Chatterbox
I'm still working on my hub-site where one can see all my different projects in one place and get to them easily but I...
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I am not a ghost. Or a mirage in my own desert of sleep. I am not risen nor am I ash. I am returned...
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Human beings are the worst thing that's ever happened to this planet. Worse than locusts, earthquakes, ice ages, and plagues. Why? Because none of...
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The expression "boy howdy" makes me want to punch someone.Which is only slightly worse than my old time hated expression "golly"Which just put this...
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I went to see my physician this week to talk to her about my meds since I can't afford a psychiatrist. As it turns...
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I am an old man disguised as a middle aged woman. My curmudgeonly spirit prefers to stay away from "fun" like the plague. If you...
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After two months of hard work by my friend Angela from Cottage Magpie and my other friend Skye from Flooded Lizard Kingdom Stitch and...
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This is the street my mom's apartment is on. The canopy of leaves above is gorgeous, thick, and quieting. My favorite window on 23rd Street...
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I hadn't spent a night away from home without my family for over a year. With my New York trip officially canceled I was...
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I really wanted to have handled the stress of huge taxes well. I didn't want to spend my whole day concentrating on not hyperventilating. ...
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My trip to the Blogher Conference hangs in the balance... I made enough in my Etsy shop to buy my plane ticket to New York...
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I have gained some perspective. The only thing really messed up in my life is not having enough money to be comfortable and be...
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I would be so busted if my Sifu actually read my blog. I mentioned on our Kung Fu blog that I was practicing positive...
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Warning: this is not a cheery post. May make you want to stab me. Be assured that I have not written this to solicit attention...
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I have only a couple of tulips planted in my yard and they aren't anything particularly special. On the other hand, when I was out...
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Agatha Christie wrote 80 detective novels. I have read most (possibly all) of them. Between Miss Marple and Poirot I am particularly fond of...
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In preparing pieces for my fashion-only blog I have been digging up some old sketches and photographs as well as diving through my giant binders...
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I don't know if I've mentioned this before (and why would I?) but I am not a fan of spaghetti noodles. I find them...
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She likes to be near me even when I'm feeding and hanging out with the hens. Photography Pet Peeves: a) Why do all pregnant women...
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This weekend was gorgeous. Sunny but not too warm. Philip planted a total of 24 asparagus crowns in two 8x4 beds and I cleared and...
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A slightly rambling sampling of what's in my head today and a chance to admire one of my silver plated spoons. Can anyone tell me...
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Some time in the late 1990's Philip found this bicycle at the Goodwill in Petaluma California where we were living. The only thing wrong...
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Gifts wrapped in newspaper always seem more precious to me than those wrapped in fine expensive papers. It seems like the offerings come on the...
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Aren't the candy canes a nice touch? It makes my cupboard look staged. That was one super scary cabinet full of secrets and guests and...
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Viewed 100 feet from my house: person rigorously washing their car in the rain. Pressure hose on giant gas guzzling truck. Funny thing about rain...
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What you know may kill you and what you don't know you know may get you tortured, but what you know you don't know and...
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Looking for the matches in case there are any other bridges I feel like burning, I realize that I have failed to appreciate the...
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Retreat is the theme in my head. Retreating from unhealthy relationships. Retreating from social media. Retreating from insincerity. Retreating from the outside world. Retreating...
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This may look like a dreadfully nasty pile of chicken shit covered hay, and it is, but it's also absolutely wonderfully rich matter for the...
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This is a picture I took of my sister over Thanksgiving. It was a bit chilly here, especially compared to where she lives in Southern...
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Isn't it pretty? I spent about an hour looking for a pattern for this bag at JoAnne's and experienced the usual curse of the pattern...
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I'm not feeling particularly generous spirited today, nor patient, nor warm (literally). It's obvious that social suicide is my specialty and I've been vetting...
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My very oldest friend, Carrie Souza, is trying to win a new computer for her daughter Kiana. I have just voted for her to...
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As a pacifist any day that celebrates people who fought in wars and killed other people is a bittersweet one. Some wars have had...
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Jude Law is much too handsome for his own good. I recently watched the movie "The Holiday" in which he falls for a character...
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I am going to a party tonight. I don't like parties. I went to a party a couple of weeks ago that had the...
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When I moved to McMinnville, a "city" with a population of only 30,000 people, I was so excited to be moving away from all...
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A collection of random thoughts: Crusading against psychiatric medications is dangerous for those who need them. Unless you are an individual trained to determine...
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I've been thinking a lot about food lately and the future of humans. I feel troubled about it all.Very very troubled.Today's thoughts about the environment...
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Over the course of the 16+ years I've been married I have heard people comment on my "luck" many times in having found a...
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I am working hard not to get discouraged every time something unpleasant happens. I think I have PTSD from the past four years of...
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The wild elderberry twigs that traveled thousands of miles to rest here in our verdant soil are busting out with messages from my sand...
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I wasn't going to use this picture of the house I lived in the longest in my entire life of moving around...but for some...
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Life, death, religion, abortion, criminals, capital punishment, health care, philosophy- yeah, I think I covered it all with this post. What do you think about...
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My pickling books in hand, I appear to be reading like I always do when I sit alone in public. I melt into the...
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I am happy to say that the special "disease" of the mouth I've been suffering from is going away- ever so horribly slowly. But...
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Totally free advice, one of them is unlike the others:Don't read people's blogs if there's a 60% chance that there will be something hurtful...
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You sleeping souls are where I can see you and all the magic is mine to give and you'll never know it because I'm...
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What follows is a shocking medical quality photo of my diseased lips. I will ask you all to keep your horrified gasps quiet enough that...
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Grape Slurry.First of all, I don't like the word "grunt" and I do believe that no food should be called a grunt. (Sorry Amber...I...
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I am sitting at my old desk, my dream desk -mid century modern "roll top" with the delightfully spare design of a streamlined mind. ...
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My friend Amanda has a friend named Hope who has a lot of grapes she doesn't know what to do with...enter the grape picker/stealer/opportunist: Angelina. ...
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I am experiencing technical difficulties with my blog here. The comments are broken and I can't see how it happened. Ever since posting the...
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When I was in California I had a friend who shared my geeky excitement for growing roses. We used to take little drives down to...
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These are some of my tomatoes. I really blew it on my romas this year but the slicers have done nicely and I've had...
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This mini casserole looks really good, huh? You wish you were eating it...don't you? It's a recipe in progress. It didn't turn out as...
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One thing I love about Facebook is how easy it is to type out the most random inconsequential thoughts. I used to try and save...
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Sometimes I really need to get things off my chest to prevent them from eating away at me. For example: I really hate cowboy...
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Saturday morning filled with the smell of hot pancakes and the sound of Philip's wheezy cough, boys shouting in excitement at some video game,...
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What I wore to my friend Carrie's wedding. No, I wasn't disrespecting her, it was a casual event. And don't worry, I had lipstick on...
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Our friend Jim M. suggested we stop at the Otis Cafe and so we did. We needed plenty of sustenance for what would turn out...
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The sticky hot wrapping warping heat draped town I live in was unbearable today. Weather.com may have reported the temperatures at a mere 105°...
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I am listening to Natalie Merchant singing her song "Motherland" and I might be on the thirtieth time through now. It is the most beautiful...
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My wild thistles blooming all over. I thought it was time to show everyone what the sunshine has been bringing to our garden.One of my...
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I feel as though I have cracked open my skin and found my dead twin crammed up into my lymph node. I feel like...
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Including a list of the 15 most memorable/influential books I've ever read. This week at Max's psyche appointment we discussed the tics that accompany OCD. ...
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My Week In Review:One pair of pyjama shorts, one pair of work out pants which have become every day pants, one skirt/shorts combo, thousands...
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Yesterday, after I worked, I finally sat down to make a pair of pants appropriate for working out in. Right after I visited two fabric...
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Wow. Those were the days, huh? Me and BBQ Sue kickin' it in the Dustpan Alley retail establishment...having fun...dishing the dirt...me not noticing that...
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This has been a week of both empty and plenty. Just as the bank vault echoed with a cavernous zero and we chose to...
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I want to answer some questions that no one has asked me. I love answering questions (even impertinent ones) which is one of the...
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From left to right: Peter, Tara, Elizabeth, and Philip. These are a few of my people.What you can expect if you visit me at...
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This is our pond area with Lupines, peonies, sempivirens, and a pretty (though scentless red climbing rose). The barrel has a lovely little yellow flower...
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Always be prepared!I have been to the gym three days in a row and I have every intention of going again today. It isn't...
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(I brood almost as well as Edward. It's like he's my doppelganger.)In Which We Continue To Discuss My Weekend With Edward And Bella From The...
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Fancy is not the compliment you think it is.I have been called "fancy" by quite a few people. One person I worked with at...
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I see way too much blood. No one should have to see as much of it as I do who isn't a nurse or...
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I have been re-reading my collection of Georgette Heyer novels. She wrote stories that took place in the Regency period in England (she was...
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This is my first attempt at dying Easter eggs myself. Obviously I'm not going to use those really bright chemical dyes because I was raised...
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Ok guys- it's up and it's ready for you to visit! It was with many tears and not much laughter that I managed to...
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(If They'll Take Me As I Am) Today deserves a pretty picture. This is a corset made by my friend Autumn's company Dark Garden. This...
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Some interesting thoughts and questions were brought up from the comments on the last post. I would like to address a couple of them. ...
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Dear Readers Who Are Dropping Off This Blog Like Flies,I have made the mistake of paying attention to my stats. Few blog writers like...
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I am a surprisingly good traveler. I admit that with every trip I take I look forward to getting home more than I ever...
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If you follow the arrow and go back in time to 21 years ago you will find me in this building sitting at a...
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Geary Street Sushi Restaurant DecorSan Francisco is my birthplace. A great city of progress as well as tradition. The faces there are like a map...
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Flower Bud is our most shy hen. She is also (in my opinion) the prettiest. I am a sucker for stripes and dots to the...
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The good things in life aren't necessarily free, but when someone (my dad, for example) sends you a couple bottles of olive oil pressed from...
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Technology is trying to kill me. So is the smell of my sweat, but we're not going to discuss that now. I am on...
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A couple of days ago Max came in with this gift for me. He picked it by the side of a little wooded area in...
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As I work on this whole recovery from torture thing I find my thoughts are traveling some well worn pathways in my head. Over...
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It is almost 1am. I am up. I am up because my cough is heinous. I breath in (not deeply) and that awful coughing...
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It would seem that I have gone my whole life without ever once getting influenza. I have been known and prone to getting one...
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When I find out who filled my head with concrete I'm going to have to get petty on their asses and return the favor. ...
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It is no secret that I have been trying-willing myself- to get back to work on the quilt top I made over a year...
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Roost is taken. I started off this morning sreaming at my son, after 15 minutes of trying to get him to get dressed, that it...
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I have been so impatient for change in the past three years that I have failed to remember how the best change is an...
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Quick- before I have time to think or edit:Why is it that 85% of all toilet paper and paper towels are printed or quilted...
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So what the hell are you all trying to do to me? Shit@#%#T@ So now I'm sucked in to watching "Lost" and I can't...
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I have read so many blogs today that my eyes are bleary, my head is spinning with unsolicited advice to strangers who might have...
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Everything is so wonky right now. Our phone was out for over 24 hours. Because we hadn't paid for it in a while. We...
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Next Friday is Max's assessment with a phychologist- the best in the county for children- and it's going to cost us $195. It turns...
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This is one of my favorite kitchen utensils: an old wooden spoon that Philip may have found somewhere or- I don't really know how I...
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I'm a little worried about my reader named Heather worrying about me so this one is for her:The Things That Made Me Happy Today:Winter...
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I love Paris Hilton. I know you think I hate her, but how could I hate a woman so determined to brand herself? All...
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You know how they say you can never run from the past? Well, until recently I was convinced that this wasn't true. While so...
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(For the love of monkies- because he was a $#%$#%$#%, furthermore he was a liar, a retard, and a privileged son of b%&#(&*% who...
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It worries me that so many Americans live their lives shuffling from one spread of concrete to another. It worries me that my own...
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I am tempting you with my pretty petite casserole of ricotta, winter squash, and pine nuts. Unforturnately for me, these pine nuts had already...
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My wonderful friend Riana did my Tarot reading and it's a serious matter. This year will be hard. It will be a year of...
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Today I turned 39. I think being 39 is way cooler than being 38. Sometimes you can tell a lot from one day. It's time...
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I always think that the best way to begin a new year is with some kind of natural disaster, because that way you can wade...
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Right now.A whole lot of work was done today by my good friend Angela on my blog move to Movable Type. I've been planning on...
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A snowbird wakes up to snow.Today is my only day off each week. I got to sleep in. When I went to bed the sky...
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First you must eat- nothing. Drink a lot of excellent hot coffee before the sun comes up and watch your windows like a child looking...
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Flight is what I think of when I see my dog galloping through the carpet of of fallen leaves in the hazelnut orchard near our...
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(magazine or book?)I have an important question for everyone who is interested in Roost: are you excited specifically because it is going to be in...
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On Thanksgiving day we had an incredible interruption to a quiet morning when two Starlings came swooping into the office with the dog following in...
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that make me glad I'm not dead yetIf anyone wants to know what my sense of humor really is...watch The Flight Of The Concords and...
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Chick, who is part lab, part pit, and part bull mastiff.I have recently gotten into two discussions about pit bulls with friends. Apparently I can't...
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(because "no" is the new "yes")I got to hang out with my friend Lisa B. and our mutual friend Angeleen for a while yesterday and...
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On the edge of my seat. Is watching the Election map fill in on NPR likely to cause a brain aneurysm? I update it every...
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(barking with my dog)Chick is waiting. I am waiting. We're all waiting. This is a pretty tense day. I just finished work and am showered...
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unsolicited advice about naming your blogI have been reading a lot of new (to me) blogs lately and it has become clear to me that...
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Civil Rights Is Not Just A Racial IssueI am struggling to concentrate on the fact that I don't know how to do anything with the...
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(is now in yours)I once said that rain hitting my face while riding my scooter feels like bullets*. I would like to add that sometimes...
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When I woke up, late, this morning at 6:15am I was a headline editor. I had grammar intact, an intellect sharp, and diplomacy beating like...
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I really don't want to age like Susan Powter. Do you think I can avoid it by not getting "work" done and not being too...
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I've learned a lot from doing my poll and from writing the post about fitting in:If you put a smart-ass option on a poll, some...
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There is a church for almost every possible religious denomination in my county. And there are always more being built. If the map of Yamhill...
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Sometimes I think dogs and mathematicians are closer to god than anyone else. Mathematicians see the world differently than the rest of us. Every solid...
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At the very bottom of my blog there is a poll. I would like everyone who visits here with any regularity at all to please...
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Sometimes all you have left to say is Thank You.Unless you are a writer like me, in which case there is literally no end in...
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I am going to take part in a list making party that I wasn't actually invited to join. I saw it over at Schmutzie's blog...
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more thoughts on the flyI'm very excited to say that my Ballerina rose is forming little tiny hips so I'll have some to harvest this...
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Every living being has the same basic wish - to be happy and to avoid suffering. Even newborn babies, animals, and insects have this wish....
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(or: why I will never put a hatchet in your head)No government, no religious group, and no school of thought has the power to dissuade...
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the other side of 9/11The heart of a people is often laid deep in the seeds of the fruits they grow. Open it up and...
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and ye shall be a dupeA commenter in my last post said she was "disturbed" by my assessment of a fellow shopper I described as...
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modern homesteading for everyoneAfter discussing all the possible magazine titles with Philip while lounging in bed (not naked, you dirty minded people!) drinking beer, it...
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Pippa, stalking scraps and moths in the kitchen.Feet. Not Philip's.Tomatillos waiting to hit the stew pot. Think they smell the fear of the ones that...
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This is my all time favorite magazine. It was well made, well written, had some ads but not intrusive, useful information, wonderfully inspiring (but not...
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This one's for CapelloTalent is a funny thing. Some of us have it, and some of us don't. I've been accused, many times in my...
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and no basket to put them inI found out today that my book proposal did not get accepted by Lark Books. To say that I...
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which do you think is more depressing?I guess it depends on who's writing the book.Yesterday was a slow quiet day. Max played computer games from...
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(I was not.)It's almost 1am. Hot. My skin is sticky in a non-sexy way. The thought of sex makes me feel like I'm going to...
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OK. I'm done with the stupid heat. Done. I can live without tomatoes* and eggplants. I am asking myself: why didn't I move to Canada...
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I didn't get the job I most wanted of all jobs in this town. At least I had a chance, (I'm telling myself). Plus I...
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McMinnville's FinestI started life as a lisper. My mom says it's because I sucked my thumb until I was seven and pushed all my front...
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I have a flood of things to say but nowhere to say them and no one to say them to. I keep writing posts and...
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At what point does a guilty pleasure cross the line into a compulsion or an obsession? How strange or dirty does a guilty pleasure have...
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Live where the sun has no bite. We're on day 8 of a heat wave. Much of this week has been in the nineties and...
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the food where I liveWheat fields are beautiful. That's a field of food right there. Golden grains shining under the July sun. It's a shame...
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One of the things I enjoyed the most about this trip to California was seeing the variety of wildflowers on the roadside in Oregon reaching...
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I've come to the conclusion that the man in the "End Of The World" sandwich sign who used to shout out crap while thumping on...
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bad coffee does happen hereMelinda from Elements In Time wondered why I would complain about the heat wave in Oregon and then run off to...
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Some helpful hints for living a good life:Don't put lotion on your hands directly before you try to pick up a beer bottle that is...
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a role reprisedI walk into the job like a character actor walks onto a familiar stage: with my role in my mouth, my lines in...
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Peach jam is so good. I can eat up one jar in just a few days. I took my first ever drug test yesterday. Provided...
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I needed cash on my way to the farmer's market. I didn't want to get out of my vehicle and be forced to park it...
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It's been cold here. So cold I had to put my heater back on. So cold I'm constantly putting my sweaters back on. I'm starting...
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Today, on our way to visit my mom in Portland, we saw a sign in front of a church advertising Vacation Bible School and I...
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I'm interrupting my regular programming to ask all of my crafting friends (both online and offline) to speak up and help me brainstorm for a...
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(Wiping JoAnn Fabrics off the table for good)I may love roses because of their similarity to books: they have to open up to unfold their...
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And what they have in commonThis is my eye candy for today. Kaiserin Fredrich rose. I'm swimming with words tonight. I am pretty sure I...
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Yesterday was a major cleaning day and today is going to be one as well. Right after I update my resume and send it out...
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The unwritable letterTo Whom It May Concern,I have to figure out how to tell you, without sounding the least bit desperate (or insane) within the...
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(I'm the one you want by your side for the Apocalypse)The best way to find out if your local economy is strong or weak is...
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(six of them, right now)1. Brand new silver sequined flip flops to open the summer season with and a turquoise watering can all floating over...
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What You Bring HomeFor most people the point of travel is to explore and find out what else is out there in the world. You...
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Glasgow is a working class city mostly featuring 19th century architecture. I like Glasgow because it has a really energetic and diverse feel to it....
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I love cathedrals and old churches. I love religious music (organs, Catholic choir music, gospel) and I love religious art. I don't believe in God....
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a profileHaggis in a can may not be your cup of tea but it's my opinion that never has a disgusting traditional food come in...
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There are a few things I didn't bring with me: sunscreen, a hat, sandals, or tank tops for the excellent reason that the sun isn't...
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Queens Terrace, AKA: Bed and Breakfast Row. Our B&B is to the left of the green one. The Burnside Guesthouse. It's quite nice. I have...
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(Plus travel plans)Local asparagus is now available and I have been roasting it. You can do so many things with it such as asparagus soup,...
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Sometime soon I will resume writing more about food and including some recipes as well. I am only this past week really getting back into...
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And how Angelina pulled a Britney SpearsThe hens have not yet moved to the farmhouse so I am going to the old house to feed...
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(by letting the past go)(a classic)I am in that terrible state between lives where your new one is so wonderful and exciting and you want...
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When you're in the right place everything tastes better.Everything you already own becomes more delightful.You find the details hitting your eyes like shots of sugar.Suppose...
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There are a few people who need to be immediately deeply thanked for their incredible help in getting our furniture and a thousand annoying belongings...
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Papers have been signed in dizzying masses with fresh blood from the turnips that have come to stand in place of an income. Promises have...
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and it wants it's promise backI like to say "Houseleek" because it sounds wet and sharp and pungent. This plant goes by other names as...
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Many things seem to be coming to a head right now. My Master Gardening course is complete and now I have to put in volunteer...
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Friends walk through midnight together where the witch's broom gathers all the light into switches meant to hold hope close to the bosom of the...
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(you're gonna need it for this post)This post is dedicated to: Pam, M.S.S., D.G., Lucille, Laurie, Shar, Sid, Cindy, Sue, Nicole, Vespabelle, and Riana- provided...
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What I love best about keeping a blog is that I can write whatever I want in it. I'm a one-woman festival of chatter in...
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Me and bossy had ourselves a little showdown. Two bossy cows, one weighing in at a whopping 221 pounds and the other somewhere over 1200...
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I believe I am developing a quiet reputation for lunacy in my small town. I am always toting awkward and interesting loads on my Vespa...
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Plus a whole lot of pest talkThis is what the perfect pasta dough looks like. Granular until you knead it.This is a walnut filling. I...
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Something about a day dusted with snow that makes me want to bake. I'm not a big baker but I do make corn bread, one...
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This is the road home from Portland where I stayed the night with my mom. But this is also a very familiar landscape of the...
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In which Angelina takes up knitting needles once more(but will not be knitting anything challenging)So very much has happened recently that when life gets quiet...
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Or so the story goesI am practically holding my breath. This whole dying thing is much quieter, more private, and full of anticipation than I...
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I rented the movie "Mansfield Park" this week. Not the one that was done in the seventies, but the more recent one featuring Jonny Lee...
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Master Gardening and Dying Kitties(never a dull moment)Ozark The EmperorOzark is 13.5 years old and is dying of FIV which, if you didn't already know...
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This is my bowl of empty prescription bottles. That's not how many prescriptions I use, by the way. I have only two prescriptions that I...
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(or how to bring out the feminist in me)I started reading Jon Krakauer's book "Under The Banner Of Heaven" which is his nonfiction book about...
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Sixteen years old.Five New Year's Resolutions:1. Get a new psychiatrist to help adjust my medications appropriately.2. Return to therapy at least for a few visits...
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What I've been wondering a lot about in the last couple of days is how come watching "Dark Angel" and "Firefly" doesn't depress me. They...
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So what did we do yesterday? We watched the snow. All day. Not a single flake of it stuck for a second but it snowed...
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My laundry is reaching a state of crisis. It is never done. I used to be able to get all my laundry done in one...
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Pine nuts gathered from the woods near Riana's house. A few cloves of "Rose" garlic that I could eat but would rather plant. I suppose...
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Up until two am again. Working. I was sewing until my machine broke. MY MACHINE BROKE TWO DAYS BEFORE MY PORTLAND CRAFT SHOW WHICH IS...
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There is a giant club swinging at my head. Who can I thank for this gift of mucus and sore throat and this head that...
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Just when things seem slow enough at the Holiday Market that I can work on this week's tutorials, I sell just enough that I have...
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It is snowing right now. This picture is from last year because I can't get a good picture of the snow coming down this morning,...
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(very small Eat Local Challenge update)(plus a whole lotta other business)We love pasta like some people love beef. We don't love beef at all. Back...
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I got up at about 5:25 in the morning with Max who has been throwing up since then. Poor not so wee guy. It's been...
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(walk, don't run)(or vomit)Once upon a time I was like a combination Scrooge/Grinch. I hated Christmas. But don't worry, this isn't going to be yet...
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Hello all. I have been forcibly cut off from the world by my phone company. We have been without phone or Internet service for over...
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(and people call me predictable)Occasionally you could hear and see the geese moving south in the fall in Northern California, but it was a rare...
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#1. Having almost enough quilt blocks done to put together my first full sized quilt. This is one block. I will use black fabric with...
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This week-end Philip mucked out the chicken run. This is a big job we only do every few months. We add new hay every couple...
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First of all: what's up with all the designers in the world falling in love with fur pelts again? And if they feel they absolutely...
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A lot of my titles come to me the way poetry used to. In fact, I think that instead of writing poetry now, I channel...
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Ozark would like to rule the universe.Since having a kid I've watched more than my human share of the good ol' fight between the classic...
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Notice the lipstick? I must say, lipstick really makes a difference. I've known this for so long it amazes me that I ever forgot. I...
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(plus a really long drug related story)Pet Peeve #1: I just want to say for the record that wordplay is NEVER funny, NEVER clever, and...
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Petty misdemeanor #1: When the local health food store has a vast collection of Saturn peaches with moldy stem ends, and regular peaches covered in...
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So, I have my gleaming white brand new freezer, waiting to be filled with goodness. Just waiting for one hundred pounds of summer tomatoes, roasted...
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...20 tomatoes, 5 zucchinis, 7 hot peppers, 2 bunches basil, 3 onions, and 2 cucumbers for: $23.18I picked the eggplants and tomatoes myself. Now, in...
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(This one's for M. Sinclair Stevens and GenX Theorist)I just took an online personality test based on both Carl Jung's theories on psychological types and...
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(to prove that I'm not a totally negative individual)Plus: making frugality sound goodCan you believe this sunflower?That is the color of light when it's happy.What's...
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(plus frightening hair details)I've got a whole lot on my mind so I'll just spit it all out as it comes to me, in no...
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(the floosy in the other room) (get out of my dream already!) I never thought my dreams would be so short of rich subconscious material...
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Philip got a job! But before I go any further, let me just say that it doesn't pay enough to cover much more than just...
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I am very overwhelmed by all that needs to get done today. So it's a huge blessing that Max is going to Rex's house to...
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Remember how I mentioned that you have to age your hen's eggs if you want to hard boil them because if they are too fresh...
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and other true factsThe priming is under way at last. Philip kindly volunteered to start it last night. I didn't TSP or sand the paneling...
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(my whole life is the damn spot right now)Unlike me, my garden is really putting out now. Although the lettuce is almost gone (well, actually...
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Blueberry season is here in earnest and I missed it last year so this year I am not letting it slip past me. I took...
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(and other dubious points of interest)My mom bought tickets to see the new Harry Potter movie for her and Max. She bought the tickets to...
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These are the first beets I've gotten from my garden in six years! And not for want of trying either. There's something about this area...
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Fava beans, yellow zucchini, and pasta with fresh herbs.My back is in a very fragile state right now which makes me angry with my body....
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Lisa E. and I had a very important mission yesterday: to adopt Monica's three hens for reasons we aren't allowed to reveal just in case...
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Here's me doing my best impression of a Bavarian Bar Maid bringing out the baked goods which I obviously enjoy quite a lot myself. The...
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If you enjoy any traditional domestic arts like cooking, needle work, gardening, or keeping farm animals, you will probably enjoy this Mary Jane's Farm book...
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(why you will wish you lived here)Last summer I took off on my scooter one afternoon to get out on the open road like a...
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(and what ties them together)There are only two things that will link Scooby Doo and the Olsen twins in my head forever: they both annoy...
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Chick finds it very challenging to sit still for portraits. My camera finds it real challenging to snap a picture when I ask it to....
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Between the buttons I got at Schoolhouse antiques and the lovely collection sent to me by my blog friend at Zanthan Gardens, I have been...
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Right now I have the urge to jump on my sleek Vespa and head out of town. Or perhaps just to drive in the country....
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On the left is Pearly Grey Designs owner Jen Nowak-Miller who designs and makes accessories for stylish babes using lots of retro fabrics. My favorite...
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One Hundred Things:1. I love the winter best of all the seasons. Especially with a little snow fall. I almost always plan my travel for...
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I've been tagged by Violette Crumble to tell what the meaning of our kid's name is and why or how we chose it.Maximilian is Latin...
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When Philip was hacking down our field of carefully cultivated six foot weeds in preparation for mowing, he stumbled over one of our volunteer potato...
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Can you believe that M. Sinclair Stevens of Zanthan Gardens sent me her collection of vintage buttons? This is now more special than the ones...
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My friend Chelsea has made her own tags for the sewn products she makes. Right now she only sells to my store, but I think...
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(plus a medical mystery)I took a break from apron making yesterday to work on a project I've had in mind for quite a while: vintage...
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Kaiserin Friedrich is covered in small buds. This is one determined sturdy rose and he has a wonderful strong tea rose fragrance. There's no excuse...
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Peonies are a little bit like sex, the way they creep up on you and then suddenly they are exploding all over the place with...
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(from trees)Like fledgling Blue Jays. Max and Rex found this little guy huddled up in Max's "fort"* It's a real pain in the ass when...
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These wee pears are Red Sensation Bartlets. I love the beginning of the life of fruit where it's just beginning to swell, right at the...
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Angelina The Flame Retardant Human suffered a collapse of back not sixty seconds after publishing yesterday's blog post in which she had loudly declared her...
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So, about my trip to Martha-ville... here is the decoration I was so proud of. Now that I see it in the official blog context,...
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This is my old trusty bicycle and my Vespa. The Vespa has been out of commission since November of 2006 because the head light burnt...
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I don't know what it is about the Pacific Northwest that has so much epitomized what I need from my own place on earth, but...
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(and to make happy souls happier!)Hang on to your britches because there are lots of gratuitous shots of BBQ Sue in the newest peace apron......
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I did finally sit down at my machine and sew. But not without wrestling with it first. I secretly think my machine is alive and...
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One of the many reasons I love my cat, Ozark, is that he is steadfast in his determination not to form a cat empire of...
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Every once in a while I get the irresistible urge to eat donuts. Especially if I'm feeling at all low or physically gross. I guess...
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Forest Whimsy is my friend Lucille's company. She makes fairy houses, fairy dolls, furniture, and fairy crowns like this one here. Up until this week...
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This morning we had a parent/teacher conference with Max. It's amazing how often we are shown how close to the tree our little apple fell....
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Last night I sat down with my newest copy of Elle magazine which I wasn't really all that excited to read, partly because Mandy Moore...
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While I seriously enjoyed making my Easter baskets this year, I am generally pretty ambivalent about this holiday. Mostly because it has no meaning for...
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You know how sometimes when you are admiring something someone has made and you find out it's for sale you think to yourself "I could...
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I went to the doctor for the first time in a year today. Don't be thinking I must be really healthy or something. I mean,...
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The lady in front of me is fussing with her cell phone, having a difficult time discussing what her friend does or doesn't want while...
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Soul MappingThis is one of my very favorite photos of my mother and my sister. Two women who have been known to drive me batty...
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an unexpected benefitI am marvelling right now about how many people whom I have never before met in person can become such an integral part...
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Plus, a little celebrity conversationThis is the irresistible pre-spring nature show. There are some people out there (no judgment here) who are unmoved by blossoming...
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This has been a week-end almost completely devoted to Portland in one way or another. Philip, Max, and I went to the Kennedy School in...
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I once read a book about ants when I was a design assistant at Mulberry Neckwear. I was profoundly impressed by the information I gleaned...
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My camera is finally working again, thank god. Not having it was really irritating. Like mot having a coffee pot. Which is near calamity here...
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If we never have enough money to send Max to college, these shoes will certainly be the reason. These are the Birkenstocks I bought.For Christmas...
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(And how Portland tried to swallow us whole)On the trip my mom and I made to Portland last week we were driving around the downtown...
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It all started with a simple desire to add a site meter. To do that I had to upgrade my blogger account to the new...
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My cold is rapidly cycling itself through my system. I'm done with the sore throat. Yesterday was all about the non-stop runny nose, which isn't...
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So here we are again...landed on the great day of LUUUUUUUV. So many millions of flowers, cards, candy, and ounces of bodily fluids such as...
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This is me being super pissed off at my father during our visit to Israel in 1996. That trip was very emotional. I came back...
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This is not so pretty. But I love Max in this picture. Plus I am running out of prescanned pictures to post and still haven't...
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(and the impression of sudden sorrow)This has turned out to be quite a day. I finally got my inquiry letter sent out to my first...
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First off: all women named Frankie are cool. Secondly, a couple of minor miracles have occurred today. I finished these key chains which I designed...
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I have been tempted to share the visual feast that Philip and I get to enjoy on a regular basis. It's one thing to tell...
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I've been tagged by Happy Zombie. Can someone please tell me what "meme" means or stands for? The only problem with this subject is that...
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It was not supposed to snow last night. We watched Hamish Macbeth episodes until one am when Philip decided it was time to shuffle off...
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It's really wonderful to open up a jar of home canned tomatoes when you're looking for something good to make for dinner and the fridge...
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Philip gave me these books for my birthday/anniversary presents. The MaryJane's Idea Book is very cool. It's like her magazine times ten. I will admit...
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Lisa made this scarf for me for my birthday! The yarn she used is so pretty! It looks more pink in this picture than it...
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MY BACK IS OUT. I HAVE NOT BEEN IN THIS MUCH PAIN SINCE I BROKE MY HIP A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. OBVIOUSLY THAT...
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There's been a mystery percolating in the hen house. The litter inside the nest has been super clean lately which is unheard of for a...
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Sometimes I can't believe I can make things like this from scratch. In fact, I DID make this from scratch. Underneath the fruit is a...
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I have just spent my evening debating with friends on the issues I brought up in my previous post while eating good food, and drinking...
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I spent my morning lazily sifting through my back-log of glossy magazines for pages to tear out to add to my binder of inspiration. It's...
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OK, so he doesn't look ecstatic, but the pillow was a success. I actually had two wonderful pictures of them in the store, but I...
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We had ourselves a little storm the other day with a strong enough wind to steal your breath and fell trees. Some people are still...
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This is the new window in progress. I was just wondering if I shouldn't keep mum about my windows until they are done so as...
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It started coming down in huge floaty flakes and I rushed outside with just my sweater and Chick followed, bewildered at my excitement, but willing...
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(our trip to California in photos)We stayed at my mom's house with her and her two young shih tzu dogs who looked exactly like Ewoks...
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(and how it's already almost gone)I am an optimistic realist. Sometimes I call myself an optimistic pessimist. Which basically means I simultaneously hope for the...
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Today is moving day. We will be haphazardly packing up everything in the store into a U-Haul truck to unload it three blocks down the...
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Remember the simpler times when the chicken run wasn't a re-enactment of Noah's Ark, when evil people weren't running the government, and when you could...
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We spent the better part of yesterday driving next to and underneath Portland's many bridges in search of retail supplies for our store. This is...
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Dominique agreed to hand out the candy for Dustpan Alley so I could trick-or-treat with Max, Rex, Elena, Mark, and Lisa. But before the others...
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"I Hate Blogger" bumper stickers are my next project.Why does it put up such a fuss over posting my pictures?Does it hate my pictures? Or...
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It was thirty two degrees outside this morning! It's the first frost of the season. It's crisp, blue, sparkly, cold, clear, and bright outside.I wonder...
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(Or: How I hate blogger for refusing-9 times- to post the prettiest picture ever of this farm)Just another picture of the hooligans on stacks of...
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(The longest post I've ever written, or: what a rainy sleepy Sunday can make you think about.)The hens are feeling it. More eggs a day...as...
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Let's start with the poll:I'd like to hear from lots of you on whether or not you keep a recipe box in your kitchen. If...
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(Farm Geeks Abroad Presents: Fir Point Farm in Canby, Oregon)Get ready because this post has about a billion photographs. If you find farms boring then...
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Philip is at home right now tearing little clods of hair out of his head between bouts of wall punching and banging his skull...
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Four jobs that I've had:1. Shipping manager for Weston Wear2. Swatcher/design asst. at Mulberry Neckwear3. Housewife4. Owner of Dustpan AlleyFour movies I watch over and...
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On the road with Farm-girl Greta and Farm-girl Mathilda(The following wonderful pictures were taken by Lisa)The first stop of two is Rasmussen's Farm where an...
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The canning and preserving whirlwind is not yet finished. Tomorrow Lisa and I take the kids to the "Fruit Loop" near the Hood River...
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I grew Delicata and Butternut. A couple of them got to be a decent size.But look at this tiny one...do you think there's even one...
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(Now That I am a person with a "bad back" I know a lot of tricks for making it better fast) Philip is taking a...
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(I guess this is the price I paid for cutting out 18 women's aprons and 9 men's aprons last night. Bent over fabric for six...
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I know that today is an emotional one for a lot of Americans. For everyone who lost someone five years ago in the terrorist...
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There were lots of rides. Lots and lots of rides. All hosted by "Funtastic". One gets the feeling that Funtastic ought to use a little...
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A lot of people think gossip rags are total trash and contribute to the dereliction of our culture. This simply isn't true. I learn...
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Let the duel begin! Before I make any comparisons between my birth state and my adoptive state, I think it's important to make something clear:...
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I have just been looking through one of those free real estate publications and the same thing happens every time I look at them:...
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(in less than three hours?) That's right, the heat rash on my neck has grown very fond of me. It's at least a little cooler...
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I feel the tone in my earlier post was, perhaps, a little too negative. So I am going to try to find a more...
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You know how when you climb into your oven and those visible waves of heat envelope every inch of your skin, and your skin...
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How a precision instrument such as a penis can shoot pee so wide of the toilet bowl target. Why everyone in the world is...
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I have many times joked about having a few screws loose in my head, but I never imagined a person could literally have a...
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No one is responsible for your happiness but yourself. Lots of people like to argue this one because sometimes the choices we have to...
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