Thursday tidbits.

It's 9:43 am. Girl is grumpy, Boy is a noisemaker. But at least he has a willing heart. I can put up with the noise for that.

10:41 am The kitchen is clean, and the living room picked up. Three loads of wash are out on the lines, and all that can be folded and put away is. Bacon has been had by all, and soon I will be hearing scales on the piano.

3:36 pm. The kids have both done a bit of work, the transcripts are stuck in my computer until Papa gets home, but they are done. I did a bit of work in the studio, and more tidying up. Everyone had lunch, and all is well.
LB

tidbits tuesday: chronological style

2:30 pm.
I am procrastinating on the transcripts. R is working on his reading lists for the last two years. He is definitely getting a credit for literature. I have done a bunch of AFF work between assigning him tasks. This transcript writing is tough work! I am using the model Jean put on her blog. Wish us luck.
4:30 pm
Getting ready to take E to swimming lessons. I have this to peruse, between watching and occasionally waving to the Girl, going over literature with the boy, and encouraging him to watch the Girl for swimming techniques he can coach her on this week. There is also another Mama there who visits a bit with me as well. It can be warm, but it is also enjoyable.
6:00 pm While R was waiting for E in side, I got the air conditioning going while I touched base with the Dude by phone, as he is away tonight.
6:30 pm Stopped at a fast food place, even though I said I wouldn't. Tasted good and made life easier.
9:00 pm Neighbor Girls heading home, R is cleaning up a nasty hairball incident, and then we are gonna head into the studio for an hour or so. The kids can paint papers for me while I tidy up, and then we will experiment with my new adirondak dabbers, and various spray inks. I have become addicted to these two products (I will let you find those for yourself at Joggles.) I have samples to make! And kids are great assistants in the studio. They inspire me.
10:30 pm I tell the kids to head upstairs. E painted a picture with oil pastels, R worked on a giant Lego guy, and I got all the table tops to a visible state. I changed the black plastic on my paint table, and installed a tall shelf (that we got free off the side of the road one day when we were running errands with Gramma) at the end of my paint table. It holds a lot, looks good, and is a nice room divider between the studio and the basement door/ mudroom/ laundryroom areas.
11:10 I dragged R's sorry tush out of the steamy (no fan again, sigh) bathroom, and tucked the kids into bed. I don't feel the least bit sleepy, and now that I have found the tables, want to play a bit. Do I sleep or make art?

See you later, Alligator,
See you soon you big Baboon.
Oops. Did I say that out loud?
Off to the Studio Depths of TurtleWorks,
LB

LB

Hi! I fell off the panet again,

but I am back in the blogosphere again.

I am so remiss in the care and feeding of this little bloggy. I have been spending much of my time working on the Art For Food blog and google group (link on the blog in sidebar), and taking action in that project. I would love it if you took a gander and let me know what you think. It could use some comments to liven it up!

Other snatches of my time are being spent here, writing transcripts for both kids, and working to meet a Friday deadline of turning them in to the online high school they both want to attend in September. I will be done teaching in two months! I will still supervise and support, but no longer will I be responsible for creating courses, shopping for textbooks, scheduling, planning and executing their schoolwork! And someone else can write their bloody transcripts for the next few years!

I can go back to just being Mom, and spend several hours a day at TurtleWorks. Do you know how exciting all of this is?

Oh- I forgot to tell you. Piano Girl will be skipping 8th grade and going straight into ninth. How cool is that? I am really proud of her.

To have that time to really devote to and really focus on my art. Happy sigh. A dream come true. A miracle I cannot wait to experience. I have to admit to being envious to many of the artists whose blogs are in my sidebar. They have concentrated chunks of time they can work in, and actually finish what they start! They are real artists, and this is another step on my path to being a full-time working artist, and being a contribution to my family through my art. Woot!!

Talk soon,
LB

Tidbit: Angst

I am so fighting mother angst right now. Why is it that it just doesn't seem to matter how much I accomplish or how positive I have worked to be- there is always something very important I didn't get done, one more nice thing I could have said, etc.

Monday Musings and Weekend Catchup

Howdy Folks, and welcome to Monday and the weekend catchup.

Just after I finished blogging on Friday, I had this weird feeling- I had to get to Joann Fabrics NOW- something I just had to have was waiting for me. Ask Gramma- this 6th sense kinda thing happens sometimes, and when it does, you ignore it to your pocketbook's peril. So off we went. I was rewarded in the fabric paint department. You know how I said I needed some Lumiere paint? Well, this particular Joann's was having a closeout on certain colors, and they were available not for their normal retail price of $4 to $4.99, but for .25 or .50 or .99 each! I had the Girl do the math, and she came up with these figures: We bought 17 jars of paint, for less than $11. that was worth $58. How fun is that! There weren't a ton of colors left to choose from, but I got several I use often, and a few I hadn't tried yet. No citron, but that's okay. I will use them and be very happy about this bargain.

Saturday morning I lost one man at the airport, and picked up another in his stead. Meaning the Dude left for Hawaii at 9:30 am, and the Fine Young Man flew in at 9:30. We picked him up, and headed to Applebee's (I have to say that I actually think Denny's does a better job and a cheap, yet hearty breakfast.) for brekky, where we sat for over an hour, sipping orange juice and bottomless lemonade while listening to his adventures in Las Vegas at Nationals. At one point, he had us laughing so hard we were trying not to pee our pants. He had a fabu time, learned a lot from watching others, made new friends, and strengthened relationships. After that, we drove to two different Joann's, hoping to find more paints on sale. No such luck, but we had a wonderful time together.

I have heard from my Dude several times. He made it safely to Heelo, but it took all day Saturday to get there. He has been so sweet, sharing this adventure with me over the phone. He had Sunday to play and sightsee a bit before he starts working today. So far, he has let me listen to birds and frogs over the phone, taken me hiking to a volcano, shared his dinner with me a couple of times, and (the best part) showed me a wonderful hawksbill turtle in a tidepool, waiting for the tide to take her back out to sea. We have looked at the beautiful green water, watched sunrises together (He is 3 hours behind us instead of the usual 3 hours ahead when he travels.), and have enjoyed people watching. Isn't it amazing how much can be done over a cell phone? Seriously, his open sharing about how amazing a place Hawaii is has made it much easier to be gracious about not being able to share it in real life with him.

Sunday was spent at Unity, and then with Gramma. Man do I feel blessed that she is here to enjoy several times a week. She makes my day whenever I am lucky enough to be with her.

I had a hard time sleeping last night, so we got up on the late side this morning. I am just getting ready to make a do list for this week. There are errands to run, meals to cook, chores to be done, gardens to weed, bills to pay, kids to teach, and art to make. The usual.

Kids are out on the back deck, grilling a steak. The Boy is very confused by the fact that I asked him to grill a steak for brekky- I guess he hasn't tried steak and eggs before. The steak was starting to go, and this way we can nibble on it here and there. After brekky, I will hang out the wash to dry, and weed the blueberry bed. I also have a zillion phone calls to make.

Talk soon.
LB

Tidbits: short and sweet

Howdy folks!
I am busy again, so here are just a few tidbits for you- link away!
1. The Fine Young Man is here. Think First Place Thoughts! And no, I am not locked up. I have come so far from when my baby girl traveled a year ago.
2. This is what Piano Girl and I did last night. We had a blast, and met lots of fun new folks.
3. This is my new phone, with which I am becoming acquainted today. This was my old phone. Quite a difference, hmm?

Okay, off to plant seeds, do laundry, program my phone, and make art.
TTFN,
LB

Random tidbits.

I am here, busy excrutiatingly busy. In no particular order, I am charging my new cell phone (old one died this week), trying to get more work done on my online classes, washing laundry, helping the Boy to pack, ferrying kids to this and to that, buying chicken food, picking up the Boy's suit from being altered, folding laundry, paying bills, running downstairs to add another log to the fire, or to add a fresh layer of paint, running errands to the post office, and the grocery, supervising piano practice, doing dishes, copying cake recipes for friends, ordering high school transcripts, blah blah la la la la la.

What else? I have created my Etsy shop, and am taking photos of items ready to add. It should be up by Sunday. The only things left to plant in the garden are carrots, beets, and radishes. Hopefully do that tomorrow. The Boy leaves at 6 am tomorrow morning. I don't want to talk about it. I plan on doing as much art as possible while he is gone, to use my time well, and to keep my mind off the fact he is in Las Vegas, trying to be first in the nation in Humorous Interp.
We are supposed to go to the B family's on Sunday, after visiting Gramma, for one of our barbecues. I will try to update soon.
LB
I have been taking photos, will hopefully post them this weekend. Lots to do, lots to do.

Tidbit: Weird weather

Dy is gonna hate me for this post, poor thing. It has been normal weather for her- hot and humid, with an extra side of hot. I so wish she could be here for some of this wonderful, yet weird for this time of year weather.

Here in the pacific northwest, it has been very strange. In the mornings, it is 45 to 50 degrees out. It sometimes gets up into the mid 60's during the day, and then heads back down at night. It has been raining, raining, raining. Raining the way most folks think it does on a normal basis here, but really doesn't. Usually, living in this luscious temperate rain forest, we get rain spray, or when someone asks if it is raining, we can say, "Nope, it's just spittin' at us.". Usually, we don't really need an umbrella. But lately, the rain has been those big fat drops that mean business. And the wind! It has been so very windy here that Papa had to tie down the baby fruit trees! It blew so hard yesterday, the power was actually out a few hours. And there was snow in the pass yesterday! They were expecting a foot of snow. Can you believe it?

For some folks, this would be cause to complain. They are missing our normally sunny weather. But not me. I am loving it. The sun will come eventually, and I will be hot and uncomfortable, and wish for the wind and the rain. So for now, I am enjoying this for all it is worth. I have chili cooking on the stove, and a fire going in the woodstove in the basement. I am wearing a sweater and thick socks. I love it. Sorry Dy. You remember that commercial where Brooke Shields says, "Don't hate me because I am beautiful."? Well, don't hate me because it's only 55 degrees here.

Cooly yours,
LB

Tidbit: Enjoy it while you can.

I have been doing my very best to be in bed by 10 pm, so I can be rested and up at 7, getting the kids up at 8, and being intentional with my time, so they get their schoolwork done, I get household chores done, and then can feel free to be in the studio. Except for today.

Last night, when I went to bed at 10:30, the Dude was already asleep- in the middle of the bed, stretched out in an X shape, so that with his arms and legs stretched out he was taking up the entire bed, and was doing that snoring/apnea thing where he snores and then doesn't breathe for a second. It freaks me out, and I worry about him, but he refuses to do anything about it. Anyhow, it was very hard to find a little spot to curl up in, and I really didn't want to curl up, so I went down and slept on the futon couch in the living room. The things we do for love, hmm?

Aaahhh. It felt good to stretch out with the cats, and it was nice to make my multiple middle of the night potty runs without having to blindly negotiate the stairwell. I actually slept very well, and woke up at 7, and was checking my email and blog-cruising. Until my dd got up a bit later, complaining of stomach cramps. She crawled onto the futon, laid her head on my lap, and crashed. I sat there, reading blogs for a bit, stroking her hair, and then it just hit me- how big they both are, and how they aren't little babies who want to be cuddled any more. So, I did what any mother would do, given this chance. I put the laptop down, skooched her over a bit, and laid down with her cradled in my arms; listening to her breathe, I conked out happily for an hour. Now it is past 10 am, and we are a couple hours behind our normal routine, but I am very happy to have been able to be with her like that. Happy mama sigh.

Off to cook bacon,
LB

Midnight tidbit from the studio depths

Howdy. I want to be asleep, but am wide awake. I slept soundly from 10:30 to midnight, then woke right up. Happens sometimes. Doesn't help when the queen size bed seems to shrink- what with the 6 ft. tall Dude sleeping in the middle, the two cats occupying the bottom, and these pesky hot flashes, the bed seems much smaller than it is. So I am down here in the basement depths, in the dark, hoping to get sleepy again soon. Seven am is going to be here before I know it!
G'night!
LB

Tidbit: Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

I'm here! I made it home Tuesday (stayed an extra day!), with the help of Dy to keep me awake on the long car ride home. Got to do something about the narcaleptic car rides though- I was nodding off and had to pull over way too many times. Sleep-reading is one thing, but sleep-driving isn't working for me.

I slept hard last night, and am well this morning. We have a piano day today instead of tomorrow. I will update again tonight. Hope all is well with everyone.
TTFN,
LB

Tidbit: On the road again..........

Howdy folks!
So, it is 8:30, and I am just now leaving, 2 hours later than I had planned. But it was probably better that I got 7 hours of sleep last night, rather than fall asleep on the road, hmm? I have my flutes, art supplies, and walking stick packed, but still cannot find my camera. Sigh.

I will be back late Monday. I may blog from my sister's, but may not. My goal is to be support, however she needs it, so blogging may not fit in. But I will try to make some art while there, and will take pics with the Boy's camera on return. I so have a hankering to use my fun watercolor paints on an Oregon sunset. I am not happy about the reason for my trip to the ocean, but my soul will rejoice in going home to my birthplace, I know.

TTFN,
LB

Tidbits: Gardens, art, laundry, and support

Howdy folks! I am here, keeping myself so busy I have little time for blogging. I miss blogging, but I am getting stuff done in my life, and that is worth it.

Mr. B. came over on Friday and tilled both my big garden beds. The Dude bought me 20 bags of steer doo, which I need to get into the bigger of the two beds this week. Once that is done, I will need to plant it. We went to the glorious garden party on Saturday. As a result, I have 24 tomato plants in the ground, but I still need to buy about that many more to have enough to can and donate. I have several squash and cuke plants to still get in before this weekend.

On the art front, I spent all last week working down in the studio, getting it organized and cleaned up. I am currently enrolled in two online mixed media surface courses, so I got started on the first lessons in each of those. I don't have anything finished to take photos of yet, but I am planning on working daily, so hopefully will have photos soon.

I am officially on laundry strike: I am only doing the household laundry (kitchen and bath towels and our bed linens), and the Dude's and my clothes. It is still a lot of laundry, but I am making headway. Not worrying at all about the kids' laundry is very freeing.

My oldest sister lost her mama (we share our father, but not our moms) on Sunday morning, and is doing about as well as you would expect, and needs some lovin', so I will be leaving Friday morning to drive down to the Oregon Coast (my birthplace, and one of my fave places in the whole world) and spend the weekend with her. I may go down again next weekend for the memorial if she needs me to. I plan on taking art supplies, but will do whatever she needs me to do.

That is it for now. I am headed to the laundryroom to put another load in, will fold a bit, and then down to the studio for a bit.
T.T.F.N.
LB

Tidbits: Self-pitty in the past and garden time.

Howdy! I am here, and done feeling sorry for myself. That is pretty much how I spent the whole day yesterday, and it felt so wasted, and I felt very isolated. Enough of that!

Today, we are schooling, and working on clearing the garden beds. I also have some bills to pay.

Our dear friend Mr. B. is going to bring his tiller over on Friday and help till my garden, so we must get it ready! The kids are already outside, so I must get out there. PG has her baby chickens out- I will try to find my camera (I *THINK* I brought it home from Dy's, but cannot find it anywhere!) and take some photos of them and the new coop- they have really grown!

That is it for now- I will post more later, just wanted you to know I am here and done with yesterday's pity party.
Hugs,
LB

Tidbits: Blogging from Dy's, part 2

Howdy folks!

I am having such a fantastic vacation here! I am not sure I have ever been made to feel so welcome and so much a part of the family when visiting. Alabama is beautiful (except for the ticks- I have now witnessed the removal of two of them, and the scorpions-ewww), the birds are singing all the time, the trees blowing in gentle breezes (and it isn't too hot- we timed this visit beautifully), and I am being so well fed and regularly loved on by babies and big kids- how could I not be having a wonderful time?

yesterday I held the wee babe for 3 hours straight- what bliss!!! And the children and I made art out under the trees for several hour, too. This is better (and cheaper) than therapy.
Friday is going to come way too fast.

Dy took a mess of photos and posted them today. Go here to check them out.
Love and hugs,
LB

Tidbits: Blogging from Dy's, part 1

Happy squeal! I am here and doing fine! So far I have seen a cardinal, and heard unfamiliar birdsongs, experienced a thumderstorm (all we got of the tornadoes), had blackeyed peas and roasted chicken, kissed and cuddled a sweet little mouse of a babe, shared my tea with toddlers, and listened to kids play Ode to Joy on the keyboard. Happy sigh!

It is beautiful country here, and I have been made to feel so welcome. Dy and Zorak have done such an amazing job on this house, and the children are just about the most well-behaved kids I have ever met. Very sweet and affectionate.

Tat's it for now,
LB

Hi! Did you think I fell off the edge of the planet?

I didn't (the earth is ROUND, ya' know!), but it has been a crazy-busy time here lately. We got in from our conference trip about 2 am Monday last week, and hit the ground running. I was single parenting, and managing all our commitments, and trying to get well, and just couldn't make myself care about blogging. You know I still love and appreciate you even when I don't blog right? I have to admit, being away from the computer has been a great thing, and I am doing so much more in my real life.

Yesterday was my baby Boy's birthday. He isn't a baby or a boy any more. He is a tall, kind 16 yr old. Happy Birthday to the Fine Young Man! We spent the day at the zoo and had a wonderful time. One thing we reall love is to go into the day/night exhibit and having close encounters with the animals there- yesterday it was a slow loris, Edward the armadillo, and a tawny frogmouth. We also got to visit up close with a siamang. Love the zoo. What a fun way to celebrate.

Today I am desperately trying to get into integrity before I leave for Alabama tomorrow. This means advance prepping for my S.E.L.P. class tonight, running errands, packing, finishing up unit study plans so the Dude can easily monitor the kids and they can teach themselves (lots of websites, reading, and narrating back to him), etc.

I will try to blog from Dy's and I know she will take lots of photos and blog my visit, too. Have a safe weekend and next week, and I will see you all soon.

Tidbits: Freeform to do list

Okay. It is Wed at 11 am. Freeform is all I have in me.

I rose at 6 to wake the boy, had him to school by 7. Enjoyed a good morning call from my Man.
Head pounding, back to bed till 9:30. I slept right through the alarm I never sleep through.

GodFather's peptalk, Excedrine, and a loooonnngg hot shower have me feeling human again.
Today's aromatherapy: The Foil Hat's Green Tea and Linden soap. Her Sinus soap (can't remember the catchy name with my head like this.) would have been perfect.

The luggage is on one couch, laundry on the other.
Off to run yesterday's errands, love on Gramma, and buy a bunch of meds.
Deliver chicks to our chicken-sitters, and be chicken-sitters ourselves.

Race to pick the Boy up on time, and get ready for our weekend adventure.
Will pack art journaling supplies, tarot cards, and my sunhat.
Some C.S. Lewis, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, too.

Thanks for the thoughts, I am ever manifesting my healthy, joyful self.
Hugs, and I will talk to you on Monday. And I will be healthy and happy.
LB

Tidbits: In no particular order.

Tidbits- In no particular order:

You may have noticed an absence of your favorite turtle fan. I seem to be taking a blog break due to being sicker than a dawg, and sounding like one too. My aim is to be well enough to fly to Los Angeles and the end of the week so the kids and I can represent UnityBellevue at the AGAPE conference there this weekend. Yes I will blog about it when we get back, and yes I will pack my camera, and the Boy's replacement camera came in the mail today, so he can shoot movies and learn how to post them for me. And I will be sure to put the pics on my camera onto the computer, so I can take lots more this weekend.

There is a pool at our hotel so Girly can practice her swimming- at 13, she is finally taking lessons. I know, she is old to not know how to swim, but we have let her take her time on this, and not being able to go into the water at all at Interlochen because she didn't swim was a bit of an inducement for her to overcome her childhood fears and start swimming. We all have new swimsuits (even me, sigh) , and new dress clothes we got at Value Village. They grow so fast!

A friend took the kids swimming for me tonight so I will fold laundry now and we will be in bed early tonight. The FYM has to be at the high school at 7 am for WASL testing. Errand running tomorrow- We get to be with Gramma, pick up her scripts and do a grocery run. Then check on the chickens we are sitting. Head back to the west side of the lake, finish delivering the bills and pick up my scripts. Come home, eat easy but healthy dinner and start packing. Kids each took on several household chores and washing my car (thanks for the suggestion Amy in O.

My Dude called and talked to us while we were in Value Village. He is so sweet. Even though he is on a business trip, he is keeping his promise to go swimming with the Fine Young Man tonight. He bought a swimsuit and is swimming laps at his hotel while the Boy is swimming them here at the community center. What a Papa. Smooches.

Here is a true tidbit for you- an interesting fact about the women in my family. For many generations, we have developed a fear of heights and claustrophobia usually beginning in our late 20's to early 30's. Piano Girl was hit early and was born with severe claustrophobia, agoraphobia, and aquaphobia. In her short 13 years, she has come an incredible distance! (Ask me to tell you her story some day- you can be sure her bathtimes weren't a ton of fun. ;-)


And (not quite) last but not least, a thank you to all y'all my invisible friends for your fun comments and kind words and well-wishes. I really soaked those up and and sending hugs back to you. If I had a voice more than a whisper right now, I'd sing to you. I'm proud of you.
(No really, ask them- I would. :-)


Speaking of singing, it makes me smile when my son hits his low notes. For a skinny Boy, he has a rich, deep voice.

Okay, going to rest while folding laundry eating a salad and strawberries, and watching Dancing With the Stars on YouTube. I know, I know. The dancing is just so beautiful and poetic. It reminds me of the fact that I wanted to be a gazelle when I was a girl. I loved to practice my leaping in the back yard.
Hugs to all y'all.
LB

Tidbits: various

The whole family is sick with a really bad cold- green guckies, hacking coughs, bad headaches all around. It is after 11 am and I am the only one awake. We all feel really yucky.

We went to the Seattle Art Museum (google it please, I am too tired to link today) and saw the Roman Art from the Louvre exhibit last night. It was well worth the effort and was fantastic. If you live locally, you should really try to go. Having studied history with the kids made it so much more enjoyable.

I am going to try to be a weekend warrior even being sick, and
1. get the front section of fence weeded and my vines planted.
2. I also want to keep going on the decluttering of the studio project.
3. I have a slew of photos to upload, with lots of studio and baby chick photos.

Not sure when things will be up, but will try. Sorry the blogging has been so boring and sporadic lately.
LB