Growing Up

Squirt is growing up- he has evolved from a sweet kitten to a full out 'tweenaged' 'kittykat'. He's bigger, badder- thinks he owns our pillows, our bed, the world. No foot is safe from his attack, and he is spoiling for a chance to get at bear. Thinks he's a big cat, he does.

And a big cat needs a grown-up name. His baby name is Squirt- and he will always be squirt- but he found his real grown-up-tom-cat name this morning. It's Torello.

It came to us when we were watching Crime Story- the cat formerly known as squirt jumped up on Charles in a surprise attack. The manz says "We shoulda named you Torello"...then we started looking at the screen, and darned if the cat doesn't *look* like Torello. Heavy black eyebrows, mustache. Everything black but his bit of white chest (and drawers). And just take a moment, compare his ears to Torello's hat.... yep. That's who he is!

Until I looked it up, I thought Torello was Turrillo. Like the steakhouse. The BEST steakhouse EVER. Daddy and Mother would go there often- it is in Jennerstown. Red white checked oilcloth on the tables, candles in Chianti bottles, rolls wrapped in a napkin. Steak like melted butter it was so tender, and the best salad dressing in the world. (I grew up with *real* Italian dressing from places like Turillo's and Rizzo's... nothing like the bottled kind)...mmmm.... and a bit on the shady side- you could imagine Torello and the G-men sliding up to the bar while Luca plotted evil in the backroom. Just one step away from real live drama...

Full

Is your pitcher half full or half empty? Mine is always to the full side, and cold water is the best. Actually, right now I am simply dying for a cold non-bubbly something... am still at school and it has been a long day, and I think hotel air just drys you out!

It's pouring outside, buckets and buckets of rain, and the Latin dancers are practicing in my classroom so the air is full of music and flying hair. Lovely.

I have been catching up on school work- still have a design to work on tonight or tomorrow am... I am full of ideas- many things to do, to make, to be. I am lucky to have a good life- my beloved waiting for me at home, interesting things to think about and do, a good kid, happy doggs, a home, a kittenkat- family, friends and tomato soup. Except I really don't have tomato soup, I just thought of it all of a sudden. Do you remember eating tomato soup for lunch- Grendel liked his with goldfish in it, I liked mine with grilled cheese sandwiches. mmmmmm....

Conference Craze

Here we are at the conference- not many words but here are some photos! Our messy messy room, pumpkin and candy corn hershy kisses, endless agenda, the phone that just pissed me off (no offence) ,and a yummy frogs legs.

Twins!!

Yesterday was 'Twin' day for homecoming, so Neena and I were twins. Black skirts, black shirts, hair up in chibi buns (she has dyed her hair reddish) and big messy happy art aprons. We got the shoes wrong- she wore chucks and I wore my new combat boots (which are surprisingly comfy even if they are a bit big...but h-e-a-v-y...feel like I worked out yesterday. maybe I should wear them more often!)

Neena and I are quite a bit alike, stubborn, smart, creative, like to eat and a bit messy (no, not me! actually, Neena is a whole lot tidier than I am...I've become quite the Oscar).

I like highschool so much better this time around! Homecoming is fun but frustrating (no I haven't any glitter, poster board, crepe paper but yes, I can make a giant bulldog for the bonfire out of newspaper and masking tape in under an hour).

But enough of that- today I go to the doctor and get my head-bump-thing removed (thank god. It hurts) then conference at Winston Salem until Sunday.... how am I ever going to survive without the manz? No man-made breakfasts and dinners, no hugs... cold motel sheets. Guess I am just going to drown my sorrows in Chinese food and cell phone conversations. You know, I still love to travel, but now I am loving home even better...

No Doubt About It~

It is now obvious whose snacks are whose! Couple of vintage 'Charles' tins from the auction Saturday, cleaned them out and lined them to hold man-food. If I don't see it, I'm not as tempted by it...and it's harder to sneak into them (lids stick a bit...which is good. If I can't get into them, the mouses can't either...but right now I am the biggest mouse in this house!)

Homemade chocolate chip cookies in the cookie tin, Bugles and oreo's in the pretzel tin, Reece's minis in the punkin (twizzlers in the bread pan. Twizzlers are ok- few calories there!) and an apple pie on the top shelf in my pretty fireking pieplate. (I have a new addiction to the goldish fire king- I still love plain white best, but this is unusual and somehow happy)

I remember Charle's cookies and pretzels and chips... and other cookies-in-tins that Auntie Lou kept on top of her cabinets (I am thinking specifically of a really hard kind shaped like windmills). Truthfully, I didn't like them much, always seemed a bit dry... but I do love the Christmas butter cookies dipped in hot tea... I've mostly liked homemade cookies over store bought (except Mint Milano's...not that I refuse store cookies... or any cookie)

Auction Crew and "The Date"

This is the auction crew, just so you know them- live and in-action at the estate auction in Warsaw today. Long auction- 6:30 am set up to finishing up around 4ish....beautiful old Victorian house, built in 1892 (so it's late Victorian, but still). We ended up with a new table and chairs that fit our kitchen (even though the mahogany one is lovely, it is just to big), a wardrobe, and tons of other stuff... including a video of Charles on a pogo stick that I promise to post soon! (it's short, but stunning)

In the picture, left to right, front of dresser is Jenny and Lonnie. Behind is Robin, Ada, Charles (isn't he cute?!?) and Jason. Tiny in the back is Doug and Judy (one of many Judy's.... snack stand is also run by a Judy, and one of the regulars is Judy...) Heaps of Judy's.

And now, what you have been waiting for: the date. We will be getting married on December 12 at 4:00 pm. at the Auction house. We figured that it is the second time around for both of us, so why not make it fun? It's very casual- *everyone* is invited, come as you are, dress for a small-town auction. No worries, no fuss. We will have cake, and it's the Christmas auction so there will be soup and the like as well. Just simple fun and everyone is invited. Grendel will give me away (or sell me to the highest bidder...which had better be Charles and not Doc) (no offense intended Doc- but you do like to run a bid!) We will be honeymooning at home in our little cottage (Grendel, you must go to Kyle's for the night. And NO to all my students who want to camp out at our house). So don't expect a big white dress, sparkly everything and bubbly-- expect a really good time with real people and good friends, maybe a bargain or two. Hope to see you there!!!!

Auction website: http://www.brownandthigpenauctions.com/

That kinda girl~

Rain on the windows, and a lovely gray day- cool outside, fair quiet now at school. It's a half day, the kids are gone (except Neena and Jordan who are painting- they live here, justabout). We have a meeting this afternoon that I would really like to skip- I have class tonight and all my image files kept turning out jumbly which put me in a bit of a foul mood.

But it worked out- I think- so am trying to shift gears. The roses were given to me yesterday by another teacher- she gave them to me rather randomly, not realizing that I just got engaged. So that made it fun. Apparently Food Lion was going to toss them, so she got them free, brought them to school, ran into me and decided to give them to me. Pass it on.

I never thought I was the kinda girl people give flowers to- I remember Daddy always was bringing Mother roses, other flowers, chocolates and lovely romantic things. I never thought I could have that- I thought that was just a Daddy-based anomaly. I'm lucky though, because I have someone now who loves me enough to plant roses, bring home iron and bread and curious delightful things that he finds in odd places- he knows my heart, and that is such a wonder.

YAY!!!

And today is the day! Well, tonight at the auction he asked- officially- and I said..... "Of Course!" It's all on video. I had no idea this was going to happen- Melissa and I had been shopping in Wilmington all day, got to the auction a bit late (about 1/2 way through box lots). Kyle was there, and Millie, and all our auction pals. He had planned to ask me at 8 (our lucky number) but they were moving stuff and he ended up asking at nine (which is the most magical number... at least in China). It was wonderful, right in the middle of everything. I'm so happy!!! Called Grendel, will call everyone else on Sunday.

Next we will figure out a date- before the end of the year- but right now, everything is just perfect. Absolutely, positively perfect.

Yard Show!

Yard show! When I got home from school yesterday, the manz had it all set up- scare crows and pumpkins and spooky ghost... row of Frankenstein and skeleton lights, porch all a-glow last night.

Melissa is down for the weekend- we all went to the new Mexican restaurant for dinner then off to endless Wal-mart shopping (I had a huge list of things for school)...when we got home it was late, but the house was all lit up and spooky! It has been warm here, so we sat on the porch and Manz made blender-drinks... then we watched a movie, talked... was fun. Talked about art and ideas and school- today we are going to work on our presentations (though I figure that will be done while we are shopping...hum...yes, multitasking is an option) and it's Auction time tonight! (yay)!

You know, in the past few years- especially since moving from the beach- I've let the holidays slide away. No yard shows, no Christmas trees or Easter baskets- the only thing Grendel and I went out for was his birthday at the Highland Games. On holidays we usually ended up at the movies- which was fun, doing our own little thing- that's a memory as well- but the excitement/ anticipation/ creativity of the event was non-existent. I have that back in my life now, and I never realised how much I missed it (or maybe I did- but just didn't want to think about it). I love that I have someone to share it with, someone who likes to surprise me, who likes holidays and decorations and all the fuss- it makes life fun. It's worth the fuss to laugh on the porch and plan costumes for the doggs (In theory... not sure if they will tolerate costumes, or the costume contest...or that Max can show his new figure in public...he's become quite the little 'chubchub' as Mel says)...

Sign-

A lovely sign from our local butcher shop- Billy's Meats. Apparently spelling is not a strong point of Billy's employees.... or maybe there is a new hybrid meat-think known as a 'chinken'. It should be served with the boiled 'Peauts' down the road. (that is *way* to many vowels strung together for anyone!)

I could never spell. Has to do with having an excellent memory- I would just memorize the words for spelling tests and never really *learn* them. Same thing for math. I love words, and I love the theories behind math, but I can't *do* it to save my life.... one of those things. Good thing I have other talents to fall back on.

Writing these blogs is harder than I thought. I want to do it, and heaven's knows that I have plenty to say about everything- I love to write, and think, and take billions of photographs. I love to share my life with everyone because it helps me feel closer to you, and I'm not-so-great at communicating in person (I get shy, or distracted, or awkward or wah wah wah) anyhoo, I am committed to it, and I am (once again) vowing to do better- because it is important to me that I have a voice... that sounds all psychobabbleish but anyhoo, it works for me. I've always kept diaries, journals, sketchbooks (and every single letter anyone has ever written me. really!)

Ariel told my fortune yesterday- she is studying divination for her senior project- and it came up like this (just a simple 3 card spread, but quite good. yay for Ariel!) Issue wise there is the state of being intellectually overwhelmed, and action wise I am spending all my time trying to control that. What I need to do to resolve the problem is to remember that the emotional and physical parts of my life are important to- without everything being in balance, I topple over. So- after a long dramatic day yesterday- where I accomplished lots but returned home exhausted- I took the evening off. The manz made this yummy chicken dinner, we watched a fun movie, he made me a blender drink (rare and special treat for a weekday!) and I just relaxed. Didn't even draw, didn't even take Evie out of my maggie bag. Just relaxed, then slept like a rock. I needed that.

This sounds so narcissistic- all about me, my stress, what I need, how wonderful kind the man is to me- but it does have relevance, I think. For everyone. We all have times where we forget to balance work and play (and it doesn't matter which one is out of whack- to much play is just as stressful as to much work), we forget to take good care of the people and animals that love us. We forget to take good care of ourselves, fueling up with junk food or to much coffee- not resting or resting to much. Melissa says 'everything in moderation'. Those are some wise words-

Spooky!

BOO! It's that time of the year again! October- which means pumpkins and ghost stories, witches and candles, yard shows and skeletons all about. I have been telling the manz about how much I love Halloween- it's my favorite holiday (well, it is right now- ) anyway, I've been dragging him through the Halloween stuff every time we are at Walmart. When his back was messed up, I put his prescriptions in a plastic punkin along with some chocolates and black licorice... cure for the ills. Every time I went on about it though he would just kinda laugh and roll his eyes (silly woman, I thought he was thinking)....

Last night we went to Angel's Auctions out in Atkinson, and he acquired the things for proper yard show. Light up skeletons and pumpkins and a ghost- some of the old plastic pumpkins (you can tell they are old because the color isn't faded, the expressions are a bit different and the plastic is very thick)....and a string of Frankenstein lights. How awesome is that?? Then today he worked on hauling a bunch of stuff out of the rose room in order to fight his way into the scary closet and retrieve my big Tupperware of Halloween stuff. We are getting ready for the season, and -as you see- Squirt is cooperating. The spiders have made some lovely real webs all across the outside porch (I protect spider webs! These are big and lovely, thanks to the yellow garden spider and the tiny black and white crab spider) so we are ready to haunt it up!

I suppose all this love of Halloween comes from growing up in Pa- Daddy always decorated the porch and made my costume (Bigfoot, Headless Horseman...) drove all over the country out by Headacher for trick-or-treat. We'd go downtown for the big Halloween parade- none of this 'Havest fest' or other watered down stuff, it was a full-on costumed creepy parade with tons of candy thrown (and freezing parents. It always snowed, and one memorable occasion I dumped hot chocolate on Daddy's head. Ah Jeeze!) Glosser's would have all the windows painted- teams from the local high schools would compete for the best window- I was on the team a few times... everyone told the local ghost stories, and everyone believed them. (still do).....