Tuesday evening, we had dinner with Kevin at House of Blues in Cleveland. Then we took him back to his hotel and said goodbye.
There should be more ceremony when your child moves out. It was so anti-climactic. I think humans aren't meant to live in this society. It probably made a lot more sense when there was a big wedding celebration and then your child moved to another house in the same village.
This is hard. It's so much harder than I expected it to be. People talk about moms having trouble with the "empty nest." Society needs to have more compassion for moms. I was never compassionate toward those women. "They just need to have a life apart from their children," I said arrogantly, with a complete lack of understanding.
It's like getting a divorce from someone you still love and don't want to be divorced from. Mr. MC said it's like losing an arm. For 21 years this person has been one of the most important people in my life and I've been one of the most important people in his life. Now he's off to build a whole other life that doesn't include me except in the most peripheral sense.
I can't describe the grief, the loss. I thought I would feel sad, relieved, and guilty for feeling relieved. I don't feel any of that. Just overwhelming, crippling grief. I officially apologize to every mother for my lack of compassion.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
I survived
I wasn't sure I'd survive this week, but I did. Yay! I had my last class today, one final exam and my English final paper due. Got it all done. Next week is still crazy, one huge and one smallish paper and a final exam. So I'm still busy and won't have much time for posting for a few more days. But at least this week is over. I can see a teeny bit of daylight.
Edited to add: Oh! I added a music playlist to my blog. You'll have to press the play button if you want to hear some of my favorite Christmas music.
Edited to add: Oh! I added a music playlist to my blog. You'll have to press the play button if you want to hear some of my favorite Christmas music.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm an Earthy Casual
This was a fun little quiz and I think the result was pretty accurate, for a change. Usually these quizzes don't get me, because they can't handle a mix of styles. But I think this one sounded about right.
HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm an Earthy Casual
You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.
Posted using ShareThis
HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm an Earthy Casual
Ramona, you are an Earthy Casual
You're interested in creating a welcoming home where people feel comfortable and happiness flourishes. You appreciate the warmth and individuality of natural materials and handcrafted things and are inspired by colors and forms from nature. You love mixing up different textures and are sensitive to the tactile qualities of objects. Your style is grounded and solid, not flighty or frilly. And you are never taken in by the trend of the moment.You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.
Putting Your Style to Work!
With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.
1. Your Design Challenge: ORGANIZE The front hall sets the mood for your entire home. Consider how to accommodate all the room's functions as beautifully as possible. At the very least you need a console, and if you're short on storage, consider a dresser. Outfit the surface with nice trays and bowls for mail, keys and sunglasses. Keep a trash can for immediately tossing the junk mail. Closet-door or wall hooks encourage coat and bag hanging rather than dumping. If you have children, try to give each a basket in the closet for hats and gloves. It's nice to have a chair or bench for changing shoes, a mirror for last-minute lipstick checks, and a lamp or sconces for warm light.
2. Your Happy Place You can make your bath like your own private spa, an escape from the world—even if you share it! Consider making every useful thing beautiful—from the soap dish and toothbrush cup to a pretty jar for cotton balls and a plush, new set of matching towels (white is the most calming and spa-like). You deserve this! Using trays for corralling perfumes and bowls or cups for makeup will make things look organized and attractive. A really lovely idea, if you have space, is to include some real furniture like a little lamp or a stool for setting towels or even a comfy chair by the tub!
3. Be Party-Ready All the Time! Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.
Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, stock up on some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.
Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!
Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.
2. Your Happy Place You can make your bath like your own private spa, an escape from the world—even if you share it! Consider making every useful thing beautiful—from the soap dish and toothbrush cup to a pretty jar for cotton balls and a plush, new set of matching towels (white is the most calming and spa-like). You deserve this! Using trays for corralling perfumes and bowls or cups for makeup will make things look organized and attractive. A really lovely idea, if you have space, is to include some real furniture like a little lamp or a stool for setting towels or even a comfy chair by the tub!
3. Be Party-Ready All the Time! Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.
Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, stock up on some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.
Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!
Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.
Posted using ShareThis
Monday, November 23, 2009
Cracker Barrel Goodies
Last Wednesday when we had brunch at Cracker Barrel, I found a few Halloween goodies on sale in the store. They were 60 or 70% off, I forget which. They were a bargain, anyway. Here they are:
A jack-o-lantern plate
A bat plate
An orange satin pumpkin covered in black lace. Trick likes it!
Just a few new goodies to get the new year’s collection started.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
A Mini-Vacation
Last Wednesday I didn’t have classes because of Veteran’s Day. Mr. MC decided to take the day off, too (shock and awe), so we spent the day together. We went to Cracker Barrel for brunch and then we went to Mill Creek Park. First we went to Lanterman’s Mill. It was built in 1845 and it still operates as a mill. It wasn’t open, but we walked down to it and took in the scenery.
The mill:
Alongside the mill was a bird feeder with at least a dozen birds fluttering around it. I think they were all sparrows. I tried to get a picture of them, but you can’t really see them:
It was a beautiful sunny day, although windy and cold:
Looking south from the mill was a pretty covered bridge:
Looking north was an arched bridge for cars:
After we spent some time at the mill, we drove down the park further and found a bench overlooking a lake:
There were lots of geese in the lake and some obligingly swam right past us. I tried to get a picture of them, too, but again you couldn’t see them. Too bad my phone camera doesn’t have a telephoto lens.
We sat on the bench for a while, sometimes talking, sometimes just sitting quietly soaking up the sun. It was lovely. Eventually I could no longer feel my face because it was cold, so we got in the car and went home for a nap.
It felt like a real vacation.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Creation Myth
In my mythology class, we had to write our own creation myth. I thought I'd share mine, because I'm really happy with it. We talk a lot in the class about how myths shape culture, so I started mine with the idea of writing a myth that would shape the kind of culture I'd want to live in. Here's my attempt:
Before everything, there was the great ocean, vast and dark. Its depths were still and silent. Countless ages passed. Then the waters began to stir, a great turbulence from which arose a being, neither male nor female. This being was the First One. The First One looked around and saw that there was nothing but the great ocean. "I will make something," said the First One to itself. It stretched out its hands and tried to take hold of the water, but the water slipped through its fingers. The more it tried to hold the water, the faster the water slipped through its fingers. The First One thought for a while. Countless ages passed. Then the First One began to spin and spun itself apart into two distinct beings. One being was male and the other being was female. The male and the female looked at themselves and at each other and saw that they were beautiful. "I name myself, Wisdom," said the female. "I name myself, Love," said the male.
Wisdom and Love embraced and where their bodies touched, light shone. The light grew so bright that they could not bear to look at it, so they gathered it into their hands and hung it far above themselves. Once the light was shining down on them, they bent to their work. Together they cupped their hands in the water, collecting it with gentle strokes. They shaped the water carefully and then they breathed on it. Where their breath mingled, the shape grew firm and the water flowed away from it, so that became land. Love and Wisdom walked upon the land, delighting in the feel of it under their feet. Where their feet touched, plants sprang from the soil. Some plants grew tall, reaching for the light hanging far above. Wisdom and Love named these "trees." Other plants grew to cushion their feet as they walked and these were named "grass." Many plants grew, flowering plants, plants for food, even thorny plants to remind Love and Wisdom to be grateful for the soft grasses and to pay attention to where they walked. All the plants rejoiced in the bright light shining down on them, and so Wisdom and Love named that light "sun."
After a time, Love and Wisdom tired of walking. They lay on the soft ground and embraced each other. Countless ages passed. Their desire grew and they coupled. From their union, twins were born, neither male nor female. The twins embraced and where their bodies touched, light shone. The light grew bright and hurt their eyes, so they gathered it into their hands and hung it far above them. But they could not see their light hanging in the sky for the brightness of the sun, so they separated the sky. In one part, which they called "day," the sun shone, and in the other part, which they called "night," they hung their light and called it "moon."
The twins knew that to honor the First One, whose name was Balance, one of them must take the name, "Joy," while the other would take the name "Sorrow." They could not choose which would bear the greater burden; each volunteered to take it on and spare the other. They went to their parents and asked Wisdom and Love how to make such a choice. "Walk through the meadows," their parents told them, "and that one of you who is first to find a thorn shall be called Sorrow." So the twins walked hand in hand through the meadows until one cried out, for a thorn had pierced its foot. The injured twin, now named "Sorrow," reached down to pick up the thorn, tears of pain in its eyes. To comfort its twin, the other, now named "Joy," touched the thorn, and from its branches grew a new flower, loveliest and most fragrant of all the flowers. This is why the most beautiful flowers always have thorns.
Sorrow and Joy looked around at the earth. Joy cried tears of happiness at its beauty and where the tears fell, animals appeared, horses and dogs, seals and dolphins, all manner of animals which live on the earth and in the seas. Sorrow cried tears of grief at the earth's emptiness and where the tears fell, creeping, crawling, slithering creatures appeared, snakes and spiders, sharks and eels, all manner of creatures which hide in darkness. In some places, Joy's and Sorrow's tears mingled, and in these places, humans appeared, the most balanced of earthly beings, carrying both sorrow and joy in their souls.
The humans saw Love and Wisdom standing in the distance and were dazzled by their beauty. Many of the humans longed to be in the presence of that beauty and throughout their days, they looked frequently to the horizon to gaze upon Wisdom and Love. But other humans could not bear to see such beauty, for their hearts held more sorrow than joy, and so they turned away to look only at what lay in their path. And to this day, seeking Love and Wisdom brings joy to our hearts, while those who turn away find only sorrow.
Before everything, there was the great ocean, vast and dark. Its depths were still and silent. Countless ages passed. Then the waters began to stir, a great turbulence from which arose a being, neither male nor female. This being was the First One. The First One looked around and saw that there was nothing but the great ocean. "I will make something," said the First One to itself. It stretched out its hands and tried to take hold of the water, but the water slipped through its fingers. The more it tried to hold the water, the faster the water slipped through its fingers. The First One thought for a while. Countless ages passed. Then the First One began to spin and spun itself apart into two distinct beings. One being was male and the other being was female. The male and the female looked at themselves and at each other and saw that they were beautiful. "I name myself, Wisdom," said the female. "I name myself, Love," said the male.
Wisdom and Love embraced and where their bodies touched, light shone. The light grew so bright that they could not bear to look at it, so they gathered it into their hands and hung it far above themselves. Once the light was shining down on them, they bent to their work. Together they cupped their hands in the water, collecting it with gentle strokes. They shaped the water carefully and then they breathed on it. Where their breath mingled, the shape grew firm and the water flowed away from it, so that became land. Love and Wisdom walked upon the land, delighting in the feel of it under their feet. Where their feet touched, plants sprang from the soil. Some plants grew tall, reaching for the light hanging far above. Wisdom and Love named these "trees." Other plants grew to cushion their feet as they walked and these were named "grass." Many plants grew, flowering plants, plants for food, even thorny plants to remind Love and Wisdom to be grateful for the soft grasses and to pay attention to where they walked. All the plants rejoiced in the bright light shining down on them, and so Wisdom and Love named that light "sun."
After a time, Love and Wisdom tired of walking. They lay on the soft ground and embraced each other. Countless ages passed. Their desire grew and they coupled. From their union, twins were born, neither male nor female. The twins embraced and where their bodies touched, light shone. The light grew bright and hurt their eyes, so they gathered it into their hands and hung it far above them. But they could not see their light hanging in the sky for the brightness of the sun, so they separated the sky. In one part, which they called "day," the sun shone, and in the other part, which they called "night," they hung their light and called it "moon."
The twins knew that to honor the First One, whose name was Balance, one of them must take the name, "Joy," while the other would take the name "Sorrow." They could not choose which would bear the greater burden; each volunteered to take it on and spare the other. They went to their parents and asked Wisdom and Love how to make such a choice. "Walk through the meadows," their parents told them, "and that one of you who is first to find a thorn shall be called Sorrow." So the twins walked hand in hand through the meadows until one cried out, for a thorn had pierced its foot. The injured twin, now named "Sorrow," reached down to pick up the thorn, tears of pain in its eyes. To comfort its twin, the other, now named "Joy," touched the thorn, and from its branches grew a new flower, loveliest and most fragrant of all the flowers. This is why the most beautiful flowers always have thorns.
Sorrow and Joy looked around at the earth. Joy cried tears of happiness at its beauty and where the tears fell, animals appeared, horses and dogs, seals and dolphins, all manner of animals which live on the earth and in the seas. Sorrow cried tears of grief at the earth's emptiness and where the tears fell, creeping, crawling, slithering creatures appeared, snakes and spiders, sharks and eels, all manner of creatures which hide in darkness. In some places, Joy's and Sorrow's tears mingled, and in these places, humans appeared, the most balanced of earthly beings, carrying both sorrow and joy in their souls.
The humans saw Love and Wisdom standing in the distance and were dazzled by their beauty. Many of the humans longed to be in the presence of that beauty and throughout their days, they looked frequently to the horizon to gaze upon Wisdom and Love. But other humans could not bear to see such beauty, for their hearts held more sorrow than joy, and so they turned away to look only at what lay in their path. And to this day, seeking Love and Wisdom brings joy to our hearts, while those who turn away find only sorrow.
Monday, November 16, 2009
In the presence of bravery
On Saturday, Mr. MC and I went to a wedding reception for some friends of ours. They got married at the end of October in Connecticut, where it is now legal for same sex couples to be married. The party was their opportunity to share their joy with friends and family back home in Ohio.
It was a nice party. The grooms were giddy, like newlyweds should be. They both looked so happy, it was impossible not to feel happy in their presence. Someone toasted their bravery in making a public statement of their love for each other. He was right, it was brave of them.
But I was even more impressed at how many of their friends brought their children to the party, from toddlers to teens. They were brave, too. How wonderful that they are willing to show their children that marriage is a beautiful, wonderful, normal thing, regardless of the sex of the partners. Those people are truly changing the world. Their children will grow up wondering why gay marriage isn't legal everywhere. "What's the big deal?" they'll say.
In a society where some people might accuse those parents of mistreating their children, I applaud their bravery and loyalty to their friends. I can look forward with hope to a future where such children grow up to be leaders.
It was a nice party. The grooms were giddy, like newlyweds should be. They both looked so happy, it was impossible not to feel happy in their presence. Someone toasted their bravery in making a public statement of their love for each other. He was right, it was brave of them.
But I was even more impressed at how many of their friends brought their children to the party, from toddlers to teens. They were brave, too. How wonderful that they are willing to show their children that marriage is a beautiful, wonderful, normal thing, regardless of the sex of the partners. Those people are truly changing the world. Their children will grow up wondering why gay marriage isn't legal everywhere. "What's the big deal?" they'll say.
In a society where some people might accuse those parents of mistreating their children, I applaud their bravery and loyalty to their friends. I can look forward with hope to a future where such children grow up to be leaders.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Eating the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Today in my mythology class we talked about the Genesis creation story and I suddenly understood more about "Belonging" and Topher. It was like Topher ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. As Adele said, Topher didn't have any morals at first. He was like a child. Now he's beginning to develop a conscience, to know and feel the difference between right and wrong. He ate the fruit and now he can never go back.
So he really was innocent. And, he was evil. Does that mean Adam and Eve were evil? Of course, we never think of them that way. At least, I've never thought of them that way before. They were "without sin", right? They didn't know the difference between good and evil. Don't we call those psychopaths these days?
Does that make Whiskey/Dr. Saunders Eve? Or maybe she's the Serpent?
So he really was innocent. And, he was evil. Does that mean Adam and Eve were evil? Of course, we never think of them that way. At least, I've never thought of them that way before. They were "without sin", right? They didn't know the difference between good and evil. Don't we call those psychopaths these days?
Does that make Whiskey/Dr. Saunders Eve? Or maybe she's the Serpent?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Dollhouse: Belonging
We just caught up on our Dollhouse episodes, as we were a couple of weeks behind. Now, after seeing "Belonging" I'm having trouble settling to anything, so I figured I'd come try to write my thoughts about it.
I cried through the last third of it, I guess. It was an extremely powerful episode. I'm not sure yet how I feel about it, other than disturbed. It was supposed to be disturbing, of course. Having been in an abusive relationship with a man who made me think I was crazy at times, I'm not surprised I'm having such a strong reaction to it. Yet, surprisingly, even more than what happened with Sierra, it's Topher that I'm reacting to the most.
Topher. I've said all along he's the most evil person in the dollhouse. That arrogant brilliance. Adele stated it perfectly in the episode: he had no morals, humans were toys to him. We saw the first real crack in him in the first episode of this season, during the fabulously written and acted scene with him and Whisky/Dr. Saunders. Now, in "Belonging", he's turned into an entirely new person, at least in my eyes. His facial expressions all the way through, beautifully acted by Fran Kranz, just ripped my heart open. I think what I'm reacting to is a loss of innocence. Yes, it was an evil, arrogant innocence. Still.
After saying all that, what I have to say is I still have no words for what I'm feeling about that episode. I don't know if I could bear to watch it again. I know I won't be able to stop thinking about it. It must be a Joss Whedon show.
I cried through the last third of it, I guess. It was an extremely powerful episode. I'm not sure yet how I feel about it, other than disturbed. It was supposed to be disturbing, of course. Having been in an abusive relationship with a man who made me think I was crazy at times, I'm not surprised I'm having such a strong reaction to it. Yet, surprisingly, even more than what happened with Sierra, it's Topher that I'm reacting to the most.
Topher. I've said all along he's the most evil person in the dollhouse. That arrogant brilliance. Adele stated it perfectly in the episode: he had no morals, humans were toys to him. We saw the first real crack in him in the first episode of this season, during the fabulously written and acted scene with him and Whisky/Dr. Saunders. Now, in "Belonging", he's turned into an entirely new person, at least in my eyes. His facial expressions all the way through, beautifully acted by Fran Kranz, just ripped my heart open. I think what I'm reacting to is a loss of innocence. Yes, it was an evil, arrogant innocence. Still.
After saying all that, what I have to say is I still have no words for what I'm feeling about that episode. I don't know if I could bear to watch it again. I know I won't be able to stop thinking about it. It must be a Joss Whedon show.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A Few Pictures
Here are just a couple of pictures from our Halloween party. These are either from my phone or Laura’s phone, so the quality is not great. Laura is sending me a CD with all 57! of her pictures on it, so I will be able to share those soon.
The napkins I bought for the party (you wouldn’t believe how many napkins I looked through before finding ones I liked!):
Trick sleeping with the Halloween dragon that Laura, Becky, Michele and Mike bought me. (Halloween dragon! two of my favorite things combined):
A ghostly peep melting in a mug of hot chocolate:
Laura came as Kaylee, from Firefly. Her costume was great, but you can only see a little bit of it here. I hope she got better pictures with her camera. She wore a military jumpsuit and had “grease” smeared on her face. Inspired!
Kevin playing Rummy at the party after he got off work:
Becky as a slightly scary, kinda sexy witch. Her hat was great, it had a little spider dangling off the pointed tip.
Michele as a pirate. She and Rajib had matching pirate costumes which she sewed, because she is talented like that. She’s holding Trick, who was brought down to socialize with the party guests against his will. He has a mean mom!
And here’s Miss Fiona, who also came to the party. This is her back at home and happy to be away from all the chaos.
More pictures to follow. Meanwhile, I’m already thinking about next year’s invitations. . . .
The napkins I bought for the party (you wouldn’t believe how many napkins I looked through before finding ones I liked!):
Trick sleeping with the Halloween dragon that Laura, Becky, Michele and Mike bought me. (Halloween dragon! two of my favorite things combined):
A ghostly peep melting in a mug of hot chocolate:
Laura came as Kaylee, from Firefly. Her costume was great, but you can only see a little bit of it here. I hope she got better pictures with her camera. She wore a military jumpsuit and had “grease” smeared on her face. Inspired!
Kevin playing Rummy at the party after he got off work:
Becky as a slightly scary, kinda sexy witch. Her hat was great, it had a little spider dangling off the pointed tip.
Michele as a pirate. She and Rajib had matching pirate costumes which she sewed, because she is talented like that. She’s holding Trick, who was brought down to socialize with the party guests against his will. He has a mean mom!
And here’s Miss Fiona, who also came to the party. This is her back at home and happy to be away from all the chaos.
More pictures to follow. Meanwhile, I’m already thinking about next year’s invitations. . . .
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Halloween Party
The party was great! We had lots of fun, several people came, but not so many that I felt completely overwhelmed. Almost everyone wore a costume, which I didn't expect. I didn't have a costume. Doh! But I'm already looking forward to next year and I know exactly what my costume will be. I'm already finding pieces for it online.
Laura and Michele took pictures, so hopefully they'll send me copies soon and I can share them. I, of course, took none, because taking pictures with my phone is not much fun.
Laura and Michele took pictures, so hopefully they'll send me copies soon and I can share them. I, of course, took none, because taking pictures with my phone is not much fun.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Halloween IV: Spooky Schooner
Each year, Mr. MC buys me a new piece for my Halloween village. This year I got my new piece on Ebay, used, for half the price of a new one. It's in perfect condition, all it needed was a new light bulb. This piece is discontinued and I've been wanting it for a while, so I was thrilled to get it. It's called the Spooky Schooner.
Isn't it great! I'll have to start working on a landscape for my village, now, so there's a little bit of ocean, maybe a haunted cove, to put the Schooner on. Maybe Santa will bring some of the village-scaping books on my Amazon wish list this year. :-)
Isn't it great! I'll have to start working on a landscape for my village, now, so there's a little bit of ocean, maybe a haunted cove, to put the Schooner on. Maybe Santa will bring some of the village-scaping books on my Amazon wish list this year. :-)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Fall on Campus
This is what campus looks like right outside the building where most of my classes are:
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Halloween Garden Lights
Last weekend, I was complaining to Mr. MC that I couldn't use my jack-o-lantern outdoor lights because we have no electrical outlets on the outside of our house. He replied that he'd recently found a great alternative on one of his favorite new websites, Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. We took a look at these and immediately ordered some LEDs and coin batteries to make our own. Right now I'm soaking labels off old glass jars we have laying around. We have white LEDs and orange ones, so we'll see which we like best.
I can hardly wait to try them out. We may have to make a couple tonight and see how they look. I'm hoping that one of my friends can get a picture of them next weekend. The nice thing is, they last for several days, so we can just put them up on Friday and leave them until Sunday night. I hope they're cool!
Edited to add: OMG! They are so cool! The orange lights are perfect. I can't wait to put them all out on Friday night. I can't stop chortling to myself. :-)
I can hardly wait to try them out. We may have to make a couple tonight and see how they look. I'm hoping that one of my friends can get a picture of them next weekend. The nice thing is, they last for several days, so we can just put them up on Friday and leave them until Sunday night. I hope they're cool!
Edited to add: OMG! They are so cool! The orange lights are perfect. I can't wait to put them all out on Friday night. I can't stop chortling to myself. :-)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Halloween is just ducky!
Earlier this week I received a fun little package from Laura. After the 20-ish minutes it took to unwrap the multiple layers of wrapping :-), I found the cutest little witch rubber ducky. Here's a picture of it sitting in our bathroom next to our regular ducky:
Isn't she adorable?! I was very cranky that day, too, so unwrapping her was a nice bright spot in my day.
In other news, I apologize for the picture being so blurry. I had to take it with my camera phone, because I broke my digital camera! A few days ago, I was taking pictures of Halloween decor at the top of our stairs, and I lost my balance and almost fell down the stairs. Luckily, I caught myself with a hand on the wall; unfortunately, that was the hand with the camera in it, which slammed against the wall.
So for the next while, my pictures will be substandard, until we can afford to replace our camera. :-(
Isn't she adorable?! I was very cranky that day, too, so unwrapping her was a nice bright spot in my day.
In other news, I apologize for the picture being so blurry. I had to take it with my camera phone, because I broke my digital camera! A few days ago, I was taking pictures of Halloween decor at the top of our stairs, and I lost my balance and almost fell down the stairs. Luckily, I caught myself with a hand on the wall; unfortunately, that was the hand with the camera in it, which slammed against the wall.
So for the next while, my pictures will be substandard, until we can afford to replace our camera. :-(
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I'm so excited!
I submitted my Halloween posts to www.shelterrific.com for their Halloween giveaway. They said nice things about my decorations. Apparently the readers will vote for their favorites to win the giveaway, so please check it out and vote for me when voting begins. And check out the other participants' decorations, too, they are some clever people.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Halloween Party? Terrifying!
My dream of a radiant life includes a huge Halloween party every year. The kind that brings my friends from all over the country to visit. I envision the various rooms of my house (definitely not my current house!) holding different fun activities - a room for dancing, a fortune-telling room, a room for watching spooky movies, etc. It's a big dream with big plans.
The reality? I haven't had a Halloween party since I was 19 and I haven't had any parties for about 15 years. The last few didn't go so well and the very last one was a disaster. I can host a casual group of friends coming over for pizza and movies or even to stay for the weekend, but anything more formal than that terrifies me. You know, formal, as in, I send out invitations and people R.S.V.P. If I just send out invites and I don't plan everything with everyone in advance, no one will come, right? Gulp! Not that I'm a control freak or anything. :-)
So, yeah, I decided maybe this year was the time to start taking steps in the direction of my dream. I combined the type of get-togethers I'm used to with the formal invitation thing. I invited all my out-of-town friends to come stay for the weekend. I actually mailed out invitations. I'm planning activities and food.
We're also inviting some in-town friends over on Halloween night as an open house kind of thing. Stop by, have some yummies, stay or don't according to your other plans. With actual invitations again, although these may be by email.
I'm terrified. I think no one will come. I'm determined to have fun doing the activities I've planned and make it a great Halloween, anyway. But this is way out on the limb for me. I hope it doesn't break.
The reality? I haven't had a Halloween party since I was 19 and I haven't had any parties for about 15 years. The last few didn't go so well and the very last one was a disaster. I can host a casual group of friends coming over for pizza and movies or even to stay for the weekend, but anything more formal than that terrifies me. You know, formal, as in, I send out invitations and people R.S.V.P. If I just send out invites and I don't plan everything with everyone in advance, no one will come, right? Gulp! Not that I'm a control freak or anything. :-)
So, yeah, I decided maybe this year was the time to start taking steps in the direction of my dream. I combined the type of get-togethers I'm used to with the formal invitation thing. I invited all my out-of-town friends to come stay for the weekend. I actually mailed out invitations. I'm planning activities and food.
We're also inviting some in-town friends over on Halloween night as an open house kind of thing. Stop by, have some yummies, stay or don't according to your other plans. With actual invitations again, although these may be by email.
I'm terrified. I think no one will come. I'm determined to have fun doing the activities I've planned and make it a great Halloween, anyway. But this is way out on the limb for me. I hope it doesn't break.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Halloween: IV
Here are my living room decorations:
The back corner of the living room. You can see the "Boo" sign on the office door. The little lamp on the end table stands on a pile of Halloween-appropriate books. On the bookcases are 3 black cat tealight holders I got at a yard sale this summer. They have flameless tea lights in them. I used flameless tealights almost everywhere this year, so that I could put lights in places that I couldn't put candles, like the corner cabinet, and for fear the kittens would burn down the house.
The other side of the couch. I draped a fun scarf that my mother-in-law gave me over the lampshade, just like I did the little lamp on the other side. On the end table are a Halloween tin from Goodwill that holds the remotes, a great black ceramic tray I bought at a craft show last year, and a wonderful box which is covered in orange velvet and has a big spider on top. It was a gift from Laura and holds potpourri.
The top of the entertainment center. Please ignore the general dippiness of the entertainment center, it did not fare well in our last two moves. There are a couple of snow globes from HomeGoods last year, one given to me by my friend, Beth, two brass candelabras that I bought at a rummage sale for $1 and painted black (I still need to get tapers for them), two coffee table books that are great for Halloween - Nightmares in the Sky (gargoyles) and Disney Villains, a monster tin, an animated ghost and Scooby Doo, a haunted house candle, a wonderful WoodWick candle sitting in a cemetery fence enclosure that I bought at a yard sale, and a big jar filled with candy corn and pumpkins and holding my Halloween magic wand. Propped on the speaker above is a great metal sign my husband scored for me at a store in Jim Thorpe, PA this summer.
This is the front corner of the living room, to the right of the entertainment center, looking into the entry way and front door. The tall bookcase holds my collection of paranormal fiction, which soon will need another bookcase. On it also sits the Halloween drawing book Laura gave me, the Vampire Haiku book I bought in Florida this summer, and my vampire Angel puppet, who lives there all year. On the chair is a pillow with a beautiful Halloween pillow cover I bought on Etsy last month, from Shana at asmushomeinteriors. The DVD bookcase has an electric jack-o-lantern on top, along with an Amy Brown Halloween fairy print, a Happy Halloween sign I bought in Jim Thorpe, and a moon and stars Scentsy wax warmer that I got from my friend, Jeri. It makes my house smell great.
And one of my favorite Halloween things, my Department 56 Halloween Snow Village. I've only been collecting these pieces for the last few years, so it's still very small. I love my village, the buildings are gorgeously detailed. My husband buys me a new piece every year and my mom has started giving me pieces for Christmas, so my collection continues to grow. The village sits on my library table, which is draped with a piece of black fabric with glittery spiderwebs on it. The bottom shelf of the table holds some new Halloween boxes from my mother-in-law, plus a fabulous Halloween ribbon spool album I got from sarahsdesigns78 on Etsy. Underneath the table is a basket with a bunch of Halloween magazine issues in it. I particularly like "Country Living" Halloween issues, and I've bought quite a few at yard sales.
So there's my living room. I tried to get some dark, candlelit pictures, but either my skill or my camera are not up to the task. I might have some friends visiting for Halloween (more on that later) and a couple of them are talented photographers, so I thought I'd see if they could do it.
The back corner of the living room. You can see the "Boo" sign on the office door. The little lamp on the end table stands on a pile of Halloween-appropriate books. On the bookcases are 3 black cat tealight holders I got at a yard sale this summer. They have flameless tea lights in them. I used flameless tealights almost everywhere this year, so that I could put lights in places that I couldn't put candles, like the corner cabinet, and for fear the kittens would burn down the house.
The other side of the couch. I draped a fun scarf that my mother-in-law gave me over the lampshade, just like I did the little lamp on the other side. On the end table are a Halloween tin from Goodwill that holds the remotes, a great black ceramic tray I bought at a craft show last year, and a wonderful box which is covered in orange velvet and has a big spider on top. It was a gift from Laura and holds potpourri.
The top of the entertainment center. Please ignore the general dippiness of the entertainment center, it did not fare well in our last two moves. There are a couple of snow globes from HomeGoods last year, one given to me by my friend, Beth, two brass candelabras that I bought at a rummage sale for $1 and painted black (I still need to get tapers for them), two coffee table books that are great for Halloween - Nightmares in the Sky (gargoyles) and Disney Villains, a monster tin, an animated ghost and Scooby Doo, a haunted house candle, a wonderful WoodWick candle sitting in a cemetery fence enclosure that I bought at a yard sale, and a big jar filled with candy corn and pumpkins and holding my Halloween magic wand. Propped on the speaker above is a great metal sign my husband scored for me at a store in Jim Thorpe, PA this summer.
This is the front corner of the living room, to the right of the entertainment center, looking into the entry way and front door. The tall bookcase holds my collection of paranormal fiction, which soon will need another bookcase. On it also sits the Halloween drawing book Laura gave me, the Vampire Haiku book I bought in Florida this summer, and my vampire Angel puppet, who lives there all year. On the chair is a pillow with a beautiful Halloween pillow cover I bought on Etsy last month, from Shana at asmushomeinteriors. The DVD bookcase has an electric jack-o-lantern on top, along with an Amy Brown Halloween fairy print, a Happy Halloween sign I bought in Jim Thorpe, and a moon and stars Scentsy wax warmer that I got from my friend, Jeri. It makes my house smell great.
And one of my favorite Halloween things, my Department 56 Halloween Snow Village. I've only been collecting these pieces for the last few years, so it's still very small. I love my village, the buildings are gorgeously detailed. My husband buys me a new piece every year and my mom has started giving me pieces for Christmas, so my collection continues to grow. The village sits on my library table, which is draped with a piece of black fabric with glittery spiderwebs on it. The bottom shelf of the table holds some new Halloween boxes from my mother-in-law, plus a fabulous Halloween ribbon spool album I got from sarahsdesigns78 on Etsy. Underneath the table is a basket with a bunch of Halloween magazine issues in it. I particularly like "Country Living" Halloween issues, and I've bought quite a few at yard sales.
So there's my living room. I tried to get some dark, candlelit pictures, but either my skill or my camera are not up to the task. I might have some friends visiting for Halloween (more on that later) and a couple of them are talented photographers, so I thought I'd see if they could do it.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Caturday: Halloween III
In honor of Caturday, here are my very favorite Halloween decorations:
The black one is Treat and the orange one is Trick. :-)
The kittens (I still call them that, even though they're a year old now and ginormous) came to live with us September of last year, when they were just 5 weeks old. Their mom was a feral cat who lived in the fields near my son's school. Originally each of the guys in his class was going to adopt one of the kittens, but when the time came to take them, nobody did. My son brought these two home so that we could take them to the animal rescue at which we were volunteering. However, the rescue wouldn't take them until they were 8 weeks old, so we had to foster them for 3 weeks. Yeah, you know how that goes. We hoped to catch the mom and her other babies and take them to the rescue for neutering, but the next day she had taken the others away and my son couldn't find her.
I did some learning about how to care for kittens that young. They were able to eat dry food soaked in water, so no bottle feeding was necessary. I learned that we had to handle them a lot to get them used to people. It was a good thing we got them at 5 weeks, because from what I read, you have to start handling them before they are 6 weeks old, or they will be much more likely to stay feral. They lived in our dog crate for the first week or so, which had plenty of room for a small litter box, their food and water, and a bed for both of them. Of course we brought them out of the crate lots to play and cuddle. Then they graduated to staying in our office, plenty big enough for them to roam around a bit without getting into too much trouble. Except when they wanted to chew on the electrical cords, which fortunately wasn't too often.
Now they are huge monsters, obviously well nourished. And so cuddly and sweet. They look completely different from each other, not just markings, but the shape of their bodies and faces. And their personalities are different. But they are both very affectionate. They love each other very much and often cuddle together and clean each other. Sometimes they fight and chase each other around the house. They are good for hours of entertainment. They still pursue their kitteny mission of destroying the house, but they have begun to take on their adult cat mission of not allowing us to work too hard. About 10 minutes after I start studying, one or the other of them is on my book or in my face, demanding pets.
I do love my Halloween babies. :-)
The black one is Treat and the orange one is Trick. :-)
The kittens (I still call them that, even though they're a year old now and ginormous) came to live with us September of last year, when they were just 5 weeks old. Their mom was a feral cat who lived in the fields near my son's school. Originally each of the guys in his class was going to adopt one of the kittens, but when the time came to take them, nobody did. My son brought these two home so that we could take them to the animal rescue at which we were volunteering. However, the rescue wouldn't take them until they were 8 weeks old, so we had to foster them for 3 weeks. Yeah, you know how that goes. We hoped to catch the mom and her other babies and take them to the rescue for neutering, but the next day she had taken the others away and my son couldn't find her.
I did some learning about how to care for kittens that young. They were able to eat dry food soaked in water, so no bottle feeding was necessary. I learned that we had to handle them a lot to get them used to people. It was a good thing we got them at 5 weeks, because from what I read, you have to start handling them before they are 6 weeks old, or they will be much more likely to stay feral. They lived in our dog crate for the first week or so, which had plenty of room for a small litter box, their food and water, and a bed for both of them. Of course we brought them out of the crate lots to play and cuddle. Then they graduated to staying in our office, plenty big enough for them to roam around a bit without getting into too much trouble. Except when they wanted to chew on the electrical cords, which fortunately wasn't too often.
Now they are huge monsters, obviously well nourished. And so cuddly and sweet. They look completely different from each other, not just markings, but the shape of their bodies and faces. And their personalities are different. But they are both very affectionate. They love each other very much and often cuddle together and clean each other. Sometimes they fight and chase each other around the house. They are good for hours of entertainment. They still pursue their kitteny mission of destroying the house, but they have begun to take on their adult cat mission of not allowing us to work too hard. About 10 minutes after I start studying, one or the other of them is on my book or in my face, demanding pets.
I do love my Halloween babies. :-)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Halloween II
Here are pictures of the Halloween decorations in my kitchen: (all pictures are clickable for larger views)
The window over the sink:
The sconces in the dining area:
I just realized I forgot to take one picture, which has one of my favorite Halloween decorations in it. I'll post that later, with the living room decorations. I'm going to work on learning how to take pictures without flash this weekend, too, so hopefully I can get some pictures of everything lit up.
The window over the sink:
The cool spiderweb tray I got at a yard sale this summer, with napkins and an awesome rusty wire cloche from HomeGoods in it:
The corner bookcase:
Looking into the dining area:
The candles on the dining table:
The corner cabinet in the dining area, which has most of my lab glass collection and other fun things in it:
The open shelf in the corner cabinet, with my Halloween black cat bowl on it:
The sconces in the dining area:
I just realized I forgot to take one picture, which has one of my favorite Halloween decorations in it. I'll post that later, with the living room decorations. I'm going to work on learning how to take pictures without flash this weekend, too, so hopefully I can get some pictures of everything lit up.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Halloween
So here's just the tip of the iceberg. I'm still tweaking the main rooms of the house, hopefully I'll be ready to post those pictures this weekend. Assuming the kittens quit destroying my decorations. So far they've chewed apart the wiring on my Halloween village street lights and knocked over a lamp, thereby breaking the bulb and the lampshade. Doh!
First, the upstairs/main bathroom, which just has a couple of Halloween touches:
The sink area, with a Crabtree and Evelyn black cat soap I scored at a yard sale this summer, and two fun fingertip towels given to me by my friend, Laura:
My vanity has this Disney villains Kleenex box on it:
The downstairs bathroom, with a few more Halloween bits:
The sink area, with a haunted house soap dispenser Laura, gave me years ago, and a witch votive holder, and a holographic Halloween Kleenex box on the tank:
The wall rack, which Laura and I found on the "tree lawn" in Cleveland several years ago, with a black cauldron/jack o' lantern tealight holder, a witch's boot towel, and an old See's Candy black cat container, which now holds potpourri:
This cute little felt bag (a recent gift from aforementioned friend, Laura) hangs on the hook on the inside of the bathroom door:
I tried to get some pictures of the downstairs bathroom at night, with the candles lit, but that isn't going to work until I dig out my camera manual and figure out how to turn off the darn flash. So those will have to wait.
First, the upstairs/main bathroom, which just has a couple of Halloween touches:
The sink area, with a Crabtree and Evelyn black cat soap I scored at a yard sale this summer, and two fun fingertip towels given to me by my friend, Laura:
My vanity has this Disney villains Kleenex box on it:
The downstairs bathroom, with a few more Halloween bits:
The sink area, with a haunted house soap dispenser Laura, gave me years ago, and a witch votive holder, and a holographic Halloween Kleenex box on the tank:
The wall rack, which Laura and I found on the "tree lawn" in Cleveland several years ago, with a black cauldron/jack o' lantern tealight holder, a witch's boot towel, and an old See's Candy black cat container, which now holds potpourri:
This cute little felt bag (a recent gift from aforementioned friend, Laura) hangs on the hook on the inside of the bathroom door:
I tried to get some pictures of the downstairs bathroom at night, with the candles lit, but that isn't going to work until I dig out my camera manual and figure out how to turn off the darn flash. So those will have to wait.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Last Weekend's Loot
Last weekend I visited friends and joined in their yard sale. Of course, I brought home several things from that yard sale (my friend has great taste). Plus, they have a great Goodwill store in their town, which we managed to check out on Sunday. My friend also gave me some presents she'd bought while yard sale-ing over the summer. Here's my loot (click on pictures for larger view):
Halloween goodies:
Glass dishes and pretty casserole in silver stand:
Cool London Landmarks box and handy travel organizer:
Pretty vintage table topper, bracelet, and windowed box for a future project:
Teak tray and plant holder with pretty glass sun:
Nifty metal hanging rack thingie (that's a technical term) with etched mirror:
Big glass tray (ashtray?) and beautiful glass ceiling mounted light cover:
Ugly birdhouse and cute little sconce, both just waiting for some paint:
Bottles:
And last, but most definitely not least, this geee-orgeous vintage enameled cast iron dutch oven which my friend bought at a yard sale a couple of years ago and I have been lusting after ever since:
That's a lot of stuff, isn't it? I can't wait to see how it all ends up. Not that I really needed more projects, but all those paint-happy bloggers out there have got me hooked.
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Halloween goodies:
Glass dishes and pretty casserole in silver stand:
Cool London Landmarks box and handy travel organizer:
Pretty vintage table topper, bracelet, and windowed box for a future project:
Teak tray and plant holder with pretty glass sun:
Nifty metal hanging rack thingie (that's a technical term) with etched mirror:
Big glass tray (ashtray?) and beautiful glass ceiling mounted light cover:
Ugly birdhouse and cute little sconce, both just waiting for some paint:
Bottles:
And last, but most definitely not least, this geee-orgeous vintage enameled cast iron dutch oven which my friend bought at a yard sale a couple of years ago and I have been lusting after ever since:
That's a lot of stuff, isn't it? I can't wait to see how it all ends up. Not that I really needed more projects, but all those paint-happy bloggers out there have got me hooked.
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