Crazy Hair, Lint Brushes and Market Bags

You may have guessed from the title that this blog is going to be all over the place and you'd be right.

Part I: Market Bag
Let's start with the bag. I am learning to sew well. I decided that I need to start slowly and from the beginning, even though I've had some training it was years ago. Technically it was in Jr. High and my Home Ec teacher taught me how to sew a duffel bag and a teddy bear (both were awesome by the way) and I also learned a few things from my mother along the way. She is an excellent seamstress, but growing up I didn't have the sense to use her as a teacher as often as I should have. So now I am up to my eyeballs in beginner sewing books and online tutorials.

Yesterday I had some time to kill and I found myself on Martha Stewart's website, because that's how I roll. Anyway I found this simple tutorial about how to turn a pillowcase into a bag. So I decided to give it a whirl. I'd say the whole project took me thirty minutes, including time rolling on the floor with Cordelia. It would make a great market bag, but I think I will use this as a rag bag, because I am in need of a rag bag.

Part II: Crazy Hair

When Cordelia was born she had a fair amount of hair on her pretty little noggin. Things have changed. She lost a ton of hair, then grew some back in patches and well, now we have a mix and match of lengths and colors. I think she's being new York chic, but it might be a bit too fashion forward for Wyoming. Anyway, this is what she's got going on up on top of her noodle.

Part III: Lint Brushes

I have also started letting her play with a lint brush, this is my gift to her father. Eric is obsessed with getting the pet hair off of his clothes. We have three hairy pets and I am a long haired lady. Eric likes to wear black. You can do the math. So, I have let Cordelia play with the lint brush. Soon she will learn to roll it and we will have a solution to Eric's daily burden. I'm just being thoughtful.

Part IV: Eric's B-day
Tomorrow is Eric's 30th birthday! Holy smokes. I can't believe I've known this guy for more than half of his life.

Dental Miracle? Perhaps.

Yesterday Eric and I went to the dentist for the first time in (brace yourself) nearly 10 years! OK, so before you tell me that a person should go every 6 months (trust me, I know) let me explain. You see, most students who are enrolled at a university purchase their insurance through the school, as it is the only affordable method, and they don't offer dental insurance. Eric and I went to school for a long time and only have had dental insurance for a short while.

Anyway, yesterday as we drove to the dentist's office Eric suggested that they may just hand us dentures as we walk in the door. Now we both take good care of our teeth, it just seemed impossible that we could really get away without major damage.

I went first as Eric was tending to a sleeping Cordelia. Man alive the world of dentistry has progressed greatly in a decade. The dentist chair was a massage chair! Yes please!!! I could have fallen asleep right there had Jamie not been poking at my mouth with her little metal tools. She said, "I never would have guessed it's been so long, your teeth look great!" Wahoo, I thought. She did warn that the dentist may see things differently, but he agreed and complimented me on my teeth, suggesting that they were too straight and I must've had braces, nope...just lucky. He didn't even want to pull my wisdom teeth. Not a cavity!!! Can you believe that!?!?!

Eric at the dentist

Now, you may be wondering why I posted about this and I am beginning to wonder the same thing, but I've already gotten this far.

So maybe you can tell me a dental miracle of your own, a horror story about dentistry, or anything else.

Guest Blog: The Cuteness Detector

Dear Readers,

A few months ago my husband put an end to his blog because the pressures of blogging, working, and family life were just too much for the man. I promised him that he could have guest posts on my blog whenever he felt the need. Well, last night he took me up on the offer. Before you continue please know that my husband has quite a sense of humor and is sometimes delightfully bizarre, enjoy....
~Maria Rose

Hello,

I am Maria's husband and I have the honor of providing you with a guest blog post. "Better the devil you know" (as Kylie Minogue would say). I have been tasked with the most important of all tasks...to give you a little thing that is big. I dug deep, real deep. I aimed high, so high. I shot far, unbelievably far. Here is what I have for you...

The Cuteness Detector:

Cordelia and I have a little game called the Cuteness Detector. Here are the rules.

#1 Grab the Cuteness Detector (aka my LED night time book light).

#2 Scan life forms for cuteness. This device was sent from Planet XJ900 to discover the secrets of human awesomeness. The idea is to scan the body and when you hear a beeping noise you know cuteness has been discovered.

#3 Once cuteness has been discovered notify the Supreme Commander. Well, this means tickle the cuteness that has been detected.

Normally these are the complete rules of the game, but Cordelia has gone mad. She's rewired the cuteness machine and turned it on herself!

All hope is lost!

After exploring her own cuteness she turned the device on her maker...NO!!!!

Her mother was too beautiful for the Cuteness Detector. Gravity has stopped. Our once peaceful planet is being sucked into a black hole created by Pluto (which it created because it was stripped of it's planet status). Life as we know it is dying and the only lifeforms that are predicted to survive are the last known beings scanned by the Cuteness Detector. Life will go on because, in addition to Maria, a stud of a man was discovered in a pile of rubble after the apocalypse. It's going to be okay...life...is...alive.

First Signs

The first signs of spring are finally showing themselves. When I am out walking I see Cordelia's little hand reaching out for buds on nearly bursting branches. I let her feel the fuzzy new growth, a running commentary that someday she will understand. Bumblebee is burying her nose in the clumps of new grass, dizzy with the heady scent. Then, of course, she bolts off as though there was a shot of caffeine at the bottom of the bush or grass clump.

The days are longer and sometimes warmer, though we are in Wyoming. No doubt about it, spring is finally here.

Is it spring where you are?

Weekend Highlights

We had a quiet and wonderful weekend at home. It was a weekend that we may not remember any of the details from, but when we look back on this time in our lives we'll remember the general mood, or this type of weekend, calm and comfortable and full of love. We had some spring rain and spent much of our time indoors. Our friends were visiting from Washington and got to meet Cordelia for the very first time. I think Cordelia is spreading baby fever around the globe. Who can blame anyone, she's so darn sweet.



How was your weekend?

A Few Little Found/Given Lovelies

I picked up a few things either as gifts or as thrifted finds this week and I thought I'd share them today. I love finds like these that are full of promise.



A recipe box, for all of the tasty recipes I create.


Fabric, so I can get to work on my new sewing machine who, by the way, I named Ella Stitchgerald (thanks Redhoney76).


Trivets, for the hot meals I plan to cook.

Did you find/receive anything inspirational this weekend?

Dinner and a Cutie

Do you know what seitan is? I had never heard of it until I went vegan (learn about it here). Now I am wild about the stuff. It's nearly as versatile as tofu and tastes wonderful in stir fries, fajitas, vegan french dips, and more. Last night I barbecued it and made this little yummy meal.

The BBQ seitan wrap is simply barbecued seitan. We used this delicious BBQ sauce from Vermont. Our friend Charlotte gave it to us, she is so excellent at thinking of unusual gifts, and it is soooo good. I think maybe I could drink the stuff, but I won't because then it would be gone and I'd be sad. Anywho back to the meal---I made up some vegan coleslaw using Vegenaise (a vegan mayo, I'm telling you they have a vegan version of everything) and put it with the seitan in a wrap. It is simple and super tastey.

Cordelia is still a toothless maniac so she had to enjoy a paste of mixed and mashed veggies, but she seemed happy enough with that.

For dessert I made vegan chocolate chip cookies.

Have you ever tried seitan? Do you like it more than tofu?

Just Over A Year

We have been living in Wyoming for just over a year. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed, how different our lives are.

Photo From 1 Year Ago Today

Here is a review of our first year in Wyoming:

• Eric started a new job which he really does enjoy, curating.
• Time spent with my family. Holidays and normal days.
  
• Cordelia's birth and the first half of her first year.
• Volunteering.
• Two moves in less than a year.
• First smiles, sleepless nights, and all that goes with a baby.
  
• Eric released an album in October.
• River walks, hikes, sunsets and a generally renewed relationship with nature.

What have you done since this time last year?

That Time-o-Year Again

Well, it's that time of year again, time to start my garden. Last year you may recall we were living in a house and I had a huge garden area filled with promise. Well, I will admit that things started off strong, but went down hill by the end of the summer because I was so pregnant that I couldn't squat in my yard for very long. The last few months of summer were spent with my feet up sipping on pink lemonade as much as possible.

This year I am without a traditional garden so I am going to have a potted garden on my back porch. I am armed with The Bountiful Container and an enthusiasm for green growing things. I have already hit the ground planting...

I have a bunch of seeds and some soil. I am one of those people who make a huge mess with potting soil. I try so hard to be clean and efficient, but to no avail. I end up with soil everywhere. Eric thinks it's charming, thank goodness.

I have also found a way to reuse baby food containers, as places to start my seedlings. Don't have baby food containers? Try an ice cube tray.

Are you planting this year? If so what are you growing?

I Love Days Like This

A sunny day...



Then a line of clouds...



Then it rains...

Finally

You may recall that when I got my Colorado driver's license I got more than I anticipated, a new gender (click here to read). You'd think I'd have been in a rush to get this situation rectified, but I was pregnant...then I had a newborn...then I just didn't care. Finally a couple of weeks ago it was time to get a Wyoming license.

While I was filling out my information I quadruple checked the gender. I made certain that this license had my information right. I even joked with the license lady about it, although my joking fell on deaf ears she at least got it correct.

When I got it in the mail the other day I held my breath for a moment, scanning the information to make sure the gender was correct. It was! Hooray!!

As a bonus I thought I'd share with you my first ever driver's license.

Do you save your old licenses?

The Birthday Routine Once Again

When I was a wee little lass my family had something of a birthday routine for each member of the family including opening presents in the morning, cake, singing and a feeling of specialness. My routine was always to have mom make lasagna. Since I've grown up and moved away I haven't had that routine in the same way.

I was trying to remember the last birthday I spent with my family and I think it may have been my 18th birthday! So, yesterday was quite a treat. We went over to my parent's house in the late afternoon and I opened a few very thoughtful gifts and then we had dinner. My mom pulled out all the stops. She made me a meal of favorites: lasagna with sheese, cantaloupe, baby kosher dill pickles, salad with goddess dressing, bread, black olives and for dessert a tasty vegan cake. What a kind thing for her to do!!! We all played Boggle, but nobody let me win (boo).

Anyway it was lovely and made me feel like I did when I was growing up, loved and appreciated by my family.

How was your day? Do anything interesting this weekend?

It's My Birthday.

Yep, 29 years ago today I was born. Thanks for that mom! I am glad to be here.

Me on my actual birthday.

A Few Thoughts on Aging

Tomorrow is my birthday. I keep forgetting about it and then my dad asks, "Are you getting excited for your precipice birthday?" He means that I on the precipice of 30. I will be turning 29 years old tomorrow. So I have one year left as a twenty-something. I have given all of this very little thought, mostly because I've been distracted by her...

So, I guess I will be one year closer to 30, or just one day closer however you look at it. I am not fearful of the big 3-0 because my mother said that she has felt like I've been a 40 year old woman since I was a baby. I take that as a compliment because I think she means it to be one. Like the coolest 40 year old woman that ever was right?

Funny story about age. I have always been confused by people who lie about their age, saying that they are younger than they actually are. I mean, why say you are 25 when you are 35 and look it? People just think "Woooo, she looks bad for her age."

With that in mind I figured that I if I were to lie I would lie in the opposite direction, saying that I am much older so people would marvel at how gracefully I've aged. Well, that plan has a sting to it. Let me explain...

When I was in my early 20s I was in class one day and we were doing a get-to-know-you type of exercise. We were supposed to reveal our age to a class partner. More than anything I was being silly when I said I was 40, thinking we'd both laugh and move on. Well, my partner didn't bat an eyelash, she believed I was 40!!!! I was stupefied. I repeated myself thinking maybe she hadn't paid attention. Again, nothing. I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't look 40 so I said (rather loudly), "I'm not 40!!!!! I am 23!!!" She just mumbled that she thought I looked really good for 40. Ugh. So, now I just stay on the straight and narrow and keep my age out in the open. The lesson is never, never, never say that you are older than you are.

In other news Eric will be turning 30 two weeks from this day. Do you have any ideas how we should celebrate his big crossover?

What I'm Interested In Right Now , It's Random

1. Shrews. Yep, shrews. Did you know that their tiny little hearts beat about 1,000 times a minute? Or that their saliva is poisonous (not enough to do humans any harm, so don't worry about that shrew bite you got yesterday)?
2. First flowers. Eric has begun his spring time patience, a sweet act of love. He patiently waits as I point out the first flowers, sprouts of grass, tree buds, etc.
   
3. Chocolate soy milk. Nearly every morning I have a glass of chocolate soy milk. I buy the plain soy milk with Omega 3s, more calcium than a glass of milk, and full of protein. Then I add some chocolate syrup for a vegan power boost....or at least that's what I think to myself as I drink it.
4. My family. I love 'em.
5. Rasputin. I just grabbed a biography on Rasputin. He was...interesting. Side note: While I was in the biography section of the library Eric tried to make me get a biography on Ricky Martin.
6. My new sewing machine. She is amazing. I am still trying to figure out her name. All I know is that she is a female and a Singer. Any suggestions?
   

What are you interested in at the moment?

Mind the Gap

Do you remember when your adult teeth came in? I do. I particularly recall the fact that I still had a gap between my front teeth. I thought maybe it would go away with a bigger set of adult chompers, but alas I still had the gap. Now the gap wasn't Elton John or Madonna big, but it was big enough that I never needed to floss between my front teeth.

Eventually I came to love my gap. I learned that I had a special power. I could shoot water great distances through the gap, kind of like my own personal squirt gun. My record is about 20 feet with accuracy too!

It was the water squirting super powers that first impressed my young nephews. I was new to Eric's family and I quickly became a "cool aunt" because I could shoot that water through my teeth. The power became my party trick.

I have come to take my gap for granted. I assumed it would always be there, but the gap has been narrowing more and more. Last week I flossed between my two front teeth...unprecedented. Apparently I am getting in my wisdom teeth and they are slowly pushing the gap together. I can still shoot the water through my teeth, but I fear my accuracy has been impacted. I am going to the dentist next month, but by then it may be too late.

Don't worry, I have a back up plan. I can still impress my nephews with my ability to touch my nose with my tongue, although it is admittedly lacking an element of danger.

Do you have any hidden talents?

The Numbers (Mostly 1s)

1 New baby in the world! My friend Sarah just delivered a healthy baby boy. She only had a 4 hour labor, lucky lady!!! Congrats Sarah and Andy on your beautiful boy! I can't wait to go and visit that little guy.

On a much lighter note 1 new craft space! My wonderful husband spent a ton of time setting up a craft space for me. He was so sweet, testing the chair approximately 40 times to make sure it was at the right height. Until now I had to pack up my crafting, sewing, art stuff each and every time I felt creative. Now I can let it all hang out, so to speak.

1 healthy 6 1/2 month old baby. Cordelia is feeling much better. Until the other night Eric and I have avoided the 1st parent syndrome of calling the pediatrician with each tiny concern, possibly because my mom is a nurse and I just call her.

1 1/2 veggie burgers eaten yesterday. I have lost a little too much baby weight from nursing and I am hungry all the time. I haven't eaten like this since I was 15 years old, it's awesome.

3 inches of crazy bangs. What can I do?

Happy Birthday Dad!

My Dad. He knows how to have fun!

My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
- Clarence B. Kelland 1881-1964

Dear Dad,

I love you so much. Happy birthday! You always know when to be serious and when to just have fun.


Love,
Maria


PS Eric and Cordelia and Bumblebee and the cats love you too.

Sick Day

Cordelia is a bit under the weather today. I will be back tomorrow.

Baby Dialing

A few days ago we were laying in bed, first thing in the morning. My mom had just texted us that they had found their missing cat. Cordelia was being super sweet and cuddly, Eric and I were just lazing about talking and waiting around before starting the day. Cordelia grabbed the cell phone from me and was doing her usual examination.

She passed the phone from hand to hand, trying to put it into her mouth before I intervened. She was smiling and sweet. Eric and I were just soaking it in when quite suddenly I heard a disembodied voice joining us in our bedroom. Nope, it wasn't a ghost, Cordelia had just made a phone call.

I don't even know how she did it. She called a friend that is not on my speed dial. So there was a multi-button push involved in the phone call. Cordelia was smiling.

I could hear that the voice on the other end was from her voice mail, thank goodness because it was still pretty early for phone calls. I hung up the phone and figured that I would have to explain the situation to my friend later in the day. Oops.

Truthfully this isn't the first call that she has made. She also speed dialed my phone from Eric's the other day and vice versa. Why do we keep handing that girl our phones?

She is apparently quite technologically advanced. In fact, the other day I was checking my email and she slammed her tiny fist onto the keyboard and suddenly the images on the display screen were sideways.

Soon she's going to be sending out text messages and have a facebook account. Yikes!

The Door to Nowhere

I am in love with the doors that go nowhere. If you have memorized every single one of my 900ish blog entries then you will certainly recall the door to nowhere story. For those of you who were not blessed with photographic memories then you can just click on the link to catch up.



Eric spotted this door while walking through a nearby alley. He pointed it out because he knows how much I love strange architectural features and reasonless doorways in particular. You can see at the top of the stairs a large windowed door that opens out onto nothing.

I am not sure if it's because I think they are a metaphor for something...don't know what or if I am just curious about the decision that somebody had to make to put up a door that leads to nowhere. Along those lines I really want to visit the Winchester House! Have you ever been there?

The Adventures of Hoot Hoot!

Mindy is quite possibly the craziest cat who ever lived. My brother got her a few years ago when she was a tiny kitten. She has super soft fur and is really quite adorable, but that's only if you're lucky enough to catch a quick flash of her as she scampers off to one of her secret lairs. I don't even know where to begin when I say that she is crazy, she just is. I think that is where she got the nickname Hoot Hoot. She runs in terror from most anything. She steals everything she can get her paws on (toilet paper, underwear, knick knacks, etc.) and hides them in the strangest places.

My parents and Sam swear that she also has a sweet side. I think I've pet her twice in 4 or 5 years, so I wouldn't really know. Anyway, no matter her level of sanity, she is part of our family and when she disappeared the other day we were all very concerned for this furry little lunatic out there in the big world.

She had escaped through an open window. Eric was conducting an on site investigation and noticed the telltale paw prints in the soil outside of an opened basement window. My parents were searching the neighborhood for her, knowing full well that she would never let a stranger catch her. My dad was convinced that she didn't have enough sense to find her way home. My brother believed that she was hiding out somewhere inside the house and my mom thought she might be hiding under her car.

A full day passed and she didn't return. Then a night outside. Thankfully it was warm enough that we all knew she could survive.

My dad was up early this morning, walking through his neighborhood, looking for her. She really is his favorite, he likes his animals a little loony. When he gave up his search and returned home he went to let Grady, their dog, outside and spotted her on the fence. After a little drama she made it back inside. She scurried to her favorite lair in the ceiling of the unfinished basement. My sweet mom brought her food, which Hoot Hoot devoured, and took this photo of her. I should note that my mom had to scale a ladder just to get this shot, since Hoot Hoot has a pretty remote lair.



What adventures this little lunatic cat must have had. My mom is convinced that she spent the past few days cowered under a bush or something, but I tend to think she went out and saw the sights...possibly befriending a lonely antelope.

Either way we are glad to have the craziest cat in the world back in the family.

When was the last time?

It looks like a haunted house. If I were a younger girl I would be obsessed with the mystery of the dilapidated home. I walk by it nearly every day, noticing some tiny detail and wondering if anyone will ever come to reclaim this home and to enjoy the details. There is a broken basement window and I have no doubt that there are many a furry critter making their home inside.

I imagine that there was once an old widow living there and she is now either gone or in a nursing home. Her children, in my mind, are too sad to bring themselves to do anything with the home. Maybe they grew up there and the house is filled with memories, good and sad. Maybe they want to go in, but don't know where to begin. Maybe they too are gone and nobody knows what to do with the empty home.

I can see curtains in the window, faded now as they've seen too many sunny days since they were last opened. Dust covered and coated in cobwebs, the home is empty. Throughout the day I wonder what the sunlight looks like inside, creeping in through the little openings as it makes its way through the sky.

I imagine the floor plan and wonder when the front door was last opened. When was there last a fire in the fireplace, smoke curling out of the chimney on a crisp fall night? When was the garden last cared for?

When was the last time that somebody laughed inside this home? Cried? Felt comforted to have a roof over their head during a late night thunderstorm?

A Few Things About Her

When she was first born she was this precious bundle, but we didn't really know her, what she was like, what she would be like. Now we are getting a taste of this little gal's personality, there is no shortage!

She is musical, we had a hunch even before she was born. When I was in my third trimester we went to a percussion show and she was bouncing around in there. I looked at Eric and said that I thought we had a musical girl. We smiled thinking it was just a fluke. When she was born she first responded to music and then there was Lady Gaga. Just a couple of days ago she awoke from a deep sleep the moment she heard a Lady Gaga song...

She is crazy about cups...not really sure how this will translate into her likes/dislikes later.

She loves being in her skivvies. Hope that doesn't translate into her likes/dislikes later.

She has become totally obsessed with the animals. I can be in the middle of an engaging activity and then it's like tractor beams pulls her in, she spots one of our animals and there's no hope, game over. She will use every muscle in her body to focus her energy on that animal. I am already warning the cats and Bumblebee to watch out because this little girl will soon be able to do more than log roll and there will be no stopping her.

It's so crazy to watch this little personality developing and to realize that I have very little influence over it. Eric and I get to attempt to guide her as she goes along. What a gift.