A Question From the Studio Depths

What kind of adhesive can I use to secure eyelash and other fun yarn to edge of cardstock with a thin sheet of angelina on top? I have been using Aleene's fabric glue, but it isn't sticking to the angelina. Advice?
LB

I'm here!

I have had an epiphany: I can still blog even though it isn't on a promised topic. In other words, Kathy Jo and Dy, you will have to wait for the chicken post.
I am at the moment listening to Regina Specktor, boppin' around my studio, puttering and putting away (2nd round of organization planning-got to get this place ready to host an art workshop this summer!), and creating a bit as I go. The Amazing Papa Dude is up in the kitchen with the kiddos, putting dinner together. Gotta create while the opportunity is here!
Will touch base again tonight or tomorrow.
TTFN,
LB

Resting

Well, I am glad you liked the gardening post. I was hoping to add pics of my other garden beds- all weeded and ready to plant, of course, but the universe had other plans for me I guess. My neck went out yesterday, so I have been spending most of my time in bed, on the heating pad, with my body full of vicadin and motrin. It is still sore today, so more resting is on the docket. I will try to post photos soon- I have a whole boatload of chicken photos!

Talk to you soon,
LB

March gardening

I have also been gardening this month. Just started this week, in fact. Last year, after the car accident, I was unable to garden much at all, so it feels so very good to be doing it now, with little or no pain.

Feel free to click on the pics to enlarge them, but if you do, you will see how messy I really am in real life, so I don't want to hear about it, ok? Look at the good stuff in the pics!

Because we only have a half-acre, we have to fit in our garden plots where we can. All of the produce- veggies, herbs, fruit trees, etc. are in the back yard. Here is a view of the plots I have been working in this week. That is the shed, where we keep the straw, tools, pots, etc. Running across the very front of the picture you can see my asparagus beds, newly weeded.On the right, you can see my freshly weeded blueberry bed. On the left, is my yet-to-be-weeded root bed. You probably can't tell, but there are still beets left in the ground from last year, as well as parsnips. I am wondering if they will still be edible. Hopefully if the rain lets up, I will get out there tomorrow and find out. Good thing about how much it has been raining here- weeding is so very easy! I can get all ten inches of the nastiest-looking dandelion roots!!


Here is a pic of a baby asparagus. Isn't it so sweet and cute? I am hoping I get lots this year. I just hope they don't keep coming up one at a time- I need a whole bucketful to make a meal!!

Here is another view of the blueberry bed. I now have 7 bushes. I want about 5 more, but don't know where they will go- 7 in this bed is pushing it. I have several varieties (some early, some large), including one called "Chandler", which I couldn't resist. Last year I had all my greens in this bed, too, but I am not sure where they will go this year. Also in this bed, are two grapes (that's what the white tri-pod is for, for the little grapes to climb up), and a renegade fennel bulb plant I need to find a real home for. Fennel is wonderful roasted.

You can see I placed straw around the bottom of the blueberry bushes. This mulching keeps the water in and the weeds down (if not completely out).

Also in this pic, you can see the platform the Papa Dude built at the base of the birch tree. It is a wonderful place to sit and listen to the chickadees that hang out in the birch, or watch the chickens (more on them later). Papa has made sure there are lots of fun little sitting places in our yard. I will try to post pics of them all.

Here is a pic of the bridge Papa made. It covers a low, perpetually wet spot in the yard. You can see the birch tree at the far left of the pic, and then if you look behind the bridge, you can see my baby pear tree. You can also see how the kids just throw the bikes behind the garage when they are done riding.
Here is a close-up of my pear tree. The first year we were here, the pears were wonderful- prolific ans sweet. 2nd year, I got one pear. Last summer we got some, but not tons like the first summer. I am hoping we get lots this year- because they can well. That is the next-door neighbor's garage behind the tree. The mess under and to the left of the pear tree is my herb garden. If you really look hard, you can see sage and rosemary, but mostly it is dandelions. I still have a ton of work to do!

Dy, here is a close-up of the buds on the pear tree. I wouldn't tell this to the whole world (oh, I guess I would), but sometimes I go out and talk to the blossoms, and encourage them to grow big and strong pears for me. I guess that isn't so wierd if you know me.

Well, that will be all for tonight- no posts for three weeks, then three in one day- go figure!

LB

WonderBoy

Another amazing thing that happened in the month of March was that our Fine Young Man went to the WA State Finals with his high school speech and debate team. He qualified in two events. Due Interpretive (DI), doing a skit with a fellow teammate based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; and then in his best event, Humorous Interpretive (HI). He didn't place in DI, but (insert drum roll please)..........................................................................................................

He took fourth in HI!!!!!!!!!!!! This is phenomenal for a 9th grader. It was very cool. Just very cool.

Here he is with his medal. It is very important that we got a picture of him with it, because it now will reside in the trophy cabinet in the hallway outside of the speech and debate room.

I guess it must be okay for me to brag my kids up- it is my blog after all. :-)

LB

Piano Girl

March is Adjudication time in our neck of the wooods. The Piano Girl attended the Simon Fisse' (not sure of the spelling on that) Piano Competition as a guest, and participated in two adjudications this Spring, one put on by the Seattle Music Teachers Assoc. (SMTA), and the other, the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival (SYAMF) , which was held on the UW campus while the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Young Miss had two fine adjudicators. One of them used metoaphors, such as "picture your notes flowing like a caramel carpet", the other was jumping around the room, gestering and geting the whole audience involved in the joy of the music.

Her pieces this year were The Raindrop Prelude (Prelude 15 by Chopin), and and the first movement of a Hadyn Sonata (Hob. XVI: 35). I tell you, I am so in love with Chopin, and this prelude happens to be my ultimate fave. Can you imagine the utter peace and joy I have experienced the last few months, as the Young Miss was practicing this piece day in and day out?!

The other piece of fabulous news is that the Piano Girl has been accepted into the Piano summer Camp, girls division at Interlochen Center for the Arts! She also will receive a merit scholership of $800. which means we only have to come up with about $3000. before the end of June! She is so excited about this, and we are for her, though the thought of my baby girl being gone for two weeks is still a tad hard for me to swallow.

The pieces she submitted on the audition tape for Interlochen were Vals Sentimental from Valses Poeticos by Enrique Granados, and Invention #8 by J.S. Bach.

In other Piano Girl news, the Young Miss has a recital coming up in May. I will post exact date soon. She is not sure what she will be playing yet, maybe another Bach invention.

It was pouring down rain the day of the SYAMF, so I don't have any cute pics of the Young Miss under cherry blossoms, but here is one I took just after we got home- of course the first thing she did as we walked in the door was head for the piano. Oh, to be that driven and in love!

LB

Encouraging post

Read this over at Donna's this morning:


And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant.


~Martin Luther King Jr.


The Drum Major Instinct


After you read that, read what MFS said in the comments.

Thanks for the encouragement, you two. This really struck a chord with me this day. Can't possibly say it any better.
LB

Happy Birthday to me

Wow! I share a date of arrival with a slew of interesting folks! Many people are aware that today is also the birthday of one of the most creative literary talents ever to grace this earth with his presence, Dr. Seuss (did you know we love him so much there is a national memorial?), but did you also know I share this day with Mikhail Gorbachev, Desi Arnaz, and Karen Carpenter? Oh, and I cannot forget to include Jon Bon Jovi, though I am snorting a bit about that one. Ya know, I was supposed to be born at the end of May, beginning of June. I wonder with whom I woulda shared a birthday then? Probably not near as interesting as Gorby and Theodore, hmmm?



My Papa Dude called me at 4 this am, to wish me a good day, he is so sweet. And by the way, why is it hard to sleep when I am not sharing my bed with a cover-hogging, snoring, hulk of a creature that regularly slashes my legs with his un-clipped toenails? Huh? Who woulda thunk it? I maybe got 4 hours today- that is about I have managed any night this week.


Okay, off to wake the kids. Oh, the places we will go. We get to go have lunch with the Godparents, and then we will spot by my mom's for a bit, then who knows what will happen? I am thinking maybe we will go see if Eregon is still playing at the local cheap(er) theatre.


LB, aka the birthday girl.

What? Were ya born in a barn?

The Fine Young Man had a concert tonight. Kids were hungry so we stopped at the Dread Meyer to pick up lunch meat. We came home. I unlocked the door, headed in, and asked the kids to bring the stuff in from the car. Kids brought in groceries, fixed and ate 2 sandwhiches each, watched 2 episodes of Third Rock From the Sun, got in their jammies, and brushed their teeth before I noticed that they had left the front door open. Sigh. It's 30 degrees outside, not to mention the "let's just invite the meany nutballs into the house while your father is away" angle. Sigh.

When do they get it? Will someone please tell me they are gonna get it? When will I be able to know I have raised two responsible kids? How long till I don't have to remind them to brush their teeth, let alone to clean out the lint screen when they load the dryer. How long till they load the dryer without being told in the first place? Sigh. I'm not complaining, much. I guess maybe it's just the stress of single parenting. Makes me glad and thankful that I have a partner.

We had a fab time at the aquarium today, celebrating my birthday (tomorrow) with the nature study group. Great fun. I will try to post pics soon. I am off to try to sleep now.
LB