February In Pictures

You don't want to read pages about the boring stuff we've been doing since the last time I posted., so here are a lot of pictures to make the boring stories a little easier to bear.

Here is Holly on the way back from a trip to Urgent Care to have two stitches put in her forehead.  While jumping on a mattress at a friend's house, she ran her head into the corner of a bunk bed.  The cleaning and stitching was a traumatic experience for her AND for Mom... but a lollipop and the promise of ice cream helped to put this slightly forced smile onto her face.

We used a really cool idea I saw on Pinterest to make these Valentines for Holly to give out.  I took a picture of her holding out her fist toward the camera, then added some text and graphics to it using Picnik, an online photo editor that can do techy editing as well as fun editing.  (It was my first time using Picnik, and I thought it was cool, but I hear the site is closing down in April.  So then I heard of iPiccy, and it's really cool too.)   We uploaded the finished photo to Walgreens and printed out 40 or so, then used a razor to make a slice at the top and bottom of her fist.  We slid in a Dum-dum, and, voila!  So cute!

It turned out so good, Faith wanted to do it, too.  Hers turned out just as awesome!

A week after the stitches went in, they came out.  The removal was a little painful too, but Holly was brave, and a popsicle and then lunch with Mom made everything better.  Then she got to go to school and show off her war wound to her friends.

I planted the first seeds of the year, broccoli.  I am using SproutRobot to tell me when to plant each of my crops.  It tells when to start seeds indoors, when to expect them to sprout, and when to transplant outside, all based on my zip code.  I'm putting a lot of faith in this thing so I hope it works.  You can't tell real well from this picture, but I made the seedling pots out of some newspaper and masking tape.  Then I stuck them into this handy greenhouse (formerly a zippered bag that a sheet set came in).  It worked excellently.

Emily continues to act spoiled and be spoiled.

Check out my cute baby broccoli plants!  They sprouted over a week earlier than they were "supposed" to. The most difficult thing was choosing which of the three sprouts in each pot to keep, and which to thin out.  It felt like planticide.

The girls went to an awesome birthday party at Pump It Up.  Two rooms full of inflatable bouncy play equipment, and to make it even more fun, most of the time the lights were off and only some black lights and disco lights were on.  Add glow necklaces and bracelets and some loud pop music, and it was a blast, even for grownups.  Here, you can see that Holly came down the inflatable slide so fast that she bounced right off the bottom of it.

An hour of bouncing + getting sugared up with birthday cake + past bedtime = goofy fun.

I hope I don't lose all gardening cred for this, but I could not resist this potato growing pot I found at Walmart.  It even came with the three seed potatoes.  I saw (again on Pinterest) a DIY potato growing tower made of wire fencing, straw and compost, and I thought it looked really cool, but I am already extending myself a bit far with all these other things I'm trying to grow this year.  I have gotten overly ambitious and then failed in a grandiose manner in past years, so I don't want to go TOO far.  So I'll grow potatoes this year (hopefully) in this handy pot and then try the hippier way another year.

Dan was digging a trench in which to lay a pipe for my repaired gutter, and behind some weeds he found this fellow.  Possibly due to the chill in the air, or possibly due to the lump in his body that suggested he had just eaten something, this snake didn't try to escape from Dan's hand.  He did flick his tongue many times in displeasure.  At least I assume it was displeasure.  Really I have no way at all of knowing what this snake likes and doesn't like.  Hopefully he likes his new home in the even weedier alleyway behind my house.

Last but not least:  Thea and Faith each won a ribbon and a trophy today at the Pathfinder Pinewood Derby.  Thea's racecar came in second for her church's group in the Teen level, and Faith's car came in second in the Junior level.  Then, Thea's show car, which was decorated like a banana split, took third place Best In Show for the whole conference.  Faith's show car, a forest, took third place Most Unusual for the conference.

From the mess to the masses

You probably weren't wondering what I am listening to these days but I'm going to tell you anyway.  It's "Lisztomania" by Phoenix, which was a big favorite of mine about two years ago.  I liked the original a lot, I liked the version that the kids from New York's PS22 Chorus did, and now I can't quit listening to this "Alex Metric Remix:"

It's super dancey, isn't it?  I am a little disturbed by the video footage of the chickens, but I understand it is from the 1992 movie "Baraka," which I had never heard of but which plenty of people on the internet say changed their lives.  So now it's on my list of movies to see.

Little off subject there.  As I was saying, super dancey, isn't it?

I have almost finished the baby hat I am crocheting, and then I have to plop it on my friend's baby's head and see if it fits!  I've also started crocheting a basic wrap sweater for myself.  I have been using Pinterest for a little while now, and it has this way of making you feel like you could be a super crafter if you only had the time, hence the crocheting.  I also have been pinning favorite music over there if you want to have a listen.

As for my reading progress, I was enjoying "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" so much, and then somehow I just quit reading for like two weeks.  I don't really know what happened.  I need to pick it back up again, because I have a ton of other books on the shelf that I need to get to this year as well.

Here's a gratuitous picture of Holly wearing her new Old Navy Valentine's dress:

Yes, it was taken with my phone using the "Retro Camera" app, which those of us who don't use Instagram, due to owning Android phones, use.  I guess it's a little bit hipster of me, but it sure is cute, isn't it?

untitled in January

We had a rare 60-degree January day today.  It started off with a thunderstorm, even.  If all winter was like this, aside from one or two snow days that keep me home from work, I would never have what they call "the winter doldrums" and what I call "gahhhh life sucks!!!!"

Following up from last week, my haircut experience went well.  I'm pleased with how it turned out, although it does require a little more styling, "encouragement," shall we say, since I've got long bangs now.  Bangs have traditionally been a problem for me.  They just don't behave like bangs should.  (In high school I used a curling iron to make them into a big pouf, like Charlie Brown's sister Sally, that I don't think was EVER stylish.)  The bangs I have now are meant to be swept to the side, which means the hair dryer and/or the curling iron have to be briefly applied.

Here is the before

And here is the after

When I look at pictures of myself I always think I need to wear lipstick.  But when I look at myself in the mirror with lipstick on, I think I look ridiculous.

Thea enjoyed skiing last week.  Faith didn't enjoy it as much but she still had a fun trip and said she's willing to give it another try sometime.

I took up crocheting again last month, basically for the first time since I was in high school.  I've been easing back in with simple stuff like potholders/coasters

and granny squares.

The granny squares were from this pattern and the coasters from this one.  I do a couple of granny squares a week, and I figure at some point I'll have enough to sew them together and make a blanket.  Neato!  Now I'm ready to tackle a real project -- a little hat for my friend's baby.

New pictures, from our trip to Six Flags America (back in August, yes I'm behind on posting pictures), are up here.  Enjoy!

Slumber party

I'm having a slumber party tonight with my favorite five-year-old.

We watched "Tangled", played a princess matching game (I lost three games in a row), and now she's zonked out in my bed. Tomorrow we will probably use her free birthday meal certificate at Bob Evans.

I just talked to Thea and Faith on Oovoo.  They are in Pennsylvania with two friends and Dan (who is earning so many brownie points this weekend).  Tomorrow morning bright and early they'll be heading to Jack Frost for their first time skiing.

Thursday thinking

I still miss Augie a lot.  I thought I heard him meow the other day, and I keep expecting to see him laying on the dog's bed or to come climb in my lap while I'm sitting on the floor.  Our other elderly cat, Spot, is turning 18 in April.  For now he is in decent health.  He notices Augie's absence, though.  The first night Augie was gone, Spot wandered through the house all night meowing.  They used to sleep together on the dog's bed.

Aside from Spotty we have two other cats, Emily and Benny, who are about 2.5 and 3 years old, respectively. Then there's good old Chester, the dog, who we guess to be about 9.  I do love a house full of pets, despite the cost, the mess, the work, and the inevitable heartache that comes along with it.

Augie and Spotty enjoying a sunny spot at the back door.  Nov 2011

Thea and Faith are going skiing for the first time this weekend.  I've never really had an interest in skiing, but I'm happy they're going to have the opportunity to try it.  They are excited.  Holly and I are staying home by ourselves.  I told her it was going to be a special Holly-and-Mommy night.  Her eyes got wide and she said, "Let's have a movie night!  With EATING!"  So, movies and eating it will be.

I'm getting a haircut tomorrow.  This is only news because I don't get my hair cut often, and when I do, it's usually just a trim.  This time I really am looking for a new style (if you can call the shapeless mess I have now a "style").  It remains to be seen whether I can communicate my wishes to the stylist, whether she can cut it that way, whether my hair will actually do what the girl's hair in the picture is doing, and then whether I can actually pull it off myself at home.

Augie

Today we had to say goodbye to Augie, our oldest cat.  You never think of this moment... when you are holding the tiny kitten in the palm of your hand; when he is chasing a string you are dragging around the house;  when he is tumbling on the carpet with his adopted sister; when he is snuggled next to you in bed purring; when he is rubbing his head on your chin; when he is meowing for his dinner; when he realizes you are sad and climbs into your lap to comfort you... You never think of this moment that you will have to say goodbye.  This is the crappy side of pet ownership.

Augie was only about 8 weeks old when we brought him home from the pound.  He was indeed small enough to sit in the palm of Rick's hand.  Over the years he moved with us to three more houses, saw many adopted brothers and sisters come and go, and saw three rambunctious children added to the mix.  Augie accepted the kids with grace -- he never scratched or bit them, although he stayed well out of their way when he didn't feel like dealing with them.

Augie lived nearly 19 years with us.  He was a good friend.  He was a good cat.  The doctor and techs at Arbutus Veterinary Hospital helped him complete his life's journey with peace and dignity, and I held him at the end and thanked him for everything and told him how much I love him.

Rest now in peace, Augie.  1993-2012

Augie performing his trademark forehead-bump on his first day home from the pound.  1993

Tiny Augie  1993

Augie and Allie the day they knocked a bag of flour off the top of the refrigerator and made little white footprints all over the apartment.  1994

My first babies.  1994

Augie watching over me and just-born Holly.  2006

Just this past summer, Augie relaxing on Holly's bed.  2011

The Lady

Holly found a picture similar to this in a book about cats -- Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman

She brought it to me and said, "Look Mom, is this Lady Gaga?"