Ten on Tuesday

10 Foods That Belong Together

Hmm...interesting topic. Why do I think I'm going to be hungry after this???

1. Dark Chocolate and Mint- whether in the form of patties, squares, or these fabulous chocolate mint brownies, they are perfect for each other.
2. Chicken Wings and Blue Cheese Dressing- true Buffalo wings made with Frank's Red Hot.
3. Mashed potatoes and Gravy- chicken gravy, turkey gravy, pork gravy, beef gravy....it doesn't matter it just needs to be there and in copious amounts.
4. Tortilla chips and Chile con queso- this doesn't last long in our house.   
5. Potato chips and French onion dip- But the dip has to be Heluva Good. 
6. Fresh Brussels sprouts and Bacon- Either halve the sprouts and oven roast with the bacon or completely pull them apart and lightly saute in the drippings and add the cooked bacon back in at the last minute.
7. Kielbasa and Pirogi-Yes. I'm a good little Pollack.
8. Chocolate pudding and Whipped cream- I may or may not have been indulging in a pudding cup from a hidden stash and the can of whipped cream after the minions went to bed last night. But I'll never tell.
9.  Eggs, hash browns, and bacon/sausage- the perfect breakfast to me.
10. Tomatoes and Basil- together fresh paired with cucumbers or fresh mozzarella or blended together for the perfect sauce. They are even beneficial to grow next to each other. Now that's a perfect pairing.

After the con.....

I have returned. I spent most of last week off at the USITT annual conference, which was in Fort Worth this year. I've not been to one of these in 15 years. It was quite different from what I remember. Back then I was still in college; now I am a professional in the field. I had gone to the one in Pittsburgh in 1997 and again to Toronto in 1999. We always kind of laugh when people talk of a work conference as a 'vacation'. Maybe for other fields, but we're an industry that works from sun-up until the wee hours. Why would our conference be any different?
Every day is filled with discussion sessions, teaching sessions, hands-on workshops, commission meetings, showcases and xxxxxxxxx . And then there is the Expo floor filled with booths from vendors, organizations and schools alike giving out swag, demonstrating new products, drumming up business, conducting interviews mixed with the chaos of friends new and old meeting. It's fun to put faces to the voices on the phone you order from, or play with a new fogger or automation system. Programming is scheduled from 8am until 7, 8, 9pm or later. And there are no meal breaks scheduled in, so you often have the dilemma of "do I attend this really interesting session on XXX, or do I eat?" Sometimes you might pick a session where they feed you. This is not kind of conference where you go to a meeting or two with a catered lunch and spend the rest of the time at the pool.

And I loved it. Even though it dang near killed me. There was a lot of walking. A LOT of walking, and even with my cane it wore me out. Luckily we booked the hotel that was right across the street. I made some new friends, finally put some faces and face-to-face time with people that I have corresponded with for years. I learned tons. Was inspired even more. And somehow I ended up chairing a session for next year's conference. (And I was totally sober when that happened. But then again, it was an 8am session).

Texas was lovely...for what I saw of it. I didn't wander much further than 4 blocks from the convention center, and that was to hunt for food. The weather was much nicer....86 in Texas in March is nothing like 86 in Hartford in August. Especially when I come home to be greeted by a freak snowstorm the next morning.

Things I learned from this conference:

• Have business cards. Even if you aren't looking for a job. It's the best way to pass along your information.
• Have a portfolio handy....both online and a brag book in hand. Again, even if you aren't looking for a job, people are going to ask to see your work. 
• Take pictures and write everything down. You will be so inundated with information that you will never remember what happened 5 minutes ago.
• Bring your own tea if you are picky about what you drink. (so glad I did this)
• Powerbars/granola bars are your friends. Have lots of them on hand.
• Talk to everyone you can. You never know what may come of it. If you like someone's work/idea/project, tell them. Everyone likes positive reinforcement. 
• Don't be bitter. (at least out loud) There were a few Debbie Downers that ruined a good moment or two. 
• Remember this is a small business. Everyone knows everyone whether you realize it or not. 
• Drink More Water. 
• Ask the locals where they eat. 
• I hate iPads (borrowed one from the University library for the trip to use instead of my laptop.)
• I can out eat a bunch old techies and a Army veteran under the table where all you can eat ribs are concerned. (Sorry Riscky's. You didn't make any money on me that night.)

And now I am back. Dealing with paperwork, waiting for a designer to arrive, cleaning/organizing the shop, and researching/writing up ads to see extraneous shop possessions on Craigslist. You know the budget is bad when you are selling things just to fix/replace your other things.

I did get knitting done on my flights. And I only had one schmuck ask how TSA let me through with my (circular) needles. I told the guy (who had an uncanny resemblance to George R.R. Martin so I didn't want to be rude in case it was him and he decided not to finish the books because of some snarky knitter) that TSA discovered that we knitters were far less dangerous with our needled than without them.

This is what I managed to get done while flying and waiting in airports. I did knit a little in sessions but I often had to take notes, and with the cane knitting while walking was out of the question. The yarn is Glissade from Ball and Skein. (I swear I'm addicted to her stuff) in the colorway Elderberry. The color perfectly matches the new color of my hair. (What you expected me to go to Texas looking like a normal person?) What you see is slowly becoming the Medusa shawl by Amanda Muscha. I originally fell in love with this pattern because the lace is more geometric than flowery/frilly looking. So far both the yarn and pattern have been wonderful. The beginning section of this is perfect airplane knitting paired with an audiobook. (Bleak House by Dickens via CraftLit).

Otherwise I returned to a perfect shitstorm of a friendship imploding and new and scary health issues. One is the usual waiting game of doctor's appointments, tests, and more doctor's appointments. I'm doing my best not to dwell on the horrible notions that keep drifting across my brain. There's nothing I can do until I know more. And as far as the other one....who knows.

*sigh*

Back to reading about reed organs and band saws.

I should be in bed...

but I'm not.

I'm packing.

Well, I was packing. I've been side tracked by Twitter and hunting yarn shops in Ft. Worth.

Yep. I'm heading to Texas for a work conference. Without the family. I've never been away from the kids more than 2 days. This is going to be interesting. And the Geek-boy has his load-in week while I am gone. I think his work is going to learn 1. just how much he does and how much they rely on him to ditch everything else for them and 2. just where is priorities really lie. Meanwhile I'll be hobnobbing with people in the industry and possibly hitting the spa in the hotel. Just think. I will have almost a whole week where I will be allowed to us the bathroom on my own. I won't have to do someone's hair every morning while they steal my breakfast. And I won't have to wipe anyone's butt aside from my own.

This is my first real trip since being diagnosed. I'm slightly (very) anxious about it. Especially since the Geek-boy won't be there to help me and keep me calm. I hate flying. I'm stressing about going through security with all my meds. I'm worried I won't have the stamina to do all the walking around the convention. 

And speaking of diagnosed today was the two year anniversary. Woo hoo? With two major treatment changes over the last year I can't say it has been a fun ride. Part of me kicks myself for going off the infusions when I did. Had I hesitated a little longer, we would have had the study in our hands and known that it was safe for me to stay on it. And in those months of going off that and onto the pills and back again I know I lost some of what I had. And I am beginning to doubt if I will ever get it back again.

Enough of the depressing stuff. Packing has been insanely helpful in the Fifty Things project. I'm not sure if it was my tendency to procrastinate or the OCD, but my forays into The Closet of Doom led to a huge clean out. What is The Closet of Doom, might you ask? It is a strange anomaly in our house created by half-arsed renovations by the former owner. It used to be a part of the kitchen. It someday will be a part of the bathroom. But now it is a tiny space (about 4feet wide and 10 feet deep?) with open stud walls, various forms of flooring, and a bare bulb that serves as a linen, medicine, cleaning and catch-all closet. After this weekend, it is far more organized. Between that and my clothing closet I was able to add a bunch more to the list.

Tossed this time:

• Travel sized toiletries we will never use
• Old expired medicine and product
• Travel alarm clocks (cell phones do this now)
• Ace ankle wraps (too small and elastic cracked)
• The disposable underwear from the hospital acquired when I had the minions. (Done with the baby making here. Don't need them)
• Fake nails bought for a costume.
• Old eyeglasses (going to the donation bin at the library)
• Numerous scented lotions, body washes, bath extras and fancy body scrubby things. (Toss what's bad and donate what isn't)
• Inflatable bath pillow. 
• Stretchy skinny jeans (I don't even know how I got these)
• Pull over fleece jacket (not to my taste. It can keep someone else warm)
• Shoes

Fifty Things Total: 15

Not bad so far. I expect to make some huge progress when I return from the trip. And now I must to bed.

Fifty Things: the journey begins

I have been reading Throw out fifty things : clear the clutter, find your life by Gail Blanke. It challenges you to take a hard look at the clutter in your life, both mental and physical, and assess if it hinders or helps you. I've decided take up the challenge and blog about it.

It's not a big stretch. Over the last year I have been attempting to pare down our clutter and simplify things overall. I cleaned out a lot. Donated a bunch. Even had a tag sale. But there is still so much to do. I figure by documenting what goes, I'll have a tangble way to see my progress. When you have so much to toss out, it often feels like you aren't getting anywhere, when you are. It's just like knitting (see it all comes back to the knitting). There are times you knit and knit and knit and the project doesn't seem to be getting any bigger. I've adopted the tip of placing a marker where I start for the session so I can actually see how many rows I've knit, even if it feels like it's all going into a black hole somewhere. I'm hoping blogging about it will do the same. And maybe some others will join in.

About the book itself...I borrowed it from the library. I suggest you do the same. Some people might find it worth the money but honestly aside from the initial premise in the first chapter, I found most of it fluff and not very instructive. Much of the book is anecdotes and chatter about going through and tossing things. That might inspire some people, but not something that keeps me hooked beyond the first read. What really hooked me was the idea of a challenge with a definitive goal. "Decluttering" or "simplifying your life" can get to vague and overwhelming, but "throw out 50 (or 10 or 110) things" is a solid task. No question on what to do.

The basic idea of Fifty Things is to throw out 50 things over a two week period. Things that weigh you down and don't fit your life and the person you are hold you back and need to go. The items can be tossed, donated, sold, recycled....whatever. Just get them out of your life. Similar items count as one item. Therefore 75 magazines are one item. I won't give away the secret sauce of her rules (read the book) here, but it was enough to give me a push.

And with that in mind I did something I did something amazing and frightening and almost unheard of this weekend. I attacked my stash.

This was my yarn stash. (We won't discuss the fabric at the moment)

I set up several piles. One bin is what I am keeping. One bin is what I think is worth trying to sell on it's own. The third is for a person whom I found on Craigslist who wants all and any yarn and will pay for it. To her will go the lot of odds and ends and 'old lady yarn' I've inherited over the years.

I hit a snag in the process though. One in the form of a tangle that has taken up several hours of my life. I should probably just throw the whole thing out but there is some yarn in it worth keeping. I might just toss the rest tonight when I have the last bit extracted.

Before I waded into this quagmire, I tacked the box of jewelery from my husband's grandmother who passed away last year. I have a rather large collection of costume jewelery from my own grandmothers and great aunts. I decided to start documenting who the pieces belong to for future generations. Some of it will be saved for when my daughter is a tad more responsible, some will go into the dress up collection and some into collection of pieces that I wear.
Here are a few of my favorite items:

 I love the shiny.

 I love the dancers on each link.

 This pretty item had a lovely surprise inside....

 a beautiful gilt fan. If you look closely you can see that the flowers are tarnishing a touch on the folds where the are exposed. I'd love to display this but fear further tarnish.

I had hopes for the jewelery box that much of it had been kept in. It wasn't anything lavish. Just a basic inexpensive jewelery box, but it would be perfect to put on Little Miss's dresser and safe-keep the few items she does wear. But alas, too much time in storage meant that it acquired a musty odor that I just wasn't comfortable with. Frankly my throat was bothering me through the project and most of the evening. Out it went.

For now the jewelery was wrapped and packed away until I have homes for each category. (My own jewelery box is bursting after the death of my own grandmother).

Tossed this time:

• 1 jewelery box
• several broken pieces and odd earring backs
• several rusty corsage pins

Fifty Things Total: 3

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You Do That Your Spouse/Significant Other Could Do But Doesn't.

Well I guess I jumped the gun on this one a bit last week. Oh well, here we go.

1. Paint- That's my job. I don't think he'd even want to attempt it because there would be lots of critiquing and 'helpful tips'. Just stand back and let me do my thing. 
2. Drywall finishing- My father taught me how to hang drywall and finish it when I was young. And when I say young I mean like 12. I'm particular and a perfectionist so it's just easier to do the finish work myself.
3. The sewing- I cringe when he touches my sewing machine. Not that he can't sew at all, he'll often do a bunch for work but that sort of sewing is completely different. And it's not on my machine. 
4. Some cooking and all baking-(biscuits not included.) Again, not because of complete lack of skill but more due to a more detailed and finer understanding of things. Plus he just pairs the weirdest shit together sometimes. 
5. Assembling outfits for important events- Love the boy....but he can't match colors for anything. If we had a dress code that resembled anything old English sumptuary laws, the boy would be in the stocks. All the time. I used to joke (with a hint of seriousness) that I was going to make stickers to put on the kids that said "Daddy Dressed Me Today". Turns out I didn't need to. The teachers could always tell. 
6. Grocery shopping- This is a task that just wears me out but I won't relinquish. It's always a mistake when I send him. I know our stock better and will remember things that I didn't put on the list. I also know what to get or not get when they don't have something on the list. I also don't come home with bags of junk food. (Remember this is the man who constantly has a hidden stash of Little Debbie in his car). And I'm a much more savvy shopper when it comes to keeping the cost down. I just wish we had Wegmans to make my alone time at the grocery store more of a delight.
7. Cards/gifts/birthdays/holidays- This apparently is mine to deal with and not exactly by choice. If I don't do it, it doesn't get done. This is a task I would gladly share. 
8. Social/appointment calendar- I'm the one that knows when the kids' doctors appointments are and when it is movie night at the school and when the library books are due. I have a binder just for my own medical appointments and information. I've basically told his co-workers to notify me if there is an event because he won't remember. If it isn't directly related to his job it is a hit or miss with him. And with the kids having more things as they get older I see this becoming a bigger task.
9. Planning outings- If I didn't I don't think we'd ever leave the house. 
10. Kid maintenance- Don't get me wrong. He is a very hands on kind of Dad. When they were infants he was the one changing them in the middle of the night because I was the one doing all of the feeding. He bathes and feeds and dresses and reads to and potty trains just as much as I do. But...I'm the one who knows what size they wear, and what they are eating/not eating, and all the little quirks of their routine, and that you have to remember to make sure Little Dude has a belt on with his jeans and the jeans have to be snap instead of button if it is a school day or that Little Miss is a lot more cooperative in the tub is washing is done via The Hokey Pokey. I even know which pair of underpants is their favorite. Doesn't mean that he loves them less or cares for them less than I do. I just means what use to be Shakespeare and history in my brain has been replaced with He-man/She-ra characters and who has better prices on applesauce cups and mac&cheese. 
11. 
    

 

Just weird

I don't know how else to describe the past week other than the above. Just weird. It has been a mix of the delightful and the just plain awful. Our weather is a fine example of the range of things. On Tuesday it nearly reached sixty. Yesterday it struggled to get out of the twenties. And tomorrow back into the mid to high 50's. With weather like that, not to mention Daylight Savings schedule disruptions, it was bound to be a bit odd.

One odd thing was that I got this in the mail.

Yep. That's baby formula. Nope. I'm not pregnant. Actually I was very much in the throws of knowing I'm not pregnant when this arrived. I know that Target has a fabulous algorithm for predicting pregnancy. Even before the people know it themselves. (Read the article. It is fascinating and scary) That's why I just chalked up all the new Target Baby coupons I've receiving lately to my shopping for baby shower gifts. But this was a surprise.  All I can assume is that now that Little Miss is 3, and we had her two and a half years after Little Dude, they've just assumed that I'm going to continue the trend. What really throws me is that I've never bought baby formula. EVER. Both kids were exclusively breastfed until they could go onto cow's milk. Though I have to admit the initial look on my husband's face was priceless. (Have I mentioned he had a vasectomy last year?)

Much of the week has been a downward spiral into the murky depths of depression. I'm sure the weather has much to do with it. My cycle is probably contributing as well. Instead of dwelling on it, I've decided that tomorrow is the day to yank myself out of it. I usually reach this point when feeling like this. I realize that I have to do something and force myself up and out of the hole. Temps should be back up tomorrow and I hope they are wrong about the cloud cover. I know I could definitely use some sun.


Despite everything else this week, my Monday started off kick-ass. How does one make a gloomy Monday simply fantastic?
Here is my simple recipe:
1- cityscape set (about to be struck)
1-5 year old in a Godzilla costume

Mix and sit back and enjoy.

 

 

(I did get some video as well but that will take some time editing.)

Is that not awesome, or what?

I should to bed. Actually I'm in bed and my husband's snoring is distracting me from my writing.

Tomorrow we journey back up the spiral. Come hell or high water.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things You Can Do Yourself But You Get Your Spouse/Significant Other To Do

This is an interesting assignment this week. But considering my husband never reads this I have no problem confessing many of these.

1. Oil Changes. Or anything car related. Frankly it's because I don't like dealing with the people who think my ovaries and breasts make me an idiot and someone they can fleece. I don't have time to waste on morons like that, so I send him
2. Litter Box. This started when I was pregnant and couldn't clean/change the litter box. And I've just continued it on. The fragrence in the litter these days wreeks havoc on my allergies...even the 'unscented' ones. I always feel like I need a shower after cleaning the box. Besides he is down in the basement all the time. So it's not so hard to walk over, scoop some poop, and then wander back to the man-cave.
3. Dealing with the corpses of various rodents. We have lots of chipmunks and squirrels around as well as the occasional mouse that sneaks in. When they die I don't deal with the corpses. A dead chipmunk once resided in our hatchway until load-in was done and my husband could get to it.
4. Laundry. He has wonderfully taken over this task because the up and down the stairs is taxing with the MS. I do it if he's not around, but he typically does the bulk of it. Besides he is usually down there in his man-cave anyway. 
5. Dishes. I spent half my day at work washing brushes and buckets. The last thing I want to do is go home and wash dishes. Espeically in the winter when my hands are already cracked and bleeding.
6. Weed Wacking- I will mow the lawn. I love to mow the lawn, but the weed whacker vibrates so much it really hurts my hands and therefore I refuse to do it.
7. Electrical or Gas. I should learn more of these things but my rule is I don't work on anything that will electrocute me or blow me up. It's kept me alive and our house intact so far.
8. Drive. When we are both in the car it is assumed that he is driving. I have no problem with that. It means I can knit and manage the minions.
9. Microwave popcorn. For some reason I can't get the timing on it right. I either stop it too soon and have a bag of un-popped kernels or scorch the shit out of it. 
10. Any major penis related issues with our son. I left the ultimate decision on circumcision to him with the argument that I don't have a penis and my opinion is lacking in first-hand knowledge. I deal with issues as they arise but somethings I really feel are his to handle. I'll be dealing with Little Miss and her periods, he can teach the boy to pee standing up. 

As a bonus here are the list of things I won't let him do (in case you think I'm a lazy git):

• Any painting in the house. 
• I'll reluctantly let him do the foundation layers of mudding the drywall. I do the finish work. 
• Anything related to the sewing machine. 
• Much of the cooking. He's not a bad cook and often makes dinner, but when he starts to experiment it can get a little...um...unusual. Yeah, that's the word I'll go with. Unusual.
• Assembling outfits when it really matters. Love you, honey...but yeah. Those don't go together. 
• Grocery shopping. I always regret it when I send him instead. Always. 

Ten on Tuesday - The Oscar Edition

Ten on Tuesday - The Oscar Edition

This week's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Thoughts On This Year's Oscar Show. Or, if you don't watch The Oscars, 10 Reasons Why You Don't Watch the Oscars or even 10 Things You Do Instead of Watching the Oscars. Really, I just want to talk about The Oscars and I hope you all will, too!


  Awards shows. Yeah. I don't really do award shows. I'll watch the Tonys, if I remember, just because it relates to my work. But I find these things to be rather ridiculous and the commentators make me yell at the TV more than hockey does.

So here are 10 Things.....

Honestly I can't finish this today. We got the call from the vet and found out that our furry little evil genius has a rather aggressive form of cancer...so really the Oscars mean nothing right now. 

*sigh* Monday

First of all....screw you Monday. There. That being said, I can move on.

The morning mainly consisted of the hunt for my son's green rock and roll shirt. Yesterday was Dr. Seuss' birthday and there is a week long celebration at school. And Monday is Green Eggs and Ham day....and the wearing of green. I've discovered that as a household there is a large lack of green clothing. Shirt is missing....5 year old is distraught. 2 year old won't wear her Cat in the Hat shirt. I go into attic and dig through the clothes that don't yet fit the minions and find a Hulk shirt and a very kelly green Spiderman shirt (yeah, I know). The shirt is a hit but we're upset that we're not in all green. (Can we say 'artistic temperment') We get to school (he's on time but I'm rather late) and what is sitting on the top of the Lost and Found pile. The friggin' green shirt. 

And that was how my Monday started.

And it has continued as such. Our show floor lumber has finially arrived but it does me little good when we have no clue where the paint is. We ordered it a month ago. Didn't come with the other paint. They say it is back-ordered but they also show they have seven gallons. Supposedly it was sent out last week. Apparently it is in transit....maybe.  I could have had 1/3 of this set painted last Wednesday if I had this gallon of paint that has crossed into the ether somewhere.

The worst part of this Monday is waiting for test results. And for once they aren't mine. I mentioned in the last Ten on Tuesday that our older kitty was having issues. We discovered last weekend a lump in her chest. A lump the size of a golf ball, at least. We don't know how long it has been there. Isis isn't a touchy feely kind of kitty. And woe to you if you touch any of her underside. So we somehow missed this. Last week was spent lining up visits with a new vet as the girls haven't been in a while and we no longer care to use the old ones. Long story short...it's not a cyst. They took some cells and we're waiting for the results. She doesn't appear to be in any sort of pain.

The upside of this with the cat is that I have convinced the geek-boy to relent on their nightly incarceration.Shortly after the birth of Little Dude we realized that the night time activities of the baby had somehow convinced the cats that we were up to feed them. At all hours. The only way to get any peace was to keep them in the basement during the night. I never saw this as a permanent arrangement as I love to have them snuggled in bed with me. The geek-boy is less thrilled because they still think that 4am is an ok time to start begging for food. When he complained that they had kept him up, I pointed out that he had been keeping me up more than the cats had. I think I made my point. The quantity of hairballs in the basement has also greatly diminished and all but confirmed my suspicions that they were retaliatory.

And now the kitties are back upstairs.

Other fun happenings.....the 1-2-3 punch of storms we had a few weeks ago created a lovely water feature in our home...aka the roof was leaking again. A lot.


The only really good thing I can mention right now is that I finished another pair of socks. But I don't think I want to pair that up with this post. Here's my salute to a crappy Monday and I'm going to start a separate post for the knitting.

Ten on Tuesday

It seemed like everyone enjoyed it a few weeks ago when I changed from a subject to a writing prompt for our weekly topic, so let's do it again. This time, I invite you to write 10 sentences that begin with the words "I feel. . . "

1. I feel...tired. The alarm went off while I was deep in dream-state and I'm still struggling to pull out of it.
2. I feel...worried about our older cat. We've discovered a large lump in Isis's chest. I know cats are prone to fatty tumors, but at her age surgery will be rough on her.
3. I feel...annoyed about work. I wasn't expecting an on-stage day. It's nice to get back in a day earlier than I thought but it messes up with my plans for the day.
4. I feel...pleased that the designer seams happy with the set. I had more on my list of notes but she's happy to leave it as it, until she can see it under lights.
5. I feel...conflicted on the next show. We're printing the drop. Part of me is relieved because it will cut down the work load in a shortened build schedule. The other part is somewhat offended that the designer would rather have it printed in painted. It always feels like it is a slight on my skills.
6. I feel...lonely.
7. I feel...like it is time for winter to end.
8. I feel...sick of the rollercoaster I am on regarding my health.
9. I feel...like it is getting time to start taking some mental health days and so some things *I* want to do.
10. I feel...like another cup of tea. 

Enough already!

How does one end a craptacular day that included such joys as:

• Starting the day literally (and I am using it in the truest sense of the word) having had no sleep
• A breakfast consisting of two left over dino-nuggets and a perigoi
• Stupid traffic
• Being so tired you swear the city bus said "Zombie Express"
• Unrealistic expectations at work (you gave me the fucking wall yesterday. NO it won't be done today)
• A lunch consisting of a yogurt, a tangerine and the dregs of a bag of potato chips
• Impending snowstorm made worse by the knowledge that your spouse's employer booked them hotel rooms next door in lieu of closing
• The two year old experiencing a poop-splosion in a public venue that ends up thwarting a trip to the store for snow day essentials (thank the gods I hit the liquor story first)
• Completely wiping out on ice in the driveway and sustaining minor injuries (luckily not carrying the bottle of booze)
• and the unexpected arrival of your body's 'scheduled maintenance' 

One ends it in bed with some sock knitting, hot tea, two purring cats and the DVD of Shaun of the Dead your fabulous sister-in-law got you for your birthday and the knowledge that you don't have to go anywhere tomorrow. Unless it is to get the craft supplies to keep the minions busy.

Yes. Other people storm prep with eggs, milk and bread. My shopping list consisted booze, contact paper and glitter paint.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Things that are RED

Tomatoes- I'm Italian and I make my own sauce. I (attempt) to grow my own tomatoes. How could I not love them. Nothing quite like a fresh ripe tomato with a smattering of salt. Mmmmmm

Berries! All of them. Sweet on the strawberries and tart for the rest. Is there anything more wonderful than fresh produce? Honestly I'd be happier with a bowl of fresh berries than cake any day. That being said....

Cherry pie is a fine mix of fruit and pastry. I have been craving one of these for a while. Note to self: buy cherries/pie filling before impending snowstorm

Pomegranates: I love these things. And though I might look like Daenerys with the heart of a stallion while eating one, I think that just makes me like them all the more. 

Northern Cardinal (the bird, not the team)  In my family they are somewhat of an omen or reminder of those who have left us. Whether that is true or not, there is nothing quite so heartwarming on a cold winter day as the sight of that brilliant plumage.

Red- the movie. I love this movie. It re-established my love affair with Bruce Willis and Helen Mirren once again proves how wonderful she is. (She still is my top choice for a female Doctor, but then that's a discussion for another day) This is a movie I have no problem watching over and over again.

A red dress- There's just something about a red dress that just makes you feel fabulous. And that is one reason that I wore one for my wedding rehearsal. (The other is that I just couldn't pass up the chance to walk down the asile of the church in a red dress and purple veil. Even if the priest did give me the stink eye. I know my old priest was looking down from above and laughing his arse off)

And with a fabulous dress you need fabulous shoes. I know that in the book they are silver, but these are so iconic. And I have been lusting for a replica pair to sport around town as long as I can remember. I have a supplier for the sequins and the schematics on the shoes....I just need to find a shoemaker (and apparently a winning lottery ticket) If I ever end up in a wheelchair, I will get these shoes and they will be on my feet.

And last but not least.....

a favorite thing of mine that is red.....

Deadpool

because...well because it's frigging DEADPOOL and he's awesome. Don't believe me??? Here are a few more examples.

So there!

Anywho, back in my realitiy things are almost to the point where I can start writing again. Work has been crazy busy with the build of Thoroughly Modern Millie, and I've not had much time to think....let alone eat lunch or blog.  And numerous snow days means I've gotten further behind by working being shut down or having my 'assistant' with me. But load in starts tomorrow and we will challenge the age old question of "Can the scenic paint faster than the carpenters can truck things to the theatre?" Also known as I was given a 35' foot wall today that has to get painted before it is trucked over sometime before the end of the day tomorrow. After that, you will be hearing from me again.

Ten on Tuesday

This one is an easy one especially since I've not had breakfast yet. I love doing what we call 'big breakfast'. A breakfast/brunch buffet is pure heaven for me. My husband doesn't eat eggs so we are limited in our options at home. I'd eat breakfast every morning in a little diner if my metabolism and my wallet could handle it.

 10 Favorite Breakfast Foods

1.  Bacon- Like this was even a question. Bacon makes everything taste better. That's why it is the candy of meats. 
2. Eggs Benedict- love them. Have them rarely because they are such a pain to make. My favorite varation had smoked salmon instead of the ham. Pure Heaven. 
3. Soft scrambled eggs. There is a trick to doing them just right, but when the are....mmmmmm. Top them with a little Frank's Hot Sauce, salt and maybe some cheese and scallions.
4.  French Toast- Both plain and the stuffed variety we do. (It's stuffed with cream cheese and jam)
5. Scones- all kinds...sweet or savory. 
6. Fried eggs, sunny side up. Love my runny yokes. 
7. Hash browns- I much prefer these over home fries. Don't really know why, just do. Make them nice and crispy. 
8. Corned beef Hash- the little diner near us does their hash from scratch. LOVE IT. Again keep it on the griddle until it's nice and crispy.
9. Smoked salmon- Not just for bagels and cream cheese and capers, but also with eggs. We became very spoiled during our honeymoon in Alaska with the HUGE platter of smoked salmon at the breakfast buffet every day. 
10. Fresh fruit- of any kind. I really love fresh fruit at breakfast. It's a good counter balance if having a large heavy breakfast or a nice compliment to a light one. 
 

I must add my list of beverages....Tea is a must. Usually a black tea in the morning, though will go green if the fare is lighter. And coffee. I only seem to really drink coffee in the morning if we are doing a big meal....or I need it for work. And a juice of some sort.I'm not married to the traditional orange. I usually like a good cranberry juice.

I've been a tad silent of late. Work is kicking my arse....as well as my legs and hands and arms. Last week was spent entirely laying out a floor full of scenery. Forced perspective buildings with lots and lots of windows. And now I am painting them...in the style of pen and ink drawings. Very tedious. And surprisingly tiring.
But (!) I had a amazingly productive weekend and took pictures. Let's just say the new sewing set-up is really working out.

 Now back to tiny brushes and black paint.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Moments from 2013

2013 has been a rough year but there have been a few bright moments:

1. Discovering that I would be able to go back on my original MS treatment. I was devestated last January with my tests came back positive for the virus antibodies that put me at risk of a potentially fatal infection while under this treatment. A short while later it was discovered that it was more than just a matter of positive or negative, but a scale of positive. I was tested and my numbers were among the lowest they had yet seen (very good news). Actually with numbers so low I could revert back to negative. After my new treatment failed to be all that we hoped, we decided to put me back on the infusions. I've had two so far. I'm not back to feeling as well as I had when I went off of it, but I am hopeful. 
2. Walking down Main Street with my family to the ice cream shop and Little Dude is randomly humming The Imperial March. A perfect stranger at a sidewalk cafe overheard and erupted into laughter. He totally made her day. The Geek is strong with this one. 
3. Getting Little Dude into the magnet school of our choice and him starting kindergarten. And what did he wear on his first day of school?? The sweater that I knitted for him.
   
4. Got our first plot in the community garden. It wasn't a complete success but I think we'll be doing it again. 
5. My daughter exclaiming "These shoes match my dress!" in regards to the Cinderella shoes that I picked up from Target and the dress I had made her for Halloween. She wears the shoes every night when we read bedtime stories. (Don't ask. I don't know.)
   
6. My husband and I reaching out 11th wedding anniversary. 
7. Last February I was a covergirl for our local chapter of the National MS Society. ( Go here to check it out and then click 'Spring 2013'.) And my neurologist will never let me forget it. 
   
8.  I was asked to cut the ribbon at the MS Walk in April, and Little Dude helped me.
   
9. We made tremendous strides in potty training in our house.
10. And this conversation:

Little Miss noticed my stained glass TARDIS  and started talking about Dr. Who at dinner one night.
Me: Do you want to be the Doctor's companion when you get bigger?
Little Miss: No. I want to be a Dalek.
Little Dude: People don't turn into Daleks. They just get zapped by the Daleks. Cybermen turn people turn people into other Cybermen.
Husband: *turning to me* Are you training them?!?

 So there it is. And hoping that for next year we all will have too many favorite moments to count.

In the Ear

Back to work again (hopefully for real this time) and that means back to my iPod. I spend most of my day off in my own corner of the shop. I've been here over 5 years at this point. I reached a point with listening to the radio...you can only hear the same songs day after day for so long before it drives you batty. And then my shop radio died. Enter in the iPod. It's just an old 3rd generation Nano but it does what I want. I initially requested an mp3 player so I could listen to audiobooks. I was given an iPod, which is a very nice gift, but at the time it wasn't compatable with the library's audiobooks. So it sat tucked away until Apple and whomever worked their issues out. Now that thing is stuck in my ears nearly every minute that I am at work.

I started with audiobooks but then after a while I found that what was available at the library didn't quite interest me. Enter the Podcast. 

When I find a new podcast I will go back and download the entire catalog and listen from the beginning. Unfortunately my iPod doesn't like to cooperate with that kind of listening and will only list then from the newest first, meaning I have to click over after every episode. First world problems, I know, but it can be an issue when I am elbow deep in texture goop. Warning, podcast listening can start a chain reaction and you can quickly have a listening queue as big as your stash. I'll often find other podcasts from the ones I am listening to and then it goes from there.

These people have become my friends. They are the ones I spend my days with and make me laugh, make me think and just generally make my days pleasant. So here are a few of my favorites.

Craft Lit -Heather Ordover has found a fabulous formula for podcasting. She is probably the strongest single host cast that I listen to. She carries it so well. First you have a little bit of crafting talk and then onto the literature. All public domain works enhanced with Heather's enlightening bits of history, explanations of archaic language or context and just wonderful general commentary on the books. Here are some of the books I've listened to on this show:

• The Age of Innocence
• Gulliver's Travels
• Jane Eyre 
• A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
• Flatland
• The Women in White
• A Tale of Two Cities
• Dracula
• Frankenstein
• Pride and Prejudice
• Persuasion
• Little Women
• The Scarlett Letter
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Turn of the Screw
• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
• Tristan and Isolde

Quite a list, no? I don't think I ever would have read (listened to) A Tale of Two Cities on my own. And I loved it. She's helped me realize just how much I love Dickens. I've even stuck around through the books I didn't enjoy quite as much (Connecticut Yankee and Turn of the Screw). I find myself talking to her while I listen (as if she could magically hear me) because the whole thing is done in such a conversational manner. I'm getting the subscription for my birthday because Bleak House is one of my all time favorite books.

ChopBard- Shakespeare is another love of mine, and never before have I been witness to it being done so well. I'm recommending this to all the people who have high schoolers. This is a fabulous way to introduce them to the Bard, and foster a life long love of his works. Ehern doesn't go for the over thought, pretentious interpretations. He shows us what is there and gives us the tools and the opportunity to interpret it for ourselves. I also like his looking at it from an actor's perspective. Being of the theatre myself, it speaks to me. Found him through CraftLit.

Rex Factor- I found this one through ChopBard. (it is an endless cycle). A wonderful review of all the kings and queens of England. I love me some history, especially when it is done with such fun flair. I had a professor who taught in this fashion and I took every class of his I could. After a bit of biography they rate the monarch on Battleyness, Scandal, Subjectivity, Longevity and Dynasty and then decide if they possess the 'Rex Factor'. I'm sad that they've now reached the end. (Personally I think they should keep going with other countries and/or the Popes)

Brass Needles- One of the first podcasts I started listening to. It has the mixture of knitting and geekery that I enjoy. First half is crafting, second is anything from sci-fi movies/tv/books, to cosplay to steampunk to whatever suits her fancy. She recently had a baby so the schedule has been a little erratic.

Knitmore Girls- Found these lovely ladies from Brass Needles above. A mother and daughter podcasting duo. I love these ladies. They remind me of me and my mum. And they may be single handedly responsible for pushing me to up my knitting game (once I get the energy again). Their book reviews are honest and informative. I'm constantly running over to my computer to look up a pattern or a yarn while listening to them. I've learned a lot of great information. They cover knitting, spinning, sewing and much, much more.

Knit1Geek2-I could totally see me hanging out with the ladies who host this podcast. Knitting and geekery galore. This is the podcast that pushed me down the Dresden Files rabbit hole. Each episode is filled with knitting/crafting, geek culture and other things to crush on. These Canadian ladies can get a little rowdy, so not for those who like their podcasting prim and proper. Just my kind of girls.

Geek Girl Crafts- One of my early podcasts as well. They have turned me onto some really good books. I do have a few issues with the show but not enough to stop listening.

SteamGeeks- I found these guys searching searching for steampunk podcasts and found so much more. Hosted by The League of S.T.E.A.M, this show covers topics related to steampunk, such as history, cosplay, artists and craftspeople in the community. They also have fabulous product reviews (a must listen if you like any kind of spirituous beverages). A fun group and I'm glad they are back from their hiatus.

The Ratchet Retrocast- I found this one after a join podcast they did with SteamGeeks. They examine popculture with the caveat that it must be at least 20 years old. The added bonus is that one of the hosts is only in her early 20's so some of this is a first time adventure to her. It's like living the best parts of my childhood all over again. They are a part of the Earth Station One network.

Earth Station Who- Another Earth Station One gem. All Dr. Who. A fabulous look at both the classic series and the revival. I loved how they went through all the Doctors by looking at their first and last episode. Now that I am caught up on the new series I can listen to the rest of the archives.

Stuff You Missed in History Class- I think I stumbled upon this one from mentions by the Knitmore Girls. Short episodes focusing on random bits of history. For a history geek like me, this is perfect. And it just makes me want to read more about a hundred different things.

Masters Cast-So this is where I really so my geek. Yes. This is a podcast about He-man and She-ra. Yes. I am a geek and I love the toys from my childhood. They cover everything from the new toy releases (yes, they are still making He-man figures, but more for the collector), comics, and the various cartoons involving He-man and She-ra.

So there is an incomplete (!) list of what is typically in my ears on an average work day.

I must to bed. This has been a lot of typing and the amount of red squiggles accompanying my words (thank you spellcheck) tell me that I've extended my personal bandwidth for the day.

On the Reading table

One of the contributers to my lack of posting last year that I've fallen back into reading. For some reason I find I read more in the summer. Perhaps it's the whole, 'too hot to knit' thing. It also helps that we've been going to the library quite a bit. Our library has an excellent Children's department, and we end up there most Saturdays.

The majority of my reading time has been indulging in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I'm a big lover of urban fantasy, and this series has everything I love. The Dresden Files is a mix of magic and film noir with probably one of the most wonderful protagonists I've seen in a while. I'd been aware of the series for a while, but after listening to Knit 1 Geek 2 talk about it, I figured it was time to check it out.

I finished the first book in one day. (Sometimes it pays to be bed-ridden with illness) I'm 10 books into the series and it never disappoints. Unlike many series, it is not formulaic at all. I never know what to expect. The normal exposition that comes with such a series is not as painful as in some others that I have encountered. The protagonist is Harry Dresden, a professional wizard living and working in modern day Chicago. And you can't go wrong with an amazing cast of characters, one of my favorites being Bob, a skull inhabited by an intelligent spirit who has a penchant for romance novels and the personality of a dirty old man.

 I must admit that the Dresden Files make up most of the non-audio books I have consumed over the last year, but not surprising considering I'm on book 10. Some other books I've had in hand are:

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
I was turned onto this from another podcast, CraftLit. I love fresh bread and I miss all the little Italian bakeries from back home. The idea is that you mix up the dough, keep it in the fridge and over the course of two weeks cut off what you need and bake it. Easy-peasy. The first two listed I borrowed from the library and showed to my Dad. He's already started the process and says it's a winner. And then they gave me the last book for Christmas. I need to get my supplies and hopefully we will be having fresh bread within the next few weeks.

Technical Theater for Nontechnical People- OMG this book. I keep saying this needs to be required reading for everyone at our University. And I don't just mean in our department or the performing arts school. I mean the whole damn University! One of our biggest headaches is that people don't quite get what we do, and this book spells it out in layman's terms. Granted it does need some updating. Things like Polaroids and such are replaced with digital photos and other technology but the gist of the argument is there. And it was about $3 for the Kindle version.

Gunn's golden rules : life's little lessons for making it work-I picked this one up on a whim one day. I've only heard of Project Runway (we still don't have cable or Netflix or the like. I know...we're Luddites), so I was vaguely aware of Tim Gunn. I have to say that his emphasis on hard work and manners is a breath of fresh air, especially coming from the world of 'reality' TV. I don't remember it being anything extremely profound but a nice light read.

Vader's Little Princess- This was this year's father's day gift to Daddy from Little Miss. Last year he received Darth Vader and Son from Little Dude. These are great fun if you are a Star Wars fan and a parent.

The Last Unicorn- I stumbled upon this fabulous graphic novel completely by accident. The Last Unicorn is one of the stories that symbolizes my childhood for me. Then consider my shock and horror when I discovered that my husband was completely unaware of it. How could any child of the 80's not have seen The Last Unicorn. It is iconic 80's childhood along with The Secret of NIMH, The NeverEnding Story,  The Dark Crystal, or .. but I digress. The graphic novel is wonderful. I keeps much of the feel of the movie, while being all it's own. The only thing I miss is the unicorns crashing in the crests of the waves...not something a static image quite captures.

I can't remember much beyond that. I know there were a few others.I'm not sure if I should add the myriad of children's books I have read over the last year. Perhaps in another post.

I caved....

How's this for something new in the new year:

I now can also be found on Twitter at  @Gothknits

(I always said I'd wait until I got a smartphone to do that. There is no smartphone on the horizon for a long, long time so I just went for it.)

Snow and sickness

My love has the flu. And we're not talking a stomach flu, but the influenza flu. He's been close to unconscious for the last few days. I have a feeling he'll be getting his flu shot next year. And speaking of flu shots, we are having a hell of a time getting one for Little Miss. With my own medical issues of late I completely dropped the ball on this one. In the past it wasn't an issue because she had midyear checkups that fell during vaccination season. Now she only goes around her birthday...in March. And when we did call our doctor was out of the vaccine. No biggie....(or so we thought). Little Dude got his at the Minute Clinic several years ago when he was close to the same age. Well, they've changed the rules and they don't do it for kids under 5. And neither does anyone else. The entire practice our doctor belongs to is out of the vaccine. We are at a loss. Especially since she needs it to remain in daycare. Tomorrow I think we'll be calling the local children's hospital to see what our options are.

At the same time we're all at home today with work and school being cancelled on the account of snow. Little Dude had early dismissal yesterday and spent the afternoon with me at work, until we were cut early too. Somehow I missed the announcement about daycare closing early and I was late in getting Little Miss. (yeah the year is starting out like that) So another day home is nice, especially since it means I can take care of the hubby but it also means a day behind on the show.

It was too cold for me to shovel last night with the windchill in the negatives. I put off going out this morning and then was greeted with a wonderful surprise. My neighbor saw my FB post about my husband's bout with the flu and kindly snow-blowed the whole driveway for us. I only had to do the path and around the cars. I'm making that man a cake.

And so today I tackled the dismantling of Christmas. I have some lovely new ornament storage boxes that my step-mother gave me. There is one for each of the kids for the ornaments they have either made or been given. Then there is my collection. I did a big purge last year and now I was able to consolidate several boxes. I inherited a large collection of the old school glass bulb style ornaments when prop storage cleared out years ago. I'm a sucker for vintage ornaments and I hate seeing perfectly good items being tossed in the dumpster. That's also why we currently own about 10,000 white Christmas lights. 

 I could make our house look like this without spending a dime.

What I really want now is a new tree. Yes, we are fake tree people. We have been for years. I can't bring myself to kill a tree every year and I don't have the property to plant one every year. and ore mess in my house is the last thing I need. Plus, with our fireplace I can't risk the fire hazard. My dad is a retired firefighter and it is in my blood to avoid such risks. Besides our Evil-Genius cat insists on drinking the water and getting sap into her fur. And with all my childhood memories of tree disasters, I'd rather stick with one I know will stand up. The only thing I miss is the smell, and Yankee Candle has that covered.  Our current tree I bought in 1999 when I worked at a certain craft and fabric store over the holiday season. With my employee discount and the end of season markdown, I got the tree for $17.50. That tree owes us nothing. Now I want one that is pre-lit because dealing with the on and off of the lights on the tree is probably my least favorite part. Perhaps next year....unless I stumble upon a fabulous deal. The trick is that most of our ceilings are only 7'6". And my amazing, beloved, vintage tree-topper is a good 10 inches tall. Shorter trees are harder to find.  I may have to come up with another way to make use of the topper and go for a taller tree. 

In the meantime, Christmas is getting sorted and packed away for another year. And I have an empty corner of my living-room to fill. I did a mass rearranging of furniture to be able to have the tree in the living-room this year. Now that corner is currently unclaimed. I've also stripped much of the art off the walls to move that around as well. I'll be busy this weekend, that is for sure.

Happy Calendar Day!

Wow....2014.

It hardly seems real. I remember saying something last year about 2013 was going to be a better year. Yeah, I won't be saying anything like that this year. It certainly was an interesting year to say the least. It was a year of changes.

•  I switched MS treatments...twice. The washout periods between drugs were less than pleasant...flare-ups and fatigue being the predominate issues. I also had a nasty withdrawal from another drug.
•  I designed my first main-stage show. Unfortunately this fell in one of my washout periods and the whole project was less enjoyable and more stress than I expected.
•  Little Dude started kindergarten and Little Miss has grown from a little toddler to a pre-schooler full of personality. Little Dude has adjusted to 'Big Kid School' very well. His first report card was excellent. He shows an aptitude to math and science and had perfect scores in art. Little Miss was moved up into a higher class back in October. She's speaking more and using more complete sentences. She has no problem expressing her opinion, and boy, does she have opinions.
• We've made some progress on the house, but no where the amount we had hoped. We've made some big progress in the last week or two that should allow us to really push forward on the main projects.
• I did make progress in the Big House Purge. There is more to go, but I think I made a pretty good dent in the project. 
• It was a slow crafting year...I didn't finish much or start that much. The fatigue really left me too tired to focus. I remember sitting there one night and the crochet hook in my hand was just too damn heavy. How sad is that?!? 
• My goal of getting rid of diapers in the house in 2013 didn't happen...completely. Disposable diapers are gone. Pull-ups are still a part of daily life, but there are a lot more successful potty events. In fact, Little Miss used the potty on her own all Christmas day. 
• Our first year in the community garden. Despite our wonderful yard, it has a lot of shade. Pretty much there is no part of our yard that has full sun.  Our first year was a learning experience and I think we will try again next year. Hopefully this year's weather will be a bit more cooperative. 

  The time between Christmas and New Year's my job shuts down. They found they save more money by giving us the time off and shutting down the campus (unplugging everything and turning down the heat) than they would by making us come in. Typically I get a lot done during this week, but now that Little Dude is in regular school, he has the same vacation time. Having him home, and some days his sister too, means that projects don't get my full attention. I'm also still not up full steam after only two treatments. I've been dealing with something...I don't know what...depression...fatigue...just general malaise...mixed in with some insomnia. Throw in a healthy dose of anti-social leanings. It's frustrating. I know I could be...should be...accomplishing so much with my time. But I'm not.
  Tomorrow is our return to work and school (if the coming snow storm doesn't cause closings). A new show waits for me and we have to hit the ground running. I'm hoping all that will snap me out of whatever I am in.

   So what am I hoping for in the new year? 

• That I do well on the treatments again, and I go back to having days where I forget I have MS.
• Finding some financial stability.
• Making some major progress on the house. 
• More success in our garden. 
• Getting Little Miss into the pre-K at Little Dude's school. This will help me greatly when I have to handle drop-off and pick-up all on my own.
•  More crafting
• More cooking and baking
• Getting the husband to laugh more. 

What am expecting in the new year?
    Nothing. I'm trying to go into this one more open to whatever is going to come.

So let's see what happens.

Ten on Tuesday

10 Favorite Housekeeping Shortcuts

Oh housekeeping....I must admit of late there has been little of this. Until this past weekend. The day after Thanksgiving I kicked into overdrive and went after some areas of the house that had been plaguing me. Under the guise of wanting to put the tree in the living room this year I made some drastic changes....and I'm not done yet. Six weeks of no medication left me barely able to function on a basic level. I've a lot to catch up on. I never considered hiring someone else to clean my house, but that was before MS and two kids. Lugging the vacuum around is enough to knock me out for a while. Some days I can barely stand, let alone stand at the sink and do dishes. Besides I spend much of my day washing buckets and brushes. The last thing I want to do is go home and do dishes.

But I have to admit, another part of me loves to throw on an apron, tie my hair up in a bandanna, toss on some up-beat singable music, and go crazy with a deep clean.  I do feel that on some level we've lost the 'art' of housekeeping. I'll save the how and why for another day. Just know that some of my favorite reading are volumes dedicated to housekeeping; both vintage and modern.

So what are my tricks, (other than the obvious 'ignore it)???

1. Have a place for everything. This is a biggie, I am discovering. Especially if you have kids. They don't grasp commands like "Clean up this room", but they do get "Put the Legos back where they belong." I spent a lot of time this weekend arranging organized homes for toys and crafting supplies. I even involved the kids. "Should we put the people and animals together in one drawer?" "Do we keep the toy sushi set separate or mix it in with the other food?" They are more likely to comply when they feel they have been a part of the process. And label it all. Everything. Then no one can say, "I don't know where this goes." (insert whiny tone here)

2. Now that it has a place, put it where it goes. Simple right? I'm very guilty of this. Don't put it next to where it goes. Put it where it goes. Now. Not later. Not when 40 other things are piled on it. Now. Simple but effective.

3. No food in the bedrooms. Never. Ever.

4. If you spill it, wipe it up. Right away. Doubly so for the bathroom. My 5 year old knows that if he pees on or around the toilet, he is to clean it up. I keep a tub of disinfectant wipes on top of the toilet just for that reason.

5. Simplify. This is an on going process for me. I come from a family of borderline hoarders. And working in Theatre hasn't helped the cause. With ever dwindling budgets, we feel the urge to save everything, because you never know when you might need it and not have the budget left for it. Really examine your life. Do you really need fancy towels for every holiday?  Do you wear every pair of shoes you own? Or all the clothes in your closet? Are you going to read those books again? or watch those old VHS's? Get rid of it. Don't like some knick-knack that Great-Aunt Matilda gave you as a wedding present? Give it away. The hardest thing for me has been keeping items out of guilt, but that's a topic for a whole post unto itself.

6. Change things around. I'm forever moving furniture around. It might drive my husband a little nuts, but I don't care. Change is good, even if it freaks out the cats. It keeps you from getting bored with what you have and buying more stuff you don't need. As the kids grow and out grow things, I find myself taking advantage of rearranging opportunities more and more. My mum and I would rearrange the living room at least once a year. We'd make a day of it and have a blast. She was just bemoaning my being so far away because she wanted to rearrange her bedroom and missed my input.

7. Open the windows...weather permitting of course. A little fresh air goes a long way. Even if just for a little while before you go back to heating or air conditioning. It makes a difference.

8. Throw some potpourri in your vacuum cleaner bag. (if you have the bag kind) You get a little aroma therapy while vacuuming and the house smells great.

9. Make the beds. It completely changes the look of the room.

10. Music. Make it singable/danceable. Something that makes you want to move and you'll see how much faster you get through it all.

I have to laugh. When I first saw this topic I thought ugh. But now I just want to write boat-loads about housekeeping, and my thoughts and theories
and crazy stories.