Secret Service Bra

I received this package in the mail a day or so ago- a nice puffy package from Theresa... I knew that she was going to mail me back my key that I left there, but I couldn't figure out why a key package would be so very puffy.

When I opened the package, there was a lovely black lace bra- but no key. I rooted around in the envelope thinking it must be wedged in a corner, or fell out on the floor when I was pulling out the bra, but no luck- and I was puzzled (appreciative but puzzled) that she sent me a bra... Now, Theresa is known far-and-wide as the bra fairy, and she just gave me a bag of bras, every color of the rainbow. Lovely bras. Every-occasion bras....so why this one? Other than that it was black, lacy and..... I went to try it on, and *there* was the key.

Carefully taped into the side panel, very spy-vs-spy. Quick fantasies of being a Bond girl flashed through my head (but I am no Ursula Andress) ok....well maybe Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle? (but I'm not that thin...) Nancy Drew? would never have been caught dead in black lace- way to wholesome for that. Hummm..... I'll just have to add it to my Dr. Girlfriend wardrobe.... (no, I don't look like Dr. Girlfriend either, or sound like her, but I like her style!)

Snakes Alive!

So, yesterday Charles was working on the bathroom and called me in to look at something he found it the closet behind the tub (above)... it was a shed snakes skin. I retrieved it- most of it- stretched it out and measured it. It was a bit over two feet, and is now outside drying.

He mentioned that he had found a snake in the garbage can when we were in the mountains- had disposed of it- where there are mice there are snakes.

I suppose the new electronic mice repellents are working, because we haven't seen as many mice, but... I moved a bookcase in the kitchen yesterday and curled up tight was the little chicken snake in the picture (with tongs). We put him outside in the woods to live a happy snake life... later, when we were cleaned up and thinking about dinner, Charles noticed something moving on the kitchen table (still covered in stuff from the studio). We searched carefully all over, nothing- but then down in the dog basket, where we keep the leashes and doggstuff, a much bigger chicken snake was all curled up looking at me. She was well over two feet long and quite strong, but out she went. Hopefully that will be the last one, but I'm cleaning with caution...

Charles just ripped out the rest of the shower, found out the wall behind it needs replaced as well as the tub faucet/handles. Back to builders!

he really does have the patience of a saint to put up with all of this- one thing just revels another thing that needs fixing, snakes and mice... yesterday morning I was teasing him about what strange animal would show up, turns out it was the snakes. I'm not going to tease him about that anymore or we might end up with elephants in the yarden!

Before- laundry room

This is the laundry-room beforeish. The washer/dryer is out, and the ick floor is up (layer of carpet on layer of vinyl).

The wall is showing it's ugly green self- that was hidden by the washer and apparently the owner never bothered to finish painting it.

Our laundry room was at one time the worlds-smallest-bathroom- a sink behind the door, toilet where the dryer hose is coming out and the tub at the end of the room where the bathroom door is. Skish. When they put in the new bathroom, they didn't take out the other things exactly- the water lines were capped, but the old drain pipe is still there, and the toilet line just was kinda plugged and had a hunk of wood on top. That whole area- around the dryer hose- was rotted through, the rest of the floor soaked under the carper/tile layers- everything hidden by carpet and washer and dryer.

You can't see it in the picture, but the ceiling was much the same- tumbling down over the dryer. It is amazing that the floor didn't break or the ceiling cave in before now- when I bought this house I *did* have it inspected, I *did* know it was old, had issues and was a fixer upper. I just kinda closed my eyes, jumped in and hoped for the best. (NOT recommended. but we needed somewhere to live...)

Now that Charles is working on the house and uncovering all it's ills, I am amazed that it hasn't fallen down. I feel guilty because it is in such a state, but he is patient, just sighs and says "oh well, we'll just have to replace the: floor, wall, ceiling, shower thingy etc." then gets onto the creative part that he loves. He is doing things correctly, and I admire that- I am much more haphazard in nature and a mess when I am working.... yesterday I just put stuff in the studio, painted a tiny strip of bookcase trim (carefully painted!) wore an apron and STILL ended up with a streak of white paint across my skirt- right on the butt. Lovely....and I didn't notice until this morning.....(had been out prancing about Walmart in the skirt earlier that day...jeeze...)

btw: Sid made a break for freedom and has vanished into the yarden....

Sid the Turkle

Sid is a striped mud turtle that is now living in our garden, in a make-shift pond made out of a plastic paint tray. We were on an early morning run to Wal-mart for paint and the manz spotted the turtle trying to cross the road. So of course we turned around to save him, and we need a garden turtle...so, now we have a Sid.

Well, for as long as he likes us- he is a young, active fellow and will probably be off to larger ponds in a bit, but at least he shan't be squished by a pig-truck. That's a bad way for a turtle to go-

Working on the house all weekend- pictures coming soon! Laundry room, bathroom and I finally a) put stuff on the studio shelves (well, I made Grendel put books on the shelves so that counts! b) unpacked my suitcase from Texas c) cooked! Yay for cooking! (of course I am trying to diet, so I am not eating everything that I'm cooking, but make treats for fellows regardless).

Kyle is here- he has photos of bear tracks- big bear lurking around his house. If we were there the bear would probably want to come up and dance with the manz or something- he attracts all animals. Kyle calls him Tarzan...

Bear Studio

The studio, with the new bear, painted shelves and the new floor! It's sooooo pretty! I apologise for not posting the past few days- just lots of work (that class is *really* hard) and excitement with the house.

Boys have been over all the time, we took a trip into the city for more house supplies, found a good used simmons sleeper-sofa on craig's list for the guest room, upgraded the tv (yay! it's flat! This is the first tv I've ever had new? all the others have been give-offs)... it's wonderful.

Today I finished homework, worked in the studio a bit (putting up a few books, cleaning out Poppy's desk- which was a mess of unfiled papers) and the manz rebuilt the ceiling in the utility room. (I swear, without him the house would of tumbled down by now...) The flowers in the yard are going crazy, blooming and tumbling out of containers, full of butterflies. I have most of my homework squared away so that I can focus on the cottage now...well, at least tomorrow.

Rui Shi

Auspicious lions of China, Lions of Buddha, Fu Lions, Fu dogs, guardians of dharma and the way.

These are curious types of dragons, smaller than the other oriental dragons, and animal-like in form rather than serpentine. Usually occurring in pairs, they were placed outside the entrances of palaces, temples and the like to serve as guardians. The female guards what is within, the male what is without. The female is placed on the left and usually has a cub with her, the male is placed on the right and holds the sphere- the 'flower of life'. The males mouth is always open, inhaling and representing life, sounding the sacred word 'om'. The females mouth is closed, representing death.

The male Rui Shi symbolizes power and strength tempered by intelligence, the ability to protect and lead, a signifier of royalty. At one time only the elite could own Rui Shi, as a symbol of both blessing and their obligation. In traditional Chinese culture, all wealth carries with it a proportionate amount of obligation- you must serve in order to balance your good fortune.

This Rui Shi is one of Grendel's birthday presents from Charles- he scouted them out at the auction and acquired a small collection to surprise the boy with. There are two sets of pairs, one with a cub, a standing one and this one- which is everyone's favorite.

What is extra curious is how they are appropriate for this birthday- this transitional year of 20 between child and adult, the year of letting go and coming into legal adulthood. I don't just mean the 'oh I'm 21, I can buy booze' type of adulthood, but the bridge between the dependent years to the independent years. Blessings and obligations.

It is also curious- to me- that these are what Charles found... yes, he is observant and knows that the boy loves his dragons, yes, odd things turn up at the auction all the time, and yes, Charles is one heck of a thoughtful guy. But what he didn't know is that a single male Rui shi is a traditional gift from an older man to a younger, signifying entrance into the duties and rewards of adulthood. (of course, it was traditionally only applied to wealthy young men of noble decent...) Still and all, it's very very magic in it's own way...

mmmmmYummmY!

Happy boys, happy happy happy boys. We are home from the highlands, leaving behind fair-food, live music and sitting in the rain until next year.

Fair food is awesome, but then it gets you back. Some of the samplings (we tended to buy things and pass them around): strawberry shortcake, hot fudge cake, strawberry scones, bread pudding with hot apples and whiskey sauce, birdies (sausage in puff pastry), mixed berry pie (hot), spiral fried sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, apple turnovers. Mostly one of the boys would get something and the rest of us would sample it... with thermoses and thermoses of coffee....

Last night on the way home the boys picked their bests:

best band: Barleyjuice

best newcomer band: Scythian

favorite song: the love waltz- Scythian- kyle, what do you do with a drunken sailor- Barleyjuice- Grendel

prettiest girl: Scotlyn, the oldest daughter of Kyf from Barleyjuice. (Kyle's pick)

Hulahoop girl (Grendel's pick)

best food: apple turnovers from Douglas bakery

new friend that came with us: Aaron from Asheville

new friend that we met: Dave-the-Dwarf from Asheville

wildlife: 1 bear, 1 deer (eating rocks), 1 owl

best performance: Jam with Barleyjuice/ Albannach/ Synthian/ Coyote Run: Ring of Fire (Cash)

best fiddler: Alex from Synthian

best piper: Kyf from Barleyjuice

Hottest girl: pink-dress-girl, redhead in the mini-kilt, brunette in the mini-kilt

Most random act: when Aaron fell asleep during Blessed Blend, and woke up when a stranger gave him a hot, fresh turkey leg!

Most generous act: the lady who gave Gabriel a ticket on Sunday for free.

Who we feel sorry for: Garrett, who fell down the mountain when parking cars (Melissa's friend from High School) and ended up in a leg brace, with a shot of morphine and *still* had to direct traffic from a folding chair

Runner up, feeling sorry for: Drunken fairy, whose boyfriend publicly made out with another girl, breaking poor drunken fairy's heart... (no one should have to cry at the games)

Oddest people: pirate guy (trying to dress like Johnny Depp, including the hair) and the 'celtic witch' (imagine Amy Winehouse at 70 in a leather mini outfit and bellydancer belt, high heel boots... her t-shirt said 'celtic witch', so we aren't being mean...)

Good time was had at the annual birthday-cation! (But we are all glad to be home, in our own little beds... now, if only some magic fairy came along and did all my homework....)

But the manz was busy, busy while we were gone- cut the shoe molding, planted the new roses and repotted the moss roses from the windowboxes, and rehung the kitchen cabinet cabinet doors (that were on upside down for some unknown reason)... He also had surprises for Grendel and I, but those deserve a post of their own!!!