It's a Shantastic Life!

Change of Address

2011-03-14T10:16:00.002-05:00

For multiple reasons, I've started a new blog on a different service.

You can find me (hopefully more often) here: http://shannahmarie.wordpress.com. Hope you'll stop by!

Merry Christmas From Us

2010-12-19T21:50:00.001-06:00

A little early present for the blog...

Shannah the... dog photographer?

2010-12-12T23:15:00.007-06:00

For years, I have read knitting blogs.

For years, I have also read dog photography blogs. Oh yes, dog photography.

But, lo these many years... I have knitted. I have not professionally photographed dogs (though I have amateurishly photographed Roxie and Raider more than necessary).

Today, I borrowed a camera and a dog to try my hand at something new. The camera is a Canon EOS Digital. The dog is Margot.

(click on any picture to make it bigger)

I haven't edited or cropped these or anything (I don't have photo editing software). I think they're pretty okay. It was fun, too. Margot is the perfect model. A calm, sweet beagle/whippet mix.

Penguins

2010-12-03T10:32:00.001-06:00

Here's what greets you from our balcony at night:

Who doesn't love a penguin?

(Just for you, Marsha!) :-)

Proof That it Does Get Cold Here

2010-12-01T16:59:00.004-06:00

Can you spot my little Raider's nose?

A Thanks-Giving for Thanksgiving

2010-11-30T15:33:00.003-06:00

This year, we hosted Thanksgiving. I was (hopefully, understandably) a little antsy about this. But it went off without a hitch from my perspective, and I'm learning to value my perspective. Since a comprehensive journaling of everything I felt and thought might become a bit, er, boring or worse, truly revealing, I decided to put together one of my favorite things, a bulleted list, of the highlights:

On Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving in which I was simultaneously cleaning bathrooms, doing laundry, and giving the dogs a talk about how to behave, I went to the kitchen to begin making Cranberry-Orange relish, a family Thanksgiving staple that must be made the day before. After a careful search of the refrigerator, freezer, and pantry, I ascertained that there were no cranberries in the house. I survived a trip to the store only to return home and carefully search through the pantry for flour, which was also missing. After another trip to the store where I bumped carts, arms, and other unfortunate things with other Houstonians, I returned home to complete my duties. After the dips were made, relish refrigerated, and family arrived, I related how I had saved Thankgiving by bravely going to the grocery store. Andy promptly went to the kitchen and produced an unopened bag of flour from the freezer. No news yet on the cranberries, though.
After gluttonously filling our bellies with a feast of Thanksgiving favorites, I pushed back from the table and sighed with contentment. My mother-in-law followed suit. Raider, who had been begging on his hind legs for the entire meal, let out a high-pitched sigh of hunger and impatience. No comedian has ever had better timing.
After eating, Andy's mother brought in a tub of ornaments she had been collecting for him since he was born--a new ornament each year. When Andy was small, he helped pick out ornaments that meant something to him. Andy's mother also brought a set of tin trains (Andy's father is a train engineer). We all set up and decorated our brand new tree and spread good Christmas cheer throughout the apartment. My stepmother and brother-in-law spread icicle lights across the balcony. It means so much to look at these things and think of our family helping us put them out (what a thoughtful thing that Andy's mother did--the ornaments are so special).
Then, Andy and his family surprised me with a small blow-up set of penguins. I love tacky Christmas decorations. The penguins are fabulous.
And we went to the beach. Because we leave thirty minutes from the beach now. Can you believe it? I barely can myself. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I walked barefoot in the sand with my family along the beach, picking up shells and watching little live shell-creatures bury down deep into the sand. It was cool but not cold, a perfect time of year.

A perfect Thanksgiving! I missed some family who could not come, notably my mother, but I was so thankful for each loved one who was there and for the stories told and the memories built. I feel almost taken aback that I am now adult enough to host a Thanksgiving meal, and so grateful for the direction my life is headed. I felt insulated and warm with my family near me. And yet, looking out at the ocean on Saturday reminded me of how close even the far away things are, something indeed to be thankful for.

On Squirrels

2010-11-29T17:01:00.003-06:00

We have a problem with squirrels in our household. We don't have a "squirrel problem," and by that I mean that there are no squirrels chewing through wires or living in the attic (we don't even have an attic). But we have a Roxie dog.

Roxie has had a problem with squirrels since the moment she moved in with me six years ago. She searches every tree in every setting for the smallest presence of a squirrel--the brush of a branch, the swish of a leaf, even the sunlight shadowing on the ground are scrutinized carefully. Obsessively.

In the morning on our walk, she stops at each tree to check. During our time on the balcony, she keeps her eyes open even if she relaxes enough to rest her chin on the railing. Right now she is sitting up straight, looking out on alert. A casual observer might think she is a great protector. Oh no, she is only a great fan of squirrels.

And my beloved but strange dog even has a squirrel noise. I've heard it twice. It is a long cooing noise, a low "ooooooooo" that I swear I have never, ever heard another dog make. The first time she made the noise I was inside a little backhouse that we shared and when I came outside she had caught a squirrel and smushed its back legs. It was crawling helplessly on the ground and Roxie, visibly upset, was circling around her, softly saying "ooOOOOooooOOOO." The second time was a few weeks ago, on the balcony. Roxie saw a squirrel, but couldn't chase it and sat and cooed for a few minutes while shaking with the intensity of her concentration.

If I were a better dog trainer, I would capitalize on Roxie's ability to fixate on one thing. I would teach her better things to do than constantly search for squirrels. I would keep her under control rather than handing Andy the leash and watching the two of them "tree" every squirrel in the park each morning.

But I'm not. I'm just going to admit that we have a problem with squirrels and leave it at that.

So why bring all this up now? Well, this post is simply a long introduction for a photo that I felt had to be shared.

We are also easily entertained in our household.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T13:04:00.002-06:00

(I'll be back soon. With completed crafts -- Christmas has made me a secret-keeper, and thus a not-very-exciting-blogger.)

I am so blessed. Grateful today for family and friends around us and for the amazing bounty we have to eat in an hour or so... ;-)

I keep humming this song from Godspell in my head as I cuddle with the dogs, as I help cook up a feast, and as I enjoy sharing our beautiful home with the family here.

We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good,
The seed-time and the harvest, our life our health our food,
No gifts have we to offer for all thy love imparts
But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful hearts!

All good gifts around us
Are sent from Heaven above...
Then thank the Lord, thank the Lord for all his love...

I am blessed. I am thankful. It is good to have a day set aside to remember these things.

Fall (Or Not)

2010-10-13T12:15:00.002-05:00

Well, the highs are only in the 80s these days...

ah, Texas. The church we visited last Sunday had a pumpkin patch, and we picked up some as little tokens for the little fall that we have. I guess, comparatively speaking, temperatures in the 80s are much, much cooler than the 100s we had a month or so ago. But I read about people buying their winter coats and knitting their family hats, gloves, and scarves, and I wonder why I picked knitting as my hobby. But knitting away I am! I have a pair of huge socks in progress (chalk that up to my refusal to swatch, but I believe that they are man-sized, so I'm sticking it out and hoping for a nice Christmas gift), and I've started another clapotis scarf for a more northern relative.

Maybe we'll get down to highs in the 60s for winter. Then I could break out the mittens patterns... Right?

In other news, the house is slowly coming together. After the last year of overwhelming busy it's nice to putz around with the dogs, organizing everything. Peaceful, even.

On Changing My Name

2010-09-22T22:22:00.002-05:00

When we got married, I changed my last name.

This surprised many including Andy (I think) because I am not really a "traditionalist" and I fall into the category "feminist." Several people have asked me about it, and I really do have reasons. Here they are:

First, I do not like the last name I was given at birth. I love my father. I love my father's family and our wonderful family legacies, but I do not feel that that legacy is connected to the name that provided for all kinds of name-calling and obscene jokes from elementary to high school. I did not like having to spell my last name every time someone asks because they cannot believe that's really my name. Andy's last name is prettier and easier and way less conducive to name-calling. Period.
I have four parents. They have different last names. We have no real "family" name.
In this country, we have no matrilineal heritage through a name. I find this very sad, but that's the way it is. As far as I'm concerned, I traded one male name for another. There's no reason to be loyal or emotional or nostalgic about that.
I am not famous/published/career-oriented (yet?). Might as well change now.
Connected to Number two, it is important to me to have one family name to signify Andy and my new family together. I like the signs people gave us that say "The _ Family," showing that we're embarking on a unified journey together. I strongly believe in individuality (we did a unity candle at our wedding, but left the individual pillars burning to signify that though we combined our journey together, we remain unique people along the way), but I also believe strongly in community. I believe that people can be true individuals only in community (one of the wonderful paradoxes of life), and I like that we are signifying our marriage as unification through one name. Sure, we could have combined our names and achieved the same unity, but see Number 1 again.

It's interesting what an emotional, complicated issue this is for many people. It is also interesting how much I've thought about my decision in these few weeks of marriage. I have never regretted my decision or thought about changing my mind, but it is a strange thing to change your name. My name is such an integral part of my identity, and changing it is an odd thing. I am proud to sign my new name, and to be changing it everywhere, and to think about my new family and my new identity.

And really, no matter what last name we choose when we get married, all of us always get a new name. Now, Andy is Husband. I am Wife. Those are names I do not have any trouble getting used to.

Getting Inspired About Decorating: Kitchen

2010-09-21T21:13:00.001-05:00

As we embark on our journey together as a family, my instinct to send down roots has been growing strong. Evidence? I cannot stop looking at design blogs/magazines and thinking about our home. I really want it to be the cleanest, prettiest, homiest, happiest place ever.

We have an apartment. A really nice one. And it is FUN thinking about how to put it together. All of those fabulous wedding presents are finding a place (you know, "a place for everything and everything in its place"--look Ma, I learned!). However, the kitchen is a tough one. It's ~~shockingly tiny~~ cozily quaint. I mean really cozy and maybe less quaint. And there's a desk in it, taking up needed cabinet and counter space (I don't know why).

But I love kitchen gadgets and dishes and cooking (because I love food). Our wedding registry was fun, but really hard. We had no idea where we were going to be living or what it would look like or how many bedrooms or bathrooms we would have we registered blind. For a LOT of things. Here are the fabulous kitchen things we got from our registry that I love: red KitchenAid mixer and several attachments (I got it! Yay! #1 reason to get married**), red and yellow Fiesta dishes and lots of accessories (that's fourteen place settings of Fiesta dishes--thanks, mom-in-law!), an ice cream maker, a set of new pots and pans, 12 Fiesta glasses, wine glasses (see the footnote here for more about those wine glasses), cookbooks, and, ahem, etc.

Back to that tiny kitchen...

What's a girl with fabulous new kitchen necessities, accessories, and appliances to do with her ~~ridiculously small for such a large apartment~~ quaint kitchen?

I'm not quite sure, actually. For now, I've made an inspiration board:

Sources and info for Mosaic:
Left picture: found here, don't know about the original source. Lovely BIG kitchen. Ahem.
From top to bottom: 1) The perfect kitchen fabric from Michael Miller (red mixer! smiling stove! :-) from Home Grown Pillows Etsy Shop), that I may use for a type of "curtain" to cover up the desk shelves. 2) Organized pantry (guess how big ours is...) from Real Simple (how I love you, Real Simple). 3) Ornamental Chilly Chili. I fell in love with these at Andy's apartment complex, where they grew so beautifully that it took everything I had not to rip one up from the ground and take it with me. The picture is from Homes and Gardens, but I found a really useful chili article on the Better Homes and Garden site with some other lovelies.

Maybe this will be helpful. Maybe it's just fun to entertain me for now.

**I'll tell you later about an embarrassing moment using this phrase at my bridal shower. Think twice about making these kind of statements in a public place.

Three Weeks Married

2010-09-19T12:30:00.005-05:00

Andy and I were married September 5, 2010, at 12:30 PM. See?

Since then, we have: changed cities, changed jobs (well, Andy has), changed names (well, I have), gone to New York and Canada for a honeymoon, and started unpacking our home.

And before the wedding, I finished up that pesky English Lit degree.

So... more on those things coming soon. And other things, since I have now finished with the school/work/wedding-planning trifecta. Hooray! The future is here!

Unpacking is Fun...

2010-09-19T00:27:00.004-05:00

...I mean it; it really is!

Thursday we picked up a couple of furniture items (dresser, sideboard?) at Ikea and some home decor items (curtains) at Target and got to work organizing and unpacking. Our house is quickly changing from the "dumping ground" look to the "home" look. We've got curtains hung, red and yellow fiesta dishes in the kitchen cabinets, and lamps on either end of the couch.

I am absolutely stunned by the amount of wedding gifts we got. Twelve place settings of china! Fourteen place settings of fiesta! Unholy amounts of wine glasses.**

It is fun opening a box and going over what's inside. Andy and I took our combining households opportunity to each get rid of a lot of stuff, so each box is the very best representation of what we had as individuals--our most treasured keepsakes, our nicest clothing, our sturdiest pots and pans.

**In a stunning lack of foresight, Andy and I registered for all types of wine glasses, sure that no one would buy them for us. We used that merchandise gun at both Dillards and Target, selecting casual wine glasses, crystal wine glasses, burgundy wine glasses, white wine glasses... we thought we'd get some wine glasses. Well, we got all the wine glasses, including twelve crystal goblets and champagne glasses that match our china. They're beautiful. We'll use them. (In our next apartment, with a kitchen and dining room four times larger than this one. At the five course dinner that I'll learn how to make.)

Changing My "About Me"

2010-09-15T13:54:00.002-05:00

For about two years, this has been my "bio" on Facebook:
Office Manager and English Lit Student. I live in a small apartment with a very large dog, giant stack of books, huge pile of yarn, and growing stash of fabric.

Well, now I'm a married woman. At the end of this month, I won't be an office manager anymore since we've changed cities. I'm not a student anymore. I live in a larger apartment with a husband and a small dog in addition to my large dog. My books, yarn, and fabric still exist, but I also now reside with a collection of jayhawk paraphernalia. We're a family, not a "me and Rox" anymore! :-)

So, today, I change my bio. Hope I can come up with something snappy...

Old Apache Wedding Blessing

2010-09-01T20:38:00.000-05:00

Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now each of you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

The week of my wedding, I find this quite beautiful. :-)

Late Night Update

2010-08-12T23:16:00.003-05:00

Well, I have one last paper to write as an undergraduate student. This one on the English dialect of Cuba. And then that's it.

So many, many things are still "TBD" over the next week or so--detail things like where we're going to live in less than a month and which furniture to leave by the dumpster AND big picture stuff like what to put in the vases at the wedding and how I'm going to do my hair.

Oh wait. I may have gotten that backwards.

Well, anyhow. It's truly amazing to me all that we've done in the last, oh, year or so together. I cannot believe how different things are than they were two years ago. I've gone from being a girl with a dog to ... a "we" with two dogs. And it's so much better that way. Sometimes I feel a little new-agey and try to send all this positivity out into the Universe--I wish everyone could share in what we're becoming. But that's what the wedding is for, right? Celebrating in community.

That's not far away at all.

Edited to add: I may be slipping away into sentimentality. Oh well. I've always had tendencies toward being "that kind" of English major anyhow. Don't be surprised if some Romantic poems surface here before this whole shebang's over. You've been warned.

How to Handle Stress

2010-07-15T06:36:00.000-05:00

Pet the dog:

She doesn't understand stress.

Right Now

2010-06-25T06:36:00.000-05:00

So here's the deal.

Right now, I am very busy.

But I started this blog, years ago, because I believe there is something important about marking the passage of time. I decided to mark it publicly because I believe in community, and I like to share.

And I don't want to forget this part of time, either.

So, today, I'm going to mark time.

The last few months have been stressful, but also amazing. I started summer school, and am currently working for an hour and a half, leaving work and spending two hours in class, returning to work for four and a half more hours, and then doing homework for three to four hours each night. I am also planning a wedding for at least two hundred people (our list keeps getting longer--so many people we want to invite), and beginning to think about this major thing called Marriage and Living Together (apparently you're supposed to do that when you get married--who knew?). It's a lot. A whole lot.

But I love it. I love my life. I am grateful every day for the things I've been blessed with (not necessarily in this order): a good, flexible job doing serving others; the ability to delve into literary theory and literature in fresh, exciting ways; an amazing companion/friend that loves me as I love him; two families (and, with Andy's, a third!) that are ever more generous and loving and supportive than I deserve; and even (I know it's strange to list here here) a spontaneously ridiculous dog who guarantees that I never stop laughing. I don't know how I'll look back at these "engagement" months, but they've been more than just rushing from one thing to the next, preparing to completely flip my life. They've been packed with interesting experiences and lots of learning, and, mostly, lots of love.

Not Adding You

2010-06-06T22:34:00.000-05:00

Dear Apartment Complex,

Thank you for letting me pay you to live here, and for your offer of "free maintenance".

However, I would appreciate having the broken window fixed (it's been 5 days now).

Also, could we do something about the creepy crawly bugs (centipedes?) coming in every windowsill, doorway, and drain? And while you're at it, the mud dauber nest I asked you to remove a week ago is still there.

Furthermore, I would appreciate it if the sprinklers could be off in ONE grassy area when I take the dog out (really, all we need is one dry square foot of grass--we're not picky here).

When you have accomplished these things, I will gladly "add" you on Facebook. For now, we're not friends. Thanks for asking, though.

Sincerely,
Shannah

Mustaches on a Thursday Morning

2010-06-03T06:41:00.000-05:00

Because I believe every day is better with a little silliness... :-)

(More photos from our engagement session with Kara Mercer.)

Sorry I haven't been around the blog more. Things are going really well, but really fast. It's almost three months until: a)I've got a bachelor's degree in English Literature and b)I'm married. I can't believe it! So many, many life changes all at once. I wish I spent more time recording it. I think I'll look back at these crazy days happily.

I'm enjoying it all SO much, but I seem to be running from one list to the next. In my down time and on our trips across Texas visiting relatives (Andy's brother graduated VALEDICTORIAN from his high school last week!), I've been knitting on some socks. That helps, too. Who knew that knitting (presumably a more time consuming activity) actually helps you accomplish more other activities? I guess every knitter knows this, but it's nice to be re-reminded. Hoping to have one sock crossed off the list before classes start up next week. Maybe I'll post a picture...

Happy Mustache Thursday to you!

P.S. If you want your own "mustache on a stick," you can get them from Whiskerworks. Very high quality mustaches! ;-)

Ring

2010-05-10T06:48:00.000-05:00

I thought Andy's beautiful choice deserved a better picture than the blurry one from the day he proposed (I might have been shaking a bit there).

:-)

Birthday

2010-05-10T06:33:00.000-05:00

Not mine! Andy's!

Andy was 30 on Saturday. Since he grew up in Kansas, we splurged on closer tickets to the Rangers/Royals game for the evening and what d'ya know...

He CAUGHT a foul ball off a Royals bat!

We've never even sat in the same section as a foul ball...this was so much fun.

(and just FYI...MY Rangers beat Andy's Royals)

Finals

2010-05-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

I've finished two classes' worth of papers (paper one over "whiteness" in immigrant fiction, paper two over the dominant "white patriarchal ideology" in Forrest Gump--do you see a theme?), so that leaves me with only 2 finals and 1 paper left. Whew! The last few months have been a whirlwind. I cannot believe that here we are, Spring Semester almost over, and a little over four months until "the wedding."

!!!

So I'm retreating back into the land of literature for the evening, but I plan to return soon. I started a little knitting while preparing to write that second paper (i.e. playing the DVD, knitting, listening, watching, pausing the DVD, note-taking, and knitting while watching some more). Nothing big, just a purple sock. But it's helping my sanity.

There's nothing like a little knitting. Especially when ~~you should be planning a wedding~~ you need a little stress relief. ;-)

Engagement Pics

2010-04-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

Just for you, blog. I come out of hiding. :-)

Proposal

2010-03-05T18:22:00.001-06:00

(I told you I'd post "the story" eventually!)

A little less than a month ago, I went without Andy all weekend—he was at his parents and I at mine. I celebrated my birthday with my family (having already scored birthday tickets to Bon Jovie from Andy the weekend before), enjoying my day off (oh, the glories of being born on what is perpetually a three-day-weekend!) and then drove to Andy’s house. I waited outside the gate to his apartment for him. He put his water and his jacket in the trunk. Roxie was shifted to the back seat and Andy and Raider and Roxie and I drove to our favorite park for a walk.

When we got to the park, we unloaded from the car. (This is always a process. Roxie likes to make spectacular exits if she can help it…leaping from the car in freedom, only to jerked back by the leash…often this results in my losing my footing, and sometimes, her gaining freedom.)

Andy took Roxie’s leash. She leaped. (He was sure footed.) Andy asked me to get Raider’s leash out of his jacket in the trunk.

“He’s wearing a leash,” I said.

“I don’t like that one,” he said.

I rolled my eyes, went to the trunk, took Raider’s leash out, and turned around to find Andy standing immediately behind me, holding Raider. I noted he seemed a bit flustered.

I clipped the leash onto Raider’s collar.

“Shannah,” Andy said, “did you see which leash I got?”

“Yes,” I said, “it’s the usual one--the Harley Davidson one.”

“Shannah, take his leash.”

I motioned that I was holding Roxie.

Andy took my hand and shoved the end of Raider’s leash into it. There, attached to the end of the leash, was a HUGE purple bow. With sequins. And a little bit of shiny white gold and diamonds. (Who knows how I missed this...!)

I started laughing and fell halfway into the car trunk with surprise as Andy got down on one knee and proposed. I pulled him back up, saying yes and laughing so that my stomach almost hurt. (I’m almost positive that I ruined the moment.) My hands were shaking, so I made him untie the bow and put the ring on my finger.

He did it! He surprised me!

The rest of the walk I barely remember. I smiled until my face was almost numb (as evidenced by the many pictures we took), we walked really far really fast, laughing and smiling and glancing at each other (I'm sure I was blushing a bit). I sent text pictures of the ring and messages to all my friends as we walked. We called our parents and sisters and brothers. It was just glorious.

That evening, we went to dinner at our favorite Indian food restaurant. We sat out on the patio together. I couldn’t stop smiling and I was still breathless.

It was truly a breathtaking day.

Cards

2010-03-04T21:51:00.003-06:00

Edited to add: I was reading through this again later and realized that I made it sound like this was all my idea. It wasn't. My friend Abby brilliantly thought to put my dog cartoons on the card, and it was a mock-up by her that inspired me to play around in Publisher. I owe her. Big time. (But what else is new?)

Well...at the risk of making this a wedding blog, I'm going to share my only craft since Christmas with you:
(my camera's broken, so sorry for the poor quality of picture--they're from my cell phone)

Wording on postcard:
Outside--"Roxie and Raider are excited to announce that their people are getting married at the park! They want you to remember to..."
Inside (underneath magnet)--"Please use this magnet to help you remember to save the date for our wedding on [], September [], 2010. We hope you can come and share in our joy." (with our names and wedding web site)

How I made them:
1. I drew my cartoon Roxie and Raider by hand, and then scanned it in to the computer.
2. I don't have any fancy-pants program, so I opened up good ol' Microsoft publisher and created a business card document and a postcard document, and then used my excellent secretarial skills to produce what you see there. There was a lot of fiddling here to make everything line up right.
3. I bought card stock and magnet paper (This is what I used. I read that "glossy" magnet sheets are best, and these really did turn out well.).
4. I held my breath and printed.
5. I held my breath and cut.
6. I used a corner punch (kind of like this one) to round all the corners on the big card (you don't see this in the picture--oops--I did do this!).
7. Andy put removable glue dots on all the cards, adhering the magnets to them.
8. We compiled our lists, addressed envelopes, and stamped them with pretty king and queen of hearts stamps.
9. And we're done! :-)

Thinking, Dreaming

2010-03-02T22:14:00.001-06:00

I haven't had time to do much except read and watch class-assigned films and think about the wedding in September (including finding a venue, registering for gifts, searching for a theme, trying to remember I have a budget, setting up pre-marital counseling sessions, and creating and mailing out Save the Date cards). I've also been trying to actually squeeze in quality time with my love (because--DUH--he's the point). I've also been incessantly whining to any of the dear dear friends who will listen about how overwhelmed I am. Luckily, all of them are too good a friends to say what I'd be thinking if I were them: get over it--you're the one who decided to work full time AND go to school full time AND get married in September.

So, setting all of that aside, what I really want time to do, what I'm starving to do, is to create. It was so nice to be able to invest time in creating my save-the-date cards (which, perhaps, if you're lucky, I'll be able to photograph and put up for you to look at soon) -- there was drawing involved, and cutting, and assembly that felt a lot like the craft time that I've been missing. But I also want to sit at the sewing machine. I want to hold my bamboo needles in my hand. I need a paintbrush. These things have always been so integral to who I am--I miss them!

So, on the sly, when I daydream, I've been daydreaming about all the projects that I will make when I am married, when I am only working and no longer going to school. And, for now, I'm trying to plan something that I can work on in little bits, that could become a larger project--a wedding gift for my husband-to-be. I have a special gift from his mother that could be used and I really really want to create something with my own hands for him. So I'm thinking about that, too.

And I'm praying for serenity and patience with myself. And I'm grateful that everyone's being so nice and helpful. And I'm also really, really, happy...this is a very exciting and wonderful time in my life! :-)

Alive! And Doing Swimmingly!

2010-02-23T01:20:00.000-06:00

Greetings, blog! I am despite all odds, doing really really well...

I am schooling full time, working full time, and wedding planning part time. ;)

More on all of this soon. Currently my #1 priority is sleep.

So here, entertain yourself with a photo of my car when I went to work last week. We had a record-breaking snow in Dallas, 12+ inches:

(What is up with the weather this year?!?)

And I'm off to hit the hay for a few hours...

Weekend

2010-01-20T22:02:00.000-06:00

Whew!

Last Sunday was my birthday, and I had a wonderful time with my family including personal chocolate lava cakes.

Then there was Martin Luther King Day on Monday and a trip to the park. And this:

And we are so happy.

And this week there's school starting and i-really-must-do-homework-right-this-very-minute.

More soon, including the proposal story. I just had to post something.

And Today Was Better

2010-01-11T22:04:00.000-06:00

Today, in my fabulous new shoes, I:
1. Survived the car repair.
2. Took an allergy pill.
3. Got everything settled for school.
4. Realized the dog was fine.
5. Crossed things off my list at work.

And, if I do say so myself, I believe that I am doing fine.

Our crazy deep freeze appears to be over. But it's still cold. I've adopted Andy's little chiweenie, Raider, for the evening, and my plan is to stay warm tonight cuddled between a little dog on my left and a big dog on my right.

For now, I'm knitting.

Pollyanna

2010-01-10T22:09:00.000-06:00

Well,

thecarwon'tstart and thedoghastogotothevet and financesarehard and schoolstartsnextweek and ithinki'mgettingsick and there'slotstodoatwork and ineedtocleanhouse and ohmyit'sallabitoverwhelming,

but

withmychristmasmoney ididget apair ofnew shoes

and they make me happy.

I'm going to wear them tomorrow. And every day this week.

And possibly the next. :)

Car

2010-01-07T21:51:00.000-06:00

Can you believe it? "That hammer trick" didn't hold up long term!

Sigh. Good ol' car. Got us through snow and ice and all around Texas. And so next week, she gets to go to the dealership for a new steering and ignition system (that will probably cost half of what she's worth *sigh*). Perhaps this is her just reward.

Epiphany

2010-01-06T21:52:00.001-06:00

I took down all the Advent decorations tonight. And I put up some Christmas gifts, including a fantastic piece of art that my parents bought me at an art show.

It's so much more lovely (and much bigger!) than the photo shows--all my favorite colors, and little birds with button eyes. It's crafted out of handmade and painted papers, all on canvas. I admired it at the show, but didn't have the money to buy it. Imagine my shock when I opened my gift! I love it.

Another good start to 2010.

On an entirely different note, due to a manufacturing defect, I am now starting my car by putting the key in the ignition, hitting the key with a hammer, turning the wheel sharply to the right, and jiggling the steering column. Then I can turn the key and go wherever I want. Piece o' cake.

2010 is bringing many things...

New Year

2010-01-05T20:02:00.000-06:00

We welcomed 2010 with another attempt at West Texas/Panhandle Christmas. And the attempt was successful. Wonderful family time with my West Texas parents that included gift opening (whoo-hoo! I got lots of wonderful things, including warm pajamas and a new coffee pot) and a game of Chickenfoot. We welcomed in the New Year at 10:00, and then again at 11:00. And then we went to bed... (What?)

Then we got up and ate wonderful things and took all food offerings for the drive to the panhandle (we learned our lesson from Christmas). I knit the whole way, which was wonderful, and there was only some snow in piles on the side of the road. It was such a cheery trip.

In the panhandle, there were more gifts! And wonderful food! And more family! I did, in fact, finish some Christmas knitting for Andy's mother:

(It's photographed there on a quilt my great-grandmother pieced that my mother had quilted. I slept under it at my parents' house and dreamed happy dreams.)

All in all, a wonderful second Merry Christmas. I feel so blessed to have so many Christmases to share in, and such lovely people to share them with.

We greet you, 2010! What a blessed year 2009 was, what gifts it brought. I can't wait to see what comes next. :)

Christmas

2010-01-05T19:22:00.000-06:00

Well, hello there.

Since my last little note I've had three Christmases and one New Year's Day. Whew! Here's a little update on Christmas.

Christmas Eve
In which Andy and I make a wise decision and have a wonderful evening safe and warm.

Our plans to travel to West Texas were thwarted by crazy, unbelievable weather. As the snow started, Andy and I headed North rather than West, to closer parents and safer driving. We (barely) beat the snow and showed up early to my parents' house, where we celebrated Christmas with white stuff on the ground (the first time I can remember), canceled the second worship service (my dad's the pastor), and all snuggled and stayed warm.

Christmas Day
In which Andy and I embark on a trip, or "the Stupidest Thing I've Done in Years"

Andy and I got up and opened gifts. I got diamond earrings from him. He got a KU sweatshirt from me. (We value different things...)

We ate a good breakfast, accepted "sandwiches for the road" from my stepmother but declined many baked goods (since part of our plan was to imbibe baked goods that Andy's mother had made), loaded up the car, and headed toward the panhandle for another Christmas celebration with Andy's parents. The snow was melting in North Texas; the roads were clear; we were happily singing Christmas carols on the radio.

And then, suddenly, the snow was not melted. There was ice on the road. We were not singing anymore. We looked at each other with alarm. Was it possible that things were getting worse? Andy's parents had said that there hadn't been any snow in North Texas...

There hadn't been any snow in North Texas. But there had been on the way to North Texas. Read this, and note the line "Things got progressively worse." We were not driving in a blizzard, but we were driving on inches of ice. It was terrifying. Texas people are not used to driving on ice, and the roads hadn't been sanded or salted or whatever they do yet. There were cars stranded twenty feet down bridges, on the left and the right of the highway, and semi-trucks were turned on their sides beside the road, or stopped in the middle of the road. The last twenty miles into Wichita Falls took us at least an hour, and we were biting our nails the whole way. Then we arrived. It was worse. Have you been to Wichita Falls? The whole city is composed of bridges and overpasses.

We realized it would be getting dark soon, and that the roads were fast getting worse. We called a hotel that would take dogs on the way and made a reservation. Did I mention we had both dogs with us?

So we arrived in Wichita Falls (if by arrived, you mean skated in by sheer determination) and took our exit, but were unable to take the road to the hotel we had reservations at--it was covered in snow. We stayed on the service road, even though parts of the snow were taller than the middle of my low Ford Focus (good little car, staying on the road!) and slid into a snowdrift in another hotel parking lot. Andy went in. I sat in the car and contemplated various methods of having a nervous breakdown in the hotel lobby if they said they didn't allow dogs. (I imagined myself saying "you don't understand--I will throw myself on the ground right now and scream until the police come.") Andy came back. The hotel was full.

But we got directions to the other hotel. We got back on the highway. I tried not to whimper and cry, but I may not have succeeded. We scooted slowly past a semi that was stranded in the middle of the highway. We took our exit. We made it to the hotel. Andy leaped a snowdrift into the parking lot. (Seriously, one of the car's wheels were off the ground. It was our action movie moment.) And slid into a parking spot. And turned off the car.

We looked at each other. We were both shaking. The dogs looked enthusiastic. We checked into the hotel.

Our room was on the fourth floor. The elevators were out. Fearing repeat of last year, I practically crawled up the snowy, icy stairs, and Andy was the hero, making trip after trip downstairs to bring up luggage, dogs, and food. Food? Well, two sandwiches and three oranges and candy from our stockings.

So on the night of Christmas, Andy and I settled in together in a seedy little hotel room with both of our dogs. We watched Christmas movies on cable, updated our statuses on Facebook, and spaced out our food as best we could (should have taken those baked goods...). The dogs were caught cuddling together for the first time:

Day After Christmas
In which Andy and I turn back around.
The next day we got up early and noticed that the roads had been sanded. We danced with joy (or something like that) and had a small breakfast. There was a "continental breakfast" at the hotel, but it had been seriously depleted by two days of snow and hungry travelers. There were so many of us that you didn't want to take too much. So we each had a small bowl of cereal, some juice, and coffee. Then we walked carefully across the iced parking lot back to the hotel room.

On the way back to the hotel room, we noted the huge ramp to get back on the highway toward North Texas. It went straight up. We watched several cars make it up the ramp and sighed little hopeful sighs of relief.

After waiting for a semi to move out of the only parking lot exit, we loaded up the car, made it up the ramp, and braced ourselves for the trip back to my parents' house (we heard it was worse the farther toward the panhandle you went, so we gave up on Andy's parents). The first bit was harrowing, but things began to thaw. So much so that I stopped gripping my seat long enough to take a picture:

And we were able to stop at Dairy Queen for french fries, gravy, and a milk shake (all that snow, you know, makes you want a milk shake...).

And then we celebrated more Christmas. I gave Andy framed pen and ink drawings of the dogs (that I forgot to photograph) and he gave me

a whole set of mustache espresso mugs. Remember my entertainment with the first mug Andy gave me, the "mustache mug"? Well, now there are six. Life will never be the same. (As my friend Erin said, "Andy deserves some kind of award.") :)

And that was Christmas.

Knitting Knitting Knitting

2009-12-21T20:15:00.001-06:00

I've suddenly had a second burst of desire to make more things for Christmas. This is six days before Christmas Day.

I've just had a trip to the craft store.

Please pray for me.

Edited to add: Actually, four days before Christmas. I was in denial. I need more prayers.

One Handmade Gift

2009-12-16T21:37:00.000-06:00

Well at least one person will get something handmade this year. I'll model it for you:

Specs: Size 9 needles, some kind of yarn with pom-poms attached that I bought at a chain store. I can't find the ball band, but that's where I got the pattern--it's just 15 stitches across, knitting between the poms (this was actually pretty difficult!). The person that this is for asked for something "soft and pink" and it is both! Hope she likes it. (Hope she doesn't read the blog...)

I can't share some other things, in case of pre-Christmas exposure to the intended gift-ees. ;)

On her first evening off from school...

2009-12-08T20:27:00.000-06:00

Shannah did absolutely nothing. She laid around the house, in her pajamas, reading her new crafting book. She took a long bath. She cuddled with Roxie. She watched the Christmas lights twinkle. She drank hot tea. She watched the Food Network on TV. She refused to learn anything productive.

She went to bed early.

And it was wonderful.

Just a little note to say...

2009-12-08T12:11:00.000-06:00

...I've finished my finals...

...and just purchased this book...

Let the crafting commence! ;)

Random sort-of-Christmassy List

2009-12-02T07:12:00.000-06:00

1. There are massive craft-related giveaways going on this week at the Sew Mama Sew Blog. Massive. I'm even being self-less and sharing the links. Crafty wonderful free goodness. :)

2. I am on a cleansing diet for this week. I hate diets. Hate them. Am becoming a rather crabby bitchy person on this diet. Christmas season seems less Christmassy when someone brings you a pecan tart and rather than eating it you have to put it in the freezer. Or you open your Advent calendar and are sad to find a chocolate. I see why there are feast seasons and fast seasons. Fasting in a feasting season is hard on me. But probably good in the long run, right? I'm building moral stamina and practicing self-control. Or something like that.

3. Just finished reading Beloved by Toni Morrison for class. You must read this book. And then read some literary criticism about the text. And then be blown away.

4. It IS Christmas season, isn't it? Here are some fun things that are related to that time of year:
-Go Elf Yourself and your family. (This almost caused me to do serious bodily injury to myself, due to lack of oxygen from laughing so hard. I'd share my video here but I know it'll be more funny with your family.)
-Make White Chocolate Holiday Hash. It's a crowd favorite. You'll love it. Especially if you're not on a cleansing diet.
-Remember Christmas traditions and think on them when you should be working hard. My favorite Christmas tradition when I was little was listening to a Peter, Paul, and Mary TV special with my mother while she, my sister, and I decorated our tree. We always had a real tree, a tiny little thing in a pot that resembled a Charlie Brown Christmas, and after it had served its purpose inside, my stepfather would plant it out behind the house. We still have a staggered line of pine trees out there--each one year younger than the one next to it.

Monthly Update

2009-11-30T06:35:00.000-06:00

I see I last posted on November 1st, so here on the eve of December I post again.

Spent this Thanksgiving in Kansas and loved it. It was in the 60s there (I don't think this is normal) and I got to accompany my cousin's one-year-old on a wagon ride with his grandpa (my uncle). Also met the newest member of that family, who is very very small and still feeling serious about her entry into life. My family is ripe with United Methodist ministers on both sides, and I toured a couple of churches and it was really great to see the improvements being made and the growth there. I also ate lots of wonderful things (not just on Thanksgiving day) including several varieties of pies. I felt rather nostalgic traveling with just my mother and sister, the three of us together in Mom's SUV was great. I knit and talked and drove and talked.

Roxie had a lonely Thanksgiving at a "pet resort and spa." The "resort" gave me a Thanksgiving card with a picture in it that they'd taken while Rox was staying there. She looks so sad and a little stressed. She's slept it off, though, and seems no worse for the wear as she lounges beside me on the couch. It was too rainy yesterday for a really good walk, but we've had several cuddling sessions to make up for the stress.

Merry Christmas season! I am enjoying ~~plotting~~ planning for Christmas this year. Not as many handmade gifts as last year, I'm afraid. But it is fun to carefully think about everyone anyway. And there's always buying handmade things. ;)

Next Tuesday are finals for this semester. I am inordinately proud of myself for having successfully finished a semester of school while working full time. I've learned so much and had such a great time doing it. It's heaven for me to be reading and writing about and talking about great texts...and I'm looking forward to my Spring classes and my two Summer sessions and then... who knows? I'll have a Bachelor's degree! In true Shannah style, I think I'll ace my English classes (the hardest, senior level classes) and just do okay in the Freshman Political Science class. Is it bad to be so terribly one-sided? Maybe I should just go with what I'm good at and enjoy the ride? I'm classified as a "non-traditional" student now anyway.

I'm looking forward to a month without school where I can read not-as-good books and knit and sew and spend time away from campus, relaxing with the boyfriend and the dogs. Life is very good this year.

Some Knitting

2009-11-01T13:23:00.003-06:00

Another good, quiet, productive weekend. (I do miss Andy when he's out of town, but gosh I get a lot done!)

Outside it's so beautiful. The rain has stopped for a bit (we've been positively covered in rain here, which would be nice if my car's passenger-side window rolled up all the way, but since it doesn't, well, we won't discuss it...), so now we have that fabulous in-between weather, where it's cold but not too cold, just warm enough that you only need a light jacket, and the leaves are falling off the trees in little wavy motions in the woods behind my apartment. Roxie and I opened the door this morning to enjoy the cool air and the birds chirping. We were interrupted by a cat fight immediately in front of our porch (I had to go sit on my big dog so she wouldn't jump the gate to assist), but even with the door shut we were able to enjoy a bone and some coffee, respectively.

This afternoon has been for studying and reading and paper writing. (Roxie has been napping and snacking and napping.) And also something else: knitting.

Note the needle size compared to hand size there. Yes, this is to scale. Those are size 50 needles! They're perfect for my busy life right now, where every stitch needs to count for fifty stitches...and they do. I've got a blanket more than halfway done in one day, for my friend's wedding next weekend (let's hope she's too busy preparing to read this, or doesn't care about the element of surprise). And I'm okay with the fact that this knitting isn't intricate or delicate. I still think of her and her fiance with every stitch, and it will still keep them warm this winter and many winters to come.

Sunday Evening

2009-10-11T20:40:00.000-05:00

In celebration of the cool weather we're having, I've put on socks and a sweatshirt and turned on the oven. I made some vegetarian staples:

Lentil stew with fresh green beans, red peppers, tomatoes, and pearl onions...

...and chocolate/white chocolate chip cookies. (Aren't those a staple for everyone?)

Now, to eat warm things and read about feminist literary theory. :)

It Must Be Getting Colder Outside...

2009-10-09T06:57:00.000-05:00

...for I've got on my hand-knit socks! ;)

Quick Status Update

2009-10-06T00:29:00.003-05:00

Monday at Midnight:

Four page theater response paper? Done. 15 source annotated bibliography? Done. Outline for in-class paper on Hegel? Done (sort of). Bed? Nope, there's still some reading to be done. But, oh, a weekend with family was so worth still being up! :)

And it's always nice to be at home, even if the dog, maybe, has fleas and the sink, kind of, has dishes in it, and the trash, perhaps, needs to be taken out, and, supposedly, there's laundry to be done.

I say busyness sure beats boredom.

So Long, Summer

2009-09-22T17:25:00.000-05:00

Lightening shot down and it THUNDERED last night. Roxie stared out through the window into the darkness, thrilled by who-knows-what, wagging her tail occasionally. I sat on the couch and read a story by Nathaniel Hawthorn and some theories on Freudian literary theory and also a little Hegel and Austen. (Such variety of class this semester!)

Today, as is appropriate for the first day of fall, it is chilly here. I'm wearing my tights and my boots for the first time under my skirt since last winter, and I've had my umbrella out and a jacket on.

It makes me happy; it makes me think of last fall and anticipate my new fall ahead.

So, goodbye summer! Goodbye heat and beach trips and cherries eaten by the pound and little portable knitting projects. Goodbye dog panting beside me in the heat. Goodbye sweet iced tea.

Hello, Fall! It's time to dig out my sweaters and tights. Time to make soups and chili and lentil casseroles. Time to cover myself in hand knit things, in socks and blankets and shawls and scarves. Time to go out in the chill air and hike around the woods with Roxie and Raider joyously running ahead. Time to think about cooking and making things for others and taking little vacations to see family on special days. Time to stay up late with hot tea, reading a good book.

I'm from Texas, so I know the weather will go back up for a bit soon, but it is so nice, for today, to think ahead, to anticipate fall and winter spices, to pull out the heavy wool, and to open the door a little and let the fresh, cool air inside.

Good Company

2009-09-14T07:22:00.000-05:00

A great weekend this weekend--it was pouring a soft, happy rain outside. I did all of my homework for the week and still had time to knit and sew to my heart's content. Andy was out of town, so I again had possession of his little dog, and there is no better company on a rainy weekend than this:

two warm sleepy dogs, ready to cuddle on the couch.

(I do apologize for the bad photo quality on the blog here lately. My camera broke (or ran out of battery?) on a trip to the beach and I've put it somewhere very safe--too safe--and so we are stuck with what I can get out of my fast-declining cell phone.)

Why I Knit

2009-09-11T21:23:00.004-05:00

I had a pretty crappy day today.

So here's what's healing me: big yarn on big needles, round and round in stockinette. I think I'm making a cowl to keep someone warm this winter.

I've covered myself with a blanket I made and I'm listening to public radio. I've got some hot tea brewing. All of this, and the rain falling outside, are helping.

I'm feeling warm. And healed.

In Which I Start Out Strong But Still Leave Out Any Craft-Related Content

2009-09-11T07:25:00.001-05:00

I started a little redwork embroidery based on this pattern last weekend.

That's it. That's all I've got related to any craft activity. And my camera's broken. So if you were hoping for any crafting excitement, sorry. I just disappointed you.

But-let-me-just-tell-you-what. I have learned, this week, about Jaques Derrida and deconstruction.

Now, wouldn't you think that an English student in a major state university would have heard of this guy before, well, she had been taking classes for six years?

Well I had not.

And I find it almost insulting to think that, because I was a creative writing major, the aforementioned university felt that I didn't need to know about major methods in literary criticism and thought. Shouldn't writers, more than anybody else, know what is going on in writing, and why, and how?

Now I'm an English literature student in a non-major state university. And gosh, am I learning.

I don't know that I particularly like Derrida. Maybe I do. I'll let you know. As soon as I understand it...

So, there's a digression onto some literary territory. Next post I'll try to get back to something more craft-related.

Maybe.

I'm Alive!

2009-09-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure where I am, it's either driving: to school or from school, or to work or home from work, or to Andy's or home from Andy's.

Or I might be at a baseball game, like last night (Come on Rangers!).

But I promise, I'm thinking of crafting! And there's a long lonely weekend ahead.

So stay posted!

Words, Words, Everywhere

2009-08-27T22:23:00.001-05:00

Today I have learned so much about captivity narratives and New Criticism and David Hume and Edmund Burke that my mind is full of language.

You've seen this before. We've all seen this before, but I am tired and fresh out of class and it struck me as a good sentiment:

"Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that; one stitch at a time taken patiently." --Oliver Wendell Holmes

I shall embroider it onto a pillow.

Maybe tomorrow.

Tonight, I go to bed with the good kind of exhaustion. I am accomplishing a lot these days.

Flowers for School

2009-08-26T19:13:00.003-05:00

See what was delivered to me at work today:

Andy scores again. He's the best. :-)

Introducing Shannah the English Major

2009-08-26T06:44:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning I left the house at 6:30 A.M., and I took my pink, purple, blue and brown spotted backpack filled with books, and I stopped for a tall non-fat no-whip Mocha from Starbucks, and I parked in the parking lot at my new university, and I was off!

I went to my first class, which is canceled for two weeks while the professor leads some sort of governmental emergency mission in Alaska. Not canceled in the sense that he didn't leave us any work to do, but canceled in the sense that I don't have to actually GO to the class for two weeks. I think this is a positive.

So I walked about campus, fiddled around in the student union, checked out the library, and sat out in the sun.

My second and third class were with the same professor, in the same room. I have American Lit and a kind of "baby theory" English class that I probably should have fought harder to get out of. Except: I'm really excited about both of them; they look interesting, and who doesn't need a good and thorough review when they've been out of school for two years?

Then I went to work.

Then I went back to school and faced what will probably end up being my most terrifying class to date. Literary Criticism. Part 2. My professor is vintage--she's been teaching at my school for forty years. She believes that she is doing us a great favor by ripping our papers apart. She loves Heidegger. She wishes the semester was only Heidegger, but they required she teach other things. She hopes that we will have great in depth discussions in class. For class on Thursday we'll cover selections from David Hume and Edmund Burke. Some light reading. As for last night's class period? I took four pages of notes.

Well, look here. I'm already learning! :)

Check List

2009-08-24T18:13:00.001-05:00

New Notebook. Check!
Fresh Notebook paper. College Ruled. Check!
Unused dividers. Check!
New Box of pens and pencils. Check!
New highlighters. Check!
Sticky Notes, pop up tabs. Check!
New backpack. Check!

School books. Check!

Dining room table turned into desk/workstation. Check!

House cleaned? Yes.
Papers sorted? Yes.
Clothes washed? Yes.
Backpack packed? Yes.
Lunch packed? Yes.
Coffee ready for one-button punch in the morning? Yes.

Well, I think I'm ready for school tomorrow. (Now, where did I put the car keys?)

Letting it Go

2009-08-20T12:56:00.000-05:00

Last night I had a vision of myself as an organizing queen. I was going to sit down on my couch and go through two boxes of old papers. I was going to file them in clearly labeled folders, in order of date. I was going to be completely ready for school to start, with no baggage, with a new organizational method.

Did you notice the tense there?

It didn't happen.

What did happen was me, close to tears, with seven years worth of paperwork in my lap, on the floor, and spilling off the coffee table. No organization at all.

Now, at this point, I could have made myself a cup of caffeine-filled tea and plowed on through. I could have channeled my well-organized Grandma Mitchell and just thrown things away. I could have taken myself to task and whipped myself into shape and did all of those not fun things and had my past more organized with my present.

I didn't.

I made a cup of caffeine-free tea and put everything back into the boxes. On one I wrote "Misc. Paperwork 2002-2008." On the other I wrote "Misc. Paperwork 2008-August 2009" and then I put them in a closet. And then a started a new filing system and filed everything for the rest of August away neatly. And then I went to bed.

What can I say? I'm too tired to sort through all that crap. I'm moving forward. Highly organized from here on out!

(Maybe.)

(No. Definitely.) :-)

Quilt Paintings

2009-08-19T06:40:00.000-05:00

Oh! Stop by Helen R. Klebesadel's website and look at her paintings of quilts.

I am in love.

Rushing Forward

2009-08-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

Why, hello, Blog!

Since my last post, I have been to another Rangers game, to Austin to visit good folks, and to the wedding of a dear college friend. I have also registered for four classes, changed my work schedule, familiarized myself with a new campus, and bought books.

And, I have, dear Blog, pieced all of the squares for a quilt, ironed them, and "squared up" about half of them.

I have knit a dishcloth. (Sometimes things are measured in little progresses.)

I have tried to bake two kinds of cookies (cranberry chocolate chip and chocolate/white chocolate chip bars) with great disappointment. But we ate them anyway.

So next week I return to college, full-time, to complete an English degree begun seven years ago. I am excited. I have three English classes and a Political Science class and a B I G stack of books. I went shopping this week and bought a new backpack with pink and purple polka dots, and a purple notebook I've filled with college-ruled paper, and lots of pens, pencils, highlighters, and sticky notes. I am ready.

I'll also be working full time.

So... here we go!

On Piecing (Or, rather, on cutting)

2009-07-23T07:09:00.000-05:00

After my successful completion of a tiny quilt in one evening, I was feeling very full of myself. I decided to pull out the quilt kit I bought right before I broke my arm, and figured that, in one evening, I could really knock part of it out. I had visions of needing things I didn't have, like more batting and basting pins.

Can you tell that I'm new at this?

Here is what I did get accomplished with the twenty-four fat quarters in the kit: washed them; dried them; ironed them; squared them up and cut them into strips.

That took four hours. FOUR HOURS. This is a LAP quilt, not a king size quilt.

But I was meticulous. Every one of those strips is close to perfect (except maybe the last four or five--I was getting tired and my back started to hurt...). As I cut, hunkered over the mat on my floor, I thought about quilting and how I was taking big pieces and cutting them into little pieces so that I could make big pieces again and I wondered at why I am so committed to making these things to keep people warm and whether it really matters and if this quilt would one day end up in a Goodwill with no one to love it. (My mind does wander.) And then I thought about our grandmothers and great-grandmothers cutting up pieces of their clothing to make something that would be beautiful and useful. I still have one with pieces of my grandmother's dress in it.

It's just awfully hard on this twenty-first century girl, having to delay gratification. I must learn to be patient and wait for beautiful things to develop, to take the time to cut perfectly, to know that the end product is worth all the time I invest in it.

I want to learn to do this with food, too, and my schoolwork, and, even, with my relationships. Because the best things sometimes take a while to square up, to cut just right.

I still have to cut those strips again, into squares, and then I'll begin the long (apparently it takes a while?) process of piecing. And then sandwiching. And then quilting. And then binding. And then I'll have a little lap quilt that will match my living room perfectly.

And it will be warm. And beautiful.

Needle Felted Pet Replica

2009-07-21T17:26:00.000-05:00

Another odd craft find.

(click on the quote)

"Don't let the soft fibers [of your pet's hair] go to waste. Use some pipe cleaners and a felting needle to create a replica of your pet, made from her fur!"

I mean, seriously?

Doggie Day Care

2009-07-20T17:25:00.004-05:00

Today is carpet cleaning day at the ol' apartment, so Roxie got to do something she's never done before. Doggie Day Care.

And they have webcams.

I don't just think she had a good day. I know she did. She looked out the window, sniffed butts, wrestled a little, and relaxed on the couch(see above). Periodically people came in and petted the dogs and cleaned up messes. Very cool!

Recovering

2009-07-13T07:25:00.000-05:00

Whew! Been a bit busy here.

I've been recovering from:
1. My poor knitting gauge.
2. A two-week visit with a wonderful friend.
3. A great trip to Kansas City with Andy.
4. A fabulous weekend with my mother.
5. The process of enrolling in school again.
6. End of month and end of quarter closings at work.

So, sorry about the non-posting there for a bit. I'm reorganizing the life here, preparing for fall.

Be back soon.

Oh Yeah Right

2009-06-27T11:24:00.003-05:00

There comes a time in every knitter's life when she remembers something very important. Something at the top of every pattern. Something that every knitting book reinforces.

Gauge.

Apparently I'm knitting a sock for a child. And I've been knitting away. I've even turned the heel, you see, hoping that it would suddenly get bigger. It didn't. This is as far as I can get this sock on my foot:

And I have little, size 7.5 feet.

I don't know any children.

I guess this one is going to get ripped out and started again. Sigh.

Visitors!

2009-06-25T07:19:00.001-05:00

For the next two weeks, Roxie and I have a couple of friends visiting.

There's Otis.

And then there's another lap for Roxie to rest her head on.

***
In other news, Andy brought me back another great mug. This one is from the Spy Museum. It says "Beware Female Spies."

You do have to watch out for those...

Oh-klahoma... (Or Things I Love About Summer, Part 2)

2009-06-22T07:35:00.000-05:00

...where the wind comes sweepin' down the plane! And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet when the wind comes right behind the rain...

Too bad I can't sing in writing--I can really belt it out. (Really. It's a family joke. They always stand a few feet away from me in church, to protect their eardrums. Long term exposure to my singing could cause hearing loss. At least I'm on key though...most of the time...well, when you sing as loud as I do you SET the key, so...)

I had a wonderful Father's Day vacation at the farmhouse in Oklahoma. I am lucky to have such a place, built with my stepmother's grandfather's hands. There were eight original children raised in the spot; they sat around a big table in the little dining nook and ate together. And now, it's a home full of wonderful memories for so many of us (when you start with eight, you increase exponentially!). It's a peaceful place, where you can hear the wind stopping against the house. It feels safe from the elements; it has a big basement. It's just...a sturdy old thing.

When we got in Friday crews were finishing up the harvest of my grandfather's wheat, and it was something to watch. Three threshers cutting huge swaths in the wheat. We went out later in the evening and watched them harvest at night. It was really something--spotlights on the field, grain dust blowing up in the air, reflecting light and looking like a fog around the threshers. I'm sorry my camera was broken.

Saturday I talked and talked and talked with family and friends and knit on my current sock project (they're Spring Forward from Knitty in Lorna's laces shepherd sock, "Franklin's Panopticon" colorway, in case you're interested). Being a vegetarian is hard on the farm. I missed out on some homemade fried chicken that looked awfully good (I kept running through the long list of reasons I don't eat chicken in my head the entire time my grandmother was cooking), but I had plenty of mashed potatoes and fresh-picked green beans and blackberry cobbler (from the garden's blackberry bushes). Sigh. Even the memory is making me feel satisfied. We played Farkle (my brother is a big fat cheater). We talked. (Did I already mention this?) We napped. Little brother and I went out and picked more blackberries to replace the ones that went into the cobbler. We ate a lot of them before we got inside. We went to bed late.

On Sunday, we all went to church together and I sat in the choir (I tried to tone it down a bit, so as not to hurt anybody's eardrums). Then to Italian food restaurant. Then, sadly, home. Good food and fun like this can only be had in small doses.

I had good company in the car, too. Brother and stepmother and I could solve the world's problems, if only everyone would listen.

The sock grew considerably. I took a picture on my phone, just for you, dear Blog.

OhMyGosh! (in a good way)

2009-06-22T07:27:00.003-05:00

I just clicked over and saw that the blog got a "makeover" from my friend Abby. I drew the little sketch and then she improved it. In purple.

She's fantastic.

Isn't it gorgeous?

I think I'll just sit here and stare at it a while.

Things I Love About Summer, Part 1

2009-06-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

1. Cherries. I have a story about cherries, see below, after the ***. But, aside from that, cherry pits make me think of summer break from school, lounging in the kitchen and spitting in the trashcan.

2. Seed spitting. (speaking of cherry pits) And watermelon seeds. What other time of the year are you allowed, encouraged, even, to spit?

3. Swimming. There's nothing like feeling that hot hot sun beating down on you and then getting into the water and feeling it splash over your skin and just...ahhhh. Summer essence, right there.

4. Fireworks. Even though it's not here yet, Independence Day is around the corner, and flashy displays will be everywhere. When I was a kid, they terrified me (once I hid in the bottom of my uncle's boat and cried while the rest of the family sat up top and ooo-ed and ah-ed), but fireworks have grown on me. They're celebratory excess of the best sort.

5. Snow cones. Like eating ice, but better. When it's over 100 degrees here, nothing cools you like a snow cone. Spearmint is the best, followed by mango and cherry.

6. Sock knitting. Hooray for wonderful, portable projects that can travel along with you on vacation and sit with you at the pool and rest in your lap while you eat corn on the cob.

***I did a little grocery shopping yesterday on my lunch break. Somebody in line, a few people down, asked me how much the cherries were that I was holding. I told him they were about $3/lb, which was on sale for half off. This sparked a big conversation in line that generally went along the lines of oh-my-god-how-could-you-spend-that-much-on-cherries. I really didn't think that $3 was that expensive. This one, ahem, larger-ish man was really kind of rude and I wanted to note that I was getting somewhere better spending $3 on cherries than he was spending whatever he was on hamburgers and french fries, but I didn't. Then the checker(!) said that you could almost fly to pick your own cherries for that price. I was really angry by the time I checked out. Who critiques other people's purchases at the grocery store?!?

Sorry to end so abruptly--I'll be adding more, soon, but unfortunately as I get older there's still work in the summer, and that's where I'm headed now!

Craft Fail

2009-06-15T07:47:00.001-05:00

Have you seen this website?

I have a submission. I tried to make a laundry bag out of a pillowcase for Father's Day. My dad is leaving this week for a two week mission trip to Africa, and I thought it would be sweet to have a handmade laundry bag to take along. I picked out one of his mother's old pillowcases that I have, and went off to JoAnn's Fabrics to buy some twill tape. They only had black, and the pillow case was light green, but I figured I'd go with the flow. The entire time that I made this bag I thought it was a good idea. It wasn't. It's terrible. So terrible I couldn't bring myself to take pictures. Though I did go ahead and give the pillowcase/laundry bag to my father yesterday. I think my brother summed the thing up best when he saw it: "That's stupid. What is that, a pillowcase with some ribbon sewn on?"

Yes, Zach, that's what it is.

Sigh.

I did give my dad something wrapped up inside the pillowcase (it actually made a pretty good gift bag)--a leather journal that he can draw in. And yesterday I learned that there are parasites in the water in Africa that bore holes through fabric. Maybe my bag is destined for some bigger, more exciting adventure there, as a home to tropical parasites?

Knit in Public Tomorrow

2009-06-12T22:32:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is World Wide Knit in Public Day.

Don't miss it!

Has it been a week already?

2009-06-09T07:24:00.001-05:00

Oh my!

I'll post something crafty soon. There has been a little knitting on a sock, a little knitting on another sock, and some planning for a project.

Last weekend some of this knitting was done on a trip to Galveston. My camera broke, so there are no pictures... :-(

Andy and I stayed at The Hotel Galvez which was just fabulous. Beautiful, old, right on the seawall. Sigh. I could live there.

We spent as much time as we could on the beach, either walking or swimming. (We burned ourselves something fierce, too, despite repeated coatings of sunscreen.) The beach is definitely recovered from Ike, as was our hotel, but we could see evidence of its destruction around the island.

Other trip highlights included the Rainforest Cafe (Which was quite the dining experience! I'm making a note to return with some children!), some wonderfully melt-in-your-mouth Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream (I had "Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road" -- isn't that a wonderful name?), and some pretty fancy sandcastles.

But our time in the water and on the beach--oh the beach--was the best part. It was particularly beautiful at night, with the moon reflecting over the ocean and the horizon disappearing into darkness.

Yarn Harlot

2009-06-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

(Sorry about the pictures here, I forgot my camera and had to use my mobile phone.)

Last Friday, the Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl McPhee was at Legacy Books in Plano, so I went to see her. (I read her blog every day, like everybody else does.)

It was amazing sitting there with about two hundred other knitters, all of us with projects on our laps. I am starting another pair of socks:

I had so much fun chatting with the others around me about what they were working on, what they wanted to work on, the best local yarn store, etc. I've really missed my knitting community since I moved.

And here she is (you'll have to click to make it bigger--she's way at the back, teeny tiny):

She is wonderful in person. Funny, laid back, Canadian accent. Just what I imagined. The funniest part was when she opened for questions, because they were all really personal. People asked about her dishwasher, her new car, her husband. How strange to have people so far away from you know such intimate things about you.

Now I'm reading her books (autographed, of course!). Very funny. Very good.

Oops

2009-06-01T21:12:00.002-05:00

There was a casualty while I was at work today.

RIP toilet paper roll.

Major Effort

2009-05-31T22:34:00.002-05:00

I'm concerned about this week because watching two dogs is soooo hard. Look what I'm having to put up with this evening:

;-)

My New Coffee Mug

2009-05-31T22:00:00.002-05:00

Andy bought me this a few weeks ago:

Because who doesn't need a little silliness with morning coffee or evening tea.

(Excuse me while I go clean the mirror...yipes!)

A Go-Read-It Post

2009-05-28T07:38:00.001-05:00

You absolutely must read this story of some photo albums found in a flea market: "The Eternal Sunshine of Fred & Anne". It's a testament to the power of photographs and the way that we interact with them.

(Found via this post on Etsy.com.)

Celebrating Baseball Season

2009-05-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

I am enjoying baseball this year. I'm no expert, and am probably embarrassing to go to games with sometimes. (For example: A few weeks ago I was trying to orient us to the stadium and asked someone with a "Can I Help You?" sign where Home Base was. She widened her eyes, looked at me, and then asked, "Home Plate?" Andy just shook his head sadly.) But I do like watching the game and I know enough to cheer (sort of).

So, in celebration of the sport (despite the Ranger's horrible loss to the Yankees when I was there Monday) I give you a find: Baseball socks. Occasionally I post a list here of things that "I would make if I had the time, but I am too ~~lazy~~ busy right now to think about seriously," and these socks would be on that list. The women's size, with the cool stripes. I mean, those stripes really are unusually cool, and the technique sounds interesting: "festive knitting."

Socks!

2009-05-23T14:13:00.004-05:00

(I'm really enjoying this long weekend and all my crafting time...)

When I was digging through my supply drawers yesterday, working on the quilt, I found a bag with one completed sock and one 2/3 completed sock. So this afternoon, after minimum effort on my part, I give you:

socks!

Why did I wait so many years to finish these? They're fabulous, and they make me think of Mardi Gras.

Stats: Broadripple Socks from Knitty.com on size 3 Crystal Palace bamboo dpns (I love these, too, and don't know how I left something on them for so long--now I'm ready to start a new project with them!). The yarn is Jojoland "Kaleidoscope" (100% Merino Wool) in Color # HM09.

Now, I only have to wait until next winter to wear them, as summer has definitely come to Texas.

One Day Lap Quilt

2009-05-23T11:30:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I made a little quilt. I sort of used the Purl Bee's "Sunny Tied Quilt" tutorial, but on a much smaller scale and with a few little changes.

Back in January, I bought a half-yard set of three Amy Butler fabrics from Home Grown Pillows.

When I laid them out to look at them the other day, I thought they looked pretty good together, and so yesterday I made a little trip to the store for muslin backing, batting, and wool yarn. I washed my fabric, pressed it, trimmed it, and sewed the top together. I pressed that, and then did as the Purl Bee said, laying out my quilt sandwich on the floor.

I marked the top every six inches and tied it together. (Note to myself here: I like how quickly a tied quilt can be finished, but I don't love sitting hunched over on the floor, struggling to push a needle through three layers of fabric and batting. I much prefer sitting on the couch quilting, even if it takes longer.) I trimmed the batting to match the quilt top, unpinned the backing from the carpet (I didn't have a tile floor to tape it to like the tutorial suggested) and cut it one and a half inches from the top and batting. I finger-pressed, folded, and pinned the backing over the quilt (this is all in the tutorial), took the whole thing to the ironing board and pressed it. I don't like the way the zigzag stitch looks in the tutorial, so I sat down and hand-stitched the border.

I took a bunch of photos before I washed my quilt because I was absolutely terrified that something would go wrong despite my pre-washing the fabric and testing the colorfastness of the wool I used for the ties.

(click to make these photos larger)

But it did survive the wash! And the ties felted in a fuzzy, friendly way that I like.

This quilt was so easy, and would be perfect for someone with limited knowledge of quilting. Perfect for baby blankets -- all you need is three half-yard cuts of fabric, muslin, batting, and wool yarn, and, in about 7 hours, you'll have a new little lap quilt to love!

This one's for me.

Raider

2009-05-23T11:13:00.004-05:00

Last week, while I was suffering under this new development of allergies, I had good company.

Today when I uploaded pictures to my computer, I found these photos of Raider on my camera. He's a good boy.

Censorship

2009-05-20T07:59:00.000-05:00

My life is so public these days. I have accounts with Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter as well as other more interest-specific groups like Craftster, Dogster, and Ravelry. And in these accounts, I have "friends"--people that I would recognize in person, people whose faces I've never seen, and people who know me so well that, frankly, it's embarrassing to think about sometimes.

And then there's this blog.

I love community of all sorts, and I like these social movements. I think of it as a way of being together, worldwide, and it's wonderful to share ideas and experiences in a boundary-free way.

But I've come into a conundrum. I'm not crafting so much because I'm doing other, good for me things and I'm not alone as much. This is good, but it leaves a little hole in my social networking. A hole that I'm hesitant to fill with real, personal details.

Why? Because, for the first time ever, there are "friends" that I sort-of know that I don't really want to share every detail of my life with. "Friends" who comment on odd things when I run into them in person, who say "I saw on Facebook that you went to Austin last weekend" in a way that makes me feel uncomfortable. There are people integrating my personal life with my screened-for-them life.

I've always been an open, honest person, and I find it difficult to think about censoring myself, but I am also beginning to appreciate privacy to a certain extent.

So I'm considering what to share here when I don't have wonderful pictures of knitting to share. What to talk about while I'm thinking about where I'm headed next. What to mention when I want to share something more important than the weather, but less important than how I feel about something going on with people who might read this.

Difficult, this public/private life. Interesting that we choose to share it, and the way we screen ourselves. Also interesting when we don't censor ourselves and end up embarrassed, or worse, fired.

Facebook Epiphany

2009-05-19T17:25:00.001-05:00

Ah, funny how life changes.

I just found further proof that the boy I was in love with four years ago wouldn't have worked out--Facebook photos of a family trip to the shooting range.

It makes me laugh, thinking of me trying to fit in.

I won't even hold a gun.

Hack Hack Cough Cough

2009-05-14T07:25:00.001-05:00

This week I was planning on doing a lot of things, since Andy is out of town. But I was blindsided by pounding sinus cavities, dripping nose, hacking coughs, and lots of other unpleasantness that began last Friday with a scratchy throat. Sure that I'd already infected everyone that I visited with last weekend in Austin, I went to the doctor on Monday. I was convinced that I had a)the swine flu or b)a sinus infection. Much to my surprise, the doc said I had ... allergies. That's it! Boring old allergies. "This can't be right," I said. "It must be something else," I whined. "But I've never had allergies like this!" I coughed out. She shook her head authoritatively and said "I'll bet you've never had a gray hair either, but one day you'll get one of those, too." So I took my prescriptions and went home. And I've gone to work and whined and sniffled and begged for pity and answered the phone in the strangest, stuffiest voice anyone's ever heard.

And that's been my week.

But what I had planned to do, what I wanted to do, was start on a quilt kit that I bought in Houston back over my birthday weekend in January. And, if I got tired of that, I still have some socks on the knitting needles and a cowl for my mother, and a drawer full of yarn in desperate need to be created into some garment or other. And then I found this tutorial for Hemp pendant lamps that would look fabulous over my dining room table.

There's been no crafting at all, though. I've been so sick that I haven't even gone to get my Roxie dog back from my parents' house, which makes me sad. But I haven't been lonely or bored.

I've had Andy's chi-weenie, Raider, to keep me company.

No crafting, but not such a bad week, after all.

National Children's Book Week

2009-05-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

I don't have children yet, and I'm not a teacher yet, but I do love children's books. Children's books often have a lot to offer adults, too.

In honor of National Children's Bookweek, here are a few of my favorites (just a very few--you should see my bookshelves!):

1.A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. L'Engle is my favorite author, and this is one of many, many books for children that she wrote.
2. Another L'Engle: Meet the Austins. This book is one of L'Engle's early books and is completely different than the science-fiction many of her kid fans love. I read this to my brother when he was little, and we loved it.
3. The Giver by Lois Lowry. I read this as an adult, and still think about it sometimes.
4. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo. I loved this enchanting book so much that I included it in a paper I wrote for one of my "serious" literature classes.
5.Imagine That! Poems of Never Was collected by Jack Prelutsky. I used to mail my little brother paintings of monsters. Around that time I found this fabulous book--the illustrations are wonderful!
6. The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery by Graeme Base. I spent hours going through this as a kid, looking at the incredibly detailed illustrations and searching for clues to solve the story's mystery.
7. Superfudge by Judy Blume.
8. The Hank the Cowdog series by John R. Erickson. I am always surprised when people don't know this series. These are brilliant books, told from the farm dog's perspective. The books on tape are just hilarious--if you take a long trip with your child, you should take these with you.
8.The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. What favorite children's book list would be complete without this one?

Happy Birthday, Andy!

2009-05-07T23:05:00.003-05:00

Today is Andy's birthday. So, "Happy Birthday" to my boyfriend, to the man who listens to me gripe and makes me laugh.

Today is his day, and I'm happy to be able to share part of it with him.

Happy Cinco de Mayo

2009-05-05T07:21:00.000-05:00

Perhaps your cat needs a sombrero to celebrate, too? I found this one at To Scarborough Fair.

Something Knit

2009-04-30T21:44:00.009-05:00

One jayhawk finger puppet for Andy.

(First completed knitted thing since I broke my arm.)

Because It Is Still National Poetry Month

2009-04-28T07:32:00.000-05:00

In April
by James Hearst

This I saw on an April day:
Warm rain spilt from a sun-lined cloud,
A sky-flung wave of gold at evening,
And a cock pheasant treading a dusty path
Shy and proud.

And this I found in an April field:
A new white calf in the sun at noon,
A flash of blue in a cool moss bank,
And tips of tulips promising flowers
To a blue-winged loon.

And this I tried to understand
As I scrubbed the rust from my brightening plow:
The movement of seed in furrowed earth,
And a blackbird whistling sweet and clear
From a green-sprayed bough.

One Year

2009-04-28T07:26:00.000-05:00

Today, I've been a church secretary for one year. I have lived nearer my family for one year. I have had a nice apartment for one year. I have been happy this year.

I am going to eat donuts to celebrate.

A Trio of Ohs

2009-04-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

Oh, symphony... how wonderful you were last night! (Andy is in very, very good graces.)

Oh, Justice Stephen Breyer, we must think before we speak!
"In my experience when I was 8 or 10 or 12 years old, you know, we did take our clothes off once a day, we changed for gym, OK? And in my experience, too, people did sometimes stick things in my underwear."

Oh, tis sad that I missed "talk like Shakespeare" day yesterday! (There's a Shakespearean version of the Hokey Pokey here that you don't want to miss, methinks.)

Another One for Poetry Month

2009-04-23T07:32:00.000-05:00

The weather here is amazing. It is warm, and the light stretches out for a long time. This is my favorite time of year. I feel like the end of this poem, so full I could burst.

A Blessing
by James Wright

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl's wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T07:43:00.000-05:00

Would it be going overboard to list another poem?

Kiss the Earth
By Thich Nhat Hanh

Walk and touch peace every moment.
Walk and touch happiness every moment.
Each step brings a fresh breeze.
Each step makes a flower bloom.
Kiss the Earth with your feet.
Bring the Earth your love and happiness.
The Earth will be safe
when we feel safe in ourselves.

Drive By Blogging

2009-04-21T17:26:00.001-05:00

We were laughing at lunch today that a few months ago I had so much free time that one weekend I didn't leave the house at all. This week? I have eventS.

So all you get in this post is a link to a post about how to make vegan cupcakes with "knitting" on top. Truly fabulous. I want these for my birthday next year.

If you have time, make some. And then eat them slowly, in honor of me.

Pledge Drives and More Poetry

2009-04-21T07:35:00.000-05:00

My local radio station is having their pledge drive this week. I became a member of this radio station approximately ten minutes before I broke my arm last January.

I'm okay with pledge drives. I even listen through some of the breaks. I like it when the people pleading for my money seem a bit self-conscious. And these three interruptions a year are a lot better than two minute commercials every ten minutes. But I do miss my uninterrupted stream of public radio at work. Sigh. I'm having information deprivation.

Yesterday (according to NPR; I did get some news between pledge breaks) W.S. Merwin won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his book The Shadow of Sirius.

One of my very favorite poems is by Mr. Merwin. I've read it over and over, to myself and out loud to others. I've used it as an illustration, and, since it's National Poetry Month, I'll post it here.

Thanks
by W. S. Merwin

Listen
with the night falling we are saying thank you
we are stopping on the bridges to bow from the railings
we are running out of the glass rooms
with our mouths full of food to look at the sky
and say thank you
we are standing by the water thanking it
smiling by the windows looking out
in our directions

back from a series of hospitals back from a mugging
after funerals we are saying thank you
after the news of the dead
whether or not we knew them we are saying thank you

over telephones we are saying thank you
in doorways and in the backs of cars and in elevators
remembering wars and the police at the door
and the beatings on stairs we are saying thank you
in the banks we are saying thank you
in the faces of the officials and the rich
and of all who will never change
we go on saying thank you thank you

with the animals dying around us
our lost feelings we are saying thank you
with the forests falling faster than the minutes
of our lives we are saying thank you
with the words going out like cells of a brain
with the cities growing over us
we are saying thank you faster and faster
with nobody listening we are saying thank you
we are saying thank you and waving
dark though it is

(The poem is published online here at Poets.org.)

How did I miss this?

2009-04-20T07:37:00.000-05:00

It's National Poetry Month!

Though the month is almost over, I recommend we start with Pamela Spiro Wagner's "How to Read a Poem: Beginner's Manual" and do as she says, "Read just one poem a day," for the rest of April. There's the Poem-A-Day Archive here.

And in honor of the month, I'm going to do something that I haven't done for years. I'm going to post a poem I wrote. *Gasp*

Thrift Store

The toasters touch me:
someone’s crumbs still sound when I shake them.
There are the cameras, too. The photographs
still inside, waiting to be developed. No one will
recognize the places,
the frozen faces.

Shoes, bent by feet, worn out and then rejected.
Computer keyboards,
hair from dead pets stuck between the keys.
The carefully painted canvas I buy
to doodle over.

These are the ghosts we leave behind.
We abandon them underneath a sign:
DONATIONS

Do read a poem. Put it on your blog, if you have one. And carry a poem in your pocket on April 30th. In this increasingly non-literary world, it's good to remember the power of carefully crafted words.

Another Etsy Find

2009-04-14T07:46:00.000-05:00

Oh! Oh! I love it.

"The Lighthouse" from etsy seller Tina Tarnoff.

Easter in Sweetwater

2009-04-13T07:51:00.000-05:00

I do love my mother.

Only the two of us would celebrate Easter weekend together by listening to lectures on British History ("The Two Winstons" segment of Simon Schama's A History of Britain) and world literature (Life Lessons from the Great Books taught by J. Rufus Fears) and staying up late to watch Miss Potter. We are true nerds.

There was also much dog walking along the edge of fields with little wheat blades waving in the wind. (Roxie enjoyed eating these little wheat blades--?!) And much dog walking along the dirt road. Several horses stopped and lined themselves up to stare at us. Roxie froze and whined, not sure what to do. She loves horses, and can distinguish them from cows when we're driving in the car.

It rained on Easter Eve. In West Texas, this is the best way to celebrate the Resurrection and new life. I think Easter should be the beginning of the new year-- this year may it continue to rain and may the wheat grow tall and strong and may we all have a year filled with wonderful nerdiness.

And a Post Script because I can't help myself. NPR this morning featured an author who asked "Can Poetry Save the World?" and picked several poems that he thought could. If you have a moment, please visit the article here. Beautiful poems.

This Weekend

2009-04-06T06:54:00.000-05:00

(As in yesterday and the day before.)

I'm beginning to like this weekend thing.

Went to the Deep Ellum Arts Festival on Friday. Fun, but not nearly as big as the website would leave you to believe. I enjoyed all the dog art.

Saturday I met with some friends from my college church's "university group" who are getting married. I get to be the "maid of honor." :-) Everyone's getting married lately! They do look so happy, and I'm so happy for them.

Thanks to an empty Saturday and Sunday, my house is relatively clean again. (If I could just suck all the fur off of Rox with a vacuum cleaner, I'd have a spotless home. My next dog will be a Golden Doodle--no shedding.) I plan to keep it picked up until Easter at least, in celebration of Spring. I know Easter is only a week away. I set small goals so I can meet them.

Andy and I braved the wind with Raider (a chihuahua/dachshund who might be cuter than Roxie, but only because he's small) and Rox at White Rock Lake yesterday. I can't believe that I've lived in the DFW area for so many years and never gone to this park. Even with the wind pushing us over it was beautiful. Roxie would have liked to take a dip in the water with the geese, but I refused. She feigned weakness and stupidity when it was time to get in the car, as in, she looked at me blankly when I said "load up" and then, suddenly, she lacked the strength to lift her back legs into the car. Raider happily sat in Andy's lap. (I keep offering to trade dogs, but Andy won't take me up on that.)

And today, back to the grindstone. I did manage to get up on time, and had no unfortunate surprises from the dog this morning. I also took the time to put on tennis shoes and walked only on dry grass. (On Friday I forgot this step. I went out in flip-flops, slipped on the wet grass on a hill, fell in exactly the same way on my newly-cleared wrist, and had to spend the morning getting x-rayed. Luckily nothing was broken, but there was a little swelling and more than a little pain. It scared me.)

Should be a good Holy Week.

Last Weekend

2009-04-05T11:35:00.003-05:00

I went home last weekend and was inundated by cat.

Roxie watched for squirrels.

And today, thinking of the fam, I drew this:

my brother.

Mess

2009-04-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

How DO normal people do it? I know there are people out there who have spouses, children, pets, and still manage to keep their house in ship-shape as well as hold down a job and finish some creative projects. I know these people exist. I've seen them. Somewhere.

Not me. Oh no. I am single, with one dog, few local friends, and an easy job.

My house? Mess. I mean, it's clean underneath all the laundry. (Laundry and I have a love-hate relationship. I love to wear clothes. I hate to wash/iron/put away clothes.)

My dog? Mess. But I love her anyway.

My creative projects? Mess. I am making progress on the cowl, a quarter-inch or so further on the socks, and the writing...well, the writing and I are taking a little break from each other. (We can't seem to agree on the definition of "finished" as in why-the-hell-isn't-fourteen-drafts-enough-to-create-perfection. Ahem.)

Me? Mess. I love it. I am happier than I've been in a while.

Maybe normal people aren't really happy? Better not to have your life all the way together?

Tonight, after I finish blogging, I am going to do something about the dog (long walk) and the laundry (a load of underwear is absolutely necessary). And then I'm going to curl up on the coach with some hot tea and a book. Forget about everything else.

Post Script:
1. My arm is HEALED! I have no brace at all from now on. All I have to do is stretch myself so that I can regain strength.
2. Concerned about our new president's progress? NPR has an Obama Tracker so you can obsess all you want. You can even get a widget for your desktop. If you're obsessive like that.

Some Mornings

2009-03-30T08:03:00.000-05:00

Some mornings are more difficult than others. Some mornings you wake up with a headache thirty minutes late and the dog has had diarrhea on the floor and you don't have time to dry your hair all the way so it stays a bit curly which makes you self conscious and you realize that it is already time to leave for work and you are still naked without any makeup and then in the closet you notice something that you put up for an occasion such as this:

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth
The glory of action
The splendor of beauty
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow only a vision
But today well lived
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore to this day!
Such is the salutation to the dawn.
- Kalidasa, Indian Poet

And you breathe deep. And it is okay.

In Which I Reveal More About My Personal Life

2009-03-26T16:03:00.007-05:00

On a note unrelated to anything but my opinion, I hate that schools have come to selling ad space on their paper. But (thank you, my dear NPR), I do love a good group dance. I am particularly gifted at the bunny hop, myself.

As the arm heals, the crafting increases. I'm planning a quilt, but I only have 20 coordinating squares, so I've thought of this arrangement with big borders:

Or maybe I'll cut them into triangles and be really wild.

There's been some knitting, too:

This is the spiral cowl that I was working on that fateful day when it iced over. I've missed mom's birthday by three months, but there's a chance for cold weather down here long into April (when I was in middle school it snowed eighteen inches one year). And there's always next year.

There was a little progress on the bright orange monkey socks on the way to New Orleans, too. I'll keep their picture secret for a bit.

Speaking of that trip, I've been corrected. I did not go with "a friend." I went with Andy. See:

Hi Andy. ;-)