  Because Monday Is Another Day.  And by then, I may have Valium.

A laugh for Friday

This was just sent to me and I had to share.

Three men were hiking through a forest when they came upon a large, raging, violent river. Needing to get to the other side, the first man prayed: 'God, please give me the strength to cross the river.'

Poof! God gave him big arms and strong legs and he was able to swim across in about 2 hours, having almost drowned twice.

After witnessing that, the second man prayed: 'God, please give me strength and the tools to cross the river'

Poof! God gave him a rowboat and strong arms and strong legs and he was able to row across in about an hour after almost capsizing once.

Seeing what happened to the first two men, the third man prayed: 'God, please give me the strength, the tools and the intelligence to cross the river'

 Poof! He was turned into a woman. She checked the map, hiked one hundred yards up stream and walked across the bridge.

I'm a winner!!!!

I never win anything.  I've bought lotto tickets galore - I never even win a free ticket.


But not today.  Today I'm a winner!


Here's what I won

Yup, I'm this week's winner of LadyShuttleMaker's Mondo Monday Giveaway.  How great is that?  I've positively drooled over her shuttles.  And now this pretty one will be mine.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Miss LadyShuttleMaker.  You made my day.  You are so very generous with your talents.

And Internets, YOU can be a winner too.  Just hop on over to LadyShuttleMaker's place and enter.  It's easy as pie!  And who knows? Maybe you'll win this Monday's prize!

I kinda needed a pick-me-up.  DH is out of town all week, so I'm manning the fort against the heathens.  After I drove home from Charleston on Sunday with grumpy Curly in the car ("Don't TOUCH me!" "Don't TALK to me!" "Why won't you let me DRIVE?!"), I came home to find two disasters.  One was immediately apparent - none of the cats were in the house.  Cisco and Sophie were quickly located, but Larry's cat, Sylvia, has not been seen.  We found some of her under-fur in the front yard and we have coyotes here, so I fear the worst.  Larry didn't go with us - he had to work, but otherwise was home, so he should have paid attention.  And she's his cat.  I can't think about it, though.

The other disaster only became apparent after I went grocery shopping and we went to put groceries in the large chest freezer.  That's when we found it was completely defrosted.  It was plugged into a special power strip and the strip had gotten tripped, probably on Thursday or Friday.  I was able to rescue a ham and about $20 worth of meats and vegies, but that's it.  After I finished pitching stuff, there was a soup of melted ice, popsicles, and ice cream in the bottom that had to be cleaned out right then.  Ugh.  What a mess.  The freezer had been mostly full, and I'll bet I lost $400 worth of food.  After that, watching Mad Men wasn't much solace.  Monday I got to work and was told I have to move my personal office to a cube in another building on Thursday - get your own boxes to pack your stuff.  It's great working for a semi-governmental agency.

*Sigh*

Last night Curly threw another one of his fits and sorta lost his little mind.  He smashed his acoustic guitar on the sidewalk and talked about suicide.  The triggers were A) not getting a solo in chorus and B) me turning off his cell phone when he flat out refused to do his chores. I finally got him calmed down and into bed, but I thought for a while I might be spending another night doing intake at a local adolescent psychatric institute, something I've had to do before.  The suicide talk I take seriously, but he assured me that his thoughts on this were not current, he was talking of old thoughts.  I checked to make sure he was asleep before I could go to bed.

Being Curly's mom is hard. 

DH isn't very helpful with when Curly gets like this, he mostly yells.  As parents, we all do what we know, and DH had some pretty bad parenting examples.  His stepfather didn't have clue how to deal with teens. He just screamed at them. DH means well, he's just clueless.  So it's up to me.

Curly's a bit better today.  He taped his guitar back together and is now composing a new song. (He's very creative and really writes terrific lyrics - and I've told him so.)  And he has an appointment with his psychiatrist Saturday.  We will be making some medication changes.

I'm fairly stressed, but will be ok.  It's nothing I haven't dealt with before.  And this is one reason I can't tat (or do some other things) as often as I'd like.

Tomorrow - packing my office.  And as Scarlet O'Hara said, "Tomorrow is another day."

Anyhow, thanks, LadyShuttleMaker, for making my day BETTER!

The Wedding!

Whew!  It's over, and it was great!  I'm glad to be back.  Most of my family and I were in Charleston, SC all weekend.

We stayed off the peninsula, near the base of this modern bridge. It's very long, over 3 miles.  Curly enjoyed running on it.

It's very impressive when you drive on it too.  Very very tall.

The bride loved her tatted handkerchief, and thanked me several times for it.

The rehearsal dinner was terrific.  It was held at one of the oldest buildings in Charleston. The Stooges (Larry didn't come - had to work) got a tour of the old Provost Dungeon in the bottom.  Too cool. The food was very old south - fried chicken, squash cassarole, green beans, red rice, and lemon chess pie.  Mmm.  Lots of my brother's friends (and me) got up to toast them.  It was great fun.

The day of the wedding was so pretty.  But damn, it was HOT!  It was a very humid 90 degrees, really warm, even for Charleston in October. 

The wedding was held at the church that was my dad's last as full time pastor.  (He died in 2007.)  Daddy would have been delighted about all of this.  Isn't the church pretty?

I read the scripture (I Corinthians 13) and my sister sang a gorgeous piece in German by G F Handel. My sister has a lovely clear soprano.

The Stooges, DH, and I cleaned up pretty well for the wedding. Moe's jacket and tie were from the same thrift store where Curly's suit was found.

I surreptitiously took some pictures during the ceremony.  I had to sit over to the side, since I needed easy access to the pulpit.  I took this one with my cell phone looking over my program while we sang a hymn.

The bride looked radiant, and the groom handsome.  The groom is my only brother.  The colors his bride choose were melon - honeydew and cantelope.  The flowers were lovely.  Isn't her dress pretty?

The reception was at this elegant hall, on the second floor.  Another very old building.  Charleston is really quite spectacular.

The food was great.  These are a few of the hors d'oeurvres.  Many more were passed.

The cake was beautiful; the decorations matched the invitations exactly.  If you look, you'll see that it's not fondant frosting - it's butter cream.  That takes some real talent to do.  And it was delicious - the frosting was orange flavored, with key lime pie cake. Mmmmm

There were lots of good eats, including shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, gazpacho, sweet potato biscuits with ham, delicious beef tenderloin, scallops with proscuitto, and shrimp salad sandwiches. Lots to drink too.

And there were many guests.  Friends of the happy couple came from Japan, Norway, Germany (the bride is German, though now a US citizen), the US West Coast, and Boston.  Our family came from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.  I love seeing all my extended family.  I really and truly am crazy about all of them.

                         

One things my family is known for  - we know how to throw a good party!  We do it up right.  (Curly said he felt wealthy in his suit with the elegant surroundings.)  And a good and happy time was had by all!