I'm lazy

Most people don't think so, but truth is that I'm lazy. I haven't gotten grendel's room ready yet- and he is due home Thursday.... that is a big example. A little example is watermelons. Truth is, I like watermelons. And cantaloupes, honeydew, crenshaw...most melons... but I'm lazy. I don't know why but tackling a whole melon, cutting it up and wrapping the leftovers, dealing with the seeds and all that is just overpowering to me- too much work. The precut melons at the grocers always are mushy, and you can tell they have been trimmed from melons almost ready for the great melon graveyard in the sky. I like bites of melon at the stockyards where they are cut with machetes and offered in chunks on the tip of a knife. But I rarely take them because then I feel guilty for not buying one and if I do... it takes over the refrigerator because I am too lazy to cut it up and use it. I go for easy fruits, like peaches or berries.... they take zero work to eat, even less work than oranges and bananas. (I don't like bananas much, especially if they are at all spotty. If I have to eat a banana, make it frozen and chocolate covered please.... or in chunky monkey ice cream).... back to the melons. I don't know why it is- as much as I love to eat, some foods just seem to difficult to think about. Melons. Turkeys, whole Cabbages, Recipes-requiring-many-steps. I've given up on cooking except for baking, and that is limited to cake-box cookies- I don't mind the washing up and I love grocery shopping, but my cooking skills have packed their bags and left town. (The manz cooks way better than me, so that is a good thing-)

Perhaps I'm just tired, but I have always felt this way about melons. That's why as a kid I was in love with melon balls- they were super good and easy to deal with- no giant slippery wedge full of seeds, or puddle of juice, and the melon had to be fresh in order to make successful melon balls. I think they would be awesome frozen...if the melon ball fairy left some in the fridge....

Creativity on the Loose!

This is awesome. There is just no other adjective that applies to the crochet poodle bottle cover. If I was judging this as a project, it would have an A++ seriously. The craftsmanship is perfect- crochet stitches tight, the pompoms handmade and secure, the nose shaped perfectly. Not a loose string to be seen. But the cincher is the expression on the poodle's face- priceless! It's gazing down on it's unicorn admirers as if to say "Don't worry- we may of found ourselves in reduced circumstances (boxlots at the auction) but I am certain that someone will see our true worth and we shall be restored to our place of splendor in a well-appointed home." I don't know who acquired this treasure, but I hope the poodle has a good home~

I get empathic with the handmade things that show up at auction- I know how much time, effort and love has to go into making something... in order to make anything you end up caring about it deeply. The caring could be the pride of accomplishment, the struggle with the technical, the hope that it really will be 'just perfect' for the recipient, the hope that someone will love it enough to part with money for it. Some of my creations I find very easy to let go- for sale or gifties or whatever- but that doesn't mean that I don't care about it when I'm making it, and hope that it will be loved for a long time.

I had to say 'no' to the poodle- I can't rescue everything and I really truly have no place for it (or desire to have it- not my style *at all*)... and some of the handmade stuff we get in is truly hideous. (I can imagine someone unwrapping it and saying 'uh.....gee... Thank you for the...ah, um, did you make this yourself? wow.) (and yes, that has happened to me before!) but sometimes there are things that we can't resist. The manz bought a stack of afgans at another auction- $3.00 for the lot of 7- they were beautifully made, clean, good colors (solid dusty roses, mossy greens, and a cream) We had them at spring fest and one of my student's mothers bought two for her older daughter's college apartment. That daughter actually sent me a thank-you note on facebook- she loved them (and... I must confess... is under the illusion that I made them.) Confession again, I didn't make them (I cannot crochet despite Mother's best efforts to teach me- she taught my best friend Karen and I when we were in 5th grade....Karen caught right on and was soon whipping out scarves, afghans, blankets...I was soooo jealous!) Anyway, I chose to not spoil the illusion that I had made them, for the magic of them is enhanced by the thought. And that's ok.

Cookie Monster!

Charles's dad is incredibly generous. He also apparently has connections to the Keebler Elves, because he gave us- among other things like Honeydew melons and potatoes sweet and white- a 50 pound box of Hydrox meal. Hydrox's are like Oreo's- and the meal is the chocolate part, not the white part- crumbled up. Excellent for cheesecake crust, mixed into ice cream and milkshakes, in other things.....but I'm not quite sure what to do with 50lbs of it. That's allot of cookie dust.

Of course, the manz made marvelous milk-shakes right off.... ice cream, peanut butter and cookie dust. Chocolate peanut butter heaven. (Diet? What diet? I know nothing of diet) but WOW were they worth it. So last night- the first night in a week that I was feeling human and awake past 8pm, we had milkshakes and watched movies, just relaxed. It was nice- today we were up early (but someone got our selling spot!) so we found another and sold more furniture, a trolling motor and one of my painted milk cans- the one with cats and geraniums on it. Wish we had more milk cans as they are quite popular, everyone seems to like them. I also worked on a boat painting but I can't quite get the boat to sit in the water right- it's just a rowboat in a stream. Now we are home for lunch and showers, cooling off and perhaps a nap before auction time. Tomorrow is my time to tackle the Monster's lair!

I was teasing Charles that we should just save the box of cookie dust and give it, some milk and a spoon to grendel when he gets home.... Happy boy-food! Seriously- any cookie-dust suggestions would be welcome! Happy Days!

Messy Nest

We have cliff swallows at school they build nests above the outside doors to our rooms. The one on the left is nice and tidy, with mama bird proudly perched on her babies.... the other one, on the left is above my door. It's messy and lopsided, mama bird is in it, but she is hidden by the candy wrappers, papers, and other stuff that she has dragged into it. Every time she flies off, stuff drifts down, and she is constantly bringing back other things to tuck into her nest. Artistic? maybe. Like me? definitely. I have cravings for order and neatness, especially at the turn of the year (not just new years, but at the start and stop of school years) and want to do nothing more than put things away in boxes with neat little labels. Which sounds wonky and is not accomplished much at home, but I did clean out the store room here at school, sorted and labeled everything for next year. Which makes me growly when *this* years kids drag something out. Is alright, only 8 class days left- not counting today- and one of those I will be off fetching grendel. Then exam days. Then finally summer..... ahhhh..... dreaming.

Back to the birds. The school is nice enough to leave the nests be until the birds are finished with them in the Fall- then they are sprayed down and all is cleaned to be rebuilt next year. The birds return from wherever they go and build the nests each spring, the kids love to watch them and their progress. (This year they are happily teasing me about the messy nest- ) The swallows are pretty tolerant, and just flit about when anyone is outside- it's odd because the brass section of the band practices outside right by my door but that doesn't frighten them off at all.... I suppose they are used to 'Pomp and Circumstance' by now.

Springfest!

This is one of the offerings we had at springfest- an old table and chairs painted with apples. Everyone liked it- and it was fun to do- and it sold (yay) for $75...the lady had me paint a milk can to match for $50 more (double yay)... we could use profits like this everyday. And I love to paint.

Today it is thick outside, humid and foggy- the same way it feels in my head and chest- all thick and bleah like. It's ok, the cold is getting better- I just feel stupid and half asleep - I can deal with half asleep but I hate feeling stupid. Makes me irritable (like I need any help! the hormones are doing that all by themselves)... wish I was at home with the manz, getting ready to sit outside and sell stuff (sunshine and fresh air would make me feel better I think) and painting all day. I love painting, making things, and I can't sit down without the hands starting on something- drawing usually, sometimes sewing, writing if I'm at the computer. (Evie is sick to, with a computer virus that I feel to stupid to fix at the moment. later when I feel sharper I'll tend to her). I love my kids at school, but right now they are so needy and clingy- anxious about separating for the summer or for the great beyond of adulthood. It's normal this fear- I understand it, like a rock understands the tide going in and out around it- but it can get annoying as they want to spend every minute in here, holding on to something that is leaving them by. I have to become the mama lama, nipping them away, and that makes me irritable to. I suppose we are all just ready for a break.

I want to be at home, to center my nest and give it a much needed thorough top-to-bottom cleaning, turn the boys room upside down and out so that it is fresh for him to come home to. I want to scrub the tub, smell paint and bleach, wash the winter and school and sick away. Manz has been working hard to do all the house chores while I've been at school- and he has done well- I need to do this cleaning to clean the cobwebs from my own head, center myself and begin a new chapter on a fresh page. (Queen of metaphors this morning. fever? antihistamines from the doctor? left over dreams? the effect of reading to much Margaret Atwood?)

Anyway, the band teacher is MIA (again) and LC is late, so I am off to cover their classes- together, all the aspiring stars of stage and screen. Vivant!

By the way~

this is my final project for the MAEd program. All 72+ pages of it..... browse around the art site, it's kinda cool : )

http://whistlingypsy.net

Long time, no post. UPDATES!

So folks, sorry for the looooong absence, but I'm back- and hopefully regular again. This past month plus has been busy, busy, busy....finishing all of the last minute school stuff, graduating, art shows, pepper's baby, and all those things. I tend to put things off, or at least I think I do, and the last few weeks of school were cycles of a few hours sleep between many hours of work- I'd go to bed at 9, be up at 1 or 2, take a nap around 4, back up at 5 off to school.... I could do it when I was younger, no worries- and I did it again, but it wore me out. Then I had to finish the national board renewal, so more of the same.... being a perfectionist doesn't help at all... then it was Springfest prep and painting/sewing. But it was worth it as we sold a few things that will help us through the rest of the month... (silly me, I was trying to get the bills straightened out, and ended up paying most of them twice. which is better than not paying them at all, but it put a big dent in the bank account). Let's see...what else... school meetings- end of the year stuff- and activities (preschool field day, special Olympics, senior projects- I can now make a reasonably realistic dead cat out of duct tape!) applying to the next round of grad school.... plus the menopause fairy has moved in and *that* is one roller coaster that I only want to ride once, please.

In the midst of all this was Graduation, which was lovely- I finally got my hood! yay! It has light blue velvet and the ECU purple/gold combination...stunning.... graduation was short and sweet, the professors kept making mistakes and forgetting to introduce each other, which was kinda funny. My cap wouldn't stay on- it was securely bobby pinned but then we had to take the pins out so we could take the cap off and get hooded by the professors.... my professor is all of 5 feet tall, so we had to kinda squat down.... then the cap went back on and it just didn't want to stay put. kept sliding off as I walked away (of course mine was the only one who misbehaved, but then no one else had fluffy hair- even my friend Keema had flat-ironed for the day) Charles's parents were there- they had gone to the wrong one first and had to be redirected across campus- it was great seeing them and then we all went out to lunch at a bbq place in Keenansville. The manz was there of course (yay!) and keeping me together- we only stopped at one tinsy yard sale on the way up (but we bought a rocking chair and two tables to resale)
All in all, it was short, sweet and wonderful.

Now it's all over, just a few more days of school left, gotta getta grendel, then one final Raleigh meeting and the Penderlea art show.... of course, right after Springfest I got the worst cold of the year (which has nothing to do with overwork, followed by gate duty at a night baseball game -cold- followed immediately by a day of sitting in 90 degree weather. and throw in a meeting with a sick parent who coughed on me) anyhoo, I slept all day Sunday, tried school on Monday ended up going a 1/2 day then to the dr., slept all day yesterday and am trying school again today. (poor kids need me- it's the end of the year and they are horribly neglected). I read two whole books during the last three days, and the manz has kept me in gatorade, chicken and toast........... I feel better, just can't talk much. tis ok.

I have lots to do still- I want to see Liz and Pepper's baby but don't dare until I'm better, I need to clean the house and do something with Grendel's room before he comes home, and I have to prep for Penderlea...plus school, of course. And the poor manz has been neglected- he thinks I'm just a blanketed lump in the bed that consumes endless amounts of kleenex and strawberries.... he has been doing *all* the work around the house for months plus his regular work and I know he is tired (but never complains). (The only thing he doesn't do is put away my laundry. He opens my drawers and cabinet- which are very messy- and just shakes his head, puts the pile on top of the dresser, shuts the drawer and walks away. I will do better, promise! I did get the messy genes in the family though- everyone else is a neat-nik)

It's finally raining, and I need to drink my coffee and get my act together. I know there are papers to grade and things to do, and I best get on with my day. Thank-you all for not abandoning me this past month, and understanding the whole 'in the bubble' thing.... Love you!