Why do I smell like onions?

Hello World!

2010-10-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

So, I live in Tampa now. I'm a Floridian. Which is odd. Me being way down here and everyone being okay with that. Whatever.

I'm a stay at home Mom, too. There's, like, 12% unemployment in Tampa, so SAHM it is.

Been going to the library and reading a good bit. Read two books on smallpox, one book on yellow fever and currently working my way through the history of garbage. Still to come, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, Vonnegut and the Dalai Lama. Also reading a lot of children's literature and have come up with two observations. One, it's not so hard to write a children's book. Two, a lot of people who think that are really really wrong.

But, Tampa is nice. The fall is just beautiful, and the verdance (I'm going with it) in general is amazing. It. Is. So. Green. Everywhere. All. The. Time. It loses impact if I do that repeatedly, huh?

I suppose I should also mention that I have another kid now. Henry was born in February. He's almost 8 months old with blond hair and blue eyes. Yup. I now have two 24-karat Aryan babies. Lily is in the first grade and loving it. She just lost her first front top tooth, very exciting!

The pants is teaching, working on his dissertation, and still finding time to pitch in on the laundry and discuss The Venture Brothers every now and again. Could I love him more?

My role, as I see it, is to make everyone's (meaning Lily and the pants') life go smoother. I get to stay home, run the budget, and read books when not directly mothering, so I think it shakes out to fair. I am a fervent disciple of Mark Bittman's cooking and writing. (hint for christmas!) My plan is to go back to school in the spring, but it's still under discussion at this point.

I have big plans for this blog for the rest of this year! Maybe you won't have to wait until 2011 to hear about it!

More health care

2009-10-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

I am for health care reform. What I am not for, are the Operation Rescue attacks currently being employed by certain advocates for reform. They literally stand outside places of business and call the people walking in "murderers." One of these people was the mother of a child who died after being denied a transplant. She was holding a sign accusing the company of murder and someone walking in to their job gave her the finger. Was this person an example of saintlike compassion, and all that is good in thew world? Maybe this jerkface was the same person who denied her daughter the care and is the source of all that is wrong with this industry. But just perhaps, this person is one of many who works a crappy job (with little to no decision making power) that they really need for the insurance (which is most likely crappy). But they are being told horror stories about reform by their management and now those reformers are calling everyone in the building murderers. It might be a bit much to take before coffee. My point is - not everyone who works at an insurance company is a certified death panel member. We are all angry, but perhaps we could more directly focus our anger, and not demonize an entire workforce. Nobody ever solved a problem with pitchforks and torches. Holding up inflammatory posters might feel like action, but it brings us no closer to a solution, and it does no actual person one single damn bit of actual good.

Relocation Edition

2009-08-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

This may be my favorite picture of Lily yet. It's waiting for the bus on the first day of Kindergarten. Which she has quite taken to.

We are now living in Alabama.

Baby #2 is due in late february, early march. Things on that front are uneventful, which is just fine.

Jeremy will not be teaching this fall and instead just working on the dissertation and in the spring he will teach online for ASU again and graduate in May.

Votes for baby names can be made here. http://babynames.com/namelist/9719076

Suggestions (other than Sergio), may be left in the comments.

Thanks everybody!

Health Care Choice

2009-07-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

http://baselinescenario.com/2009/07/27/health-insurance-innovation/

This is an article I found on huffington post, minutes after completing an email survey about whether I could afford not to have health care. For $300 a month I could get the health equivalent of collision insurance (hosp coverage only) and the two packages at $1100 and $2200 a month offered things like prescription coverage and doctor visit copays. And that would be if I could qualify for insurance. I have a chronic medical condition, and last time I applied for insurance on my own, I was described as "uninsurable." All the discussions about health care mention health care choice being limited by reform. What choices are those exactly?

Co-Blogging With Lily! (diet coke free!)

2009-02-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

Lily says "Boo boo." I have stopped drinking soda and now drink mostly water. I tried substituting it with hot tea, but gave that up mostly as the sugar required was deleterious. Lily thinks you should now that she really lies to make pizza. She is less enthusiastic about consuming the results. She likes the name "Helium" for a little brother. Thank you http://www.strindbergandhelium.com/index.html and Rob who showed it to all of us. We are still in NY. Brother Herb has had some awesome-rific successes as of late. These can be viewed at his website: www.herbwilliamsart.com He's awesome. More later.

General Update (no pictures)

2008-10-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hello. In May, we left Arizona, spent a week in Alabama, and then moved in with Jeremy's family in New York. Jeremy is teaching online and working on his dissertation. I am working at an insurance company call center, and it's better than it sounds. Lily is reading (gasp!) and demanding a sibling. It's a fun time. The autumn foliage was simply unbelievable, and watching it unfold day by day was amazing. I finally got to go to Rhinebeck, and that was a pretty fine time as well. That is all for now. Take care.

Pictures (Finally!!)

2008-03-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

In Order From Top:

- Lily and Aunt Tracy!

- Lily and Uncle Bran!
- General Moppet Shot!

- Lily Does Something With Yarn

- Lily Tries Out For Cast Of Newsies! or Lily Visits Crayola Factory!

- Daddy And Lily At The Beach!

- Look, Ma! (And Pa, and Grandma, and Grandpa!)

- Theater is apparently genetic.

Cleaning House

2008-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

I am going to be posting a series of (mostly pictureless) posts that (for some reason) never got posted over the last 18 months or so. Enjoy!

Lily's Creation - The Rapunzel Zombie

2007-11-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

You may have to squint slightly, but check out what Lily has called, "The Rapunzel Zombie"

Also, you can see below how Lily was imitating her mother's entering dates on a big calender. Lily made her own chart, including someone apparently hanging out on one of the dates of her calender.

And I helped! - 10/15-07

2007-10-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

My 30th Birthday Cake!

No Candy Corn Jokes Allowed!

Lily helped mix, bake, wait for it to cool, attempt to frost, wait to cool some more, finally frost and decorate this cake, which she then declined to eat.

Lily Draws a Yellow Monster, and She Writes Her Name

2007-08-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

After writing her name the first time (see 1st pic below), Lily said writing was too hard. I told her about "practice." After a few minutes, she handed me the notebook, which had a second picture (2nd pic below), and said, "I practiced."

Lily Gets Her Hair Curled + New Lily Artwork

2007-08-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

News From August - 8/14/07

2007-08-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it

We do indeed have two ten week old kittens. We also have a new metaphor, as in "the poor wee thing was as defenseless as an Eisenberg." But they are very sweet and Lily drags the wand with fleece strip cat toy around with chasing kittens in tow and just laughs, which is very nice.

Summer Good Times

2007-08-11T11:12:00.001-07:00

Guest blogger again -- we need to post pictures, so here we have:
Lulu's visit

Lily's first painting of a figure - This is Wilt from the cartoon Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends

The cardboard castle (under construction)

New Kitties - Andre (White) and Big Boi (Stripey)

Hot fun in the summer!

Pictures All Around!

2007-05-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here we are in all our finery for our attempt at the first annual Mother's Day Family Portrait. We learned how to use the timer on our digital camera and posed it conveniently on that cinderblock column you see to Jeremy's left (right, whatever) in the foreground. The fountain picture was the last we took (not in our backyard, but nearby) as the heat was getting to our photographic subject.

Recently as Jeremy and I were discussing Lily in the front seat, a disgruntled voice from the back piped up, "I'm right here."

Work continues to go well. I am one store in the complex over from Trader Joe's and that store in between us? Michael's. It'd be a lot better if they sold Lamb's Pride, but I can console my self with cotton ease for a little while.

Jeremy is just about to pitch his dissertation to his advisors and, I believe, Gutenberg's people. His lead line about Sidney and the coterie is killer.

The garden is (basically) finished. All the spots I

wanted to fill have been filled, and once I figure out why some plants are thriving and some not I may want more. But at the moment, all I have left to do is buy a small bag of cactus mix and a pot and repot the last two succulents. Yay!!

This week we shall attempt to put together a tricycle. We may be overconfident from the camera timer escapade.

Wha?

2007-05-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Hi. Been a while. I'm better. I have a job now that's pretty cool. I'm in training to manage one of those ebay franchise stores. The guy that's training me is the Phoenix area B movie superstar. I will be replacing him (as if) when he moves on. I spend a lot of the day explaining to people how ebay (and ebay by proxy) works. Other tasks include researching the value of items, informing owners that their grandmother's priceless china (or what have you) is in ebay terms "crap," photographing and posting ads. I am also on occasion called upon to shoo crowds of middle schoolers who have wandered down form the local pizza game. I have learned to be humorless with them, as they do not cotton to my repartee. I have yet to learn shipping (oh boy). In the 2+ weeks I have been there we have processed (among other things) a 1966 Monster calendar (awesome!), depression glass (pretty, did not sell), many recent gadgets electronic in nature, a complete set of Sailor Moon dolls and a human skull (for medical study). It's always different. But I like it and I am learning to do it and I think it could be a good place for me.

In other news, Lily is grand (do I always say that?). She has taken up potty training at daycare and she has definitively moved into the "What's that?" phase (saints preserve us). We have not yet reached the follow up "Why?, but we're bracing for it. She talks a lot. Her favorite subject is birthplace ("I born in Georgia."). She is also conversant on Care Bears, Spider-Man and her favorite youtube video.

Jeremy is out of school for the summer and excited at the prospect of leisure time. Meaning reading things school related but not directly assigned. But it is a much free-er schedule and we are all very glad. He mentions road trips with increasing frequency. This should be an interesting summer.

We have blooms in the garden from plants that we bought and were already blooming and from plants we planted as seeds. We are proud on both counts. Pictures to come.

Easter Eggs, Boston Creme, and Watering Cans

2007-04-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Lily was trying very very hard to be good

Lily knows the hose...

...but we can't bear to tell her some places aren't meant for planting.

my soapbox

2007-03-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

Everyone I meet in Arizona, upon finding out that I am from Alabama says the same thing. "you don't sound like you're from Alabama." Which could be read a number of ways.
- you don't sound barefoot and illiterate
- you don't have an enormous southern accent that I think is funny.
- and on along those lines. there may also be positive spins on this, but I haven't discovered them yet.

And thus my soapbox.
- Could it be possible that not everyone in Alabama sounds like Gomer Pyle? And even if they do, they could still be way smarter than you?
- Could it be possible that there are other people in Alabama who sound like me? Thus, I would sound like I was from Alabama.

But it is progress, from being blamed for all the racism in the world. (that's another blogpost)

Lily Takes Pics and Hostages

2007-03-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

When the garden comes in, we'll put pics of those up. Until then, here's Lily's camerawork and demonstrated interest in blindfolding friends and family.

Also included: Lily's excitement from the stroller as Daddy hits baseballs off-camera; Rob, practically a family member, is Lily's favorite person in Arizona; Mommy n Lily feigning sleep.

Play-Doh Chairs and Baby Toes

2007-03-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Lily has designed her own chairs in Play-Doh

She is also becoming a desert gardener.

Some Recent Pics

2007-03-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

We haven't posted pics recently. Here are a few of Lily and Jenny at the Fishers' place. The first pic is of when we were running around with Earl, Herb, and Clay in the backyard, blowing bubbles. The second includes Lily's drawing--though you can't see it, she has drawn her first face. The last is of Lily and Jenny making a gingerbread house. You'd be surprised how much delicious frosting it takes to hold together pieces of gingerbread.

The botttom two pics are of Lily on Daddy's birthday and one of Daddy by Lily.

The Straight Poop

2007-02-23T19:06:00.000-08:00

-I am currently work as the receptionist in an accountant's office. This position should last til/thru May. I have ideas on what may come next.
-I am in the process of getting my Alabama college credit transferred to my community college. Any thoughts on a program of study are welcome.
-Lily turns three next month and I do not have any ultra current photos. We can't find the camera battery charger at the moment, and while there are other scenarios that would work (i.e. new batteries), this is just the way we are. Deal with it.
-I have been dealing with these weird symptoms (fatigue, lack of attention span) and I was web-searching what they could possibly be (mono, lead poisoning, chronic fatigue syndrome). I should mention that I can be slightly hypochondriacal. But my search for fatigue brought up something with a symptomology of fatigue, lack of attention span, loss of interest in things you once enjoyed and I was 3 for 3. (have not knitted since christmas, more or less) It was depression. I'm bipolar and I have been on medication for more than ten years, but it's all been manic, manic, manic lately, so when the depression hit (as it would when I was changing antidepressants) I never considered that. Talk about forest for the trees. I admit, it's not all that interesting, but it's what I got.

Naming things

2007-01-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

Lily has this collection of six kittens that her grandma Kathy gave to her last year. We spent some time with cat owners over the break, and when we got back, Lily took notice of them. There were a gray tabby and an orange tabby and they were right away named "Desi and Buckley" in honor of our host's cats. These two are also referred to as Kelli's kittycats. The orange kitten with white markings is named "Orangie." The black kitten is named "Blackie." The Persian Blue (or gray, if you are not a cat person) is named "Brownie." And the white one is called "White One."

More holiday recap and pictures to come. Someday.

General Update - 11-3-06

2006-11-03T20:48:00.000-08:00

Hi. Things have been crazy, well, forever, but I've been less in touch lately, so here's what has happened to me lately, so we can all save our cell minutes for more important stuff, like talking about other people. Or yarn. I'm flexible.
- I got a new job in June. I used to tell people not to ask me what I do as it is pretty dull, but that only made them more interested, so, just so we don't have to cover it later... I work for a real estate research firm that maintains a database of apartment complexes over 50 units in markets around the country. My particular job is to verify the management company of each complex in the developing market and also to make changes in the "open" markets. I've got mad research skill, yo. Sort of. It pays well and it has benefits, so it'll do. However it does start at 7 am, but you will be amazed to note that I am very often on time.
- The past year or so has been a crazy adventure in the mental health arena. When we got here, we had insurance, but not precription coverage (?!?) and my meds were $500+ per bottle, so I went without meds for a little while (bad idea, I know) but I eventually got back on my meds and continued to cycle periodically and then kind of non stop so in March I quit my job at the yarn company (long story, lots of free yarn, I still quit, see? crazy). I am currently cycling again, but under medical supervision. And I have a therapist. On speed dial. (Quick note: "cycling" means that my mood is not stable, but changes from depressed to manic rather unpredictably.)
- This summer our house got struck by lightning, which was not dangerous to us, but killed some of our house's electrical stuff and several of our pricier appliances. This was followed in quick succession by "roach season," a visit from my mother, a visit from Jeremy's parents, the start of school which we were slightly unprepared for, due to previous drama, and an ear infection in Jeremy and pneumoina in Lily.
-

Butterfly Fairy Princess Mania!

2006-10-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

These are the pictures Jeremy took this morning when Lily left for daycare! I'm off to make spongebob angelfood cake.

Why do I smell like onions?

2006-10-22T16:32:00.000-07:00

At the Zoo

Okay. Guest Editor here. Is this that Information Superhighway?

Jenny wanted me to post some of the pictures of Lily's first birthday party--the first one she actively anticipated and might remember. Once she was told of its location (the Phoenix Zoo) she regularly beckoned us to "Go zoo." She actually speaks in perfect sentences, so I'm not sure why she said it that way.

Anyway, at the party Lily crafted with her mommy, which was like never leaving home, except for the carousels and kids and monkeys, mostly. The hosts of the party knit a cupcake for Lily in her favorite color and with neat little buttons. She is toasting us with it in the first picture while also giving a preview of her Halloween costume. She called herself a princess, her mother agreed, and so Lily naturally asked, "Where's my castle?" Fortunately, we found one very well-located in the corner of her room.

Also at the party, they made masks that I am made to wear (either as elephant or giraffe) but I'm told strictly to wear my glasses over my mask, and we wear them to Lily's castle (or her purple tent) where Lily and I both share "magic" (or: imaginary) drink boxes that she still needs my help to open. She uses her magic wand to conjure the magic Krabby Patties, too, which she feeds to her toothless Play-doh dental patient. It's a good way to spend a Sunday morning after Stephanopolous.

Also, Lily has appropriated the ice cube trays.

I'm so glad you asked

2006-10-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

I have been rather busy of late. I started carpooling, but my carpoolee unexpectedly took another job (well, anyway, I wasn't expecting it). I did get like three days of knitting in. I used Stephanie's gorgeous handspun in the "Pine Forest" colorway and kind of winged it on the pattern (thank you, yarn harlot!). I see a "matching" scarf in my future. I have been wondering if I should get my Christmas knitting underway, and what that should entail. (maniacal laughter is encouraged) Maybe I'll just sew this year...

Here is Lily in her most preppiest dress! And you can see how I have modified some shelves to store my stash. I had this all planned out this afternoon, but now it is way past my bedtime. Tomorrow, I will make notes.

Coming attractions

2006-10-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

- ruminations on "But you don't sound Southern."
- a biography/tutorial of Alexandretta, the castle wheel
- actual knitting!
- possibly some pictures!
- ruminations on "Do I make things, or merely collect stuff with crafty potential?"
- Cute Lily Stuff!
- And whatever it is that has been happening so that I have not been blogging like I should.

Crazy Days! (no pictures of Lily)

2006-09-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

Apparently, we at the Eisenberg house save our cleaning energies for late summer, so we have been doing some hefty rearranging, sorting and tossing in these parts. It's possible that having to buuy lots of new stuff in the aftermath of the lightning strike (and the van death), we are reassessing our old stuff. But that's not what this post is about. This post is about my new spinning wheel. Today, Lily needed a nap, so I decided to take the time to drive back out to Apache Junction where I recently scored the Purse Handles of plenty. Lily was still sleeping when we got there, so I decided to reconnoiter a thrift store I had spotted but not visited on a recent trip. This was a St. Vincent DePaul and they had nice stuff, if not rock bottom bargain prices, And I can respect that. I got some more plastic circs and a stone (?) double ended crochet hook for under $2. But the best part was, there was a bead store, literally, next door to the thrift store! Heaven! They were closed to install new shelving, but they let me look around. Lily, now being awake, we went back to the bounteous goodwill and poked around. I found three more tiny pair of purse handles, and some crazy fabric for the undershirt of a leisure suit (green with weirdly polarized shots of 70's love/nature scenes. Fun fun. I look around, trying to keep in mind that I cannot take whatever I want home with me as I now have a small car, let lily play in the toy section, try to conn her into a basketball hoop, but she would rather have the bubble mower, and finally it is time to check out. I make my purchases, like five dollars, and I look over, and there is a spinning wheel next to the counter over yonder. I casually ask the lady if she knows how much it is, she says she does not, and I must extend all my will not to run over and check and actually finish up the purchase process. Finally, Lily and I wander over to inspect it (I am expecting someone to swoop down in front of me and take off running. Normally, this would be paranoid, but we are talking about fiber people here.) The price tag says $39.99. God Bless Goodwill. I do not know a lot about spinning wheels, much more than to say, recognize one as such but I realize this could be a very good deal. It is looser than could be wished in some joints, and it definitely needs to be oiled and possibly cleaned, but if it checks out when I have someone look at it, I see very happy times ahead for me and Alexandretta.

All drama, no pictures

2006-08-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hello world! We have made it through most of another AZ summer. In knitting news, I finished the sweaters for my new niece before she outgrew them, and I finally wove in the ends of the last remaining christmas sock. I'll put up wht pictures I can next time, but just to thumbnail the last sixty or so days... Jenny started a new job that requires her to be at work at 7am, the house got struck by lightning, Jenny's mom visited for a weekend, the van died, Jeremy's parents visited for a week or ten days, we racked up the rental car charges, and we got a new car. Also, school starts tomorrow and I am enrolled for five hours at Mesa Community College. Talk amongst yourselves. I have ties to embroider.

Jenny

beware the organized!

2006-06-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

They are organizing instead of getting anything done! A sign of a devious mind, for sure. I give you the following exhibits. My craft space. Larger and tidier than it has any right to be. And my blog, unable to figure out how to re-orient pictures once I've uploaded them, and too lazy to re-upload.
Here is the most beautifulest picture of Lily ever! Jeremy took it and he said it was pure chance. Wanted to get that out there before moving on to...

the amazing all knitting needle useless trivet! The one I saw in Bizarre bazaar was made of chopsticks, wood beads and waxed linen thread. Mine is made of double pointed knitting needles, glass "E" beads, and dental floss (An excellent, if kind of icky substitute). (It wasn't used dental floss) It is unusable for any kind of extreme temperature, so I am assuming I will be putting this under a jewelry box, and keeping it in my idea file for the hard to shop for knitter. (It might work to put a coffee cup on)

This is Lily driving her car! If we go outside, but don't have time to "drive" it, we have to stop and say hello to it. The car is foot powered a la the Flintstones, but it can also be parent powered.

Here is Lily looking over the back of the futon and wearing two of the hats I have made. You mean you don't have all your winter clothes in one box in the living room? Heathen. Is it me, or is Lily starting to look like a McCord in some lights? Genealogy is a curious business. And below, I am so glad we got this moment on film. And Lily, as Isaac, your bartender.

The littlest pixie!
(as long as the other pixies weigh more than 29 pounds...)

2006-05-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

First off, Lily made this cast of her feet after she mashed all her play do into this lovely melange.

Then she submitted this design for the World Trade Center site. Here's hoping the committee will accept our bathroom door.

Here is a portrait of the artist in all her fabulousness.

And here, the artist, and her mother, express their dramatic natures.

The Upside of Obsession

2006-05-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

Is that I have even more fabulous stuff to show you. Well, I like it a good bit. Most of it works in progress on ideas being refined, but it's really coming along some of it. Let me know what you think.

First of all, here is a local color shot of Lily with her Pop Pop.

And here is my second try at haberdasherical adornment, and it is going to Nashville, because Herb was the first person to admire the last one.

And here, after much debate, mailbox checking and general bellyaching are the star wars jewelry demos. I know the earrings are not exactly symmetrical, the others will be, I made these on the fly. But the ear wires are sterling silver. It is very easy to get a good amount of these anonymous characters (there are eight or so uniformed guys in one package) and I think as matched sets, they make good earrings. Thoughts on the accompanying beadwork are appreciated. More? Less? Chandelier style pieces with jawas and stormtroopers and tusken raiders all battling it out? Moving on...

Here it is, the piece de resistance, Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you, the Star Wars Charm Bracelet. It's possible I forgot to mention it, but the earrings are available to anyone willing to hand out my business card to anyone who seems interested. Which will come in handy when I get my website up. I require sleep. Y'all take care.

continuing...

2006-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the diaper bag I made for the lovely Francesca. If you are going to be having a baby in the future, you might want to let me know any color preferences and so on, as these are going into my standard repertoire. I was going for manly, dignified and a little bohemian, and considering it was a diaper bag, I think I did okay. I haven't made anything recently that I've also gotten pictures of, so we'll leave it at that for now.

More Lily pics and more stuff I made

2006-05-15T00:36:00.000-07:00

Those stickers were bought from Martha Stewart dot com to go on wedding invitations back in the day. I still have a lot left over. It's like we have wedding pox.

These next two I bought because I thought I could make something really really cool out of them, but their coolness is too much for every plan I have yet come up with. As usual, any ideas are welcome, with the possibility of reward by stash-diving.

And this I am calling the turkey pants tie. Everyone I have shown or mentioned the idea too has pointed out that anyone who wears ties would be unlikely to wear a tie with a cupcake on it. Especially a beaded, sequined embroidered tie. It's a concept I am working on refining.

Crazy, but productive

2006-05-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hi all. I am sure you have been wondering things like, where is Jenny and what is she making. Fear not, I am here to tell you. With visual aids, even. Another exam season has come and gone, and the Eisenberg family has survived. I'm working on a harper's index of exactly what these first two semesters have involved, but like so many things, it is not done yet.

This is the apron I made for work. I heart batik. Also, note that the pineapples on the trim look like Spongebob's house. Don't bother, I got it all. But I have some left over if you've any ideas.

The multi-pink skirt is made out of three fabrics I got in the sale bin at work. And a free pattern from the discard bin. I'm so cheap. The second skirt was from three pieces of tie-dyed fabric I got at the Mesa Thrift Store, the same pattern, and some various notions I had around.

More pictures in another post.

When not to fall asleep

2006-04-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

It was Sunday morning, Lily was contentedly drawing (mostly on the paper) with washable markers. Spongebob was on, we were sitting in the bed, we had finished our cereal, and I just dropped off to sleep. When I woke up, Lily wanted something, so I told her to ask Daddy, as I was a bit groggy (or perhaps, lazy). Then I heard Jeremy's exclamation of dismay. What is it, I asked. Couldn't you see, he said. Apparently not, but there, for all to see was the lovely Princess Queequeg.

This is usually the point in the conversation where Jeremy starts humming the "Mother of the Year" theme song.

In other news, Lily and I went back to the carousel recently. Here's some pictures from then.

Jeremy is closing on the end of his first year of PhD work, so Lily and I are spending some time out of the house. If you know of a) a shady place to park in the east valley, whilst my girlchild naps, or b) a toddler friendly place to hang out that does not require the outlay of much/any cash, let me know. It's getting too hot to just drive and park, and the thrift store budget is pretty much done with. And I could go on and mention gas prices, but you'd rather hear me talk about my cats, wouldn't you. I used to have a cat that my mother didn't believe existed. He was shy. And now I have some video of Lily with the neighbor's cat, Anatole (we live in a grad student community, did you know?). Email me if you want to see it. She's funny. I'm off. I've got an apron to make (among other things).

Two Finished Objects!! (more or less)

2006-04-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

I finished the striped baby sweater that I started on the trip home from New York last month. Well, it still needs to be seamed, but the knitting is done, and also, the sixty two ends have been woven in! That's right. 62. That's why I'm calling this one finished. After that, a little mattress stitch is a trifle. This is intended for my upcoming niece, formerly known as baby X. I started a pinkish one before I knew it was a girl, and then I started this one, to make up, just in case (plus, I ran out of yarn on the pinkish one). But baby X has been named, and she shall forthwith be known as Magnolia Reese, mostly called by Maggie.

This next FO is a conundrum. I had planned this one for awhile, but lacked certain components, and once I acquired all of them I discovered that it is not easy to use jump ring pliers. As this was my prototype bracelet I didn't really sweat it. I'll do better next time, when it counts. This is basic on all levels, beads, interesting assortment of characters, quality of findings. But when I tried to share my vision with the world, my digital camera refused to cooperate. I took many many blurry shots of my new jewe but it's coolness confounds photography. Either my bracelet is the loch ness monster of adornment, or I need some photography pointers. One or the other. If anybody knows the name of these gray suited guys with their white helmets and black vests, I'd love to know who they are. I tried searching the unofficial star wars encyclopedia, but they didn't sort by "Imperial garb?" Losers. (And yes, I didn't check the official one beacuse you need to log in, and I am just that lazy) The other thing you should know about the bracelet is that the blurry circular shape, is a ceramic bead with the star wars logo (or, the words "star wars" in the star wars font) in metallic ink. I found them and I bought them all. Don't even ask.

In other news, the new job seems to be interesting and thus far non-threatening. And the promise of a discount (after 30 days employment) is more beguiling still. That's all I have. I got a date with some mattress stitch.

I got a job!! (at least I think so)

2006-04-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's part time with possibilities. I go in tomorrow to hammer out all the details and will let you know more, then. Also, the prototype star wars bracelet is almost finished. Hopefully there will be pictures of that soon. (any hand models out there?) Take care everybody.

Hello Everybody!

2006-04-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

First of all, I should let you know that I quit my job. Which was okay, because I got a new job the next day, except that it turns out there wasn't really a job for me. So, here I am, unemployed. But I've got applications in and am looking at (almost) everything. It's not critical yet, but check back, okay?

In other news, the world's cutest toddler continues to astound!
She has learned to wear pigtails! I, alas, have not yet perfected the art of pigtail installation, but perhaps with time... Coming soon, pictures from our NY trip and other stuff.

Best Brother Ever!

2006-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

I linked to my brother's super cool art in the last post (and I know you all clicked through). Today he sent me a Valentine in the mail. It's papery and arty goodness of the highest order! Pictures to follow very soon. But the coolest part is that he made the thing using this crazy wrapping paper hoard we found when my grandmother gave up housekeeping. I came across it at my parent's house (I come from a long line of packrats) and showed it to Herb saying, "you have got to use this!" as it was all vintagey and awesome. And he did use it! Thus fulfilling my lifelong ambition to acquire things useful to the artists around me. That's what I want to be, a finder of art in its unrefined state (especially if I can dress like Maude). What do you want to be?

Valentine's Cuteness!

2006-02-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

Here is Lily partaking of some of the delights of the season. (photo again by Steve of the lusciousgracious clan)

And while we're sharing links, check out the awesome art my brother does for the awesome gallery he works at.

I'm too tired to post knitting content, but expect to see a finished sock soon, if it kills me.

New Friends!

2006-01-16T19:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to two knitting gatherings and just had a wonderful time. First we went to the inaugural meeting of the Arizona Chapter of the International Knit Circle, where we met the charming LusciousGracious clan in the flesh for the first time. We also saw Stephanie who is just wildly productive. Jeremy helpfully ran around after Lily, and I got some knitting done, when Lily wasn't demanding that I run around after her. It was a good time, and I look forward to more like it in the future, when the school schedule permits.

The next morning, Lily and I got up semi-early and made the drive over to Phoenix to have breakfast at the lovely City Bakery where we again hung out with the LG peeps. My Lily especially enjoyed running around with their Lily and their Lucy. Well, that and the cupcake. Without further ado, Stephen's photos of that event!

Don't worry everybody, the cupcake was a very special occasion that we shall not be repeating on a weekly basis. Coming soon, the tale of the baby doll.

New Year's Fun!

2006-01-01T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here is the hat I worked on all weekend. It's not totally finished, but it is soft.

I did not get any pictures of Lily on the carousel at the mall, but here is an action shot of her on the monster truck ride at chuck e cheese.

And here is Lily on a weird bicycle contraption that was very popular because if it's enormous "beoons." Anyone who comes visiting, forget the flowers, bring something shiny and helium filled. You've been warned. And just so you know, neither of these rides were activated. We tried a couple age appropriate rides and they stunk, so we played some games and ran around. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. Except when the giant dancing mouse came out. That bit was horrifying.

Christmas pics

2005-12-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

Last night we went out to dinner. Here is Lily on her way out the door.

Here is Lily at dinner with Daddy. Note the addition of the "Christmas Elmo."

And here is Lily with Christmas morning present #1. A wood and magnet shapes book that was very very popular.

Here is Lily modeling a selection of the presents from Lulu and Mackie. Note that this big girl can put her own socks on.

This was the present from Dana, Lily's daycare provider. Daddy drew the elmo, just so you know. But Lily drew the circles. Lily has gone for a nap now, taking with her one of her many new picture books. I'll let you know how the rest of the day goes.

Secrets (No Knitting Content)

2005-12-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Just to be clear, I feel I should state my policy on secrets. There was a scene on sports night once, where the boss was mad because something he had told lady A (played by the then unknown felicity huffman) had gotten around the office. Lady A defended herself by saying that she had only told her assistant, Lady B. Lady B defended herself by saying that she had only told her boyfriend (played by the dreamy... wait, let me imdb him... wait, is it weird that I find him dreamy? But he plays smart so well. And funny! Joshua Malina, that's his name. Been in tons of stuff. Know him anywhere, just obviously not by name). The boyfriend said "I told many, many people." Let's just say I fall into that last category. Any information that you impart to me that is in any way significant, I will immediately impart to the pants, and definitely Lily, and probably the daycare lady. Discretion, not really one of my better parts. Now that I think on it, not actually one of my parts. Just wanted to clear that up.

Have I told you all of Lily's new habit when going to bed? Instead of sleeping with a stuffed animal, we leave the hall light on for her and she looks through picture books until she falls asleep. And then we creep in and put the books on the chair. Very sweet, very cute.

The Christmas Crush

2005-12-19T20:02:00.000-08:00

Usually I am the most on top of Christmas person ever. At least I feel that way. Months before hand I have ideas on what to get and make for people and am ready for the Christmas season in style. This year has really seemed like a lot of work. It is my first Christmas with a two year old, and my first Christmas dealing with the shipping window, and my first christmas with allergies. How did I grow up in the South without allergies, only to move to the desert and have allergy problems in freaking December? Clearly, I need some botany lessons. And some cookies. Having missed today at work due to the aforementioned allergies, I have also thus far abstained from the making of the traditional Christmas cookies for the obligatory office cookie exchange, as I did not think anyone needed my special brand of contagion flaked surprise. The pants has run out even now to buy a sufficient quantity of the latest in cookie technology, where you place the little blocks on the cookie sheet and voila, cookies. But, he has been instructed, not to buy the pre-shaped cookies that allow you to ice chocolate chip cookies. We are not totally licentious sybarites. We have some traditional values. This IS a weird Christmas, though. Friday we're driving up to Las Vegas again to see Jeremy's brother and have a pretty quiet and small Christmas. Then I have the week after Christmas off, so I foresee lots of trips to the park, and maybe a few judicious trips to the movies, while certain daycare services are partaken of... No doubt about it, Best Christmas Ever!

Picture Heavy - Christmas Knitting - Don't Tell Amy!

2005-12-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

First of all, here is the christmas tree photo I promised last time. The "star" is a bow, the ornaments are cardstock gift tags and the two garlands were in the dollar bin. And, the best part is, it won't break if Lily gets a hold of it.

Let's see, been doing lots of christmas knitting, and a little christmas shopping. I finished my first knitted stuffed animal! And it looks... okay! If nothing like the photo with the pattern. I do not blame the pattern designer. I used totally different needles and yarn, and my bunny still turned out recognizably (insert proper bunny adjective here). No more delay, here's the bunny, who is destined for lily, who will not in the near future scoff at my nascent bunny face embroidering skills. Here are the results of my christmas shopping. The sign at JoAnn said they were 50% off, but they were not, but they were plastic and glittery and I had to make them mine... Note the progression with the tiny fingers at the bottom of the picture.

and then...

Don't worry, anybody. She didn't get far. Also, note my favorite christmas ornament ever there at the top of the frame. It's pink, it's felt, it has rhinestones and it cost a dollar!

My only other Christmas knitting finished object is also a stuffed animal, though a rather unusual one. It's for my sister in law Amy who is a nurse practitioner. Hopefully she will recognize it, and also, not think it is too weird. Everybody at work thought the knitted digestive system was weird. (Just in case you follow that link, be sure to also check out the crafty section as her pirate gansey is not to be missed.) This little softie below also needs a name.

Jeremy has just about finished up school and we are, relatively speaking, winding down for the year. We don't have any big plans to go anywhere for a change (though we always welcome visitors). Just be warned. If you don't give me a Christmas list, I'm knitting you whatever I feel like. So if you don't want the knitted digestive tract (wouldn't it make the COOLEST science fair project?) you better let me know something in a jiffy. And here is one last photo to memorialize a good day we had when Lily's auntie Genny came to visit and we went shoe shopping. Here is Lily afterwards.

I'll sign off with a hearty Happy Holidays! it's fun, and it ticks off Bill O'Reilly! Tell everyone.

Pictures Coming Soon

2005-12-03T22:44:00.000-08:00

Finally got my goodies from knitpicks. They were awesome as promised, but just so you know the extra speedy shipping would be SO worth it. What with the move and everything that's been going on lately, I started my christmas knitting, last week. But I only have to have one pair of socks finished by christmas. the other two projects can be mailed any old time. Tonight at target I discovered the most awesome product. They're batman shoe charms and they're 6 for 2.99 and they make really awesome stitchmarkers! who doesn't want a little more batman in their knitting? I don't know where in the store they keep them. I found mine discarded by the checkout aisle. I also finally sent out the christmas lists for the family and am slowly getting back in the christmas lists for the family. We're really anal about it in my family. We got our first family christmas tree today! Decorations and all for under $20. I'll tell you my secrets when we post pictures. And just as a hint for anybody wrapping presents for my daughter. You know those falls of curly ribbon? She is fascinated by them. What else? My plan for yarn from work seems to be going well. More on that later.

Where Have I Been?

2005-11-16T22:45:00.000-08:00

Lots going on. Just wanted to post a couple of pictures and be done in time to watch the daily show (or TDS as it's known in the left leaning blogosphere). I just ordered some goodies from knitpicks.com I got a book of neat children's knits (new knits on the block, if you must know) and some sock yarn for three different people. The socks will be embarked upon after I finish the project with yarn from work for Lily, which started out as hat but may now be becoming a cardigan. With a zipper, even. Jeremy made an A on his big old (olde?) english midterm! Yay smartylungs! I'm thinking about proposing an idea at work where they let me find a great free web pattern and sponsor a knitalong with our yarns. Or just adapt the free pattern to work really well with our yarns. I'm still working on it, but it has to do with them giving me free yarn and letting me knit what I want and me not having to do the math that designing entails. Got to run.

Look Mom, New Pictures!

2005-09-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Just took some new photos of the fam today. Here's Lily and the pants (note the new suave glasses). And here's me with my new(ish) short hair pulling out of a gas station on our recent cross country move! Wee!

In other news, I have taken a job! I am the newest customer service representative at Southwest Trading Company. www.soysilk.com Hopefully, this will work out better than my stint at JoAnn's. Anyway... they don't have a cheer here and I get to be around yarn, yarn, beautiful yarn! I spend my days talking to yarn store owners about our product line and assmebling yarn samples to mail to said owners. It's not bad. Basically, I'm getting paid to do just about what I was going to be doing anyway. Hooray!

is the pendulum swinging?

2005-09-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not an optimist, but today, in the midst of terrible times, there were signs that the Republican monolith's facade may be fracturing under stress.

- http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/09/08/election.investigation.ap/index.html

- also from CNN. "One passer-by shouted the same vulgar phrase to Cheney that the vice president himself had used on the Senate floor in a celebrated and heated exchanged in June 2004 with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont."

(I have really got to learn to hotlink)

- from The War Room at salon.com

An Ann Coulter speech? Thanks but no thanks
We haven't heard much from Ann Coulter in the last few days.

As Hurricane Katrina was striking the Gulf Coast, Coulter was suggesting that New Yorkers, who "don't really consider themselves a part of the rest of America," wouldn't come to the aid of its victims. But that was more than a week ago, and we haven't heard mention of Coulter since.
Maybe she's still doing her regular spew and we just haven't noticed. Either way, we can't say we miss her, and it appears that we're not alone: Harding University, an Arkansas college affiliated with the Church of Christ, has disinvited her from its lecture series after learning a little more about the way in which she chooses to express herself.
In an e-mail message to faculty members, Harding's director of public relations said that the school's administration had "re-evaluated" its decision to invite Coulter to speak. "Harding and Ann Coulter are probably on the same page on many issues," the school's spokesman told Inside Higher Ed. But he said school officials had grown "concerned with the manner in which she presents her ideas. We believe that some of her comments are very controversial and confrontational, and we just weren’t comfortable with that."

- from the al franken show

President Bush said last week, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
Well, that's incredibly false.
More interestingly, even Saturday Night Live's Mr. Bill anticipated the breach of the levees. Bush a liar? Oh noo!

I sure hope these links work. also stay tuned for some funny stuff later.

The Shropshire Slasher

2005-09-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

So we're spending a cozy weekend at home watching baseball and Looney tunes with the baby. And thousands of my fellow Southerners are suffering. I've been processing my response to this all week. Watching too much CNN and withdrawing from the world. At first it seemed bad but this is the US, so they have things under control, right? they have people who plan for these things. that's their job. And then the news kept getting worse and worse. And they kept holding press conferences and congratulating each other on their "response." their still doing that, and people continue to die. It may not be reasonable, but I feel that if this had hit say, New Hampshire or Connecticut heads would be rolling right now and most of the SNAFUs would not have happened. But it's the South. Flyover country, and I'm developing a persecution complex. Do what you can to help. I'm just not sure yet what that is.

Yarn at Target!!!

2005-08-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

That's my breaking news, folks. It's only unverified rumor at this point, but there seems to be YARN in the DOLLAR section at TARGET. I'm living the dream. Three of my favorite words all in the same sentence. I'm speechless.

Today I discovered knitblogging. Not that it's not a well established internet phenomenon. I have a toddler and don't get out much. But awesome. Almost as awesome as the day I discovered craftster.org sigh. youknitwhat.blogspot.com is probably the coolest thing to support my obsession since television without pity and really this is much less obsessed with homosexual subtext. snarky knitters. alas, snarky knitters attacked by trolls.

apparently my blog is huge with cat furniture retailers. awesome. I have put the password validation thingy on there to support my fascist worldview.

if anybody has any tips for making a really awesome resume now would be the time to pass them along. I'm applying for a very cool job and have not had a resume in a number of years and am hard pressed how to present my career spanning the journalistic, chocolate, book and fiber industries. the new job is in Tempe so maybe they will not hold it against me that I live in mesa or that I have a toddler. apparently I also need to work on my interviewing skills. finding a job can be hard on the self esteem.

lily has just recently become the most amazing baby in the world. every day is just so much fun. she's running around and talking and we can read her books and everywhere we go she makes salespeople incredibly nervous. it's awesome. I keep taking her to this one yarn store that I won't name (please give me a job, please please please) and they freak out even though she never breaks anything or even really messes stuff up. I'm trying to figure out if they're over uptight or if I'm undermedicated.

I'm working on incorporating negative space into my knitting. so far it's not going very well. any thoughts (not on cat furniture) would be appreciated.

The Dukes of Hazzard

2005-07-28T21:25:00.000-07:00

So I find it strange that they went ahead and made the movie The Dukes of Hazzard. It's so much about stunt casting and marketing, it seems to me like they could have figured out a way to make money off the promotion and marketing and not bother to make the movie at all. Honestly, who is the audience for this? Original fans of the series? c'mon, Boss Hogg isn't even fat. Boss. Hogg. Hello? Do that many people want to see Jessica Simpson in short shorts? They had to make a whole movie for some wiggle? I'm just dumbstruck in the face of them actually making the movie. Not that Hollywood stymies me. I just have this fancy where I try and imagine the movies that get laughed out of pitch meetings. As opposed to the movies that get made. Like Deuce Bigalow 2. For people with cheese for brains! Dunno. But that Charger still looks pretty freakin' cool.

Anyway... Arizona is nice. Hot, but nice. My house looks like IKEA and the thrift store had a love child and I'm very happy. I have a part time job at Michael's and am in the market for a second part time job. Anybody have any leads let me know. I was hoping to get on full time at Michael's but alas the best laid plans of mice and men... but it does come with a yarn discount and is less than five minutes from my house so score for me. that's all I have time for now.

Time Flies.

2005-04-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

We're leaving Atlanta sometime in the next two weeks. We'll live with my parents for the summer and then, in late July, we MOVE TO ARIZONA. We priced several different ways of moving and the one we decided we could afford was to sell everything we own and cram the rest in the van and buy new stuff west of the mississippi. So if anyone wants to buy some china, or, really, anything, just let me know. Most of the furniture is going to my little brother and his new family, but we still have plenty of crap to go around. So now that we're leaving everything has become bittersweet. it's my last time to do this, won't be able to see you anymore in Arizona, etc etc ad nauseum. But I'm really looking forward to having the summer off. I'll check and see if anyone needs knitting lessons in the Prattville area, and then I'm off, baby. It's time to eat right and start exercising and maybe some sedate road tripping and lots of reading and knitting. and watching movies.

Lily is doing great. She can now stand a little bit on her own and is an expert crawler. She has several teeth, and has really come through the teething like a champ. We're taking her this weekend to hang out with her big 2 year old cousin Clay and to see her auntie Shayne run in the half marathon. Which my very own brother did the poster for, how cool is that?

Whoa.

2005-01-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

Lily is now nine months old. Her first Christmas has come and gone. I got her a cute Christmas sweater, but it was so boyish that jeremy started calling her "Lyle." Yeah, he thinks he's funny. I'm learning crochet. And teaching knitting. Lily started daycare today. And she did really well. And we (the parents) did okay, too. I oscillated between elated and destroyed, but it was really alright. I think there will be some bad days ahead when she figures out the schedule, but mostly it'll be okay. She went to sleep tonight a half an hour early. I'm not currently biting my nails due to my new year's resolution, but I have crappy thin nails. And I pick at them when they're long. So my next resolution is to stop picking, but heaven only knows when that'll be. Jeremy is applying to schools again. I've got several half baked plans for how life could be in different destinations. And I'm looking for a second part time job, preferably one that involves a yarn discount, but I'm flexible. But I'm not holding my breath, either. With only six months to go here it's late to be putting down roots.

Bleah.

2004-12-05T15:37:00.000-08:00

I hate winter. The cold. The wet. Yuck. And Jeremy hopes we can move north for even more winter. Well, we'll deal with that when we get accepted somewhere fabulous. Or we'll go somewhere less fabulous down here. If anybody happens to have a famous professor uncle in a great doctoral program in English and you're okay with my pimping out your connection, just let me know. So there's that. An the house is a mess and my inlaws are visiting right after Christmas and there's. Just. No. Time. But Jeremy is off of work (thank you academia!) until next year, so maybe we can get it done. We've been going through the house today getting rid of books a) so I can have my own shelf of crafty and cooky books right next to the bed where I can use them and b) so we can take them to this fabulous bookstore in Chattanooga called McKay for credit. Also, we are trying to wean Lily as she now has four teeth and is something of a biter. Ouch for Mama. But we have a high chair and are making more a production out of meals and trying to set up a better schedule. Striving hard to move forward into the grown up world. But it's cold and it's wet and it's winter and I get discouraged. My nipples hurt and my clothes don't fit right and it's almost Christmas and I was going to make everything but there's not enough time. Waaaah, Ricky, I wanna be in the show. On the good news, we're going to visit my parents in two weeks for an entire weekend of cookie making for the holidays. I'm getting more hours at work and getting better as a knitting teacher, though each day seems to have it's own humiliations. But I am improving and my wonderful boss seems to have confidence in me. And the extra money is unarguably nice to have around. Lily has repeatedly said a word that sounds like "kitty" when the cat is around, so I'm putting it down as her first word, whatever they all say about me. So there's good stuff and there's bad stuff. Most days the good outweighs the bad, or at least makes me not mind the bad so much. Merry Effing Christmas.

Stuff

2004-10-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

I just started knitting the fabulous boobie scarf from the fall surprise on knitty.com. Remember to do your monthly self check, everybody. I tried to read the news on the internet yesterday but it was all about the chief justice having cancer, which just reminds me of the possibility that Bush could win which upsets me, so instead I knit on my boobie scarf. I'm making different colored boobies. (if you must know, burgundy purple, medium teal and burned orange on dark lime green. it's delicious.)I'm seeing so many Kerry stickers that I'm really very optimistic, but I'm an optimist with a very dark side. Plus, this is not my best time of year anyway. (My dad died 23 years ago Monday.) So for right now I'm keeping my head down and sending out my prayers and positive energies when I have them. Other than that, I'm happy and the family is doing okay. I love my job and Lily is aggressively healthy and normal. She finally meets Uncle Brandon on Thursday night.

Van Culture

2004-09-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

So we got this 1994 green Ford Econoline van from my Dad for $100. Thanks, Dad. It's great. Unlike our other car it has both air conditioning and room for our baby seat. Not to mention room for changing the baby and feeding her. And it has it's own trash can so it stays much less cluttered than our usual transportation does. And we have enjoyed taking it on the small road trips we've gone on so far adn we look forward to other road trips, but last night we discovered a higher purpose for the van.

We went to the drive in.

It was dark when we arrived, but it seemed that everyone had vans. I sat on the floor and watched the movie and knitted and then when the baby cired, sat on the floor with the baby and watched the movie. (Sky Captain, not bad.) No one was bothered by outr disuptive child. I could breastfeed and annoy no one. We could adjust the sound level by turning up our radio and then, when the second feature came on, we could change the radio station and look at the next screen over and watch shrek 2 until it was time to go home. Heaven.

We're going again on Thursday (my birthday) to see Hero and the rest of Shrek 2. yay!!

Baby Update

2004-08-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

We took Lily to her first movie tonight. We saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Fox Theatre downtown. It's a beautiful restored movie theatre and they show a WB cartoon before the feature. What's not to love? Lily was pretty well behaved and did not cause a scene. We're going to try the drive-in next.

Netflix still totally rocks. It gives you the simulated thrill of having a life without all the work involved in leaving the house. Today we saw Cosi, an Australian comedy starring a young Faramir, as well as Toni Collette, Rachel griffiths and the delightful Barry Otto. Tomorrow, we're having a bogart double feature with the Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.

I finished another hat for Christmas, and not counting the one that doesn't fit Lily, this makes two. So I am way ahead. Yay me! It's a socks and hats kind of Christmas, except for those of you that live in the desert regions of the country. Guess I'll actually have to buy you guys stuff. And learn to make socks. But that's another post.

Haven't had too much free time lately, so my story is languishing. But I've gotten lots of thinking about it done. Lots of ideas for directions in which to take it. I've begun to pretentiously call it my first novel. I refer to it as "what I am pretentiously calling my first novel." That's lame, isn't it? Thought so. Must stop doing that.

The big news around here is that we're thinking of getting a van from my dad. he's selling it cheap and we could use a second car. We're in the market for a new first car, but that's a different post. I'm really excited about the van. It's got AC and a backseat that the carseat will fit in. And lo, the room it has to tote stuff. And lo the stuff laying around the house needing to be toted out of it. If I can just learn to drive a bigass van around the narrow streets here.

To update my image, I got a haircut, and eyebrow wax and a skin care regime. And now I must go attend to my crying child.

Writing

2004-07-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

I just mailed off my first REAL short story to the writing group. And my parents. Except that the ending is totally undone. And not much happens. But I think it's going well. My characters are becoming more defined and clear to me. And I was able to work knitting in, so rock for me! And I got Jeremy to read it and it wasn't a totally emotionally wrecking experience. So, in four years of being together we've learned a thing or two. Yay.

Since my last post, we have moved into a new house. It's maybe a tiny bit smaller than the old house, but with better closet space. And more light. If we can just get the boxes out we'll be doing just fine. And we're closer in to town and right on the MARTA line. And, though I may not yet have told Jeremy, I signed us up to host a party for the writing group next weekend.

And netflix totally rocks!

My New Image

2004-06-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

A lot of heavy stuff going on in the world lately, but I feel like being frivolous. So here goes...

So I'm taking stock of my life lately and seeing what it all adds up to. Breastfeeding, check. Breastfeeding in public places and in front of every male in my family, check. Obsession with knitting in particular and handmaking things in general, check. No makeup and not even a bra unless I'm going somewhere, check. Apparently, I have some granola tendencies. Was I always like this? I guess so. It's just more pronounced now. So I'm trying to punk up my life a little. Show that I still know from style and am more than just your average stay at home mom. But what can I do? Pink dye would only cover up the grey hairs of which I am inexplicably proud. A tattoo is an awfully big step. And for that matter, a tattoo of what? If only they had polls on blogger... Well, I'm taking submissions. My favorite idea is just to get a tattoo of the word "tattoo." Wanna see my tattoo? You get the joke. *I* think it's a funny one. Anyway... yes, I understand what a unique snowflake slash space monkey I am. I just want to tweak my image a little. I just don't know where to start. It's weird. I'm happier than I've ever been. I love my husband. I have a beautiful, happy baby who is (thank you, Jesus) healthy. And she sleeps through the night, too. I just figure... I went through 22 hours of labor AND a c-section and have embraced the resulting adult lifestyle that the aftermath required. I just want a physical outward sign that says I acknowledge all that, and I'm not dead yet, either.

And smoking is out. it's been almost a year since my last cigarette. I can no longer take the guilt with the littering, the harm it causes my body, as another person now depends on it for transportation, hygeine and food. Not to mention the smell on my clothes. And my knitting. Yuck! Stinky knitting. Good thing I quit when I did. But I SO miss it. Like I miss sleeping in positions that deny Lily immediate access to my boobs. There are just things I can not do anymore. So I want to explore those routes that are still open to me. Speaking of that, if you can't donate blood after you get a tattoo, what's the rule on breastfeeding and tattoos? There's a question for the La Leche League. tattoos are probably out. I guess part of being an adult is just learning that it might just be enough for me to be me. As soon as I find out where they sell the pink hair dye near my house.

2004-06-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

My new project.

I'm obsessed with knitting. More about obsessions in general, at a later date. But currently, knitting is my thing. I hang out with knittiers, I knit at work when I can and I talk about knitting. to my husband, who know nothing about knitting and several other non knitting friends. I'm considering joining the knitting guild so I can enroll in their master knitter program. Say Master Knitter a couple times. It's fun. So, yeah. Knitting. But tonight, I think I may have gone too far. Tonight, I started plotting out my very own knitting murder mystery. It's a natural extension for me. I have this huge background in books and I love murder mysteries. My parents write murder mysteries and murder mysteries routinely take place inside a small community, not unlike the local knitting community. And they (not my parents) write murder mysteries about freaking talking corgis, so why the eff not a murder mystery with knitting. (And NO, no one will be stabbed with knitting needles) if anyone thinks of a good title, I'm open to suggestion. I know there's one out there, I'm just not there yet. Anyway, it's my first book and Tuesday night I'm going to a writing group with my new friend Mary, so I'm glad that I now have a project to discuss.

In other knitting news, I reached and passed the halfway point on my baby blanket, which is cool. it's all downhill from here. Did I mention that I'm not buying any more yarn until I finish my two prjects I've got going now? I really mean it. And I'm taking orders for knitted goods for Christmas. Anyone who wants a Harry Potter scarf (in your choice of house colors) should speak now. And I've sorted out my next four or so projects. Which I will not ennumerate and describe here, because I have mercy on you and restraint for myself. Sigh.

In other dork news, I watched most of all three LOTR movies yesterday. And then today, I had lunch with Mary and we walked around and talked about things we want to make. What fun!! AND we got to listen to This American Life which was all about profanity and (as usual) fascinating.

Baby news. Lily came through her first round of shots like a champ. I did not break down and cry. I count the day a success. Baby tylenol is a wonderful product.

And, preliminarily, it looks like the Lakers are losing the Finals which does my husband's Knick loving heart good. Though I can't help but feel sad for Karl Malone. I'm not the best sports fan. I lack the killer instinct. At least as far as sports are concerned.

2004-06-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

It's like this. Generally, I have no use for celebrity, but deep in my heart, I lust after it. Intellectually, I can coolly disdain the cult of personality that is our nation's adoration of a few blessed, beautiful morons. But put me in a doctor's office and I snatch up the nearest People magazine. And every day, like a robot, I read the celebrity news and gossip page at IMDB. Anyway, famous people, I can take em or leave em, though I tend to embarrass myself and my husband in front of them. But there are some famous people who get on my nerves more than others.

Like Oprah. Daytime television is a big part of my new mother lifestyle. I used to have work and napping to fill up those endless sunshiny hours, now I have talk shows. And who would a talk show junkie be without Oprah. Oprah, who maintains that she's just a normal girl at heart who likes to save a buck here and there. Oprah who has John Travolta give her her 50th birthday toast. Normal girl my aunt fannie. And then today, on Oprah, they're doing cute redecoration things, and one of them requires re-making a coffee table. With plywood. And Oprah asks, "Where do you buy plywood?" Maybe she was just trying to get in an extra plug for the sponsor of the hour, Home Depot. But she looked really dumb. And fake. She's the most powerful woman in the country and she doesn't know where to buy plywood. She doesn't have people to tell her how this looks? And let's not forget that the reason she recommended The Heart is a Lonely Hunter to people is that it was Julia Roberts' favorite book. Don't get me wrong, if I needed advice on how to steal someone's husband, Julia would be up there, but literature? Call me elitist, but she's not high on my list of people who know from books.

Jenny's Rule of Celebrity #1
Know how it looks.

Another celebrity who gets on my nerves is Gwyneth Paltrow, but this needs some backstory. I spent an embarrassing number of years obsessed with a rock band you've never heard of (unless you've heard me mention them. In this case, my apologies.). I was eaten up with the desire to be up there in the middle of that. All that fun and style and inside jokes. To hang out with the cool kids, and what's cooler than rockstars? Anyway... here comes Gwyneth Paltrow, daughter of famous people, Oscar winner, no bigger than a minute and she's the love of this internationally famous musician who doesn't suck (if he sucked, even a little, it would be more forgivable). And THEN, she gets knocked up. And there is no scene. Just a quick, quiet wedding and some fucked up baby namage. This is upsetting a) because now we'll probably have to wade through Apple's movie career, too. And b) Mainly because it proves that to have that perfectlife with the happy family and the rockstar boyfriend, you have to BE Gwyneth Paltrow. Not to mention how she LOOKED while pregnant. Let's not go there.

Jenny's Rule of Celebrity #2
Don't rub it in. It hurts when you rub it in.

2004-06-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Jeremy and I always joke that one day, far in the misty future, we will have a big fight about religion. Me feeling generally positive about the subject and him not so much. Now that we have a baby, I feel the fight is much closer. But before I can argue it out with Jeremy, a fine arguer himself, I have to puzzle out how I feel on the subject. You may not know this (except you, Genny), but I used to be very religious. Highly Christian, in fact. Unbeknownst to me, at the time, I was also mentally ill, so I am reluctant to trust the authenticity of many of my feelings from that time. Does that make sense? I'm unsure which parts of my faith were authentic and which parts were misguided brain chemicals. But this weekend, I decided to at least start actively pondering the questions, if not struggling with the answers just yet. I have very definite ideas of what Christianity doesn't look like, but what does it look like, in real life, in these modern times?
I've been pondering similar questions about parenthood and adulthoodand come up with the answers that they look remarkably like my present life. I wonder if Jesus will be so easily assimilated into my largely domestic existence. That's my problem. I *like* my life now. So much has changed so recently. And some old things, too. How far can I be trusted with religion? Which feelings are mine? Which voices are to be listened to?

2004-05-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

First of all, I hate talking about my dreams. I find it this totally masturbatory exercise, AND it's bad storytelling to boot. And, let's face it, no one really cares what's happening in your subconscious. This is my pet peeve. Well, one of a few. That being said, I have this recurring dream. I'm running, but not getting anywhere. I'm running and running and running and it's like I'm in slow motion. Having the said dream pet peeve, I'm not much in to the meanings of dreams, but I've never had a recurring dream image like this. I suppose it has something to do with the frustrations of new parenthood and all the adult things I'm facing lately. I just thought I'd mention this as a way to get out of the baby poop and breast milk direction that this blog has taken so far.

I got the main color of my yarn for the bag I am making. It's a bright orange by brown sheep. it's a beautiful wool mohair blend and the yarn is shiny. I adore it. As soon as they get the rest of the yarn in at the shop I'm going to pick out a contrasting color for the stitching and the pocket. I'm taking suggestions for something to go with bright orange.

I'm also working on a ball of yarn made from cut up grocery bags. In the new issue of ready made magazine they make a quilted fabric out of folded up grocery bags and make it into a handbag and a messenger bag, so now I'm obsessed with making something out of plastic grocery bags. if you know where to find plastic grocery bags in colors other than white and walmart, I'm taking grocery bag donations. Eventually, I'll try to knit something up with my grocery bag "yarn," but I'm just building up a stash of it right now.

Lily smiled at me yesterday for the first time. Totally amazing. I almost cried. It lasted like two seconds and is among the top five moments in my life.

Friday was my first day at the needlework shop. I had SO much fun. I really like my coworkers and my boss and the perks are awesome. An added bonus is that I am not typing all day, so when I get home I actually feel like writing something, be it emails or something more creative. Which makes me happy. But I'm still going back to the bookstore next wednesday.

Grandpa Eisenberg is a big hit with Lily. He's visiting for the weekend and we've had a good time.

Tomorrow we're going to try the drive in thing with Lily. Jeremy's not excited about it, but I think it could be fun. It could also suck big time, but I'm willing to risk it, as I don't get out much.

2004-05-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to me. The good news about the colic is that it might not have the caffeine that mommy was ingesting that made Lily so irritable. So I'm going to give the caffeine a try again and see what happens. Worse case scenario is we have another evening of miserable baby and hey, we have that anyway. Tonight we're going to try and go to the drive in to see the weekly bad movie double feature (this week: the road warrior and soylent green) and hope that Lily behaves. If she doesn't, we'll just sit in the car and who can she bother? I may be too optimistic about taking the baby out for stuff. I'm still having trouble making a second fireworks scarf. I just can't get the color scheme right. But as soon as I have that figured out, I'm going to start on zeeby's bag from snb. Very exciting to me. And I'm still embroidering, too. Mostly over Lily's head while she sits on my lap, but hey, it gets it done. I had my first day at nease's needlework on friday and I'm very excited about working there. I may never make any money, but it does support my yarn habit. I'm also going to try and start back at the bookstore this week, and I really mean it this time.

2004-05-04T18:47:00.000-07:00

Alright, still no crib sleeping goodness, but enough about THAT subject for now. I took Lily with me for my most recent crafty excursion. Sunday afternoon I met Mary for some knitting at a local ice cream parlor. I didn't get much knitting done, but I'm kind of between projects anyway. My new obsession is embroidery. I'm hoping to get an embroidery supplies binge for a mother's day present. Yay! Another holiday I am now eligible for!! For embroidery, sublimestitching.com is the best! But I'm also going to do some "straight" designs for people for yet still more homemade christmas gifts. I am SO broke. The baby is having something like colic and it's horrible. She;s inexplicably miserable for a couple hours at a stretch and I don't know what's wrong or how to fix it. It's not a good feeling. But after a couple of hours, she's okay again and everything is fine. Anybody has any recommendations, I'm game. I'm going to try giving up dairy and see if that helps. I'm already limiting my caffeine intake. Maybe I need to give up caffeine altogether. (shudder) Other than this minor thing, all is well. Sort of. Also, today we found out that Jeremy didn't get accepted anywhere for graduate school, which saddened my husband a good deal. But he'll try again next year and we'll see what happens. In the mean time, we're planning to stay here, but also applying to some other jobs, just for fun. I did NOT make it to work last week like I planned, but I do start my new job at the needlework shop this friday. Yay!

2004-04-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Okay, first I should mention that Lily has not slept in her crib since that post. Well, we got her to sleep in her crib on her stomach and that's a big nono, so it's been back to the bed with us. Which really cuts down on that sleep deprivation that you hear about. It's just wake up, plug baby in, go back to sleep. So I am like the most well rested new mother in the history of the world. Except for maybe Catherine Zeta Jones. I'm going back to work tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about that, but it'll be good to get out and see my coworkers again. I've missed them. I got out last week and went to the meetup.com sponsored knitting event and that was fun. I learned another vital step in the knitting process (thank you Lou) and I'm well on my way to christmas presents for everybody. If you're at all interested in knitting, you abslutely MUST go out and buy Debbie Stoller's Stitch and Bitch. It's loads of fun. And if you're at all crafty minded, you MUST check out craftster.org. It's a great resource for people who like to make sumthin out of nothin. You know who you are. Well, my breasts are leaking (more about that LATER) so I better try and go feed this still beautiful baby. Thanks.

2004-04-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today was my first day as a stay at home Mom and it involved a lot of breastfeeding and daytime talk shows. I haven't broken in to soaps just yet. But I suppose it's only a matter of time. Lily still hasn't learned to sleep in the crib, so it's basically on Mom or nothing, as far as naps are concerned. And I should probably mention that when she's not eating she's napping. (Except for maybe an hour or two of just alert time every day) That's question number one for the doctor in the morning. Don't worry, she's too young for immunizations so the doctor visits aren't difficult for the parents just yet. I even got a couple minutes aside to give love to our woefully neglected cats (Bert and Hero). And I did the dishes. That's literally all I did today. Jeremy (who had the good instincts to call, like, three times while he was out) was less than impressed with this, but he tried to be understanding.

2004-04-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, thirteen days ago I gave birth. And since then I have lost complete track of time. And I haven;t accomplished anything beyond seeing to the baby's immediate needs. Seriously, I took a shower every other day this week and felt really good about that. Wow, this blog is too personal already. But Lily the most beautiful baby in the world is doing fine. We're trying to teach her to sleep in her crib instead of in the bed with us (which is nice, but a little scary), and right now she's alseep in her crib! This may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but it feels like one. And I am on my way to a well deserved (and much needed) shower. But my hopes for this blog is that it will eventually become something more directed and I can discuss motherhood, marriage and crafting. Things that I'm learning about. And things you might like to hear about. We'll see what happens.