I have the kewlest dudes

The most hippest guys in Wallace~ the manz sporting surfer style with a longboard at the auction (I wanted to buy it but I didn't...) and the monster with steam-punk style Welsh goggles  (I wanted to buy them and I did- visions of profiting on Etsy- but quickly snapped up by the boy, at least temporarily).  Red is the color of the day!

Roadshow!

The last few days have been weird- the novasure went well, but the medicine keeps me wakeful and odd- I'm not quite thinking clear, me thinks.  I am drawing in pencil (which- while I need the practice- is not my thing) getting obsessed with other blogs (http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/) and watching 'Hoarders',  (since there are only 2 full episodes of hoarders online, that didn't take long, but I spent ALL DAY yesterday lost in ugly house photos.  It's good for the ego though as it makes one feel very, very superior). 

Anyway, one of my late-night ideas was to start a blog for morninglory as an experimental advertising technique.  Let me explain:  Morninglory is the name of our business of reselling furniture etc.  We had talked about a shop, but have postponed that due to expense- instead we are selling on the web (craigslist, ebay, etsy) and during our weekly roadshows on Thursday/Saturday.  Right now, we are doing quite well- breaking a bit more than even, which is fine for a business less than 6 months old.  We have divisions of stuff- the basic furniture we sell at our roadshow, nicer furniture we sell by appointment or online, art and small collectibles that we sell at festivals and on the web.  Sneakily looking for a way to hook into the popularity of blogging (which I love to do, even if I am not as regular as before... I need some 'blog bran'. ew) anyhoo, I thought (in my late night hyperactivity) what if I make a blog that tells the stories of some of the interesting stuff we offer?  People who are curious about more information could go to the blog, and hopefully be captivated by my storytelling enough to fall in love with and purchase the item.  Maybe it will work, maybe not, but in the meantime, it's kinda fun!  (In the spirit of entrepreneurism I also started a Facebook page for Morninglory- please 'like' it ).  Anyway, the new blog is at:  morningloryroadshow.blogspot.com    Check it out!

Nova-SURE!

Today was the day! We headed off this morning bright and early- of course, everyone in the hospital registration area knew us (even though we didn't know them!)... it was fairly quiet, except for this poor fellow who was working at the Pig when a loaded pallet jack rolled backwards over his foot. ouch. He was being all stoic, but his coworker was "just wait till he gets in back! He's scared of blood and needles and will cry like a baby" (hehehe...don't we all? Anyway, the coworker- a largish black lady- knew Charles somehow, the admittance clerk knew us, and basically every one we saw... more on this in a bit).

Oh- the picture is the tool-thing they use, and the procedure is like an internal microwave.

Charles's mother was there earlier (for some reason his Dad mixed up times and told her that I had to be there at 6:30.... she came back later, along with Dad who had to be there anyway for a conference call or something) I'm not really a 'everyone come visit' person when I am sick, but it was really touching that they came by- and later gave the manz cucumbers, tomatoes, bagels and lovely Madeline cookies to make me feel better.

The manz- couldn't of done it without him! He teases everyone and had us laughing so hard in the prep room that everyone ended up laughing right along- even 'crystal dawn' the very scared low-beam girl in the cubby next to mine. And put up with me asking 20 kazillion times if he had my maggie bag (which is my take-along security object, full of stuff I knew I wouldn't need like my sketchbook, camera, a novel, all the black ink pens in the world and assorted art supplies), would fill my prescription and phone everyone, listened to my operation dream about rolling down I-40 on my hospital gunnery.... he asked the dr. to give me copies of my operation photos for my sketchbook (it looks like a planet!) cause he knows I like things like that, told me I was beautimus in my backless gown and grey hospital socks.... good care all around. Love the manz!

Of course, a good thing bad thing happened that I *knew* would happen.... no clue except for intuition.... the bad thing was that my gyn surgical nurse- the person who see's *everything* was a former student of mine. (there are some things students, even ex students who are nurses, should never, ever see) The good thing is that she is one of my smarter ex students, who always liked me and who is by nature, kind. I was in good hands... and thank-god for post-op amnesia that happily erases everything from leaving the prep room (and waving at the waiting room in general.... ) to waking up in recovery to scarf gingerale and crackers which I promptly threw up when we got home. (Madelines and strawberry icecream are successfully easing my road to recovery)... and the I-40 dream which I was apparently babbling about to the recovery nurses. (one of them said "this is fun. no-one ever remembers their dreams!"

and now I am all dozy and writing happily- I took a loooong nap when I got home, followed by a short nap.... and my kazillion pills (still taking shingles meds as well, so am quite the floaty gal)

Grendel has popped in to check on me and keep me in toxic water, and the manz brings me treats and meds and snuggles......all the good things.

and it doesn't hurt much, or at least that I can feel, so that is nice as well. I am going to actually listen this time to the manz and mother and rest for a few days- bed and book and writing- thinking about high hopes for the future~!

Tea-a-tory

In our house, iced tea is serious business. There are complex rituals for making, rules for making and consuming, the issue of the frozen tea and the potential ill-effects of using the incorrect tea-bag. Let me explain: the boy and the manz are drinkers of iced-tea. While I like iced tea, I limit my consumption to a restaurant treat and happily drink my toxic water at home. Occasionally I will have a cup of hot tea, which will come up later in the conversation.

According to the manz, the law of tea is: he who drinks tea makes his own tea. Therefore both boy and man have separate tea pitchers and are the sole consumers and creators (in theory) of the tea in their pitchers. I, however, break the rule by feeling sorry for he-who-is-out-of-tea, and I will make a 'sympathy' pitcher of tea.... and if I make a sympathy pitcher for one, I have to make one for the other etc. It's easiest if I just avoid tea-making all together.... (but sometimes I cave...)

The way of making tea: in the coffee-maker designated for tea-only, there are 4 tea bags. That gets mixed while hot with 4 scoops sugar for boy-tea, 5 scoops sugar for manz tea (the manz pitcher is larger, therefore the greater sugar amount). Then it is shaken - not stirred- then filled to the top with water, let sit until it is room temperature, then put into the fridge.

Frozen tea is much the same initial process, but the smaller bottles are filled halfway up, then placed upright in the freezer. They are then filled to the top with regular unfrozen tea on roadshow days, providing for cold tea all day. Trick is though to carefully manage *whose* tea is used to fill the bottles, both for freezing and for topping off.... because I usually do this while the fellows are loading the heavy stuff, someone usually ends up with an empty tea pitcher which brings us back to the making of a sympathy pitcher etc.

Today I made the frozen tea, but Grendel was making his own tea.... and decided to get all creative and use the tea in the Raspberry tea-tin. Normally this would be ok- but what he didn't know is that I had used all the raspberry tea earlier and was using the tin to store my Chinese herbal tea- tea that is guaranteed to 'aid the female system by relieving stress and cleansing the body'... in other words, it makes you sleepy and gassy. He happily made his iced tea with this...lucky I saw the tin on the counter (the Chinese tea actually tastes a bit like raspberries- and allot like seaweed) and prevented him from drinking it- sleepy gassy boys are not good for business, and if I had used this blend to top off the frozen teas tomorrow... well, it wouldn't of been pretty.

Mysteries of the Universe

Tupperware! One of the mysteries of the Universe~ (and it applies to non-tupperware brand plastic-storage items as well as the official product).

1. It spontaneously generates. A few short months ago we had to *buy* plastic storage containers. Now we have a multitude of containers of all shapes and sizes- unbought, unplanned for....and the originals have mainly vanished.

2. Tupperware is *not* monogamous. While originally mated with a lid, the pair frequently separates leaving behind their original mate. Therefore in a snuddling of tupperware there will always be an uneven number of containers and lids, and the containers and lids that exist will only be correct fits every 1 out of 4 tries.

3. It travels. You will always have someone else's container, and someone else will always have one of yours. The missing container will always be *exactly* the one you need at any given moment.

4. There will always be at least one container that is stained with tomato sauce- even if you never eat it.

5. There will always be at least one partially melted lid.

6. Eventually, if left alone long enough, it will all disappear- except the one in the bottom left corner of the fridge which is considered a protected habitat for an endangered species of mold.

7. If labeled, the label will stay on forever if: it is misspelled, it is gross 'liver mush', or has an embarrassing nickname 'sparkles'. The label will promptly wash off if it is something you need returned to you. (see #3)

8. At one point, every item of tupperware is used for a non-food use. (holding objects, small animals, plants, as a sand-castle mold)

9. There are always remains of that use that are undiscovered- even though the item has been washed many times- until you finish the last of the leftovers while standing in the fridge light. (Other wise known as 'the mysterious black speck in the bottom of the bowl').

10. When you need tupperware to store your tupperware, you know you have an infestation.

Oh- a sunndle is stack + cuddle- tupperware stacks up and you have to cuddle (wedge) the lids into the top container, upon which they are bent into funny shapes that never quite spring back.

Argh Maties!

This is my current summer look, except make the hair wild and curly. Yep, I'm sporting the pirate-look, complete with eye-patch for outdoor occasions. (I haven't actually acquired the patch yet, but I'm thinking it's a good idea...)

What happened was: the girly-problems that I've been having + the hormone treatment sent my immune system spiraling down. Then I didn't listen to the M's (Manz and Mother) and insisted on trying to work this summer, which added a heap of un-needed stress. Add in the fact that when I am doing nothing, I feel like a slacker and obsess about all the crapola that I need to do (clean rose room, work in the yarden, lessons for next year, clean kitchen blah blah blah...when no one is going to beat me if I don't get this all done, still the inner Martha Stewart is a B*).... so add this all up and I have gotten a whomping case of the shingles. All over my torso and- bonus, bonus- the left side of my face. The eye is swollen almost shut, the lips are swollen, the nose is crusty, the cheek rather alligator like. Lovely.

Of course this turned horrible on the weekend of the 4th- no urgent care was open on the 4th and I was to stingy to go to the emergency room ($150! outrageous.... and consider that I just paid that last week for Grendel, plus my girly doctor visits, plus the $75 urgent care.... as far as meds go, we both cost $50 bucks each, with insurance and the Walmart discount. And people say we don't need a government health plan? For someone like me, in the last 2 weeks between Grendel and I we cost $415.00 He has a follow up appointment this month, so do I, plus my surgery on August 3rd...... this is not money that is just laying about. And I'm middle class, work full time plus with a husband that works full time plus and this still wipes us out. This is *just* my co-pay, not the actual cost, and doesn't include a visit to the eye doctor which will have to happen if the eye doesn't improve by tomorrow..... seriously, what would people without dual incomes do? and Grendel paid for his meds... If this happened during the school year I would be out of work for at least a week- my job covers that, but if I was working a regular job (like at walmart or a factory farm) do you think they would not replace me? One series of health problems can wipe a family out.... ok, I'll get off my soapbox now)

On the other side, they prescribed me a zillion medicines (including Vicodan- I'm feeling rather 'House' today) I slept through yesterday and probably will do so today again.... that and do the one-eyed reading thing. (which I know is probably not good, but I have to do *something* and it's less strain than watching tv) My inner martha-beast is saying 'this is a good time to do inside house work' but I am going to take it easy. That's what my body is saying: stop!!!!! loud and clear. Stop, no stress, everyone be the get-a-long-gang and let me enjoy my nice fluffy House-like cloud.

Speaking of which- and maybe one of the medical side of the family could answer this (Aaron, Sam, Frannie) why are pills so HUGE? seriously, my one pill measures an inch long and 1/4 wide. While I can do this, it makes no sense that the medicine Grendel was prescribed to take every am for his throat is the same size. The boy can't swallow....this makes no sense. Make them smaller and just have us take multiples....

oooOooo I'm wanting to change the world today with my feisty ideas, aren't I? The other good thing about all this medicine is that I don't want to eat- for the first time in ever. The other day I came to the realization that I am a full-fledged food addict (I fit every single requirement) and that I was eating to relieve stress (duh) but that I had no control over it at all- it sneaks into my dreams and I wake up hungry- not just appetite hungry but hurting/growling thirdworld hungry. (ok, that was not politically correct, but seriously- physically hungry, not just mentally).... so maybe this shingles episode will be the 'off' switch and I can get things back in control.

On to addressing stress while I'm in the mood to write- Charles keeps asking me what I am stressed about- since shingles is a stress-triggered action, as well as the food thing. It is not so much that I'm under stress now- it's the reaction to stress building up. Kinda like a tsunami- it starts far away then builds up and hits. Simply I did to much last year- and I did it well- but it has caught up to me in spades. Plus all the little stresses- I'm a pleaser/resolver and I work hard at making everyone happy- at home, at school, family wise-friend wise, even selling furniture, I feel guilty for not lowering the price (which is why the manz does the pricing selling and I just look decorative painting)....anyway, I worry about the comfort of others. I dream constantly about school (and food) and -take this to the shrink- making Daddy proud of me. (I know he would be, but in my dreams I'm always screwing something up.... last night I had this crockpot recipe that I was supposed to fix for dinner- it had strawberries of all things on top- I burnt them to a crisp. Daddy was all like "how can you burn something black in a crock pot"- not yelling, just being Daddy).

Anyway, all of that plus my habit of putting things off until the last minute (even easy things, like washing my hair) apparently turned me into a time bomb that exploded into my new pirate look.

Dashing.

The manz is understanding though, and is taking good care of me. He actually realizes that when I'm sick- other than checking on me and petting my head (the only part that isn't crusty and gross at the moment) I do well left alone.... I'm not one of those people who want company when I'm sick, or visitors- that just stresses me out about the cleaning thing again. I just want my bed-cave and a book to escape into, my sketchbook, guilt-free napping and the occasional cuddle. He is wise about this- wise about allot of things.

That wisdom is helping us evolve as a family. I know that I have been a good mother, and turned out a great kid, but the boy didn't get everything from me... it was easier for me to let somethings go (like driving) than to force it to happen. I suppose I'm rather selfish in my views- I'm responsible for myself, but I hate telling anyone else what to do (that goes back to being a pleaser/peacemaker)... it makes me angry to have to do that, so I don't. Instead I let things go- if it bothers me I just do it myself. The plus of this behavior is that I keep an even keel, the negative is that because I do stuff, other people aren't aware that it needs done by them.... Charles is opposite, very organized, very linear and clear with responsibility- he is good at setting boundaries and making sure they are adhered to. Grendel is learning how to cope with that- it's not always easy, but it's an aspect of his upbringing that he lacked- my pastures had no fences. Together we are balancing out, hopefully for the best of all.

You know, despite all of this crusty mess- I have a really nice life that I am deeply thankful for. I'm not sure how I ended up with it, but I love it- I love my husband, my kid, my job, my doggs, the cat- even our tumbledown cottage. I'm a very lucky pirate!

Not bad for tuna fish~

is what the manz says! This is the new sidewalk and driveway in progress- the guys across the road poured it today, Charles had framed it up. The stuff in the driveway is just a base layer thing- that will be framed up and poured as well, We are sooo lucky! hooray!

Today we set up to sell, because yesterday was rainy and bleah and I had to go to the dr's anyway. We had a great time today- it was perfect weather, bright and clear and not to hot. Windy, but that's ok. We sold couches, rocking chairs, bookcases, table + 6 chairs, lots of small stuff (hooray!)... hopefully tomorrow will be a good day as well and the rest of everything will move right along..... I like this whole selling-buying thing. The Manz has a knack for picking out what people like then selling it (for more than I would- I'm forever undervaluing stuff). Boy is catching on and is quite good at selling when the Manz is off delivering things. Me? I'm good at sitting (or standing) and painting- being the 'conversation starter'. Folks like to stop by just to see what I'm doing. We are a regular band of gypsies!

Life is better~

when you're sittin in Dad's chair.