I was able to watch ProRun online like you said - and today found the right app, so score for next week. Since my computer finds tasks like streaming apparently insurmountable, and it's all choppy and mind-boggling as it plays and I have to read the Ginormous Book of Preschool Parameters and take notes while watching to curb my hostility toward technological deficiency. Anyway, HOW DID THE VAG-DROP GUY NOT GO HOME? And not even in the bottom two! That outfit was beyond heinous, with or without the unfortunate shortness. Also, even though I suppose the cut girl needed pants, I'm overly partial to hoodies and so that look was one of my favorites.
Zac Posen jumped several notches in my book with the sex-toy-for-a-cat comment. #channelingMichaelKors
I love the idea of the three of us starting a new job/chapter in September! Each of us in our own separate worlds but journeying together. I feel like a job at an art school would suit you perfectly. Or maybe overseas again? Speaking of Korea I ran across this article about fake funerals being popular lately in SK and I meant to click but then didn't.
The days are filled with a thousand distractions over which I'm only occasionally bitter. I mean I do get a little resentful when there doesn't seem to be time to even get in a few exercises while watching something mindless on Netflix or to read my mindless book about girls sentenced to picking peaches for a summer. Rather than being summoned over several hours to help a child excavate her room. And breaking it down to specific, singular directed tasks and still having to repeat those 12 times. My hair is still attached to my head at the end of the day, so. Success?
Oh and then the other day. K.Lo's ears got a little infected post-6 weeks, with all the changing into new pairs and whatnot. And we were traveling and I kind of knew there would eventually be a scene. So we did triple antibiotic and let them rest and I crossed my fingers and said a little prayer the things would heal up fast and all would be fine. But no. Recreating the holes had to occur. There haven't been many times or maybe any in which I've felt like a murderer, but re-piercing the ears of that tiny poetic soul was one. And I flashed back to my own forced re-piercing and the word KARMA wouldn't leave my brain.
I mean.
Holyshitpassthebourbon.
I'm wicked behind on the book discussion, won't look at the notes for 4 until I'm done reading, but I feel like I'll catch up all in a day, 5 included, before Cath goes to sodak, and all will be equalized. One thing I keep returning to that you said at the end of a long thought, about love almost being a lack of control - FASCINATING. I had unrelatedly been pondering lately the idea of all anger being rooted in control and ooo let's connect those dots if we can.
Whatelse. Besides that some details of last week's excursion aren't bloggable so I'll have to e you. Are you watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix? Because that's way brilliant. J.Lo's on a 13-day heavy steroid treatment for the pinched sciatic nerve and we're hoping that will... do something. Anything? That would be great. Because it's been about a month at Pain Level: Excruciating. The fish tank needs new inhabitants again - it's a little depressing in there admittedly, but I mostly don't think about it. (Sad?) I'm going blueberry picking on Tuesday! And then canning a batch of Mom's tomatoes. Every year I say it will be my tomatoes that I'll can but so far that hasn't happened yet. Garden Soil Year 3. Should we put our money on it? Although to be fair we are all battling Tomato Blight this year, which is formidable and unconquerable and a bummer.
On to devising a topic for my next magazine deadline, or somesuch.
love,
penelope.
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label garden. Show all posts
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
poor smurfy,
Talk about a mental fog. Today is the first day in a long while (as far as I know, snarf) that mine feels relatively lifted. And like my body is my own again, not some drained, feeble, tingling thing. So. Weird. Why all of a sudden, why today. Will it return? What did it all mean. I barely feel like overanalyzing it (for now).
I forgot to mention that the other day I was stuck in a K.Lo closet, the book-nook one, while she cleaned her room (overseeing is sometimes required) and I decided to read the 50 States book. Put together in '96, it listed the Oklahoma City bombings as the worst terrorist act on record and then for NY, there was the WTC, still intact. Aside from that surreality, it was like ah, fact book. I mean obviously it only gives you the bare-bones basics of each state and it's a kids' thing, but at the same time it was kind of nice to present one's brain with a finite amount of information. Like I could go on a webpage and traverse ads and fact after fact after fact, not to mention a million rabbit holes I would surely fall into, as this fact made me think of that fact, and what else could I look up. It's an awesome thing. But then, ah, fact book. So nice and simple. And possibly much more memorable, and therefore meaningful.
Does Lifetime really stream? I must investigate. Bravo does not, so I just assumed I'd be sol for ProRun, just like Top Chef, which is attainable by J.Lo for sure, but it does require reminding and prodding and transferring of files - so labor intensive! is all I'm saying. Not that it's not worth it, for those few elusive but adored shows.
Today was more crafty assistance; I really like this years' decorations. Not that I didn't last year, it's just somehow they're coming together better this year, with less turmoil, and are so bright and almost splashy. A faux marble wall lined with paper torches! An entryway sign shaped like the Parthenon! And things like that.
Here is the type of thing Sophie does. Wii Remote on Back Porch, a still life.
I forgot to mention that the other day I was stuck in a K.Lo closet, the book-nook one, while she cleaned her room (overseeing is sometimes required) and I decided to read the 50 States book. Put together in '96, it listed the Oklahoma City bombings as the worst terrorist act on record and then for NY, there was the WTC, still intact. Aside from that surreality, it was like ah, fact book. I mean obviously it only gives you the bare-bones basics of each state and it's a kids' thing, but at the same time it was kind of nice to present one's brain with a finite amount of information. Like I could go on a webpage and traverse ads and fact after fact after fact, not to mention a million rabbit holes I would surely fall into, as this fact made me think of that fact, and what else could I look up. It's an awesome thing. But then, ah, fact book. So nice and simple. And possibly much more memorable, and therefore meaningful.
Does Lifetime really stream? I must investigate. Bravo does not, so I just assumed I'd be sol for ProRun, just like Top Chef, which is attainable by J.Lo for sure, but it does require reminding and prodding and transferring of files - so labor intensive! is all I'm saying. Not that it's not worth it, for those few elusive but adored shows.
Today was more crafty assistance; I really like this years' decorations. Not that I didn't last year, it's just somehow they're coming together better this year, with less turmoil, and are so bright and almost splashy. A faux marble wall lined with paper torches! An entryway sign shaped like the Parthenon! And things like that.
Here is the type of thing Sophie does. Wii Remote on Back Porch, a still life.
This was from last week on a day when it was wicked hot. I felt very melty that day; so did the dogs.
The garden snack bar fare. I think the peas will be done soon, but total success for them! Last year we literally had two peapods. This year we had plenty for snacking and enough for a stirfry. Next up, cucumbers and some okra, which I still have to replant after the puppy attack. (Notice the theme here.)
This is how the planterbox looks lately! The morning glories are creeping up a trellis, as well as a hummingbird plant of some sort. Notorious fungus gnats (result of initial overwatering) have been slayed by cinnamon. Also nearby, cilantro has sprouted.
Lastly, Sophie the rainbow-sword warrior.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
dear melter of smurfs,
Really, what on earth was that gak-like substance melted in your stove? Bet it smelled awesome!
Well so here I am. Right eye twitching and occasionally leaking out the far corner. It's Set Up for Vacation Bible School week. Which does tap into my crafty spirit, although the marble wall did thwart me. Yesterday we made a well out of a table wrapped in last year's paper brick wall, and I rimmed the top edge in sand and thinned-out glue.
I'm in that phase of feeling like Facebook is impossibly stupid, full of inconsequential drivel, so I either need to change whoever's showing up in my feed or stick to the short-short list (because I don't want to miss out on gak, that's the good stuff) or just not check it so much at all.
There's a very good chance I'll finish the book I'm reading, which is not even the usual fluff-fare. Amazing. I feel all bookish again. And I'm excited that we've picked another book to read together!
Three weeks without satellite dish and I miss it not at all. Hulu and Netflix together are more than adequate (I say until ProRun premieres. How did you access that??)
I've painted my toes two weeks in a row and have been wearing borderline cute clothes, maybe to make up for my complete lack of chutzpah. It's raining a lot, so as to invite children's loudness and puppy's boredom and also garden soil's fungus gnats. J.Lo is having an especially bullshit time at work, fixing an impossibly long list of broken things. And let's not forget that terrible daily puzzle of tingling limbs and lost words and whether or not I'm actually losing my mind. That'd be nice to solve. But right now I could really use some pretzels.
Well so here I am. Right eye twitching and occasionally leaking out the far corner. It's Set Up for Vacation Bible School week. Which does tap into my crafty spirit, although the marble wall did thwart me. Yesterday we made a well out of a table wrapped in last year's paper brick wall, and I rimmed the top edge in sand and thinned-out glue.
I'm in that phase of feeling like Facebook is impossibly stupid, full of inconsequential drivel, so I either need to change whoever's showing up in my feed or stick to the short-short list (because I don't want to miss out on gak, that's the good stuff) or just not check it so much at all.
There's a very good chance I'll finish the book I'm reading, which is not even the usual fluff-fare. Amazing. I feel all bookish again. And I'm excited that we've picked another book to read together!
Three weeks without satellite dish and I miss it not at all. Hulu and Netflix together are more than adequate (I say until ProRun premieres. How did you access that??)
I've painted my toes two weeks in a row and have been wearing borderline cute clothes, maybe to make up for my complete lack of chutzpah. It's raining a lot, so as to invite children's loudness and puppy's boredom and also garden soil's fungus gnats. J.Lo is having an especially bullshit time at work, fixing an impossibly long list of broken things. And let's not forget that terrible daily puzzle of tingling limbs and lost words and whether or not I'm actually losing my mind. That'd be nice to solve. But right now I could really use some pretzels.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
well,
Like so many things in my world of late, I see there's an unfinished, left-behind draft in our queue, and oh look, old pictures.
The Italian bread I baked, which was tasty but also very beautiful, I feel.
The view from M&C's porch last weekend. With my coral-painted toes. I need to redo them; they looked pretty for a minute.
The Italian bread I baked, which was tasty but also very beautiful, I feel.
A selfie when feeling particularly ponderous on the back porch (my recent favorite spot. but will it remain so when it gets wicked hot? to be seen).
J.Lo playing guitar. I adore.
The view from M&C's porch last weekend. With my coral-painted toes. I need to redo them; they looked pretty for a minute.
The garden seems more successful this year already? I mean it's not awesome yet (I await Year 3 soil), but the snap peas are like a drive-by snack bar whilst throwing ball for the puppies and apparently there's an actual pumpkin growing in the volunteer patch? The tomato plants are robust and I need to rig some string through the stakes tomorrow. And weed. By which I mean cover all things weedy with wet newspaper and hay. If it doesn't rain, which it has been, everyday since forever it seems. Tropical what. Oh, and peppers! And eggplant! Oh my. They and the lettuce all look relatively healthy.
I did some mildly obsessive googling on PdR from AD, because I was upset about her face not looking like her face - which I get happens all the time in Hollywood, but I felt betrayed in the manner of Virgina Madsen hopping on the Botox train post-Sideways. Possibly worse. And my conclusion is that you're just going to have to ask TH in person about it, because I don't think it happened. Seriously. Google image "PdR" and "AD premiere." Her face looks normal again. From a month ago. So, wacky eye/nose/botox job part of the Lindsey Bluth storyline, maybe? Just a theory, but it's important at the same time!
Mmm, cheese and crackers. Followed possibly by pilfered chocolate.
Ah, Seppuku. I did know that word from a previous Wiki encounter. Gory, man. Don't do it. Despite all circumstances. On a semi-related sidenote, I do wish I were there to either troubleshoot your computer and laptop and fix them, or else help you take a hammer to them, whichever the situation calls for. And help you set up your home, or at least bask in all the details, like floor words and painted cabinets and tea corners.
And when are you coming to visit? I guess you need a phone service first. Priorities, schmiorities! (I do assume you'll notify me immediately of your newly established number.)
I anxiously await Bruckner's sober or not sober response to your response - either way would be awesome. Why he doesn't have a blog oh wait post to his blog is beyond me. Where are you, Bruckner!
All right, I'm going back to my books (two of them!) on a Saturday night.
xoxox.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
My ridiculous arthritic carpel tunnel hand is completely distracting me today.
I hand-wrote an invitation last night - I'm going for typewriter font, so I suppose my hand was crunched oddly - but still. One invitation. And my entire forearm and hand are still off-and-on asleep. Does this seem strange to anyone else? I wear a special glove for crafty activities and everything. I don't get it. I'm trying not to obsess. You can see that's working very well.
Perfect weather. I mean really. Other than the fine haze of yellow dust settled over ev.ery.thing. In fact I'm still wearing a sweatshirt, so it could be a little warmer, but as it is I am camped out on the back porch with the doors and windows wide open. Hello, spring. Here you are, after all.
The CSA that I can barely afford at the moment is completely worth it - I don't know that I'll keep picking up directly at the farm, because it's kind of a haul, but it's flippin' adorable. The farmer who runs it! Love him! He doesn't say much, but he's super sweet. And last week loaded us up with a bunch of strange vegetables I wouldn't normally touch, but they've expanded our recipe horizons and so far there's been no complaints. From the people who actually it is, anyway.
For our garden fare: there are sweet peas, which look way better than the sad few of last year. And the lettuce is sprouting, I think? Hard to tell with weeds that are also sprouting. And the whole thing needs more water, I know. Oh, and then, from the rotted pumpkin that was in the corner, there's a pumpkin patch that could take over the world . So I'll have to reign that in. But so far it's the winner, the first on the mat in this leg of the Amazing Race.
Are you watching that this season? We're three eps behind. On that and everything. But all in due time.
I'm completely antsy today. Damn hand. Haven't read a book in days. But maybe the library tomorrow. And the continued ponderance of summer break, which arrives shortly. I'm approaching it with not a shred of blind optimism; this year I'm aiming for full-fledged practicality. Like we can't afford camps every week, but maybe one or two? Or one camp and a class? Sprinkled in there to anticipate and maintain the momentum. Dare I dream. A camping trip? There's a cool-weather spot allegedly maybe 3 hours from here. An early June wedding. A possible late-summer road trip. A July ninja visit! Swimming lessons? A whole lot of uh, free time. And, you know, generally keeping everyone alive and relatively sane. Let us go forth with the least-favorite season and may we uncover any wonders it may hold.
Hand: still asleep. Killing me.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
odd-ends
So it's spring break week for the children. Nothing like spring break to make you want a break? Holy shiz. I mean I'm hormonal, so life perspective is inherently skewed. But ho.ly.shiz.
Rather than one long blog-story, my recent life exists on bits of scrap paper ~
We tilled the garden-earth. Add moss and manure and it's already looking better than Year 1. Planted lettuce and peas and soon eggplant and tomatoes, courtesy of mom. Go garden go! That's my favorite day of the whole year possibly, fraught with sunshine and hope and possibility.
Directly before said gardening, the following occurred in the span of maybe 30 minutes: a tick crawled up my leg. a wasp dive-bombed my head. a black widow spider lurked in the soil. An omen of anything? Maybe the actual tick bite discovered later, which STILL ITCHES and I assume will continue to do so for three months, like they do.
No job for now. Maybe August. I mean it makes sense and I get it, but still feel whiny and tragic about the cold hard facts. Freelance filler in the meantime is just so unreliable. Friggin' ugh it stresses me out.
The Sophie has tripled in size during her 7 weeks here, weighing in at 21 pounds. Vet visit number three we took in our usual stride. Next month: last shots and spaying. At a reduced cost we hope.
Rather than one long blog-story, my recent life exists on bits of scrap paper ~
We tilled the garden-earth. Add moss and manure and it's already looking better than Year 1. Planted lettuce and peas and soon eggplant and tomatoes, courtesy of mom. Go garden go! That's my favorite day of the whole year possibly, fraught with sunshine and hope and possibility.
Directly before said gardening, the following occurred in the span of maybe 30 minutes: a tick crawled up my leg. a wasp dive-bombed my head. a black widow spider lurked in the soil. An omen of anything? Maybe the actual tick bite discovered later, which STILL ITCHES and I assume will continue to do so for three months, like they do.
No job for now. Maybe August. I mean it makes sense and I get it, but still feel whiny and tragic about the cold hard facts. Freelance filler in the meantime is just so unreliable. Friggin' ugh it stresses me out.
The Sophie has tripled in size during her 7 weeks here, weighing in at 21 pounds. Vet visit number three we took in our usual stride. Next month: last shots and spaying. At a reduced cost we hope.
Starship Lo.Co. allows us to do magical things like tote large objects places and so we finally got rid of that crappy front door sitting in our garage for a year and the stupid lawnmower that ran over a culvert last year. I don't know what that thing was thinking when it went all suicide bomber - had nothing whatsoever to do with its driver, I mean it. So anyway, we left this sign taped to its handlebars in case someone wanted to adopt it. And because we just could not help ourselves.
On ep 2 of Jericho; it's scratching the Netflixitch for the moment.
My hag-neighbor's husband has gone to the hospital/nursing home again. Which is a good thing as far as caretaking goes, in that she won't have to live that exhausting existence anymore and he'll have the care he needs. But also it means she's more available to suck one into a conversation, and I hate talking to her. Because as regularly mentioned and oft-noted, she is a hag. So I'm totally happy for her! but she still sucks.
We're on a SuperMario kick here, in which mommy conquers new worlds and N.Lo thinks I'm wicked awesome. And he has that video game brain that daydreams and devises new plans. But hell if I can't conquer the volcanic hellfire that is World 8! I secretly want to play without an audience sometimes just to make some strides.
I love church as usual but am currently maxed with it - in accordance with hormonalness - blah. Stupid leadership and bible study - don't. wanna - any of it. But I don't know. Potluck et al tonight could be a welcome distraction from springbreaking? If the brownie fairy would come and make some for me or whatever.
Onward to another day with library, futile-freelance, puppy-play and not-killing the children!
xoxox
pen
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Dear Penelope,
Day 34 since I've left the island.
I happen to be completely irritable.
I'm in a guesthouse on the edge of the center of town, covered in foliage, (flowering vines, plumerias whose whole flowers drop with a spin and a quiet thwat against the pavement, with picturesque statues and as LP said, replete with charm. I would disavow them completely for the shoddily slow internet but it's been cutting out all over town, as I duck in to escape the heat and have another smoothie or another iced coffee or another something, and besides as I said- charm, the quiet, the feeling of living on the edge of something and not just being yet another cog in a hole. I'm blowing my budget in frivolous hydration, however, and collecting internet passwords, maybe more so then my entire time on jeju. And I haven't seen a whole hell of a lot but walking by some wats, a pillar and their version of the arc' d triumph. Apparently the US sent the cement for a highway and the laotions decided to build a hulking mass of a temple slash gateway. Well why not? Oh and I'm drooling over silk. There's nothing to be done about that though. Also lots of cars for a city of 700,000. Small but not overcrowded. Relatively clean and unassuming as a town. Not particularly inspiring, but a good change of pace from the relentless frenetic energy of Saigon. So that a mere 6 blocks doesn't exhaust me-- And walking in the street not nearly as perilous, though here i'm not sure the motorbikes are as adept at weaving around pedestrians- and they never imploy the horn really.
The moon is waning but bright, the night warm. The fan rotates sending my diy mosquito net billowing up around me in fits. The ceilings are high and the walls white with cobwebs, some decay, and a few telltale footprints of peoples impassioned thwacks against the antagonist mosquitos. I woke up feeling positive, and then I had an email that sort of obliterated my head a bit and reminded me of sex-trafficking in these particular countries and just the predatory nature of the dark, the power of desire, which had me pondering all day- and the missionaries aren't getting back to me. It made for a hell of day of feeling like I had to get out of here. But as it is, tomorrow i'm sure i'll find clarity in the email, and just now I see the missionary will met me tomorrow and i'll get to go prayer walking. It's the problem with not having my course set. I'm gasping a bit and floundering. oh and there was another thing- our church is officially homeless come July. And I got another email this morning saying that due to another citation on the lot all the plants need to be removed and what does it matter, the saving of them since the whole place is up for grabs- so I got a fwd, and a tag about saving and dispersing the plants. So there it is- all my work- obliterated. Transient? transcendental? Fleeting, as a summer breeze, a dying bloom. I suppose I was right in the end not to really put my blood into the earth but still. Who wants to be right about things like that.
And as she says "Is that a tear?" Poirot: "No, It is the breeze."
I happen to be completely irritable.
I'm in a guesthouse on the edge of the center of town, covered in foliage, (flowering vines, plumerias whose whole flowers drop with a spin and a quiet thwat against the pavement, with picturesque statues and as LP said, replete with charm. I would disavow them completely for the shoddily slow internet but it's been cutting out all over town, as I duck in to escape the heat and have another smoothie or another iced coffee or another something, and besides as I said- charm, the quiet, the feeling of living on the edge of something and not just being yet another cog in a hole. I'm blowing my budget in frivolous hydration, however, and collecting internet passwords, maybe more so then my entire time on jeju. And I haven't seen a whole hell of a lot but walking by some wats, a pillar and their version of the arc' d triumph. Apparently the US sent the cement for a highway and the laotions decided to build a hulking mass of a temple slash gateway. Well why not? Oh and I'm drooling over silk. There's nothing to be done about that though. Also lots of cars for a city of 700,000. Small but not overcrowded. Relatively clean and unassuming as a town. Not particularly inspiring, but a good change of pace from the relentless frenetic energy of Saigon. So that a mere 6 blocks doesn't exhaust me-- And walking in the street not nearly as perilous, though here i'm not sure the motorbikes are as adept at weaving around pedestrians- and they never imploy the horn really.
The moon is waning but bright, the night warm. The fan rotates sending my diy mosquito net billowing up around me in fits. The ceilings are high and the walls white with cobwebs, some decay, and a few telltale footprints of peoples impassioned thwacks against the antagonist mosquitos. I woke up feeling positive, and then I had an email that sort of obliterated my head a bit and reminded me of sex-trafficking in these particular countries and just the predatory nature of the dark, the power of desire, which had me pondering all day- and the missionaries aren't getting back to me. It made for a hell of day of feeling like I had to get out of here. But as it is, tomorrow i'm sure i'll find clarity in the email, and just now I see the missionary will met me tomorrow and i'll get to go prayer walking. It's the problem with not having my course set. I'm gasping a bit and floundering. oh and there was another thing- our church is officially homeless come July. And I got another email this morning saying that due to another citation on the lot all the plants need to be removed and what does it matter, the saving of them since the whole place is up for grabs- so I got a fwd, and a tag about saving and dispersing the plants. So there it is- all my work- obliterated. Transient? transcendental? Fleeting, as a summer breeze, a dying bloom. I suppose I was right in the end not to really put my blood into the earth but still. Who wants to be right about things like that.
And as she says "Is that a tear?" Poirot: "No, It is the breeze."
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
dearest oldsame,
Laos! The last part of your journey has arrived. Or you have arrived to it. I cannot be-lieve your long-loved knife was taken, and how vexing that its fate was due to an oh-so-simple lapse in human mindfulness, a mere glitch in the everything-is-in-its-proper-place-for-my-next-phase-of-travel rundown. Ach. Eff. It's so. unfair!
The LentenFestival-retreat-type weekend was delightful in the end. A lot of leadup, and some trepidation over it being all-too-much and worrying over the success of things like the Easter Garden. But the garden was successful, as was the decoupage, and both were displayed during Sunday service and officially dedicated in prayer. I mean. Thankfully I wasn't asked to stand or anything, but it was both mortifying and beautiful at the same time. The garden came out so. good. And not just aesthetically, but everyone old and young alike seemed to love it. It lives on in the Fellowship Hall, where I hope it will receive enough light and whateverelse it needs to stay alive or even thrive. Hopefully not die. We'll see.
All the rest - bells was a success. Our variety show portion I mean. I think people got it. And the rest of the show was a delightful blend of young and old, talent and silliness, magic shows and a keyboard performance and the tango. And then a synchronized swimming skit by a group of the older men that was totally posted on youtube, so I'm sending you a link. Saturday after gardening and birdhousing and musicalinstrument-making, I went around the hobby showcase to see the things people delve into in their ordinary lives - again, how delightful. Coins and photos and felting (like actual spinning of the material) and robots and art. And I briefly learned to knit. I think I'm officially sucked into the knitting group on occasional Thursdays, though it's doubtful how long my schedule will abide. But the older ladies in that group were just so. pleased. that I might be interested, how can I say no now. Hmm.
I miss you and hope you come to visit soon, even if it's not in March. But I hope it's in March - is that even a possibility still? I haven't tallied all the places you've been monetarily thwarted and spent to see if you can come here first before Cali, even though probably you are completely yearning to be back in your true homeland, not just stateside, and I completely understand that. If I won the scratch-off lottery and were able to buy a plane ticket, I'd visit you tomorrow. And take puppy with me.
The caterpillars, which I have yet to blog about but I'll fill in the gaps shortly I promise, lie dormant in full chrysalide mode on the dining room table. Today is rain and cold and some homemade soup I think. March holds: more jobhunting, cabincamping, consignmentsale-ing, 35thbirthday!-ing, fairtradesale-organizing, oh and Easter. And planting! Right? Some flowers and some lettuce at least.
love to you in laos-land,
penelaotang.
The LentenFestival-retreat-type weekend was delightful in the end. A lot of leadup, and some trepidation over it being all-too-much and worrying over the success of things like the Easter Garden. But the garden was successful, as was the decoupage, and both were displayed during Sunday service and officially dedicated in prayer. I mean. Thankfully I wasn't asked to stand or anything, but it was both mortifying and beautiful at the same time. The garden came out so. good. And not just aesthetically, but everyone old and young alike seemed to love it. It lives on in the Fellowship Hall, where I hope it will receive enough light and whateverelse it needs to stay alive or even thrive. Hopefully not die. We'll see.
All the rest - bells was a success. Our variety show portion I mean. I think people got it. And the rest of the show was a delightful blend of young and old, talent and silliness, magic shows and a keyboard performance and the tango. And then a synchronized swimming skit by a group of the older men that was totally posted on youtube, so I'm sending you a link. Saturday after gardening and birdhousing and musicalinstrument-making, I went around the hobby showcase to see the things people delve into in their ordinary lives - again, how delightful. Coins and photos and felting (like actual spinning of the material) and robots and art. And I briefly learned to knit. I think I'm officially sucked into the knitting group on occasional Thursdays, though it's doubtful how long my schedule will abide. But the older ladies in that group were just so. pleased. that I might be interested, how can I say no now. Hmm.
I miss you and hope you come to visit soon, even if it's not in March. But I hope it's in March - is that even a possibility still? I haven't tallied all the places you've been monetarily thwarted and spent to see if you can come here first before Cali, even though probably you are completely yearning to be back in your true homeland, not just stateside, and I completely understand that. If I won the scratch-off lottery and were able to buy a plane ticket, I'd visit you tomorrow. And take puppy with me.
The caterpillars, which I have yet to blog about but I'll fill in the gaps shortly I promise, lie dormant in full chrysalide mode on the dining room table. Today is rain and cold and some homemade soup I think. March holds: more jobhunting, cabincamping, consignmentsale-ing, 35thbirthday!-ing, fairtradesale-organizing, oh and Easter. And planting! Right? Some flowers and some lettuce at least.
love to you in laos-land,
penelaotang.
Friday, February 22, 2013
dear m-and-cath,
How you ladies persevere! over the strife of bad hotels and tourist ripoffs (the French are the same way about napkin usage - wtf people?) and somanystairs. Mostly it sounds like you're both rolling with the hot and the sweat and embracing the ride, vanbreakdowns and all. I love hearing about candy-making and random snake-handling and tour guides addicted to Facebook. Also, let's not overlook the fact of a guide named Cornelius, which makes me think of the Rudolph special and Yukon Cornelius checking his pickaxe for gold. (There's an old-school Christmas special reference in EVERYTHING.)
It's been two weeks with Sophie and after her morning bout of Puppy Crazies, she's resting in my lap. Aw, puppy. She's a good one. Loved and loving. Smart and so far an oddly good little puppy student, although there's of course the obligatory streak of stubbornness and spite, with a dash of punk. Would things be interesting otherwise. And Bender, dare-I-say, is making a full recovery with YuckBattle 2013. One would think canned food and meds would be a giant pain in the ass, but that she's a heedless wolfer-downer-of-mushy-food, this has all been mercifully easy. So Bender lives a little while more. ThankyouGod for that. Because she's a spaz, that one, but need I emphasize my love for the creature.
Oh, I feel like I traveled to you last night in my dreams! Like I did some high-five with Cath as she left, and I appeared, and who knows what country we were even in or going to, but it all made sense in the dream. I met M, I feel like? And some other K teachers? There were boats and hotels and sunsets. Cityscape. Lots of glass and water. And it seemed improbable even within the context of the dream that I was there, but somehow there I was and you were like, here's where we are going, come along with me.
Bells was not as epic-long as I had expected, because I'm not in fact playing Sunday (the next Sunday instead), but tonight shall be some silliness in which our director will pretend to be very arrogant, direct us badly, get fed up, direct a recorded performance instead, during which we walk out - then we play for real (hopefully well) without his help, but then he takes a bow for our performance, taking credit. And gets a cream pie to the face. For realsies.
J.Lo has The Snarfle now, adding a high-maintenance wrinkle to weekend events, but whatevs. I think he'll still rally and participate as penelope requires. He did build me the awesome planter box after all, complete with wheels. And I've been gathering Easter Garden supplies, although according to Mom I'm still on Wilmington time with my expectations of what the home improvement store should have available this time of year. Slim pickings, but I'll make do. Yesterday I harvested moss from the yard(!) (will it live!), made a cross from string and sticks, purchased a $4 clay, stone-esque pot MADE IN VIETNAM that will serve as a tomb. Rocks from the yard have been collected. Today I buy dirt, and drainage rocks, and pansies and some succulents. And take it all to the church in the Starship Lo.Co.
My. However will it all be executed. And I'm still in my pj's. But to be fair, I've already baked the dessert for tonight's churchsupper (that I should have baked yesterday) and K.Lo was operating on a 2-hour delay for school. Because that's what we do every time a snowflake falls somewhere in the county (which is the size of Rhode Island! and therefore increases chances of snowflake delays). Also, I'm feeling all productive and hopeful about the second job I applied for, the envelope currently laying-in-wait in the mailbox, even though I feel like it will be a lucky break if they even glance at my application. But it's a library job, developing youth programs, and that would be kind of awesome, right?
Eventually employment will happen, according to the laws of odds, or so I keep telling myself. Will I be a Hardee's biscuit maker, or something more? it's out of my hands...
Coming soon: the blogpost about gremlin caterpillars.
love to you both across the seas,
penelope
It's been two weeks with Sophie and after her morning bout of Puppy Crazies, she's resting in my lap. Aw, puppy. She's a good one. Loved and loving. Smart and so far an oddly good little puppy student, although there's of course the obligatory streak of stubbornness and spite, with a dash of punk. Would things be interesting otherwise. And Bender, dare-I-say, is making a full recovery with YuckBattle 2013. One would think canned food and meds would be a giant pain in the ass, but that she's a heedless wolfer-downer-of-mushy-food, this has all been mercifully easy. So Bender lives a little while more. ThankyouGod for that. Because she's a spaz, that one, but need I emphasize my love for the creature.
Oh, I feel like I traveled to you last night in my dreams! Like I did some high-five with Cath as she left, and I appeared, and who knows what country we were even in or going to, but it all made sense in the dream. I met M, I feel like? And some other K teachers? There were boats and hotels and sunsets. Cityscape. Lots of glass and water. And it seemed improbable even within the context of the dream that I was there, but somehow there I was and you were like, here's where we are going, come along with me.
Bells was not as epic-long as I had expected, because I'm not in fact playing Sunday (the next Sunday instead), but tonight shall be some silliness in which our director will pretend to be very arrogant, direct us badly, get fed up, direct a recorded performance instead, during which we walk out - then we play for real (hopefully well) without his help, but then he takes a bow for our performance, taking credit. And gets a cream pie to the face. For realsies.
J.Lo has The Snarfle now, adding a high-maintenance wrinkle to weekend events, but whatevs. I think he'll still rally and participate as penelope requires. He did build me the awesome planter box after all, complete with wheels. And I've been gathering Easter Garden supplies, although according to Mom I'm still on Wilmington time with my expectations of what the home improvement store should have available this time of year. Slim pickings, but I'll make do. Yesterday I harvested moss from the yard(!) (will it live!), made a cross from string and sticks, purchased a $4 clay, stone-esque pot MADE IN VIETNAM that will serve as a tomb. Rocks from the yard have been collected. Today I buy dirt, and drainage rocks, and pansies and some succulents. And take it all to the church in the Starship Lo.Co.
My. However will it all be executed. And I'm still in my pj's. But to be fair, I've already baked the dessert for tonight's churchsupper (that I should have baked yesterday) and K.Lo was operating on a 2-hour delay for school. Because that's what we do every time a snowflake falls somewhere in the county (which is the size of Rhode Island! and therefore increases chances of snowflake delays). Also, I'm feeling all productive and hopeful about the second job I applied for, the envelope currently laying-in-wait in the mailbox, even though I feel like it will be a lucky break if they even glance at my application. But it's a library job, developing youth programs, and that would be kind of awesome, right?
Eventually employment will happen, according to the laws of odds, or so I keep telling myself. Will I be a Hardee's biscuit maker, or something more? it's out of my hands...
Coming soon: the blogpost about gremlin caterpillars.
love to you both across the seas,
penelope
Thursday, April 7, 2011
just one room -
Just one piece of one room, really, of the absolutely ginormous floral wholesaler we visited today. There were – I don’t know, six? other rooms just like this? And some outdoor space.
Whoa.
Here’s what it looks like from above.
Where does one even begin with such wonder?
xo
pen from the road
Monday, March 14, 2011
Pen,
Here's a poem from the book you gave me:
Ash Wednesday
Stepping from the brightness of Epiphany
I enter an unfamiliar place called "Lent"
My eyes are slow to adjust to the change.
I blink back tears and stand still wondering
if my eyes are open or closed,
for nothing visible lies before me.
My sense tell me there are objects ahead--
prized places, sacred spaces.
There is no sense of urgency;
time has fallen away leaving
forty days and forty nights
to explore this unknown, yet somehow familiar place;
touching, feeling, knowing holy moments.
-(gretchen oliver)
-I think this is how i feel about things.
In other news a list of things:
-chicago fallen away like a bright but distant memory of good food, friends, that restaurant (the one that I wanted that wouldn't open) trying to live on cash only and surviving. that was a feat even if this month is a failure. i want to say more but i already feel adrift from that magical place.
-my eye is twitching (still) and i don't even want to talk about my toe
-my nails are growing which is nice and i debate growing my hair long or cutting it but i don't suppose i mind the grey.
-the wisteria is blooming soft and alluring, the freesia is a heady druggingly sweet fragrance that hits you as you walk by and demands attention, the lilac is lovely, formal and reserved.
-i named the grey cat Mortimer. But i'd like a cat and a dog to have in the house. Not that i don't love the ones i have.
-i have to pick the rest of the oranges
-i have to paint
-and quilt
-i filled up a miniature journal. it only took me 1.4 years.
-i'm out of gas, so i have to go... so i can go get some. literally. i mean but i think i'm also out of gas non-literally. so either way.
have a good day,
m.
Ash Wednesday
Stepping from the brightness of Epiphany
I enter an unfamiliar place called "Lent"
My eyes are slow to adjust to the change.
I blink back tears and stand still wondering
if my eyes are open or closed,
for nothing visible lies before me.
My sense tell me there are objects ahead--
prized places, sacred spaces.
There is no sense of urgency;
time has fallen away leaving
forty days and forty nights
to explore this unknown, yet somehow familiar place;
touching, feeling, knowing holy moments.
-(gretchen oliver)
-I think this is how i feel about things.
In other news a list of things:
-chicago fallen away like a bright but distant memory of good food, friends, that restaurant (the one that I wanted that wouldn't open) trying to live on cash only and surviving. that was a feat even if this month is a failure. i want to say more but i already feel adrift from that magical place.
-my eye is twitching (still) and i don't even want to talk about my toe
-my nails are growing which is nice and i debate growing my hair long or cutting it but i don't suppose i mind the grey.
-the wisteria is blooming soft and alluring, the freesia is a heady druggingly sweet fragrance that hits you as you walk by and demands attention, the lilac is lovely, formal and reserved.
-i named the grey cat Mortimer. But i'd like a cat and a dog to have in the house. Not that i don't love the ones i have.
-i have to pick the rest of the oranges
-i have to paint
-and quilt
-i filled up a miniature journal. it only took me 1.4 years.
-i'm out of gas, so i have to go... so i can go get some. literally. i mean but i think i'm also out of gas non-literally. so either way.
have a good day,
m.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
it’s your favorite time of day, m!
Garden update time.
Bailey looking regal behind the cucumbers, which are creeping, spidey-style, along the No-Bender fence. And there’s actual cucumbers in there!
One of the cabbages that hasn’t been too ravaged. We’ve noticed wasps dive-bombing the cabbage and wonder if somehow they are eating the caterpillars.
Wooly thyme, I just *heart* you.
Spillage. Or should I say, spillage!
There’s an eggplant, fingerling – should be ready to pick in a few days…
Little rosemary, you live! I used some in the grilled pork tenderloin marinade on Sunday.
And here’s a cross-section of the insane height and overgrown splendor.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
m,
Join me in saying hello to the roses. Why hello, roses. Who knew you’d get so exciting overnight?
Monday, May 17, 2010
m(elancholy),
It’s raining and is supposed to rain for a few days. Kind of lovely and matching my mood. The garden looks happy, though.
Caaaabbage! And orange roses. They’re here.
A peek into the leaves reveals squash and their ginormous flowers, and a green Roma.
Eggplant flower. BASIL.
I do love my garden.
-penelancholy
Monday, May 3, 2010
m,
Time for another garden update! (Cue trumpets.)
Firstly, the lantana has gotten all poofy and vivid and whatnot. These suckers have the hardiness of rampant weeds, but does that take away their beauty? No, it does not. The pink and yellow are called ham-and-eggs.
Speaking of pretty-to-my-eye weeds, we have a pot of Oxalis Dillenii. YelIow wood sorrell. I don’t know how it got there, but I don’t feel compelled to pull it up, especially since it’s contained.
Other views:
Friday, April 30, 2010
Penofmylife,
I don't think i can communicate enough the magnificence of such a dream. It taps very much into my secret desires to do exactly that, or squirrel away and be a hermit or come under someones teaching and take on my destiny. Perhaps its a warning that I shouldn't neglect you when I do. Remind me. I probably suggested you stay. That would've been grand. Next time your dream takes us on such a voyage, remember to stay with me- no matter what I say. It's clear there's some sort of key to the comings and goings of me. But apparently I do frustratingly thwart and deviate the path. I had a dream the night before, my mom reminded me, that involved me touring in a bus, in foreign lands and at one point of a bathroom stop i was barefoot, and I was wondering why didn't I put on my shoes and my mom was yelling at someone because the bathroom was so dirty, and I just remember it being impossible for me to go in there. Obviously according to you, I made it to my next stop. Last night I may or may not have been ziplining and rockclimbing in this gym, which was strangely after celebrating someones birthday who had the same birthday as jesus. And there were at least 5 other people celebrating birthdays and I was like, whoops i forgot to ask for candles, as we already had the cake, and the waitress brought them.
But anyway, oh I got our book we're going to read. I thought it would be thinner somehow but let me know when you're ready for it. I'm also reading this book called "scandalous risks"... I'm not sure how scandalous it is so far but we;ll see. I need to read today as yesterday I spent 10 hours watching tv. I did sort of work on the jewelry but mwah i'm feeling thwarted by materials, my vision, my lack of knowledge about jewelry construction and what if its not good enough? What if the materials break? What if its inferior to what i envisioned? Ach.
But anyway, oh I got our book we're going to read. I thought it would be thinner somehow but let me know when you're ready for it. I'm also reading this book called "scandalous risks"... I'm not sure how scandalous it is so far but we;ll see. I need to read today as yesterday I spent 10 hours watching tv. I did sort of work on the jewelry but mwah i'm feeling thwarted by materials, my vision, my lack of knowledge about jewelry construction and what if its not good enough? What if the materials break? What if its inferior to what i envisioned? Ach.
So let me tell you about my first ever, quite possibly, visual migraine... the pic is sideways but mom and i came in from touring the garden, where the other day we picked all of these beauties. It is the first of the spring harvest as we've been steadily picking bouquets since then. It always makes it hard to imagine there will be summer flowers to harvest. Ok, but anyway, I come in and i'm sitting down and i thought i'd stared into the light outside too long, so i blinked thinking it would go away. But no it extended out from to the right of my right eye like vibrating pixcelating piano keys in iridescent staccato. Like a scythe. It didn't matter which eye was open. There it was. Then after that I'd read things and there was a smudge in the way. The little one in the pic, the same color as the other one in the middle of my vision distorting only part of the words i was reading. And then the scythe came back a little closer in to the right side of my field of vision extending out and fluttering and finally sometime around closing my eyes (where it still appeared but was less distracting against a black background), taking aleve, lying down and listening to kill bill 1. it finally went away. WTF. Mom seemed to enjoy the camaraderie as she has visual migraines from time to time but anything new and possibly debilitating is so not cool with me right now. As my eyes were tired after, slightly headachy to boot and I can't say I feel particularly plucky this morning- even though there are places I can go, things to be crossed off the list. 
In other news I've fully embraced quinoa as an awesome hearty grain, preparing it in vegetable broth is very tasty and so is mixing it with feta and cucumber- and dill and greens. The banana bread recipe hits the spot and now the only thing if we could have another thing is a scone recipe. There is still the waffle recipe and the pancake recipe to try also.
I will try not to make more cryptic references to "the letter" as I cannot possibly explain it here. But Pen you can explain however much you'd like to Andria. 
And this is a perfect segway to give props to callie who gets a total award for sending me a card that says exactly thee most perfect thing ever. Not that mom doesn't give me props for the chocolate attilla the bunny card from easter, but still. Cards do sometimes say it all. I'd lost faith, and yet there it is.
And this is a perfect segway to give props to callie who gets a total award for sending me a card that says exactly thee most perfect thing ever. Not that mom doesn't give me props for the chocolate attilla the bunny card from easter, but still. Cards do sometimes say it all. I'd lost faith, and yet there it is. In other news before I go out to read in the sun, properly sprayed down for sun protection, i wanted to show you a pic of my innocent looking cat marley and then how if you scroll down i finally caught on camera the vicious attack he levied on my golden retriever. Bodo seemed to be glad of the attention, kind of? But still.
And in the sum of things, besides the migraine these are all good and true things, despite the nebulous, non productive week i've had.
see you in your dreams,
m.
Monday, April 26, 2010
m-dacious,
I freakin’ love the snowball flowers. Here’s how our garden grows.
Well first there’s the tree that was knocked down by high winds yesterday. It’s still there, looking just like this until J.Lo can procure a chainsaw. We all knew that sucker was diseased and wasn’t going to last forever, and in fact, once it broke, we saw that it was maybe 75% deadwood. Hanging on by a thread. But still, it’s tragic. Yard desperately needs so more trees now. I wasn’t prepared to lose the side yard curb appeal so soon, but thank you Baby Jesus, for not letting it land on my car. That was very nice of you.
In happier news, the lantana is starting to flower. Pretty, happy lantana.
I have an actual cabbage patch! What is that all about? You might, in fact, be responsible.
The roses, after some stupidly gloveless pruning last week, are starting to flower.
The spinach from seed isn’t really spinach. Huh! It’s basil, from last year. Crafty basil, I missed you.
And then of course, there’s the Incredible Hulklike zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. Bordered by chive insanity.
It’s time for mulch. The planter box flowers persist and I may or may not be OCD about deadheading, which I guess is what you’re supposed to do, but I don’t maintain any other habit with such gusto, so you know. That’s good.
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