tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35342402024-03-14T15:52:07.028-07:00Chicken BlogHome and travel, with chickens, robots, cats, and goats, gardens, and gears, sewing, inventing, tinkering, making. Blogging since 2002. Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.comBlogger4159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-68459314891205138962024-03-04T16:38:00.000-08:002024-03-04T16:38:07.122-08:00Not PlannedI was feeling a groove about posting again, and so pleased that I had even figured out some long standing mysteries with the code. This recent absence, sudden and long, was not planned.
<br>One thing that made me reluctant to blog in recent years are the issues around "over sharing" and particularly sharing things that <i>aren't my story to tell.</i> Right now is one of those times. We are in the midst ofcoping with a sad and tragic event that happend two weeks ago. It has been traumatic, for many people, including (especially) Maria. And it has had ripple effects, that were initially more like crashing waves. The event was sudden, unexpected, sad, traumatic, and the waves have caused a long, hard list of big changes, painful decisions, and difficult challenges, plus grief.</br><br>Vague posts can be so annoying! I know. And it begs the question <i>Why say anything at all?</i> I am sharing <i>something, anything,</i> because this is genuine, this is our reality. It is, as yet, too tragic, too proximate and fragile and awful to disclose fully. It is too all consuming and central to everything we have been doing for 13 days, to deny or surpress.</br><br>I wish... many things. But one is that I had taken the time to put into words how lucky I felt as a mother of a young woman in college. I felt, everyday, that I could not have asked for, nor imagined, a more ideal housing experience for Maria. From the begininng, up until last week, it felt safe and healthy. These four young women, sharing an apartment on campus, were responsive and respectful, kind, mindful. The first year was such a happy arrangement, that they applied to be roommates, again, this year. My mind was at ease, my heart was thankful. I wish I had shared posts about the dinners they cooked together, the celebrations they made, how they regularly checked in with eachother, yet were mindful of eachothers' privacy, personal space. I wish I had shared at least one or two pictures of these bright, young women, being so capable, so happy.</br>
<br>For now... please, share your time and caring, whenever you can. Check in on your friends, even the ones that always seem so happy. We have been through hard years, maybe our young adults especially. I'm not sure they understand that things can get better, or that they matter more, to more people, than they may be able to comprehend. Tragedy can make horrible waves, and kindness can makes waves and ripples, too. We could all use more of those gentle, supportive waves... the kind that lift us up, bouyant, warm. </br>Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-73840942896144414412024-02-19T11:29:00.000-08:002024-02-19T11:32:54.516-08:00Some Views<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-hLpft45uUWhuZowpivmZnZ1oMPb0YvzC6ZT4XFZS62o0fYYu2BRRHxKWoXKbLz-rgdJT_Xer-iLukcMCGgrBmh8oJ7nNHlfTEs7w2hHizR45L9m49WJyz3Ntv8-vHEsx6jv8mgX-bAmI7ixYpYYncuqfNE4DCvgth_ZCFrLxzrJR96MGqSN/s1600/cairo2824.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-hLpft45uUWhuZowpivmZnZ1oMPb0YvzC6ZT4XFZS62o0fYYu2BRRHxKWoXKbLz-rgdJT_Xer-iLukcMCGgrBmh8oJ7nNHlfTEs7w2hHizR45L9m49WJyz3Ntv8-vHEsx6jv8mgX-bAmI7ixYpYYncuqfNE4DCvgth_ZCFrLxzrJR96MGqSN/s1600/cairo2824.jpeg"/></a></div>
If I had kept up with blogging, there would have been half a dozen, or so, posts about the cats, specifically about how Feynman has become something of a terror for Cairo. In all of my life I have never had a cat behave as Feynman has. His temperment and behavior turned on a dime, and he chases Cairo, mercilessly. He hisses and growls, and stalks him. It went on for weeks last spring, and then stopped. But then it starts up again. We are in a session even now. And as though on cue, Cairo just popped up on this desk. He is watching the door, wide eyed and vigilent. Feynman is surely out there, on the prowl. We have had to keep them in seperate rooms. Cairo will lose weight and fur, just from the anxiety, we suppose. Poor poor kitty.<br>
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Oh!! Would you look at that? Success! Finally, a successful search for the correct html code for making a space in the text. You guys, this is amazing, as well as humbling. <i>This is such a fine example of how hard I have been struggling with even simple, basic tasks. Ever since the accident, it is like there are curtains, fog, walls, invisible barriers, and I fight and push and struggle to get through them, or sometimes something gives, and the fog lifts just long enough for me to grasp the situation and function.</i> I have wanted to make spaces between paragrpahs for a couple of years and nothing I did worked. Now I know what to do, again. I want to celebrate the breakthroughs, the healing, but I am also worn down, and disheartened, because daily I am reminded that I lost so much, that I keep trying to be all better, but I am not. It feels as though I am only running into the broken bits, and the bits I cannot recover, and I feel so tired and defeated.</br>
<br>Dirty laundry. Oversharing. In the early days, I got a lot of advice and cautions about not oversharing, or getting too personal in my accounts of life and other's lives. <i>Airing dirty laundry</i> is one of those tricky things to balance in social media, blogging. And by the way, Cairo is sleeping on <i>clean laundry</i>, but of course the <i>dirty laundry</i> of that picture is that I am sharing an untidy life, an old and sullied chair, the unstaged, messy side. Funnily, I have an absolute dread of being seen, of my messes, and chaos, and untidy life, even as I share hints and glimpses, and confess readily: I am a terrible, no good homemaker, and I have only gotten worse.</br>
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Feynman. And Cairo.
<br>And Sakamoto? Sakamoto is the least likely to be a target of Feynman's periodic snap and obsession, and maybe that's because Saki and Feynman are siblings. Or maybe it's because Saki is such a wholesome innocent, and makes himself practically invisible.</br>
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<a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2024/02/recently.html" target="_blank">The backside of the Ratty and her bird friend.</a> Do you like looking at the backside of embroidery? I do. And I like running my fingers across the stitches, especially the ones that are close togther and running in the same direction.
<br><i>Etersheim</i> is in North Holland. <i>Noord Holland.</i> Did I mention? I fell in love with the sound of Dutch, and studied it for over a year, just using Duolingo. Then I went to Sweden, and <i>oh my! I fell in love with Sweden,</i> and have been studying Swedish since the end of August. But last week I dreamt in Dutch, and I wonder if I should go back to practicing Nederlands. I am tempted to practice both.</br>
<br>Etersheim. I am in love with Etersheim, because it is restful and small and there are sheep and paths and fields. I stitched the name in linen thread that I found in a shop in Amsterdam. I want to stitch other names, too, of places I have visited, places I have been brave, daring, peaceful, inspired.</br>
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The whole rainbow was visible, end to end. I took that picture, too, but the sight of it makes me cringe, because our yard is a mess. It is so ridiculous that I never saw it coming! We planned about the accessory dwelling unit for years. We talked about taking out the pool, and changing the septic system, adding pits and new tanks, and how we would have to move tons of earth, not to mention concrete. I focused on the idea of a whole house replacing the pool, about construction and supplies, and paint, and moving things around... but I never anticipated our backyard, the parts not under the actual construction, being destroyed. I have lost count of how many trucks and cars, and men, and heavy machinery, and loads of lumber, stone, drywall, roofing... how much traffic was in the yard. The lawn was buried, scraped, buried again. The dust! OhMYGod. The dust. And not only our dust, but every neighbor, in every compass direction, was doing some kind of construction, so even if we were quiet, something was rumbling, hammering, digging, somewhere. It's been 14 years of nonstop work, at any of the houses next to ours. Anyway, our garden is a mess. It's not even a garden. It's something between a salvage yard and an abandoned lot, but with chickens, and stuff. Lots of stuff. And when it rains, it is muddy stuff. And weeds. Lots of weeds. I am not complaining. I am just saying that <i>it is not pretty.</i> And I never anticipated that we would have to start all over and try to restore things. But, yeah. We need to make that plan.
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Here is some of the yard. Don't, please, say <i>"It doesn't look that bad."</i> This is a forgiving angle. And the sky is breathtaking. And the clouds are fluffy, like in a child's painting. We have an appointment with a grader... someone that can operate machinery to move around dirt and make the yard level, or sloped so that water goes away from buildings and to drainage places. This will be step 2 of landscaping. Step 1 is us making a plan for what we want, what we need, and what we can afford. I think step 3 is <i>order a dumpster.</i>
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Hello Cairo.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUN8na07Hl2rBuJFcy0eAw7vHBUzcg1-tepErsi5LLn9vIO8cOquUdR7LYZrkI5eQYRLKZxdz2pRhtyTEbD7eS9aONDDSbUtY9cnpt0bf5cdLgpwoOwPDm5_fs3PfiRGR24J6pQvwdrNCvwvOeO66HKX2CNMY6_AjZ349hNAulPItAbfFTcr7/s1600/feeder21324.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUN8na07Hl2rBuJFcy0eAw7vHBUzcg1-tepErsi5LLn9vIO8cOquUdR7LYZrkI5eQYRLKZxdz2pRhtyTEbD7eS9aONDDSbUtY9cnpt0bf5cdLgpwoOwPDm5_fs3PfiRGR24J6pQvwdrNCvwvOeO66HKX2CNMY6_AjZ349hNAulPItAbfFTcr7/s1600/feeder21324.jpeg"/></a></div>
Ruth gave Geoff a birdfeeder for his birthday. I love it. <i>Thank you, Ruth!</i> It's just as she described it... simple to fill, easy to clean, and the birds come readily and eagerly. It took a few days for them to notice, then trust it. I moved it closer to the guava shrubs, where I know they like to sit anyway, and that made all the difference. I haven't got any pictures of birds, yet, but all day long it is visited by finches, and sparrows, by the scrub jays, California towhee, spotted towhee, dark-eyed juncos! I can watch them from the window above the kitchen sink, which makes dishwashing an easier task. And, as soon as I am done with this post, I am going to wash windows. Remember all the talk of dust? I have refused to wash windows until our construction, and the neighbors' is done, but for birding, I am ready to make an exception!
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Alex and Bambi made ratatouille. Alex uses the mandoline to slice the squashes, and eggplant, and tomatoes. They make it such a beautiful dish.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiUuIiZOSOofCGkxsoEV8rwtuHbdyZMSgUYMBCrqBvEMa4-6WOygHPULpdH7XfwQWucP-YNRReswKfldgnllm09H8fU0ZX5zLGVtIPqeZEAUSTHFaWd6Zw_bcX37Nu1Q9MsryAhnKeqBpQFY_UgUYf0baQxO5lG9chgup9ZTaZCo_xE0MqWEA/s1600/secret21424.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPiUuIiZOSOofCGkxsoEV8rwtuHbdyZMSgUYMBCrqBvEMa4-6WOygHPULpdH7XfwQWucP-YNRReswKfldgnllm09H8fU0ZX5zLGVtIPqeZEAUSTHFaWd6Zw_bcX37Nu1Q9MsryAhnKeqBpQFY_UgUYf0baQxO5lG9chgup9ZTaZCo_xE0MqWEA/s1600/secret21424.jpeg"/></a></div>
<br>William and I went to see Maria at school, and she took us on a walk where she has found a <i>secret garden.</i> We also saw more of 8th College, the latest, nearly completed college at UCSD. And then we walked back to 6th College, and went up to the 10th, and 9th floors, to compare the views. We agree the view from the 9th floor is best. The clear sky gave us views beyond La Jolla Cove, and north as far as Dana Point, I think. And there were paragliders out, and closer by, ravens.</br>
<br>It is strange to me that when I was last blogging Maria was just beginning, and I was grappling with letting go, and trusting, and observing from a greater distance as she embarked on this new adventure. And now... now she is comfortable, familiar, experienced, confident. She isn't far from finishing her second year, from planning upper division courses. Our nest is not empty. It simply expanded. It's not the same, though. It's clearly a new phase in our lives, now that all of the children are adults. No more grade schools, no more sack lunches, persmission slips. Maria is charting her own course, and navigating. She runs things by us, and openly shares her thoughts, and plans, but she is taking the reins. In a gradual, mindful way, she is, as always, growing. I am so happy that I have had the pleasure of seeing these days.</br>
<br> Now, to the window! Just the two. I hope that when they are clean, I can not only see better, but maybe I will get some decent pictures of the birds at the feeder.</br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-87854915174988407322024-02-13T12:41:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:41:22.858-08:00Recently<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGhcDvXETic6SwhL2EvtvDfTdBJpxlIsQbwv6W0v3qmO-vAjaMH8a4RT9njGNni5ls-i-DxHP8MamxQ2Oc4jrT_AgRELScHeTIjNbB0kPr2nXIP6vlcPtPhfnnK3zU0tu4Ie7C3j4_HWcbZkt0z02PeoV8E0fhbMw9NmuCIRBtmEFe8SdrDKB/s1600/rattyrat292024.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGhcDvXETic6SwhL2EvtvDfTdBJpxlIsQbwv6W0v3qmO-vAjaMH8a4RT9njGNni5ls-i-DxHP8MamxQ2Oc4jrT_AgRELScHeTIjNbB0kPr2nXIP6vlcPtPhfnnK3zU0tu4Ie7C3j4_HWcbZkt0z02PeoV8E0fhbMw9NmuCIRBtmEFe8SdrDKB/s1600/rattyrat292024.jpeg"/></a></div>
Today I inserted <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/10/some-of-rest-of-october.html" target="_blank">a post in the archives, because I want to fill in the gaps</a> from the months and months when I wasn't posting. Besides that, I also want to address the technical challenges that are vexing me. Blogger needs updating, but I am afraid it is a format or app or dinosaur that Google has likely entirely abandoned. There are so many obstacles and glitches and features that seem to be obsolete. It is very frustrating. Anyway, despite all of that, people seem to have found Chickenblog, again, and I have to say your comments are delightful. Thank you. (Have I mentioned that I cannot figure out how to create paragraphs?? Nothing in html or formatting is any use. Help? Sorry.)
Well. Thank you for your patience. And, here is a ratty-rat that I recently finished. I have been doing embroidery on two yards of linen. I bring it when I travel, so I can wrap up, or make shade, and it gives me a canvas for stitching, on planes, and trains, on barges. It makes me very happy.
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-5385302199228508692024-02-06T12:22:00.000-08:002024-02-06T12:22:59.704-08:00Incrementally Smaller
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Intentions, and process. I was going to say "intentions and results," but that would be to deny that I make some progress, eventually. I did unravel the tangles, I even enjoyed the task. And I did mend a favorite sweater, which was my intention. So, that's good. I am just trying to unravel why I struggle so with the process. Ah, but why feign ignorance? I have a rather solid understanding of why I am struggling.
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It feels like my accomplishments, even my goals, are becoming incrementally smaller and smaller. I like to stay home. I like to drive the slow way. I want to avoid the crowds, the rush, the places where freeways merge. I need long stretches of time and empty space between errands. I think... I am becoming incrementally smaller.
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There are still so many things that I discover I had forgotten (a souvenir from the drunkladydriver incident.) Recently I was thinking of journaling like I did many years ago, when I made lists of things I love. Those lists, probably from middle school, were so much fun to make, so gratifying. I felt like it was a means of tallying up all the tangible evidence of me, of who I was and what I was made of. It felt like a comforting way to identify who I am and to be recognizable, to myself. It's not so hard to lose that sense. That sense of knowing, and feeling recognized.
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I should probably list things that need to get done, too. That is a seemingly infinite list, and daunting, too. But, for the record... I completed a big one: We have countertops installed in the little house. The ADU. Accessory Dwelling Unit. The granny flat. I want to name the new house, and I like <i>The Greenhouse.</i> When we first tried buying our home, I called it <i>The Blue House,</i> and by the time we moved in, years later, it had become <i>The Bird House.</i> This paragraph is already a fine example of assembled tangents, and so I will add one more... there can be no doubt of the diagnosis, I definitely have ADHD. Now, to the lists. I am going to find some paper, and a good pen. Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-16257162770365695472024-01-25T13:08:00.000-08:002024-01-25T15:49:40.082-08:00So Nice!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pq0wCjXGL0dFsYpztkEmJS95KXxHGzPVjz1mPcwIaTmoQcDOIBs01BTakLDcsrBS6wgw8AIyDOmrH87tp0psV0ce5bdedOgrTRnvje-Z8EW3ON5D_0eUzflqi_CfBdqcxIiMxfYmSDyoH0RWRwyQDCdDiLEqtLAGMzOzrIogNG0300xuHs3H/s1600/cabinetadu12723.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Pq0wCjXGL0dFsYpztkEmJS95KXxHGzPVjz1mPcwIaTmoQcDOIBs01BTakLDcsrBS6wgw8AIyDOmrH87tp0psV0ce5bdedOgrTRnvje-Z8EW3ON5D_0eUzflqi_CfBdqcxIiMxfYmSDyoH0RWRwyQDCdDiLEqtLAGMzOzrIogNG0300xuHs3H/s1600/cabinetadu12723.jpeg"/></a></div>
Thank you! I never imagined anyone was going to find me here, at least not for a while. So, it was a nice <i>welcome back</i> to get comments.
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Did I ever mention a big construction project? Really big. I may not have got into it. (<a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/03/transformation.html" target="_blank">Whoa! I did mention it actually. Of course it was ages ago.</a>) <i>Wow.</i> Coming in here, at the 11th hour, everyone can breath a sigh of relief because I have spared us all of my trauma drama. Deconstructing a pool, digging septic pits, adding septic tanks, rerouting electrical and plumbing, moving out-buildings! The logistics and orders of operations, the crews, and equipment, dust, mud, noise! And for what? We are completing an accessory dwelling unit, aka a "granny-flat." It has been in the plans for 7-8-9 years, developing, evolving, falling apart, coming back into shape. Even its purpose has had a million iterations, and it will like change again, and once more. But first and foremost, we have created more living space, and that is a good thing, for the 7 of us, for whatever the future may hold. We have built options!
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Here we have the kitchen, and the cabinets that Mike built. After the foundation, framing, and roof were complete, he came to do everything else, which is a lot! This is a two room house, with a bathroom and a powder room, a utility hall, a covered front porch, and wood floors, and arched niches. I love arched niches. This last picture is from Maria, who sweetly endured my angst and waffling through paint chips. She took each of my paint choices and digitally painted them on her iPad. It was, essentially, a Blue vs Green debate for the kitchen cabinets. And, can you tell? Maria and I were in Sweden last summer! Folkpainted furniture is unequivocally my <i>everything.</i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxY_cAoSv7FdcQwFbNCGZ3_h9Zus27-fVHlkUgabubXPfUdtKncKiB4o0tyVZJBsExdJlomzauUwUmmfpfH9ceJcpbuxT9_tfAhXBuq-ewZT1QyeiZulZyEACo8pVs4GEQfB8gjcUJTjQyhyphenhyphen_soojqf9pMYuDFPf9_04D_jcLCQKzCBdl7w4l/s1600/gcabinetadu121223.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxY_cAoSv7FdcQwFbNCGZ3_h9Zus27-fVHlkUgabubXPfUdtKncKiB4o0tyVZJBsExdJlomzauUwUmmfpfH9ceJcpbuxT9_tfAhXBuq-ewZT1QyeiZulZyEACo8pVs4GEQfB8gjcUJTjQyhyphenhyphen_soojqf9pMYuDFPf9_04D_jcLCQKzCBdl7w4l/s1600/gcabinetadu121223.jpeg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC0pmrViacZK_flxBdHzpZvxMu2dR9KOX0yrYbIufaNyIqHarEA9eIkmKWa-ngRX0uUFG9LBUxqtA9QxgZzNALnDs3w2hP4Qt9lrgVfjkabwy6EtWzZS5VQL_aCP_sU18GHTvlJ3GcpZrbBUpzTrIvJimPT3hg8bG4rk74vU83QwU4X6wCa4f/s1600/hcabinetadu121923.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC0pmrViacZK_flxBdHzpZvxMu2dR9KOX0yrYbIufaNyIqHarEA9eIkmKWa-ngRX0uUFG9LBUxqtA9QxgZzNALnDs3w2hP4Qt9lrgVfjkabwy6EtWzZS5VQL_aCP_sU18GHTvlJ3GcpZrbBUpzTrIvJimPT3hg8bG4rk74vU83QwU4X6wCa4f/s1600/hcabinetadu121923.jpeg"/></a></div>
Green is our winner! Incidentally, the house is green, too, with brown trim and some stone siding that goes about <strike>half-way</strike> a quarter-way up the front. Essentially, my design goals have been to create a place that might be found in a California State Park. A cabin in the woods, near the ocean, or a creek. Something with rustic hints, and homegrown charms. Blues, greens, browns, stone and tile and wood, and arched niches.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oGPlYeNql-ru7kgY1Cd2UOn9Hqay3c2oNr721yp7T8jfmsUtvEn6X6tTr-lyOWy3nSlOwjssTbLJaG0ca6XW8ahqjeNETuQKywwK7sptNFSX53SbjQKmCi8fYQxaZpXP93r1w6rkj0hnhlv8HVw8zqYN80GNVPqj2aO7oTw8ricSOM-UG81X/s1600/flooringadu121423.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3oGPlYeNql-ru7kgY1Cd2UOn9Hqay3c2oNr721yp7T8jfmsUtvEn6X6tTr-lyOWy3nSlOwjssTbLJaG0ca6XW8ahqjeNETuQKywwK7sptNFSX53SbjQKmCi8fYQxaZpXP93r1w6rkj0hnhlv8HVw8zqYN80GNVPqj2aO7oTw8ricSOM-UG81X/s1600/flooringadu121423.jpeg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1J0fhGsOhXLff8JwQguvedqIEyiJbCzH-J453hVKPrv7y6xnaHNtmcXCyUUSib3-z7yFjW-NWO270XqCU7FJ4ulhz0otdJUxc6ZdSHu3ekJCg1sd09SeAJ7H0Ia-bFZjB0DBJvWJTghVMuEyAUuawDwjLl6nlAzVQ7_HdiTlyUCgXnBM6sHi2/s1600/icabinetadu122023.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1J0fhGsOhXLff8JwQguvedqIEyiJbCzH-J453hVKPrv7y6xnaHNtmcXCyUUSib3-z7yFjW-NWO270XqCU7FJ4ulhz0otdJUxc6ZdSHu3ekJCg1sd09SeAJ7H0Ia-bFZjB0DBJvWJTghVMuEyAUuawDwjLl6nlAzVQ7_HdiTlyUCgXnBM6sHi2/s1600/icabinetadu122023.jpeg"/></a></div>
Here is just about where we are today. Mike went home for winter, and when he returns, we have some things to finish, including doors, trim, baseboards. Today I am meeting with two contractors, who will give me estimates on kitchen counters. That job was supposedly going to be taken care of, but I am being ghosted, and have had to start all over. And the doors? The doors is a whole other story! Don't ask me to say anything nice about Home Depot.
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Here is something very nice! This is how things looked in July, last summer. That was just about a year into the start of this... the physical labor, messy start. It's been a journey!Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-70735139914670104452024-01-23T10:54:00.000-08:002024-01-23T11:15:31.317-08:00I Wonder...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj-xuon_UCNJMxU9X18GEbYwG0QQsm5YgQvjX88AIvQju2QZFusVsnwyCFJ59LFlJX93QeJ63-iParY22xgFdS4hpO2NsgDYswrhrON-zcQf_FxNlqJAgqDzU6lZXEIF7hkzMKxoQLOSNnxwRMIXg2PyMi92klHI4E-lKztquw7PvO_P7Y-Pa/s1600/newyear1224.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmj-xuon_UCNJMxU9X18GEbYwG0QQsm5YgQvjX88AIvQju2QZFusVsnwyCFJ59LFlJX93QeJ63-iParY22xgFdS4hpO2NsgDYswrhrON-zcQf_FxNlqJAgqDzU6lZXEIF7hkzMKxoQLOSNnxwRMIXg2PyMi92klHI4E-lKztquw7PvO_P7Y-Pa/s1600/newyear1224.jpeg"/></a></div>
<div>Walks into space, tentatively. Looks around. <i>Hello?</i></div>
<div>I am taxing my brain, trying to remember all of the steps and numbers, the order of operations, just to make anything appear on the page. Besides figuring all of that out, there is the question of writing, and what to write. It's been so long since I post Too long. I feel anxious and uncomfortable, like hives are coming on, thinking of all the things left unsaid, all of the moments I didn't share, record, make note of. I know, better than ever, how much I depend on the archives here, and it makes me sad that I have not kept up. Maybe I can do it. Maybe I can diligently, sparingly, catch-up. Then again, maybe I will just keep moving forward. I am unsure.</div>
<div>One thing I do know... time has warped since 2020, maybe even since the last days of 2016, and everything since has become a muddled tangle of events and passages, of happenings that I never could have predicted. It seems a universal experience that we have lost perspective and can hardly distinguish the last 6 months from the last four years. Maybe that is part of what makes me miss Chickenblog. I need an anchor a signpost, something apart from social media algorithms and the fast-paced blurr of life, where I can reflect and process, and... And breath.</div>
<div>We are all here, in our BirdHouse. The youngfolk, and our cats, the goats, the chickens, the laundry. We are well, in the ways that matter. We have had good days, and that matters, too. Sometimes, so little changes, I forget that a lot has changed. A lot has happened since <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/11/still-october.html">November 13, 2022.</a>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-75820358232057654562022-11-14T11:42:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:25:25.887-08:00Some of The Rest of OctoberI am backblogging... <i>Inserting posts that I am writing now, into the timeline, because the gaps of missing posts makes me anxious.</i> I stopped posting <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/11/still-october.html" target="_blank">after November 13, 2022,</a> and it wasn't planned, and the time-off was perhaps needed, or maybe... I don't know, but now I wish I had kept up. Anyway, I want to go back and add some highlights, some particular moments that later I will appreciate. So, that last post was essentially from October, when we were watching Maria settle into her fist quarter in university, and progress with our ADU was really moving ahead.
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October 11, 2022. Alex and Max, on the foundation. And I had to double check this because I was doubting that we could have had a blank foundation and then framing in the same month. But that is absolutely accurate. With luck and a good crew, framing a house is relatively quick. Everything else up to this point had been long, slow, complicated, slow, laborious, frustraing and slow. Then, suddenly, we had something solid and it seemed rather miraculous. I believe I was not posting about the ADU at all, because I wanted to do it all justice and writing was still hard (post drunkladydriver... it's still hard, honestly.) Anyway, "news" of all of this was not forthcoming, and now (February 2024) it's nearly complete, and that is both quick and pretty hecking long. I must apologize: Writing in the future, about the past, is awkward, and I am not even trying to make this as plain as it could be.
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October 14, 2022. I remember, very clearly, that I was visiting Maria as much as I possibly could, except for when I delibertly stayed away so it didn't seem like I was visiting as much as I could. And despite my visits, she was leaping! On her own time, Maria was exploring campus, visiting centers and events, and getting to know her roomates, and taking on all manner of new experiences. It was wonderful to hear about, and special to witness. I felt like, as a mother, I could not have asked for a better start to college for her.
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October 19, 2022. A bedroom, an office, a full bathroom and a powder room, a laundry space, kitchen, and livingroom. A front porch is coming, which may or may not be enclosed. What else? It feels like the biggest question was always, "What is it for?" We had ideas, and hopes, and those were always changing. I guess the answer that works best is to say, "For choices." We could rent it out, or use it ourselves, we can have guests, we can have room for our work, for our interests (which are many.) The city has long been in a struggle to add more housing, so they have been making accomodations for homeowners to add on granny flats and accessory dwelling units. Our family of seven adults, with home offices, will always appreciate the extra space.
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October 20, 2022. Somewhere between Cardiff State Beach and Dog Beach.
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October 24, 2022. I love looking into the Bird House at dusk, when the sky is softly lit, and the kitchen is glowing. It catches my breath, and I recall all of the times when I wanted to be home, to have a home. Looking at the view from the entry of the new construction has a whole new feel, and I am only beginning to consider the possibilities.
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October 25, 2022. Mending.
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October 28, 2022.
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October. How is there nothing of Halloween? I cannot fathom. But here is some of Maria's art. Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-10363942553278310952022-11-13T10:38:00.002-08:002022-11-13T10:38:46.402-08:00Still OctoberJust pretending it's still October, that I am still participating in the "Picture a Day' activity on Instagram, which I didn't actually keep up with. <i>No need to explain, right?</i> Okay. It's October and here are some moments we enjoyed on the fourth of October, when Ruth and I met Maria on campus.
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This was barely Maria's second week at University. Now, she's finished mid-terms and is working on final projects. She's even enrolling for her second quarter. She is happy. Seriously. She likes her classes, and her roommates, and walking all over campus, finding new spaces, making her way around new environs and experiences. And, I should add: I am happy, too. There are still moments when I have a sudden start because she isn't in her room, or I imagine her walking to class, clear across campus, in the rain. Those are not easy moments. But, then again, I am terribly fortunate, too... we see eachother at least a couple of times during the week, and she comes home for the weekends. It's so lovely to have this balance between discovering independence and new opportunities, all while retaining our connections, our walks, talks, shared interests.
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-75082021362942089672022-10-04T21:09:00.001-07:002022-10-04T21:09:13.892-07:003 & 4 October Photo a Day <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmYmZupAAke40_cN4uWM7wmlCZ2jG5vcoY9eYh48FW5obCsbbpEPUdCOW7NRbSlkkswFarKDLfUaKt1EGFVwR0owhWpl1tg85KukbyfzFsIRQTuiwRKy4fmHRvRrsFePPvItZAPBJaHrQvvOpITHnPUOSExX_0UcVnF_h_naGc5TSIXkOfQ/s1600/morningcat10322.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLmYmZupAAke40_cN4uWM7wmlCZ2jG5vcoY9eYh48FW5obCsbbpEPUdCOW7NRbSlkkswFarKDLfUaKt1EGFVwR0owhWpl1tg85KukbyfzFsIRQTuiwRKy4fmHRvRrsFePPvItZAPBJaHrQvvOpITHnPUOSExX_0UcVnF_h_naGc5TSIXkOfQ/s1600/morningcat10322.jpeg"/></a></div>
<br><i>Morning Things</i>... must include a cat sleeping on my legs or between my ankles, or across my knees. And sometimes it's two cats. And we know, us cat keepers, that the rules say "do not ruffle or disturb," and so <i>morning things</i> include one extricating oneself out from under cats.</br>
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<br>Other morning things, in recent months include visits to the beach, walking and looking for something new. Looking for something new is the game I play to keep motivated and engaged. I can't lie... it was easier to walk all day, in Paris, Amsterdam, and I'd do the same in Madison, Wisconisn, or Portland, Oregon, easily and gladly in the Redwoods, Limekiln, the shores of Lake Michigan, around Whitefish Bay. Closer to home, I depend on my game, and I look for things to photograph, to keep me moving forward. On October 3rd, the morning thing was taking the trail from to top of Torrey Pine State Park down to the ocean.</br>
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<i>Cozy</i> is the prompt for today, and I thought of my quilts, and how happy I am that I learned to quilt. That I made these, and more, and have them to remind me of hours hand sewing, of colors, and babies, and picnics, and the way my mind contentedly reflects on loved ones, how I make prayers for their well being, and imagine days to come when we will be together. I get lost in dreams, wishes, hopes, and there must be something binding, something that gets held in the threads. I feel all the good and promising urges and yearnings, and they feel cozy, warm.
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Another <i>cozy</i> offering... a birthday dinner celebrating Bambi. She and Alex prepared ratatouille, and garlic bread loaded with mushrooms, and for dessert there were orange cranberry scones. We are going to reinstate week-long birthday celebrations, so that Maria can join in the fun when she comes home.
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-41608406194372200772022-10-02T18:11:00.000-07:002022-10-02T18:11:05.475-07:002 October Photo a Day :: Everyday MomentsLast week Maria asked for a refresher lesson on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci5hQuBpfX9/">making corn tortillas,</a> and so we made some together. Today we turned to making flour tortillas, which she has less experience with, and they are a bit harder. Oh, but they are so delicious. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcAVnY2gJBKzXsZTOWqTsLH6uF98cPtiP7l7QTthsdwtBokmp6rYJBLt2RNvqL_EiqU8cJWlLq1ixZY6YSN5hbPk9LYPom-JBseJNonepM7b8F2yvlYRsQr0bogWnnY4VMFaRJ3tZPXpQFVzEcqc-r8159K1enez4or5Fh-rwG-pT361RoA/s1600/tortillas10222.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcAVnY2gJBKzXsZTOWqTsLH6uF98cPtiP7l7QTthsdwtBokmp6rYJBLt2RNvqL_EiqU8cJWlLq1ixZY6YSN5hbPk9LYPom-JBseJNonepM7b8F2yvlYRsQr0bogWnnY4VMFaRJ3tZPXpQFVzEcqc-r8159K1enez4or5Fh-rwG-pT361RoA/s1600/tortillas10222.jpeg"/></a></div>
Cooking, in a house with seven, is an everyday activity. We all cook, and share some delicious meals together. These flour tortillas were rolled up with <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjJt1hjpBYt/">the beans I made this week,</a> and so that was lunch. Cooking... 2/31 for October's Photo a Day!
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<br><i>"I am so glad I live in a world with Octobers,"</i> Anne Shirley, <i>Anne of Green Gables.</i></br>
<br>I'm sure I have shared this quote, often, before, but I would be remiss not sharing it today, the first day of October. And it even feels like the first day of a new month in early Autumm. It's not hot, and the marine layer is making it seem possible for rain to be in the forecast (it isn't.) It was cool enough that I was lured into cooking a full meal yesterday, and so dinner was hearty, flavorful, and I am probably even more excited that there are leftovers.</br>
<br>Well, look at this... apparently I am blogging, again. All credit to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci94W61AN5m/">LaShawn Wiltz, on Insta,</a> who is hosting a Photo a Day prompt for the month of October. I would also like to acknowledge <a href="https://www.instagram.com/harlemlovebirds/">Quiana,<i> Harlem Lovebirds,</i> for sharing the link in her stories.</a> The theme is "Fall," and there are 31 prompts, and since I am running out of steam and motivation to keep making beach walk reels on Insta, it occured to me that this could be a low pressure renentry into posting. Low pressure. Low expectations. Super chill. <i>Don't mind me. I am just trying to psyche myself up, here.</i></br>
<br>The first five prompts are... 1. Hello 2. Everyday Moments 3. Morning Things 4. Cozy 5. Current view</br>
<br>I am literally taking a deep breath, letting it out semi-dramatically. I am also waiting for photos to load from my phone onto the computer, and I am anxious about how long this is taking. My small, yet daunting, plans may be derailed before I can begin. Well, in the meantime, I can just keep writing.</br>
<br>I figure <i>Hello</i> could be a self portrait, something to introduce myself. So I brushed my hair and went out to sit with the goats and chickens. <i>Why?</i> I don't know. For some reason, probably vanity, I act on an impulse to believe that hairy, wild eyed goats can only help me look better. Or, perhaps cute, farmy animals will raise my appeal, give me some charisma, charm.</br>
<br>Why is the computer being so slow? No. Wait. Okay. Finally. Pictures are loading. <i>Yes, I am blogging in real time, a meaningless point as I am not publishing in real time, and it will be a long time before reader traffic is coming by here, again, anyway</i> Still, I am here and keeping it real, folks. It occurs to me, I may not remember how to get pictures exported and then inserted here. Sigh.</br>
<br>The self portraits? I don't like them. Somewhere, in my head, is a lengthy, likely self-depricating, essay on aging and invisibilty, but I think the bottom line is I am very uncomfortable with how I look. Ada wasn't really feeling it, either, and I couldn't get her to look cute next to me.</br>
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<br>Hello! This is 1/31 for an October Photo a Day Challenge. I am Natalie. I love to take pictures, to paint, to embroider, and mentor in STEAM activities, like robotics, arts, and crafts. I love language(s), walking, swimming, cooking for lots of people, listening, and writing. I don't like having to choose a "favorite," because I have many favorite things, in many categories, and they are always changing. At the moment, I would consider "The Martian" my favorite book, and movie. I cry everytime I watch The Martian. I have learned to love riding a bicycle, and I am learning to love other things that once seemed improbable. I love following the planets, and observing constellations.
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<br>Guess what?</br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-92167721305104507962022-07-03T22:01:00.001-07:002022-07-03T22:01:52.113-07:00Hmmm Okay Interesting<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCVrXKmsMMZgKvrdRkNfbP1wbzI1EaOKywoOhGZdGdDlnVTLEs5Abic6kMAkI4j9YJgBl_PWRdHx_OkRwUBns26ZafY-l51CD8nrHZ-g24F4o0JDHqWAsUMs7QbT2eCshMnZw2LB_5mSNk188eIDWo6roR1vkgFRMJ7SAv2sr7bYuXFHNrg/s4032/8BA46E95-B210-41E4-BB28-AD5F18F613AE.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCVrXKmsMMZgKvrdRkNfbP1wbzI1EaOKywoOhGZdGdDlnVTLEs5Abic6kMAkI4j9YJgBl_PWRdHx_OkRwUBns26ZafY-l51CD8nrHZ-g24F4o0JDHqWAsUMs7QbT2eCshMnZw2LB_5mSNk188eIDWo6roR1vkgFRMJ7SAv2sr7bYuXFHNrg/s400/8BA46E95-B210-41E4-BB28-AD5F18F613AE.jpeg"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsU5dr4lD29kCLz8kFm1SdxtOohin43KIoHQ4Cc7ESWXBMSHmMFwSxZ-sqAz81JBH4k_mr8s6AtFntobzEw6CiZr8i0ikerkUjSZuYpB8eP01ZDYLdVIxxGSOjTKEqkE-jUWarEHyS4oA0NByxZXRqRXBdtskeYT-zJDv5jqHiBlFIqnDRaQ/s1800/99826B2D-F983-4F78-A26F-17A3FAC8B467.jpeg" style="display: block; 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padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWfNmTefUx9GCkIVLbnPFI0BmEW9wYKVx6q-t9j386U66C85QE1p9kLyXzF1vCT7wVMCFyvApF-LfDAE1aOgBZ77hvDwSApGBSpR1S_Ed4r7wFlajOAFP67K9TmbC9mIqlg1LVQfNt7YKtsSzD046_SiKIOnSDu4HKBhZQWq1yVU1m47cWkg/s400/E47D67D6-D003-45AF-868B-CA0A962000E8.jpeg"/></a></div><br>uh... this business of posting from the phone is harder than it looks. Like, much much harder Either i will skip doing this or I will muster a high tolerance for errors, disorganized pictures and some jankiness. Seriously... dont judge too harshly because formatting and the user interface, wow, so frustrating. </br>
<br>In an order that can only be described as "Not how I want them..." I present: Pictures from our trip, First Day! Maria and I are in Europe It's amazing. We have begun in France, we stayed near the airport the first two days based on Geoff's brilliant insistence that we begin slow and easy, to shake off jet lag before facing Paris. It was a masterful plan! More on that, later.</br><br>Paris is amazing: Big, loud, bustling, disorienting, beautiful, enchanting. I have a lot more impressions and details I look forward to sharing, and we've been here barely two days. And as compelling and wondrous as this city is, our first delight was meeting Gala, the grey lady of our Gare Lyon area apartment, with Amelie vibes. Say, "Salut, Gala, Ƨa va ?"</br>
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She has the loudest purrbox motor and welcomed us heartily, affectionately. Ah, Paris, merci beacoup for such a comforting, sweet introction I think we are going to enjoy a wonderful time.
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-26762006671291547902022-07-02T01:23:00.004-07:002022-07-02T01:23:59.191-07:00Bonjour <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7jbVzkltfyOB-AkHRh2HwKzf6XdakVuiAxKLV9rkSQyRPeR4OqjS5Bn83ic_LDPqIGFIn7X_hWw1QBCWR2x0Vr6J75AWs5ypY2XvoOsjouiq4NN_WS80fwgQUinPH0JFI9JIF-9V_bpVmn-5qc-jPtlRfsZ__gLviCH0X-L8tmIBdij-mw/s4032/A245CA19-D7B4-4686-BF44-B3F06D7C916D.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin7jbVzkltfyOB-AkHRh2HwKzf6XdakVuiAxKLV9rkSQyRPeR4OqjS5Bn83ic_LDPqIGFIn7X_hWw1QBCWR2x0Vr6J75AWs5ypY2XvoOsjouiq4NN_WS80fwgQUinPH0JFI9JIF-9V_bpVmn-5qc-jPtlRfsZ__gLviCH0X-L8tmIBdij-mw/s400/A245CA19-D7B4-4686-BF44-B3F06D7C916D.jpeg"/></a></div>
Let's see if I can blog from the phone, while we are in France... testing testing...Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-58610404256109856942022-05-31T21:01:00.002-07:002022-06-27T14:02:03.181-07:00A Few of Many Good ThingsWell. This is ironic. I have anticipated the 20th anniversary of Chickenblog since about 2003, more or less, and with increasing interest and eagerness in recent years. And here I am making a last ditch effort to say <i>something, anything,</i> before the month is up. How did I let all of these many weeks pass since my last post, especially after enjoying keeping the blog on a regular(ish) schedule? I don't know. I feel like I've let myself down. Not in a big way, not so I am overthinking it... just low key. We have enjoyed some truly wonderful moments, occasions events, and happenings, and I would really like to put them down, for the sake of making records, and preserving memories. In the meantime I am going to see if I can discipline myself to a brief brief brief highlight post. Here goes!
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We have newlyweds in the house! Alex and Bambi, our beautiful groom and bride, tied literal knots, surrounded by close friends and family, with a pink, full moon, flowers, and plentiful joy all around.
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April 26 :: Sloane, Tarot, Bryce, Maria and Mushroom :: The Creative Writing Club held a second open mic, and it was even bigger and more heartwarming, compelling and good than the last one, which is saying a lot. Once again, or is it <i>as always...</i> young people restore my faith in the world, in what can be achieved and what we could reach if we just give them the mic, some space and light. These people have compassion and reason, and it's an honor and pleasure to hear their words.
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April 30 :: Bella, Andrew, Leo, Carol, Michael, Grace :: Speaking of promising youth, Leo is an Eagle Scout! And Geoff and I had the honor of being recognized as Eagle Scout mentors. I shared <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdEIJJbpyY6/">about the <i>Court of Honor</i> in this Instagram Reel,</a> and about the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoRmlPjqLQ/">making of Leo's project in this second Reel.</a> <i>I really like making Reels.</i> And I really love that we get to share such happy moments and rites of passage with dear friends.
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<br>It was always going to be a challenge, and times being what they are, this is a more phenomenal achievement than anticipated. There were a record number of applicants, and she had to wait longer than most to learn the news. Maria accepted admittance to the University of California at San Diego! Even when she believed she would need to make other plans, she remained devoted to her academics, and extracurriculars, including robotics, JNHS, writing, art, math, and government. I am not boasting, honest. I am being pretty low key. Anyway, we are so amazed at her dedication and steady, diligent love of learning, and so happy that she is happily anticipating being a Triton.</br>
<br>I miss this. I miss writing, and sharing pictures, and reading blogs. I have been away from my desk, busy, distracted, tackling one thing or another, some good, some not so good. <i>You know.</i> The world is spinning madly on, and we just do our best, right? I hope so. I miss this community, so I think I will make an effort to get back here, again, soon. <br><i>And Lily's Grannie, thank you. It was awfully nice of you to check in on me.</i></br>
<br> Bird House Notes: There was a wedding here this week, and I am dizzy with elation to announce that Alex and Bambi are husband and wife! We have been very busy, as you might imagine, and happily visiting family, and friends, arranging flowers, putting up tents, dusting off shelves, taking pictures, and embracing all of the joy in celebrating! When I finally get around to it, I imagine my next post will be brimming with details. I am especially eager to express my profound gratitude to everyone that helped us bring the day together, who traveled to attend, who sent me special texts and messages reminding me that everything would turn out beautifully!
April 19, 2022</br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-2860586055749744432022-04-08T09:52:00.005-07:002022-04-19T14:41:35.805-07:00You Are Not Alone<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDF10FdF7kCBAI8ApC_PoT9M6jtEJ5u3k1UHdsjPz1AesWOYqpVBMVvz5dy_0MiNQRCIhlApBwM17Lm6oUfHLyFVbOZWtp1FFSlTyx-06wmzNdwVxenSEtQnbu2aOiifh6VPxOQGUUCGfSNa-9_aO99YLgS-FMjly9y5seCTm5FCQthwv0Q/s1600/gflowers4122.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDF10FdF7kCBAI8ApC_PoT9M6jtEJ5u3k1UHdsjPz1AesWOYqpVBMVvz5dy_0MiNQRCIhlApBwM17Lm6oUfHLyFVbOZWtp1FFSlTyx-06wmzNdwVxenSEtQnbu2aOiifh6VPxOQGUUCGfSNa-9_aO99YLgS-FMjly9y5seCTm5FCQthwv0Q/s1600/gflowers4122.jpeg"/></a></div>
Good Morning. Forecast says today's high temperature will be 90 degrees Fahrenheit, or 32.22 Celsius. It was at least the same, yesterday. Fortunately, it all cools down, again for the rest of the week. The hot days are uncomfortable, emotionally, as well as physically. I was about to link to the article, out this week, about the new IPCC report and how people are a factor in climate mitigation. Oddly, though the subject is urgent, pressing, I can't even bring myself to read more than the headline. News Flash: <i>The Earth is in crisis and we, People, aren't doing enough to turn things around.</i> It's too hot to rally. Also, I've alloted myself 25 minutes to sit in the cool, dark office, musing about any old thing, before I go back into the kitchen with the special spray bottle of UnGoo solution. Last night I tackled about 45% of the cabinets and both windows, unGooing all I can.
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Pictures from my brother's BVI vacation keep loading into my computer. I guess that's something <i>Whatsapp</i> does? It's ten degrees cooler in Road Town, British Virgin Islands than here at the Bird House... <i>in case you were wondering.</i> What I have been wondering is... <i>will we take a vacation this year?</i>
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I feel the draw, the wanderlust, somewhere in my being, to travel, to <i>get away,</i> but home still feels like the safest bet. I won't deny I am (have become moreso) increasingly cautious. <i>Overcautious?</i> It's not something I am enjoying... being worried, trying to think of every possible red flag for possible concerns. I think my over-thinking is a red flag. A warning sign that we should definitely take a vacation, switch things up, make an adventure, get away.
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<br>Oh, hey, <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/04/domestic-perils-again.html">the comments, on the last post, those were helpful.</a> I was really touched by them. They felt like an open window, a stirring breeze. Thank you. I should take key words from those comments, and have them embroidered on pillows, framed and hanging around the home, so I can be reminded... of their wisdom, encouragement, and that I am lucky enought to know some caring, supportive people. <i>Thank you!</i> I have been re-reading your wise words, and kind, encouraging messages. I want to take them to heart, and be mindful. </br>
<br>Imagine these neatly stitched on soft linen, framed, and hung on the wall beside a shelf of fresh cut flowers. The shelf might be dusty, there could be a stash of laundry on the floor beneath, but take these words to heart, and...</br>
<br><i><a href="http://www.katiegilley.com">Be Gentle With Yourself</a></i></br>
<br><i><a href="https://girlinaboyhouse.com">You Are Not Alone</a></i></br>
<br><i><a href="https://littledorritdoes.blogspot.com">It's The Lovely People In Your Home That Family Are Coming to See</a></i></br>
<br>And this. This advice resonates with me. It's simple and I can appreciate that it would work for me, and it also pushes me to level up to match my thinking with my actions, by being consistent, diligent, even if in small increments.<a href="https://laurakbray.blogspot.com"> Laura Bray wrote, <i>"For me, the trick to my homemaking has been to keep myself from doing too much at once. I put on a timer for one hour, two or three days a week, tackle one area, and when the timer goes off, I walk away. I just keep cycling through my home, focusing on one area each week, so I know I will get back to whatever I didn't finish. It's surprising how quickly things become "ship shape" this way."</i></a> This! I want to adopt this habit, internalize this practice, and as I re-read it over and over, it is feeling like an affirmation, encouraging, wise, good.</br>
<br>Bird House Notes: <i>My blogging timer is up, now I am going back to wiping down cabinets and degunking surfaces. And I am setting a timer for those activities, too. So, the question remains... what restful, distracting, amusing, engaging activity will I enjoy between window cleaning, and tackling laundry?
April 8, 2022</i></br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-29698046835820478772022-04-05T10:46:00.002-07:002022-04-05T10:50:31.335-07:00Domestic Perils, Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiM52yVoZw0Z1IURiKVnW0oAsO0xnC8CxnahK53fZ43FMIc8w94g4CKgRd5bCSFuTRfwJgNGQtzXM5astVEXY1oz6jeI7pIHo3RPMYjib0Aypc7XH3sVgCc220h_qufLxMBFpjJftUZcTFT5tEz64-Cm_76X0QNvSyMv8I9jurSSi-tiRxw/s1600/aaaalav32822.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiM52yVoZw0Z1IURiKVnW0oAsO0xnC8CxnahK53fZ43FMIc8w94g4CKgRd5bCSFuTRfwJgNGQtzXM5astVEXY1oz6jeI7pIHo3RPMYjib0Aypc7XH3sVgCc220h_qufLxMBFpjJftUZcTFT5tEz64-Cm_76X0QNvSyMv8I9jurSSi-tiRxw/s1600/aaaalav32822.jpeg"/></a></div>
The dried lavender I kept in the hall was too dry. Do you know what I mean? It still smells amazing, but bits were going everywhere, and it was dusty, but of course you can't dust dry flowers, because the bits go everywhere. Anyway, I was taking them out to the compost, when I remembered that herbs, like lavender, rosemary, oregano, make good nest box material... pretty, and practical against pests. I left the whole bunch on the counter top. The hens fuss with it, and the flowers, those bits, go everywhere, but in a pleasing way. And even over all of the <i>farm smells</i>, I can smell the beautiful lavender. I like this kind of tidying up, where one good deed leads to another. Our hall is looking better, dusted and refreshed, and the hens, certainly, appreciate the touch of elegance dried flowers bring to their space.
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<br>If you have been following our quandry about the cat drama... we think we have figured something out. But, first let me go back: There were was some high energy antics on the porch, and a pot fell over. It may have hit a cat, or maybe the plant stand hit a cat. We know for sure that the noise and scare of it freaked all three of them out, and they scattered and one of them made a distressing wail. We checked each of them for bumps and breaks and they seemed ok, <i>but they were not</i>. Sakamoto hid. He would not come out of hiding, not even for food and that is simply unheard of! Feynman was incensed, hissing and growling, puffing up mad! And he positioned himself, always between Sakamoto and Cairo. Cairo was utterly confounded. And this tense stand-off and drama was what we had to deal with for days. Feynman was dogged about keeping Cairo away, would chase him, attack him. Sakamoto was only concerned with staying out of the way, and Cairo looked increasingly victimized and distressed. We tried seperating them, re-introducing them with treats and affection. We had to keep them in different rooms, and rotate them, and everytime we thought things might be improving, Feynman would dig his heels in and react to Cairo like he was the worst kind of villain. It was a stressful 4-5 days. Increasingly we had more frequent moments of peace, of possible reconcillation. And the good news is, we do have a cease-fire.</br>
<br>Here is what we have figured out: We believe Feynman must have very very poor vision, and under duress, he is wary of many things, including the black and white cat, that he seems to believe has broken into our house. If he and Cairo are nose to nose, it's as though nothing was ever wrong, but when Feynman sees Cairo, at a distance of, say, 2-3 feet away, he is wary, suspicious. Now we notice Feynman can even be circumspect about us, or things that appear suddenly. He startles easily, and stares at people, or even high contrast patterns... like our bathroom floor, or Cairo, the black and white cat. When we adopted him the woman in charge of their care assured me that his weepy eyes were just a reaction to the environment, <i>he's fine,</i> she insisted. Well, the weepy eyes have never stopped being messy, concerning, and when the vet saw him, he didn't think any treatments we going to make a difference. But Feynman has always had half-closed, drowsy, weepy eyes, and I think we will ask our vet, again, to take a look. And this is the point when I imagine Professor Feynman with some spectacles, and I think he would look darling. Black rimmed glasses, nothing too heavy. <i>If you've read all the way to this point, and kept track of all of the characters and plot, then I should like to send you a prize, maybe a Chickenblog Merit Badge. I should come up with something like that. Thank you for reading this riveting tale! </i></br>
<br>Well.</br>
<br>I intended to post more. I have a load of pictures, deep thoughts, and other musings, all ready to go, but really what I should be doing is more of that tidying, dusting, refreshing. My Mom and Dad are coming to town, soon, and other family, too. And Geoff and Max are still plugging away at their work, and... it's busy here. Really really busy. One more thought... the more I clean, the more I find that needs to be cleaned. It's almost a shame I started in the first place. (Just the kind of twisted reasoning that gets me in a mess, I am sure.) I went in for scrubbing our kitchen cabinets, and they got gummy. So I ordered the special cabinet cleaning, goo-gummy solvent and tried again, and it's helping, sort of.<i> Wow. It's likely I don't have a point to make here.</i> But maybe, please, say something encouraging, something to give me courage and faith, because I am surrounded by domestic perils, and daunting tasks, and I don't see how I can ever achieve the kind of shiny success I am after, and I do wonder if I can get close to bringing order, if we shouldn't put the place on the market, and move to an Island, live in an open, rambling house, that isn't very big, or too precious, or a treehouse? I don't know. This may just be blatant, overt avoidance. <i>When's lunch?</i>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-55661792001936146822022-04-01T10:54:00.003-07:002022-04-08T10:00:07.938-07:00Make More Merrier<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17pVHtYpZE7P9TWSiacpL02LwEUE_UX1ht6IcNteMwFh1UV6J3c8fY83cmHnwc8XJEi9gwRE650dErYJYCqxSuptaRr4XocNVl0S9qucNYG1QfGE4nolLroYJrFshVia98QeNCq7CjcSN93F7D4emsdoq7rVMkVzi-rvgOdvVGamvc3GuSQ/s1600/dbex32722.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17pVHtYpZE7P9TWSiacpL02LwEUE_UX1ht6IcNteMwFh1UV6J3c8fY83cmHnwc8XJEi9gwRE650dErYJYCqxSuptaRr4XocNVl0S9qucNYG1QfGE4nolLroYJrFshVia98QeNCq7CjcSN93F7D4emsdoq7rVMkVzi-rvgOdvVGamvc3GuSQ/s1600/dbex32722.jpeg"/></a></div>
<i>The more the merrier, and making makes us merrier, and the more we make, the</i>... well, you get the idea. Supposedly a good title for blog posts will increase traffic and ratings, and give more polish and sophistication to your blog. Clearly, I am not on <i>that</i> path.
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All I was trying to express, was that <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/03/happiness.html">we were at it again, a happy work party, making flowers,</a> and planting flowers, sprucing up, and even soldering. We want to make as many paper flowers as we can, for decorations. The soldering is for these very clever little mushrooms that Alex, Bambi, and Geoff have been devising. Now, they are assembling them and they look wonderful. Pictures, soon, I promise. It was a beautiful day, and fun, too. Hey, how amazing are our friends? Invited over to "work," which felt a lot more like play, because everyone made it fun, and so much was accomplished with a good mix of laughter, catching up, and sharing news, ideas, plans. If things continue like this, relatively safer for gatherings, I will be so thrilled to start up more of Maker events!
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All of the old barrels I've amassed over the years were moved to the driveway, so we could fill them with new plants, and lots of flowers. I think <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/breathtaking.html">I mentioned that my gardening energy was totally sapped after 2020.</a> It feels so good to have more intention around the garden, to be growing flowers, even some veg, and to get these barrels full of life and cheer, again! I am changing, growing, and adapting, too... I was always in charge of my gardening. I did the hauling, lifting, planting, weeding, watering, planning, but it's not as easy as it used to be, for several reasons, <i>which I won't dwell on...</i> Anyway, suddenly, the work was getting done, and I wasn't in charge or doing it all on my own. I wasn't even directing. Bambi and Alex were taking the initiative, and Maria, an actual Junior Master Gardener, and member of the Native Gardens Club, was overseeing the planting, making sure root balls were gently cared for, and soil was loose, then gently patted down. Bex, and Alicia were mindful, fast learners. Bambi and Gordon were terrific. Suddenly, the barrels were filled, and pretty, and everything smelled good, felt good. I just took pictures, and delighted. Friends! And family, and all of this lovely busy-ness. What a brilliant balm, and tonic.
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<br><i>Alicia, Bex, and Maria</i></br>
<br>Geoff popped outside for a while. He is still tied to his desk, until mid April. Ruth came by, and she had paper flowers already made! Diana and Lucas were over, and we talked about all sorts of things, including good places to eat, ordering tunics, and Diana buying her first bicycle at <a href="http://www.yellowjersey.org/newjersey.html">The <i>Yellow Jersey,</i> Madison, Wisconsin.</a> Leslie came, Bex came with her friend, Alicia, and Spencer brought Owen. Carol and Grace and Michael were a lot of help, and good company. Okay... I feel so happy about this, about how nice it is to be around friends, doing just about anything, I really do want to re-start the <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/search/label/Picnics">Picnic Days.</i>
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<i>Gordon and Bambi</i>
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<i>Owen and Spencer, checking out the selection of Japanese snacks and treats.</i>
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This poor tree often looks at the end of its life, but Gordon trimmed it up, and the improvement is appreciable.
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Diana was the master of seperating the flowers petals. She had the patience and gentle touch to pull apart the delicate layers of the two ply napkins, and the results were sumptuous flowers, like peonies!
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Owen tried his hand at flower making, too! He did great! Everyone does. If you would like to try, <a href="http://youngmakersclub.blogspot.com/2014/04/make-paper-flowers.html">we have a tutorial. All you need are napkins (Ikea's are terrific,) string and scissors.</a>
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Here are Bex and Leslie... either looking up medieval dresses, or the address for the Indian restaurant that is <i>so amazing!</i> We were having some very good talks about amazing food places.
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<br><i>Gordon, soldering, and smiling. I am smiling back.</i></br>
<br>Bird House Notes:<i> For the first time in 42 years, we are supposed to be able to see Northern Lights -aurora borealis, tonight, in San Diego County! Really?? It's pretty overcast in this corner of the county, and I wonder if we should drive somewhere and hope to get in the best position for seeing this event. What would that be, I wonder... the best spot and conditions? Even though this could be far far easier to accomplish than traveling to Iceland, it still feels kind of daunting... but am I going to kick myself if we miss the lights? Yes. Yes, I might be hugely bummed.
April 1... hold on. This better not be an April Fool's prank. April Fools is cancelled. Seriously, what's funny about pranks and foolery after the 2016 election, a global pandemic, the melting ice caps?
April 1, 2022 (Yeah. I fell for it... April Fool!)</i></br>
<i><br>Time for tea. No. Breakfast. Time for breakfast. I need it to be a Mexican breakfast, por favor! Machaca, like at the Hotel De Anza, Calexico. Beans, and tortillas, harina, maiz, hechos a mano, por favor. Cafe con leche. Chorizo con huevo. Una mordita de pan dulce.
I am gastronomically homesick. Atole.
April 2, 2022</br></i>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-38260514000965627552022-03-31T13:09:00.006-07:002022-04-01T11:58:49.118-07:00Hello? It's Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr_MW7RKLkD0VKyvDucFe5ZQyYbhLtumaWy9JamedVCV9S2L2BtudcYt0_O5JO3ACKJuw8O_5F6TFZ-WttKblN-WiRf6DJEEe4yyn-8mxZxWXSfXC3noSo-DZozSHulKneEaIPBH66tdecB7SqMXjqBnRCVxLuCTJbCeMSSgbZCLIPmVFXg/s1600/aflores31722.jpeg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr_MW7RKLkD0VKyvDucFe5ZQyYbhLtumaWy9JamedVCV9S2L2BtudcYt0_O5JO3ACKJuw8O_5F6TFZ-WttKblN-WiRf6DJEEe4yyn-8mxZxWXSfXC3noSo-DZozSHulKneEaIPBH66tdecB7SqMXjqBnRCVxLuCTJbCeMSSgbZCLIPmVFXg/s1600/aflores31722.jpeg"/></a></div>
Hello. There has been a long string of unfortunate events, for me, for friends, for acquaintances, for distant relations, and total strangers. <i>I feel them keenly.</i> My thoughts and heart are preoccupied with our collective trauma, with world events, and the long lasting effects of all of the stuff we have faced, endured, witness, suppressed... it's been too much. I worry about us, you, and me, and the total strangers. I am concerned about the pandemic of depression, the ache of pushing through one crisis after another, and so little relief. It's never felt like this before, not on this scale, not in my experience. I have had practical strangers pour their hearts out to me, desperate for relief, caring, sympathy, healing? Even that <i>televised slap</i> (if you don't know, just be glad) felt like a metric of distress, of mental collapse and broken communication. So much hurt, exhaustion, strain, and our reactions can be be misplaced, displaced, to retreat, or surrender. I have retreated, for better or worse. It was partly a pity party, I'll admit. And maybe that's just as well. Maybe it's better to sit with my thoughts and feelings, rather than blurt it all, or come out fighting. Anyway, I was enjoying blogging regularly, feeling like, if nothing else, at least I had a tidy and up to date blog. I recognize that writing helps me sort the tangles and details of living, even distills the hard bits, so I can see clearly all of the good, the beauty, the successes. When too much sad and stressful, disappointing things overwhelmed me, I couldn't take thinking about it, let alone trying to put it into print.
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Someone reached out to me, offered a virtual hug, and a reason to smile. And it made a tremendous difference. Little is solved, as far as the things that I have been grappling with, or concerned about, for my friends, for those strangers, but I went through about two weeks of snapshots on my phone, and happily, there is plenty of evidence that I have seen beauty, and good, and successes, and I want to put a pin in it... hold it down, and come back here to remind myself, to appreciate the progress, the smiles, the sweet. Sweet, like our kitties, napping together, and the view from that bathroom window. The window, on that day was a source of intrigue as heavy machinery has been grading the, now, empty lot, and they took a way a ginormous palm tree. I am sorry for the birds, but the process was riveting. <i>Amelia, thank you for befriending me.</i>
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Bambi and Alex, taking steps toward matrimony. They are firm about keeping things small, intimate, and I respect that... but I can't help taking pictures! I love what I see... two dear people who have the gift of bringing out the best in each other.
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Even when I get too blue to blog, I can't give up Instagram. I love taking pictures, and the convience of having them all in order, with notes and details, is irresistible. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbknI4rrub8/">I have been trying to keep up with some of William's projects, recording and sharing them,</a> including the paper moon, the cart... more, lots more. William has been a gentle hand on my shoulder, equally nudging me forward, and supporting me. He helps me get a lot of things accomplished.
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Maria, and Max, too... diligent and hardworking, making so many strides in their pursuits. Maria attended the FIRST Robotics Competition in San Diego, and enjoyed both robots, and seeing the team recognized for some personally gratifying achievements, plus we saw many dear friends. I will post about these moments, soon. Max is pushing through the long crunch season, like Geoff. The company's annual drive to complete a new game is more intense than ever, and it's not an easy introduction to "9 to 5." When Max clocks out, he is more than ready to game, read, write, walk, and converse with his siblings. He's ready for the break that is coming soon. We all are!
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We are popping out... <i>I still wear a mask. I figure, as long as Maria has 'exposure to COVID' notices from school, and has to test, I will wear a mask in public. </i> Other than worries about getting sick, the outings are helpful, even if still a bit strange, tiring. It was always a concern of mine that any time spent isolating, in lockdown, would be too convenient for me, too easy, because of the car crash PTSD, all I ever wanted was an excuse to stay home, away from crowds, noise, busy corners, and taxing stimulus. Now I find it harder than ever to be in a car, or crowd, to navigate things and activities all around me. And about the crowds... our town is a favorite of tourists, but has always quieted down in the fall, until summer holidays, but not since COVID. I guess people are seeking out the beaches, restaurants, trails, and sights, more than ever, and we have been quite astonished at the year-round hustle and bustle, even at the local market, the places where things <i>used to be winter-mellow.</i> A week-day hot chocolate, a stroll around garden centers, the corner table at the taco place we all love, these are nice. And maybe, soon, we can bring back our Picnic Days. I do miss those.
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Small wheels that pivot... the cart is looking better and better. I am glad Geoff enjoys his projects, and helping with other people's projects, and I am glad he can still work from home, so he can step away from the desk, stretch, and clear his head for a moment with other things besides, graphs, and code, and new platforms.
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<br>Bambi, Alex, Tori, Armand, Max, Maria, Lucas.</i> I like this last picture when they obliged me a group photo, and some of them have the "how many pictures is she going to take?" expressions.</br>
<br>Every Saturday... Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons & Dragons & Friends & Laughter & plans, engagement, support. This time Tori had some special treats to celebrate the groom, and the bride, and friends, and dragons. Tori's cupcakes were both delicious and beautiful. </br>
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<br>Maria is sticking with her love of school, with following her curiousity and love of learning. No signs of <i>"senioritus,"</i> thus far. She was so glad, thankful to get a chance at the screen-printing, to go to the Regional event for robotics, to read <i>The Poisonwood Bible</i>, and now The Grapes of Wrath</i>. Math is going well, so is English, and government and economics. She is thinking of going to prom, maybe even grad-night. I am pretty sure all of these things are going to be upon us in, seemingly, no time, and then it will be graduation time. <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2010/09/sister-maria-patience.html">Twelve years ago, Maria showed an interest in embroidery. I set her up</a> with a hoop, needle and floss, and she caught on readily enough. But it didn't hold her interest for much longer than it took to <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2010/09/play-play-play-day.html">stitch that one flower.</a> My own experience with sewing was similar. I dabbled as a girl, but never got proficient, never stuck with it. But the skills sort of stuck with me. I have found that all of the lessons and passing interest in things have come back in later years, and have helped launch renewed interest, and the patience to improve and enjoy... crochet, embroidery, quilting, handsewing and mending, even making clothes. I am glad she tried embroidery, and I was even more glad that I didn't press her or force it. On her own, in the Fashion Design class, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbnbzseJ-my/">she's picked it up, again, and I love what she's making!</a></br>
<br>I've seen a meme, or quote, something, going around Instagram... an audio clip plays, of someone telling us that <i>we don't have to perfect our hobbies, that there's no rule that says we must become experts to enjoy our pastimes.</i> It's brilliant, I think. I have wasted too much time concerned about <i>how good</i> I can be at something before I am worthy of it, before I can say I enjoy it, or can share it, or claim any ability, or attachment. I used to hold too much favor for the idea of <i>natural talent</i>, and I would give up or feel embarrassed for things I wasn't good at. For certain, I am ready to celebrate anyone else's amateur status, their effort and enthusiasm matters more than the results, for me. Now, I am increasingly eager to give myself the same grace. I play ukulele. I play infrequently, and badly, but when I play, it makes me happy. I bake, occasionally and I have made some delicious cakes, and some really ugly ones, but I like doing it. I have ridden my bicycle 4,540 miles... not in a jersey, or with special shoes, never in a race, or on a course, but happily, and surprisingly regularly. I like to think that if we all just dabble, and play, try new things, whether we are fair-to-middling, or even kind of awful, but happy, amused, engaged, and if we encourage each other in play, expression, in exploring... it might help, it might bring some of the relief, caring, healing, that so many of us are seeking.</br>
<br>Bird House Notes: <i>Days are hard, harder, and harder, and even as I consider this truth, I am chagrined... because, you know: War, famine, violence, poverty, heartache, all the things people are enduring, and suffering, so that I feel positively ridiculous thinking I have hardships. But I do, and so does just about everyone I hear from, talk to, observe. And at some level, I am feeling their anguish, too. Even our cats'! Out of, seemingly, nowhere, they are in a three way turf war, psychologically in an utterly confounding conflict. Sakamoto is terrified and hides. Cairo is confused, cowering, and tormented by Feynman, who stands guard near Sakamoto, and will growl and attack Cairo. Uhhh... sigh. Was I going to delve into cat drama? What I want to do is to express my compassion, my deep concern for everyone that is struggling, and my awe and respect for everyone that is doing the essentials, attending to anything, small or great. Did you move your laundry around, order a pizza, mail a letter, sit with a friend? Applause! I feel like I could redefine "disfunctional." I am operating in a paradoxically high functioning realm of disfunction. Somehow, I move forward, even as I feel I have reached what surely must be bottom, or the end of a rope. Not my rope. Some rope. My rope snapped a long way back. I was aiming for encouraging... I am thinking of you, and you, and hoping that you are finding respites, support, motivation, a good plumber, or whatever helps.
March 30, 2022</i></br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-82497496849410095582022-03-15T13:10:00.001-07:002022-03-31T13:11:53.200-07:00Our Last High School Senior<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2f-5WYAGSoUhd2nWebaaajWGbEOT2OZLSakdDYEWOD_jS-Rt9bqJsbUE6h4GX5HDusUqbJQ82awU8GrnnoZtq8kcv95MLz3TAnzf2t32jZu8LbBKd-T06PZCyvM_2F5TUqFAbPV9AgRxOdn5Ld6QruO1kiENXESdov2xEfKxpnfgLPdrFnQ" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2f-5WYAGSoUhd2nWebaaajWGbEOT2OZLSakdDYEWOD_jS-Rt9bqJsbUE6h4GX5HDusUqbJQ82awU8GrnnoZtq8kcv95MLz3TAnzf2t32jZu8LbBKd-T06PZCyvM_2F5TUqFAbPV9AgRxOdn5Ld6QruO1kiENXESdov2xEfKxpnfgLPdrFnQ"/></a></div>
It's almost the end of the third quarter of Maria's senior year. Any day now she may hear from a school, about admissions. Or not. If she feels any tension around that it's from me being <i>excruciatingly casual,</i> reminding her to check her email. We ordered a cap and gown. She's considering going to prom, and Comedy Sportz. This weekend is <i>the last</i> FIRST Robotic's Regional Competition of her time as a Paradox. There's going to be one last movie night for Japanese National Honor Society. There are clocks already counting down, but neither of us is ready... each for our own reasons and with our own reactions, but we talk about this and agree, it's come too soon.
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<br>With one semester thrust into online, two years ago, then an entire year of remote learning, a lot has been lost for this class. Maria lost a year of Japanese class, and had to double up, but still had to take the AP test. She missed friend time, and socializing at school. Just this week, since the mandatory mask rule was dropped, she's learned that friends have piercings she'd never seen, moustaches, smiles! The laid back and open culture the school was famous for is gone, because of COVID, and school shootings, vandalism, and yet it's still a resilient, courageous and beautiful school, there is still hope, and enthusiasm, caring, curiosity. She doesn't want to skip a day, she doesn't want to miss out.</br>
<br>For me, it's about how much I loved the time when Alex, then Max were in high school. I knew their friends, and teachers, I could volunteer, support staff, mentor. Twice a year parents would be introduced to their students' teachers and classes during <i>Back to School Night</i>, and it was so cool! I loved sitting in Max's chair, visiting the shop where Alex learned metals, meeting their teachers, getting a sense for what kind of semester they would be having. And then, run into my own friends! Finally, being a part of a community, living in a neighborhood, it was an increasingly dear experience to see all of the familiar faces, have hugs, and laughs, and build more connections. No more <i>Back to School Nights,</i> and when this last one was online, just sitting at my desk watching videos, I cried.</br>
<br>I am very fortunate. A lot of the connections to the school and staff that I made while the boys went there, have lasted, and between this and Robotics, and Book Club, I still have opportunities to volunteer, to meet students, connect with staff, support the school. I'd like to add, that I am thankful to Alex and Max... during their years at the school they made good, and lasting, impressions with teachers and staff. <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2021/10/dropping-in.html">They are still recognized, and that's always made a nice introduction, start, for Maria.</a></br>
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<br>This week I am hanging out in the screenprinting room. Maria needed a teacher's signature for a field trip so I went with her to the Arts & Humanities Building... probably haven't been in there in over two years! She could show me in her English classroom, then Fashion-Design. I could see the desks, the bulletin boards, and books, the view from the second story windows, the art on walls, her's, her classmate's... and I teared up. Again. <i>I know... emotions.</i> I was raised to suppress those, and feel apologetic, but I can't, not any more. I am emotional. At 55 I may know myself well enough to say, "This is who I am." And it's all too hard to suppress these days, so who am I kidding? I am sad that so much of the beauty, the learning journey, has been isolated from us, and I am sad that this wonderful journey of being a Mom to young folks, in grade school and high school, in clubs, and on field trips, going new places, making new friends, that for us, for me, is coming to an end... not <i>over,</i> but certainly transitioning into a realm that is far removed from these kinds of spaces and opportunities. I have loved it, all of it, even the tricky parts. It has been worthwhile and a privilege, too. Maybe I cry from a kind of happiness, too. At graduation, I expect at least one student will quote Theodor Geisel, <i>"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."</i> Certainly, there is a great deal to smile about. I loved loved loved this quiet visit, slipping into rooms, getting close up with art and school culture, and listening to Maria's voice as she described what happened here, or there, where she sits, where her friend sits, even the pause in her voice, waiting for my impressions, and repsonses.</br>
<br>I would like to thank every teacher that has had any tolerance for phones in the classroom. Actually, I happen to know that phones are an essential tool of the classroom these days, but still... I really appreciate that somedays I get texts from Maria. She updates me on events she needs to attend, or asks for a number for a student form, or even to help her recall dates, places where things took place, related to school or functions, or things coming up. She shares moments from Homeroom, from activities, like <i>Culture and Pride Day,</i> and pajama day, and Senior Java. Just now I am texting her about heading back to screen printing. <i>Gotta get those shirts done for FRC!</i></br>
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<i>Culture and Pride Day</i>... the student's answer to vandalism, and racist hate crimes. Maria texted me all day, concluding with <i>"This is a good day."</i> She bought the sunflower in support of Ukraine. Simon bought an armful, and shared more with Maria, and she shared her's with Acorn. Maria said it was heartening to see sunflowers carried around all over campus.
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One more quarter, and if it can be as good as it's been, or better... that would be wonderful.
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-75020206926156581542022-03-14T13:34:00.011-07:002022-03-30T11:10:33.401-07:00TransformationThis post is all about the primary bathroom, the one adjacent to our bedroom. We have transformed it, and I don't want to look back!
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I was very deliberate about taking some <i>before</i> pictures. Deliberate, but reluctant, because I was finally ready to admit something I had suppressed for a very long time: I did not like our bathroom. Until the stone tiles began crumbling apart, there wasn't anything so awful that I felt justified in complaining about it, or even imagining changing it. But our hardwater made the glass shower doors a headache to clean, and the tiles too. And the big tub was increasingly troubling... it was inconvenient to clean, we had some doubts and concerns about the weight of all of that water on a floor that extends unsupported, so that I was always anxious about using it, and when we did use it the water would cool quickly. It was a waste, unfortunately. Our faucets (and this is an embarrassing admission) were corroded and the valves stopped working properly years ago, so they were a real hassle to shut off. Big mirror (a favorite, repeated choice by the previous owner)... did not like. The egg-shell light fixtures... did not like. The blinds, self-destructing... ditto. Even having two sinks was mildly irritating. So, I didn't have pictures, not happy ones, of the bathroom. Maybe I have some from the stormy night when we were so concerned for the goats that we let them "sleep" in the shower. Once we knew Mike was coming, I began making choices for the new bathroom, and that was when I started to see that I was really really really eager and excited to make this room completely new, different, ours.
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Mike arrived in January, and before he started on our bathroom, he repaired the <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/01/count-to-ten-breath-repeat.html">hall skylight, which became an attic access, and he repaired the upstairs guest bathroom, where we had another skylight and water damage.</a> Oh, and the window... <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/breathtaking.html">I almost forgot about the big window he replaced.</a> While he was doing all of that work, I was immersed in paint chips and tile samples, and the headaches of supply chain issues. A few times <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/01/its-not-all-bad.html">I shared about that journey, picking tile, deciding on a look.</a> I've learned that remodeling is a privilege, and for me something of a torment, because I do it so mindfully... so full of concern about not doing a poor job, wasting money, time, effort. It feels like <i>this is my big chance, don't blow it!</i> Geoff wants me to just go for it, and he's not critical. It's my own internalized worry monster that plagues me with doubt, insecurity, constant fretting. And then, just when I could breath a sigh of relief, I would learn that our order was cancelled, because something was out of stock. It was getting closer and closer to demolition time, and time when Mike would need materials, and I was still trying to figure it out. Finally, we got tiles, and I was dizzy from staring at options and figuring out every variable... but privilege has its price! Oh, and the wallpaper! That was wishful thinking... just one statement wall with William Morrison's Strawberry Thieves. Geoff will indulge me anything, and Mike is master of many trades, but they each turned me down flat on hanging wallpaper! We laughed long and hard when I gently, hopefully, inquired, and they both answered in the same certain and absolute terms, <i>"No. No way."</i>
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My last job in the old bathroom was to clear out! By early February, the demolition was in full swing. <i>No turning back now!</i> Beneath the tub was a hatch, an access meant for shutting off the water valve to the tub, which, by the way, was never installed... anyway it was <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/words-and-pictures.html">very handy for dropping demo mess to the ground floor outside,</a> so most of the old tile didn't have to be carried through the house. And <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/progress-sort-of.html">then William cleared that heap away!</a>
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Mike used the tub framing lumber to build a stem wall for the shower and the shower bench. Ok, my two big design thrills were the bench in the shower and the alcove shelf on the outside of shower wall. Absolutely tickled to have Mike make those for me, and then I was stoked about putting in built-in tile shelves for shampoos and soaps... no more metal stand that always seems to turn into soapy rust. And! He installed a safety grab, which is just me acknowledging that we are not getting any younger. He raised the shower head... good for my taller husband. And... and without a massive tub to climb up and into, we could finally walk over to the three windows in that corner and easily look out! We have discovered that the best and unmatched views from any part of the house are at this spot! We can even crane our necks and spy the ocean. I am not saying this was part of my design choice, nonetheless, I guess I am taking credit for this wonder. Mike works clean, but it's still a messy process, and he works fast, but it still took time. I admit, I am still restoring our bedroom, and there were moments when it all felt inconvenient. What am I trying to say? It was hard, but it wasn't. Does that make sense? I do think I have a high tolerance for disruption, and clearly it was all about to pay off...
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Eventually, through hemming, hawing, fretting, and polling... I settled on paint, and curtains, and a new cabinet, and everything got closer and closer and closer to being really lovely, and <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/look-for-me-in-retiring-room.html">I was even eager to share glimpses of what was becoming something I felt excited about.</a>
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Instead of replacing the vanity, Mike painted it for us, and rebuilt the counter for one sink. Geoff and I have never crashed nor clashed around any bathroom, no matter how many sinks there were. More counter surface has far more appeal. I feel like I am rushing this post now... like, I was going to document every detail and date, and delivery of supplies, and trips to the hardware store, and record the times when I had to make one more decision, but it's done, and behind me, and I survived, and honestly... why look back? I just like stories, and I know that I learned things that will be helpful in the future (because we are building an accessory dwelling unit this year) and I will appreciate my own notes on this process, those lessons. But, yes... let's just see it done!!
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Technically, it's <i>almost done</i>. When Mike can return, he will add baseboards. But: <i>Ta Da!</i>
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<br>The fireplace is a spaceheater, and my Valentine's Day gift to Geoff. He likes a warmer room for his late night, after work shower, and the chair was one we've had for a long time. Either of us can pass sleepless insomnia time comfortably, without disturbing the other. William assembled my Ikea cabinet... at last, intentional storage space, that can be closed, pretty. The dark walls are Behr Deep Breath. The lighter walls are Behr Clear Pond. The cabinets are Behr Dragonfly. The shower curtain, and the drapes, are from Target, so is the vanity mirror. It wasn't a <i>snap,</i> but I love it like it's magic! And I made <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca--MBapO_4/">a fun reel to show the magic of transformation.</a> A nice development has been that I feel comfortable in the room, and there's space, obviously... it's a big bathroom, so I brought in my yoga mat, and free weights. I have been doing activities from physical therapy, and letting the room remain calm, and inviting... it's a luxury, a gift, and I am so glad it's done. I love this transformation.</br>
<br>Bird House Notes: <i>I feel chatty, like sharing more of our recent activities, some deep thoughts and other musings, but I am reluctant to bury this post about the ensuite completion! Thank you, friends who have chimed in and are celebrating this success with me. These are such heavy times, around the world, even closer to home, and... it's like that poem, about 'suffering and beauty coinciding.' Can't we all meet, over tea, on soft cushions, and talk about everything, and linger, laugh, sort it all out, and change the world for better? What time, where? I would love some company.
March 15, 2022</i></br>
<br><i>Public Service Announcement:
Pasta is back at Trader Joes!
But they still have no frozen tamales, nor vegan Indian food. I haven't recovered from the loss of their hazelnut coffee creamer, frozen juice concentrate. We love Trader Joes, but we must guard our hearts... one never knows when we may lose a favorite product! And, thank goodness for small wounds, little frustrations, minor hardships. They give us reason to vent, without any real trauma.
March 17, 2022</i></br>
<br><i>I am going to take a shower. And light a candle, maybe play a movie I have seen dozens of times already. If there were any cake around, I would eat that. Two servings. There is tea. My favorite tea. I might have two cups.
March 22, 2022</i>,</br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-6965951998901269762022-03-11T10:57:00.004-08:002022-03-15T08:30:36.414-07:00Where Did The Time Go<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBYHfgD_F-LhGvyUZnQMUUzz-zJ1Xz0rjYpUrGzoW26B_UnD1l58tUrlL_WmyX_8cinwluGmLr7Y-TXHJqlpAMPMnOQvIi2JRekCaxj_g-j43LffhDUJ2BLRooQSjyJZ1KYfPqSw7s-Fqz-Zgl9Mj7ZrStotUpRLvEabLKHeO6xkci38HRuQ" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBYHfgD_F-LhGvyUZnQMUUzz-zJ1Xz0rjYpUrGzoW26B_UnD1l58tUrlL_WmyX_8cinwluGmLr7Y-TXHJqlpAMPMnOQvIi2JRekCaxj_g-j43LffhDUJ2BLRooQSjyJZ1KYfPqSw7s-Fqz-Zgl9Mj7ZrStotUpRLvEabLKHeO6xkci38HRuQ"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJWGCJwA8PDQmgnXIvs0EH_CBakdKauIzbS6uczLpzsFHM9xAtfLhjz6efLRYHbS7Sj7R0ODzRHe0M5EhBvhX0LH_gAkFzoaGNq0FfERuNyWf2LuqVB2u0U3nzvBA_3hj1Ma9htTWN4nYKYeARfWS2h4fR-RHKvhuXYr2NwmqWTc2TIfDDcw" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJWGCJwA8PDQmgnXIvs0EH_CBakdKauIzbS6uczLpzsFHM9xAtfLhjz6efLRYHbS7Sj7R0ODzRHe0M5EhBvhX0LH_gAkFzoaGNq0FfERuNyWf2LuqVB2u0U3nzvBA_3hj1Ma9htTWN4nYKYeARfWS2h4fR-RHKvhuXYr2NwmqWTc2TIfDDcw"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRxYKHW3W_Gv3LMvxzpGSnXcJV-ajt4e5dH8FYNqGimZsF6tqrIKF9vTjW8J-o1TktyLttHej_pfQ4KAwD09dfBFWbhLo4DVe-GM4axf41L31MMvvycFZZ29He0Kj7OjPfUZvOVfdV2kojJ8XDpSGpkNDsw8XkFL89iACF3CpBGbwPN7SfOA" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRxYKHW3W_Gv3LMvxzpGSnXcJV-ajt4e5dH8FYNqGimZsF6tqrIKF9vTjW8J-o1TktyLttHej_pfQ4KAwD09dfBFWbhLo4DVe-GM4axf41L31MMvvycFZZ29He0Kj7OjPfUZvOVfdV2kojJ8XDpSGpkNDsw8XkFL89iACF3CpBGbwPN7SfOA"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifx13f8tAkQ6YZlWG2ZEEn5TCMN_mKSF3u0VHLVlPYJ6UIRcEoIqG-dhFSuG3vwgtkAwqWbAfAOfaZyedvhzGHM6jTyrfDFx3WoT09_65M-uE1FfRGNIppwxODAZ71gjV3UROdegCTPAYbnC25mLuqKSpmMhMU35b9C_ZwNgJa18PbE-ghMQ" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifx13f8tAkQ6YZlWG2ZEEn5TCMN_mKSF3u0VHLVlPYJ6UIRcEoIqG-dhFSuG3vwgtkAwqWbAfAOfaZyedvhzGHM6jTyrfDFx3WoT09_65M-uE1FfRGNIppwxODAZ71gjV3UROdegCTPAYbnC25mLuqKSpmMhMU35b9C_ZwNgJa18PbE-ghMQ"/></a></div>
This may be the peak of my daffodil season! I have been so happy about these, about finally finally planting bulbs, <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/blooms-wishes.html">even when I was embarrassed that I let them get a bit oogy, and I thought they were destined to rot in the ground.</a> Even when I was second guessing my meauring skills, whether I buried them too deeply, or too close together, whether squirrels would dig them up, or a blizzard would destroy them, even though we have never ever even had an inch of snow. <i>Next year!</i> I love to think of next year, or this Fall, actually, when I plan to plant twice as many. I want to fill this whole section with daffodils, and I want other varities, like the pale ones with orange cups, and the ones that are fragrant. Oh, just lots and lots. And more grape hyacinth, and what are those other classics... Crocuses! I hope I remember that this is worth the wait, worth the planning and small effort, and likely there is a bigger lesson in this, something about the value of acting on hope, applying effort and labor to intention. So, for the record, the Gardening Journal (that doesn't really exist, yet) <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2021/12/days-of-christmas.html">I planted the bulbs on December 28, 2021.</a> And that's when I should plant more, again, this year. I'll mark it on the calendar. Oh! What if we aren't in a pandemic, and people are hanging out, and all sorts of wonderful progressive things are happening, like peace and healthcare, and civil rights, and then I could have a birthday party and invite absolutely everyone, and we would fill the bed with bulbs, and I would send friends home with bulbs, and we'd eat tacos and roller skate in the driveway.
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<br>It's funny, I can't take my plans, even my fantasy plans, out of the driveway. Everything good, in the last two years has been in the driveway. I'm kidding, but not. I used to ignore the driveway. I used to think it was only a too large space that we were stuck with, practical, but oversized for its purpose, and wasteful. But since lockdowns and COVID and all of that, I adore our driveway, our wide, open, spacious and generous driveway! Our movie nights, and campfires, and stargazing, the picnics, and craft camps, even future events, have all revolved around the asphalt pad in front of our home. I may have a plaque made to commemorate the love and company we enjoyed here, the days and nights when this was a safe, welcome space for our loved ones to gather, and we endured, and we comforted one another. I even miss the nights when we fumbled through how to manage social distancing... to play games, or share food, or celebrate special occasions. Those gatherings are fewer and further between. Maybe, possibly, we can see real hope, a real chance to come out of The Stay At Home Season?</br>
<br>Paul and Janece reached out for a campfire gathering this week. And I was happy to move the chairs around, make some hot chocolate. We sipped chocolate and shared news, laughed, just our usual easy friendship pleasures. Our young ones are in their last semester of high school. And I can't believe how right I was when I declared <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2018/03/and-then-spring.html">that these years would fly by, and I would ask <i>"Where did the time go?"</i></a> Oh, my gosh, <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2011/10/e-ticket.html">where did the time go?</a></br>
<br>In the midst of conversing, my attention was diverted, and I found myself admiring my pretty friend. I wanted to tell her, to interrupt the conversation and say how pretty Janece is. Instead I raised my phone to take a picture. She turned to face me. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cayfn62LG_0/">Later, I wrote about what I was thinking, to save the moment.</a> I am glad I did. After the sun had set and we sat in flickering light and shadows, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca8KtXEPkCx/">they shared news with us.</a> Our friends are moving away, heading out for a new experience, for a chance to make life easier. Naturally, I have the best hopes and wishes for them, but not before I object, and protest, and wish that there was some other way. <i>Ten years,</i> I thought is a long time, <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2011/10/we-click.html">but ten years is a flash, a snap in time, when it's spent with friends that you click with</a>, with friends that in short time become more like family than people you met through blogging. Their calling is born of necessity, but they are embracing it, taking the adventure, and I hope to be a best kind of friend... one that supports them, and helps them move forward, and one that will always hold space for them, to stay connected, to share whatever new attachments we can make. Well, those are my noblest intentions, and aspirations, but I will always think this is one of the cruelest results of pandemic, of politics and economy and billionaire greed. I am disillusioned... no yachts, nor rockets, no tax evading corportate avarice, however shiny or glamorous will ever compare with families in safe homes, and children in good schools, with affordable healthcare for all people, and working a job should mean that you can thrive, not barely survive.</br>
<br>Sigh</br>
<br>I meant for this to be all about flowers and found nests in the nasturtium, my pretty friend, and looking forward to plans, to spring and summer and fall, again. I want to be looking forward, but just now, all I can think is <i>where did the time go?</i></br>
<br>Bird House Notes:<i> Yesterday I made flour tortillas. And. Well. Flour tortillas are a taste of heaven, and we were delighting in them all day long. Good for lunch. Good for an after school snack. Good for dessert. And it may seem like an overstatement, a bit much for something as basic as a tortilla, but then again... if you have had one, soft, warm, a bit dusty from flour, straight from the comal, then you know, and you may be nodding your head, and thinking of comforting moments in your life, when the world felt good. I am so thankful to be imbued with food as an emotion, as sentiment and affection, as a narrative of my ancestors, healing, love, survival, connection, and to have the impulse to share it all.
March 11, 2022</i></br>
<br><i>How many years has it been since we, in California, voted to get rid of Daylight Savings? The measure passed. The people have spoken. I cannot fathom that we are *this* intelligent and creative and miraculous, but we go to war, and withhold healthcare, and change the hour on our clocks twice a year.
March 13, 2022</i></br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-91779174660714638992022-03-10T11:08:00.002-08:002022-03-11T09:18:29.746-08:00Hello, Out There<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRV1UQy2EwIBy4mxVkPA4X7qbAkE31HnNY0rwOtjaMXDPHiW4TrnMnIymTWxbzFCbRXBR9NiV1l8_uOLnDta2LcHx5wAS9kP6kU5V4dohP-u1lHdlc1MZ79JZFysETC8762kbgdq7fzljgyiDn3Jy3_auVJVrb9ij7qKGH37YE7e3_337biA" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRV1UQy2EwIBy4mxVkPA4X7qbAkE31HnNY0rwOtjaMXDPHiW4TrnMnIymTWxbzFCbRXBR9NiV1l8_uOLnDta2LcHx5wAS9kP6kU5V4dohP-u1lHdlc1MZ79JZFysETC8762kbgdq7fzljgyiDn3Jy3_auVJVrb9ij7qKGH37YE7e3_337biA"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6kL_DpDVAZHsSRBaB6N6jUv_0Ru1x2HI9SPU-_aD-74SxDcxJHHj7P4Uh4CYKlB7b28fR3WYI7D3-eb3VdpGTofO05VpKFmIcPU-yr4unP7zffoB4HSDnFQyvURiNR9hZTcBSgoBkhro69hMCe6hE5HoKgplLD7ELAyQFuNn4_zkhJsf24g" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6kL_DpDVAZHsSRBaB6N6jUv_0Ru1x2HI9SPU-_aD-74SxDcxJHHj7P4Uh4CYKlB7b28fR3WYI7D3-eb3VdpGTofO05VpKFmIcPU-yr4unP7zffoB4HSDnFQyvURiNR9hZTcBSgoBkhro69hMCe6hE5HoKgplLD7ELAyQFuNn4_zkhJsf24g"/></a></div>
We returned to <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/02/a-few-hours-at-zoo.html">the Zoo.</a> Geoff was hopeful about joining us, but crunchmode is still crunching, and so his fun has been deferred, again. This is probably what started our old tradition of celebrating birthdays, or any occasion, over days, or even weeks. We can't let scheduling conflicts, work hours, school demands, or anything, completely derail our fun, so we are very flexible with dates, and happy to extend birthday celebrations over multiple days, with multiple <i>special</i> activities. William's ultimate hope and plan is to <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2021/11/imagination-poetry-mochi-and-more.html">return to the museums in Los Angeles,</a> particularly La Brea. Anyway, we are very lucky to be near an amazing Zoo, and we are loving our passes. We beat the crowds, and had another fun outing, another chance to celebrate William's birthday.
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It's <a href="https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org">a big Zoo,</a> and we saw all new animals, like takin, big cats and big eagles, okapi, hippos, and polar bears. William and I became enchanted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takin">by the takin</a> (sounds like "rockin.'") They are a bit amorphous, which is not a typically flattering distinction, but then they have these distinguised horns framing their moose-like faces, and... I don't know, they're just endearing, somehow. <i>("Distinguised?" I saw this awful typo/misspelling late last night and cringed. Writing and speaking have gotten easier, most days, but it's still a struggle. I will leave this one alone. A reminder that I am here and trying, and that mistakes aren't fatal.)</i> The sign at the Zoo mentions that they can "leap up to 6 feet," and considering the size of them, how stocky and heavy they look, my fascination only increased, and I tried to imagine a takin in full flight. We were at the zoo between rain showers, and everything felt refreshed, brightened. The view from the <a href="https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/San_Diego_Zoo_01-03-22_Guest_Map_Optimized.pdf">Bashor Bridge,</a> of Balboa Park, the Tower, and Downtown, is always stunning. Two hours of walking and learning, observing, talking, of clouds and sunshine, and we left happy, already thinking of how nice it will be to come back, again.
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We headed to South Park for lunch, which was <i>almost perfect</i>... the "between" showers part of the day was behind us, and we got literally drenched eating our lunch al fresco! We were almost done eating, when it got to be too much, and we had to dash for the van! But what an excellent lunch! We can't wait to get back to Shwarma Guys, and the rest of South Park that we left unexplored. One thing I couldn't skip was The Book Catapult. William, Maria, Max, and I popped in, and we were not disappointed.
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<br>This is the kind of bookstore that makes a city a destination. The staff are always engaging, welcoming. Our friend, <a href="https://hello.boygirlparty.com">Susie Ghahremani's</a> mural leaves me feeling like we've had a little visit! <i>And books</i>! I always find a title that is compelling, irresistible, and whatever I am looking for they are happy to find, and they'll order books, which they can hold in the store, or ship. I ordered <a href="https://www.gracebonney.com/collective-wisdom">a book, <i>Collective Wisdom</i>, by Grace Bonney,</a> and the bonus is I get to return to South Park when it comes to <a href="https://www.thebookcatapult.com">The Book Catapult.</a></br>
<br>I guess this post was just a chatty catch-up. The news, still bleak and heart-breaking, can consume my thoughts, so I am here... in a virtual space of fond recollection, and hopeful anticipation that some online friends will chat, too. Hello, out there!</br>Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-62086287325322329582022-03-08T09:48:00.002-08:002022-03-11T08:45:18.124-08:00Make Joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn8qbKlIIvBP3UY6MJhgVMGSoiGuRIkPCdczc8sG-3t7cat4a6nzMweZE8FJpX7W8BUdbJlkdq9zDGS2WHV4_PpmkK1pfm8eII-vmiulMZbZoiWn_47mBdCcNHGpdAGEJHaI88xYjKn7BD2jyO6JX6VHDv7hLeSEwsB7rjIZmD5aMVPeY8xw" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn8qbKlIIvBP3UY6MJhgVMGSoiGuRIkPCdczc8sG-3t7cat4a6nzMweZE8FJpX7W8BUdbJlkdq9zDGS2WHV4_PpmkK1pfm8eII-vmiulMZbZoiWn_47mBdCcNHGpdAGEJHaI88xYjKn7BD2jyO6JX6VHDv7hLeSEwsB7rjIZmD5aMVPeY8xw"/></a></div>
<br>The <i>healthroom</i> is almost almost complete. So close! For me, the hardest part was making paint and tile choices, but now comes the second hardest (slowest) part and that's putting everything back togethter! All of the things that were in the bathroom were packed, and shuttled and crammed into our bedroom, mostly, and then I spent weeks and weeks pretending that none of it was a problem... not messy, dusty, stressful, cluttered, trip-hazardy, nada. Now I am in restoration mode, and I am slow, but at least I am being intentional... I am deep cleaning, purging, trying to be mindful about what stays and what goes, and so, I hope that when I get things in order, and looking good, they will be genuinely good, organized, only the "brings me joy" things will remain. I want to confess that <i>"I am embarrassed about my pace, about the extent of the dust and stuff,"</i> but life has been one thing after another, and suddenly, I am older, injured/pained, slower, a bit pandemic stunted, and the kindest thing I could do is say, <i>"Ok. But I am still trying."</i></br>
<br>Say <i>hello</i> to Reginald. <i>Reginald, Fairie Saint of Self-Regard.</i> I am certain that this dapper llama would have only kind and patient things to say about how I ought address myself, what phrases and expressions I utter when contemplating my existence, worth, and self-view. Oh, and say <i>hello</i> to my chamomile! Didn't I say I want to grow chamomile, to have enough to cut and bring inside? Haven't I dreamt of the day, and sighed aloud, to have a garden, and flowers, and a home of our own? How ever do I manage to get down and muddled in my thinking, when there are flowers growing outside my kitchen window, and a blue arched niche, where I can set a pitcher of soothing blossoms? There is dust here, and stashes of things I need to manage, and chipped plates, and clothes that need mending, and sometimes, really quite often, I find something more compelling to do than sort my books by color. I am so fortunate.</br>
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I am very happy to share that one of <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/03/happiness.html">William's many projects is complete!</a> The two sinks in our primary bathroom were taken out, and could have gone to a landfill, but I had this hare-brained idea about them being nest boxes, and William took me at my word! You guys, look what he did!
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The pitched roof, and paint! We kept the hardware in. I was his assistant when he was squaring it all up for the roof. He added the fence boards, so they would have privacy from the goats, a little more coziness. I love the green paint, which is the same paint he's using to finish the cart. Naturally, the goats were the most interested in the new furniture, especially Grace. The chickens lay most of their eggs in the goats's hay manger, so it's only fair that the goats might eat from the hen's nest boxes.
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I planted an egg in the nest, to give the hens the idea. Then I planted a hen on the nest boxes to give them even more hints, but Willow did not catch on. It will take time. If they never take to it, I might plant herbs in the sinks, or employ the whole thing in a roadside stand where I sell art and eggs, lemons, passionfruit, chamomile, and tacos.
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<br>The days go on. No one needs me to mention war, to link to climate change perils, or count the dead from COVID. It has been one thing after another, and then some. We need a vacation. I bet <i>you</i> need a vacation! It's been too much, and how many times have I said that since... <i>2016?</i> Complaining, even listing the hardships, is a strange thing. Some people do it so readily, and even seem to elicit support, empathy, a good-humored laugh in solidarity. I keep biting my tongue, surpressing, downplaying, hoping I will be cured by optimism, relieved by denial. And the days go on. I would have lost the bet on <i>things getting better.</i> Thank goodness I come across words and expressions that help me live with all of this... this harrowing stuff of war and hate, of racsim, disease, distrust, and too, the indescribable beauty of an egg, and painted walls, cut flowers, of friends sitting around a campfire, in relative peace.</br>
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<br><i>"I am washing my face before bed</br>
<br>while a country is on fire.</br>
<br>It feels dumb to wash my face</br>
<br>and dumb not to.</br>
<br>It has never been this way</br>
<br>and it has always been this way.</br>
<br>Someone has always clinked a</br>
<br>cocktail glass in one hemisphere as</br>
<br>someone loses a home in another,</br>
<br>while someone falls in love in the</br>
<br>same apartment building where</br>
<br>someone grieves. The fact that</br>
<br>suffering, mundanity and beauty</br>
<br>coincide is unbearable and</br>
<br>and remarkable.</br>
<br>~Mari Andrew</i></br>
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<br>An egg! In the nest box! Remarkable. What good and clever hens. This one someone did all on her own.</br>
<br>Wherever you are, whether safe and content, or struggling, or both, I hope you find an egg in a nest, or that you can paint a wall, eat a delicious orange, hold a baby, put on clean socks. I hope that you find a YouTube channel that makes you laugh until your sides ache, or that you share a phone call with a friend, and it makes the day feel lighter, more promising. Good things are better shared.</br>
<br><i>The trouble is that we have a bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid. Only pain is intellectual, only evil is interesting. This is the treason of the artist; a refusal to admit the banality of evil and terrible boredom of pain." ~Ursula K. Le Guin</i></br>
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</div>
<br>Take joy... look for it, and exclaim, and share it, make more of it, make more of it than seems necessary, because joy is essential. I should paint these words on every wall, or at least keep them close at hand, and ready to slay the foes of art and happiness.
</br>
<br>Bird House Notes: <i>I have been sitting here for ten minutes trying to think of something to chirp about. I'd like it to be something current, but not devastating, not like the news headlines, and I'd like to be personal, so I am not divulging other people's big announcements, new life chapters. I would like to not whine, or grieve, or shudder. I made a tasty sandwich, with a deep stack of lettuce leaves, a hint of mustard. We are out of sprouts. If someone asked, though, "How are you?" I would sputter, with simulated confidence, like Han Solo, "Everything's under control, situation normal. We're fine. We're all fine here, now, thank you. How are you?" March 7, 2022</i></br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-9396162840150222272022-03-03T14:33:00.007-08:002022-03-04T08:49:16.067-08:002102 in 2022... It's A Paradox<br><center><b>Caution: You Are Entering a Robot Zone!</b></center></br>
<br>It's been a long spell since the last update on <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/search/label/Paradox">FIRST 2102 Team Paradox...</a> I did mention <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2022/01/back-to-it.html">Kick-off, the start of the build season for 2022.</a> There was the last <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2019/06/summer-but-first-maker-faire.html">Maker event we jointly attended.</a> <i>Oh, how I miss those.</i> There was the <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2019/06/cat-bunnies-flowers-friends.html">end of season party in 2019,</a> when Maria, was a freshman, and <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2019/04/april-12-17-lucha-libre-to-houston.html">Championships, the same year!</a> And the <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2019/03/a-first-regional-competition.html">San Diego FIRST Regional that lead to Houston!</a> Good memories. The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7ejGDhHisX/">2020 season</a> started off <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B77f8T4HT3h/">with a lot of promise,</a> team <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8CoXEonE8U/">effort,</a> a good <a href="https://www.instagram.com/boomnerds/">Kick-off,</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Q0OPjJ1MP/">outreach. Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ovhFmnAMW/">things kind of fell apart with the arrival of COVID.</a> It was disappointing, and though the Team made spirited efforts and kept things active and noteworthy in 2021, Maria took the year off. Okay, I know that was a lot of links, and a lot of twists and turns... I won't be hurt if you skim over all of this. We love robots and the young folks that design, manufacture, assemble, and program them, the same young folks that write grants and fundraise, design their look, and manage their social media, outreach, peer-mentoring, and recruiting, and <a href="https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc">compete, graciously, in FIRST Robotics Competitions.</a> This will be our last season with one of our own on the team, but we will always be ready to cheer for 2102! In pictures and words, this post is for FIRST 2102 Team Paradox, and the start of their 2022 season.</br>
<br><center><b>Kick Off, When FIRST Reveals the Game to Teams Around the World!</b></center></br>
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Simon, with the mic, sharing his group's break down of one section from the rule book. <i>Photograph by George Stimson</i>.
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Mentors ready to meet students, check their vaccination cards, and welcome them to 2022 FIRST Kick Off, and <i>Rapid React.</i> I know Ido and Nick F, and in the mentor jumpsuit, Steve D.
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Now Maria has the mic. That's almost the whole team, mentors, icluding some alumni, and a few parents, but there were also students online, participating safely, from their homes.
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Leanne has three kids on the team! Max, is a senior, Anna and Alex are sophomores. Leanne has been mentoring, and as you can see she has adopted the colorful spirit of Team Paradox.
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Simon, Maria, and alumni Nick F. Maria was happy to work with <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/search?q=Nick+F">Nick, a mentor and friend she's known since her brother, Alex, was on the team.</a>
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I know Nitin, and Karen D. It's not as easy to meet new students. Since COVID, and the frequency of school shootings, guests aren't as easily admitted on campus, and even then, everyone is masking. I really miss the open campus, the BC days.
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Hopefully, I can come back in and name a few more of these students, with Maria's help. I recognize Nick F, with the mic, and Simon in his team hoodie, and Maria on the end.
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I am pretty sure Kyra has the mic, and I recognize Keene, in the gray hoodie.
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Team moms, and mentors, Leslie and Patti. Both are wonderful assests to Team Paradox, and FIRST.
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Liam is <i>on the ball</i>.
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Team president, Lake, and Tatyana on his left.
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George Stimson took this one. I miss having George on campus. He taught physics and history, and he always captured great pictures of the students, in all kinds of activities and events. He built a bridge, keeping parents connected with happenings and student life around school.
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<br>One more picture from George... this time with Simon holding up a rough sketch of a proposed robot element.</br>
<br>Kick-off is two days. The game and rules are revealed, and Team Paradox has a finely tuned system of breaking the team into groups, so that the manual and rule book can be read, analyzed, distilled, then shared with the team. From this comes a better understanding of the game, the robot, the limitations, and options, and then a stratgey for both desiging the robot, and playing the game can be developed. This year, only a day before the already complicated event, the team learned they would have to make new accomodations due to rising cases of OMICRON... the president, Lake, had to plan and coordinate for everything to move into two safe indoor spaces, then one, practical space for outdoors. Additionally, Paradox hosted the new teams from Oceanside High School, and an online school, Team 4014.</br>
<br><b><center>Team Colors and Tshirt Printing</center></b></br>
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Keene, president of marketing is discussing modifications for screenprinting of the design, with Maria.
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Tatyana measuring, and preparing the board for holding the shirts. <i>A moment for effusive expression: Tatyana and Maria were classmates throughout grade school, and I dearly love this (now) young woman! She was always involved, always gracious... she still is! I just loved her enthusiam for participating in clubs, and extracurriculars, for her sweet smile, and curiosity. It's so lovely to see that she's retained her love of learning, and connecting with opportunities. She is an excellent assest to her team, and the World.</i>
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<br>The robotics teams are showing up for science and technology, but team spirit, outreach, and marketing, count, too. They have to stand-out in many ways, and so in 2008-09, the marketing team decided that bright and loud were the team's look, and that's when <a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2011/03/you-are-about-to-enter-robot-zone.html"><i>yellow on top, red on the bottom, and Paradox all over</i></a> became the standard uniform. The team also chooses a new Tshirt design to screen print and sell, every year. We are delighted to share that Maria's design was chosen this year. It's a Parrot and an Ox... a parrotox... <i>Paradox!</i> She included an element or two that are nods to the Tshirts Alex designed for the team.</br> <br><i>Robotics, at this school, is an after school club, and not techincally supported, nor sponsored by the school, and yet... the Team is dependent and indebted to the school, to the many supportive, patient and enthusiastic teachers that mentor and accomodate Paradox.</i></br>
<br><b><center>Bag & Tag and Root Beer Floats</center></b></br>
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<br>This event marks the final hours when the team can work on their robot before the teams meet in competition at regional events around the world. Team Paradox is continuing the tradition of marking this event with sharing the robot, and sometimes the practice robot, with parents, and family, and by serving up celebratory root beer floats. It's a fun night, with some relief for what's been accomplished in the weeks since Kick-off. And, by the way, the robot was named <i>Viper!</i> Viper looks gorgeous, and starting this weekend the student built robot will be <a href="https://cafirst.org/frc/hueneme/">competing in the North Los Angeles regional at Port Hueneme.</a> And to look good, and stand out, the team is going to need those Tshirts!</br>
<br><b><center>Back to the Screen Printing Shop!</center></b></br>
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The Paradox and team number are up front, and the esteemed sponsors are on the back.
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Finished shirts, after going through a heat dryer, are folded, boxed.
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<br>Tatyana, Leah, Michael, Keene, and Maria</br>
<br>There was a small setback in printing, but things were back on track this week. The marketing students pushed and printed plenty of uniforms for the upcoming regional, and there will be even more printed for the San Diego, and Las Vegas regionals! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CapxoW8gMUU/">You can see them in action on Instagram.</a> That's not all for the year. There may be a trip to Houston, if Paradox wins a regional, or is awarded with something like<i> Engineering Inspiration</i>. And then there are outreach events, and other design and build opportunities, student lead classes over summer, and plenty of STEM related possibilities for this spirited, inspired and inspiring team of robot building young folks. </br>
<br>Bird House Notes: <br>We can't find the vacuum. We've searched every room. I'll keep you posted. If inconsequential and trivial news is any help to you, then please tune in... we have loads of nonsense I could share.
February 28, 2022</i></br>
<i>Uh. Found it. Under a hat five inches away from where I am sitting. I don't want to talk about it.
February 28, 2022</br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3534240.post-70167010174406081742022-03-01T09:48:00.003-08:002022-03-07T11:46:58.958-08:00Happiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqBjPR-OPPsLHqPdATcksGMu37vNVDi6MS0dPx_h5BkFC787HgkFyauYrOzJP48AIfVPVhTGB1uKR1ZnDlcvIiHjPbdRqovScRuAVbkMgQyleqvstaB8N7a-Bv22Fd-R1T3g8UBiT-1bFwrBw2GRb2fjVManr_gkUsntfemH0owI8Tc5T-lA" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; "><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqBjPR-OPPsLHqPdATcksGMu37vNVDi6MS0dPx_h5BkFC787HgkFyauYrOzJP48AIfVPVhTGB1uKR1ZnDlcvIiHjPbdRqovScRuAVbkMgQyleqvstaB8N7a-Bv22Fd-R1T3g8UBiT-1bFwrBw2GRb2fjVManr_gkUsntfemH0owI8Tc5T-lA"/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYhVLzUcfoRcB9-K_6BRBl_6_5EIdTstpdtYwKYhAYRrJxhYAAeHRGXdcTx8OoZ_3C6CYC6Y6rOQdTHvDje5x20Cangik61vPS1FcBs2UDGDqKF1f0ELeDmp1I8WehU4Dp33XaGAuvlvffoRLXUPbrEceR5y2GNPQnuSD86nOi5f3apPJwkw" style="display: block; 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February! Faces! Flowers! Technically, it is still Winter, but maybe late in February we have been blessed with glimpses of an early Spring. It's been a very long Winter, kind of a groundhog repitition of days, countless days, since March 2020, waiting for a pandemic to recede, for glimmers of normalcy. At least it warmed up for an afternoon of crafting, and friends came to help us with <a href="http://youngmakersclub.blogspot.com/2014/04/make-paper-flowers.html">an old favorite... flower making.</a> Suitable for any occasion, we are making lots and lots of paper flowers, with help from our friends. Lucas, Tutu Ruth, Gordon, and Anna Banana joined us, and many hands really do make light work! Even while learning, and chatting, sipping tea and sampling cookies and Ruth's power treats, we managed to fill up two long boxes with cheery, festive flowers. Then Alex and Bambi strung them up to see how they look as garlands. And in the midst of all that, we began an early celebration of William's birthday. Anne and I talked <i>weddings.</i> Adam and Hanabi are engaged, and will wed in Japan this Fall. <i><a href="https://www.chickenblog.com/2013/06/remembering-june-9-2006.html">I searched around for an old post about Adam, and found a perfect one.</a></i> And since this "paragraph" is chock full, I will take this moment to add: Tamsyn is coming to see us this summer! Yes, I am resolved... these are happy glimpses of happy prospects, a year of dear faces, and flowers, and celebrations, gatherings, good health, good will. <i>Make it so.</i>
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And Making! I declare this a year of making. We haven't slowed down on the making, and recently things have really picked up speed, especially between William and Geoff. If Geoff isn't at his work desk, then he is at his tinkering desk. His latest marvel is an <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/66428163232476721/">old butler's phone (<i>I can't find a good example. I guess you'd have one between your study and the butler's pantry?</i>)</a> that he re-wired for blue tooth, so that you can use it to call Siri. It's a speaker phone. It's also a charging station. Honestly, I don't think I am doing this <i>wizardry</i> justice. How about a sample?
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<br>And today. Today is William's birthday. First born. The one that made me a Mom, and Geoff a Dad. This should be all about him, but I can't help including how dear and personal this day is to me, because of him. I have dearly loved being a Mom, being his Mom. Parenting can't be what we think it will be, or what we imagine it might be. It comes with challenges, wonders, joys, that can never be foreseen, but I feel tremendous gratitude, and hope. His story, his journey, is compelling, worthwhile, and I am as delighted, honored, as ever to see it all unfold, to be included in his life. He is making a nest box for the chickens... taking another of my harebrained ideas and making it a reality, so that our old bathroom sinks will be built into nestboxes, for my silly hens. If they won't lay in there, then we will switch to Plan B, and fill them with flowers... <i>Sweet William</i>, being my first choice. William is continuing work on the food cart, modifying old door knobs to fit into contemporary hardware, building a paper moon, assembling furniture for the nearly completed bathroom, and more. Happy Birthday, William! Happy making and curating, baking, cooking, running, reading, happy movie watching, and linguistic studies, happy you, and happy us to know and love you. </br>
<br>Bird House Notes: <i>A storm came through and the thunder and lightning were so intense, even Maria woke up. We held hands in the dark, and fell asleep to heavy rain pattering on the roof. We are so fortunate.
March 4, 2022</i></br>
Natalie, the Chickenbloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07424213130274740719noreply@blogger.com7