Not wordless because I forgot it was Wednesday

A little detail to show you the red of spring on one of the maples in our yard. While we also have red maples on which the leaves will darken to a deep maroon, these maples will ultimately turn green -- then back to red again in the fall. This particular tree is taller than our house, but when we planted it, it was barely the size of a pencil; in fact, it arrived to us in a standard business envelope in the mail! It was one of the ten free trees we received for joining the National Arbor Day Foundation. They still give away ten trees (you'll see the link right on the home page) and I imagine that they all still arrive at your house in an envelope. I look out my window now and count five trees standing that I know came from that group which seems nothing less than miraculous to me.

Dean has piano lessons on Tuesdays after school, and the lessons take place in the library at our school. He loves to grab a book or two at the end of each lesson, and yesterday chose One Small Square: Backyard. This is part of a wonderful series of nature guides for children that are about choosing a square in a particular environment and observing it over time. He was inspired to collect a supply kit (journal, pencil, magnifying glass, trowel) and head right out to begin his project. He needed a little help and wanted some company so we went out together to enjoy a little time before dinner. My parents were great at giving me books like this one, but just did not have the time to help me follow through on the projects. I remember that "I've got to do this now!" urge -- children really want to act immediately when something interests them -- and felt gratified to be able to be the parent I want to be and help him make it happen. Reminded me to do that more often -- be the parent I want to be.

And a couple more delights of this week! Ken has a colleague who is married to a woman from Japan and who was kind enough to ask Ken if there was anything they could bring back from their recent month-long visit to her family. Um, well, yeah -- I can think of something.... I'll show you more soon of this gorgeous embroidery book and the sewn project book. Heavenly.

Thank you for all the support on the self-portrait project (and you play along too, now) and the blogging. I think the "self" part of the portrait-taking is key -- I know I make a different face when someone else is holding the camera. I think everyone does. Makes me think about painters and self-portraits and the importance of your own vision of you and not you as seen through someone else's lens (literal or figural). I failed to say that yesterday's picture was the "me at work" view. I'll post as I come up with portraits of the other me's.

Time and again

Okay, so I was struggling with it before, but now that we have the dog I'm finding it even more difficult to give this the time and effort I would like to give it. I feel that the vast majority of my posts are but wisps -- wisps! -- of what I intended them to be and have more to do with getting it done than doing it well. I'm trying to figure out how to carve out a bit more time for this, particularly because I realized that what I enjoy so much about other people's blogs I read is that the writers' insights, reflections, and revelations (as well as their photography and story telling) broaden my own perspective. That is, they give genuinely and generously in what they share and I learn from it, think about it, enjoy it. I'm not returning the favor with short, just-get-it-done posts and that make the experience unsatisfying even for me.

So, I'm trying.

Hope Revolution rocks on:

I noticed that another of the participants in the Flickr group added "Pass it on!" as well as the full Hope Revolution title and URL. I'm going to do that on my new batch of cards so that the project is a little more clear for any recipients who are curious about the card they've ended up with in their hands. My favorite drop-off point these days is inside books in the children's book sections we frequent, and I have to storm the library with these as well. I figure that making the card useful as a bookmark may mean it hangs around longer.
Spring is making inroads in New England! These tiny bits of color that start to come up in the trees -- lots of colors, not just greens -- are an endless delight to me. Red is as much a spring color here at green, thanks to the maples and maybe even the oaks coming out. I love the soft haze of color, like smoke.

And I am working this month on self portraits. There are a lot of reasons why I don't feel I have many (any?) recent photos that capture how I think I look, or how I want to look. Like most moms, I have eleventy million pictures of Dean and almost as many of Ken (and of Dean and Ken) but barely a handful of me and I don't like most of those. Yes, it does feel strange and self-indulgent to take pictures of myself, but I realized that I have very few photos of my mom at the various stages of her life and would like at least to give Dean the ability to remember me along the journey we've taken. I wonder if he'll think a picture like this really looks like me; such a hard thing to grapple with -- how do we see ourselves, how do others see us? And unlike those teen years when you have (and take) all the time in the world to stare in the bathroom mirror to contemplate who you are and how you look, it turns out for me anyway that I barely really even know what I look like anymore because I don't think about it. So I invite you, too, to put some effort into getting pictures of yourself that you like and I highly recommend taking them yourself.

Were we the last family in America to finally see Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Pearl? I remember we saw a preview when it first came out (2003) and Dean was totally freaked out by the marching skeleton feet and it went firmly on his "no way" list. But times change, boys grow up, and Netflicks delivers. We loved it. LOVED it. I think we especially loved it more for seeing the WDW ride come to life, but maybe that was icing on the cake of a story we loved as well. I understand the third one isn't worth bothering but we've got the next one (Dead Man's Chest) on our list. Yes, it is good to have the weekly family movie nights back.

Breaking radio silence...

...although really it was television we turned off, and computers for leisure use. This was our 5th year giving up electronic entertainment for a week and while we did slip a little (sigh -- the new Mario Kart release timing meant that I caved to pressure and we all spent 30 minutes trying it out and then wished afterwards we'd held tougher) we still found it worthwhile to take a week (mostly) off. I gave Dean and Ken the option this year of doing it or not; I don't like always feeling like the heavy on stuff like this but they surprised me by being enthusiastic and adamant that we do this every year.

We played a new card game, enjoyed quiet reading time (that's when we're all together in the same room but reading different things), got outside more, and listened to music. The exercise makes us more mindful of our choices (and after a year passes we need the reminder) and does make us feel as though we've done something good. Highly recommended.

Back in a week

Just a quick note to say that we're going off-line at our house this week; we're observing TV Turn-off week (one week late) and for us that includes computer/video stuff as well. I won't be posting and I won't be visiting any blogs. Have a wonderful week yourself!

Fait Accompli

I think I'm calling it "Adrift," and I think I'm calling it done. I remembered why I'd put it aside so many years ago; there are enough bias edges to sink a ship no matter how you cut it, and my machine piecing skills are nowhere near my hand piecing skills. Given the design, if this were going to be any bigger I would need to make 3 more units just like this one and I don't think I have it in me. Do I? It's destined to be a wall quilt anyway, so it really doesn't need to be bigger (hear me as I convince myself...). I think I'm going to try going without a binding along the edge and just need to decide how to quilt it.
Meanwhile, I present the letter "I" for the ABC-Along 2008, and its companion:
"I" is for "iris."

Tomorrow morning at school, as we return from our week's vacation, many parents will be expressing their relief and delight that they once again can drop their children off at school and get on with their lives. They are good people, and fine parents, but it always shocks me to hear people talk that way; we are unanimously disappointed to have our vacation weeks, our weekends, our summers end. It's not that Dean doesn't love school because he truly does, but we all three of us love being together and making the most of our days off. As usual, the week was more hectic than expected and filled with less of what I thought we'd accomplish and more of what I didn't anticipate. And as usual, it has left us wanting more.

This last day seems to be shaping up as an indoor day; it is gray and chilly out this morning and looking as though it really might rain. Dean originally wanted to go to the zoo today, but has now decided he'd really rather just stay home. Yesterday, after our soccer game, I offered to take us all out for ice cream but Dean wanted to go home, pointing out very practically that we have ice cream (and lots of it) in our own freezer. It is charming and wondrous and sometimes a little frustrating to me to have a child who so loves home (I myself enjoy trips to the zoo or the ice cream stand).

But mostly I am grateful to be in this place with these people and need to appreciate that more. I think I also need to learn to be comfortable doing my own things even while we're all home; somehow I always seem to feel that I should either be doing what Ken and/or Dean are doing or else catching up on chores which is probably why I'm not as good as they are at just hanging out at home. That's a worthy goal, then, for today. Well, after I walk the dog.

Sproing!

Almost done cutting and then on to sewing -- I will get this top finished this week. When I designed this quilt block, it felt like such an incredible departure from the quilting I'd been doing before; the abstract design was built off a study of symmetry and had nothing to do with traditional quilt making. But by today's standards, the underlying method here (ultra-precise pieces cut painstakingly from perfect templates) makes the project feel dated and uninteresting. I'm pushing on because I want this finished, I want to be able to look at this little quilt up on a wall. There are a few other WIPs in this category -- projects using methods I'm no longer interested in but things I don't want to leave permanently undone. My goal will be to knock a couple off this year without starting too many other things in the meantime. Along with trying to figure out how to like doing housework more, I also need to learn to love the finishing as much as I love the starting.

The unexpected, distracting ingredient in this vacation week is the weather. Oh sure, warmer days with brilliant sunshine were inevitable at some point, but after all the cold and gray we've had I never figured on it just now:

I don't think I'll be able to resist the garden today.

Zen and the art of something

It was hard to find places to step, coming out of school the other day, because I really do not like to walk on people's artwork.

We're on Spring Break this week and are trying not to burn out the first weekend; soccer practice and puppy kindergarten (against all odds, Biscuit graduated) and a far-away soccer game and a visit to Ken's parents (which Ken and Dean are on right now while I attempt to catch up on a zillion things at home). And those are just a few highlights. Just plain too much going on right now.

I'm cutting out pieces to make good on a quilt-making promise and still thinking that I can triumph over crochet. Making a mini April scrapbook because it seemed like a good idea at some point, baking, thinking about doing yard work, and cooking healthier dinners. Yes, almost simultaneously. Almost. Once when I just totally had my hands full (literally) and Dean asked me to do something MORE for him, I said, "how many things do you think I can do at one time?!?" I was exasperated. He didn't catch that exasperation part and after giving my question serious thought he answered, thoughtfully, "I don't know -- 10?"

The letter 'H'

Letter form 'H' and...
...hello, Heuchera. Commonly, "coral bells." ABC-Along 2008 entries.

When bad crafts happen to good people, or why I should have spent more than 15 minutes on the tutorials before attempting a pattern

Oh dear. I didn't expect perfection, or anything, but I thought I could attempt a stuffed-animal sized ripple blanket as my "learn to crochet" project and end up with something at least usable. Clearly I am having trouble not only following the pattern properly, but there's definitely something (or several somethings) terribly wrong with my overall technique, since...
...I am getting all these raised ridges as I go and...
...it looks NOTHING like the perfectly flat work in the book. Am I yarning over incorrectly? Anyone know why I have those ridges? Dean, being the most amazing young man one could hope for, said, "oh, just keep going -- it will flatten out when we wash it and I love the colors!" But as much time as it has taken me to go this far, I'm on the fence about either starting over by ripping out, starting over by just tossing this bit, or keeping going with the idea that it will just look pathetic but Dean won't mind and I may "learn" as I go. Suggestions? To be honest, this is kind of why I hate attempting new things; I expect to be able to do things passably well right off the bat (although why I operate under that illusion is beyond me) and I don't like to take the time to work through every tutorial project before doing the thing I really want to do. Finding someone to give me some pointers in person would help, or I may do some searches today for some online tutorials. I do suspect that I'm not yarning over, or picking up the yarn for each new stitch (same thing, right?) correctly. I'm also not as keen to start over because I see after just a day that crocheting is going to really kick up the arthritis in my hands and I wonder how worth it that's going to be. But of course I invested in the 8-hook set at JoAnn's the other day (had a coupon!) and I dream of making crocheted softies....

Meanwhile, Operation Fun Town (while the daddy's away, the mice shall play) continues right on schedule. Chinese take-out last night while we watched Enchanted (VERY funny, although the camp-y-ness was a little lost on Dean), coffee cake and coffee for breakfast (it's all right -- his was really coffee milk more than coffee), extra Wii time (for him) and a friend coming over to play today. We need to remember to leave the basement door unlocked so Ken can get it at some point very late tonight, and I need to catch up a little more on the laundry. And get a little more crafting time in.

I don't know WHAT to call this....

I am pleased beyond pleased. I don't know if it will still be there if you go and look, but one of my photos from my hope revolution project is featured (bottom one in the left-side column) on the Hope Revolution site itself. Maybe she is rotating photos from the flickr pool? Anyway, it feels just unreasonably good to have made a contribution that's on the site itself.

That certainly feels much more rewarding than it felt on Monday when I spent all day cleaning and accomplished, among other things, this perfectly. clean. kitchen. island. Not rewarding because if I snapped the same picture today.... Well, why don't I just go and do that?

Ugh. That's why. The reality of how we live. I really would love it to be the other way. I'd love if the island was always kept clean and clear and shiny, and that the rest of the house were that way too. I just do not have the emotional nor physical capital (doesn't that sound grand?) to devote to it. Oh, I know we've been down this road before together. But there it is.

So Ken is in Las Vegas with an old friend from college and one of that guy's friends -- I think this is the third time this trio has treated itself to a weekend in Las Vegas just for fun. Must be nice! Dean and I are going to walk in and around and out of the house with our shoes on, repeatedly, eat the bad foods we like, and stay up late watching movies. I'm also planning to get some quilting time in. Don't be mad at us for secretly wishing that soccer practice tonight and the game tomorrow get rained out; we just want all the time we can to take advantage of having the place to ourselves.

And a fun find from Natalie:

68 words

Speed test

Wordless Wednesday

Voila!

And so it was! I took Ali Edward's weekend creativity challenge to use PhotoShop to add type to a photo -- nothing earth-shattering, but I thought it worked in this case so there you go. And despite the softness of this picture, I love it for the purity of Dean's joy that it shows.

Whew! Birthday party was yesterday, and while we'll be finishing up cake and extending birthday leniency for a few more days this one is a wrap. All good. We now re-join our usual lives, already in progress. Lots of housework to catch up on (always) and projects to get back to.

I tried a new recipe that gave amazing results for very little effort (my favorite kind) and can tell you honestly that if you or someone you feed is NOT a green bean fan, this preparation just might change everything. The original recipe calls for this to be a room temperature salad, but you could easily leave out the radicchio and serve the vegetables hot as a side dish.

Roasted Green Bean and Potato [Salad or Side] With {or Without} Radicchio (Adapted from Cook's illustrated magazine of March 2008)

1 lb. green beans washed and trimmed and cut to about 1 inch pieces
1 lb. red bliss or other small red new potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half or quarters
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small minced garlic clove
1 small head radicchio, washed in cut into strips (optional)

Place an oven rack at the lowest point in oven, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and preheat oven to 500 f. Mix up the oil, salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, and garlic in a large bowl, and toss beans and potatoes in there until they are coated. Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the vegetables on to the now blazing hot baking sheet and save the bowl with the bit of oil mix left in it. Spread the vegetables to a single layer and roast about 20 minutes (do not stir them once on the sheet). Keep a watch -- mine were totally done at 20 minutes.

Carefully transfer your beautifully browned, roasted vegetables back into the bowl and toss in whatever remains in the bottom of the bowl. Now here's where you have options. You could add in the radicchio and stir it up so that the heat of the vegetables wilts the radicchio, and then you could serve it hot or let it cool down to room temp. You could just serve the potatoes and beans without the radicchio. The original recipe calls for letting the vegetables cool and THEN adding the radicchio, but we found this weird (the lettuce was way too crispy to pair with the vegetables) -- the radicchio needs to wilt down and "cook" by the heat of the roasted stuff in our opinion.

Regardless, though, if you've never roasted a green bean I do believe you are in for a treat.

Ten

April 4, 1998:

April 4, 2008:
Dean, at this moment -- 6:17 a.m. -- is officially ten years old. I do not know how a decade slipped by us. It's hard to remember life without Dean, and yet it seems he got to this point in such a hop, skip, and a jump that it can't possibly have been ten years already. It is the constant song of parenthood: where did the time go?

Dean at ten is a kind, thoughtful, caring, funny, sometimes intense, always empathetic person. He sees humor everywhere, laughs easily, and clears his place when he's done eating. He loves Legos, he has no interest in candy generally but loves dark chocolate, he's an avid reader and he writes great stories. He says "please," "thank you," and "I'm sorry" without being reminded (almost always), and calls out "are you all right!?!" if he hears someone stumble or drop something or sneeze. He likes to get his own way but has learned to let go of needing to get his own way. He is knowledgeable about so many things -- animals, insects, geography, plants, Pokemon, birds, and football to name a few. He loves to be at home, and he's a great explorer. I cannot imagine life without him, and at the same time force myself to realize that if 10 came this quickly then tomorrow he'll be 20. We'll enjoy each step of that journey as we have of the journey so far, and appreciate him for who he is today.

Happy Birthday, Dean, to the best boy I could have ever wished for.

There is hope

"G" is for "green"

It makes me feel much more on top of my game to be able to post my contributions to the letter 'g' at ABC-Along 2008 right on schedule.

I'm going to ask a favor, and I'll only ask once, and I don't expect anything other than that you'll consider it if it's possible: Dean, for the second year in a row, is walking to raise money for Dog Orphans, a local no-kill shelter. If you'd like to make a tax-deductible contribution of any size (honestly, $5 would be appreciated), please comment and make sure your email is indicated so I can give you our mailing address. Dean found out about this shelter and their fund raising walk last year, and took it on all by himself. Raised the money, got a bunch of other kids at his school interested as well, and did the walk (I walked with him -- it's just a mile but the point is raising awareness and $). His efforts (because he recruited other kids) brought in over $1,000 for the shelter. His personal goal this year is to raise $150, and he's delighted to have his own dog to walk with him this time. Although I expect him to handle his own requests for sponsors, I thought I'd make the one request here just in case anyone can help out.

Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for Joann's to open so I can go buy white flannel and white faux fur to make Dean's polar bear costume for the school play that he needs by Friday and that I just found out about on Thursday....