The hecticness of the holiday season is coming to a close. Rich, the boys, and I arrived home last night from a stay with Rich's Mom. Annie will be arriving home today from a week spent with my parents. When she arrives, it will be the first time in two weeks that all of us have been together in our home. There will be yet another round of unpacking when Annie arrives home (having the house on the market doesn't allow for the "when I get around to it" course of action). There are also approximately 6,000 loads of laundry to be done. But then. Yes, perhaps then we will have some time to sit.
It's with sadness that I just hit that "mark as read" button again. As my parents will be here for the day, there won't be time for catching up on blog reading. But this is one of those times of year when hope just springs anew---and I'm hoping that the new year will be the start of a better blogging year for me. Better, as in making more time for blog reading and commenting. Actually I'm hoping to change a lot of things in this new year. Or maybe it's just a matter of changing just one thing--my attitude--that will allow many other changes to just fall into place. I'll talk about that more tomorrow.
So how about you? Are you happy or sad or indifferent about saying goodbye to 2011 and saying hello to a whole new calendar year? Do you have big plans and hopes and dreams for the new year?
Whatever they may be, I do hope you have a wonderful journey making those dreams come true in 2012!!!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
happy everything
Well, I've reached that point here in my little world...what isn't done for this holiday season just isn't getting done. Surprisingly, I'm okay with that. When Max gets home from school this afternoon, I'll send him and Annie off to deliver cookies to the neighbors, and then we will be hitting the road. We're off to my parents' to spend the weekend. It feels odd--they've always come here for Christmas, but with the house on the market we figured this was just better all around. It will be wonderful to see Gray and Baker again--it's been so very strange here without them (they've been at my parents' for the past week). Just not the same without that sensitive, creative soul here to add to the joy.
Anyway, I really just wanted to pop in to wish everyone a lovely holiday. Whatever holiday(s) you might be celebrating. And if this is a holidayless time of year for you, have a beautiful time celebrating this awesome thing called life.
Anyway, I really just wanted to pop in to wish everyone a lovely holiday. Whatever holiday(s) you might be celebrating. And if this is a holidayless time of year for you, have a beautiful time celebrating this awesome thing called life.
Monday, December 19, 2011
projects progress...more on the 50x50
#7. Make a donation to 50 different charities (monetary or otherwise).
Item 6. Crocheted two hats for the hat and mitten tree that Max's school puts up every year. Had hoped to get more done than that--but well, when you wait until the last minute, that's what happens. Perhaps for next year, I will try to make one each month so I'll be way ahead of the game.
#11. Watch 50 documentaries.
Item 7. Gray and I watched Planet in Peril for school. And we both thought it was really good. Though I think we'll watch Strange Days on Planet Earth soon, because I think it's even better.
#16. Bake 50 different kinds of cookies.
Mmmmmm...these cookies are so incredibly yummy. (Of course non-cranberry fans likely wouldn't agree.) I used the not-freezing-dough-ahead-of-time method. (And they're scrumptious without the chocolate and nuts, too...not that I snuck any before the dipping phase or anything...)
#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library.
Item 4. The Red Market: On the Trail of the World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers by Scott Carney. A total impulse grab off the "new non-fiction" shelves at the library a few weeks back.
My random thoughts:
*This is one of those books where I'm tempted to say "I really enjoyed it" except that "enjoy" just isn't quite the most accurate word. It was utterly fascinating. And horrifying. And eye-opening.
*I'd never even heard the term "red market" before this book. The red market refers to the market in human bodies, living and dead, and human body parts. After an introduction to the whole concept of the red market, Carney begins the book with a personal story from his life, the death of one of his students. It was her death and what happened in the immediate aftermath that led to his interest in the red market. Each subsequent chapter focuses on a different sub-market--blood, bones, eggs, children, and much more.
*He admits right from the start that he's focused on the problems that crop up in the red market.
*In some ways, it might seem unfair to only look at the problematic. But he makes what to me is a very convincing argument overall. Part of what he has to say:
And extreme they are. Some of the stories are just mind-boggling. If I'd seen them in a movie, I'd have found them unbelievable...and yet these things are happening. And of course, they're happening to those most vulnerable, the world's poor.
*On the lighter side, I did want to kick the author at one point. He gave away what I can only assume is a major spoiler for Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, a book I was hoping to read very soon.
Item 6. Crocheted two hats for the hat and mitten tree that Max's school puts up every year. Had hoped to get more done than that--but well, when you wait until the last minute, that's what happens. Perhaps for next year, I will try to make one each month so I'll be way ahead of the game.
#11. Watch 50 documentaries.
Item 7. Gray and I watched Planet in Peril for school. And we both thought it was really good. Though I think we'll watch Strange Days on Planet Earth soon, because I think it's even better.
#16. Bake 50 different kinds of cookies.
Mmmmmm...these cookies are so incredibly yummy. (Of course non-cranberry fans likely wouldn't agree.) I used the not-freezing-dough-ahead-of-time method. (And they're scrumptious without the chocolate and nuts, too...not that I snuck any before the dipping phase or anything...)
#37. Read 50 books I never heard of before buying/borrowing from the library.
Item 4. The Red Market: On the Trail of the World's Organ Brokers, Bone Thieves, Blood Farmers, and Child Traffickers by Scott Carney. A total impulse grab off the "new non-fiction" shelves at the library a few weeks back.
My random thoughts:
*This is one of those books where I'm tempted to say "I really enjoyed it" except that "enjoy" just isn't quite the most accurate word. It was utterly fascinating. And horrifying. And eye-opening.
*I'd never even heard the term "red market" before this book. The red market refers to the market in human bodies, living and dead, and human body parts. After an introduction to the whole concept of the red market, Carney begins the book with a personal story from his life, the death of one of his students. It was her death and what happened in the immediate aftermath that led to his interest in the red market. Each subsequent chapter focuses on a different sub-market--blood, bones, eggs, children, and much more.
*He admits right from the start that he's focused on the problems that crop up in the red market.
By and large, I have not focused on the millions of red market transactions that go right every day. There is no doubt that without transplant technology, blood collection, and adoption programs there would be terrible human fallout. We don't need to follow the stories of people living happy lives because of something they bought on the red market. That is the story of tissue demand. It is far more important to understand how tissue makes it to the market than how it is used. This book is an exploration of the supply side of the economic equation...
*In some ways, it might seem unfair to only look at the problematic. But he makes what to me is a very convincing argument overall. Part of what he has to say:
If we want to live in a world where human lives are priceless and in some ways equal, then the market cannot be the best decider of which people have the right to other people's bodies. Inevitably even the best systems of donation break down at some point and let in criminal elements. Even if most of the time it works without people being exploited, the crimes, when they happen, are so extreme that they undermine the benefits of the entire system to society at large.
And extreme they are. Some of the stories are just mind-boggling. If I'd seen them in a movie, I'd have found them unbelievable...and yet these things are happening. And of course, they're happening to those most vulnerable, the world's poor.
*On the lighter side, I did want to kick the author at one point. He gave away what I can only assume is a major spoiler for Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, a book I was hoping to read very soon.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Dear Christmas Season,
Oh how I love you, Christmas season. I adore you. Really, I do. All the baking. And card creating. And gift making. And wrapping. All the packages to mail and stockings to fill and cookies to deliver. Yes, yes, yes, I love it all.
But... Oh Christmas season, you are exhausting. Someday, I would really love to learn balance. To learn to leave time for sitting back to relax and enjoy you peacefully. Not that I want to give up the self-imposed bustle entirely, mind you. But honestly, there must be some happy medium. Isn't there?
Look, I'm not blaming you, Christmas season, for it's ultimately my own fault... *sigh* I haven't finished a single book this month. I hit the "mark as read" button so many times it's scandalous...I haven't even a clue what my dear friends are up to these days. I haven't had a good kitty pet session in ages. And scrapbooking--ha!
Oh, if only you weren't so tantalizing, Christmas season. But since this has obviously not been the year for me to tame my obsession with you, I will just have to settle for wishing that all my so very deeply loved friends are enjoying all you have to offer. (And trust that they all still remember me when I finally escape your clutches.)
Before I go though, I really want to thank you. Because, yes, despite all the hustle and bustle, you bring so much joy to so many. And for that, Christmas season, you have my undying gratitude.
With love,
Debi
But... Oh Christmas season, you are exhausting. Someday, I would really love to learn balance. To learn to leave time for sitting back to relax and enjoy you peacefully. Not that I want to give up the self-imposed bustle entirely, mind you. But honestly, there must be some happy medium. Isn't there?
Look, I'm not blaming you, Christmas season, for it's ultimately my own fault... *sigh* I haven't finished a single book this month. I hit the "mark as read" button so many times it's scandalous...I haven't even a clue what my dear friends are up to these days. I haven't had a good kitty pet session in ages. And scrapbooking--ha!
Oh, if only you weren't so tantalizing, Christmas season. But since this has obviously not been the year for me to tame my obsession with you, I will just have to settle for wishing that all my so very deeply loved friends are enjoying all you have to offer. (And trust that they all still remember me when I finally escape your clutches.)
Before I go though, I really want to thank you. Because, yes, despite all the hustle and bustle, you bring so much joy to so many. And for that, Christmas season, you have my undying gratitude.
With love,
Debi
Monday, December 12, 2011
project progress...a 50x50 update
Not a lot, but every little bit helps.
#9. Give away 50 books.
Item 4: In a box of miscellaneous goodies I *finally* got in the mail to my much-loved friend Ana, I stuck a book I read a little while back called Pixerina Witcherina. Much of the book featured the artwork from a show about female roles in fairy tales. And it also contained three essays, one of which was written by Maria Tatar. It very much made me think of Ana. :)
#16. Bake 50 different kinds of cookies.
Well, with Christmas season here, lots and lots of cookie baking is going on. And I've been busy trying out some new additions to the repertoire this year.
Item 21: Cinnamon Crackle Cookies (Not my new favorite cookie or anything, but different enough that I will definitely be making them again. They're reminiscent of ginger cookies, but these have nutmeg as the predominant spice.)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. cream of tartar
2 tsps. nutmeg
2 tsps. grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
Cream butter, shortening, and sugars. Add egg and extracts; mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the next eight ingredients. Gradually add to the creamed mixture.
Shape into 1" balls; roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (or until lightly browned).
Item 22: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Good, but nothing amazing.)
Item 23: Double-Chip Cookies (Again, nothing fancy. But seriously yummy.)
Item 24: Nutty Orange Snowballs (Seriously good. Not too sweet with a subtle citrus flavor.)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
Cream butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange peel and extracts.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts.
Shape into 3/4" balls. Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Removed to wire racks to cool completely.
Place remaining powdered sugar in a bag. Add cookies to the bags, a few at a time, and shake to coat.
Item 25: Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies (Oh. My. God. Amazing. The recipe came from the latest issue of Vegetarian Times.)
#20. Buy 50 fair trade gifts.
Again, this one's pretty easy, being the Christmas season and all.
Item 7: A handful of ornaments for various people.
Item 8: Java drops for Tony.
Item 9: Coffee beans for a few coffee lovers on our Christmas list.
#23. Give 50 "happy something unexpected" gifts.
Sent my dear friend Ana a box of assorted goodies...but I can't say just what because it hasn't made it across the pond yet. :)
#43. Read 50 award-winning books.
Item 5: I reread Ender's Game. I "reviewed" it when I first read it. Absolutely loved it when I first read it. And you know, I can honestly say I still loved it. (I worried that I would let my very strong differences of opinion with its author affect my reading--differences I knew nothing about during my first reading--but luckily that didn't happen.)
#47. Watch 50 different seasons TV on DVD or Netflix.
Item 9: All the crocheting I've been doing for Christmas gifts has allowed me to zoom right through season 6 of Criminal Minds.
And that's it for now...hopefully I shall be checking off many more an item as the Christmas season progresses.
#9. Give away 50 books.
Item 4: In a box of miscellaneous goodies I *finally* got in the mail to my much-loved friend Ana, I stuck a book I read a little while back called Pixerina Witcherina. Much of the book featured the artwork from a show about female roles in fairy tales. And it also contained three essays, one of which was written by Maria Tatar. It very much made me think of Ana. :)
#16. Bake 50 different kinds of cookies.
Well, with Christmas season here, lots and lots of cookie baking is going on. And I've been busy trying out some new additions to the repertoire this year.
Item 21: Cinnamon Crackle Cookies (Not my new favorite cookie or anything, but different enough that I will definitely be making them again. They're reminiscent of ginger cookies, but these have nutmeg as the predominant spice.)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsps. baking soda
2 tsps. cream of tartar
2 tsps. nutmeg
2 tsps. grated orange peel
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
Cream butter, shortening, and sugars. Add egg and extracts; mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the next eight ingredients. Gradually add to the creamed mixture.
Shape into 1" balls; roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (or until lightly browned).
Item 22: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Good, but nothing amazing.)
Item 23: Double-Chip Cookies (Again, nothing fancy. But seriously yummy.)
Item 24: Nutty Orange Snowballs (Seriously good. Not too sweet with a subtle citrus flavor.)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
Cream butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in orange peel and extracts.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts.
Shape into 3/4" balls. Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Removed to wire racks to cool completely.
Place remaining powdered sugar in a bag. Add cookies to the bags, a few at a time, and shake to coat.
Item 25: Chocolate Espresso Oatmeal Cookies (Oh. My. God. Amazing. The recipe came from the latest issue of Vegetarian Times.)
#20. Buy 50 fair trade gifts.
Again, this one's pretty easy, being the Christmas season and all.
Item 7: A handful of ornaments for various people.
Item 8: Java drops for Tony.
Item 9: Coffee beans for a few coffee lovers on our Christmas list.
#23. Give 50 "happy something unexpected" gifts.
Sent my dear friend Ana a box of assorted goodies...but I can't say just what because it hasn't made it across the pond yet. :)
#43. Read 50 award-winning books.
Item 5: I reread Ender's Game. I "reviewed" it when I first read it. Absolutely loved it when I first read it. And you know, I can honestly say I still loved it. (I worried that I would let my very strong differences of opinion with its author affect my reading--differences I knew nothing about during my first reading--but luckily that didn't happen.)
#47. Watch 50 different seasons TV on DVD or Netflix.
Item 9: All the crocheting I've been doing for Christmas gifts has allowed me to zoom right through season 6 of Criminal Minds.
And that's it for now...hopefully I shall be checking off many more an item as the Christmas season progresses.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
day 2...for real...
Okay, it's pretty darn pathetic how ridiculously proud of myself I am for keeping up with our December Daily for two days straight. Just think how I'll feel if I actually make it through all 25. Yeah, yeah--no need getting ahead of myself now, is there? :P
(Day 2)
*****
Because he is absolutely as sweet as they come, Chris agreed to Christmas-a-thon with me again this weekend. Either that or he was sick of my whining and just wanted to shut me up. :P My goal is to get the darn Christmas cards made and addressed, do some more wrapping, bake at least two kinds of cookies, and crochet and/or knit my ass off. It's scary to think that there's really only about two weeks left to get gifts finished that must be mailed. No, scary is not a strong enough word...if I counted correctly, I have ten gifts to complete by then. And then a pile more that need to be done by Christmas itself. Will I ever freakin' learn? Ever?
How about you? Are you all prepared for the holidays yet?
*****
Because he is absolutely as sweet as they come, Chris agreed to Christmas-a-thon with me again this weekend. Either that or he was sick of my whining and just wanted to shut me up. :P My goal is to get the darn Christmas cards made and addressed, do some more wrapping, bake at least two kinds of cookies, and crochet and/or knit my ass off. It's scary to think that there's really only about two weeks left to get gifts finished that must be mailed. No, scary is not a strong enough word...if I counted correctly, I have ten gifts to complete by then. And then a pile more that need to be done by Christmas itself. Will I ever freakin' learn? Ever?
How about you? Are you all prepared for the holidays yet?
Friday, December 2, 2011
more of that happiness project...and the start of December Daily...
Leave it to Jean to go above and beyond. :D
While I will, of course, be adding this list to the master happiness project list found here, I just had to share the list that Jean made for me. I asked Jean for a list of creativity prompts...and damn, did she deliver. Not only did she email me the list, but she made me little cards that I can randomly pick from.
And here's the list itself. Her sons helped a bit by adding a few interesting suggestions of their own. :P
1. Look out a window. Write a haiku about what you see there.
2. Write a limerick about someone or something that upsets you.
3. Draw a picture with your non-dominant hand.
4. Wash your hair, put it up in old-fashioned pincurls, and let it dry. Take a photo of the resulting ‘do.
5. Open a cookbook to a random page and select a random recipe. Make it.
6. Make a pie combining two (or more) fruits that you have never eaten together.
7. Design your own mixed drink. Make it.
8. Graffiti your name on a wall (or a large piece of paper, posterboard, etc.).
9. STEVE: Make an illustrated children’s guide to more than one way to skin a cat.
10. Make a figure from things you would otherwise recycle or throw away. Take a photo of it then recycle or throw away the items.
11. On a round plate, make a face out of food items. Eat it yourself, or share it.
12. Devise a code or cipher. Write a love note to Rich using it. If he can’t decode it, you can give him a clue to help him.
13. Dye some wool yarn or fabric using KoolAid. If you need directions, see http://www.thepiper.com/fiberart/koolaid/basic-howto.html
14. Make greeting cards based around a knock-knock jokes you get from Max and Gray (one joke from each). Let each of them decide to whom the card should be sent.
15. STEVE: Make a dinner that is against the teachings of as many major religions as possible.
16. DON: Plan and execute the perfect crime. (Jean says that you don’t have to do the “execute” part unless it’s a victimless crime.)
17. DON: Become the supervillain “The Noodler.” (Jean’s alternative: Choose a superpower and design your own superhero or supervillain. Be that hero or villain for an hour.)
18. Make a name bug. (Fold a piece of paper. Write a name in cursive using the fold as the line. Be creative with letters with tails. Cut out the name including any openings in letters. Open the fold. The resulting shape is the name bug.)
19. What can you put into a cookie (bar or round variety) that you’ve never put in one before? Make them.
20. Write a love note to Rich in Pig Latin.
21. Create your own clown persona. Be that clown for an hour including making one phone call.
22. Save the seeds from all the fruit you eat in a day. Plant them and see what comes up.
23. Make and decorate gngerbread people. Eat them creatively.
24. Design some mutant animals ala Jean’s Beanie Baby Mutations (on paper is fine).
25. Make a fruit sculpture. Serve it.
26. Using torn tissue paper and white craft glue, make a collage.
27. Take a photo upside down, looking between your legs.
28. Write a letter in a circle, from the outside to the inside.
29. Make up a song even if you can’t write the music to it.
30. Take a white-on-white photo (e.g., a white cup sitting on a white saucer on a white countertop).
31. Step in paint and make footprints on a large piece of newsprint, posterboard, etc.
32. Tie-dye a shirt. (You may use a kit.)
33. Origami something.
34. Make a list of things or people that annoy you. Destroy it creatively.
35. Take a funny-walk walk (ala “Walk Like an Egyptian”).
36. Do a self-portrait. Oh, you only have two minutes in which to do it, so you had better get started.
37. Make a meal that can be served and eaten without utensils.
38. The Soundtrack of Debi’s Life. What songs would be on it? What would the liner notes be? The cover art? If you really get into this, burn it onto a CD and add the liner notes and artwork.
39. Come up with a family motto and devise a family coat of arms.
40. Write a song parody ala Weird Al Yankovic.
41. Take a night-time photo, painting with your camera by moving it while looking at the lights of a city, a Christmas tree, etc.
42. Take 26 photos, one for each letter of the alphabet. Example: A rolled-up hose hanging on a wall can be an “O.”
43. Make a sock puppet. Have it be your voice for an hour.
44. Draw or otherwise make a maze.
45. Randomly choose one herb or spice from your herb/spice cabinet or rack. Randomly choose a vegetable from your supply. Google them along with “recipe,” and make one of the top three recipes the search yields.
46. Make a purse out of a bra. For help getting started, see http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Bra-Purse
47. Make a greeting card based on a sentence diagram or the art of sentence diagramming.
48. Open a dictionary to a random page and choose a random word. Make a greeting card based on or using that word. Let Annie decide to whom the card should be sent.
49.Make a greeting card based on a rebus.
50. Discharge dye something. (A bleach pen is a great way to start.)
Looks like I definitely have some fun in my future, doesn't it?
*****
And changing gears, I am so proud of myself! I actually started our December Daily album!
(the front cover)
(Day 1)
Yep, last night we put up our tree so that definitely trumped anything else I might have wanted to document for December 1st. As usual, we had a ton of fun. The kids carefully(?) hung all the ornaments as we talked about who had made this one or that one. We had Christmas music playing, and we contributed some not so professional singing to the mix. And the trimming was followed by the traditional eggnog. And there was the bonus prize of fresh-baked Snickerdoodles. And as usual, it took Lucky all of three seconds to plop himself in his favorite cozy spot.
While I will, of course, be adding this list to the master happiness project list found here, I just had to share the list that Jean made for me. I asked Jean for a list of creativity prompts...and damn, did she deliver. Not only did she email me the list, but she made me little cards that I can randomly pick from.
And here's the list itself. Her sons helped a bit by adding a few interesting suggestions of their own. :P
1. Look out a window. Write a haiku about what you see there.
2. Write a limerick about someone or something that upsets you.
3. Draw a picture with your non-dominant hand.
4. Wash your hair, put it up in old-fashioned pincurls, and let it dry. Take a photo of the resulting ‘do.
5. Open a cookbook to a random page and select a random recipe. Make it.
6. Make a pie combining two (or more) fruits that you have never eaten together.
7. Design your own mixed drink. Make it.
8. Graffiti your name on a wall (or a large piece of paper, posterboard, etc.).
9. STEVE: Make an illustrated children’s guide to more than one way to skin a cat.
10. Make a figure from things you would otherwise recycle or throw away. Take a photo of it then recycle or throw away the items.
11. On a round plate, make a face out of food items. Eat it yourself, or share it.
12. Devise a code or cipher. Write a love note to Rich using it. If he can’t decode it, you can give him a clue to help him.
13. Dye some wool yarn or fabric using KoolAid. If you need directions, see http://www.thepiper.com/fiberart/koolaid/basic-howto.html
14. Make greeting cards based around a knock-knock jokes you get from Max and Gray (one joke from each). Let each of them decide to whom the card should be sent.
15. STEVE: Make a dinner that is against the teachings of as many major religions as possible.
16. DON: Plan and execute the perfect crime. (Jean says that you don’t have to do the “execute” part unless it’s a victimless crime.)
17. DON: Become the supervillain “The Noodler.” (Jean’s alternative: Choose a superpower and design your own superhero or supervillain. Be that hero or villain for an hour.)
18. Make a name bug. (Fold a piece of paper. Write a name in cursive using the fold as the line. Be creative with letters with tails. Cut out the name including any openings in letters. Open the fold. The resulting shape is the name bug.)
19. What can you put into a cookie (bar or round variety) that you’ve never put in one before? Make them.
20. Write a love note to Rich in Pig Latin.
21. Create your own clown persona. Be that clown for an hour including making one phone call.
22. Save the seeds from all the fruit you eat in a day. Plant them and see what comes up.
23. Make and decorate gngerbread people. Eat them creatively.
24. Design some mutant animals ala Jean’s Beanie Baby Mutations (on paper is fine).
25. Make a fruit sculpture. Serve it.
26. Using torn tissue paper and white craft glue, make a collage.
27. Take a photo upside down, looking between your legs.
28. Write a letter in a circle, from the outside to the inside.
29. Make up a song even if you can’t write the music to it.
30. Take a white-on-white photo (e.g., a white cup sitting on a white saucer on a white countertop).
31. Step in paint and make footprints on a large piece of newsprint, posterboard, etc.
32. Tie-dye a shirt. (You may use a kit.)
33. Origami something.
34. Make a list of things or people that annoy you. Destroy it creatively.
35. Take a funny-walk walk (ala “Walk Like an Egyptian”).
36. Do a self-portrait. Oh, you only have two minutes in which to do it, so you had better get started.
37. Make a meal that can be served and eaten without utensils.
38. The Soundtrack of Debi’s Life. What songs would be on it? What would the liner notes be? The cover art? If you really get into this, burn it onto a CD and add the liner notes and artwork.
39. Come up with a family motto and devise a family coat of arms.
40. Write a song parody ala Weird Al Yankovic.
41. Take a night-time photo, painting with your camera by moving it while looking at the lights of a city, a Christmas tree, etc.
42. Take 26 photos, one for each letter of the alphabet. Example: A rolled-up hose hanging on a wall can be an “O.”
43. Make a sock puppet. Have it be your voice for an hour.
44. Draw or otherwise make a maze.
45. Randomly choose one herb or spice from your herb/spice cabinet or rack. Randomly choose a vegetable from your supply. Google them along with “recipe,” and make one of the top three recipes the search yields.
46. Make a purse out of a bra. For help getting started, see http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Bra-Purse
47. Make a greeting card based on a sentence diagram or the art of sentence diagramming.
48. Open a dictionary to a random page and choose a random word. Make a greeting card based on or using that word. Let Annie decide to whom the card should be sent.
49.Make a greeting card based on a rebus.
50. Discharge dye something. (A bleach pen is a great way to start.)
Looks like I definitely have some fun in my future, doesn't it?
*****
And changing gears, I am so proud of myself! I actually started our December Daily album!
Yep, last night we put up our tree so that definitely trumped anything else I might have wanted to document for December 1st. As usual, we had a ton of fun. The kids carefully(?) hung all the ornaments as we talked about who had made this one or that one. We had Christmas music playing, and we contributed some not so professional singing to the mix. And the trimming was followed by the traditional eggnog. And there was the bonus prize of fresh-baked Snickerdoodles. And as usual, it took Lucky all of three seconds to plop himself in his favorite cozy spot.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
a good old dose of rambling...
In another of those "It can't possibly be so!" moments, we find ourselves in the month of December. December, already.
I don't know about you, but despite the good intentions of having most of my preparations done before December arrives so I can sit back and just relax during the holiday season, again it just hasn't happened. Not that I haven't been hard at work, just that I put way too much on my Christmas plate once again. But you know, I'm not sure I'd be content to have it any other way. Because, yes, it's stressful to have so many added things on the to-do list, but really these are the things I find such happiness in doing. Making gifts and handmade cards and wrapping paper, baking more than an entire town should probably eat, wrapping, wrapping, and more wrapping, decorating all the nooks and crannies...
There's a monkey wrench in the system this year. A good monkey wrench though! Our house officially went on the market Monday, and thus there's now a necessity to keep the house as immaculate as possible. Hard enough with three kiddos and a multitude of other animal friends, but with so many projects in process...*sigh* it's exhausting.
*****
Our internet has been on the flake for the past couple weeks. That's putting it mildly. It has been driving us freakin' crazy. As in it's out far more often than not. As in it often stays on for only minutes at a time, and that makes it hard to actually do anything, like respond to an email or read an entire blog post or do certain homeschool activities or watch anything on Netflix streaming... I'm simply going to have to use that "mark as read" button, as sad as that makes me. Today, they are delivering a new modem, which they say *must* be the problem as they've tried everything else. How it took them two weeks to come to this conclusion is beyond me, as it's what I, computer moron extraordinaire, suspected from the start. Good news being that hopefully today will finally bring an end to this particular annoyance.
*****
Why, hello again internet connection. Nice of you to pay another visit. (Particular annoyance not yet resolved.)
So...December 1st. Today brings so many fun things with it. The start of our Advent goodies that my Mom prepares for us. She even makes an Advent bowl for Baker. :)
Tonight we shall be putting up our Christmas tree--an event Gray proclaims to enjoy as much as Christmas day itself. (Our traditional drinking of eggnog as we decorate the tree may just have something to do with that. :P )
I'm also hoping that this will be the year that I finally make our first December Daily album. Well, my album itself is already made--I made it back in November of 2008. But December 1st of that year was the day I learned that my dear friend Dewey had died. Needless to say, the album didn't get filled that year. So much didn't get done that December... Anyway, I hope this is the year I finally fill the album with a snapshot of our lives in December.
*****
Cookie baking has begun. Thus far, I have tried two new recipes--one for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and one for Cinnamon Crinkles, both of which are yummy but not ones that will break into the favorites list.
I've also baked three batches of the base part of our all-time favorite holiday cookie--Fairy Drops. Our freezer is fast filling up. (I'll share the recipe for these when I get to frosting phase.) These are the cookies that I give to all our neighbors, the library staff, the staff at the kiddos' dentist office, etc. They're both pretty and ridiculously delicious. Anyway, I have several more kinds to whip out over the next week and a half (today is Snickerdoodle day...mmmm...), and then I shall move on to snack mixes, and then candy... December is a busy kitchen month. :)
*****
Okay, I really ought to shut up now... How about a kitty pic instead?
I don't know about you, but despite the good intentions of having most of my preparations done before December arrives so I can sit back and just relax during the holiday season, again it just hasn't happened. Not that I haven't been hard at work, just that I put way too much on my Christmas plate once again. But you know, I'm not sure I'd be content to have it any other way. Because, yes, it's stressful to have so many added things on the to-do list, but really these are the things I find such happiness in doing. Making gifts and handmade cards and wrapping paper, baking more than an entire town should probably eat, wrapping, wrapping, and more wrapping, decorating all the nooks and crannies...
There's a monkey wrench in the system this year. A good monkey wrench though! Our house officially went on the market Monday, and thus there's now a necessity to keep the house as immaculate as possible. Hard enough with three kiddos and a multitude of other animal friends, but with so many projects in process...*sigh* it's exhausting.
*****
Our internet has been on the flake for the past couple weeks. That's putting it mildly. It has been driving us freakin' crazy. As in it's out far more often than not. As in it often stays on for only minutes at a time, and that makes it hard to actually do anything, like respond to an email or read an entire blog post or do certain homeschool activities or watch anything on Netflix streaming... I'm simply going to have to use that "mark as read" button, as sad as that makes me. Today, they are delivering a new modem, which they say *must* be the problem as they've tried everything else. How it took them two weeks to come to this conclusion is beyond me, as it's what I, computer moron extraordinaire, suspected from the start. Good news being that hopefully today will finally bring an end to this particular annoyance.
*****
Why, hello again internet connection. Nice of you to pay another visit. (Particular annoyance not yet resolved.)
So...December 1st. Today brings so many fun things with it. The start of our Advent goodies that my Mom prepares for us. She even makes an Advent bowl for Baker. :)
Tonight we shall be putting up our Christmas tree--an event Gray proclaims to enjoy as much as Christmas day itself. (Our traditional drinking of eggnog as we decorate the tree may just have something to do with that. :P )
I'm also hoping that this will be the year that I finally make our first December Daily album. Well, my album itself is already made--I made it back in November of 2008. But December 1st of that year was the day I learned that my dear friend Dewey had died. Needless to say, the album didn't get filled that year. So much didn't get done that December... Anyway, I hope this is the year I finally fill the album with a snapshot of our lives in December.
*****
Cookie baking has begun. Thus far, I have tried two new recipes--one for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and one for Cinnamon Crinkles, both of which are yummy but not ones that will break into the favorites list.
I've also baked three batches of the base part of our all-time favorite holiday cookie--Fairy Drops. Our freezer is fast filling up. (I'll share the recipe for these when I get to frosting phase.) These are the cookies that I give to all our neighbors, the library staff, the staff at the kiddos' dentist office, etc. They're both pretty and ridiculously delicious. Anyway, I have several more kinds to whip out over the next week and a half (today is Snickerdoodle day...mmmm...), and then I shall move on to snack mixes, and then candy... December is a busy kitchen month. :)
*****
Okay, I really ought to shut up now... How about a kitty pic instead?
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