Hobbies

I have two new classes I am taking starting mid-January. They are 4 weeks, once a week. One is an intuitive painting class that mixes meditation techniques with (duh) painting. The descriptions looked great, "for anyone interested in starting a meditation practice or painting." Wouldn't you know I was!

The other class is beginning knitting. Yup, that thing I despised as a child, I'm voluntarily taking a class, and paying for it. I get a hat out of hit (uber-cool) and I figure a hat is harder to knit than a scarf, so I can do that project on my own (Steve needs a new scarf).

: )

Contractors

While somewhat unreliable on estimating when they will get to your job (a bit overly optimistic) when they get here they work their asses off. Sure, there is a bit of juggling but so far things haven't burnt up. That is a score in my book.

: )

Mobile Test

Will it work? Who knows??

Lawns

I mowed my new lawn for the first time. A non-motorized push mower was my weapon of choice. Delightful is all I can say! Easy handling. Cuts pretty close. A little trouble with tall weeds and edges but I had decided that decorative border grasses are the way to go!

On the home front - two months since I moved. Hurray. Still many boxes unboxed, but kitchen is usable, bedroom is done, living room is done, bathroom is done. Everything I need is accessible, available, and clean.

I started making rings, once I get some better tools look for some updated pics.

: )

Summer Creations

I have a conundrum when the warm weather hits. I want to be out and about doing things. Restaurants, plays, concerts, parks, neighborhoods, museums, I want to see it all. But then all the home stuff starts to build up. Laundry, dishes, cleaning, even fun stuff like movies, the animals, beading, that need me home to do. There is also something completely appealing about being home, sitting on the porch, listening to the birds tweet and the bugs buzz.

The answer might seem to be go out some days, stay home others. I still have the problem where my home time is chore time. Keeping up with the work to make the house enjoyable means less time for enjoying, even if that shorter time is better for being cleaner and more organized, still, less of it. The thing I like about being out is that there is always something new - new place, new people, new events, while home feels more predictable, not in a bad way but less energetic and the summer for me is all about high energy.

I think the real solution is to make those home times, even the chore times, more unpredictable. Do my laundry wearing a tiara, see how long I can stand on tiptoes while doing the dishes, play hide and seek with the vacuum, it is all about generating that same feeling even when you are doing something that is antithetical to that feeling.

: )

Wardrobe

We put together my wardrobe last night. Went fine. Had time to have some tasty tomato and avocado salad with bread and olive oil dip. We are holding off on putting the bed together because one of the slats is broken. We will need to buy a new set of slats. Luckily we are hitting Ikea this weekend so we can get everything we ever needed for storage and more. The nice thing is that we have a lot of room in the new house. The bad thing is that room is quickly being filled up with large pieces of furniture because the house has almost zero usable storage. The basement does not count as usable storage just yet. The list of large things we need keeps growing - pantry, dining room table and chairs, coat closet. All three of which go into two rooms. Maybe we just need to ditch some stuff. Luckily it won't last for long. Once we refinish the kitchen the pantry won't be as needed and can go to the basement and find another use. The sideboard will be in another spot in the dining room so we will have more room to maneuver. I am wondering if maybe a smaller wardrobe would be smarter. I know, we just put it together, but is is a monster. While the bedroom is not tiny, it gets shrunk with the wardrobe. Maybe I will find something I love love love at Ikea and can replace what I have. Maybe.

Contractors

A quick note on hiring a contractor - make sure you research the project thoroughly before you talk to a contractor. You want to be able to follow along what they say and be confident they know what they are talking about. Case in point - if a contractor asks about the other estimates you have gotten before giving their own bid, you might want to be a bit hesitant about hiring the person. Their low ball bid may mean inferior or incomplete work. That leads to another point - be sure you can live with a half-finished job. That means if the contractor does try to inflate the cost along the project be ready to walk away, let them know you will be reporting them to the better business bureau and whatever service you found them on, and that you will have someone else finish the job. Always be ready to walk away.

: )

Packing, slightly delayed

Packing has been delayed but for good stuff, not just goofing around stuff (not exclusively anyway). Talked with some floor refinishers. Contacted a cleaning service. Got the rental truck. Sent out the notice to amigos and amigas about the move and that their help was very appreciated if they could stop by. But actual packing, no.

I don't hate the kitchen anymore so that can't be why I don't want to pack. Maybe I just hate manual labor? But that can't be it because I've manualed all over the place. I think the real reason packing is easy to put off is because I know that someone somewhere is working on an electromagnetic beam that will instantly transport my stuff from the place it is to the place I want it to be. In my heart I know it will be ready in 2-weeks and super cheap so why pack! Oh, because it doesn't exist and I will end up having to hand carry my many tiny bottles of spices 11 miles. Stupid lack of electromagnetic beam. I would call it the Beam-Home or if that was taken the SwitchPad. Like a switchblade but it won't kill you.

: )

Packing

The major packing has begun on our move. The living room is done and we have items bagged for sale/give-a-way. This weekend is the kitchen. I might be making more out of it then it really is but in my mind packing the kitchen is going to drain my soul. Mostly because once the kitchen is boxed there is no place to unpack in the new place. We are redoing the kitchen the first thing so why unpack? Which means no pretty green bowl with the pearlesque inside sitting on the counter waiting for me to fill it with yummy fruit. No yellow bowl waiting for me to mash and mix falafel. No cookbooks holding exciting new recipes to try. Yes, I am focusing on everything I am losing hence my resistance to packing the kitchen.

I didn't say it made sense. Wish me luck in unfocusing on the negative!

: )

Depeche Mode

Certainly, a seminal band of post-punk synthesizer bliss, is Depeche Mode. However, as the band itself has stated, their music has a dark edge but a light flavor as well. The band members (Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, and Andrew Fletcher) describe themselves as happy well-adjusted blokes and wish people would see beyond the nihilistic bend of their music to the lighthearted, ne'er-do-well trillings. Check them out at their hilarious best in their It's No Good video. The song has a slight stalker bent (aka dark) but the video is all Depeche Mode.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcr06_depeche-mode-its-no-good_music

: )

Kristina

I don't tend to gush and I'm not big on having heros but I have to say that my friend Kristina is the coolest, smartest, wonderfulest person I know. She has her self together. Not that everything is always perfect for her, that is what is the most wonderful. She makes life perfect, for her. Of all the people in the world I could admire I choose her.
xoxo

Taxes

Paid the taxes today. A month early. And yes, had to pay. Normally I would be annoyed for a few hours then off doing whatever the day had in store. A bit different this time. It didn't rattle me but it did shine a light on some habits that I want to change. I am taking the rest of the day to be as frugal as possible while still maintaining a high quality of life. That means making a scrumptious dinner with what I already have in the house, watching movies and listening to music I already own, and doing some jewelry projects with on-hand materials. Of course petting the animals is always quality time, but I will make sure to do more today. I'm feeling contemplative but not too serious. Sometimes it takes something minor to spur you in a good direction. Taxes, not the something I expected, but hey, take your inspiration where you can.

:)

Weather

So last week this is what it looked like here in the DC area (Chewie of the North)












And this morning this is what I saw. Daylight Savings has hit. Normally it would be very bright and sunny this time of the morning (about 7:30) instead the sun was just really starting to wake up the day. Good thing I like sunrises so much.

Pearl Mood

The St. Pat - fresh water white and red pearls with toggle clasp; simple, fancy, your mom will love them



Pearls Before Wine - fresh water white pearls with sterling silver coil wrap; go with EVERYTHING


OSMoSis - absorb the beauty


: )

Depressing Music

As peppy and "can-do" as I am I love depressing music and introspective music (not always the same thing). My newest favorite is Cycling Trivialities by Jose Gonzalez. He's from Sweden, and he's named Jose. Right there you know the music is going to be phenomenal, filled with insight. And the song is 8 minutes long. Check out his myspace and listen to the song. Down The Line is also excellent.

http://www.myspace.com/josegonzalez

But why, why do I love this kind of music? Because I got a lot going on underneath this chipper exterior. I got turmoil and rancor. This type of music feeds that part of me. But I am also lucky that I am mesmerized by sunsets/sunrises, or feel complete peace listening to birds chirp, or know that there can be nothing wrong in the world while I watch my dog sleep. Which is why I also like High School Musical. Feed the beast people!

OSMoSis

design and craft by Michelle Jiles

OSMoSis - absorb the beauty

The Bri - garnet Swarovski crystals and light yellow glass beads, gun metal 24g wire, 3 inches



Smoke Gets in Your Ears - glass beads, silver plated 24g wire

Coveting

I have been coveting two bags by Moop. The Porter and The Tote.
The Porter
The Tote

Of course I bought them. I have a bag affinity. I like to be able to put my life into a bag and carry it with me wherever I go. I like to have the essentials (mini umbrella, gum, mirror, notebook, blister block) and the incidentals (book, newspaper, scarf). I think this is because I always wanted to be a hobo. To be able to pick up and take off whenever you wanted always appealed to me. And it is so much easier in the electronic age (at least for me if I were to become a hobo) because I could access everything and everyone from any library/coffee shop in any major city. Yeah, being a hobo would be great. Maybe this bags will finally push me to it.

Eternal Question

How do you tell the difference between what you want and what you are suppose to want?

Just thinking about the question pushes me toward the first and shun the later.

It's a good feeling.

The truly lucky are the ones who want what they are suppose to. Lucky, yes, happy, yes, interesting, no. If you want what you are suppose to, you want was is predictable. It is hard to be unpredictable, even dangerous sometimes, but very interesting, yes.