Phew! Shopping at mass markets is exhausting!
Ok, so perhaps mass markets isn't the best term. Maybe its more like, "Welcome to Costco, I love you," if you get the reference.
What a daunting day. Party planning is fun, but feeding 50 + people is certainly a task.
This is just a short update...the big bash to celebrate Tav's graduation is tomorrow, 2pm-7:30pm, and I hardly have time to work on my projects right now, but, I did submit to Kickstarter, so officially, MILESTONE 1 of The Great American Road Trip - Westward Expansion, was reached today! More to come on what that is, exactly. I promise, I will stop being vague just as soon as the timing is right and I have a bit more information posted online for ya'll to read!
In the mean time, happy holidays, America. Enjoy the sunshine, as it should be plentiful (thank god!). Drink many refreshing beverages. Eat good food. Wrap yourselves in a blanket of good company, and relax! But above all, go enjoy nature! Its out there, you just have to look!
Peace out,
Jen
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Its been far too long, and I apologize.
There are a multitude of projects that I'm in the middle of right now. One large one for myself, two for the Spice House, another small one for me, and planning Tav's upcoming grad party. So the long and short is that I'm swamped. And its cool to be swamped, but its exhausting.
It also makes it a tad difficult to blog regularly. But excuses aside, here's a thought or two:
Harvey Danger, the early 90's one hit wonder-type staple, may actually be somewhat underrated. Certainly, he has a simple, systematic song writing style, but his lyrics are entertaining and paired with what can only be described as a comforting blend of pre-emo (thankfully) pop rock, a combination well loved or at least nostalgically reminisced by the Generation X fringe on most sunny summer days. Check out Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? for examples.
Tomatoes. And, epic tomatoes, with a reputation, no less. Yes, I am grateful, as they are what I have recently inherited from a good pal at work. And I am excited! I never really took the time to enjoy tomatoes growing up, but now I see quite clearly how much they are to be savored. And actually, its fitting that this would be my first tomato plant, as it is the same pal who gave it to me that introduced me to the sheer glory of an heirloom tomato with nothing adorning its soft smooth skin but a slinky covering of coarse ground black pepper. Yum!
There is nothing more concerning then hearing the sound of explosions coming from your living room. Oh wait, that's just virtual entertainment in the form of Halo.
Wii resort is a blast. Archery, especially. And for those in the mood for something a bit more unique, canoeing is a pretty fun choice as well.
If your heart were a large wave
Breaking over mine
I think I just may be inclined
To lay back and enjoy it
The salty taste of sunshine
And the leftover leftovers
Of a million happy fish
There are a multitude of projects that I'm in the middle of right now. One large one for myself, two for the Spice House, another small one for me, and planning Tav's upcoming grad party. So the long and short is that I'm swamped. And its cool to be swamped, but its exhausting.
It also makes it a tad difficult to blog regularly. But excuses aside, here's a thought or two:
Harvey Danger, the early 90's one hit wonder-type staple, may actually be somewhat underrated. Certainly, he has a simple, systematic song writing style, but his lyrics are entertaining and paired with what can only be described as a comforting blend of pre-emo (thankfully) pop rock, a combination well loved or at least nostalgically reminisced by the Generation X fringe on most sunny summer days. Check out Where Have All The Merrymakers Gone? for examples.
Tomatoes. And, epic tomatoes, with a reputation, no less. Yes, I am grateful, as they are what I have recently inherited from a good pal at work. And I am excited! I never really took the time to enjoy tomatoes growing up, but now I see quite clearly how much they are to be savored. And actually, its fitting that this would be my first tomato plant, as it is the same pal who gave it to me that introduced me to the sheer glory of an heirloom tomato with nothing adorning its soft smooth skin but a slinky covering of coarse ground black pepper. Yum!
There is nothing more concerning then hearing the sound of explosions coming from your living room. Oh wait, that's just virtual entertainment in the form of Halo.
Wii resort is a blast. Archery, especially. And for those in the mood for something a bit more unique, canoeing is a pretty fun choice as well.
If your heart were a large wave
Breaking over mine
I think I just may be inclined
To lay back and enjoy it
The salty taste of sunshine
And the leftover leftovers
Of a million happy fish
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
New Moves on Old Ideas
I'm really excited. A few new possibilities have opened up, which have jump started plans for an idea I had after a road trip to Colorado with Tavi last year. I have to be rather vague for the time being, but rest assured I'll be more than happy to share once the timing is right. For now, I'm in the planning stages, and very much glad to have some possible direction for the future. This is something I'm really hoping will come to fruition, and though it will be a goal with much work involved, I'm sure it will be very rewarding if accomplished.
Anywho, its late at night and I'm trying to calm myself down. The boys are not yet home from their Monday night magic games, so I have the house to myself (which is lovely). I've been increasingly emotionally exhausted as of the past week or so, so its nice to have the space in which I don't have to compromise my personal emotional space due to the needs of others. Yup, that may come across as selfish, but when you live AND work in close quarters with 3 others, its incredibly difficult at times to find enough moments in a day in which you can simply live without feeling as though you're being bombarded by other people's vibes.
So I'm going to curl up with my book of Flower Remedies and decompress.
Bonus Nachos.
Anywho, its late at night and I'm trying to calm myself down. The boys are not yet home from their Monday night magic games, so I have the house to myself (which is lovely). I've been increasingly emotionally exhausted as of the past week or so, so its nice to have the space in which I don't have to compromise my personal emotional space due to the needs of others. Yup, that may come across as selfish, but when you live AND work in close quarters with 3 others, its incredibly difficult at times to find enough moments in a day in which you can simply live without feeling as though you're being bombarded by other people's vibes.
So I'm going to curl up with my book of Flower Remedies and decompress.
Bonus Nachos.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
A beautiful day...
Two of them, actually.
Today was bright and sunny and cheerful, and despite having to work, still very enjoyable. It also marked day one of year three for Tavi and I, which made my heart smile all over.
Yesterday, was also lovely, especially in the evening, on the way back from Tavi's graduation. Which, by the by, took forever. Forever being about four hours. :) I guess four isn't that long, but such a huge period was just a long list of names being called off! Thank god Columbia splits their graduation ceremonies into multiple days!
In any case, it was a pretty lovely event. Wonderful keynote/guest speakers, and a great presentation of video from Manifest and Industry night, both of which Tavi participated in. In fact, his group from the 12 hour game competition at Manifest won. It was a pretty goofy game...the guidelines were for each group to create a game that was their interpretation of transgendered capture the flag.
Transgendered capture the flag, you say? Yes...transgendered capture the flag. And let me tell you, Tavi's artwork was pretty classy. His was the only character design that directly touched on "transgendered" in a literal sense. He took the bull by the horns and put a pink skirt on it, so to speak. But in the end, their game stood strong, and despite lacking a win trigger (so the fun was endless!), theirs was the only game that played without crashing. So success! Yet another great even for the Tavmiester.
As for the graduation ceremony itself, he did have a bit of a time of it, as the woman announcing the students pronounced him as "Tahvis." But you can't win them all, I suppose. I guess that's just what his true official name must be.
I have been putting together plans for a 'frontage roof,' so to speak, for a display at the Spice House, as well as a mockup/prototype spice rack for jar sales. Both displays will be great woodworking projects, and a chance for me to do more wood etching/burning with my new tool (relatively new...a few months now). I'm pretty excited. I love the chance to do hands on projects like this. Making things from nothing is such a satisfying feeling, one that I'm so glad I get to experience a good amount of in this position. Paltronics was a lot of creation, but the problem with creating animations for the casino industry is that you have a very limited scope, creatively speaking, and in the end, you very rarely get the satisfaction of holding your work, tangible in your hands. I know that whatever it is that I do in the future, I need to be able to create things that I can hold and touch when the day is done. Whether that be paintings, or woodwork, or books.
Ah, the sleep of peace. Tavi has slipped into its comforting embrace and is knocked out cold (or quite warm, in all actuality) next to me. Bless his dear sweet heart...I love him so.
Oh, and, sidenote...we now have a Wii. Or I have a Wii, I suppose. My first real console! Woohoo! ;) Oh the games Wii will play! Hopefully Tav will make some Wii games.
That is all for now. Peace out, homies.
Today was bright and sunny and cheerful, and despite having to work, still very enjoyable. It also marked day one of year three for Tavi and I, which made my heart smile all over.
Yesterday, was also lovely, especially in the evening, on the way back from Tavi's graduation. Which, by the by, took forever. Forever being about four hours. :) I guess four isn't that long, but such a huge period was just a long list of names being called off! Thank god Columbia splits their graduation ceremonies into multiple days!
In any case, it was a pretty lovely event. Wonderful keynote/guest speakers, and a great presentation of video from Manifest and Industry night, both of which Tavi participated in. In fact, his group from the 12 hour game competition at Manifest won. It was a pretty goofy game...the guidelines were for each group to create a game that was their interpretation of transgendered capture the flag.
Transgendered capture the flag, you say? Yes...transgendered capture the flag. And let me tell you, Tavi's artwork was pretty classy. His was the only character design that directly touched on "transgendered" in a literal sense. He took the bull by the horns and put a pink skirt on it, so to speak. But in the end, their game stood strong, and despite lacking a win trigger (so the fun was endless!), theirs was the only game that played without crashing. So success! Yet another great even for the Tavmiester.
As for the graduation ceremony itself, he did have a bit of a time of it, as the woman announcing the students pronounced him as "Tahvis." But you can't win them all, I suppose. I guess that's just what his true official name must be.
I have been putting together plans for a 'frontage roof,' so to speak, for a display at the Spice House, as well as a mockup/prototype spice rack for jar sales. Both displays will be great woodworking projects, and a chance for me to do more wood etching/burning with my new tool (relatively new...a few months now). I'm pretty excited. I love the chance to do hands on projects like this. Making things from nothing is such a satisfying feeling, one that I'm so glad I get to experience a good amount of in this position. Paltronics was a lot of creation, but the problem with creating animations for the casino industry is that you have a very limited scope, creatively speaking, and in the end, you very rarely get the satisfaction of holding your work, tangible in your hands. I know that whatever it is that I do in the future, I need to be able to create things that I can hold and touch when the day is done. Whether that be paintings, or woodwork, or books.
Ah, the sleep of peace. Tavi has slipped into its comforting embrace and is knocked out cold (or quite warm, in all actuality) next to me. Bless his dear sweet heart...I love him so.
Oh, and, sidenote...we now have a Wii. Or I have a Wii, I suppose. My first real console! Woohoo! ;) Oh the games Wii will play! Hopefully Tav will make some Wii games.
That is all for now. Peace out, homies.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Sprouting
"With a loud thump, Saide was shaken from her reverie. The dark water pooling in small puddles about the road splashed as her heavy tires bore her Jeep Cherokee on through the sodden drizzle of the early April night. Something large, something very large, had landed on the hood of her still forward-bound vehicle. Shaken, she squinted into the black night, straining to bring into focus the massive form perched before her. Gracefully it moved, adjusting with ease to each bump and pothole she maneuvered the Jeep shakily around. Eerily enough, it seemed as though the creature predicted Saide’s every move, always remaining with its massive back turned towards her windshield, as if to mock her efforts to discover its cloaked identity."
Excerpt from an upcoming shorty by yours truly.
Excerpt from an upcoming shorty by yours truly.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Momma's
In honor of all of my mothers and the memory of childhood.
Thanks mum and Julie for all of your love, lessons, and support.
Love you always!
House at Pooh Corner
Kenny Loggins
Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood
So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
From here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear
Help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"
Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh
Thanks mum and Julie for all of your love, lessons, and support.
Love you always!
House at Pooh Corner
Kenny Loggins
Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood
So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
From here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear
Help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered "Boy welcome home"
Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Saturday Night
Well, the plants are doing alright. Everyone is inside, and the beans have taken a new post by our front window. I'm a little bit concerned about getting them on a different growing cycle due to the lighting change out front, but its only until the weather warms up a bit, so I think it'll be alright.
We'll see.
Not much else to report at this point, and I'm a little preoccupied tonight, so this is a short post.
Have a good night, cyberspace.
We'll see.
Not much else to report at this point, and I'm a little preoccupied tonight, so this is a short post.
Have a good night, cyberspace.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Chicken Little
Quick! Run for cover! The sky is falling!
Or, at the very least its turning gray. It seems our cold front has finally made it to town, and oddly enough, I'm somewhat happy about it. Although it means the plants won't be able to hang outside quite as much over the next few days, after the catnap I took in the sun this afternoon, cool air is a rather refreshing change of pace. Not that I'm wishing for this all summer. God, no! But I am relieved at the moment.
I'm starting to notice a lovely fresh plantlike smell all throughout the kitchen. Nearly all of our viable window space is coveted in at least one way or another by something green and growing, and I have to say, I'm loving it. Andrew and I took a stroll through a few gardening centers today. Bless his black soul, he put up with all of my sniffing and giggling and rubbing my face in little herbs (mainly the lavender, catnip, and cilantro). I think he was a little mortified after a while, as he stole my sunglasses and wouldn't return them until we were safely in the car. He said it was because I was hiding behind them, but I know the truth. :)
Man, if I had $5,000, a plot of land, and no bills, I swear I could spend it all on plants. Maybe I should be feeling a bit obsessive, but I think Andrew put it best...its something that puts a real, true, genuine smile on my face. Yes, redundant, but necessary to describe the feeling I get walking through a greenhouse. Its like peace sneaks up on me and steals my worries, leaving them behind by the tomatoes while I dabble with the snapdragons and point cheerfully at the succulents. More than likely its backlash from living away from the country for so long. I miss wide open land with apple orchards and rose bushes aplenty. I wish I could have a greenhouse.
These have been interesting days. Tavi pops in and out of the week like a squirrel. He's constantly on the go, and I can't help but wonder what will happen when he finally has the opportunity to stop for a bit. I'm also wondering quite a bit about where we'll end up. But its to be seen, and since I don't have a solid plan yet, I suppose its all just idle contemplation anyway. Its good though, because that kind of thing breeds yearning and clarity, and leads the way to goals sought out and accomplished. Which, I certainly could use more of.
Cheers for now...I'm off to play around at making a new chicken breast recipe. Thanks again, Spice House for all of the lessons in seasoning!
Or, at the very least its turning gray. It seems our cold front has finally made it to town, and oddly enough, I'm somewhat happy about it. Although it means the plants won't be able to hang outside quite as much over the next few days, after the catnap I took in the sun this afternoon, cool air is a rather refreshing change of pace. Not that I'm wishing for this all summer. God, no! But I am relieved at the moment.
I'm starting to notice a lovely fresh plantlike smell all throughout the kitchen. Nearly all of our viable window space is coveted in at least one way or another by something green and growing, and I have to say, I'm loving it. Andrew and I took a stroll through a few gardening centers today. Bless his black soul, he put up with all of my sniffing and giggling and rubbing my face in little herbs (mainly the lavender, catnip, and cilantro). I think he was a little mortified after a while, as he stole my sunglasses and wouldn't return them until we were safely in the car. He said it was because I was hiding behind them, but I know the truth. :)
Man, if I had $5,000, a plot of land, and no bills, I swear I could spend it all on plants. Maybe I should be feeling a bit obsessive, but I think Andrew put it best...its something that puts a real, true, genuine smile on my face. Yes, redundant, but necessary to describe the feeling I get walking through a greenhouse. Its like peace sneaks up on me and steals my worries, leaving them behind by the tomatoes while I dabble with the snapdragons and point cheerfully at the succulents. More than likely its backlash from living away from the country for so long. I miss wide open land with apple orchards and rose bushes aplenty. I wish I could have a greenhouse.
These have been interesting days. Tavi pops in and out of the week like a squirrel. He's constantly on the go, and I can't help but wonder what will happen when he finally has the opportunity to stop for a bit. I'm also wondering quite a bit about where we'll end up. But its to be seen, and since I don't have a solid plan yet, I suppose its all just idle contemplation anyway. Its good though, because that kind of thing breeds yearning and clarity, and leads the way to goals sought out and accomplished. Which, I certainly could use more of.
Cheers for now...I'm off to play around at making a new chicken breast recipe. Thanks again, Spice House for all of the lessons in seasoning!
Origami
Tavi kills trees.
He says its in the name of origami. He wants me to make him more origami creations.
I think he just hates trees.
He says its in the name of origami. He wants me to make him more origami creations.
I think he just hates trees.
Spiders!
I just found three small dead spiders in the past few hours, all scattered in different areas of the house, and all suspended with their feet touching. Is this an odd omen? I don't know, but it's got me just a tad weirded out.
Anywho, I spent more time with the garden today (no real surprise there!), and may have killed a little broccoli plant. :( I did almost all of the remaining transplanting, so now mom's beans, the broccoli, and some of the basil plants have found new, more spacious homes. I planned poorly though, so I have to run out tomorrow and pick up more potting mix in order to transplant the remaining basil.
The peas are still growing fantastically. It's continued to be windy here, so they have become quite hardy and thick skinned to my delight. Still no sign of the new batch of chives...I've left them outside, and in all honesty, am glad they have not sprouted yet, as we are expecting a frost this weekend, and I'd rather them stay below ground for the event.
(peas, as of about a week ago)
I had to go out and get poles for the beans, as they have had a bit of a hard time bouncing back from their first windy day out on the porch. They needed a more delicate form of support, which I think I've finally found. Below is a picture of their original trellis set up, which has been traded in for bamboo poles (pics of these soon to come).
(beans with old trellis set up)
Today I also had the pleasure of re-potting an aloe plant for Tavi's mom's Mother's Day gift. It seems to be adjusting well, and I'm excited to give it to her. :)
In the realm of indoor plants, my aloe is doing wonderfully, as are my orchids. The Christmas Cactus is still slow going...I don't know how my mom's has gotten to be the size of a rabid spider plant, but it has, and I'm jealous. But, I have an actual rabid spider plant...or at least Andrew and I do, so I guess its ok.
Tav's graduation is coming up and we're preparing to open our house to his dad for a few days. I'm really excited for Tav. I'm also reallllllly hoping he makes his portfolio SOON :)
Then, there's the party.
Then, in the beginning of June, I turn 25.
SO, the next month or so will be pretty busy.
THEN, we head off to the Seattle area for family vacation!!
Lots to look forward to...but for now, a late night snack and then bed.
ciao
Anywho, I spent more time with the garden today (no real surprise there!), and may have killed a little broccoli plant. :( I did almost all of the remaining transplanting, so now mom's beans, the broccoli, and some of the basil plants have found new, more spacious homes. I planned poorly though, so I have to run out tomorrow and pick up more potting mix in order to transplant the remaining basil.
The peas are still growing fantastically. It's continued to be windy here, so they have become quite hardy and thick skinned to my delight. Still no sign of the new batch of chives...I've left them outside, and in all honesty, am glad they have not sprouted yet, as we are expecting a frost this weekend, and I'd rather them stay below ground for the event.
(peas, as of about a week ago)
I had to go out and get poles for the beans, as they have had a bit of a hard time bouncing back from their first windy day out on the porch. They needed a more delicate form of support, which I think I've finally found. Below is a picture of their original trellis set up, which has been traded in for bamboo poles (pics of these soon to come).
(beans with old trellis set up)
Today I also had the pleasure of re-potting an aloe plant for Tavi's mom's Mother's Day gift. It seems to be adjusting well, and I'm excited to give it to her. :)
In the realm of indoor plants, my aloe is doing wonderfully, as are my orchids. The Christmas Cactus is still slow going...I don't know how my mom's has gotten to be the size of a rabid spider plant, but it has, and I'm jealous. But, I have an actual rabid spider plant...or at least Andrew and I do, so I guess its ok.
Tav's graduation is coming up and we're preparing to open our house to his dad for a few days. I'm really excited for Tav. I'm also reallllllly hoping he makes his portfolio SOON :)
Then, there's the party.
Then, in the beginning of June, I turn 25.
SO, the next month or so will be pretty busy.
THEN, we head off to the Seattle area for family vacation!!
Lots to look forward to...but for now, a late night snack and then bed.
ciao
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Quickie
Thanks for the love about the plants, all :) I appreciate it. And yes, the beans are pulling through. The romaine is still having a tough time, but I think at least most of the young sprouts will make it.
Off to enjoy the sunshine!
Well check in soon!
-ciao
Off to enjoy the sunshine!
Well check in soon!
-ciao
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