Going Herbal

The next tea in the rotation is an Earl Grey Rooibos blend.

Blech!

The rooibos smells bad and tastes bad as well.  Or maybe it tastes fine but the smell makes it taste bad.  Either way...blech!

I got it because I know rooibos is supposed to be good for allergies.  I think I'll take Singulair and drink tasty tea instead.

I moved quickly onto a Moroccan green tea / peppermint blend.   I went ahead and added sugar  because I know Moroccan style tea is very sweet.  Or is that coffee?  I think tea.  Anyway, I did not have the same aftertaste trouble that I had before.  The mint was very strong and quite yummy.  This isn't really an "every day" king of tea.  It felt more like it was for special occasions.  Whatever I end up deciding to do, I will do it again.

The rooibos not so much.

Short entry today.  Pretty much just about tea.  You'll just have to deal with it.

OK, so not entirely about tea.  Hubby and I are thinking about still taking a vacation, but not as extensive as planned before.  I'll keep you up to date.

And, I'll try to find an interesting picture I have not posted before for your enjoyment.

A picture of a picture.  My first birthday.  I love the early 1970s fruity table cloth.  (Also a small bit of my cousin holding a football.)

Tea: Part Two

My tea cups car large, 2 cup capacity.  The sample of Earl Grey I bought only has one cup's worth left, so today we move on to a new sample.  Peach Oolong.

This isn't my first lighter tea, but I am glad the samples have directions on how long to steep.  With Lipton I often just relied on color.

The peachy aroma is very strong.  There is not as strong a tea smell as I had with the Earl Grey.   Iam not sure if that is a trait of the oolong being subtler or the peach being so powerful.  I'd need to order some non-peachy oolong to know for sure.

I am not adding sugar, lesson learned from the Earl Grey.

Mississippi Cotton Blossom taken a couple of years ago.  It is too early in the season for it to look like this just now.

Tea: Earl Grey, Hot

There is currently a treat swap going on Ravelry.  They are not uncommon among pleasant social sites, but this is my first in a very long while.  I was to knit a Christmas Decoration, supply a treat recipe, and spend $10 on a small gift.
The ornament is 90% finished.  The recipe will be Magic Cookie Bars.  And I reviewed my randomly chosen recipient's profile for ideas for a gift.
She likes tea.  Real tea.  "Oo, interesting," I thought to myself.  (because no one else would actually be interested.)

I dallied around online, ebay mostly, to find an interesting cup or kettle, but nothing fell under the $10 mark.  Finally, I googled "tea" or something along those lines and found a few online sites that sell actual tea.

I suppose I could have checked the local grocery, but I had (have) very little faith that what counts as "good" tea would be found near the Lipton and Celestial Seasonings bags.

The longer I looked over what the site (Adagio Teas) the more interested in "real" tea I became.  So, I bought a small bit of Moroccan mint tea (because her profile suggested a liking for mint) for the random recipient, plus a steeper and selection of various "real" teas for myself.

The package arrived yesterday.  I had my first cup of hot tea (that did not steep through a bag) yesterday afternoon.  If you know me even a little, you know there is more than a passing acquaintance with Star Trek in my life.  And, really, can any Star Trek fan go to a tea site and NOT buy at least a little Earl Grey?  No, the answer is no.

I have a dedicated sweet tooth where my beverages are concerned.  Anything that is not water or milk has sugar.  And if I am doing the sugaring...it has quite a bit.  I tend to make my coffee in the "melted candy bar" range of sugar content.  But, I did not want to bury the real flavor of my (more expensive than Lipton) real Earl Grey tea under a mountain of sugar.  So, I drank it straight.

The smell was unbelievable!  I could have sat there all afternoon just inhaling the vapor from the cup.  I have spent many a moment breathing in the glorious smell of a cup of coffee, but this was 1000x better.  Sweeter, fresher, more exotic.  It smelled like the tea I knew, but was different in a way I cannot put my finger on.  And, when it had cooled enough to sip (Captain Picard might drink his hot, but I have no desire for burned lips nor tongue.) the taste was certainly knew and different, while familiar just a bit.  I do think I will sweeten it a bit next time, but I will not overdo the sugar.

And once I am thoroughly familiar with the Earl Grey I will move on to the Oolong I bought and compare the two.  Then the Darjeeling...


Your picture for today isn't totally random.  I posted about a gift, both for a stranger and myself, and give you a picture of my 15 and 14 year old daughters.

Not a RECENT picture, of course, but well, a cute one.

Not medicated...much

I have no news other than to say I have mellowed a bit since this morning.  Things are what they are.  I am still not happy, but I am no longer frothing at the mouth.

We have the money to pay the tax bill AND go on a smaller vacation.  I am going to look into having mom watch the girls in a few weeks and get away with DH.  For a whole family thing we'll wait a few months; after Labor Day maybe.

I got the steaming out of my system and I am cooler about the whole matter.  Without drugs.  (Though  I did take my blood pressure meds and some Tylenol.)  Because that is how things roll around here.

From Epic Roadtrip 2012 B - The house my family lived in 1980-1984.  Words cannot adequately express how much BIGGER the house was then.  It has obviously shrunk, look at the tree!  That is little more than a tall bush.  I know because my memory says it is so.
Also, the house used to be yellow; bright, mustardy yellow with dark green shutters.
   Behind the house, but to the right, there is a field where all of the back yards fail to meet.  A sort of communal grassy area.  We used to play there as kids, pretending to be whatever we liked, especially that we could travel to Narnia to fight badguys and such.  That is The Narnia Field.

Then again, maybe not

   Well, after a post about how excited I am to be making vacation plans, I decided that I needed to file our taxes.  I don't wait until the last minute, but the last week, sure.
   Uncle Sam is being quite gracious about the short sale of our house.  Thank you.
   Miss Sippy, not so much.  They want their piece of the "income" from the cancelled debt from our short sale...you know, money that doesn't actually exist.

We can pay it (thanks to having saved some money that DOES exist (if electronically))  but may have to put our vacation on hold for a while.  Maybe.  We might still be able to go soon.  We have to talk it over. 

I am not a happy camper right now.

On the bright side, what I am feeling is ANGER.  There have been times in the past when this would have been DESPAIR.  No, I am not hanging my head, I am PISSED.

Is there a total disconnect between the ears of government bureaucrats?
   "Our records show here where $120,000 you would have made and paid over the next 30 years will no longer need to be paid over the next 30 years.  How nice.  Pay us $6000."

GRRR!!!!

I am so angry I am considering not showing you a picture.  But no, that is petty.  It isn't your fault the state off Mississippi is a douche.  (I am not usually given to foul language, so you know I am very upset here.)

And choosing a picture will help calm me.  But it won't be a picture of anything of or in Mississippi.  (So, take THAT!)

DD15 being peaceful in Kentucky.

Crazy, Vacation, and DIRT!

Our 16th wedding anniversary is coming up in a couple of weeks.  We had thought to get away together for a mini-vacation.  He'd take a few days off work and the two of us would hit the road.  We'd get time alone together, see some sights, and I could gather more world for my collection.  (To be completely honest "World Collection" isn't sticking around here.  It is most definitely a Dirt Collection.  OK, I can own that.  So, I collect dirt, so what?  I LIKE my dirt!)

Unfortunately, a perfect storm of family scheduling means Mom won't be able to stay with the girls.  And 4 days (our plan) is too long to be away without supervision.  *sigh

So, we started thinking about postponing the trip, but extending it longer and taking the munchkins.  (Hmm...they are almost not even munchkins anymore.  Need to come up with another affectionate diminutive.)  Make it a family trip, see more than the previous plan called for.  (Plus spend a lot more on food and hotels!  yay)

I am halfway getting excited and halfway terrified.  Will it be cool?  Will it be awful?

SNAP OUT OF IT!!!  (That is my inner sane voice.  She has to yell, because I often don't listen.)
You were dreading last year's Epic Roadtrips, but those were fine.  Even St. Louis at rush hour.  (No, St. Louis at rush hour may have scarred me for life.  St. Louis at rush hour is what has me terrified of Buffalo / Niagara.) 
PSSHAW!!!  Just be careful about scheduling WHEN you get to town.  Look at the plan, it is a 9+ hour drive from Colonial Williamsburg to Niagara.  The thought that you would arrive before 6pm is ludicrous! (Good point.)

Do I have to go through Chicago?
No, Sweetie.  Babysteps.  We'll go around Chicago.

This is going to be AWESOME!!! Extended trip means choosing some places to stay longer, and going to places we would not have been able to before.  More fun, more places, more dirt!

There is a lot of stuff to get done first.
 BUDGETING!  (That is just bold for emphasis, not my sane voice yelling.  She has been rendered harmless, tied up, and gagged.) Must see how we can keep costs down.  Fast food twice a day for 10 days is NOT going to cut it.  (Get that gag back on!)  But cargo space is at a premium.  It is all fine and good to say "Pack your own food,"  but we are going to also be packing our own clothes, and various electronics, and eventually little baggies of dirt.  We'll probably pack some food, buy some along the way, and yes, eat out a few times.  I already plan to make sure every hotel has breakfast included.  duh!
MAPPING!  Who am I kidding, this is my favorite part.  GoogleMaps is like a video game to me.
BOOKING!  This is one of the last pre-pack things I do.  Must always wait until the decisions are made, then book.  Cancellations are a pain in the tookus.  Also, I always do this online.  I hate talking to people on the phone.  (I am a freak.)
APPLYING!  Passports!!!  It would be a crying (weeping, bleeding, oozing) shame to get that close to Canada and not be able to get some Canada for my collection.  This will begin to make it an actual WORLD collection, instead of a state collection.  This won't be the first time I apply for a passport, just the first time in over 20 years.  It also won't be the first time I have been to Canada.  Just the first time in over 20 years.  (Oddly, those two "over 20 years" facts are not related.  You didn't need a passport to visit Canada in 1990.  The passport was for Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, which you did need a passport for in 1991.)

Wow!  This post has gotten long and really isn't telling you much about what is going on around here.  Sorry.   I am just excited.  I don't have much to say about how things have been going.  I have been a little depressed and feeling like a lump.  Planning this trip has been a nice wake up.

Let's see if I can find some of the pics form last year's Epic Roadtrip 2012 1, 2 and 3  (Yes, there were 3.)

Paducah, Kentucky  DD14 (then) and I on our way to see the National Quilt Museum.  It is an ok way to spend an hour if you like quilts.

DD14 at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri.  That is her, right at the base of the arch, being peaceful.

Here is another shot of the arch.  I love this shot.  I am seriously tempted to have it framed.

Here is DD13 (then) being peaceful in southern Minnesota.  We didn't really HAVE to go to Minnesota.  But we were close and I didn't have any Minnesota in my collection...

I didn't tell them to throw the Peace sign, and neither girl was present at the other photo...just a thing between sisters, I guess.

The trips were to take my brother to Des Moines for a seasonal job and then pick him up again.  I took one girl each trip, for company and ... well, just for company.  I love being with my girls and we don't often get one on one time.

That left one girl out of the action, though.  So, when her birthday came around she got a special, long weekend with Mom in Atlanta.
 DD11 (but only for 2 more days) and I were at the GA Aquarium.  Which was FANTASTIC!  Here she is at the petting pool.

The aquarium was such a hit with her (and me) that we are planning to make it part of the family trip coming up.

And, because it has been such a focus for this post, one bonus pic...

I currently have ten states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, S. Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Kentucky, and Georgia) and one bottle of water (Christmas Snow 2012).  I had more water, but after gathering Sardis Reservoir, Puskus Lake, and the Talahatchie  River I left the bottles in the car and forgot to get them out a few days later when I assigned the girls to clean out the car.  At least those are local and can be easily replaced.  (Which is why I don't have any Mississippi or Tennessee.  I keep putting it off because I could get those any time.)
   The Nebraska is from a field where my friends and I played when I was a child.  We made up Narnian adventures (among other worlds.)  I wanted THAT to be my Nebraska dirt.
   The Kentucky is specifically from my in-laws' yard.  The snow was as well.

   After this trip, if all goes as currently planned, I will add Alabama, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, Michigan, and Illinois.  On the water side, I will add the Atlantic Ocean, the James River, the Potomac River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and (I am hoping) the Mississippi River.  Oh, and some Myrtle Beach, separate from South Carolina dirt.
   I need more glassware.  I filled the antique spice bottle set you see in the picture.  I have GA, and KY in jars.  I have one empty jar ready.   I need to move the snow water to a smaller bottle and use that jar for dirt.  Colonial Williamsburg has a glass blower, so I may pick up something there to keep the Virginia dirt in.  Other than that, a trip to the thrift store should help, as well as the grocery store.
   Have you ever bought a certain food just because of the jar it came in?  This won't be my first time.

I had better sign off before this post gets too long and rambly...too late!

Haha, I just realized that when petting the rays at the aquarium we were instructed to use just two fingers.  So, while they were not exactly the same, she is also sort of giving a peace sign.  3 for 3!

Birthdays, Fear, and Whatnot

Life goes on and I don't post.  That is how this blog goes really.  If you don't know that by now, well...you must be new.  But if you are new, know that I intend to post more often.  If you are not new, you will know that that is not the first time I have said that. (or the second...or even the third)

My 40th birthday is next week.  That has been on my mind a lot lately.  Not fear of growing old (though there is some) or longing to be young (though there is some) but there are a lot of regrets for things that I have not done.  Not the important stuff (mostly) like spending time with my husband and kids.  Trust me, I get plenty of family time.  But, things like becoming a writer, or artist, or crafter.  I even found myself thinking things like it is too late to try new things, etc.  DH talked me out of that bit of nonsense.  As long as I am still breathing there is no reason that should be all I am doing.

You wouldn't think it to read a mostly abandoned blog, but I am somewhat shy in real life.  Once I know someone I open up, but around strangers I am very quiet, worried about what they will think, and afraid of getting into trouble.  Made for a model student in public school, but as an adult it leaves me lonely (other than DH and the kids.)  One of the things I have planned for after 40 is to shed that straight jacket.  OF course, that may lead to people believing I should actually be IN a straight jacket.  But what do I care what they think?! (Unless they are a judge with the power to commit me, in which case,  "I was just acting silly, Your Honor.")

One of my themes for this year has been getting rid of fear (in situations where it is not needed) and I plan to continue that as I move into my next decade.

I'll keep you posted (probably...um...maybe...um...sporadically) on how things are going.  Including pics of the world outside that my social anxiety has kept me from enjoying, or even seeing sometimes.

Until then, here is a random picture already on my computer that I have not even chosen yet as I type this.  (Off to browse...)

It is my 12 inch 10th Doctor saying that I have every right to be a writer.  (and by association, anything else I want that doesn't require years of schooling, and even if it DOES,  I am not too old to get that schooling!)

Now, blog post made, I am off to knit something.  (I am NOT getting OLD!!!!)

A mile farther along

Just got off my butt and walked a mile around the neighborhood. I am still alive (and not even as close to dying as I expected to be) and feeling great. I took dd11 along, for company and so I could send her for her dad if I just could not finish. It didn't even get close to that! It may have taken almost an hour, but that is an hour I did not spend on Facebook or watching TV. This will not be the last mile I walk, believe you me. DD13 (then known as dd10) caught a fish. She was one of the only ones who did at the company picnic that day. July 2009

Coming Out of Retirement

That title sounds so much better than "Getting off My Butt." I like it.

I have decided things around here need a shake up. Or is it a shake down? Doesn't matter. Things will be shaken in all sorts of directions. Make no mistake, there will be shaking.

#1 Writing. Well, if I want to be a writer (as opposed to a housework-avoiding mooch) I had better get to it. I have found that my creative talents have been flowing into finding reasons NOT to do things I should actually be doing. But that job doesn't pay well, or fill me with joy, so I am quitting and going back to my old job of Writer.
You hear that? I am a writer.

#2 Weight. Most of you either don't know me or haven't seen me in years. And I have liked it that way because then I don't have my inner criticizer telling me that you are thinking about how fat I am. (Can you follow that sentence? Try and keep up.) Well, rather than continue to avoid people, those I know or don't know, those I like, or even love, I have decided to get rid of that problem.
Also, I would love to live past 50, be able to walk without pain or shortness of breath, and be able to shop at a store that isn't specially catering to hippos. (No offense to other women who shop where I shop.)

#3 Eating
(we'll avoid the D word, because that makes it feel temporary, and this is not.)
More salads, less junk, more fruit, less soda, more water, less processed garbage. We will be trying new recipes and I will give you the info, because I have to tell someone and I don't really mind wasting your time.

#4 Moving
(not changing living arrangements, moving my body)
I am avoiding the E word here just because I hate it. It brings to mind jogging and treadmills, and gym class. For right now, I just need to MOVE more. So, dancing with dd11, walking around the house, walking at the park, walking in the pool...these are what I will be starting to do, as well as my modified sit-ups that burn fewer calories but do not hurt my poor little knees. (Sitting on the edge of the bed and laying back, then sitting up, then laying back, etc.)

#5 Accountability
As I said above, I need to talk to someone and I don't mind wasting your time. You did choose to read the blog, if you object to reading about this particular personal journey, then don't. But the whole thing feels more REAL if I put it out there. And real is the name of the game this time. No more faking it.

The Great Snowy Mississippi Squirrel

I first spotted this fellow looking out my bathroom window, but, being busy and not having a camera handy, I could not get a shot. About a week later he (HE being the default gender for squirrels in my mind.) came right up onto our patio and we were able to snap quite a few shots. He even posed nicely at times.

The title of my post is, of course, tongue in cheek. There is no such thing as a snowy squirrel, and if there were, (or if I am wrong and there IS) I can guarantee you it is not indigenous to Mississippi.

The sighting of our oddity led to an afternoon's discussion of genetics and dominant and recessive genes. Seriously, what homeschool family would NOT segue spotting an albino ANYTHING in the wild to a biology lesson?

Would it not be cool if more and more white squirrels were born in this neighborhood? His presence obviously shows that some of the squirrels are carriers of the gene. If he mates up properly it could happen. Somehow I doubt squirrels are too picky about inbreeding. This is Mississippi, after all. (JOKING!)

In the neighborhood (if not a wider area of the town) where my mother-in-law's family home is the squirrels are black. I assumed at first that this was a regional difference. After all, I had heard of red squirrels but only ever seen grey. Turns out, I learned later, that it is a different species, but not one native to eastern Kentucky. The story I was told was that there was a local man who imported pet squirrels from Europe that eventually escaped.

It is easy to take something like what color a squirrel should be for granted. Seeing the black squirrels years ago in Kentucky, and now this white one...the change stands out immediately when you see it.

I suppose it says something about how safe our neighborhood is for wildlife. There is a reason albinism is so rare, and recessive genetics is only part of it.

Without zoom (wildlife photography must have been a nightmare before zoom.)

On the patio

Giving me a look

Speaking of "Inspired to Write..."

I am thinking of picking up my author's pen (or keyboard) again. The stories are starting to bubble behind my eyes and my bout of panic/depression about DH being out of work is lifting. I need to do something creative. And since my sewing room is currently a disaster area (The damage reports from Hurricane Christmas are still being gathered,) writing is the easiest.

I find it embarrassing to tell people I like to write fiction. The inevitably leads to questions about content. Now that I have left college and started raising a family, there aren't many people around (that I speak with) who appreciate Science Fiction and High Fantasy. I feel like it would be less painful to just tattoo the word "NERD" across my forehead than to talk writing with people around here.

Did you ever feel like you were living on an island of "Things that Interest Me" surrounded by a sea of "Other People's Interests" ?

So, as I said, I don't like to tell people I write. Easy enough since it has been decades since I had anything published.

There are some things I think I need to just get over, like a quick tendency to embarrassment and worry about what people think, to the detriment of what I like or think is cool.

Non-sequiter - DH cannot find his Magic decks. Poor guy has looked all over the house and in the storage. My amazing brother made a Christmas gift to DH out of one of his own favorite decks.

My amazing Christmas gift from my amazing brother was something so amazing that very few people (especially in this town) can truly appreciate it. I collect dice. And 6 sided dice are too mainstream. (I guess I am a dice hipster.) D10s and d20s are my particular favorites. (That is 10 and 20 sided dice respectively, for those of you who don't know the lingo.)
My amazing brother spent hours in the university wood shop (after he had finished the assigned work/projects) using scrap wood to make me the most amazing d20 I have ever seen.

It is the size of a bowling ball! Granted, the numbers are hand written and some of the edges are rough, but ... the thought that went into matching the gift to personality and spending time to work on the gift...wow. I am very touched.
He said he might work on making better calculations of the inside angels where the pieces fit together (under the surface) so there would not be such rough edges, also perhaps getting rubber letter stickers or stencils.

Perfect or not, I love it. I have knitted a d20 before, but due the the flexibility of the sides, it doesn't hold the shape as well as wood. Does have less potential to do damage when rolled, though. I guess that is a plus.

Settling of the Dust

The week before Christmas, (or thereabouts. You'd think I would know by now to update this blog PROMPTLY and thereby minimize the effects time can have on my memory of the details.) DH was offered a job at a software firm here in our town. We will not have to move. He is making more money than he did at the previous company, with better benefits. So far it seems an altogether satisfactory resolution.

My main concern is stretching the money we have left from his severance and making it last until he gets his first paycheck. Once the money starts coming in again we will be fine. The next couple of weeks are not going to be fun, but they are "not fun" with an end in sight. I can handle that. It'll boil down to prioritizing the bills and pinching the grocery budget.

I feel inspired to write, however, I do not feel inspired to combine blog posts on diverse subjects. Back in a bit...

With pride I present my grandmother at her 90th birthday party this past October.

Curve Ball

Well, life has stepped up to the mound and lobbed one right at our heads. We found out yesterday that my husband will no longer be working with the company he has been with for the past 6 years. With his severance and our small savings we are good until January. If we don't have a new job by then we will have to move on to Plan B.
I spent this morning going over our normal budget and typical grocery shopping list to see where we could get spending to a bare bones minimum and try to stretch our funds as far as they will go.

This area is not known as a hotbed of technological industry. I have the feeling we will be moving. It would have been nice to get this news before we signed a lease and moved this summer...(grumble) I'd prefer to move somewhere close, stay near family in the southern US, but in reality, I'll take whatever we can get.

I am not quite sure what I feel right now. There is an odd combination of terror and peace I cannot explain. I am very worried, but at the same time I feel like we have been in this situation before and gotten through it, we will get through this too.

I just hope it doesn't take as long as it did then.

Busy busy (almost) busy

Just popping in to say it might be a while before I can get anything posted. I have about a bajillion crafts and hand-made gifts I want to do for Christmas this year and have only just gotten started. I'll be sitting at my sewing machine more than the laptop. (Who am I kidding? That is absolutely NOT true.) Well, I'll be sitting at the laptop much less.

Of course...since I have been ignoring this blog rather skillfully for months now, I don't know why I bother telling you (2 or 3 people who read this) that I won't be posting much for the next month and a half. How will it be different than what you have been getting?

So, instead to this being a low-post warning, let it be a notice that once the holidays are gone I do actually plan to get back to this blog more often. I have said similar things in the past, I know. We'll see how it goes.

Family catch up:
My kids have all gained in age. 11, 13, and 14 now. This never ceases to amaze me. They are getting into ages I can not only recall being, but EASILY (without brain strain) remember being. My mother never seemed flabbergasted by my aging. She handled this sort of thing better than I, I guess.

DD14 (! 14! Wow!) and I are planning to see if we can't get enough sewing done between now and May 2012 to have a booth at the weekly farmers' market next summer. I think it will be fun and educational. Home school...child labor style! (But first, Christmas gifts)

As of tomorrow my dear husband and I have been a couple for 15 years. (!) I can remember the date because it tis the same (other than the year) as the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance from Back to the Future. Heh...15 years...that puts us halfway between the dance and Marty going back in time.

We have moved into a smaller, nicer, rentally-er house. It is in a nice neighborhood and everyone is pleased. The only thing I do not like is trying to find places to store all of the too much stuff we have. It seems obvious that more stuff culling is needed.

That's all I have for now...here is a picture of dd10 in the lobby of the HealthWorks Childrens Museum.

The Dangerous Beast

So, I was hooking up the laundry machines myself, mostly because I felt guilty that DH and DB were doing all the heavy lifting (including saiud laundry machines.) OK, no problem. I had to go to Home Depot to get a "pigtail" for the dryer. (That is the electric cord. They come seperate and there are a few different types. The new house's outlet doesn't match the old.) I was slightly worried that I had still not gotten the right kind. I was worried I would get it all screwed to the back of the dryer and then have to take it off because it didn't fit the outlet.

I got the brilliant idea to check the fit before I attached the pigtail to the dryer. I neglected to hold to loose end and make sure the connectors didn't touch anything (including each other.) I plugged in the loose pigtail and PWAP! there were sparks, smoke, a bright light, and the smoke detector started sqawking.

Obviously, something went wrong. I removed the battery from the smoke detector, cleaned up the scorched connectors, and tended the burn on my arm (spark attack.) I attached the pigtail and tried again. The plug fit (yay) but the dryer didn't come on. It was 11pm, so I decided I had lost my chance to do any laundry that night. I said "Forget this!" and went to bed.

I was afraid the PWAP! had fried the new pigtail. It would be $20 to replace (after tax.) But, another possibility was that I had tripped a breaker. I checked it out the next morning and it was indeed just a matter of flipping the breaker back on.

I got both machines hooked up (after another trip to Home Depot for a washer, a strap wrench, and a screw clamp) and have started to make headway into the nearly a week's worth of laundry that is patiently waiting to be cleaned.

There is a nasty looking mark on my arm, but it doesn't hurt any more if I don't touch it.

What I learned this week

1. August is HOT. Do not move in August if you can at all avoid it.

2. Even if you are just moving across town, rent a truck. The cost of gas for (many) multiple SUV loads will be more than the cost of the rental. Plus, it should cut down on the time spent moving.

3. We have too much stuff. Even after culling a LOT of junk, we still have too much stuff. Moving into a smaller house has made that abundantly clear.

4. Loving husbands are worth their weight in gold.

5. Electricity is a dangerous beast. Modern society has tried to tame and enslave it, but it will bite if you aren't careful.

6. The cable company and the phone company are not my friends.

7. U-haul makes and sells very good boxes.

8. Being able to do your own laundry is a blessing.

9. I can hook up a washer and dryer all by myself, provided I have big strong men to get them from one house to the other.

10. Do not sit on the end of a trailer that is not hooked up to anything (even if you are just 10 years old)

11. I cannot remember what relaxing feels like.

Moving On

We did find a house we like. I got a supply of boxes. This week we pack and next week we should be moving. I can't wait.
And that is all I want to say about that.

Public schools in our area get back to their lessons at the end of this week. Since our home school is changing locations in the near future, we are putting off the official lessons until things have settled. Until then we will have sporadic review lessons and the sorts of lessons that can be taught a few minutes at a time, or while doing other things.
dd13 has expressed interest in art, drawing and animation in particular. She also wants to study Japanese. Which means I get to study Japanese. We have been creeping along slowly for a few weeks and both of us are enjoying it. Later in the school year we will take a field trip to a sushi restaurant, or try some easier Japanese recipes here at home. Since I am thousands of miles out of my comfort zone, it will be an adventure. I don't even know HOW to eat sushi.
dd12 says she doesn't have any idea what foreign language she wants to study. So, I devised a combo language/world geography social studies curriculum. We'll pop around the globe, studying countries and cultures, as well as a sampling of the language. Then, next year she can choose which she like and we will focus on that.
dd11 is still focusing on general subjects. I actually haven't finished planning out everything she will be doing. Of course, she gets to tag along on our popping around the globe. She says she wants to study Greek, which is within my experience. Our place is going to look like some sort of weird encryption camp with all the difference alphabets. If, after the sample year, dd12 decides to study Russian, or Hindi (among others) it will get even better.

Here is a picture for you to enjoy - dd13 (when she was dd1) and her uncle.
(She is the one who is upside down.)

So...it comes to this

My house and I hate each other. It hates me and I hate it right back. (It started the feud, not me. I used to like this house.)

We are currently preparing for foreclosure. I haven't shared this with many people because I am embarrassed about the whole matter. It isn't my fault, though. When we bought this house we were making $85k / year and for the last 2 years earnings have gone to more like $40-$45k. I am already doing just about everything I can to keep expenses down. If I pinch our pennies any further I may face a class action lawsuit. Though, "Pennies v Housewife 2011" isn't likely to make the headlines, not when so many other people face similar situations.

We have been looking at rentals in the area that we can afford and that aren't dumps. There are a few if you are willing to live outside of town. We found one today that we are comfortable with. We'll hear Monday or Tuesday if the owner is comfortable with us. I am optimistic, but trying not to get my hopes up too high.

I am ready to get started moving, but only because I am ready to be done moving. I need to go this weekend and see about getting some boxes. We have some from moving a few years ago, and some from purchases we have made, but no where near enough to move all of this, even after the planned do-we-really-need-this purge. I may be asking friends around town if they have any. I may also be stalking the rear of local stores. If my dishes end up smelling like bananas, you'll know why.

Anyway, pray for a favorable landlord, patience in moving, and nice weather at the turn of the month.

For you enjoyment...a marigold from dd13's flower box, before the heat did it in.

Scorpius and Antares

Thursday the girls and I spent the day cruising around Memphis. In addition to the Zoo, which we have been to so many times over the last 6 years that we no longer need a map, I decided that the Pink Palace would be a nice way to cool off and still learn something.

The Pink Palace has a museum, an IMAX theater, and a planetarium. We did not have a chance to see the IMAX.

The museum has natural history displays as well as some of the history of the city itself. It was interesting. Dd12 lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the geology hall. (Homeschool mom takes notes, starts to plan science lessons for the fall...) We are still talking about the quartz crystal the size of our television.

The highlight of the visit was the Sharpe Planetarium. dd13 has always loved the sky and I figured even the less enthusiastic girls would like it. I was correct.

The program was different from what I saw when I went to a planetarium as a kid. This was just a pretty straight forward exploration of the Summer night sky from the southern USA. It focused on Antares, in the Scorpius constellation. From there we were shown how to find Vega, Altair, Deneb, Arcturus, Spica, and Polaris. We all walked out feeling rested (I loved those seats!) and educated.

I didn't realize HOW educated until last night (Friday.) JD and I returned home from our bimonthly budget date to a parking spot and walk toward the house that matched the orientation of the planetarium screen.

"Hey! There is Scorpius! And that star there in the middle is Antares," I said. I stopped and gawked for a few minutes. (It was a good night for gawking.) After a short time the girls started coming outside to see what we were looking at. As each one saw something she knew the name of the excitement level rose. All of us cursed the trees around the edge of the yard that are so lovely during the day.

"I can't see the Summer Triangle because of the trees!"

"The big dipper WOULD be over there, but the trees are in the way!"

"Is there a way to turn off the light on the pole?"

"This is SO cool!"

"We can't see the scorpion's tail because the house is in the way."

"Go get the binoculars!"

A trip to a museum that was pretty much chosen because it was indoors and air conditioned turned into a whole lot more. We all had a great time last night. Now I need to figure out where we can go nearby that has a larger open space and as little light pollution as possible.

I want to see what else we can see.

Here is a picture from Thursday that was NOT taken at the Pink Palace.

It is of a giraffe.

I must have a fever.

No, I suppose I don't really; I just feel like I do. It is so darn hot, and the AC in this decrepit old house isn't worth a hill of beans. (At roughly $1 for a 1 lb bag, a hill of beans isn't really a good measure of the lack of value in something.)

I let dd13 drive the car around in a deserted parking lot yesterday afternoon. No, of course she isn't old enough to drive, it was sort of a pre-lesson. We both had fun and the starts and stops were noticeably less jerky after we had been practicing for a few minutes. She had a lot of fun. Still, I am glad it will be a few years before things get serious on this topic.

Here is a pic of dd10 almost a year ago on her birthday. We went to the park and took loads of photos. Some of them came out wonderfully.