photos, but no photos

i took photos for you, but elvie's wifi isn't connecting. i don't know if the problem is within her, is the wifi itself, or if the planets are not lined properly. whatever the reason... this is to be a dreary, photoless post.

at friday's r&s meeting we discussed organic vegetable gardening, made pots of recycled items, then planted seeds. we also took a photo for jane goodall's birthday (3 april.) the group stood around a "happy birthday" sign, & everyone did pant hoot in honor of dr. jane.

we were supposed to have a reporter attend our meeting; to watch homeschoolers in the wild in action; but she decided to follow teens instead. i was so relieved! i get nervous speaking in front of others as it is. having a reporter in attendance would have made me queasy.

thehobbit is really enjoying r&s these days. he's less often acting all "yeah i'm so cool. i'm just sitting here pretending like i'm all whatever, when inside i'm giggling like a loon." i don't know why he does that. i mean i know why; to protect himself; i just don't know why he bothers. his group of buddies are all as goofy as he is. as is he? anyway...

there's not much more to tell: i'm superfreakybusy, & so very much behind in everything. i did learn something today worth sharing!!! there was even a photo! today paper taught soap & me how to crochet! i made a funky bracelet, that i absolutely adore! i definitely prefer knitting, but i have learned that there are things that are better done in crochet.

that's it for today's babble. i hope you're having a lovely weekend!
~peace.

the best ever!

this has to be the all time best ever stall at bedtime. this beats the time thehobbit called us in to tell us it was dark. this is so much better than the time thehobbit had to, just had to let us know he was not going to get out of bed for anything. it's even better than the zillion & one times he's yelled to let us know he's not yet falling asleep! combined!

are you ready for it? are you sitting down? swallow your drink first please. tonight. just now. two minutes after being tucked in & kissed goodnight. thehobbit called manlyman in to ask...

th "what are these balls beneath my penis?"

mm "those are your testicles."

th "what are they for?"

mm "we can talk about it tomorrow. when it's not bedtime."

th "are they ok?"

mm "they're fine. leave them alone, & go to sleep."

th "but.."

mm "we'll talk tomorrow. don't touch them, er leave them alone, it's time to sleep."

th "ok daddy. goodnight."

mm "goodnight."

th "goodnight mama!"

k "goodnight!"


goodnight.
~peace.

dragonfly happenings

i forgot to order decaf last night (weekly mama crafting,) so didn't get to bed until quite late. thehobbit celebrated that as only a small child can - by getting up with the dawn. he then declared he was starved unto the very brink of death, & said something about it being ok if i stayed in bed, because he could cook some eggs by himself. um no. oh solo reader of mine... i am a tad tired. & by tad i mean help.

i've a few things to share with you today!

* dragonfly artisans now has a home. it is not to be a chatty home, just one for announcements, shop updates, etc. there you'll find the links to the artisans' blogs, & their shops (when they all get off their arses, & get their shops filled.)

* oddsox has joined dragonfly artisans!

* the talented women of dragonfly artisans shall have a booth at a local spring fair on the 31st of may. more information on that soon. start saving your pennies!

* there was something else, but it has fallen out of my head.

today is to be thehobbit's first time with friends since the pestilence hit. he's still not fully himself, but i believe it's just in the lingering stage now. i hope anyway. he needs to see his bestest buddies... he's so lonely for them. apparently we parent-types; as silly as we are; are no substitute for the 3 goofkateers.

have a lovely day!
~peace.

oh! i remembered the something else! due to only recently getting off dial-up, manlyman & i are new to the joys of youtube. we... ok i... am a showtune fiend. it occurred to me the other night, that i could watch some of my faves on youtube. i had no idea what i would find!!! everything! everyone! there are so many videos i want to show you, but i decided to narrow it down to one (you're welcome.) watch this.

a heart full of love...

... a heart full of you! (les miz stuck in my head)
do you ever look at your child, & find you cannot breathe? that time has somehow slowed, your breath is caught in your throat, & you can hear only your heart slamming in your chest? that is what happened to me a little while ago. thehobbit walked through the room, i saw him, & i felt... i just felt. so. much. sigh.

& now the moment is gone. gone because thehobbit just asked "bmabma?" yes he still has the pestilence! "bmabma? what do you think owl poop looks like?" he then left the room singing a little ditty he apparently just composed, "snotty tissues, snotty tissues, snotty snotty snot sno-oooooot."

dining room wall :: crooked picture (real clock)

i made the first of the cell phone cases. this one is for chucking into my bag, & is made with two layers of wool felt, & closes with a snap. the felt was a prezzie - thank you soap!

doubling the felt gives it more protection from bouncing about in my bag all day. the felt also cleans the screen each time i take the phone from its case.

thehobbit noticed my reflection at the base of the screen. if you have long known that the one thing that would make your life worth living is the sight of my fingers - here is your chance.

that's all for today. we have cancelled another outing, & are going to spend the day climbing the walls quietly awaiting the departure of this bleeping pestilence.

~peace.

messing about

if you see odd things happening at the belfry don't panic! it's merely un-techie me attempting to hang a pretty picture.
i'd like to do so without having to hack - creating three columns was followed by booze & napping -which means things may be changing quite frequently, & you may hear a great deal of cussing.
let me know what you think as things change please. when i have it looking just as i imagine, we'll celebrate with a drawing for... well for something.
~peace

here comes peter cottontail..

hopping down the belfry-trail!

i was torn this morn: do i share with you yesterday's drama of the water heater breaking then replaced with one that was too big, the landlord having a diabetes event in my laundryroom, the whatchamacallit that turns the water on to the entire house breaking, & their plumber away until monday, thus leaving us hooked to rubelin's water via a very long hose?
or do i share the easter fun, & leave you in blissfull ignorance of the rest? i decided to share easter fun!! (see how i shared both, making it seem that i only meant to share one all the while?)

i meant to take a photo of the table set to surprise thehobbit, but um i sort of forgot today was easter until i heard him squealing with delight in the other room. i also meant to take a photo of my very first knitted bunny!!!! except he turned out looking like he'd survived being stepped upon by a giant, & never did heal properly. in true hobbity fashion, he was proclaimed the most perfect bunny in all bunnydom. i do love that sweet boy of mine.


this is thehobbit wearing the ties from the easter bunny, & showing one of the teeeeeny wooden animals that led the way to the baskets. they are the sweetest little toys, & the wheels do work! bunny, alligator, pig, & elephant - an odd menagerie. (the felt eggs were a huge hit!)

um he just drove into the room wearing: black slacks, dark green dress shirt, white tie, black wool overcoat (it's already warm enough for shorts,) & a black derby... wanting to know when i was going to get dressed. ha! as we're going nowhere, & none are coming to visit, i have no desire to get into my fancies. you & i both know that i shall - those huge brown eyes, with those freakylong black lashes - pleading with me... sigh.

i'm off to get dressed in my easter best. i wonder if i can get away with putting a fancy skirt on over my jams...

~peace.

fare-thee-well hedwig

hedwig had to be set free. his battery was nearly dead, & the choice was either buy a new battery, or renew our phone contract to receive a free phone. environmentally not the best choice, but money isn't falling off the trees around the belfry these days. ah would that it were.

it's not hedwig i'm mourning, it's the loss of my beloved ringtone! it was the only thing that made me happy about the whole cell phone in my world thing. my cell company still offers the ring, just not for my new phone. what frustrates me most is that i chose this phone because it took the same type of tones. rats & fleas!!!!

here is the new, yet unnamed phone:

as a phone it's vastly better than hedwig. it's larger, & i can actually hear people talking to me. oh... i did buy "it" a ringtone! each time someone rings i hear pirates singing yo ho yo ho a pirates life for me. not nearly as beloved as the harry potter bells, but fun, & we are a piratey family after all. it's tempting to name the phone captain jack, or will turner, but a certain manlyman is not amused by my lust fondness for the actors who portrayed them... especially the latter as manlyman looks very much like him.

in addition to naming the wretched, beloved-ringtone-less thing, i need to sew it a case. it won't fit in the two i made for hedwig. i'll need one for chucking it into my bag, & one so i can wear it on a belt. hedwig's were made of my favorite damasks... i'll have to sort through the bins to see if i've enough left. sigh. see what serious dramas are playing out in my life?!

to those who've asked: thehobbit is still pestilencificated. he says his throat is no longer sore, & he has actual energy today. yesterday's lack had worried me. hopefully this means he's on the mend.

& that brings us to the end of today's babble. i hope all are enjoying this holiday season: purim, spring, easter, etc(?)!!

~peace.

from behind a mountain of hobbity tissues...

awake, thou wintry earth -fling off thy sadness!

fair vernal flowers, laugh forth your ancient gladness!

~thomas blackburn

***

and spring arose on the garden fair,

like the spirit of love felt everywhere;

and each flower and herb on earth's dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~percy bysshe shelley

***

happy spring - blessed be!

~peace.

poached eggs are good for what ails you

my one & only reader... are you sitting down? please sit, because what i have to say is sure to make you faint. **the pestilence has returned.** i know! do you see now why i needed you seated?! so far it's just thehobbit, & myself, as manlyman is still faking that he's well.

this is not the week to do the pestilence tango! we have history club, a park thing, easter egg hunt, hogwarts, & our spring/easter celebration. not to mention; though it seems i am; the kitchen cupboards are bare, i've holiday shopping still to do, errands & chores are stacking up... & on, & on! no! time! for! pestilence! get thee gone sickies. now. i mean it! (ok, everytime i say 'i mean it!' i think 'anybody want a peanut?')

my mom used to make poached eggs for me when i was sick. to this day i still crave them when the pestilence hits. i made these eggs last night:

yummmmm. two poached eggs that slide easily from their shells. these will go in thehobbit's easter basket, along with a teeny bunny & some treats. what are you putting into wee baskets this year? put a link to your photos in the comments section, so i can see!

we are staying home today, in hopes that thehobbit will be well for all the festivities. this morning was nice - we played a fun game here, then printed what we did to make a book. i think it's meant for younger kids, but we found it entertaining, & learned quite a bit from the teacher pages.

now it's past noon & i am in need of a restorative nap. thehobbit however, feels he needs to show me how much energy a sick 10yo has, whilst humming 'oh when the saints' over & over. these two things don't go well together.

lunch! how could i have forgotten that? i should go make it before i hear how i'm starving him unto the brink of death. i would love for a greek salad to magically appear in the kitchen. wish me luck on that one!

~peace.

blah. blah i say.

i woke today; 3:30am to be exact; with a nasty migrane. i fell back asleep a few times, but it never lasted long. finally thehobbit decided we must be up, & about, so i whimpered & crawled from bed. happily it was manlyman's day off, so i only crawled as far as the couch to await my whimpered-for coffee.

the migrane lasted until midday, when it was replaced by mind-numbing cramps: of the female variety, first-day strength. by then we were across town at thehobbit's doc. the sample he gave at last week's well child exam hadn't been enough; i am going to spare you the drama of that day; which meant we had to take him in for a quick peeps.

i began feeling better by the time we arrived home, so thehobbit & i planted the new blueberry bush, & 2 rows of lettuce. after we'd watered them, we sat on the rocking bench to watch manlyman mowing around the raised beds. then my cramps became so strong that they made my lower back burn. i've been on the couch; with a heated rice pack; ever since.

no sewing done, no writing, no work, no knitting, no holiday crafting, no playing, nothing but sitting here, being miserable. & that is why i say blah.

~peace.

colllld aaaas iiiiiice...

(song now stuck in your head too? you're welcome.) i had to go outside to save potted plants from the high winds, & discovered we'd been blown to alaska whilst we slept! i've been back indoors for over an hour now, & am still not warm. i may never be warm again!!!!

things have been very busy around the belfry: r&s meeting, hogwarts, homeschooling, & trying to get caught up. i've not gotten caught up, but neither have i fallen farther behind. ok i have fallen farther behind, but not dreafully so. ok i have fallen dreadfully farther behind, but there is booze.

here is pom's scarf. the ridges aren't as noticeable when it's on. the lacey effect of the loopy yarn combined with the big needles is lovely. i couldn't photograph it that way because i couldn't get an angle with enough light to see it, nor without so much light to see it. does that make sense?


here is an art case i sewed for a neice. i suppose i should have ironed it before i took these photos.

i included a small pad of drawing paper, & colored pencils from the japanese store. just any auntie could send paper & pencils from china america, but this auntie sends the fun stuff.

the lone pencil was to show how the slots work. those newly 6 prefer to put in their own pencils, so the worldly 10yo hobbit tells me.

kats in the belfry is up & running again. i received an email order for a kiddie market tote, & friday sold 3 drink slings! yay me!

i wasn't sure i was ready to get back into the bizzie swing of things, but i feel pretty good about it now that the decision's been made. since our recent escape from the dark ages - aka no more dialup - i can fill my etsy shop with goodies for sale! which brings me to...... drumroll please..... sweet oddsox has sold her first item on etsy!!!!!!!!!! congrats my friend, and a huge woohoo to youhoo!

i'm off to brave the wilds of alaska.
~peace.

dreams

today thehobbit & i saw alvin ailey american dance theater!! all my life i've wanted to see them live, & it was everything i hoped it would be. absolutely stunning to behold!

photo property of alvin ailey

before i was crowned mama, i was a dancer. during the performance today, such intense feelings washed over me. some of it was due to the brilliance on the stage, some to my own memories. the rest of my day i have felt elated, sad, peaceful, edgy, up, down, up, down. it's amazing how something can make one feel such opposing emotions back, & forth, & all at once.

as i write this, i am at ease - acutely aware of the joy my chosen path has brought me. later tonight i shall kiss my sleeping child, snuggle within the embrace of my beautiful husband, fall asleep... & dream of the path i did not choose.

~peace.

*edited to add: wade in the water, sinner man, & been 'buked.

contrary to popular belief...

i am not a bag lady. to prove that point i have designed a... well... a bag actually. i suppose that proves no such thing then. but! i am not a bag lady! i just like bags, & wish to share my bag joy with others. i am not a bag lady.

my darling soap gave me bamboo knitting needles for my birthday, & the 19s are long! i had to take thehobbit to the doc yesterday for his well-child, so wanted to take my current wip with me. none of my many totes worked well, so having time to spare (hahaha) i set about sewing one!

i used scraps from other projects, & love the result! i shall have to make more to sell.

i hadn't time to line it, but wish that i had. the fabric is stiff, but i think a liner would give it just that bit of extra stiffness it needs.

this fabric was purposely wrinkled... please no comments that my dislike of manlyman's iron has gone too far.

an inside view; complete with new 19s, & the yarn for pom's scarf!

in addition to lining the knitting bags, i shall make them 2 inches wider. my bag worked wonderfully, but it needs to be wider to allow for lining, & if someone is working on something larger than a scarf. perhaps there should be two sizes? hmmm...

that's all today! we are going to the nursery with our book-craft friends... plants for the secret garden. & blueberries for mine? maybe?

~peace.

fantasmaddict!

i thehobbit wanted to watch the fantasmic! video i linked to yesterday. i he enjoyed it, but was disappointed that so much was different from the show we saw the other night at disneyland. we poked about youtube, & found a brilliant version, filmed just a few months ago. the owner of this version taped two shows, & edited them together. there are different views, many close-ups, & it's crystal clear! i hope you enjoy them as we did. if you don't, i'm sorry. we had to watch quite a few versions to find the right one, & i'm a tad fantasmout!

part one

part two

part three

~peace.

in which i am an idiot

the night before last thehobbit slept poorly. he woke yesterday miserable, & with dark circles beneath his beautiful eyes. at that moment i knew i should cancel all plans, stay home, & let my sweet boy rest. did i? well... not exactly.

instead, we ran a few errands, came home for lunch, then got ready. as soon as manlyman arrived home from work, we headed to disneyland to meet thepapers! slightly not relaxing.

this trip was for one reason only; to see fantasmic!. since our passes are the least expensive, they are the most restrictive: no weekends, mostly no summer, & soon no fridays until august. fantasmic! only runs fridays & weekends.... so you see?

did you know that people start setting up blankets 2 hours before the show?!?! luckily paper knew this, so we came prepared: blankets, knitting, card games, & a picnic dinner. my sweet manlyman took the kids on a few rides nearby, then played cards with them until the show began. we mamas were able to just sit, chat, & knit. knitting at disneyland! ha!

the show was amazing! beautiful, dramatic, & utterly magical. it also began at 9pm, with fireworks after. we didn't get home until 11pm! that would be 4 hours past his bedtime!

something i should mention; no matter what time he falls asleep, he wakes at 7, (sometimes earlier.) this meant that he woke today at 7am!!!! i tried to help him get back to sleep, but he never managed it. poor sleepy little thing.

so today we cancelled hogwarts, & stayed home to rest. well... that is only partially true... the part about none of it. hogwarts went on as usual. i just never learn, do i? he handled the exhaustion fairly well, no wretched behavior, no melting, & he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow tonight.

the thing is sweet reader... i. am. tired. whimper. newborn in the house kind of tired. so you see, i am an idiot. i push, & push, & push until either thehobbit is not fun to be around, or i am a puddle of babbling goo in the corner.

tomorrow is another day. let's hope i wake much too tired to continue being such an idiot.
~peace.

drinks for everyone!

not only was i able to upload photos for you, i was able to do so at the speed of light!!!!!
how is that possible? is elvie (pc) not slower than dirt? well yes. & no. poor elvie had been blamed time & again for being the cause of slower than dirtness (real word,) when it was the dial-up all the while. i'm not sure who was the wretch that blamed my sweet elvie... moving on.
here is where i explain & praise the generosity of friends...
my friend rubelin lives next door, & has wireless. she is letting me use it practically for free! she insisted on free, but i felt i couldn't call her at 2am to complain if i weren't paying her something.
enter my other friend fryingpanman; he had a wireless box he wasn't using, so gave to me!
what generous friends! welcome to the 21st century to me :-)

show & tell time.

these are the scarves! the taupe is with a chunky wool/acrylic blend, using size 15. the green is a wavy acrylic, using size 19. *pom, i'll have your scarf soon.*

another prezzie from my paper! she made a joke about me needing more fiber in my diet. hahaha. except thehobbit was listening, & 10yos are not known for their gift of knowing when something is no longer funny.

brussels sprouts! my first attempt at growing them. already we can see little bumps where the sprouts will be. yum.
sugar snap peas! these are my favorite to grow, because they are so beautiful. the plants are over 6ft tall.
fennel bulbs to the rear, with rainbow chard in front. barely in the shot is a row of turnips. by row i mean 4 plants. i don't know why the others never popped up.

your turn! what are you making, & what is growing in your garden???

~peace.

alas!

nay! my sadness is such that i know not how to give it voice.
oh my dearest & only reader, i did wake with but one purpose today... to fill your heart with joy!

even before i broke my fast, (but not before thehobbit did as such, for he is yet small, & is wont to starve unto death,) did i run about the demense, capturing images for your pleasure! how this did please me!

my gladness soon withered as i found blogger loath to support my task. time & again i beseeched him, but it came to naught. the wretched beast! vile! vile blogger!

'tis with an enfeebled heart that i write this; knowing how you long for images. images not from clipart. i fear you shall spend the remainder of your day awash in melancholy for the lack. please, please sink not into despair!

i shall endeavor another day. all shall be as it should. until the morrow....

~peace.

miscellanea

my mind is racing with to-dos, ideas, articles, homeschooling, projects, etc - leaving me unable to write a proper post. instead i give to you... a pile of unrelated things that fell out of my head!

*my sweet oddsox has opened her etsy site! please take a gander at her stunning creations. feel free to buy me something ;-)


*a few people have asked about my hair; what product i use, & how it works on such dark hair. this is the brand:

i make a horizontal part (from ear to ear,) putting the top half up into a bun. ignoring the mascara-brush applicator, i use my gloved-hands to generously apply the dye to the unbound hair. the more dye, the more vivid the results. let it sit for half an hour, then wash it from my hair. this brand bleaches the dark hair, & dyes it in one step. easy peasy!

* i finished my celebration scarf! there's no time for taking photos today, so imagine it longer, & off the needles. just in time for warm weather! yay?

* paper, soap & i shall be hosting a lecture at this year's homeschool expo! so many people have asked about our hogwarts classes that we thought a how-to course was in order. we've already begun work on it, including a blog dedicated to all things hogwartsy (real word.) more on that later.

* my lovely paper has begun a second blog! please pop over, & say hello.

* i have added new blogs, & websites to the lists on your left. i hope you enjoy them as i do!

& that ends today's miscellanea. there is more, (isn't there always?) but i have a small hobbit hopping about me, anxious to get outside & work on the farm.

~peace.

my little elvis!

thehobbit was in the other room playing, & singing. here is what i heard:

rock a hula, rock, rock a hula.
rock a hula, rock, rock a hula.
rock obama, rock, rock obama.
rock obama, rock rock obama.
barack obama, ba-rack obama.
barack obama, ba-rack obama!
hey mama listen!
barack obama, ba-rack obama!

this was followed by much giggling. i believe the expression is "oh the cleverness of me."
~peace.
*that was the beginning of elvis' rock-a-hula baby in case you were wondering.*

into the shorty realm

i love how shorties see things. lately thehobbit has been obsessed with spaceships, & droids; drawing them, buidling them, & so on. this morning he said, "i'll see you later mama. i have to fly to planet faeryopolis, to take my droid to visit some faery friends."

my mind doesn't work like that... worlds don't mix. i would play faeries, or i would play spaceship. it would not occur to me to combine the realms. how restrictive the adult mind is.

i feel like monica on friends: the episode where she shows off her perfectly victorian dollhouse, & phoebe builds her own, adding a dinosaur, bubbles, & so on. adult minds are monicas, & shorty minds are phoebes. can one be a monica & a phoebe? if so, i should like to try.

speaking of the world of shorties... some have asked for the latest news regarding the too-small shirt. thehobbit has not worn it in the past week. we don't know if it's because he can no longer squeeze into it, or if he's simply moved on. manlyman & i do not want to ask, for fear he'll take to wearing it again. lately the outfit has been black slacks, long sleeved tshirt, short sleeved dress shirt, bright red crocs. there has been a myriad of accessories: hp glasses, neckties, cloak, sword, dagger, hats (including a bowl, & a box,) badge, adventure belt... you get the picture.

what fun to be a child.

now on to something fabulous..... pictures! not! from! clipart!!!

this bucket was a prezzie my darling paper made just for me!


isn't she talented?! it's thick, & sturdy, & i love it so! manlyman keeps suggesting we fill it with water "just to see if it's water-tight." ah... no.

& what is this? well my one & only reader... this is the scarf i am currently knitting!

i wish the photo could show you how lush the yarn is. i cannot wait to wrap this around my neck, & snuggle my face down into it! i did a few k-rows at the start, then alternated k-row, p-row. i'm sure that is not the official ways to describe what i did, but if you knit you know what i mean. if you don't, then the official explanation would make no sense either.

now i'm off. it's time for lunch, & thehobbit is sure he's on the very brink of starvation. have a glorious day!
~peace.

*check out paper's new blog, & what sweet oddsox posted for my birthday!*