Friday, June 01, 2012

{this moment}


A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
:: Inspired by Soule Mama ::

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Not So Brave

Sir Robin and I were in the yard, chillin'. Shooting the breeze. I was highly motivated this morning. I did a lot of out of doors labor, here at Cramalot, so I guess I was feeling entitled to some me time. Me and Sir Robin. Besides, I think he needed to get out of the kitchen, where, once again, the main topic of conversation was zombie apocalypse, zombie shuffle, zombie runners, airborne zombie virus vs. blood to blood viral transfer etc... Yeah, we pretty much both were happy to have some distance from that.

Sir Robin is a good guy, but relaxing is not his forte. He's a stressy little fellow. Sorry, Sir. Just sayin'. So, maybe I shouldn't have started listing what needs to get accomplished around here... the stuff I did not complete during my inexplicable labor surge. I was rambling away about...

painting the barn floor, building an aviary, designing goat pens, cleaning my office, painting the house, putting a new roof on the house, preparing for a birthday party, and two graduations, carpooling two field trips, once and for all making sense of my paper work and bills, dentist tomorrow, summer school registration on Monday, clean out the refrigerator, clean out the RV make children clean out RV, send regrets to wedding invitation (regretfully,) birthday gifts for four, baby gift for one, find two library books, clean out photo files on computer, fertilize berry shrubs and garden beds, find someone to make the shower in the guest bathroom work, scrape and hose dead pumpkin from the entry... even though it's kind of fascinating at this point...

Sir Robin?

Clenching his belly, he implored, "Please, good lady. Have mercy. Wilt thou not cease telling these tales of domestic perils?"

Sorry, Not So Brave Robin. Hey, be glad I didn't mention the septic field, or ... oh, right. Sorry.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Chicken, Goat, Goat

Betty.
Lady Betty Orpington.
Chicken.
Chica.

Ada Goat Lovelace.
Nomnomonomnomonomnom.

This is a post about how it is not easy to get a good picture of my goats, or my chickens, but how much I enjoy trying. They turn away, then they jump on me. They stick their heads into their dish and only show me their tails. Betty is easier. She is so confounded by the behaviors of the goats, she will stand very still, staring, and trying to make sense of these weird dogs. I can get decent pictures of Betty when she is watching the goats.

I could not get a good picture of Tasha. She likes to eat. She likes to put her nose up to mine, then exhale, she likes to stand on my shoulders.

This is not a good picture of Tasha Goat Tudor, but, well... maybe at least it is honest, and thereby interesting. Maybe.

Betty is still in there, with the goats. She's not keen on jumping fences, and she wouldn't come out with me when I was done trying to take a good picture of goats and a chicken.

What did I say?

This is a post about how it is not easy to get a good picture of my goats, or my chickens, but how much I enjoy trying.

Oh, yeah. Well. It is kind of fun, because they make me laugh, and I like laughing.

That is all.

Happy Tuesday.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Summer's Coming!

Are you like me? Counting the days until summer? Maybe you count all the way up to Solstice.

I count up to the last day of school.

Sometimes, when the aching for freedom is more than I can bear, I count only the school days, and remind myself that the weekends are good.

I have zinnias and peppers, waiting to go into the ground. They're ready to spread their roots, bloom, and grow. They want to bust out of those little cubbyholes... that's what summer is for!

We have plans, and unplans, and wishful thinking. Not to get too far ahead of myself, but I worry that it's already going by too fast. There is so much we want to see and do, it feels urgent, but we mustn't rush it. Sort of makes me feel like this flower... stretching, and yearning, eager for the future. It's coming, it's coming! Hang in there.

Commenting is still open for the May 30th drawing and giveaway of Skallops! Don't let this one get away!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The First Day

We are going to peek into Maker Faire, Bay Area, 2012.

Only a peek, because there is so much, so very, very much, that a single post in one blog could never fully share all of the marvels and wonders that are Maker Faire.

We begin, at a sort of beginning. Not exactly the part where we drove, all the way from San Diego to Santa Barbara, camped, made our way to Nepenthe, then drove directly to the gates of Maker Faire, barely in time to get our passes, check in and have a pre-show glimpse. Not exactly. But, yes... let's begin at the pre-show glimpse. We enter the fairgrounds, as the Makers are test driving their rides, fine tuning their robots, carrying tables, dishing up a complimentary paella dinner!

And we realize... this is going to be big. Epic. Better than we hoped. We arrived earlier than in years past, we were staying longer, new friends joined us, and for the first time Love & Rockets would be participants, too!
This is photo-laden, long post. I am not apologizing for that. I'd rather apologize for what I have not included. I have two three intentions here:

1. To make a photo album for Love & Rockets, and our friends and family who helped us get here.

2. To spread the message: S.T.E.A.M.M. education is vital, we want it, we need it, we make it, we share it. Science, Engineering, Art, Music and Math, in the hands of makers, tinkerers, and thinkers is awesome.

3. To convince you to find a Maker Faire, start a club, embrace a hobby, make something! As Adam Savage implores us, "Make what you can't not make!"


The Young Makers of Marin. We featured them and their amazing Saphira in a short video. Now they've come with the much anticipated Viper, a flight simulator inspired by Battlestar Galactica... do watch this promo video they produced!
Who knew Daleks are so huggable?

Early arrival, as participants? Definitely, a must.

Good morning, Love & Rockets!

Present: Max, James, William, Alex, Maria, Bambi, and Eli, Natalie and Geoff.

Arriving soon: Suki, Grant, Cameron, Jame's mother, Robin, Isaac and his cousin, Hannah, Michal and Kellie, Bill, Alison, Dom, and Marissa!

New, next Year!?! Jarret, Bobbie, Michael, Patricia, Filippo, Karen, Luca, Cecilia, Corina, Caia, and Chris? You? We hope so.

The man with the Iron Wooden fist! Everywhere you turn, you will see something amazing, and some things just make you stop and ask, "How did you do that?" "Can I take your picture?" And you find yourself meeting an enthused, creative, curious person who is more than happy to share. He modestly described his last minute decision to make something to bring to the Faire.

He opened a panel, and explained how it was working, how he wanted to improve it. He had us eating out of his hand! This guy! Design and function, and coolness. Maker Faire!

We asked to be pictured with him, because he is so cool. And funny thing... as we are finishing, we hear "Can I get a picture?" So we tried to clear away from the Wooden Robo Hand man, but the person wanting a picture was actually asking to take our photograph!

Isaac! Hannah! We met up, in the same place as last year, and jumped right back into sharing the awe and wonder of all the Maker Faire sights.

Like making envelopes and sending hand written letters through the generous and always uplifting St. Claire Aeronauts! They have welcomed us aboard every year, since our very first visit. Thank you, St. Claire Aeronauts!

Maria wrote a very long letter, and the Aeronauts generously and patiently provided all the supplies, support, and encouragement she could hope for.

New creations, re-creations, all creations... behind every tree, everywhere you turn!

Some are giant!

Some wave back! We Like Giant Cardboard Robots who wave back!

See you around!

Tea, anyone?

It's impossible not to imagine building an art car after a day seeing riding reclining chairs, cupcake cars, tea pots on wheels! Let's go!

Also cool? Buds! Best buds, forever. It's awesome running into friends. You squeee together, exchange recommendations,sqeee again, and make plans to meet later. I sent them off to meet the group that built a submersible, and their captain, a world renowned giant squid expert... sqeee!

Now, let's build a fire! Or try to, at least. It's a bit harder than you might realize. If you feel your wilderness skills could use some honing, some sharpening, then you may want to go to camp, with the Trackers of Trackers Earth.

They say, "The ancient skills are coming back," and we say, Yes!

We also say yes! to King Kong and Jaws doing the high five, 'cause it's nice.

Robin and James. Also nice. Very, very nice.

Hey! Look! It's Marshall! And Max! They've popped in to remind everyone to leave a comment on the Skallop post, for a chance to win a brand new toy- Skallops! Skallops are a clever little tool for building fantastic structures and creations with playing cards. The drawing is May 30th... go, throw your name in the fez!

Whimsical? Fantastical? Fanciful? Colorful? Is there one word for this? We could describe it forty-two ways, and hardly reach the end.

The day began with giant wonders, and as we made our way to the meeting spot at the end of the day, we found ourselves, again, standing with giants.

"We'll meet at the Hoops at eight-o'clock," that was the message we passed around. And everyone who had come before, remembered the hoops from last year.

And what better way to finish Maker Prom than with music, rhythm, swaying, and friends?

Is it any wonder, after last year, we were inspired to make our own hoops? Big hoops are big fun.

James little friend used his hoop for time travel. Pretty much anything is possible with this crowd.

Our group is gathering, the sun is setting. We're making dinner plans... but the fun doesn't stop.

One!

Two!

Through!

Tuck...

and roll!

Everyone finds the meeting place. We'll all go to dinner together.

A beautiful smile. A beautiful day.

Kellie shoop-shoop-hoops. I think she'll come back next year. Don't you agree?

Maker Prom, and a reunion. James has returned from Massachusetts... time to catch up, talk story, share the hoop.

Meanwhile... Max sustains his spin marathon.

And Michal finds his groove.

Even after the Faire, we will recount all the moments we shared, the ideas we formed, the beliefs we abandoned. We will make new plans, too.

Maker Faire... it's like traveling in time, and space... the S.T.E.A.M.M. exists here, this day, we bring it with us, and we take it out and spread it. I am going all poetic, profound... ten hours with fifty thousand engaged people wakes your brain and enlivens everything, including the deep thoughts, and other musings!

Permission to Make, Play, Tinker. Do you remember the feeling you could be anything, try anything? You were an artist, a firefighter, a Ninja, a chef? You still are. Maker Faire reminds me that I can still try, play, experiment, fail, seek help, try again. What a gift.

We like to believe that the Faire never actually packs up and leaves. It is waiting for us, and we will return.

Hey, Grant.

Hands, hands, sticks, and drums. Beating out one last tune, before the setting sun.

Last dance. They're closing the gates.

It's eight o'clock, friends. And our first day at Maker Faire is done...

though we have not nearly run out of fun.