817 Main Floor

The main floor of 817 consists of a back porch, kitchen, dining room, living room, two bedrooms and a very pink bathroom. Here are some before and during pics:
This bedroom will be some office space - it's nice and bright with windows on two walls. There's also a nice size closet. After the flood Charlotte used this as her work space and the walls were entirely covered with ideas for sketches and her nature artwork. In both this and the next room we did a lot of scraping, mudding, and texturing - just look at the ceiling for an example of what a lot of the walls looked like. There's a pic of me working on the floors - from the dust on the camera lens don't you think it's a good idea I have a mask on? I did!

This is the room that I was planning on using as my quilting room, but will now be a sitting room. At one point it held a piano and Eleanor taught piano lessons in it - later, she used it as a bedroom. We moved the chandalier in here out to the living room. There wasn't an overhead light out there so we had one wired up and this will match the dining room light. We also took out all the electric heaters as we had central air put in. At one point, probably in the 1950's, the house served as a model home for electric heat. Unfortunately, these old heaters were slowly going out - one section at a time. The heaters in these back bedrooms had apparently gone out and were then replaced by newer versions of baseboard electric. You can see the old electric ones in the pics from the living room (below).

Here's the living room. As dining room and living room were redone only about five years ago, mostly all we're doing here is painting and redoing the hardwood floors. In the pic of Dave doing the floors you can see a little of the dining room and the living room. What do you think of the color? You'd best be liking it because it's all over the main floor!


I don't have a good picture of the kitchen prior to it being painted the green color - but it, just like the living room and dining room, had been done about five years ago. In this pic you can see the back entryway - it (as well as the kitchen) was sort of a butter yellow color. We found original hardwood floor underneath two layers of linoleum and a layer of plywood so we tore it up last weekend and will get it sanded down sometime next week.


As you can see it was a family affair - the kids helped pull out more than 2,000 staples.


Sophie also helped do some more scraping in the pantry area - don't worry she only did it for about five minutes before calling it quits. Also - notice the mask and the safety eyewear!

Here's the pink bathroom. As we've spent A LOT of money on gutting and renovating the upstairs bath, this one will stay pink for awhile. Michelle came and helped me do some "wallpapering" of sorts - it's done with brown craft paper all crinkled up and then pasted to the wall - but I'm not really happy with it so we stopped. I've decided I'll finish the papering but then leave the staining and/or painting of it until Mom comes home from Arizona and can help me with colors.

There you go - that's it for the main floor of 817. I'll get pictures from the upstairs posted sometime next week.

Dinner with Henry and Kristen

Last night we headed 30 minutes northwest of town to have dinner with Henry and Kristen and their two children, Melanie and Michael. They are friends who used to live only two blocks away - until they decided to build their dream house on a hill surrounded by about the only trees in North Dakota. And what a dream house it is - I like the way Kristen describes it as a "a four square with a twist" because that's really what it is. It has some of great features of the classic four square house we all love but enough of a twist to make it truly modern and unique and beautiful. I love that Henry designed a special shelf about 4 feet long just for all of Kristen's many cookbooks (look behind Lucy and you can see part of the bookshelf) and I love how proud Kristen is of Henry and his heating system (sorry, I was too busy eating and talking to get pics of the heating system!). It was a fabulous night - great food, great playmates for the kids, great conversation, and great people.

Women multitaskers...

People often say that women are better multitaskers than men. I disagree - at least in my case - and this article highlights some research in the area.

To highlight my lack of multitasking ability, take this afternoon's lunch as a perfect example: Dave and I met at one of those sportsbar places with televisions everywhere you turn. I couldn't focus - not at all. I'd start to say something and a screen would flash a new headline and I'd read about the man who poisoned his wife of 14 years and I'd totally lose my train of thought. Within my line of vision there were six televisions - all playing something different. Total overload. It got bad enough that Dave and I switched spots so I could only see two televisions - and then only if I turned my head. But when we switched, he didn't seem to notice the televisions at all - nor did I find him gazing at the tv instead of my brown eyes. OK, you're right. For those of you who personally know Dave you realize he probably wasn't actually gazing into my eyes, but he truly was focused on our conversation.

Another example was last night as I was cooking supper, talking on the phone, and telling the girls to hurry with their snack and get ready for ballet. At one point my back was to the stove and I turned around to see the milk, water, and butter mixture for the mashed potatoes had boiled over and was spreading onto the next burner as well as the counter. I hung up on Steph with an "OMG, you won't believe the mess I've got here," grabbed papertowel, turned off the burner and started mopping up the mess. Then I did the smartest thing I think I possibly could have at the time - I turned off all the burners and left everything until John and I got back from dropping off the girls. This was hard to do - after all I'm the one who's always five minutes late because I just try to do one more thing before I get out the door. But I did it. And when we got home the phone didn't ring and John hung out with Dave while I finished up. Our supper was still ready when the girls got home from ballet and John got home from hockey - and the kitchen was clean.

But still, an example of how I can only focus on one thing at a time. So, the next time we're at lunch and you notice me gazing off into space and making no sense in my conversation, just offer to switch places with me. We'll all have a better lunch!

Kids and energy

Raising children takes energy - so very much of it. Even at the ages of our kids(10,8,6) I still find myself so tired by the end of each day - this was something I thought would pass as they got older and I wasn't as "hands-on" like you are when they're babies or toddlers. But now the energy seems to be emotional - it's a constant guessing game about how they'll react to any given situation. The way I feel now reminds me of dealing with three male egos on a construction job three years ago. At that time I complained to Dave, "You, I can handle. But these other three guys - all with their egos that need to be stroked and it's just too much." Since then I've found two other contractors who are wonderful to work with and don't need a constant ego boost. But, I can't change out our kids, nor would I actually want to.

But I guess I need to mellow out and not take life so seriously. For example, last night I was exhausted and Dave was out of town. The kids were seriously messing around at the dinner table so after numerous warnings, I put them in bed at 6:30. Their homework didn't get done and no reading got done. This morning Sophie woke me up and told me Lucy was downstairs crying because she didn't think she could get her spelling homework done before school started. I went down and cuddled with Lucy until she wasn't so sad and assured her she'd get her spelling done. By this time it was 7:24 and first bell rings at 8:05 - important information to remember. Sophie was starting to make muffins - since she was just starting and they take 14-16 minutes to bake I told her it was too late for muffins. She was then in tears and had a dancing fit, yelling about how whenever she tries to help I don't appreciate it, and ran into the other room. I ignored her for about five minutes and then called her in to eat - she was then fine. As we're eating John started crying about something - I think it was that he forgot what he was going to say when one of the girls interrupted him. I was getting pretty irritated by now - but instead of yelling I said, "OK, now we're three for three with all of you crying. Should I cry now?" And I pretended to cry... getting a big laugh out of everyone. There weren't any more tears, Lucy got her homework done, a book got read and the kids got to school on time. Not bad for a Thursday morning.

I've had all day to think about our morning and congratulate myself on how well it ended up being - no yelling on my part at all. But, the cycle starts again in 45 mintues when I pick them up from school. How will they be this afternoon? I never know until I see them on the playground... oh, the energy it takes.

Trying to stay warm...

I've got a new favorite spot in our house. It's a place to go when I'm chilled or just need a quick warm up. It's not a fireplace or the front of the open stove after taking something out of the oven. It involves a blanket and a cozy chair and a heat source and reminds me of Dad laying on top of the living room radiator at our old house, trying to get warm. Have you guessed the spot yet?

No, I didn't think you would; after all it's taken me almost three years to find it. My spot, as I like to think of it, is beside the small electric radiator in the family room. I move the rocker chair out from the wall and put my feet on the brick wall - about two feet above the radiator. Then I cover up with a blanket and a cup of coffee or tea and feel the heat reach my feet, then my calves and finally my entire body. It's perfect for reading, watching TV or even typing on the laptop - as I'm doing now. It's not so good for carrying on a conversation however. In that case it's rather like talking to a brick wall. Ha!

What's your favorite warm-up place?

Who am I?

I'm in a reflective mood and trying to figure out all the hats I wear. I feel like it's all one gigantic juggling act and I really never was any good at juggling. So I'll do what I do best - make a list. Here goes:

mom to Sophie, Lucy and John, wife to Dave, daughter, daughter-in-law, granddaughter, sister, sister-in-law, friend, outreach coordinator for the Red River Valley Writing Project (RRVWP), conference organizer, book club organizer, teacher study group organizer, consultant for RRVWP, memo writer, volunteer reader at elementary school, volunteer writing workshop teacher in Sophie's class, wanna-be writer, author of four manuscripts - all only 1/3 done, newly appointed co-chair of Children's Writer's Conference, reader, quilter, friend, cooker of meals that no one in this household likes, painter (of walls, not canvases), general contractor of the house next door - by default, online shopper, planner, bathroom scrubber, sweeper, movie watcher, cross country skier, Curves member, always wanting to lose weight woman, blabbermouth, crier, yeller, classical music lover, organizer, baker, grocery shopper, magazine reader, three blankets at night woman, problem solver, muller, communicator, bread lover, phone talker, sleep lover, kid driver, swimmer, basketball player, party planner, coffee drinker, pear pie eater, listener, talker.

There you go - what's your list look like?

Stress Buster

What do you do when you're stressed out? I organize, and then I organize some more. A friend of mine is sick, we bought the house next door and are renovating it, the girls have their performances in Cinderella tonight and tomorrow and Lucy's birthday was yesterday so Sunday we'll have a housefull of eight-year-old girls.

So I spent one day this week forgetting about all that and organizing our old Christmas cards. In many ways I'm lucky - Dave and I have been married for 16 1/2 years but I only have Christmas cards from 1997 and up (all the others were in the basement during the 1997 flood). I'm also lucky because I'd already put a few years worth of pictures in albums; I think that was right before John was born - six years ago.

This year I decided to follow the footsteps of Roxy and put them in a photograph box sorted alphabetically by the last name of the family. Each year from here on out the cards can get placed with the others of each family - and this way it's easier to see just how much the kids of our friends have grown and changed over the years.

Sophie was home sick from school so she took the last photo album I had and got cards from 2001 in it while I started sorting the cards by family. It took most of the day (with quite a few breaks) for us to finish but it was a nice way to reminisce. And now she has a wonderful sense of all the people we get cards from and their history/relationship to us.

Now (sigh) it's on to all the digital pictures stored on our two computers and a flashdrive. That one might not be quite so much fun. But I've got a stack of CDs and a CD holder just waiting for me to start working and that's something I can work on while I'm at Theresa's.

Looking for good children's books? Try here...

One of the most important items on Sophie's Christmas list was a "really, good thick book." I tried to find her one - thinking about what she'd been reading and looking at various websites for suggestions. I semi-succeeded in the pursuit of a good book but in fact, all I really should have done was talk to her friend Sophia. It seems as though Sophia and her older brother Lucas always have a good book around. Today, after talking with their mom, I found the secret to their success - a book-loving grandma, a store in Milwaukee called Harry W. Schwartz and a catalogue called Chinaberry. I checked out both websites (Grandma K. isn't available to me)and they look wonderful - easy to use, full of categories for choosing books, and nice reviews. So, even though I haven't ordered from either yet, I'm recommending the sites to all of you - especially all of you with kids or grandkids.

He's definitely not my dad...

Yesterday Dave and I took the kids to the outdoor rinks where we all laced up our skates and spent the afternoon playing hockey. Dave and John left early so John could play in his "real" hockey game at Purpur arena. So when it was time to pack the rest of us up I was in the warming house by myself looking for Dave's hockey stick. I found one that looked like his but wasn't sure so I interrupted the six 12- year-olds who were talking and said, "I'm looking for a stick - is this one of yours?" At that point one of the kids said, "No, it's not ours; it's probably your dad's."

Wait a minute - my dad's?! I laughed and said, "Oh, you mean my husband's! Thanks - you just made my day." They looked a little puzzled but I wandered out of the warming house with a big smile - and couldn't wait to tell Dave about it when he got home.

It's not the first time it's happened. Even though he's only three months older than me people just assume I'm much younger. Maybe it's because I'm only 5'2", maybe it's because with each month he's got more gray hair mixed with the brown while I turn to a major salon event every six months or so, or maybe it's because I was blessed with Mom's skin and don't have many wrinkles. I'm not sure what it is but it's been this way since we were first married. At that point I was used to people thinking I looked younger than I really was. But lately, I've been surprised when people don't realize I'm over 40.

When Dave and I joined the 3-day tour after his October meeting in Barcelona (see picture) I was surprised when, on the third day, I mentioned something about turning 41 in a month and the lady sitting next to me was shocked. Shocked as in thinking I was kidding. She thought I was much younger - as in within the 25-30 age range. I was shocked that she'd think such a thing - I mean, don't I at least act like I'm in my 30's? And what about our three kids - the oldest of whom is 10?

Another incident happened about five years ago while I was teaching at UND. Midway through the semester a student confessed to me that on the first day of classes she'd seen me talking with the other professors and thought that I was a student - and one who was already "sucking up" to the professors.

And finally, fourteen years ago... a neighbor came to our backdoor and when I answered it, asked, "Is your dad home?" As with yesterday's incident, I laughed and said, "Oh, you mean my husband."

All of this makes me wonder - what kind of judgments do we make based on first appearances? And for those of us who look younger than we really are, what kinds of things do we do to make up for those first impressions?

I know that after my student made her confession I started each semester off by rattling off my experiences - saying I taught five years here, two years there, been at UND for ten+ and then I let my students do the math.

I'm also not at all shy about telling my age - maybe as a way of letting people know I have been around the block and know a thing or two.

I try and dress my age - I certainly don't dress as though I'm in my twenties. I'm not exactly wearing "Mom" jeans (at least I don't think I am) but I'm also not a statement of fashion. Even when I would dare to wear tight clothes and mid-riff baring outfits I didn't.

But for now, I'm fine with people thinking I'm younger than I am. Let them lower their expectations and then be surprised with my knowledge or experience. For the most part I don't think about how old I look - I'm comfortable with 41 and think it suits me well. And the next time someone is surprised at my age I'll laugh and take it as a compliment.

Thank you Santa - whoever you are

In early December I got an unexpected present from Santa - the object I've been wanting for over five years but have always been too cheap to buy for myself. Here's how it unfolded:

As I sat at the computer around 5 pm on a Monday evening there was an obnoxiously loud knock at the backdoor. I assumed it was Dave or someone else with a heavy load so I hurried to the door but when I got there nobody was to be seen. Instead, there was a large gift-wrapped box with the label, "To Marci From Santa." I smiled, looked aruound some more and when I didn't see anybody I picked up the box, surprised by its heavy weight, and carried it into the dining room. I set it down and peered out the dining room and then the living room windows - no one around.

For some reason I chose not to open it at the time. If you know me at all you understand the incongruity of that - normally I would have just ripped it open and enjoyed the moment. But I didn't. I waited for Dave to get home from work. Of course, we didn't take the time to eat supper or anything like that - the moment he got home I gathered everyone in the dining room and ripped open the paper.

The look on Dave's face, I think, was even more surprised than mine. You see, I thought it was going to be some old Christmas plates that I'd been wanting. You know the kind - you probably bought them at Dayton's in the early 1990's - they're clear with a sort of abstract green tree in the middle of the plate. Well, I have six plates but was trying to get a hold of many more. So - my guess about the present was that someone had bought new Christmas dishes and was donating their old ones to me.

I was wrong - very wrong. For in the box was a brand spanking new white Kitchen-Aid Artisan mixer. Yes, you heard me - a new mixer. It's a beauty.

The kicker of the whole thing is I still don't know who gave it to me. I have my suspicions - and Dave actually knows because the person called him and told him it was an "anonymous" gift but I should feel free to change the color if I wanted. He won't tell me though...and from past experience I do know bribery doesn't work with him.

So - to Santa (who may or may not be reading this blog entry) thank you so very, very much! Christmas cookies were a breeze and the bread has been awesome. I think of you everytime my eyes spy the mixer on the counter. You did it - you pulled a wonderful surprise present and I am humbled to have been the recipient. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Love, Marci

What Kind of Holiday Food Am I?

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

Take your own quiz here.

Remembering Mavis via a Christmas Ornament

Even though the ears broke off this ornament a few days ago, I just can't bring myself to put it in the garbage. Which is quite silly of course - the sides of the reindeer's head are jagged glass and someone is bound to cut him/herself on it. But it was a gift from my friend Mavis - back in 1997, when Sophie was six months old and we didn't have any ornaments to decorate the tree because they were all lost in the flood.

I'm actually not very sentimental anymore - and I can thank the flood for that. It isn't that the only time I think of Mavis is when I see Mr. Reindeer- no, she's around in my thoughts at quite random times - like when I toast homemade bread and spread it with butter and cinnamon sugar, or when I see any sort of math manipulative, or even when I cook spiral rotini noodles. It's not that I can't put it in the garbage because of those sentimental reasons.

It's because of the eyes on the reindeer - they look just like Mavis' eyes - except that hers were a startling color of blue. The eyes must have the same shape, maybe eyelashes... I'm not sure. But everytime I go to put Mr. Reindeer in the garbage, I look at those eyes and think of Mavis... and I can't do it. They remind me too much of her - and she's no longer here on Earth to see. So, maybe someday down the road I'll nick my hand on the ornament. But for now it's here to stay - a special ornament from a special friend.

Cooking with Onions

I never cook with onions - Dave has an unusually strong aversion to them and even though I miss them I make do. Besides, when I eat Jon Jackson's meatballs with onions they taste all the better. Some times when I cook I'll add onion juice or onion powder to a recipe. Not tonight though - no way. Not after the day I've had. So here's supper - a sirloin roast with carrots, potatoes and onions!
P.S. Dave's in Texas so he won't have to eat them - but maybe he'll get some of the leftovers. ;)

Laundry Troubles...

After a week of cleaning, scraping and painting the basement laundry room and forgoing laundry duty I was excited to see the two grumpy men delivering our new washer and dryer last Friday. The deliverymen were unbelievably rude and crabby - and this after being 2 1/2 hours late in the delivery time. I won't go into it here but let's just say that I really believe that if Dave had been the one at home instead of me and the kids, they would have acted totally different. Maybe even (GASP!) a little courteous.

After they succeeded in getting the washer and dryer down the steps and setting it up they commented that a "cheap" part that holds the hose into the drain broke and I should get it fixed (see pic).

They then left with the words, "The dryer has been in the truck all day, it'll take a little while to heat up." I thought it was a strange remark but at the same time just wanted them to be gone. I got a load of laundry going (remember -we were without a w/d for an entire week - there was LOTS of laundry to do) and later on, when the same load was still damp after 1 1/2 hours in the dryer I became frustrated. It only got worse the next day when we realized there was, in fact, no heat whatsoever coming from the dryer. Finally, on Sunday I called the store and told them I needed a technician immediately.

The technician, Don, showed up today. From past experience I know he's a great guy and very helpful. It was no different today and he told me he thought the problem must have to do with the electricity so I then called an electrician. Russ came over and within a few minutes he came back upstairs and told me the problem was fixed - he'd plugged the dryer all the way into the 220 outlet.

I can't believe it; Don, I'm sure, can't believe it, and the store rep we were working with certainly couldn't believe it. We'd already had a long conversation about the two characters that delivered the set - but I'm sure he's had yet another one with them by now. He was wonderful though and immediately told me the store would pay for the electrician's bill when we get it. He then called Dave and apoligized to him as well.

I was just happy to having a working pair, thrilled in fact. I put in a load of laundry and couldn't wait to get it into the dryer - just to check things out. Imagine my surprise when I went to move the clothes to the dryer and this is what I saw in the laundry room: Apparently the hose that needed the cheap part came out of the drain and sprayed water all over the freshly painted floor.

I just cried, and then as I mopped up the floor and some of the new paint came bubbling off, I cried some more. Then when I moved the washer to dry out underneath it and the paint came right off in tracks, I cried even more. Throughout this whole ordeal I've gone through such a range of emotions - but the crying didn't come until today. Because, really, they did warn me about the cheap part so I'll take the blame for this one. But man, I'm ready for this to be over.

Kids and Decorating

Even as I've been thinking about painting instead of Christmas decorating, the kids have been decorating for me. Here's the tree in John's room - all decked out from top to bottom: a playmobil angel (albeit on its side) at the top and handmade decorations throughout. They're pretty sweet... the kids and their decorations.

A house project in late November... are we crazy?!?!

Yes. I think the answer is yes. But as with every other answer in the affirmative, there are reasons and justifications. You see our dryer is on the blink and this family of five really, really needs to have a working dryer. It's not like we didn't know this day was coming; three years ago when the dryer first began squealing like a pig when it started we got it fixed - to the tune of about $300. In other words, with the money spent repairing it we could have just bought a new one. We vowed not to make that mistake again - so for the last three years I've been researching washers and dryers, top loader vs. front loader, etc... so when the squealing started again we'd be ready.

That day came a few weeks ago and the brand new frontloader Maytag Epic will be delivered on Friday. But now we have to get the laundry room ready. There's my excuse for doing a house project in late November when I should be writing Christmas cards instead of painting. After lots of scraping and vacuuming (that's Dave going crazy with the vacuum) and 3 gallons of dry-lock waterproofing paint, I'm ready for the final coat - something called Vanillum - and then I'll paint the floor. It should be all dry and ready for Friday and the new washer and dryer.

Our laundry hamper will certainly be ready for help by then too.

Snow Tasting

Some people have wine tasting, some have chocolate, and others have tastings for wedding cake, but here on Belmont Road we taste the snow. P.S. There really were a few flakes (besides Dave and the kids) hanging out throughout the day today.

Christmas Quilt

When Mom figured out I was serious about quilting she suggested I try a rag quilt - she said they're pretty easy to do and you don't have to be so precise on your measurements. She's done quite a few of them and I love the look - the rag gives it such a well-loved, comfortable feel. Mom even had a pattern in mind, Oh Christmas Tree, that she wanted to try. So I found the pattern on the internet and ordered two of them from Saginaw Street Quilts. They came promptly and there the pattern sat, and sat, and sat... until two Tuesdays ago when I got started. And here's how far I am so far - stacks and stacks of 9" and 7 1/2" flannel squares interspersed with 5 1/2" squares of batting. It's been a whole lot of cutting and not any sewing up to this point. But the good news is... only 70 more batting squares to cut and then I can start sewing. Maybe the sewing machine will be whirring on Friday; but then again, the laundry room paint job is calling my name...

A new game for the season: Guess the Pie Dough Shape

...a game not all that different from the "Lay on your back in the grass, look to the blue sky and name the cloud shapes." This game is even better though because after you've named the shape on the pie dough you get to lather the dough in butter, sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon, put it in the oven for a few minutes and after it cools, gobble it up. It's an awesome treat while you're waiting for the pumpkin pie to bake. While you're at it you could pick up the book, It Looked Like Spilt Milk, and read it to your kids.

By the way, we determined that this shape looks like the USA. What do you think?

Babies in the House

I awoke this morning to the sound of a cooing baby. No, it wasn't a dream; nor was it some kind of goofy premonition. It was actually the sound of two Chou Chou baby dolls that Grandma Bev gave to Sophie and Lucy years ago - it's just that Dave finally put the batteries back into them. When we got them John was just a few months old and the girls wanted (and badly needed) their own baby dolls to play with. The batteries went in initially but were soon disconnected. At that time one cooing, crying, hungry and softly breathing baby was enough in our chaotic household. But now that they're back, I kind of miss the sounds of a baby in the house. With that said, I just want to point out that nobody should be getting any ideas - it's not going to happen around here.

Back from Barcelona

Dave and I are back - and it feels "oh-so-good" to be home. Carmyn and the kids had a wonderful time while we were gone but I think we all feel better to be together again. This homemade sign welcomed us on our return. Notice Lucy's drawing in the bottom right-hand corner: "Family Flower of Five." How creative. You can just see the emergent writer in John with his writing of random words he knows - in, the at... and Sophie always loves to practice her cursive.

After the kids were in bed last night Rose, our babysitter, came so Dave and I could have dinner at the "happening" local restaurant in town with two other couples. (It was a date set over a month ago - long before the effect of jet lag was considered and certainly long before it hit us.) In honor of the beautiful fall night and all the walking we did in Spain Dave and I decided to stroll downtown. What with all six people and two dogs we saw on our walk it certainly wasn't Las Ramblas but it was nice to have space around us again. I swear that is what I dislike most about traveling - jostling crowds and the constant maneuvering around people.

My feet were hurting (I'd taken an earlier walk as well) so Dave walked back home with Margaret and Jon while I caught a ride (in Emmett's car seat) with Michelle and Paul. What a nice night though - great people, great food, and great surroundings. It is really good to be home.

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater......

On Sunday afternoon Lucy spent some time with her pal Maia. John and Sophie hung out with me as I stopped to pick up some pumpkins from a local pumpkin patch. We found lots of good ones for my apartment and the kids found some fun things to do there too. After dropping those at my place, Sophie, John, and I went to the park for the rest of the afternoon to explore and play. As you can see in the pics, these two got along great all afternoon. We're sorry Lucy had to miss it, but rumor has it she and Maia had a great day too and today she got to go on a school field trip to a pumpkin patch that included a hay ride, a corn maze, and everything.

Barcelona

Dave finished with his meetings yesterday and we went touring with Craig (NJ), Rick (FL), Brian (Ireland), Harley and Lorraine (NJ), and Steve, Mary and Alisha (TX).

We spent the better part of the afternoon at the Sagrada Familia and were astounded at the beauty of it. People were telling me that this place is how the term "gaudy" got its name - after the original architect, designer and builder of it but I just don't agree - it was beautiful even though the work is ongoing.


Remind me to get Fodor's tour book from now on - it had so much more information than my Frommer's. With Steve reading we got a nice explanation of the Passion Facade as well as the Nativity Facade. Our necks got sore as we peered up looking for the boat powered by Joseph and the Holy Spirit.

We then had our best meal (and according to everyone else, the best Sangria) in Barcelona at a little outdoor cafe across the street from the Sagrada Familia.

The Day the Lights Went Out in Dakota

So, our Saturday adventure began with a simple shower regimen in the morning. One after the other they were going to pop into the shower in the "upstairs bathroom" and so John was the first in line. I was scooting around in the kitchen putting away the breakfast dishes when suddenly everything shut off... the lights, the sounds. At first I thought it was a fuse but then we realized EVERYTHING was off... and that included the lights in the bathroom. Poor John was calling out... calmly with a bit of concern in his voice, "Ummm. Carmyn?" We found a flashlight and and directed it into the shower so he could see. Lucy and Sophie seemed to think a spotlight shower would work for them too. Hey, there's a first for everything. Thankfully the lights came back on a short time later.

In other news, the kids have been crafting and coloring and creating like crazy. First we painted pumpkins in the morning. Lucy even created a crown for her pumpkin princess. Sophie went for the traditional spooky black cat and John's creation had pictures all the way around with a blue stem. Go figure.


On the computer Sophie discovered coloring sheets for Halloween and she printed a few for John and before long all three of them were printing and coloring and cutting out pictures of vampires, bats, witches, pumpkins, and more. We now have enough to give one to everyone in Lucy's class and for me to take home and I think to decorate every bulletin board in their school! Okay, maybe that's exaggerating... but this seemed like endless entertainment, even if we did use a lot of paper.

Street Statues in Barcelona

The first day in Barcelona Lorraine and I wandered down Las Ramblas - the top of it is just a block away from our hotel and it's a leisurely one mile stroll down to the waterfront and the famous statue of Christopher Columbus (Mirador de Colon). The statue is beautiful - tall and full of intricate details but the joke is that he's supposedly pointing toward the New World. In fact, he is pointing the opposite way.

Along the walk there were at least twenty different "people" statues that came alive when people threw coins into the buckets at their feet. Lorraine threw a coin into the "pirate's" bucket and gave a jump and screech when he "Arraghhhed" her. Then he playfully put his sword to her neck for a picture.

The woman rolling the ball was absolutely beautiful to watch and the green troll was pretty fun too - he was a ham for the crowd.

I've been up and down Las Ramblas quite a few times by now - both during the day and at night. I'll just say it's quite a different experience during the evening hours - quite a different experience.

Please Mr. Postman

Lucy got a letter from her friend in the mail on Friday and immediately found some paper and an envelope and began to respond. She thought for a second... how do you start a letter? Oh yeah... Dear... And then she proceeded to ask me how to spell what had to be EVERY word in the letter. It was fun to show her how to address the envelope and it really brought me back to the days before email when I was a kid and all my friends and I used to correspond by mail. Ahhh.... I love real mail. And I love that it's still in vogue. At least among the 2nd graders of the world.

And the Beat Goes On....

On Thursday after school we watched a Scooby Doo episode featuring Sonny and Cher, as a honeymooning celebrity couple. Sophie asked me who are Sonny and Cher? And I tried to answer her and explain they sang one of my favorite songs, "I Got You, Babe." She responded by asking which one was MOST famous. I said that Cher had a longer musical career or maybe just a better known one and that Sonny became mayor of Palm Springs, California. Sophie said she figured as much since Cher was so bossy and they made Sonny seem like he was doing everything wrong. I asked her if she'd ever heard a song by Cher and then I burst into a rousing "If I could turn back time.... if I could find a way" and Sophie stared at me and then paid me the best compliment I've had in a long time. "Wow, YOU could be a singer." Yup. Me and Cher...

Science in the Tub

While mom and dad are soaking up the Mediterranean air, enjoying sangria and paella in Barcelona, the kids and I are taking in our usual fare of Parmesan noodles and so forth.

Last night John entertained Lucy and me with his science experiment that demonstrated that air exists or something profound like that. He wadded up a big of napkin into the bottom of a plastic cup and then pushed it straight down to the bottom of the tub. When he removed the glass the napkin was ... drum roll please.. dry. It was DRY! That's because there was air inside that got trapped and kept it dry, but if he turned the cup at all you could see the air escape and sure enough... that napkin was WET when he removed the cup.

Unfortunately I didn't stress how important it was to remove the wet napkins and tissues he'd used from the bathwater and so it was full of partially dissolved bits of wet paper by the time John emerged from the bath.

Starting a new quilt...

and here it is all cut out - just waiting to be sewn together. My first quilt, on the other hand, still needs to be finished. I tore out the binding yesterday as I did it the opposite way I was supposed to. Ooops. It'll have to wait until we get back from Barcelona to finish it. But in the meantime, Halloween is right around the corner. Let's hope the Halloween one gets up on the wall before October 31st.

Weekly Quilt Update

Just look at this quilt top (just not too closely) - week three and I'm still loving this hobby!

Quilting Update

We were welcomed back to the quilting store last week with a cheery, "Here the travelers are!" It was wonderful... and we spent the morning quilting and chatting. We each have our four big blocks and small sashing done and on Tuesday we'll put on the 3" sashing and then be ready for the backing. When it's all done I'll post a picture of the finished product; but in the meantime here's a pic of Anna's busy hands.

Less list guilt...

Yesterday Mary had a wonderful brainstorm - rather than make to do lists, make to done lists. She explains it all here, complete with her to done list for the day. So, here's my to done list for today:
-reminded Sophie to take a snack to school
-was rewarded with a smile and a thumbs-up sign
-called Kay at school to tell her Lucy was still sick and would be staying home with me again today
-pushed the button for oven self-cleaning
-scrubbed oven racks clean
-make tofu chili for lunch
-made homemade bread using Charlotte's recipe (see recipe and bread above)
-made parmesan noodles for Lucy
-took some chili and bread over to Charlotte to have for supper
-cleaned the microwave
-spent 45 minutes on the phone trying to get people paid for writing project stuff
-spent 20 minutes before the phone call fretting about it and trying to figure out a more efficient system for getting people paid
-returned a phone call to one of the teachers who hasn't been paid
-spoke to the librarian's assistant about the fact that fourth graders can only check out books once/week (silly rule as far as I'm concerned) and asked about policy to not let kids check out books if they talk during library time (another silly rule, my opinion)
-made note to myself that I need to talk to the librarian about this on Monday
-confirmed parents who will read to K-3rd graders every morning before school, shared the list with the teacher at the school who is in charge of this
-thanked Anna for picking up 16 cool glass snack plates/cups for $25 at the Arc
-took those same 16 snack plates/cups to Theresa's for her desert night next week (she'll have to wash them - ha!)
-emailed reminders to writing project book club members
-shared a bakery caramel roll with Theresa
-dropped off Sophie's violin to be restrung
-just remembered that I need to pick up the violin
.... to be continued later (after I pick up the violin!)

Music to Hug By...

On Saturday night Dave and I were in the kitchen doing last-minute prep for dinner company. I was in the mood for some music and asked him to put in the Archies CD a friend burned for the kids. I was a little surprised (knowing Dave and all his conservative Republicanness) when the Dixie Chicks started playing instead of the Archies. I didn't tell him of his mistake - just enjoyed the music and the little joke played on him.

But when my favorite song came on, the one that makes me think of Dave every single time I hear it, tears came to my eyes. The refrain is just so perfect for the two of us:

and i come to find a refuge in the
easy silence that you make for me
it's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
and the peaceful quiet you create for me
and the way you keep the world at bay for me
the way you keep the world at bay

So, I went over to where he was cutting up some cheese, wrapped my arms around him and told him that he put in the Dixie Chicks instead of the Archies (he stiffened at that) but that this particular song reminds me of him. He laughed, turned around and saw the tears in my eyes. He didn't say a word, not a single word, just kept hugging me and the moment was perfect.

The entire lyrics can be found here, but really, you need to listen to the whole song and then go out and buy the CD because it's just that good.

Dog Crazy

We almost came home with a dog on Thursday - the closet we've ever been. It all started with a visit to the pet store while Lucy was in ballet. Once there Sophie and I fell in love with a black and caramel English Springer Mix - she was absolutely beautiful and cuddly and so happy to be held. The minute I picked her up she started "talking" to me in the way only dogs can and it just felt like this dog was ours to take home. After a call to Dave he reluctantly brought John over so we could "rub" him down with the dog dander and saliva and watch carefully to see if he broke out. All was looking well - after 15 minutes there was a little tiny redness around his right eye, but not much at all. At that point I spoke with the owner of the pet store, explained our situation and John's allergies, and he agreed to let us take Cora (that was her name) home with us until Monday. If John broke out we'd bring her back but all fingers were crossed that he'd be fine. That took another 10 minutes and while we talked John and Sophie picked out a leash. Lucy danced away not knowing that a dog was so very close to our future. Then I noticed John rubbing his neck where Cora had snuggled. He insisted he'd been itchy before. I, of course, chose to believe him but still talked to him about allergy shots and promised I'd go with him every week if we needed to get them; I'm allergic to dogs too.

We picked Lucy up from ballet and walked her down to meet Cora - she was thrilled. Everything was confirmed with the owner - I'd drop the kids off at school on Friday and then come pick up Cora. It was set.

But then we got home - approximately 45 minutes after John first rubbed up with Cora. I looked at John and one of his eyes was almost completely swollen shut and he was itching away. With tears in my eyes I rounded the kids up and said we couldn't do it, we just couldn't do it. Sophie, of course, sobbed and sobbed. John said, "Why did God make me like dogs so much if I'm allergic?" Lucy, not as involved in all the original drama and anticipation, looked sad but then danced away. I called the owner back, full of apologies for wasting his time and for getting so attached to Cora already. He was very understanding but I don't know how he'll act if I ever enter his store again.

So there's our dog story for the week. Sophie's still upset about it - yesterday she told me she's going to get two dogs when she grows up, one for every dog we've looked at and hold and think about buying. I told her we'd better stop doing this to ourselves - more importantly, I better stop doing this to the kids. I told her I thought it best we don't go into another pet store for a really long time and that I better quit looking in the classifieds for the perfect dog. You see, I think we already found the perfect dog but we're just not the perfect family for her.