Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A Good Laugh at Myself or "Deinon"


I simply have to tell on myself for this one. It made me happy.
This morning I stopped at the coffee shop on the corner near my house. I had Elijah with me and I propped him up on a stool by the bar while I waited on "my usual" drink (large coffee with cream and a little chocolate syrup, yum!) There was this blonde chick sitting on the next stool over. I could only see her from the back and side because her long perfect hair was concealing her face and she was at an angle to me. I could still make out designer jeans and a perfect figure. Her sunglasses were lying on the bar in front of us. Movie star glasses. She thinks she is so hot. From the corner of my eye I caught her smoothing her hair and I could tell she was checking out her reflection in the mirrored wall behind the bar.
I was only partly taking all this in because I was mainly trying to keep Elijah from pulling the lids off all the pastry containers and asking him what kind of snack he wanted. There was also a talk show on. I heard a snatch of the conversation. "Moms need the internet at home but they have to..." I looked up at the TV and read something on the screen to the effect of "Bad girls: Moms attacking each other online." Evidently there is a problem with girl slander online among stay at home moms. I groaned inwardly.
Elijah and I got our treats and headed back to my van. As I buckled him into his seat and opened my door I caught myself involuntarily checking my reflection in the window. All of a sudden, I got tickled and giggled like crazy. "If I was as hot as that girl, I would check out my reflection too!" I said to no one in particular. In that moment when I caught myself looking at my reflection it all suddenly seemed so comical to me that I had been scorning my fellow sex relentlessly while I, despite my "enlightened, liberated" perspectives had quite the same streak operating somewhere in my otherwise sensible (ha!) little mind.
"Many marvels walk through the world, terrible, wonderful, but none more than humanity..."

Monday, April 19, 2010

Gourd Update


Well the art opening at Main Street Arts was terrific. It was a beautiful day and four artists, including myself, set up outside to do onsite work and demonstrations. We put out a painting station for kids, and in the gallery new art was hung and refreshments were served. Quite a crowd was downtown becuase of the city wide yard sale, and overal it was a fun event.
Here is a photo of the gourd I worked on at the opening, and I finished it and planted herbs in it for my friend Frances. I really like the look of a gourd as a planter, and would like to make more. I like the very spare ornamentation because it lets the beauty of the gourd speak for itself. I am also excited to try a new technique of staining my gourds with homemade dyes and finishing them with a natural tree oil that should make them completely waterproof and safe for use holding food and drinks. I'll keep you posted:)

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Motivation

I have to confess that although I am now a believer through and through in the effectiveness of Flylady, right now I am struggling along with it. This month is gardening month (more on that later:) and also the gallery is opening next saturday, and the half marathon is the following saturday. Add to that some unusually hot weather and you can see why things have been intense lately. I am determined not to give up, though.
Tonight Brandon went to bed early and I did not want to shine the sink before bed. It was full of dishes. Finally I stopped worrying about it and set the kitchen timer for five minute. Four minutes later the sink was empty and the dishwasher was running.
I am more and more convinced that I usually spend more time worrying about doing something than it would take to actually do it. I like using the timer for these situations. I say, "Ok, I will just pick up clutter for five minutes" (or ten or fifteen). It reminds me that these things are actually pretty darn easy to do, once you start.
I enjoyed shining my sink after the dishes were in the washer, and I reflected on how shining the sink really is something I do for myself. It is all becoming something I do for myself. I enjoy tidying and cleaning. The little tasks can be relaxing, so I try to do housework slow and easy. I have begun to think of taking care of the home in a similar way to how I think of taking care of my body.
Speaking of body care, I realized the other day that I was getting about half a cup of honey a day just in my tea or coffee. That is just too much. I am trying to find a way to moderate my added-sugar intake. I know my honey habit is probably not as bad as what lots of Americans consume, but that is not the point for me. I want to feel good, and I have noticed that I get really addicted to that caffeine and sugar fix. I have used the excuse of being a new mom for awhile, but I dont want to let that become a rut for me. My goal is to cut down to two tablespoons of honey a day. I will let you know how that goes.
OK, so the kitchen is clean and I feel peaceful sitting here and blogging with Jack Frost curled up on my "piggy-toes." Baby steps! I will just stick with my baby steps.

Monday, April 12, 2010

You Are Invited to an Art Opening!






This Saturday, May 17th, is a special opening at Main Street Arts. This is Pleasant View's very own artist co-op, feturing a gallery of local art, and a studio space for educational pursuits. It is located at the corner of Pleasant View Main Street, across from the Feed Mill, in the house that used to be Pleasant View Cafe. I am proud to be working, along with my cousin Monica O'Neil, as an education co-ordinator for this group. We are also known as the Tennessee Art Brigade.
I will be putting into the gallery the two gourds shown in the photos above. I also plan to offer a two session class on making a gourd bowl, and possibly a drawing for non-artists class. Monica will be teaching a number of children's classes, and there are also classes planned for jewelry making, pottery, and painting.
If you are in the Pleasant View area,come by on Saturday to see us! We are planning a painting area for children, and some of the artists will be at work on the site. I hope to be there working on a gourd project, with little Beatrice in tow. It is also the city-wide yard sale day, so Pleasant View Main Street should be the happenin place. Last year there were even food venders present. Hope to see you there!
p.s. If you can't make it this weekend, the gallery will be having regular hours several days a week from about 9 - 4.

I Ate It!!


This post is inspired by the fact that I just ate the last organic apple in our house.
Since I have been married and had children, I have this instinctive urge to save the best of everything for the other family members. Especially when it comes to food. When Brandon and I first got married, I got the biggest kick out of feeding him. I think it is the southern woman in me. Now I am really busy and too often I forget to cook, but I still have that urge to save the best foods for Brandon and Elijah. Finally I realized that there are times when I need to just eat it. My body is probably the hardest working body in the house (think baby-making and baby-nursing). Come to think of it, you could consider my body in symbiotic relationship to every other body in our household. What is good for my body is good for us all. So I decided it is a good idea for me to eat the sliced turkey instead of saving it for Brandon's lunch, and to eat the last organic apple instead of saving it for Elijah. It is even a good idea to buy the more expensive Greek yogurt because it has twice the protein and I need massive amounts of protein right now.
Mamma is taking care of herself. That is a hard habit to learn! But I want my babies to see their mamma care for her body, and I know it will help them to someday do the same.
So here is my picture after I ate the apple. Yum!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Taking the Tea Challenge



We are having tea parties here! (not the political kind:) I have bought the biggest bag of SCOTTISH Breakfast Tea I have ever seen. This came about because I was mulling over how much waste came with each box of tea I bought. Finally I decided to go online and order a big bag of tea. Big it is! This is what a pound of loose leaf tea looks like. Will I finish it? Well, the size of this bag motivated me to stop buying coffee for the house. I realized that is saving us about five dollars a week. What's more important is that I have been sleeping great at night and staying more hydrated. From what I hear, tea has some great nutritional benifits. Don't think I am doing without though... I am once again Dunkin Donut's best customer!

New Photos of Children





Spring Flowers in Our Yard





Beatrice and Jack Frost

Beatrice and Jack Frost
Is there something on my head?