posted by: jennifer
so it always good to find the positive in a negative situation right? and let's face it, life has a good way of throwing shit your way every now and then. usually, they are little dingle berries of shit... like fortunately in my case. but i do think that if you have practice not letting those little dingle berries stick when they come flying your way, you might have a leg up when and if a dump truck full of shit lets it load out on top of you. wow, mrs. daly would
love that run on sentence.
here are a couple of my negatives that i feel i am navigating in a positive way.
first, i mentioned recently about going bald. so i have found out more about it. alopecia areata is its name, reeking havoc is its game. no really. what i have learned about this condition is as follows:
-it is an auto immune disease (white blood cells attacking hair follicles)
-it does not make you physically sick. just fucks with your head. ( ha! i didn't even mean
for that to be a pun)
-it is unpredictable. you could have a quarter size bald spot or two where the hair grows
back and then you never experience hair loss again. or it could grow back only to fall out
again in a year. or 5 years. or whenever. you could have a massive bald patch (me raising
my hand) and then a quarter size bald spot on the opposite side of your head (me raising
my hand). the point is, this is one fickle disease. you just never know.
what i do know is that i love to wear scarves. i have worn them for years. and if i have to start wearing them daily, or to wear larger ones to cover more or all of my head i will. yes, i am going to keep taking my evening primrose oil, and eating more essential fatty acid rich foods.... but i am determined not to let this get me down. and if i can face the day with a smile after my 12 year old tells me upon waking that my bald spot is "really showing this morning" i am doing okay.
secondly, our sweet cat blue was hit by a car last week. such a sad discovery... and we all lamented that he didn't ever have his first christmas. so sad. we all cried, and still look for him sleeping on one of our beds, or on the deck waiting to be let in the house.
but, we also know that when we head to the san diego humane society today, we will likely return home with another sweet ball of fur that will brighten up our days.
here's to looking for the bright spots.
cheers!
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
8 days before Christmas....
Oh by golly,
these 10 things are making me holly jolly...
1. Picking up $30 in the street.
2. Finding the perfect gift for the Duke of Earl.
I hadn't had a clue as to what to give him 24 hours before going to the estate sale, where I scored a gift that is going to knock his socks off.
(Do you ever go to estate sales? If not, you should give it a try. It's a treasure hunt with potential bargains, and a great way to recycle. And for me, they are also a poignant reminder that my stuff's value is only in the significance I place on it. Here's a link to the estate sale site I use to find sales near me. http://www.estatesales.net/
Remember in light of the world's diminishing resources, "any attempt to recycle instead of buying new is a foot on the brake instead of the accelerator".
3. An owl in our backyard.
4. The monarch butterflies in our gardens.
Oh my gosh, the milkweed I planted and let have its way, is working passed my expectations. We have monarchs in every stage of their life in the garden all the time now. Plant some milkweed, you will not regret it.
Did you know that the average caterpillar has 248 muscles in its head? Who counts these things?
5. The Christmas tree in the lobby of the Grand California Hotel at Disneyland.
6. The Santa Fe Cranberry Salsa at Rutabegorz Restaurant.
It's their 44¢ appetizer for December. It is served with tortilla chips. If you live in SoCal, Ruta's is a great place to eat. http://www.rutabegorz.com/
7. My December tablescape,
which I put together with no new purchases...other than the candles of course.
I can't get a good shot of it, but here it is.
The mirror has a nice weathered look to it, because it is normally a garden mirror. It was a hand-me-up from April several years ago and has lived outdoors ever since. I'm liking it in the house on top of this cabinet so much, I think it will be an indoor mirror for awhile.
That's me reflected in the mirror, still in my robe. I thought the morning light might help in catching the blend of all the tablescape's elements, but it didn't.
8. Pope Francis.
9. Celebrating my Dad's 94th birthday.
( However, I am not liking that the DMV continues extending his driver's license.)
10. The rain we've been getting.
For you readers who have young children, know that the Christmas' with your young children are going to be the happiest ever for you. I hope you enjoy every magic moment.
t.t.f.n. ~ Carol
Sunday, December 7, 2014
sticky fingers: stealing* from ANTHROPOLOGIE
*in the creative sense that it
posted by: jennifer
while flipping through a recent Anthropologie catalog last month (making a dog ear corner every other page.... so many things from calling to me), i came upon a page where a table had been set for a feast. and while looking at the picture, i knew that i had to make my own version of it come to life.
the main thing on the page that jumped out at me was a bunch of grapes, hanging down from above. suspended over the table. i thought what a great idea. have a hanging center piece. table space is so precious.
i decided to expand on the grape idea. along with the grapes, i added eucalyptus boughs and
vintage rhinestone baubles.
this is what i ended up with:
i loved the way it turned out. in fact, after i took everything down, it just seemed something was missing. so i returned the rhinestones above the table. they are now hanging among the snowflakes.
when i host book club next sunday, i plan on adding some greenery, maybe grapes again, or whatever strikes my fancy. i highly recommend when decorating for a meal, if you don't want to use table space for your centerpiece, look up, and your probably won't look back.
thank you anthropologie for letting me steal inspiration from you.
as for my many favorite pieces of clothing from your store.... those were always acquired quite legally. i am a good girl after all.
cheers!
posted by: jennifer
while flipping through a recent Anthropologie catalog last month (making a dog ear corner every other page.... so many things from calling to me), i came upon a page where a table had been set for a feast. and while looking at the picture, i knew that i had to make my own version of it come to life.
the main thing on the page that jumped out at me was a bunch of grapes, hanging down from above. suspended over the table. i thought what a great idea. have a hanging center piece. table space is so precious.
i decided to expand on the grape idea. along with the grapes, i added eucalyptus boughs and
vintage rhinestone baubles.
this is what i ended up with:
i loved the way it turned out. in fact, after i took everything down, it just seemed something was missing. so i returned the rhinestones above the table. they are now hanging among the snowflakes.
when i host book club next sunday, i plan on adding some greenery, maybe grapes again, or whatever strikes my fancy. i highly recommend when decorating for a meal, if you don't want to use table space for your centerpiece, look up, and your probably won't look back.
thank you anthropologie for letting me steal inspiration from you.
as for my many favorite pieces of clothing from your store.... those were always acquired quite legally. i am a good girl after all.
cheers!
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Beware of Cabazon dinosaurs!
This photo was taken in 1987.
We would pass by this huge sculpture, "Mr. Rex", whenever we were traveling on Interstate 10, in California near Palm Springs. Nearby a second sculpture named "Dinny" kept "Mr. Rex" company.
After repeated trips of children begging from the back of our van, "Can we P~L~E~A~S~E stop at the dinosaurs?", we finally did.
The dinosaurs were built as a roadside attraction by the then-owner of the Wheel Inn Cafe. Claude Bell, was a Knott's Berry Farm sculptor and portrait artist, who wanted to lure travelers off of the interstate, to check out his dinosaurs. He was hoping the curious would then remember that they were hungry, and would eat at his adjacent cafe.
Work began in 1964 on "Dinny", the first dinosaur. Bell, working essentially alone, used mostly salvaged materials to complete the 11 year building project. "Dinny", is an Apatosaurus (formerly known as Brontosaurus). Back in the 1960's and 1970's there wasn't much going on along that stretch of freeway...no windmills generating power, no outlet malls, no casinos, no Starbucks or Taco Bell.
The only focal points on that bit of desert landscape were the landmark enormous dinosaurs and the Wheel Inn Cafe.
"Isn't it strange and sad what time can do?" (from Liane Moriary's book what alice forgot)
Mr. Bell died in 1988 and his heirs sold "Dinny" and "Mr. Rex".
Fast forward to May, 2013. We were zipping along the I-10 returning from a river trip, when my son-in-law pulled off the freeway at the dinosaurs.
Unbeknownst to us, the simple non-commercial attraction had changed. It is now the "World's Biggest Dinosaur Gift Store". And there is a fenced-in museum, which costs $9 for adults, and $8 for children.
Add to this sad development, that the dinosaurs are now being used to promote a Young Earth creationist belief. (As in, the dinosaurs were alive about 6,000 years ago.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Earth_creationism
So the previous quick "get the wiggles out" travel break is now a get out your wallet stop. And with every gift shop purchase and every museum admission you buy, you are supporting a religious group, you probably don't agree with.
Travelers beware!
Claude Bell is probably spinning in his grave wondering how the evolution of his dinosaurs ended up like this.
Travelers beware!
Claude Bell is probably spinning in his grave wondering how the evolution of his dinosaurs ended up like this.
t.t.f.n. ~ Carol
Sunday, November 30, 2014
naming your elf: choosing a moniker for your shelf dweller
posted by: jennifer
the last day of November... the eve of Orwell's arrival from the north pole.
Orwell being the elf on the shelf who lives with us for a few weeks in December.
what? your elf doesn't have a name?
well, we three who call this blog our own, put our heads together and came up with a fun game to help you with your elfin name decisions.
i give you the elf on the shelf name chart:
naturally, you begin at start.
from there, choose either nice or naughty.
from nice:
sugar or spice
from sugar:
dine or dig
if you choose dine: your next choice is popcorn or bacon
if you end on popcorn, the ideal name for your elf is Orville
if you end on bacon, the ideal name for your elf is Wilbur
if you choose dig: your next choice is rock or fossil
if you end on rock, the ideal name for your elf is Jasper
if you end on fossil, the ideal name for your elf is Leakey
from spice:
walk or gather
if you choose walk: your next choices are boots or bare feet
if you end on boots, the ideal name for your elf is Patton
if you end on bare feet, the ideal name for your elf is Gandhi
if you choose gather: your next choice is bucks or beads
if you end on bucks, the ideal name for your elf is Trump
if you end on beads, the ideal name for your elf is Lennon
from naughty:
stage or bedroom
from stage:
sing or dance
if you choose sing: your next choice is alto or soprano
if you end on alto, the ideal name for your elf is Jerimah
if you end on soprano, the ideal name for your elf is Kermit
if you choose dance: your next choice is Vegas club or yacht
if you end on Vegas club, the ideal name for your elf is Elvis
if you end on yacht, the ideal name for your elf is Magellan
from bedroom:
fashion or passion
if you choose fashion: your next choice is leather breeches or loincloth
if you end on leather breeches, the ideal name for your elf is Fabio
if you end on loincloth, the ideal name for your elf is Tarzan
if you choose passion: your next choice is brain or brawn
if you end on brain, the ideal name for your elf is Newton
if you end on brawn, the ideal name for your elf is Claude
so.... who is arriving on your doorstep to spend the holiday season? is it Wilber? or Patton? or does your elf have a name already? i know that my kids are looking forward to seeing what antics sneaky little Orwell will be getting into the is year.
happy last day of the month.
cheers!
the last day of November... the eve of Orwell's arrival from the north pole.
Orwell being the elf on the shelf who lives with us for a few weeks in December.
what? your elf doesn't have a name?
well, we three who call this blog our own, put our heads together and came up with a fun game to help you with your elfin name decisions.
i give you the elf on the shelf name chart:
naturally, you begin at start.
from there, choose either nice or naughty.
from nice:
sugar or spice
from sugar:
dine or dig
if you choose dine: your next choice is popcorn or bacon
if you end on popcorn, the ideal name for your elf is Orville
if you end on bacon, the ideal name for your elf is Wilbur
if you choose dig: your next choice is rock or fossil
if you end on rock, the ideal name for your elf is Jasper
if you end on fossil, the ideal name for your elf is Leakey
from spice:
walk or gather
if you choose walk: your next choices are boots or bare feet
if you end on boots, the ideal name for your elf is Patton
if you end on bare feet, the ideal name for your elf is Gandhi
if you choose gather: your next choice is bucks or beads
if you end on bucks, the ideal name for your elf is Trump
if you end on beads, the ideal name for your elf is Lennon
from naughty:
stage or bedroom
from stage:
sing or dance
if you choose sing: your next choice is alto or soprano
if you end on alto, the ideal name for your elf is Jerimah
if you end on soprano, the ideal name for your elf is Kermit
if you choose dance: your next choice is Vegas club or yacht
if you end on Vegas club, the ideal name for your elf is Elvis
if you end on yacht, the ideal name for your elf is Magellan
from bedroom:
fashion or passion
if you choose fashion: your next choice is leather breeches or loincloth
if you end on leather breeches, the ideal name for your elf is Fabio
if you end on loincloth, the ideal name for your elf is Tarzan
if you choose passion: your next choice is brain or brawn
if you end on brain, the ideal name for your elf is Newton
if you end on brawn, the ideal name for your elf is Claude
so.... who is arriving on your doorstep to spend the holiday season? is it Wilber? or Patton? or does your elf have a name already? i know that my kids are looking forward to seeing what antics sneaky little Orwell will be getting into the is year.
happy last day of the month.
cheers!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Pippin vs. Granny Smith
In one corner:
we have an American heirloom variety, which originated in the late 17th or early 18th century, and was a favorite of Thomas Jefferson. This is a very firm, tart,
apple, which often has a rough skin and a brown collar (russeting) around the stem.
Let's hear it for PIPPIN.....
And in the other corner:
we have a hard, crisp, juicy apple, which originated in Australia in 1898. Maria Ann Smith propagated this new cultivar. In addition to harvesting apples, she produced many children, and thus the nick name of Granny Smith was born.
This is a sweet, light green beauty that has an excellent shelf life.
Give it up for GRANNY SMITH.....
May the best apple for baking, especially an apple pie, WIN!
I have used Pippins since my apple pie baking days began back in 1968. I was able to buy Pippins in the Fall at all the grocery stores, probably for 39¢ a pound at one time.
Then, oh about, 10 years ago those Pippin apples couldn't be found as easily, and then I couldn't find them at all, anywhere. I had to carry on with Granny Smiths.
The Grannies did the job, but not as well. They cook to a much softer texture. Think chunky applesauce. The Pippins hold their shape, texture, and apple flavor better when baked.
I missed my Pippins, but being an optimist, continued looking for them every autumn. I was willing to lay my money down for those superior baking apples, but I could not purchase what was not available.
A couple weeks ago, daughter #2 and her family went to Oak Glen, CA to go apple picking. On a lark, I said "If they have any Pippins, bring me some--".
The day after their outing, I received an email from April saying, "I have a 1/2 a peck of Pippins for you." I hopped up and down with excitement. And then I started planning my October, 2015 trip to buy Pippins at an Oak Glen roadside stand! I figured a bushel of them would carry me through the apple pie baking months.
A couple days after taking possession of my cherished Pippins, I was shopping at Mother's Market and Kitchen. As I loaded my cart with organic lettuce, broccoli, and bananas and was checking out the other produce offerings, I glanced down to a bin which, What!, which had 3# bags of organic Pippin applies for $2.99 a bag. Honestly, I had not seen a Pippin in any grocery store--Whole Foods included--for years. The Granny Smiths looking more pleasing had over taken the Pippins in the grocery store.
We just might be seeing Pippins again on a yearly basis though, due to rekindled interest in heirlooms. Fingers crossed.
I made a Pippin pie Sunday, and I did remember correctly. To me, there is a distinct, wonderful difference. The Pippins bake to a much different texture, and have a more apple-y flavor. More complex and just plain delicious.
I have recently come to realize that not everyone shares my strong enthusiasm about Pippins. And, that's o.k.
But if I am going to put my time into making an apple pie and Pippins are available, Granny Smiths will be knocked out of the crust in my kitchen.
Does anyone else know what I am talking about?
Happy Thanksgiving to you all, and I hope along with your pumpkin pie, you will have a slice of a Pippin apple pie too.
t.t.f.n. ~ Carol
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
a bit like skrillex... only not quite as hip
posted by jennifer:
holy shit balls! i am going bald. kind of.
yesterday, when getting myself presentable before the afternoon pickups, i went to pull back my hair into a barrette. i was shocked to find a kind huge bald spot behind my right ear. i
mean truly, skrillex came to mind.
you know skrillex. i do because i am a wee bit hip and read rolling stone. skrillex is a dj known for his bass drops.
me... well it appears i mostly am dropping several hundreds of hairs a day.
now mind you, i had to leave to get the girls minutes after i made the discovery... so i didn't have time to do anything but start to worry.
-brain tumor on the right side?
-wacked out hormones (still a possibility)
-what kind of wig will i get? a realistic one... or a brilliant blue punky style. and if i do get
a realistic one should i go with one with emerging gray hairs or just a rich brown?
driving to the schools, i had more time to think....
holy shit balls!
showing my husband when he got home from work.
me: "i just discovered something kind of crazy"
him: "oh yeah"
me: "yeah. i have a bald spot on my head"
him: "yeah. tell me about it"....."is mine getting bigger"
side note: i don't even think his hair is thinning
me: "no really. look."
him: silence
me: " i told you."
calling my sister to tell her. her "holy shit" or something like that. i love how she agrees with my freaking out. then her telling me. "don't google search it. it is only going to freak you out." she did the google searching for me. called me back, and told me to stop running my hands through my hair. "no really. you need to stop."
you see, i have this habit of running my hands through my hair... when i am bored. maybe when i am stressed. and in thinking about it, it is usually on the right hand side... behind my ear and upwards. the last few weeks, a lot of hair is between my fingers after doing so. i actually thought the other day "i am going to go bald" hahaha! good one jennifer. you were so right. hahaha. you see, i am laughing, because i want to cry.
so now i have a list of things to try:
cedarwood oil
evening primrose oil
biotin
rosemary essential oil
lavender essential oil
and i have been doing all i can to not touch my hair. i saw a sign today. the san diego river runs through our city, and there is a sign near part of it that reads: habitat restoration in progress do not touch. and i couldn't help but think of my head. but switch out habitat for hair.
so um, yeah. a bit like skrillex.... only not quite as hip.
cheers.
holy shit balls! i am going bald. kind of.
yesterday, when getting myself presentable before the afternoon pickups, i went to pull back my hair into a barrette. i was shocked to find a kind huge bald spot behind my right ear. i
mean truly, skrillex came to mind.
you know skrillex. i do because i am a wee bit hip and read rolling stone. skrillex is a dj known for his bass drops.
me... well it appears i mostly am dropping several hundreds of hairs a day.
now mind you, i had to leave to get the girls minutes after i made the discovery... so i didn't have time to do anything but start to worry.
-brain tumor on the right side?
-wacked out hormones (still a possibility)
-what kind of wig will i get? a realistic one... or a brilliant blue punky style. and if i do get
a realistic one should i go with one with emerging gray hairs or just a rich brown?
driving to the schools, i had more time to think....
holy shit balls!
showing my husband when he got home from work.
me: "i just discovered something kind of crazy"
him: "oh yeah"
me: "yeah. i have a bald spot on my head"
him: "yeah. tell me about it"....."is mine getting bigger"
side note: i don't even think his hair is thinning
me: "no really. look."
him: silence
me: " i told you."
calling my sister to tell her. her "holy shit" or something like that. i love how she agrees with my freaking out. then her telling me. "don't google search it. it is only going to freak you out." she did the google searching for me. called me back, and told me to stop running my hands through my hair. "no really. you need to stop."
you see, i have this habit of running my hands through my hair... when i am bored. maybe when i am stressed. and in thinking about it, it is usually on the right hand side... behind my ear and upwards. the last few weeks, a lot of hair is between my fingers after doing so. i actually thought the other day "i am going to go bald" hahaha! good one jennifer. you were so right. hahaha. you see, i am laughing, because i want to cry.
so now i have a list of things to try:
cedarwood oil
evening primrose oil
biotin
rosemary essential oil
lavender essential oil
and i have been doing all i can to not touch my hair. i saw a sign today. the san diego river runs through our city, and there is a sign near part of it that reads: habitat restoration in progress do not touch. and i couldn't help but think of my head. but switch out habitat for hair.
so um, yeah. a bit like skrillex.... only not quite as hip.
cheers.
Friday, November 7, 2014
faux fur and military jackets
posted by: jennifer
so, i have been totally inspired on the tote bag front lately. it had been on my to do list for the past month.
to do 10/2 - 10/10:
-photograph/list remaining ornaments
-decorate front arch for fall
-planting in front yard
- make 1+ tote
- clean chicken coop
to do 10/13 - 10/20:
-chicken coop
-start on halloween costumes
-make 1+ tote
-dentist appointment
-blog post time mismanagement
-finish halloween costumes
-make 1+ tote
- clean chicken coop
do you notice a trend? the tote bags never got crossed off the list. (well sure, neither did the chicken coop... but one of the girls is now molting, so i think it is good i have waited. all those feathers!)
but, this past week, i am now getting very little done but tote bags. and i wanted to share.
i have made 3 new totes in the past week! sure, the house is suffering a wee bit, but you can't deny the creative juices when they start to flow now can you? i say no.
i am so please with how this tote bag turned out. the colors, the textures, the contrast.
i used scraps of a scrap of an antique crazy quilt, vintage clothing labels... all great britian referenced, and some super soft and cozy faux fur. i call it "great britian glamour" . as i was making it, i thought, if scotland had broken away from being part of great britian, i wouldn't have been able to use the mac intyres of strone argyll label. i am glad i was able, because i think it looks fabulous next to the pride of england label.
and then jumping to the opposite side of the pond....
"a nod to the union army"
i think one of the reasons i like this tote bag so much is that it is not the normal direction i would go creatively. military style jacket feel. i was flipping through an instyle magazine, and saw a picture of chris martin... of the coldplay variety. it was an older picture where he was wearing that great military style jacket. it inspired me.
and this is what i came up with:
and i am so excited, because my mind is not slowing down with design ideas, i have materials that are begging to be reborn, and a house that isn't going to die if i don't clean it. i really should get to that chicken coop however.
cheers!
so, i have been totally inspired on the tote bag front lately. it had been on my to do list for the past month.
to do 10/2 - 10/10:
-
-
-
- make 1+ tote
- clean chicken coop
to do 10/13 - 10/20:
-chicken coop
-
-make 1+ tote
-
-
-
-make 1+ tote
- clean chicken coop
do you notice a trend? the tote bags never got crossed off the list. (well sure, neither did the chicken coop... but one of the girls is now molting, so i think it is good i have waited. all those feathers!)
but, this past week, i am now getting very little done but tote bags. and i wanted to share.
i have made 3 new totes in the past week! sure, the house is suffering a wee bit, but you can't deny the creative juices when they start to flow now can you? i say no.
i used scraps of a scrap of an antique crazy quilt, vintage clothing labels... all great britian referenced, and some super soft and cozy faux fur. i call it "great britian glamour" . as i was making it, i thought, if scotland had broken away from being part of great britian, i wouldn't have been able to use the mac intyres of strone argyll label. i am glad i was able, because i think it looks fabulous next to the pride of england label.
and then jumping to the opposite side of the pond....
"a nod to the union army"
i think one of the reasons i like this tote bag so much is that it is not the normal direction i would go creatively. military style jacket feel. i was flipping through an instyle magazine, and saw a picture of chris martin... of the coldplay variety. it was an older picture where he was wearing that great military style jacket. it inspired me.
and this is what i came up with:
and i am so excited, because my mind is not slowing down with design ideas, i have materials that are begging to be reborn, and a house that isn't going to die if i don't clean it. i really should get to that chicken coop however.
cheers!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Old Men in Party Hats
My latest.
12 matchboxes.
Meet : Bill, Frank, Tom, Bud, Ed, Leonard, Gus, Arthur, Walter, Mortimer, Charles, Milton
and a poem to go
Their wives who have music and dancing in their hearts
brought them to this party.
At home- their best friend, Routine.
Fuss, fume, sulk wanting to stay with him.
There.
Party hats begin to lighten their downward sloped wrinkles
The wives dance and laugh and then one by one
Bill, Frank, Tom, Bud, Ed, Leonard, Gus, Arthur, Walter, Mortimer,Charles, Milton
head to them. To the swirling joy.
XO,
April
Monday, October 27, 2014
Poo tickets as a teaching aid
Speaking of poo tickets, npr, and things I love...
Paleontologist, Louise Leakey, used a helpful analogy for geologic time on a ted radio hour broadcast last week.
The vast scale of geologic time has always been a barricade in my brain for the appreciation for the length of geologic history.
She suggested...
Unrolling (or just thinking about) a 400 sheet roll of
.
Dinosaurs
(Hi there!)
would not enter the scene (of geologic time) until the 19th sheet from the end of the roll.
The asteroid that "wiped" (ha, ha, ha) them out didn't hit until the 5th sheet from the end of the roll.
So stegosaurus, T-rex, triceratops, diplodocus, coelophysis and all their families, friends and enemies were around for 14 sheets of t.p.
Mammals start arriving after the dinosaurs were extinct. But our species doesn't come into being until the last millimeter on the last (#400) sheet of quilted, bleached white, ultra soft toilet paper.
This tangible minute-amount of toilet-paper-time (200,000 years) presents the whole history of our species.
There are multiple websites that address this teaching aid, but I had never heard of it.
And geologic time is still mind boggling when I let my thinking wander to the big, ancient history of little me, but
it does give me a clearer understanding of just how old I am the earth is.
By the way, did you know that toilet paper used to come in colors? Yes, you could match, or at least coordinate, your t.p. color to your powder room wall color.
Things to think about when you're visiting the loo.
t.t.f.n. ~ Carol
Sunday, October 26, 2014
a few things i am loving.... by way of australia
posted by: jennifer
recently i have come across a few things i am loving... and they happen to all originate from australia. and you know i am practically an honorary australian.... having an aunt and uncle and two cousins there. in perth to be exact.
and no, i have never been there, and have met one cousin once, the other never, and have not seen my uncle in over 20 years... but you know.
and, i practically was a pioneer on bring the slang "no worries" to the west coast... i mean i started saying it regularly a few years back. and now you see and hear it everywhere. there is a billboard in our town for a bunch of personal injury lawyers.... you know the type... top notch ambulance chasers... they have a billboard and above all there heads is "no worries" spelled out in big, bold letters. i think of myself whenever i see that billboard.
hmm.
but in all seriousness, i need to share some discoveries. the first being courtney barnett.
i first heard about her on npr. here and now, dj sessions. this was back in march of this year. she is from melbourne, australia. and she is sweet as*.... and deep, and hilarious. she was described on that npr segment as tellling the ultimate slacker stories, the lyrics are great.
it is one of those albums where you can listen to a song 10 times, and then pick up on a line you have missed the previous 9 times. and it makes you like the song even more. here are a few lines from one of her songs, avant gardener:
i'm breathing but i'm wheezing
feel like i'm emphysem-in'
my throat feels like a funnel
filled with weet bix and kerosene and
oh no, next thing i know
they call up the triple o
i'd rather die than owe the hospital
till i get old
so good. but you really have to hear it because the delivery is where it is at. the album i have is the double ep: a sea of split peas. you can find it here.
the second thing is a new author i was introduced to. liane moriarty. she is a brilliant author, and has a great voice. the plot of her book, the husband's secret, is gripping, like break the rules (my own illogical rules of no pleasure during the day) gripping, and i would plop down on the bed to read whenever it suited me. i love a book that i can't put down. but i think the thing that made it even more enjoyable to me, were the subtle nods to as what life is like, as a wife and mother and a woman. here are a few of my favorite bits:
"She could not meet another brand-new group of mothers. She'd found socializing with
the school mums difficult enough when her life was in perfect order. The chat, chat,
chat, the swirls of laughter, the warmth, the friendliness (most mums were so very nice)
and the gentle hint of bitchiness that ran beneath it all."
".....it occurred to her that if Polly was having PE today, then Liam would be too,
because weren't they in the same class? And of course he wasn't wearing sports shoes.
Nobody had told Tess it was PE day. Or perhaps they had, but she hadn't registered it.
She wondered if she should stop at her mother's house and pick up Liam's sneakers.
She wavered. Nobody ever told you that being a mother is all about making what
seemed like thousands of tiny decisions."
"She wished she could give Isabel a shield, like the ones riot police held, to protect her
from male attention, that feeling of being scored each time you walked down a street,
the demeaning comments yelled out of cars, that casual sweep of the eyes. She'd
wanted to sit down and talk to Isabel about it, but then she hadn't known what to say.
She'd never quite gotten her head around it herself. It's no big deal. It is a big deal.
They have no right to make you feel that way. Or, just ignore it, one day you'll turn
forty and you'll slowly realize you don't feel the eyes anymore, and the freedom is a
relief, but you'll also sort of miss it, and when a truck driver whistles at you while
you're crossing the road, you'll think, Really? For me? "
you can find the book here. or, as i did, check it out from your local library. i know i will be recommending it to my book club to read. and it will not be the last book of hers i read. oh, and one more little thing i read about liane moriarty:
"Liane fits writing in between chores: between pick-up and drop off times of her children,
working the dishwasher, talking to her mom, and drying clothes."
no wonder i like her so much. i can relate to her, and the parallels that so many women share come across in her writing.
and to bring this post to a close, a few terms i think we should bring here to america:
*sweet as: good. you mentally fill in how good/sweet it is
fairy floss: cotton candy.
poo tickets: toliet paper
knackered: pooped; tired
we can do this people. i mean if i can do it with "no worries" we can eventually have everyone going to costco to buy a 30 roll pack of poo tickets. come on... are you with me??
cheers!
recently i have come across a few things i am loving... and they happen to all originate from australia. and you know i am practically an honorary australian.... having an aunt and uncle and two cousins there. in perth to be exact.
and no, i have never been there, and have met one cousin once, the other never, and have not seen my uncle in over 20 years... but you know.
and, i practically was a pioneer on bring the slang "no worries" to the west coast... i mean i started saying it regularly a few years back. and now you see and hear it everywhere. there is a billboard in our town for a bunch of personal injury lawyers.... you know the type... top notch ambulance chasers... they have a billboard and above all there heads is "no worries" spelled out in big, bold letters. i think of myself whenever i see that billboard.
hmm.
but in all seriousness, i need to share some discoveries. the first being courtney barnett.
i first heard about her on npr. here and now, dj sessions. this was back in march of this year. she is from melbourne, australia. and she is sweet as*.... and deep, and hilarious. she was described on that npr segment as tellling the ultimate slacker stories, the lyrics are great.
it is one of those albums where you can listen to a song 10 times, and then pick up on a line you have missed the previous 9 times. and it makes you like the song even more. here are a few lines from one of her songs, avant gardener:
i'm breathing but i'm wheezing
feel like i'm emphysem-in'
my throat feels like a funnel
filled with weet bix and kerosene and
oh no, next thing i know
they call up the triple o
i'd rather die than owe the hospital
till i get old
so good. but you really have to hear it because the delivery is where it is at. the album i have is the double ep: a sea of split peas. you can find it here.
the second thing is a new author i was introduced to. liane moriarty. she is a brilliant author, and has a great voice. the plot of her book, the husband's secret, is gripping, like break the rules (my own illogical rules of no pleasure during the day) gripping, and i would plop down on the bed to read whenever it suited me. i love a book that i can't put down. but i think the thing that made it even more enjoyable to me, were the subtle nods to as what life is like, as a wife and mother and a woman. here are a few of my favorite bits:
"She could not meet another brand-new group of mothers. She'd found socializing with
the school mums difficult enough when her life was in perfect order. The chat, chat,
chat, the swirls of laughter, the warmth, the friendliness (most mums were so very nice)
and the gentle hint of bitchiness that ran beneath it all."
".....it occurred to her that if Polly was having PE today, then Liam would be too,
because weren't they in the same class? And of course he wasn't wearing sports shoes.
Nobody had told Tess it was PE day. Or perhaps they had, but she hadn't registered it.
She wondered if she should stop at her mother's house and pick up Liam's sneakers.
She wavered. Nobody ever told you that being a mother is all about making what
seemed like thousands of tiny decisions."
"She wished she could give Isabel a shield, like the ones riot police held, to protect her
from male attention, that feeling of being scored each time you walked down a street,
the demeaning comments yelled out of cars, that casual sweep of the eyes. She'd
wanted to sit down and talk to Isabel about it, but then she hadn't known what to say.
She'd never quite gotten her head around it herself. It's no big deal. It is a big deal.
They have no right to make you feel that way. Or, just ignore it, one day you'll turn
forty and you'll slowly realize you don't feel the eyes anymore, and the freedom is a
relief, but you'll also sort of miss it, and when a truck driver whistles at you while
you're crossing the road, you'll think, Really? For me? "
you can find the book here. or, as i did, check it out from your local library. i know i will be recommending it to my book club to read. and it will not be the last book of hers i read. oh, and one more little thing i read about liane moriarty:
"Liane fits writing in between chores: between pick-up and drop off times of her children,
working the dishwasher, talking to her mom, and drying clothes."
no wonder i like her so much. i can relate to her, and the parallels that so many women share come across in her writing.
and to bring this post to a close, a few terms i think we should bring here to america:
*sweet as: good. you mentally fill in how good/sweet it is
fairy floss: cotton candy.
poo tickets: toliet paper
knackered: pooped; tired
we can do this people. i mean if i can do it with "no worries" we can eventually have everyone going to costco to buy a 30 roll pack of poo tickets. come on... are you with me??
cheers!
Friday, October 17, 2014
having fun with time mismanagement
posted by jennifer:
being a slightly crazy person, i feel it is important to take on time consuming, and unnecessary projects..... especially during those times in your life when you are feeling overwhelmed with all the things that need to get done.
this last week, i worked on two such projects.
..... while waiting in the wings was a birthday party for my now 12 year old baby girl....
a camping trip....and a pile of laundry that continues to grow to this day.
but, in the process of completing them, i was able to cross two things off my to do list. always a satisfying feeling.
the first project was making about 40 felt flowers to decorate my front arch for halloween/fall/day of the dead.
i ripped off the idea from target. i saw similar decorations there and loved them. after an initial attempt to make some felt flowers without instructions.... having them turn out a bit sad looking... and then finding a great youtube tutorial, i ended up with these beauties.
i like love them so much i already have plans on making about 50 cream colored ones...with snowy glitter for my winter decorations. love! love! love!
i think they look just smashing. and do you remember these crows? i think they look right at home next to the flowers.
the second project was making pomegranate molasses.
we have a longtime neighbor, who we finally met. he approached us with a trade offer. he would take the fruits from our prickly pear cactus, and in exchange he would bring pomegranates over every day or two. who could resist...i mean i honestly had thoughts about making prickly pear jam this year. but in all honesty, they were the same thoughts i have had for the past 10 years. i figured that i could put it off for another 10 years or so.
and who could say no to pomegranates. the first 5 days or so of him bringing over 2 or 3 pomegranates at a time, we were ready for them. the kids were plowing through them. what a great afternoon snack... not to mention the beautiful spray of pomegranate juice on the gray wall behind the couch. pink and gray compliment each other dontchaknow.
but all of a sudden i had a pile of pomegranates.
and, i had a brilliant idea. pomegranate molasses. i have used it before when making salad dressing. you can find the recipe here. i also like to use it in marinades for chicken. so i decided to learn how to make it.
i watched a youtube tutorial on juicing pomegranates.
i found a recipe for the molasses.
and then the pomegranates sat on the kitchen table. and the pile kept growing. and a half dozen or so started to mold. who knew they would mold...they just don't seem like fruit that would, but i guess if you leave them sitting for a couple of weeks, it happens.
well, on tuesday, i finally got to it.
if you have a lot of time to kill. and aren't opposed to stained fingers...and splatters on your walls, kitchen utensils, and kitchen curtain... then this is the project for you.
it takes 4 cups of pomegranate juice to equal 1 cup of pomegranate molasses. i ended up with more like 5 cups of juice, so i have in my possession about 1.25 cups of precious pomegranate molasses. and it only took about 6 hours. i am not saying i will never make it again. i am a bit crazy that way... but let's just say, i have an appreciation for pomegranate juice.... and understand more why it costs so much. the same goes for the molasses made from it.
i just realized that i hadn't taken a picture of the completed molasses. and thought i should probably take one to show how much it cooked down. but really people, this to do list isn't going to take care of itself. how can i expect to get things done when i drop what i am doing to take a picture?
i have a lot of time mismanagement to get to.
and i plan on having fun...and making a bit of a mess, when i am doing it.
cheers!
being a slightly crazy person, i feel it is important to take on time consuming, and unnecessary projects..... especially during those times in your life when you are feeling overwhelmed with all the things that need to get done.
this last week, i worked on two such projects.
..... while waiting in the wings was a birthday party for my now 12 year old baby girl....
a camping trip....and a pile of laundry that continues to grow to this day.
but, in the process of completing them, i was able to cross two things off my to do list. always a satisfying feeling.
the first project was making about 40 felt flowers to decorate my front arch for halloween/fall/day of the dead.
i ripped off the idea from target. i saw similar decorations there and loved them. after an initial attempt to make some felt flowers without instructions.... having them turn out a bit sad looking... and then finding a great youtube tutorial, i ended up with these beauties.
i
i think they look just smashing. and do you remember these crows? i think they look right at home next to the flowers.
the second project was making pomegranate molasses.
we have a longtime neighbor, who we finally met. he approached us with a trade offer. he would take the fruits from our prickly pear cactus, and in exchange he would bring pomegranates over every day or two. who could resist...i mean i honestly had thoughts about making prickly pear jam this year. but in all honesty, they were the same thoughts i have had for the past 10 years. i figured that i could put it off for another 10 years or so.
and who could say no to pomegranates. the first 5 days or so of him bringing over 2 or 3 pomegranates at a time, we were ready for them. the kids were plowing through them. what a great afternoon snack... not to mention the beautiful spray of pomegranate juice on the gray wall behind the couch. pink and gray compliment each other dontchaknow.
but all of a sudden i had a pile of pomegranates.
and, i had a brilliant idea. pomegranate molasses. i have used it before when making salad dressing. you can find the recipe here. i also like to use it in marinades for chicken. so i decided to learn how to make it.
i watched a youtube tutorial on juicing pomegranates.
i found a recipe for the molasses.
and then the pomegranates sat on the kitchen table. and the pile kept growing. and a half dozen or so started to mold. who knew they would mold...they just don't seem like fruit that would, but i guess if you leave them sitting for a couple of weeks, it happens.
well, on tuesday, i finally got to it.
if you have a lot of time to kill. and aren't opposed to stained fingers...and splatters on your walls, kitchen utensils, and kitchen curtain... then this is the project for you.
it takes 4 cups of pomegranate juice to equal 1 cup of pomegranate molasses. i ended up with more like 5 cups of juice, so i have in my possession about 1.25 cups of precious pomegranate molasses. and it only took about 6 hours. i am not saying i will never make it again. i am a bit crazy that way... but let's just say, i have an appreciation for pomegranate juice.... and understand more why it costs so much. the same goes for the molasses made from it.
i just realized that i hadn't taken a picture of the completed molasses. and thought i should probably take one to show how much it cooked down. but really people, this to do list isn't going to take care of itself. how can i expect to get things done when i drop what i am doing to take a picture?
i have a lot of time mismanagement to get to.
and i plan on having fun...and making a bit of a mess, when i am doing it.
cheers!
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