Vanity, thy name is mom

Rustown Art

I finally made it over to my neighborhood beauty salon and got the wig chopped.  It was looking a little wild.  It's taken me about 2 1/2 years to grow it out from very short, which I realize is not a long time. I've actually had it trimmed a few times during that process.  The whole reason I cut it short to begin with is...I was tired all the time, I had 4 kids, I had to work full time,  then I went to working part time (cause I had 4 kids) and I had absolutely no time to mess with it because I had 4 kids!!  Whew!!

Thinking of it makes me tired...

A couple years ago my husband kept repeating the same monotonous statement  "I liked your hair long". Yeah, well, I like it when we were 60 pounds lighter, and didn't have 50% gray hair, and you were more fun to hang out with, and we listened to Jazz while drinking wine, and thought we had a life!! 

Sob.

So I grew it out, and today I cut it back about 2 inches.  And it looks cute and is manageable, and is a good compromise.  Think I can get him to compromise, too?

All things jammy and delish

I was going through my recipes, as I love to do, and came upon a handwritten one from Hubby's mom.  The ink looks old and the writing is a beautiful script.  It was for Jam Cake with a companion recipe for Mocha Chocolate frosting.  (which to me, seemed like gilding the lily on a cake with jam to begin with)   I assembled all the ingredients, even having to combine three jams as we were almost out of that crucial ingredient.  Then I realized - someone had put the egg carton empty back into the fridge! Grrrrr!  Someone who shall remain nameless. (The Girl) Sadly, I returned all the ingredients to the pantry and fridge, vowing to make it once the weekend was over and I could get more jam and eggs!  Today I made it, even though the weather outside was warm and I had to have the oven on 45 minutes...

So worth it - the aroma was wonderful.  And I have a quart of ice cream in the freezer to serve with it...ummm.  But running out of jam made me want to make jam!
So....I did!

I just followed the recipe that came with the box of pectin and used some very ripe pears - it was easy and fast.  And this time I didn't burn my fingers on the very hot jars - a first!  I use the inversion method to seal the jars.  I could have filled them a little fuller, but I still heard that 'pop' from across the house.  What a pretty spring-y shade of yellow! Loving it!

Bubbie taste tested the cake and gave it the thumbs up - guess we'll find out about the jam at breakfast tomorrow! Time to get the kitchen cleaned up and dinner on the stove...

Telling it like it is...

My 80 year old mother says she's too old to change.  I think that's a lot of bunk.  My mother is a smart, creative, deep thinker with the capacity to learn new ways.

Today we had a discussion about speaking your mind.  In her opinion, you should be able to say how you feel -at all times and regardless of your audience.   While I agree in theory that you must say how you feel, I also think there is a time and place and way to do that; diplomacy should rule the day.  You can be authentic, and genuine, and sincere about your feelings.  But the rest of us don't have to accept insults.  Stating your opinion without taking into account your audience is just plain old bad manners.  And eventually, people will avoid you.
That can be a lonely situation.

She doesn't agree with me, but I figured she wouldn't.  I'm only trying to explain to her why people would react to her they way they do.  I love my mother and I think we are a lot alike. But I can see how others might not be as forgiving.  Her solution is to be a hermit, and never say how she really feels again -which means she won't say anything.  But I don't think that's the answer.  And I don't believe that you're ever too old to learn to express a sincere apology. 

You can start anew.  

You can learn from your mistakes.

I've learned a lot from my mother.  I will keep an open mind and try to see the error of my ways, too.

p.s.  May 2015 - I really think my mother falls somewhere on the autism spectrum.  Will her knowing that help her at the ripe old age of 85?  Probably not.  But it answers a lot for me.

The secret chair

We inherited this chair from hubby's mother; it was her sewing chair.

I recently covered the seat pad with the same fabric as the couch cushions.

It has a neat feature - the seat comes off to reveal a compartment where you can store all kinds of things.  Chloe used it in her room at one point and it hid all her Lisa Frank stickers and stamps.  Then it was moved into the front room and Dylan used it to store his recorder, and euphonium sheet music. Now it belongs to moi.  But it was showing wear and tear.

 Wooden button missing.

Scuffed finish.  But it's such a nice little chair!

I think I shall put my notecards and stationery in it - I still like to write a handwritten letter now and again.  Here are some before and after photos of the secret chair getting a makeover!

 Couldn't find those wooden buttons to match so I removed one on each side, filled the holes, sanded.

As a matter of fact, the whole chair was sanded - exfoliated. Then got a new coat of walnut stain and varnish.

I painted the inside compartment a pretty fern green.

The lighting isn't great - but the chair is.

I'm glad I got her spiffed up; she deserved it!

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Hanging out

These days we are mostly a Boy household - The Girl is finishing up high school with all that entails and working two jobs.  So, we don't see her as often as we'd like.  I think this fact is not lost on the boys.  Who knows how they feel about it - they don't come right out and say.  But, they've been "clumping together" more and more.  It's not  like they wouldn't hang out together, as they all share a love of electronics, much to my dismay.

The day I took these pics might have been the only day Bubbie actually rested in his bed after school, even tho here he is shown sitting up.  What a grouch he's been lately! I don't remember the other two having hormonal/sleep issues...

So here is where I found them when I yelled "Chow Call" and no one answered.  Just hanging out, each in his own little electronic world, but at least in the same room.  Which I guess, is pretty nice - no one hollering 

"get outta my room"  like we did growing up.

I am glad they are close enough to enjoy the quiet company of each other.

Mothering perspective

 

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran

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Fingerprint Friday - 

OK, so I'm late

Chicken Tikka Masala

I figure just about any thing can go into the crock pot...

I really love Indian food, but I am too impatient to learn how to cook it the traditional way.  It's not like I have all day to master it, and most of the time, my family is good-natured about my "experiments",  but they can also be critical and picky!

 But it turned out great and all I did besides add a pre-packaged seasoning mix of spices was cover it and walk away... A little spicy, but that didn't seem to put anyone off.  I served it with rice and kale.
A very filling and healthy meal.  

My crock pot done good!  

Kitchen camo Floor

Hang on to your hat - recently I re-stained the kitchen grout.  Earth-shattering, I know.  But it made a huge difference to me, seeing as how I am a little OCD when it comes to cleaning.  And you cannot get your kitchen to look really clean if the floor looks dirty.  I don't know how we got talked into the putty color that was put in with our brown tile....

I even told the lady at Home Depot I wanted to not have to look down and realize I have a dirty kitchen floor; I wanted brown for camoflage! (our old floor was white)  We've scrubbed it and had it steamed clean, but the grout was stained to the point of it looking grubby, and nothing helped.  This is one of those projects that stayed on my list for what seemed like forever, but here is what I did:  I moved the kitchen chairs out, swept, mopped...

...cleaned the grout with sulfamic acid, mopped again, then put Grout Renew on with a toothbrush.  Yes, it was tedious.  All-day consuming. Made the house smell like vinegar.  But look at the grout now (even if the photos aren't the best);

The new color is "Nutmeg", but if I ever re-do it, I'll special order a darker brown color. Even so, I like the way it looks compared to the lighter grout.  It's more practical too, and its a sealant in addition to being a stain.  Now I just have to remember to take the PineSol bottle out of the kitchen so I am not tempted to use it....you can't use solvent based cleaners on it.  Guess it will be hot water and Murphy's Oil Soap for me.  But now, when I look down at the floor, I don't stress over it looking filthy!

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Stories

As told by The Girl to her mom:

Mrs. Shoemaker (?)  The squirrel dropped his nut. The sun, clouds, and bird.  (Okaaayyyy....she was drawing, mom just wrote what she was told.)

BBQ pit with smoke. Somebody dropped their gum. (This chapter was all about tragedy - Dad burning the dinner, and obviously, the gum thing)

Chloe and mommy sharing sunglasses.  That was some sight to see! I think the little girl was hoping I'd share my sunglasses...

Grass, sun, and a squirrel that fell on it's head.
The end. (Apparently, nature is both beautiful and dangerous)

The Girl, 1995

Awww...thank you, that was such a special story, sweetie! 
And you will always be my cute little girl!

Sewing day

Rustown Art

I found another folder of art from my kids waaaay up in the closet and photographed it for posterity (and blogging)  But I really need to learn how to use the scanner and get better reproductions.  Hard to believe Firstborn was once this small and innocent. (:

 Just not today.

Today I want to sew a couple of cushion covers to pretty up the brown den sofa - nothing fancy.  Just using some leftover fabric from the couch project in the front room.  Also, I want to pick out a paint to refinish the little desk chair I use in the front room.  But I'm determined today to work with materials I already have - kind of like the "pantry meals"  idea - use what you've got.  It's supposed to rain all day so that will encourage me to stay at home anyway! What do you have planned for a rainy day that stretches ahead of you?

Summer plans 2010

I know its only April, but I am soooo ready for the school year to wind down. To not have to get up daily at 6:15. To not have to pack lunches. To not have to worry about kids having clean socks.  To not have to remember to sign agendas so the teacher doesn't send a nasty note home. To not have to stop what I'm doing in the middle of the afternoon and go pick kids up, then start the homework or instrument practice. To not have to enforce an early bedtime.  

 Camp Rustown Beachgoers, ca. 2005

It's time to start thinking about heading to the beach and all the other fun things we can do in summer.  Time to get the towels out of storage, buy some new flip flops, make sure the boogie boards are in good shape, and plan our escape.  I am looking forward to making some summer plans!

Gina

A little bribe...

Recently I posted about my method for making homemade cookies available for my peeps in their lunches and for desert.   The secret weapons are my freezer and  mixer!  I love how easy it is to whip up a batch (or two or three) of cookie dough.  This afternoon I made Chocolate Chip Bacon Pecan, Oatmeal Scotchie, and Banana Coconut Crunch.  Took all of 45 minutes, including cleaning up the mess I made and running the dishwasher.  And now the freezer has 6 new packages of cookie dough to coax people into eating the dinner recipes I am experimenting with - tonight it's Trinidadian Chicken Curry, a la The Pioneer Woman.

Rustown Art

I'll have to be crafty and not tell them about the Chocolate Chip Bacon Pecan cookies until they've tried them...sometimes motherhood is a rough game.  But if they never try new tastes, how will they know what they are missing?  Or if a new favorite dish is to be discovered? And if the promise of fresh oven cookies does the trick, is there any harm done?

I'm thinking no!