Blueberry and some sweetness

Last week Mr. Sophanne and I had a conversation about what to plant in the garden.  We agreed on cucumbers, tomatoes (regular and cherry), green peppers and maybe some beans.  Those are garden things that we will eat.  As we tried to figure out what else to plant, he said "How about blueberries?"  I told him that blueberries grew on bushes.

Today I had to stop at the local greenhouse to pick up a hanging basket and Lo and Be Whole, what was there but 3 year old blueberry bushes.

It's in a big biggish pot and will need a big biggish hole so I told Mr. Sophanne it was a present for him so that he would be the planter of blueberries.  The greenhouse lady said that shavings of Irish Spring keep the deer away but I'm thinking we might consider planting it within the walls of the garden.  

The sweetness part is a school story, shared here as much so that I'll remember as it is to entertain blogreaders.

4 fifth grade girls were in my room at recess today, choosing my space over outdoor recess.  They "played around" on instruments for a while.  I left them alone, knowing that it's to easy to interfere with my adult mind in the happy play of kids.

At some point they began to "play" concert.  All four lined up.  The entered the instrument area together and sat behind their instruments.  One stood in front as the conductor with a makeshift baton.  Then they played one of the xylophone pieces that they knew in canon.   Each time they did it they would become a little more professional.  One was scolded (by her peers) for speaking too soon at the end of the piece.  It's not over yet, don't talk in the show.  I could hear them in the walking in area saying This time it's the real time, right?  This time it's the really real time.  They took their bows at the end and quietly exited the instrument area.

I was in the room the whole time, again it was all I could do not to try to "add to" or "make better" their play.  At the end of recess they said, "Mrs. Sophanne, tomorrow can we do our show for you after we practice a few times?"  Then they remembered that tomorrow was field trip day and expressed their disappointment.  I assured them that I'd been watching all along.

I felt like I had been a observing guest in the "Secret Garden" of girls who are 10.  It felt so magical.

Don't skip the vegetables

I snapped this photo at almost 9:00 this evening- it stinks, I know it.  What you still might be able to see though is that the left side has been "picked" and the right side has been "massaged."  It's a new gardening technique that I'm all about.  O.k., not really but that's a little bit what it feels like.

Mr. Sophanne picked the whole area yesterday.  I spent some time breaking up the big chunks of dirt and removing the weeds.  Come to find it's really my favorite part of having the garden-the same was true last year.  Sitting on blanket, gloves in the dirt, counting worms, and massaging earth.  I am very tempted to save a corner of this little patch to just keep around to work at.  Maybe even in the middle.

The thing is- when I first sat down to do it I did so with great intention and plans for "success and completion."  I was going to get all of those green pieces that Mr. Sophanne laboriously dug up.  After a few minutes, I realized that wasn't going to happen and it didn't have to.  What a relief and then what a relaxing moment to just be sitting and playing in the dirt.  I highly recommend it.

Sheep and Fiber 2012

Things I haven't seen before

Making flowers with Nan.  She uses recycled wool, dyes it and makes these spectacular creations.  They aren't felted- but perhaps made of felt?

At first glance, this appears to be just a smiley lady winding yarn, but look closer.  Her ball winder is on her lap attached to a cutting board!  Holy pure genius batman!

Things that suck me in every time but I refrain

Alpaca Bears

What I actually came home with

Two skeins of sock yarn from two different vendors, a yarn bowl, a wallet and some peaches (from the nearby farmer's market)  I figure if the yarn bowl isn't the dream I imagine it to be, it will still hold fresh fruit.)  Bonus points for playing "spot the seltzer bottle"

Take me to the River.

because who doesn't love a good dog picture?

Speaking of rivers- o.k. this next thing has nothing to do with rivers except if I do a bad job, I could get sent up the river. You may remember a few years ago I shared the "head teacher crown" with a colleague. It didn't work out so well. The colleague was great but the principal (the person the head teacher replaces when s/he is absent) at the time suffered from chronic absenteeism. It made for high anxiety. I eventually resigned mid-year because I resented being taken advantage of. Upon receiving notification of and accepting my resignation, I received a note from the powers that be stating in no uncertain terms that I would no longer be eligible to serve as head teacher and receive the whopping $1000/year the job awards.

Fast forward to easy-going, likeable, former physed teacher principal who is at school more often than not. We had some principal school classes together. He knows my secret. I was once a mere portfolio, 3 credit hours and a standardized test away from being certified as a principal. I ended that project prematurely so that I could learn how to be married and because I came to my ever-loving senses.

As the current head teacher has retired, he has recommended me to once again serve as head teacher next year. Much to my dismay, the powers that be haven't remembered their former declaration. I grudgingly agreed to take the position. Things I've got going for me-the secretary and counselor said they'd be on my side and back me up and help me out when I had brain freeze- which I often do. There were several situations that I watched unfold this year where I sat and wondered "how the hell do you work THIS out." Also, this principal comes to school on a regular basis.

Today the counselor said to me "you always appear so calm and collected, even on days when I know you're stressed." It made me think. The odds of making the right decision and finding the perfect solution in unpredictable moments are about 50/50. But even a wrong decision goes down better with a calm and collected personality. If I do the best I can, keep my wits about me, and take little personally, the worst they can do is "fire" me as head teacher and then hire me back again.

p.s. happy 1000th post to me

Hannah Bantry...or where do YOU hide the wrappers?

Kids love conga drumming. Good music teachers know that the best way to make them successful is through familiar (or not so familiar) nursery rhymes. This nursery rhyme is the verse of choice in this week's drumming.

Hannah Bantry in the Pantry
Gnawing on a mutton bone.
How she Gnawed it, How she Clawed it,
when She found Herself Alone.

Getting the kids past the unfamiliar words and ideas so that they are comfortable using them to drum was once a challenge for me. Challenge no more.

I tell the story of the giant bag of mini-snicker bars in the refrigerator crisper. When it was a new bag, I could take as many as 3 or 4, devour them in a hiding place and believe that I went unnoticed. When there were fewer left, I could only take one. I used to tell this and it was the end of the story and all 3rd and 4th graders would grin and smile knowing that I was on to one of their secrets.

Today I took it a step further, pointing out the problem with my thievery. Where do you put the wrappers without getting caught? I don't really remember what I did- I'm going to guess they ended up in the corner of a ne'er cleaned closet.

They offered their solutions (which were much more interesting than what they were sneaking.)

1. Put the wrappers in Dad's lunch bucket so it looks like they are just leftover from his lunch.
2. Put the wrappers in Dad's clothing pockets so that Mom yells at him for sneaking lunch treats.
3. Put the wrappers in a sibling's garbage can and watch them cry when they get blamed for swiping candy.
4. Put the wrappers in the garbage can and then purposely spill a little Kool-Aid so you have to clean it up with paper towels to cover the evidence.
5. Put the wrappers in the school backpack and throw them away at school.

It's funny that in the past when I've asked, few have wanted to fess up to their act of sneaking. Once you ask about the cleverness of disposing of the evidence, they can't wait to tell you. 1830 or 2012, kids are kids are kids.

Temptations Abound

I survived the donuts only to come home and find this in the refrigerator.

It is an 8"Single Layer Split Fresh Strawberry Boston Creme

Mr. Sophanne justified the purchase by stating "It was a dollar off." Oy. I revealed the donuts here and managed to refrain. Perhaps by posting this one I will be able to do the same.

Update on the ugly pants post- re: the elephant pants- I was standing by a dinosaur statue at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Update on the kid who was smacked in the head with a mallet- upon further interrogation today, it was discovered that her friend smacked her in the jaw with the mallet but she didn't want to get her in trouble. We had the "if it was an accident and it just happened, or if it was on purpose, just tell the damn truth." I didn't say "damn."

Update on the picture above- as I typed, Mr. Sophanne just asked if I wanted a piece, I said no and he brought one to me AT THE DAMN COMPUTER (not hearing me say no thank you or just choosing to ignore it.) And when I say "a piece" I mean 1/4 of the thing because that's how he slices. I did not take it. I think I'm going to cry. The only thing I can think of to make me feel better is that I am saving all treats for the week for next Tuesday at what I'm going to call the "Ice Cream Buffet." I know it's frozen yogurt but I like the way ice cream sounds better.

Update on the caterpillar-licking kid- he lasted all of five minutes in today's class. I told him he had 2 chances then he would be sent out (he's a student who actually has an "out" where I can send him) Other students replaced them in their apparent deafness to instructions and inability to concentrate but there was no wildlife involved which I consider a "win."

As tomorrow is Thursday, I feel that I can think about the weekend. It's Waynesburg Sheep and Fiber Festival Weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I'm looking forward to possibly running into some friends and picking up a little sock yarn. I really have been doing a good job of knitting from the stash and would like to use restraint in yarn purchases as well but I'm actually a little low on sock yarn and that will come in handy this summer. We'll see how I do with those temptations. There's a potter who vends yearly that I like to support. Soon all of my "you're the best teacher" mugs will be replaced by beautiful handcrafted pottery adorned with little sheepies.

o.k. who am I kidding- with caterpillars and mallet whapping, I don't think I have to worry about too many "you're the best teacher" mugs!

Upon reflection I may need to rewrite the description of this blog- The food I'm not eating, the yarn I'm not buying, the kids I'm not teaching, and the knitting I'm not doing.

Follow up

To notes previously submitted. The cure for such a day is to discover the concept of a

frozen yogurt buffet

Right. Next. To. Knit. Night. Tuesday night dinners have been redefined- although I was too overwhelmed to get anything other than a pre-made parfait tonight. Next week, my friends. Next week.

Some notes to kids on the last weeks of school

Hey 5th grader, time will not pass more quickly if you bring in one of those yellow and black striped centipedey/caterpillars and lick it in class. And after I tell you to put it in the garbage can, it is not I that am "killing an innocent bug." You did that when you brought him in. For the record, I don't think those caterpillars have the same properties as certain magical frogs.

Hey 5th grader crying crocodile tears claiming you got hit in the jaw with a mallet. Maybe you did but if you can't tell me who did it, there's not much I can do. Also, how does one get smacked in the face with a mallet and not know who did it? Also, since I was escorting all potential smackers personally (including the caterpillar licker), it's unlikely you're going to be able to find somebody to pin it on.

P.S. if anyone feels like this is breaking any sort of confidentiality rules, please advise. Sometimes they be gray areas.

P.P.S. there are 11 more days with students. Somehow I feel this has the potential to be a series of posts.

Janet's Ugly Pants

Janet at Dog Day Ramblings has been converting old slides into pictures and sharing them with us. I'm always delighted to see what will be next, the clothes they're wearing, the toys they're playing with, the furniture and decor in the house.

This week she posted herself in a pair of ugly pants and invited us to do the same.

I don't think you can beat giant red chess pieces on a pink background but I'm always one to play a good game. Both pictures are circa 1970.

The first is a pair of pink, yellow, and purple plaid "elephant pants" which were all the rage then. I loved those pants. Given how high up from the ground they fit, I'm guessing I would have been better suited in a pair of giraffe pants!

I have no memories of the second pair but I am wearing them in several other photos so they were either the only pants I had or maybe I looked particularly photogenic in them. I do remember the blue velour shirt, the Bozo gumball machine and the little niche in the wall to hold special secret things like jewelry boxes with spinning ballerinas. Occasional commenter and my mother Sunshine might be able to shed more light on the nature of these pants.

Got any pictures of funny pants? I'm asking for Janet... heh.

Helicopters, goats, and microphones

Hi blog. There are some of you reading who aren’t really my friends. With a dose of that knowledge, and while it really shouldn’t have, it took the wind out of my “isn’t blogland awesome” sails.

This blog has made for some very happy moments in the past so I’ll do what I can to forget the ugly and move on. No promises.

The best I can do after a month is a bullet point post but without the actual dots because I find them distracting and unnecessary in a blog that is best organized in bullet points to begin with. These are very much not in order of importance.

Since 11:00 last night, there has been a box of a dozen dunkin’ donuts in this house with no less than 4 apple fritter ones and 4 bavarian cream ones. So far I have managed to refrain from eating one. Like the alcoholic, I know that one donut might as well be the box when it comes to those light, sweet, fluffy carbs. In another 12 hours, they won’t even be as fresh as they were when they first arrived and I hope to remain successful.

The school where I work has 360 some students. The teacher in charge of a “Links of Love and Locks of Love” fundraiser ($1 a paper link to raise money for the American Cancer Society and of course the hair cuts) set a goal of $5000 for this year. We’ve met that goal in the past when the economy was better and when we had a business partner donation. This year, on the day before the assembly, we had about $2500. At the close of the end of the very next day, those kids brought in $5300 without any assistance from outside sources. The community just kept giving. Eight kids and one teacher gave up at least 8 inches of hair for Locks of Love. The classroom teacher with leukemia was on hand to both witness and cut the hair of the other teacher. She was as cool as a cucumber while the rest of the adults (o.k. maybe just me) were blubbering idiots. It was pretty amazing. There are some pictures on our web-site if you want to see more and beam with pride with me.

One knit-nighter (and I’m not saying who) has a desperate fear of goats. A fear like some people have of mice or spiders. She says- “I don’t like goats.” I say, “What about those cute little fainting ones.” She says, “If I was face to face with a fainting goat, we’d just take turns fainting.”

A friend of mine in med school (again not saying who) is starting a rotation in psychology this month. It’s the first time I wish you could bend the rules of the Hippocratic oath just a little bit. Not for the sake of knowing about her patients but definitely for understanding what it’s like to be a newbie doctor in that situation.

In first grade music, as we sing about farms and animals in the spring, I like to read the book Dooby Dooby Moo It’s about how Farmer Brown’s farm animals win a trampoline at the Talent Show at the County Fair. I use that lesson to introduce those kids to the microphone, what it feels like to talk into one, and how it works. We have our own “talent show” (without judges of course). They are intimidated by the mic at first and all I demand of each one is that they say their name into it. That usually breaks the ice. We go from that to telling some jokes and then they only get a turn if they sing a little tune in it.

This brings me to Joke-Telling by First Graders. It’s like a jazz improvisation session. As a rule,they don’t really get the underlying construction of a joke. They only really understand the surface format. One kid starts with an actual joke (maybe) and words get exchanged, rearranged, repeated, and rewound to make new “jokes.” It’s a little rough on the one or two kids who actually understand the concept of a joke but once they see me embracing the absurd and surreal, they can’t help but join in the laughter. I share with you my favorite joke to come out of these improvisations. And by joke, I really mean “anti-joke.”

Why did the pig cross the road?
I don’t know, why? (here we also learn the right way to hear a joke)
So he could ride in the helicopter.

Sadly I could find no images on the Google of that so you'll just have to envision your own.

Inspiration Station

I've decided to call this little corner of my world "inspiration station." You may notice a guitar. I have a guitar now. The good thing about having good student teachers is that they inspire you to stretch yourself. When I had the school guitar home during break I played it daily. When I took it back, I missed having it. It's an unobtrusive instrument that I can slowly get better at.

The course of events that led to the guitar is typical in my life. Insomnia brought "Classic Rock Hits" into my itunes library. A second bout brought the full Beatles collection. A continuing obsession with the song "Blackbird" led to me sharing Bobby McFerrin's version with the student teacher which led to him playing it on the guitar which led to me wanting to play it on the guitar which led to me finding the site Ultimate Guitar (sort of a Ravelry for guitar tabs) which led to me believing that I could actually play the guitar which led to me going to the music store and now there is a guitar in House of Sophanne. Don't count on any crappy YouTube videos but now that I think about it, I may revise the "Dog Album" I was working on from summer of 2007.

Behind the guitar is my yarn stash. I've moved the mangled mess from next to the t.v. chair and put all projects (except the ones I'm working on) in one place. I've "organized" it by yarn type and while it still looks like a cluttered mess to some, and it has the potential of imploding, I like the way it feels.

This book- The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories- volume 1 is on the corner. I saw this story featured on the kottke.org site and it spoke to me. It's put together by hitrecord.org which seems worth investigating, but I haven't yet.



One day before breakfast, an orange rolled off the counter and escaped its fate, bounding happily through the kitchen door. Filled with hope, the egg followed.

This little portion of the bookshelf also holds a great deal of potential- Cookbooks, gardening books, anatomy, Shakespeare, 2 ridiculous yet hysterical books by Amy Sedaris- the possibilities of knowing more stuff is endless. The plastic file folder cabinet also holds art supplies.



The trick to success with inspiration station is to return everything to its cubbyhole when I am done. My ADHD nature tends to push me forward to the next engaging thing leaving a mess that is less than inspirational.

Summer, here I come!

bonus points to the regular blog readers who noticed the obligatory bottle of GiantEagle seltzer right away.

in the works

About a year ago I tried to sew something. I'm sure it was because vanfox or redsilvia had posted some clever garment they had whipped up. When I tried to sew, my machine wouldn't work. I purchased another from the boxstore. I was too frustrated by the time I got it to complete what I was doing. I have yet to use this machine.

Yesterday Mr. Sophanne wanted to go clothes shopping. He and I are the opposite of the rest of the universe. I'd almost rather go to the dentist than have to muddle through overwhelming racks of clothes trying to find something that fits my body and my personality. He, on the other hand, can spend a great deal of time deciding which color and size works best for him. I opted to go to the nearby Joanne's instead. I will be attempting monkey jams sometime this week. I figure if he can spend $30 on a belt, $45 for sewing a pair of pajama bottoms isn't really that much.

Knitting animals is still happening. It's another bear in the works, as yet unnamed. Come to find if I just do a little bit each night I have much more patience when assembling.

Also on the needles (although there's a whole boatload of stuff on needles- this is just the needles that are currently in my hands) is the foreign correspondents scarf. It's interesting enough to keep me engaged and easy enough to memorize. I'm doing it in what once was my tangled yoke cardigan.

That whole blogging more often thing hasn't worked out as I had planned so far. Sewing a pair of pajama bottoms might be just what this blog needs for some laughs.

Pillsbury Dough

It doesn't really matter what form you buy it in- biscuits, french bread, italian bread, pizza crust. It all tastes the same.

I used the pizza dough version tonight- conveniently cut in a mostly rectangle way- easier and a little tastier than ye olde chefboyardee crusts we used to eat in college.

Half of it was pepperoni and mozzarella for the Man Who Doesn't Like Different Tasting Food. He might also be known as the most dramatic bronchitis getter on the planet but there's enough things good about him to love him anyway. Just so you know- he didn't die over the weekend- much to his surprise- but no thanks to me.

BUT... back to the fake pizza- My side had pesto instead of tomato sauce, mozzarella, feta, fresh tomatoes and greek olives. It was delicious and oh so easy (if a little pricey- but I have ingredients left over.)

The Break of Spring is over and the work routine continues tomorrow. I've enjoyed the week of blogging. I'm going to try to stretch my brain enough to "keep 'em coming." I'm considering a series of "Here's what I learned about..." posts. Picking something random and unusual and reporting back. Sort of the Investigative reports from the comfort of my home. I'm sure there's a whole lot of stuff I don't know about. Topic suggestions are welcome. If I don't get any, I'll let serendipity lead the way.

Happy Eastover.

Cousin and Aunt of Sophanne and also Aunt of Sophanne's little Easter Egg Hunt. Can she find this post on her iPad???

eta- she found it!

Knitting for Victory!

Rohn Strong's Kickstarter project Knitting for Victory: America's Knitting History 1916-1945 has been fully funded! I'm looking forward to that book.

Thinking about it got me to thinking about knitting, subterfuge, decoding messages, and foxholes. (I've long since stopped trying to analyze the paths those neurons take and instead just go with it.)

I played with the Google and found a few images that struck me.

Artblogbybobhad some comic book covers I'd never seen before-



The letter says, Dear Mom, The war is like a picnic!.. Today we spent a day at the beach!

I can just imagine secret agent spy-types combing my blog for evidence of subersive activities



HEY TOM! I think we've go something here. She's knitting another bear body. Decode pattern immediately. If you have any trouble, contact Claudia's handpainted or Malabrigo. She says she can't remember the yarn brand. I don't buy it.



This next bit of poster art will make you think twice about blogging-




In lieu of blogging, I better just go out and tend to prepping the garden. Aunt of Sophanne had a Victory Garden. Our Food is Fighting. That phrase in a current context is just so true. Oh how I fight the food.



I knew she was treasonous- she's planting Roma tomatoes!

Whatever the mission is, knitting, gardening, eating, cooking, walking the dog- this popular poster is the one that I like the best. It says it all.



Rohn's still accepting donations extra funds to be used for advertising, promotion, and increasing the initial printing. My thoughts? He's not going to have any trouble selling his book. We've been sold on the idea for years!

Julia

I call her Julia because anytime I try another name, Julia keeps coming back. The sunshine hides my ever improving but not perfect assembly skills. At least I've stopped grinding my teeth during ear placement.

To the River

We took the girl on an adventure. She loves adventure.



This is what my body feels like on a walking adventure. I need a little WD-40



There is a barge on the river.



Wildlife lives along the river. Shortly after this picture was taken, Liza took off believing she could catch up with the deer. It was such a calm deer otherwise, I thought maybe it was a pet of the people walking.



There are unusual ways to take your dog for a walk on the river. Usually Liza gets all primed up when we cross paths with another dog (we always make sure to have her on a leash when we see them coming.) This dog did not register. I just imagine her thinking "that's no kind of dog I understand."



And finally there is the perfect pose at the grass buffet on the river. Every now and then you have the camera at the right time.



I love that dog.

knitnight

Pinkish reddish hues were the theme of knit night and there was plenty of madeline tosh mixing it up. Even my beverage matched the tone but come to find Panera's Acai Berry Tea does indeed have caffeine.



I stopped at the "Fire it Up" place to paint a bowl for my favorite lunchtime Secretary friend- also pink-

In other news there is improvement on the foot front. Not perfection but the wincing and "ow-ing" has subsided. Enough so that I could mop the kitchen and bathroom floor. If Mr. Sophanne had a week off with nothing to do he would have renovated our entire home. I'm pretty happy doing nothing for the most part but I think it gets on his nerves so I try to stick in a make our lives a little better project here and there.

I wish the "always be doing something" mindset weren't such a huge force in my brain. Even when I give myself permission to be doing nothing, the voices in the back say "you think this is all right, but really, it isn't."

Today I made...

Thing 1

A trip to the boxstore for Mayo. Here's what I can tell you about Mr. Sophanne- he's taken great umbrage (ever since Marcia Clark used that word in the O.J. trial, it's been one of my favorites) at the mayo makers.

Mayo with the nifty squirt top is so much more expensive than the jar. Yes, we could save the jar, transfer the mayo, but that will likely not happen. He believes someday someone will patent a squeeze top attachment for an "as seen on t.v." ad.

If you ever meet him in person and you run out of things to talk about, this will be one of them. Just warning you.



Thing 2

The start of a bear from the itty bitty knit books.



Thing 3

Friends with the podiatrist. She gave me a shot. Hear ye Hear ye- those aren't fun and for right now things seem to have gotten worse though I'm told it's the shot that's hurting now and not the actual thing-whatever the thing is. Swollen something.



There's something to be said for an all female workplace. No macho doctor types ordering everyone around. It was just so "chill." When she began the shot procedure she said, "relax" I said, "as if." She said "it won't hurt as much if you do- at least that's what my mother always told me." There was also a joke after I told her I gained 100 lbs after I got married and she said "your husband only weighed 100 lbs?" It's a place that I won't hate going back to if I have to.

Thing 4

A lot of "ow, ow, ow oweee, owee" sounds

Thing 5

Popcorn. With lots of butter. Because nothing is better for an injured paw than buttered poppycorn.



Mr. Sophanne on the other hand, made me a sandwich for lunch, made tracks with the dog and then gave her a bath and made the post-podiatrist dinner- hot on the plate when I hobbled into the door. Man, that guy is amazing. Tonight's bedtime-t.v.time is House so I'm much less inclined to blog about seltzer (although, mayo? really? It's a good thing I write so well.)

Looking into the crystal "make it" ball- I see a yarn store trip, a stop at the casino (for the Mr.'s freeplay) and Sylvia's debut at knit night in the cards for tomorrow.

Just another day

There's my trapeze partner (Mr. Sophanne's granddaughter). O.k. April Fool on the partner business- but that really IS her and we got to see her in action (when the camera wasn't madly clicking) over the December visit. I think I forgot to tell you and remembered as I was looking for a picture to liven up a boring daily post.

Our April Fool's day started out like this-

Me: Don't let anyone trick you today, it's April Fool's Day.
Him: I was going to tell you it was snowing outside but decided not to trick you.

Later at lunch-

Me: I'm going to bake an apple pie today.
Him: (mouth agape staring incredulously above the rim of his glasses) FROM SCRATCH???
Me: April Fools.

In more high-jinx, I finished a pair of alpaca mittens today because who knows who might need a pair in the spring/summer like 60 degree days we've been having. They're darker than pictured- and warmer. Let's call it a start on Christmas 2012.



Honestly? I'd blog about this seltzer bottle to delay the inevitable bedtime t.v. watching of Game of Thrones. Mostly it feels like "man soap opera" to me. Netflix, here I come.

Sylvia

I'll let knitnightGina rearrange her face as she sees fit- I just wanted to see how close I could come. Then she will reside permanently at the home of one of the people on the planet who makes me happiest. (that would BE knitnightGina)

Given that Hippo number 1 is named Milton, it's only right that the next hippo be named Sylvia. (that would be the name of Aunt of Sophanne)

In other news, JelliDonut- one of my favorite not blogging much bloggers-she's more of a tweeter now- tweeted this kickstarter project.

From the project page

Knitting For Victory is a unique look at the extraordinary response to war seen between 1916 and 1945. It's the story of The Production Corps, the knitters, and the soldiers all fighting for victory, in their own way.

Written by essayist and knitwear designer Rohn Strong, Knitting For Victory, will be a beautiful softcover knitting book with more than 12 articles on WWI and WWII knitting as well as 25 updated patterns, for men, women, and children, and the home all in colors classic to that time period. (Yes, I do mean Olive Drab and Khaki!)

I kicked in a couple of dollars because it seems like a cool project. I don't know the guy- there is no reward for me other than I'll get to buy the book but have a look-see if you care to and decide for yourself.

Milton

Neither picture captures his floppy adorableness but here he is nonetheless. Annie asked me if he had a name and said that if I were so inclined, I could name him before sending him. What better name for a protector of new baby than that of a beloved uncle. Now there is Milton the Hippo to keep watch over Glen and Annie's little fella when he arrives.




All personality was created by the amazing Gina. I watched her bring him to life as she added the eyes, nose, and mouth. I also might have figured out how she does it. She loved him so, that I am knitting one for her in the colorful (not blue and black) regia sock yarn. I might even try rearranging her face myself.

In other news, I'm on spring break next week so there's that to look forward to. I hope to spend some of the time reading. The book Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer kept popping up in several of the blogs that I read. I finally took the hint from the universe and began reading it. After about a third of it, I saw nearly everything I've ever intuited about creativity backed by scientific research. What resonates with me the most is the discussion that revolves around the right brain needing time to "stew" to put the big picture together. As Einstein is cited in the book- "Creativity is the residue of time wasted."

Also on the list of things to do is play the guitar. Or pretend to play the guitar. I'm really not very good and my fingers are about 3/4 of an inch shorter than most normal-sized human beings. (even the little ones-human beings-not fingers) The guitar is as counterintuitive to me as anything I've ever tried. Hence the attraction. It's always been there, taunting me.

It just happens that this semester's student teacher has a much better grasp on it than me and unlike the many others I've met who also have that, he doesn't fancy himself a Rock God who has to show off everything he can do better and faster. Instead it's been a "you don't have to feel stupid" exchange of information. This kid got me to pick up a guitar and made me believe I could play it. You better believe that he's going to get an excellent evaluation!

I think I will also try to blog daily, as I don't care for the stilted feeling in my fingers and my brain while I've been composing this post. I'm better at this than this. So these thoughts I will go marinate and we'll see what my frontal lobe puts together.

At last

Something to crack me up. This is Joe. He's friends with Mr. Sophanne. He is a retired shop teacher. He's posing with our lawnmower. Tomorrow he is substitute teaching at a local high school. If the teacher hasn't left any good lesson plans, Joe is going to use our lawn mower as his lesson plan. That cracks me up!



This guy, like the guy he's being made for, isn't quite done yet. If you read my blog and your name is Annie, and you're pregnant, and you have hippopotomi on your crib, then you know that this guy, upon completion is for you! Happy Baby Coming Annie!




For the rest of you- it's from the itty bitty knits book and so far hasn't been too fiddly. You probably recognize the Regia sock yarn- it's doubled on size 5's. Much more user friendly than any other critter I've made.

Knowing my own limitations, this guy is going to knit night where I hope the IncredibleGina- who excels at all things and has a penchant for making sure they look right- will help with eyes, nostrils and mouth. Hopefully I'll get a final product pic- in the meantime, Annie, send me your mailing address!

A snow day... sort of.

Whilst pondering the blog, I realized that one reason posts are so slim this year is because of the mild winter. No snow adventures, no snow days. This could have easily been predicted given that I now have a car that will presumably get me fearlessly where I need to go in the snow.

The politics of school district calendar scheduling and snow days work like this. If teachers get snow days and make them up at the end of the year, the community protests because there is no official "end date" to the school year and because for whatever bizarre psychological reason, those days don't really count and they somehow see the snow days as "free days" for us. (trust me when I say that those days are actually LONGER than any others.)

However, if the school district schedules make-up days- days off within the calendar year pre-scheduled that might become school days (given enough snow days), no one seems to mind that we are getting a day off. In both instances we are working the days we are paid for. There are no real "freebies," but the second option seems to be the more palatable of the two.

So that's why I'm calling today a snow day. Happily the sun is shining and it's quite spring-like.

There are parts of life that have been a little whacked lately. I'm good. Mr. Sophanne is good. Liza is good. There has just been some unexpected whack.

Given that this blog and your blogs have always been a source of entertainment, support, and friendship, I decided that to fight the whack I'd make a little video. I also wanted to share my crazy improving ukulele skills and show you (via the background) that my home is not the perfect clutter free environment I'm sure you've always imagined it to be.

A few technical adjustments were made. I had to wear some long sleeves (my favorite Obama inauguration fleece) lest you be blinded by the sight of me wearing a tank top. I used my mac to record but put it up a little higher than the desktop. Chins are more numerous than they appear in the video.

My apologies in advance to Lyle Lovett- I'm just singing the chorus but I'll remove it immediately if I get a cease and desist order. And so without further procrastination (sometimes when I teach and I'm not sure how things are going to turn out I get like this- delaying the inevitable...)

Hate only harms those that wield it. Thanks for being my blog friends.

Plus de fromage! Plus de fromage!

Just thought I'd start practicing one of my French phrases. More Cheese! More Cheese! "Fromage" was one of those French words that struck everyone in my junior high French class as hysterical.

It occurs to me that I have just enough French to know how much I don't know. I will not be able to understand a word but will be able to distract the unknowing by asking everyone to repeat what they said again and again. Repetez s'il vous plait. Maybe they will just think I'm hard of hearing.

I loved speaking French. I never ever ever thought I'd be in a place where I would get to speak it. Now that it seems I will be, I am inclined to go over the top and buy a Rosetta Stone series for my 10 days in Switzerland. Not practical.

Today after our anniversary dinner I greeted the dog "Mon chien, mon chien!"

Being that I am the person who believes that she can automatically understand every language ever spoken if I just listen closely enough, it will be both immensely frustrating and also hysterical.

Oh the business of living

Sometimes nothing happens. Which makes for good living and for the less creative bloggers- bad blogging. That's where we are. Time for some bullet points.

Tomorrow Mr. Sophanne and I will be married 8 years. Suggestions for anniversary gifts are bronze, salt, linens, and lace. I think we'll maybe just go out to dinner- not wearing the matching Carhart jeans we were wed in because we've both outgrown them. Ah... marital bliss.

On Tuesday I will, in a not so pleasant way, have the opportunity to help make things right with the world. I can't say much more but if you happen to think of me on Tuesday at around 1:30, be sure to send me some powerful fierce large black matriarch vibes, as that is what I'm using to visualize the experience. A few vibes for a good friend would also be appreciated.

Lately I haven't been able to knit my way out of a paper bag. I just haven't been feeling it. These Long Tall Chunky Cabled Mitts have been my go to pattern because I've got it memorized, you can finish a pair in 3 nights and surely someone will need some cabled mitts someday.

I have something going on in my heels (a spur? a pre-spur? a "hey you weigh more than we can carry") that makes walking painful. Given that walking is essential, I've been a little cranky. I've tried the home remedies- (ice and wrapping) to no avail and in 2 weeks will go see a podiatrist. THere is great irony in this for me. When I was young (21ish) I was asked out by a podiatrist. We went on a date. I thought the chosen profession of podiatry was hysterical. Now, not so much.

We are going to Switzerland this summer. Mr. Sophanne's son and family have been living there for the past 2 years and will be there for another year. We will be staying in a Swiss chalet with a porch that looks out onto the Matterhorn. I imagine as the adventure comes closer, I will be thinking about more than just the 8 hour flight on an airplane. For now that's really all I can imagine and it just doesn't sound as exciting as it should to me.

The herb bed has been cleared, moldy mulch has been removed and given that it's too early to plant anything (which is a good thing) there is time to ponder the possibilities. My inclinations this week are to keep the ones that come back, get basil plants for summer snacks, and do the rest in various types of lavender. I love lavender. Is there anything that you love more than basil and lavender? Maybe I should know about it.

video editing and cute puppies.

Is a time suck like nobody's business. Especially when you're skills are at a kindergarten level.

Mr. Sophanne has a big video idea and plan for his railroad. He even got a few days of release/company business time to go forth and videotape. He wanted a promo to show the bosses what he had in mind. He volunteered my pathetic skills for the editing. It took a lot of knitting time.

Also on the agenda for the weekend was assisting Aunt of Sophanne with her new iPad2.Here's what I can say about that. When you look at technology through the eyes of someone who skipped from a basic PC to an iPad2, it can feel quite overwhelming.

She's hooked up with Netflix, Safari, email, and the apple text app. She'll be exploring the rest of everything through the week but is connected enough that I will be able to help over the phone.

When I left we had just done a YouTube search of "cute puppies." She will soon know how the "new" internet doth suck one in!

Win for the House of Sophanne!

Hey Beauracracy! Bring it on! (knocking on wood)

Let me share the evidence-

County taxes paid- check
Notarized drivers license replacement form at the bank- check
Replacement license from the DMV- check
Registered and received lab work at the hospital- check
Picked up prescriptions- check
Received car license renewal in the mail- check

Mr. Sophanne did the first one- the last four were accomplished WITHIN THE TIME FRAME OF ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES..... wait for it.... AFTER SCHOOL!!!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, it's a new world record.