Kids - Hansel and Gretel and our little Nastie

Wilder got a part in a local play. He got the role of a Nastie. The hench-assistants of the witch. His big part is "Slugs! Oh, Yum, Yum, Yum, ... and dot dot dot" These are the creatures that capture Hansel and Gretel. He is dramatically ready for it with a gruff voice and scary moves. He says he will have stage fright, but I am thinkin' the kids have a flair for the dramatic and he will love it under the lights with the audience.
I have to work, but there is a full contingent that will report and have pictures of this event!

A perk to Outside of Seattle living - Turkey, no... quail, no.... pheasant!

Looked up and out of the window of my room as I am logging onto the computer. And there is a spectacular bird looking back at me. We were both a bit startled, but not like the ET movie type startle where we both scream. It ran off, I went looking for my camera... for next time.
The kids and I crack up at the 'bobble headed' wee quails that look a little bumbling and clueless as they bump into each other not knowing where to go when surprised. But dang those guys are cute!

Being Sick

Fell asleep at 8 pm on Saturday, woke up on Monday morning at 7:30. That was a doozy of a bug. I don't recommend any of you get it, so stay healthy, wash your hands, stay away from my little sneezers and coughers. (What do I always say over and over and over to them........ Wash Your Hands, Cover Your Mouth When You Cough) I know that will be deep in my children's pysche when they are big 'uns, but boy, right now, it seems like I am talking to a snot-filled wall.
Stay healthy everyone!! Don't be around me!! And it is sweet that I have friends willing to drive to the ferry, sit on the ferry, drive off the ferry, drive to my house, just to bring me a cup of broth/o.j. or somesuch. I am really not that far from either neighbors, drive-through coffee, or a store.
An upside? If you are addicted to coffee, the forced 36 hour hiatus will knock that craving right out of your system.
Photo - Wilder at the Best Corn Maze Ever. A giant Washington State located between Everett and Snohomish.

Compadres & Kids - and whiskey voiced women

We shall title this first photo: Chief Seattle's Revenge.. the Casino

And the second glam shot is me quickly photo-ing the ultrasound machine at the doc's office

Called the kids dad this morning to tell him how to plant flowers. Sigh. 48 year old man... does not know how to put a 4' square plant in the ground. Just one more learning episode for him, I expect great results and a stunning garden at his place. When I began talking he said "Whoa, have you been drinking whiskey and smoking all night?" I have one of those colds that starts in your vocal cords, so your voice sounds nothing like it usually does. Note: I am a lame drinker, we tease that I am a "cheap date" since I rarely finish a glass of wine or beer. The cold came from the kids, who sweetly shared it with me after they were sick all week. My mantra of " I Will Not Be Sick" obviously did not work.
The pic of the ultrasound office is my little moment of "I am now aging" . How many years did I push this body of mine and ignore what it was saying back? I don't get to ignore it anymore, it starts yelling at me and so do my doctors. I may just be one of those cranky, eccentric, stubborn, know-it-all women as I grey. Yay! When I was young, I used to want to live in the south, just so I could be eccentric when I age, and have it be socially acceptable. Now as I age, I don't give a rip if I am socially acceptable (oh, and how this bothers my daughter!!). I am going to start the eccentric older lady club of the NW. All you need is an opinion that you are willing to argue about endlessly (and there is no requirement that it is based in fact... or "correct") and willing to listen to other people argue their points without resorting to physical violence or throwing things. And no yelling. I think throwing butter cookies or shortbread would be fine, however. I like those.

Strange Days...Jail Letter Virgin

Last week was special. I received my first letter from a jail inmate out of the blue. (and a double special treat... it included a request to bail him out of jail)
And again, me with the sheltered life. Who knew a professional museum career would lead me to communiques from the "Hotel Graybar". I should have just gotten that pysch degree and practiced. Lord knows I would be a wealthier woman and able to fix my tilting dining room a bit quicker! Heck, I could even hire someone... oooooh.

Kids... Stalls not done, kitchen floor clean.

There. I think that is a good title for all my accomplishments today. There are other things I did, but I sure do enjoy a clean floor. I am thinking about putting socks on all the animals before they come back in the house, or maybe having them walk through a disinfectant pan like what you do when you go behind the scenes at the zoo. They are durt-tee. I am thinking I have enough to do without cleaning grimy paws. Thank god the kids are clean!
Rose and I were chatting on the stairs. I may have been griping about something that I think is crazy that the beloved former owners did to the house. Rose said "Why did you buy this house, then?" Wilder has also asked me this question. "Why do I have to go to this school?" "Why did you have to buy this house?" And there lies the rub. It may seem like an easy question, but that is not the intent. I have two kids that do understand on the surface, on the very flat area of the world why I bought this house, why I moved away from their father... but deep down in those seaweed infested crags of rocks where the eels and manta rays sleep they really don't understand. What kid in the world wants to understand that sort of thing? Why the two folk they love most of all aren't together in their world? I know, I know happens all the time. But certainly not an easy decision. That being said, I am happier than a pig in one big wallow of mud (hey, my house is better than that) and feel a humongous weight has been lifted way way way up and off of me. I have laughed more with my kids in the past three months than I have in the past 4 years.
And that is a blast.

Old dogs can learn new tricks

Hey. It is the day before my birthday, and I have learned two things. I feel so glowing and proud. I actually will say I learned three things.
1. When I am driving down the road, the odd numbered houses are always on my left.
This may seem like utter nonsense to you, but it reads like golden gospel to me. And yes, I realize it makes no sense. Let me bask in my undeserved knowledge.
2. I can't remember this one, but will ask daughter Rose tomorrow when I see her.
3. I think I am getting early onset alzheimer's because really, I just learned my second new exciting thing about 4 hours ago. There is no reason for me not to remember it, since I am remembering I learned it and that I am excited about it, but not really what that was.

And BIG news on the old farmthing. We have a guest coming for the winter. He is large, handsome and makes my heart go pitter pat, especially when he nuzzles me in recognition. Get your mind outta the gutter. I am talking one of my all time favorite horses who stayed with us last winter when I was deciding if I even wanted a horse full time.
I decided i did need that horse so got lovely Mr. Bey and gave back Strider to his owner who only let me have him 4 months. Strider is coming back for a while! (he is the one in the blanket, Bey with the spotty rump)
On the house to-do list front... this just made my fence replacement project a big ol' priority, since it is a wicked mess out there. Good enough for Bey temporarily, but not for two horses.
Dang, and tonight I just found a lovely used furnace to replace my old biggie. That will be my next topic. FURNACES.

Key Things and new Neighborhoods

Here it is an amazingly beautiful day. The snow is heavy on the trees, the sun is trying to peek through. Maybe this will be a forced dramatic pruning of our many fruit trees. The poor things have not been pruned in a while. I say that is jest, I don't want the branches to be breaking off those giants. The birds are getting fed chicken feed, since I ran out of birdseed. They don't seem to mind. It is better than bread. My house is a mess, I feel like we will never quite move-in. The garbage and recycle have not been picked up in two weeks, my garage is the waiting room for all the extra. I am such a well-trained recycler I could not even imagine throwing away a piece of paper. Neighbors and I would joke that when we went camping or traveling to somewhere that did not recycle, we would pack and take home our recycling. That is just crazy to me. But, we do it. What a strange and non-reckless life we lead here in the NW. When going against the grain is (HORROR) not recycling. I should not make light of this, our little neighborhood friend told us where the meth house used to be and what boys beat up what other boys. It has been such a long time, and I have been so citified(cityfied?) the thought of boys beating each other up seems antiquated. Where is that bully curriculum when you need it? I am thinkin' these kids missed that crucial lesson, or their parents believe otherwise. The meth house is another thing altogether. That is an issue that our society will be dealing with for a long time. It can absolutely destroy people.

Snow piles and some venting action

Pics: Snow on Wetlands, Horse Lookin' Bored, Creepy house shot at night.
















Not a usual thing for us here in the Pacific NW, snow has descended like a herd of loud white bats outta hell. We only have about 8 inches but it has paralyzed our area. Just to clarify for those smug east/mid-west/anyplace but here new residents who are used to having snow:
1. We do not have acres and acres of snow equipment sitting around worth 214 million (not including maintenance and staff) for three days of snow annually. The reason you like living here is we actually have other things to budget funds on.
2. Where you come from does not have MOUNTAINS people. Or even hills with the grades we do.
3. Ask the drivers who end in the ditches or spinning out, where they are from. It will not be from here. Before you all arrived, driving was actually an easy thing to do.
4. Welcome to the NW. I mean that sincerely. But don't bother griping about how much better "you do it in New York or (insert city name here)" You rippin' moved here so buck up and deal. At least the natives are NICE to you whilst you b(*&tch. We still love you. Until you tear down a 99 year old house to put up one ugly zero lot line behemoth of a house that looks like a cheerios box. Don't make your neighbors (whole neighborhood) hate you. Be aware of your surroundings and community and blend, baby, blend. Unless you live in Bellevue or Kirkland. Then you can do what ya want, because you Earned it, you Deserve it. You are so worth it, and it IS all about you. Community be damned.
Gawd. I feel so much better, I am off for another cup of coffee.

Twilight

OK. All you T'lighters or T'hards: This one is for you.
How truly could the Cullen kids ever go through high school over and over and over and over .etc etc etc.
Would they not want to contribute to the world in some way? By the time they got through that many times, you would think they would be ready to solve some big global issue, perhaps Edward could do some science oriented solutions for the world? So all you really need as a vampire is to suck blood and find your lifemate and then... boom. That is it? BORING. Could we please put a little thought into this? I am very concerned about their lack of global thinking. What is wrong with their educational experience that they could just look bored and beautiful and then at times hungry?
And, what DID Bella tell her Dad in Phoenix after hurting his feelings by leaving Forks so suddenly.
AND, what was wrong with filming in Forks and giving them the money? Because it is not as picturesque as the Columbia River and other Oregon locales. Let's be realistic. It is Forks afterall. Bella is not exactly supposed to be happy to be there originally.
I must say, however, that I highly recommend googling Jasper, Laurent, and James. Shirtless pics are popular for young heartthrobs. And, I was looking them up for Rose, BTW, not me. I barely noticed, since I could have probably given birth to any of them had I gotten pregnant at a young age.

Hi from the Web Masters

Hello world! My name's Rose and I am with my friend Nelly. I was bored today so I decided that I should make a post on my mom's blog. I have been (believe it or not) reading my own mom's blog that I technically made. >:3 (that little... thing is from Nelly). Moving on, the only blog I have is a school blog where I can post absolutely nothing and I'm to lazy to make another one. If you haven't noticed my mom is a whole lot better at writing than I am and I was not even aware of that until she made this blog. She work at a museum and she does write articles every months and grants and all that jazz. I suppose that I should have figured out that she was a decent writer but it never even occurred to me that she could even write (not that I can do any better...). Whatever, not important. So as she told you before I made her whole blog. You probably know that making a blog is pretty easy, but when your making one for her it gets pretty hard. She was half asleep so she was changing her mind every five seconds, it was ridiculous/funny. Well I shouldn't take up to much space (it's her blog, not mine). Bye bye!

Houses, traffic, and progress

Or, an alternate title: Shopping for that discount. Since I now have this old place, I am loathe to update it with current trends in housing fashions. That could be akin to having a post-war box house and turning it into a craftsman. That is not the house's origins, so it can look a bit funky. I am therefore driven to re-use or renew type stores. The ones that get called in to strip a classic home built like a tank so that thin walled condos can be built. Ah, I am showing my opinions. If you are going to call it progress, can you at least construct the new structures as well as the one you tore down?
Back to topic. So going to used house part stores in Seattle, and they charge more than if I bought it new. Which, I don't understand. BUT I found the habitat for humanity store in bremerton, and that has some old, some new, alot of wood and leftover paint and brass fixtures, etc etc for very reasonable prices. I have been back several times. I shall take out the previous owners walmart updates and at least get it back within 30 years of when it was built. I have no issues with updating the things you can't see.... water lines, electrical. plumbing, it is when the whole house is converted into whatever housing trend is suiting middle America at that exact moment that it irks me. You ask : why care? And I am sure I would not if I had not grown up in this area, and seen the drastic changes in housing, landscape and amount of green our city no longer has. That, and the layer of pollution that hangs over our heads. Gee... what do all those trees do? Suck up water so there is less flooding? Suck crap out of the air? What is it that happens when you develop large tracks of farmland way the bum%$# out from the cities where people work? With no infrastructure to handle that amount of traffic? People drive and drive and drive. The asthma level in our city has skyrocketed. No one talks of this, but everyone knows. My doctor told me to move if I wanted my asthmatic daughter to be able to breathe. Good philosophy, and I did, but not everyone has that option.

Daily Life

I am realizing this can be the news that all my friends and family always gripe that they never hear from me. I endlessly have to say "have I told you?" since it seems I am always talking and telling stories but invariably the person I am asking does not know.

Just who am I telling all these stories to if no one is saying they have heard them???

Now they can be all in one pat location.

Pic: Bella Bella Totem Pole Detail - Bear.

Blue Shoe Farm and lucky days... what??

And a bit about why blue shoe, about why lucky day.
So, recently changed homes. Moved from the city to the country (well sort of... three acres) Moved from schools where peace songs were sung in choir happily and joyfully, to an area where church songs are sung quietly in public elementary school. From a place of abundant Obama supporter bumper stickers everywhere, to sporadic Obama's and quite a few American flags and support our troops bumper stickers. All fine and dandy, but need to get used to some changes. You may hear a few of these in the next couple months.
Bought a 1904 house. And it truly is a 1904 house, this puppy is not a granite countered, recessed lighting, stainless steel applianced home. It is old and old and old. I have a bit of a tilt to my dining room, and whole tree trunks holding up the joists. It is a trip, and I love it to bits. But it is a lot of work. Like yesterday, I just found not one, not two, but three friggin' appliances dumped in the back acreage blackberries. You would not believe how often I curse out previous owners of this home. It somehow makes me feel better. I also bless them for not changing the house much. And I bought it because they raised their family in it, already had a horse barn, bmx track, and chicken coop... so it is perfectly in tune for kids and animals. I just wish I had to do less of their clean-up since I have plenty on my to-do list already.
So that is topic # 1. Hearing of the house and property.
2. You may get reports of my kids. Truly amazing... and truly children. My daughter would like to be called a teenager instead, but when ya birth 'em, you somehow always think of them as children. That being said, she will be taller than me (oh how I will rue that day) and I am one tall gal. Our son is always moving and noticing things. Dragged me outdoors the other morning at 6 something in my bare feet to see the fingers of red sunrise stretching up from the wetlands next to us. He has a keen eye and is very empathetic. And then has about 317 pounds of legos in his room that blow each other up.
3. Why Blue Shoe? As part of the property clean-up, I have found enough saws to supply a small sawmill, scales, stoves, burn piles of aluminum cans, electronic parts, glass bottles (huh??) and horse shoes. We also have a muffler dog that we painted blue. I will have to include a pic at some point, since it truly is a dog made of muffler parts. The leftover paint went to some of the found horseshoes, hence Blue Shoe Farm. Or, B.S. Farm. Rose thinks it is enormously tacky that we have a name for the farm, but much prefers the above name to my first choice... which was the Funny Farm. Technically, for the record, it is not a working farm, YET. My kids won't let me grow any animals (YET) that we end up eating. And the three acres cannot sustain feed for more than our chickens, a horse, and another as yet undetermined farm beast.
4. Why Lucky Day? After unpacking the stereo, I found some nifty new radio stations. Besides quite a few interesting talk radio programs (we shall discuss this later, but remember... lust = sin = death... this has to be my favorite talk radio program to date)(I guess since you do not know me I am totally kidding here... although that station is a blast to listen and comprehend that this is very real stuff to some radio listeners) there are stations that play music that is not played on the big city stations.
One song that played while I was doing who knows what around the house was by a wispy voiced woman singing "It is a Lucky Day", plus whatever else was in the song. There is something that has clicked for me since moving over here... I thought DANG, it is a lucky day, wrote it on my door (to the endless consternation of Rose) and have taken it to heart.
I am now listening to Rose commenting "couldn't you have just written it on a piece of paper and framed it or something?" she thinks what I do sometimes has no logic to it and is ridiculous. That is why I am the mom, and she is the teenager. I need to keep her on her toes. Can you tell she is sitting next to me?

Technologically-oriented offspring

Pic-Shipwreck near Astoria, OR
So, we shall see how far this family gets on this blog. Considering I was informed I would be creating a blog about two hours ago, as I was trying to sleep. My daughter was throwing questions "what do you want your url to be" " what should your user name be" with the helpful contributions as I mumble answers... "that doesn't make sense" and here we are.
This is definitely the divide between the younger set, Rose (just rolled into teenager-hood) and Wilder, (elementary school) and the older set, me, (wickedly roaring toward a feisty menopause) of this family. This time consuming, impersonal, two-dimensional realm of computers and mass communication will be fascinating to try out. I am intrigued by the concept of my strange one-sided communications to a world that can remain anonymous.