Everyday Life 30 :: 13
Our Pizzeria is Open!

Technically this post is more accurately a reflection of things that do not happen Everyday. We do not make pizza or coffee Everyday. And I certainly do not meticulously rip-out quilting that is too wonky... more on this in a moment.


With dough from Trader Joe's, a great deal of enthusiasm, and some naivete, we launched our home pizzeria enterprise. Don't expect a public debut for a time. We still have some kinks to work out. Ah, but we had fun. Lots and lots of fun.

First, I created a playlist on iTunes, so we could set a Euro-Italian-Slow Food-Mood. Think... "O Mio Babbino Caro," "Buono Sera," Tino Rossi, Louis Prima, Vivaldi. With our pizza tunes playing we rolled up our sleeves, washed our hands, and began slicing and dicing. Everyone made their own creation. Well, Geoff came too late to make his own and Maria was still too drowsy from her late nap.


Alex's pizza was a deep dish pie with cheese, sauce, pepperoni and pineapples all layered between the divided dough. He added a face to the top. It was deeply delicious.


William's pizza was more traditional. I must commend his patience with the stretch and retract dough, which is hard to work with. I did call Anne at this point... they know pizza at her house, and I got some helpful suggestions and some new ideas and news about UU events in Florida... ooops! Back to the kitchen! LOL... So, William's pizza had basil and sauce, extra garlic, spicy Italian chicken sausage, cheese and pepperoni. It came out scrumptious! Trader Joe's crust might take some time for us to learn to work with, but the flavor and texture are worth it.


Max wanted an altogether unique pizza experience and he achieved this with his pepperoni surprise, stuffed crust pizza. He kept laying stuff on, then rolling and pounding the edges to hide all the saucy-cheesy-pepperoni goodness. It came out round and perfect, just like he worked for, and it tasted just to his liking. Another good cook.


My pizza came out of the oven first, and it sustained and inspired us. We kept sampling it as we cooked the rest. Mmmm it was good. It was a plain crust smothered in chopped garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, basil, onions, crushed peppers, and a little cheese... really just a small handful... oh, I really should write this one down. Oh, the wine was tasty too.


Slowly rousing from her evening nap, Maria took her veggie pizza in her tent, her castle, her personal space. Sweet are the luxuries of youth.


Behold: I make the worst coffee ever. I threw out the first pot and tried again, and the second was only half as bad as the first batch, but certainly not worth drinking. Blech. I do not make coffee everyday, or even once a month. At this rate I may never make it again.


I have not gone into any details about this... I have not disclosed the absolutely awesome nature of my Christmas present, but you may be able to guess what I am trying to learn how to master from this picture.

Life is Motion

Everything is moving. And I've noticed everything will move, whether you agree to ride or not. Resistance is futile, and like on an amusement park ride it may even make matters worse... resisting, that is. Better to just surrender and flow. Oh, wait. That can't always be right. I can't "go with the flow" when it's about injustice or when my values are compromised. Never mind. Deep thoughts are one thing, but trying to encapsulate a method for living into a bumper sticker philosophy is ridiculous.


Everything is moving. Some days we ride. Some days we stay in our pajamas and eat pancakes for dinner. That's better.


This is a peek of a little something I am putting together for my Sweetheart.


This is Maria playing with a DS. She can draw an image and then delete it, or duplicate it, or send it to another DS. Mom? Mom, what could I do when I was 3? Yesterday she was cutting out little faces she drew, then she cut out feet shapes and put faces on them too. Happy Feet. Looking out the window at breakfast, Maria said, "The birds are flying on the rain, and the clouds are getting wet."


Lego has a Mars Mission theme. It's been out for a while, but it is new to Max. He loves it. He took his Christmas money and his allowance (and his mommy) to the store last night and added a new set to his collection. He stayed up late, working next to me in my bed for company, and assembled everything. This morning he shared all the intricate details and his exuberance.

And now for some Links. The Web would not be a web without links.

If you are ever in the mood to discover design ideas or delightful ways to waste time, you need look no further than "How About Orange." Jessica Jones has led me to all kinds of interesting quizzes, ideas, tutorials and games, and her latest suggestion looks very good. Colorful, design inspired office supplies... that so totally appeals to the optimistic office bee in me.

Geoff has a special way of communicating with me. He sends emails with news links and other, lighter, topics. In the subject bar is the only clue about what he is thinking. The subject that came with this link was "hehe." The fate of the planet hangs in the balance... how will you vote?

He shared this one with me too: Click it if you love Christmas music, talent mixed with humor, and you can bear to hear one more holiday medley. I think Anne shared it too. I get to hear her sing this weekend!

OKay. That's it. I gotta get myself in motion!

New Year
Gee, nothing convinces you it's a new year like the first day back to school. Sigh. I was as ill prepared as Alex and Max. How can our family time, our freedom, our holiday hoopla be over? Wearing their new watches, bathed, and armed with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, I walked my two boys to their classes. Max is convinced he is not a good student. Alex cannot bear the thought of another *elective* drama class... all of their electives are mandatory. How many days until Summer? The advent of Summer!


Some days in January you might believe it nearly is Summer. The sky is clear, the lawns are green, only a light breeze makes a sweater a comfortable option. We spent the first day of the new year having lunch at a friend's house. Their front yard is a sprawling playground of flower beds and sunny spots that are ideal for chase, coloring, spreading out and reflecting on the ups and downs of life in suburbia. It was a sweet way to spend a lazy, mellow day.


After 3 Kings Day I will put away the very last of our Christmas symbols and memories. I just love seeing the Christmas cards gathered on the living room wall. I will bundle them together with a ribbon and add them to past Christmases. It's supposed to rain tomorrow which is our only indication that it is still winter, otherwise, with decorations packed and the tree turned to mulch, it could be any time of year. Don't you agree we should impose ourselves on someone and show up at their mountain cabin? We need snow! We need a bracing, icy, snowy winter with a sled ride or two, maybe some ski lessons, frosted window panes, ice skating, sleigh bells. Sometimes blogging is merely thinking out loud...

Thirty-Two Feet and Eight Little Tails... Santa Laughing "Ho-Ho-Ho-Ho!"

Dale Evans is singing and I am catching-up with email and news, and... and slowly, slowly preparing to clean this house! I think Santa must have let his reindeer in, instead of keeping them on the roof, and let me tell you, thirty-two feet can make quite a mess! Naughty little reindeer.


Ah, but the Christmas smiles... it makes the rush and crush so worthwhile. For Christmas smiles I can brave Southland traffic. For Christmas smiles I can make-up patterns for pajamas and sew them by Christmas Eve, and make a pillow case for Max's Froggy!


And it's so worthwhile to make time for friends, for play, for family visits. Would it really be Christmas without those? Take away bows and stockings and tinsel and such, and it would be disappointing, but without play and family, friends and spiritual joy it would be pointless.


It's what I kept reminding myself of every time I felt panic about all that has to get done! Relax. Go with the flow. Savor that pizza grin, and never mind the playground sand all over the car.


We went to the zoo, and Pasadena, to church on Sunday, and the park on Thursday, to Grampa's on Monday, we made tamales, we played with cousins, we built Mars Stations and played tea party. We gave and received, we sang and we prayed, and we really haven't stopped...

Allow me just one moment to be a bit melancholy... I miss my family, the ones who I didn't get to play with this week, and the homesickness I feel, the touch of sadness, well I guess it's part of Christmas too, because it reminds me to be grateful and hopeful and to cherish the ones I love. So I will send an extra note of love and affection to friends and family, near and far: Merry Christmas Oregon, Washington, the Philippines, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Norway, Massachusetts, Colorado, Canada, Florida, Virginia, New York, Minnesota, Tennessee, New Zealand, Belgium, Mexíco, California, and way far East, where I hope you are especially safe.


I will be reflecting on Christmas pleasures for months and years to come. Now it's time to dig out... there are messes blessings all over the place!

Wordless Wednesday Christmas Edition

Seeking a Noche De Paz

Merry Christmas
Feliz Navidad
Mele Kalikimaka
Buon Natale

On good advisement, I am setting aside projects & any unnecessary errands, and I will stop saying "Yes" to everything. I am going to slow down and smell the pine. I don't want to be a worn out heap by Tuesday, or by Christmas Eve for that matter. Mind you, the decision not to add to my list does not mean that I won't be busy in the next few days, but I am going to relax about the details, and focus on the blessings. Christmas time is here and I don't want to miss the magic and the wonder.

Happy Solstice
I wish you peace and plenty, light and comfort, and a very Merry Christmas.

Yours Truly: Lady Madame Natalie the Incomplete of Eschaton End Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

(Thank you Campbell Girl for this fun little gift!)

Theme-less Thursday
Fellow bloggers are you sending Christmas cards?... with photos?... and newsy letters? I love those! I am running out of time to get my cards signed and in the mailbox, and I am really frustrated about this. It's the same every year: The ideal vision of a perfect Christmas, with happy faces next to every checked-off item on my to do list, and then the sad realization that I cannot do it all. It's so much easier when I roll over and give-up, with some dignity. But instead I am getting snappy and cranky and grinchy and I am really starting to panic that I may be visited by Krampus (I learned about him from Jennifer, but for the full story Google him. Yikes!) I addressed and stamped 40 cards, and I could sign them and send them, but I am still attached to the idea of writing and enclosing a letter and printing 40 pictures to send along. There's no time. There is no time! Sorry, that was for my benefit.

Maybe I haven't written a letter and printed photos, because it's so much like what I do several times a week here at Chickenblog... I don't have much more to say in a letter than I have already written about in the blog. Seriously, it would be really redundant and quite possibly annoying, boring and pointless too. I don't want to be redundant, annoying, boring and pointless... not at Christmas, not any more than usual.

That settles it: I am going to sign our names, and write a quick little Love or maybe a doodle heart, and then seal and send. Done. Simple. Move on.

Thank you. You have been a tremendous help. You know who you are...

Wordless Wednesday

Sweet Diversions
I don't know what possessed me to call friends over, but I have no regrets. We finally made time and squeezed in our annual gingerbread decorating party. It's our family tradition, having friends over and we bequeath them a kit and we offer them hot glue for assembly and food for their appetites, and, in recent years, we slip "Elf" in the player. And then it's sweet creativity and sugary abandon for the rest of the evening!


Alex worked on an Ikea house, so he could, at long last, try skipping the hot glue, and go all icing. He had great success with this, though we did have to modify the very thick icing.


I whipped-up a little hot glue and graham cracker creation just for Maria to decorate. Why hot glue? It's fast and it holds, and we never eat our houses. That's how we do it.


Our friends, Adam, Anne and Jacob, voted to go with an all icing construction too. Patiently they waited out the 15 minute drying time... alas, in the end, the icing was less than effective, so we came in with a last minute hot glue fix on the roof. It's like retrofitting, which is something Californians are quite accustomed to.


Mitchell and William worked together as a dream team... I think they could enter a Food Network Challenge!


Without debate or conflict, they quietly set to making a very thoughtfully decorated gingerbread masterpiece.


Maria scored points for patience and novice skill. She even endured the dreaded sticky fingers! And then she discovered they were sweet and sticky fingers... hmmm, not bad!


She really loved this decorating business.


Max was disappointed that Mom was too lazy to let him mix 4 different colored icings this year. I won't apologize: I didn't have my partner and fellow clean-up man, Geoff, this time, so I meant to keep it simple... simpler... somewhat.


Mitchell could not believe that we never eat our houses and my boys could not comprehend wanting to eat the houses. They do look good enough to eat, but it's just not part of our tradition.


The *L* Team: Jacob, Anne and Adam. Their house is going to smell so good and gingery!


Our house smells good and gingery too.


Maria was so happy this morning when she got to show her daddy her house.


I found another old post about our gingerbread traditions, from 2003,, but I need to unlock all the pictures... that might not happen too soon, but I'll try. (Update: I fixed the photo links. Good grief that was hard.) Now, I am off to make tamales!

Update part 2, with a part 3 in the works:

Max wanted to see the photos of gingerbreads past, so we went searching. No digital before 2003. We covered 2004, in this link. I didn't take pictures last year... shocking! So, that leaves 2005: We were in the Treehouse and... well, here are the photos...

























Oh my goodness... such wonderful memories.

Holiday Out-Takes
Ah, the family portrait. Timing. Everyone in a good mood at the same time. Everyone clean, dressed, and together at the same time. Good lighting, no shadows, no glare, focus...













We made 36 attempts and I think we should have gone for 37.

Winter Break! Winter Break!
With a mischievous wink, Max woke up and said, "It's time to get ready for school." Not! Ah, sweet respite. Precious furlough. Dear liberty. Treasured time for loafing, lounging, and luxuriating in festive frivolity!


Last week our days were quite full, and while I hardly want to recall all of it, I can say we baked, studied, experimented, sewed, wrapped, mailed, cleaned, prepared, repaired and played. Consequently, the house got very messy, but we made some recovery progress on that front... sigh.


Alex and Max have delved in to the realm of styling product. They used more mousse in one session than I've used in 4 years... they were going for hold and form. I realized what they needed was gel, not frothy, lofty foam. They also needed their Dad. Back in the day, Geoff knew styling product, color, spikes, fast-hold... He coaxed Max's hair into an obedient, high-rise Mohawk. At school Max was greeted by a collective "Cool!" from his classmates and teacher.



At school we enjoyed the annual Holiday Pageant, where cultures and holidays of the world are celebrated in song and dance, followed by class parties with lots and lots of food and merry making. Alex conceived an idea for a seasonal brownie, and I admit I was skeptical. I remembered that Alicia Paulson, of "Posie Gets Cozy" had been experimenting on just such a concept, so we consulted her. As busy as she is, we got a prompt reply. She still hadn't found a successful recipe and results, but Alex was undeterred. We should send her Alex's recipe, because it was a huge success! Surprisingly, not too sweet, easy on the peppermint and a good brownie... not too dry, not too gooey and sufficient dark chocolate for a hint of sophistication. Mercy, but my boy can bake!


The boys looked so handsome, dressed with extra care for the pageant.


This reminds me, we should try to set ourselves down for a holiday portrait. We haven't done that since 2004.


My favorite Christmas cards are the ones that arrive with a family picture and a newsy letter. I love those. Send me some, won't you, please?


Sewing, shopping, wrapping, packing and shipping. Repeat.

Maria hopes that every gift is hers and now that she is catching on that these gifts are being sent away, she wants to help with the wrapping. Yep.... some kind of help is the kind of help we all can do without. I try to giver her jobs or distract her, but she knows when she isn't being fairly promoted and recognized for her sweet skills and when she gets really mad she runs away with my tape!


Somehow, we make progress, and we have special moments, like having Geoff home last night. And today we'll get more done. It's all good.

Happy Birthday Holly! She's the Queen of the holidays! I wonder what they are doing today.... hmmmm, must be time to look busy, make calls, more sewing, shopping, wrapping, packing and shipping, playing, loafing and laughing!

Completely addicted to these!

Don't send a lame Starring You! eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

And for even more hilarity check out what my brother and his wife did: It's A JibJab Life! Every time you watch it, an angel gets its wings.

Back to The Cutting Board
We bake during the holidays and we decorate too, but there is one family tradition we have not visited in 7 years, not since we discovered Max is sensitive to artificial dyes and additives. It's a tough allergy to cope with, since the stuff is everywhere. I am always looking out for options and opportunities. Last year we found candy canes with natural food dyes, and one year we even found undyed cotton candy at Disneyland... that was amazing. It's not that candies and sweets are a necessity, but when you are deprived of them they become 100 times more enticing, and there are even regular "healthy" foods that add dyes, so suck.


Ahh the Mother of Invention... where there is a need to feed, a mom finds a way. Don't gag. We actually iced our cookies with broccoli. Yup. Broccoli in a blender, with milk and confectioners sugar, and a drop of vanilla. Weird, I know, but it looked good and tasted good, and I think if we were icing Christmas tree cookies it would have been really cool looking, because of the broccoli-pine needle bits!


And best of all Max got to enjoy and eat the classic Christmas cookies seen in so many family photo albums from Christmases long ago. We made the icing thin enough to paint on the cookies, which is a really, really fun way to decorate them.


From strawberries we made pink icing, and they didn't need vanilla, because the natural strawberry flavor was so yummy.


Purple icing? Blueberries make beautiful, delicious purple icing. A few years ago I found a company that makes a few sugar sprinkles in natural purple and orange... we've rationed these expensive treats until now. Maria was a little heavy-handed in her method. Art can be so subjective!


You can hear me laughing, right? This was just busting me up.


We had so much fun. We made such a mess. We had so much fun.





Hey, I just heard from Jennifer and she did some pondering and head shaking, and when she finally came out of her shock, she decided she really could use a digital camera. Isn't that great? She doesn't have a digital camera. Jennifer this little camera is going to change your life!

And Laurie? Laurie, get ready for some fun in the kitchen! Honestly we all love the apple tool and the other goodies are all favorites too, so I think your family is going to have a great time. You know, in about 3 or 4 days you should buy a huge bag of apples, wash them and be ready to play.

Last Chance


Be careful what you ask for... now that's a lesson that comes around periodically and reminds me that sometimes we do get what we ask for! Day 1 of the contest brought 42 comments, and only 3 of them were Kim's! I don't think anyone has worked harder for a fellow blogger than Calamity Kim worked on my behalf, and no, I did not bribe her. She's naturally sweet that way. I just loved hearing from everyone, discovering new blogs and finding out what interests other bloggers and blog readers. I realize some things: It would be scary to get hundreds of comments and it would be ridiculous to get thousands. I am looking for connections and friendships, not overwhelming popularity. I felt eager to make an exchange with everyone that left a comment, and I realized that introducing myself to 50 or 80 or 20 more people is a daunting task on top a day that is already full. Each of you is special and talented, and I loved finding new blogs, but I would feel terrible if I had to skim comments and neglect comments, if they came in such huge quantities every day. How do those other bloggers do it? Mercy.

Well, it's not too late to step-up and introduce yourself before the end of this contest deadline. I doubt there's 40 more people lurking out there, but you should know I am excited about the cool stuff we have to give away, and I wouldn't want anyone to miss an opportunity at winning oh, say, a digital camera... or one of my favorite kitchen tools. Didn't I mention Geoff loves electronics? Yea, he and James went to a sale on Sunday and he came home with this cute little pink, digital camera.
"What?" I asked him incredulously.
"For the contest," he says. "It's refurbished, but I thought, one of your readers might like a pink digital camera."
OKay. I probably haven't ever mentioned that he is more generous than I am. It's true. He's very, very generous. And I am very, very lucky. Tee hee.

Here's how it's going down: All names that come in before I log-on tomorrow go in the hat, and in the morning we are going to pull out 2 names. The first person gets to choose either a Sony Cyber-shot 7.2 Mega Pixels Camera or a Chickenblog Favorites Kitchen Pack, including the apple peeler-corer-slicer. Runner-up gets, you know, what the first person didn't choose, which is still really cool, trust me!

There. I think I am supposed to be making dinner and looking sternly at children who are supposed to be doing homework. Nah... I can't look sternly at them. Do you know what's happening right now? Maria is sitting beside me and going through a stack of books, one page at a time and talking to the pictures. William is working on grammar. Alex is reading to Max... they are engrossed in Eldest, and Alex reads it to his brother every night. The house is peaceful, warm and comfortable. Good stuff.

Oh dear... more ways to avoid cleaning the oven and dusting the knick-knacks...

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Do you Hear What I Hear?
Sometimes I wish I blogged with audio. Geoff says it's possible, but I'll excuse him from making it a reality. Anyways... sometimes, like today, you just have to know that I am laughing. Laughing out loud. LOL. Even when I am despairing about life's trial and tribulations, it's likely I am laughing.

Would you like a delicious cookie recipe? This is Anne Z.'s Aunt Rosella's Ginger Cookies recipe, which is over 100 years old. My friend Belinda shared it with me.

Ginger Cookies
Combine: 3/4 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 1 egg and 5 tablespoons of molasses

In a separate bowl sift together: 2 cups of flour, 1.5 teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. Make teaspoon full balls of dough and roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet, then press down with a sugared glass bottom.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 9 to 10 minutes.

Do you read any mention of refrigerating the dough? Or rolling it and cutting out dear little gingerbread men? No. The answer is no, and if I ever was in the habit of following recipes I could have spared us this tragedy:


What you are seeing is cut dough that has been baked, melded together into a lava flow of ginger goodness, and then in a last ditch act of desperation cut again.

What the heck was I thinking?!



We like this one best, because it has a little Picasso heart cut-out. And by now, we were all laughing out loud. And sampling... mmmm ginger cookies are tasty. So, throw out my vision of us gathered around a clean kitchen, carols playing, candlelight flickering on the mantle, and us piping snow white icing on the gingerbread family. No cute buttons and bow ties. No curly locks and dear ginger grins.


The cookies are all gone. We had to eat hide the evidence of my fantasy gone wrong.

Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine

We've been very busy, here at Garage Mahal. The children are studying, and immersing themselves in seasonal magic... singing carols, tracking down favorite ornaments and decorations, faithfully counting the days 'til Christmas one chocolate at a time. Max and Alex are mostly healthy, though Alex seems to suffer while in the new classrooms at school (it's very fume-ish in the new building.) William cleverly skipped all the colds and coughs.. smart boy.



Today Maria had her well visit at the doctor's. She is well, and small. People insist she looks big for her age, but her height and weight are well below average. Hearing is good. Vision is good. And she has plenty of sweet skills. Good. Good. Good.



Geoff is immersed too... in work, so we see less of him. He and I share funny 3 a.m. exchanges, where I tell him what the kids were up to and he asks me to remind him to do this or to please check such and such. I don't know how much of these conversations we actually retain.



Me? I'm juggling. Domestic goddess. Queen of the Winter Wonderland. Tutor, plumber, medic, chauffeur, cook and baker, dishwasher, manager, voice of wisdom... it never ends. I improvise and fake it. I relish the successes, and I deflate just a bit every time I realize I've left the house without brushing my hair, again. Two steps forward. Five steps backward. Covering old ground, making new tracks. 'Tis the season to feel pulled in every direction.



Do you know what's been fun? Sewing.


Stitching, snipping, cutting and playing. I've been making little things, like this super gratifying soft tree, which looks oh so cute in seasonal colors and prints. Quick and easy is my theme, because time is precious, and my machine is less than reliable on larger projects. So, I've made scarves, and a sleep mask, and I even finished some wips that were years in the making, like the cubes I started a year and a half ago.


I also finished Max's quilt... the one he designed. I couldn't resist hand quilting it and also adding appliqued frogs, so of course it took a bit longer to finish than I had hoped. Oh, but it was so worthwhile... Max loves it and sleeps entwined in it every night.



Do you know what else has been fun? Packages, surprises and bloggy generosity. Amazing. Really, really amazing. Tami, of "Lemon Tree Tales", is a doll maker and an illustrator. In September she introduced a new fairy to "101 Fairy Lane" and she invited readers to name her.


Just for participating in the fun she sent me an ATC -Artist Trading Card- of Valerienne Rose. Both "Lemon Tree Tales" and "101 Fairy Lane" are full of examples of Tami's talents in illustration, story telling, and sewing, and it's an honor to receive a sample of her beautiful work. Thank you Tami.


And there's more! I've been hanging around and soaking up the fun at "Spring Bean Things" Missy is a mom, and she sews and she's funny and she blogs and she's a mom... what can I say? We can relate. Us bloggers love our milestones, so Missy was happy to share her happiness about reaching 50 posts by having a prize drawing. Prizes? Free handmade items from a talented woman? Yes! Sign me up! If you haven't figured out that bloggers are kind, talented and generous, then you are missing out. I was very lucky to have my name drawn from the hat, by her very cute 3 year old daughter. And today, I got to open a very big package from the talented Missy. An apron! Love it! Maria is wild about the pockets and can't stop commenting about them. A kitty cat tissue holder! Very handy, especially lately. And a dress, a very extra special addition she slipped in for Maria. Does Maria's expression say enough? She L.O.V.E.S. this dress. Loves it. And honestly, she got compliments for her dress all day. It was so sweet how many people commented on her "cute dress," her "pretty dress" and even, "Oh, did you get your Christmas picture taken today in your pretty dress?" Thank you Missy.



What did I write about for my 50th post? Let's see August 23rd, 2002... oh dear... nothing too dignified. I was doing battle with my arch nemesis the Clogged Toilet. Pardon me. Hey, you can count on me to keep it real, right? Well, now I am about to celebrate my 1,000 post, and when I do I hope you will come by and take a chance at winning something good. I've been thinking about some of my favorite things in the kitchen... and other things I love and want to share with a lucky someone.

It Really Is Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.

We probably arrived at the tree lot at the busiest possible time, which is rare for us, but it only took 30 seconds. First: Fluffy or Noble? This year we voted fluffy. Max picked up one 6 footer and we agreed it was too narrow. We grabbed the one next to it and ta-da we had our tree.

I guess this isn't the most riveting news. It's happening everywhere, just about. Families going to tree lots. People driving around with plastic netted evergreens tied to their rooftops, like hunters returning from a woodland safari. Suburban, mundane... whatever. When that first whiff of pine hits my senses I am a child again. I feel tingly and optimistic. I feel connected to every Christmas past and holiday gathering ever. I want to open ornament boxes and reunite myself with dear memories and the tangible evidence our lives, our evolving, growing lives. And I can already anticipate the warm and quiet pleasure of waking early, plugging in the lights and reflecting in the soft, flickering glow.


There is one deciduous tree here at Garage Mahal, and it dropped a lot of leaves during our recent rain. Alex asked if he could rake them. Isn't that sweet? The landlord has gardeners come in to do all the mowing/blowing/cutting/raking of the postage stamp yard. Gardening and yardwork has become so foreign, so distant a memory, that raking leaves is like an honor and privilege. William and Alex bartered and debated over who could use the rake first. Our good leaf rake disappeared in one of the moves, so they are stuck wrestling for use of the heavy gravel rake.


So, inside, the tree is hung with blue lights. Yes, blue. It's covered in homemade ornaments and store bought ornaments and ornaments that the cat keeps batting to the floor. And outside the yard is raked, the sky's been blue and the nights cold. I may even find the ambition to hang a string of lights around the front gate. I found some of the decorations we put around the house, like the caroling snowmen and a stuffed Santa... the rest is still packed, and hiding somewhere in the garage. The Nativity. The little toys we use to count for Advent. The multi-colored strings of light.


We even made salt dough, and Max and Maria cut ornaments. We'll paint the ornaments some time this week. I think we'll work on greeting cards too. Among my family and friends, I am not always sure who's reading, but if you are peeking at Chickenblog today... know that I am thinking of you and hoping you are healthy, safe, and enjoying the tangible and intangible signs of the season... the whiffs of pine and the feeling that we are connected to one another, dear and loved. I have happy holiday, and merry wishes for all. And now I am going to plug in those lights and be glad.

Oh My Goodness, It's December!

I woke-up feeling giddy, a bit elated, easily amused, full of itchy anticipation. I think it's partly relief that we've finally had rain to really wash away the soot and ash that has dusted everything. And the rain sounds so lovely pattering the sidewalks, dripping from the trees, streaming down the gutters. Last night the wind started blowing too... oh it's so lovely to have a weather change, to see an excuse to snuggle under quilts and hang twinkly lights.


There's so much to do! It's December, and I still have ambitions to make gifts and finish works in progress. I have the cold, like Maria, Alex and Max, but we are forging ahead as best we can. I finished the Autumn quilt, my Trail Quilt, with hand quilted leaves, grapevines, swirls and waves. It came with us to the zoo and on a hike we took earlier in the week. It's layered with an old and worn flannel sheet, so it's light and easy to carry on little excursions.


Of all my 997 posts I think about 60% of them make some reference to my less than stellar domestic skills. Today I would like to make a small, yet delighted, note of pride: The house is pretty clean. Uh-huh. Clean. Cleaner than most days, and maintaining. It's all part of a renewed effort to embrace what is, to expect more of the children, to attend to the little messes, before they become insurmountable. It's a maturity moment, when I am finally comprehending and believing that I can perpetuate my own truth. So, whatever my shortcomings are if I choose to emphasize them, they will become stronger, and more entrenched. My new mode will be to accentuate the positive, keep my focus on my objectives, and no matter how far I fall short of my ideal, I will look for the success in the mess the process. LOL... 6 days in a cleaner house and I'm full of high thoughts and deep feelings!


In the midst of "so much to do," I hope we include reflections of gratitude, quiet time together as a family, more hikes and excursions. This is a very hard time for Geoff, and we feel it too. He has to work long hours, which is saying a lot if you know his regular schedule of long hours. So, speaking of reflections of gratitude... I am so grateful that when we are together, when Geoff can be home, we have fun. We enjoy each other's company, and we value the simple pleasures, like listening to the rain, singing Christmas carols, watching the children play and invent.


Recently our server has been acting funky and that's always frustrating. I think it's good again, so if I keep posting at my regular pace, I will be at post 1,000 in no time. I promised a contest and a prize. So much to do! There are an awful lot of blog contests, swaps, giveaways, celebrations. So much generosity and creativity. Well, I guess I am not being too original, but sharing joy and marking special occasions is irresistible, so count on me to play very soon.


Thank you for the birthday messages for Maria. We've had fun teaching her to say "I am three." She says, "I am five (or 6, 9, 8.)" And she's had fun getting her nails painted by her Aunt Gretchen, with Max's help. She's had fun opening her presents, like the scarf I made her, and the Little Ponies from Gretchen and Hans, and Grandma Nancy, the paper dolls and dress from Tutu and Grandpa Corm, the markers and Crayolas and princess cloth from Grandma Boo Boo and Grandpa Ronnie... new treasures to play with. Joy!


Oh my goodness, it's 9 a.m.! Enough reflection! It's time to get busy. Have a wonderful day!

This and That and Buttercream Frosting

This is a Monday morning sum-up post. Short and sweet.

We met friends in the park and we walked and talked. We enjoyed music and flowers and catching-up. Today Patrick and Kelly are finishing a 3 day visit to the Magic Kingdom... Lucky!

Speaking of "Lucky," I am the lucky ducky this week. I happen to be a winner in Missy's Spring Green Things 50th post celebration. Lucky for me her sweet baby girl likes pulling names from a hat, because I get to be the runner-up in Missy's give-away.


Geoff and the boys have been making progress in the garage... unpacking and organizing. Besides getting a brighter and safer garage, I am the fortunate beneficiary of long lost sewing supplies and projects, like Max's appliqued snowman from 2 years ago... I wondered were those were.


And in the same box I found another little project I started. Sunday afternoon I got to resume stitching this giraffe in place, and hopefully, this time, I will actually finish this WIP in time for Christmas. All over the blogosphere I read about clever crafters and artists working hard for a handmade Christmas.


Of course all of these projects and ambitions can be quite daunting, especially when there are so many fun things to choose from. I have been inspired and overwhelmed just from gazing at the daily tutorials featured at "Sew Mama, Sew!"

Where to begin?! Which brings me back to home life... 4 of us are sick now... feh. No one who went out to dinner with us last night is going to be too happy to hear we were like social petri dishes. Sorry. Well, sickness aside, we had so much fun sitting around the big table, catching up and feasting on pastas, pizzas and salads. It's something of a tradition we have with James and Deanne, Holly and Rich, Sharise and Kevin, and all of our children, to meet for dinner out, where no one has to cook or clean. And last night we added an early birthday sing-along for Maria, complete with vanilla cupcakes and buttercream frosting.

The sick children are reading and/or napping and I am finishing this post, so I can use the last of my gumption to complete a few errands.

I wonder, how do you count the days until Christmas? Do you count today? Do you include Christmas day in the count, or stop at Christmas Eve? Would you count Christmas Eve or just assume you've arrived at the countdown destination? Sometimes the boys only count the school days, assuming all the other days will be happy, busy days that are part of the holiday fun. Gee whiz... such deep thoughts and I'm not even taking cough syrup, yet.

Public Service

Thought, care and strategy...

I think the Shopping Code goes something like this...
1. Rethink.
2. Reuse.
3. Recycle.
4. Homemade.
5. Buy local.
6. Buy organic.
7. Avoid products that are imported from a country with a disregard for child safety and a terrible environmental record.

Not easy. I know. A lot of people have no problem with this, but some of us are weak consumers, on a budget, eager for cheap thrills, short of time and creative juice... Truthfully: Selective shopping, making things by hand, buying local and organic, spurning cute and affordable toys and decor, in favor of nothing or something from a boutique, well... it's a luxury. Still, I think it behooves each of us to at least think about what we consume, why we consume and how we consume. Hey, this ain't no sermon... I am trying to pump myself up here.

So, the other day, when I was watching Anna Maria on Martha, I was happy to see a *how it's made* kind of segment at the Nordic Ware factory. Alex and I remember driving by the headquarters last summer on our Twin Cities Tour. I love those segments on the Martha Stewart Show when she features industry, craftsmanship, skilled people, workers... and I loved realizing that there is a wonderful American product, still made in the USA! Yay for Bundt pans... tee hee!

What else is made at home? And if not in the USA, at least in countries that haven't had a year of recalls and scary track records... So, I am on a mission to be on the look-out for options, choices, & possibilities. I am not a person that relishes shopping... I like to get out of the house, sure... and I like finding something I have in mind, but usually I count on a few stores I find reliable and then I am in and out. But, as long as I am in a store, I am going to make an extra effort to find things that are made somewhere other than China, and then I am going to pass along the tip here at Chickenblog.


My boys might insist I start with their all time favorite product, company and lifestyle... have you guessed? LEGO and it's bricks and blocks are, for the most part, not made in China. We breathed a huge sigh of relief about this, because LEGO has never failed to make the top 10 of all three boys' wish lists. The everlasting, creative, engineer training toy is a fantastic product. We can't say enough good things about LEGO bricks.

As for me, a sentimental favorite is PLAYMOBIL... I cannot resist those charming details and themes, especially the little chickens, bunnies, farmers, kitchens, hats and tractors. Like LEGO, they are pricey, but again, like LEGO, they are a toy that lasts, and one set can provide plenty of play fun for many years.

It was a happy discovery when I learned that Mad Libs is made in the USA! Is it just us? We love these silly books. And, really they aren't just silly, they are a sneaky learning device that any home-schooling family would appreciate. We bring Mad Libs out often, and always enjoy the fun.


Who remembers "Yes and Know Invisible Ink Books?" I always found these so intriguing, and the couple of times I got to play with them, they filled some slow time with a little amusement. You may have a super-sleuth in the house or someone that loves to puzzle and learn, and "Invisible Ink" books are made in the USA.


Holly. Holly, dare we give you another puzzle? There are a lot of really beautiful puzzles and I was happy to see there are many made in the USA and Germany. A click on the Ravensburger website even brings up an article about their safety testing standards.

Wow, I found quite a bit and I haven't finished going through my list. I am going to take a break for now... all this shopping has worn me out.

At The Holiday Starting Gate

I almost titled this post "Keeping Up Appearances", and I was also tempted to call it "I Told You The Housing Market Was Going to Get Ugly!" I guess there's just a lot on my mind, like sick children, missing school (as in not showing-up, not pining for school,) battling bitter depression about not having a house of our own, and the confounding task of balancing a simplified life with having the best holidays ever!

Now, some of you may think I shouldn't let it all hang out... the dirty laundry, the raw truth about life's challenges and frustrations, but I look at it as therapy and as a public service. I can voice all of my fears, doubts, insecurities and pettiness and then just accept that life is like that... messy and hard sometimes, then I can move on. And maybe there's another person out there, a tired mom, a disappointed, cranky, disillusioned person that just wants to know that it's OKay to feel down, to feel overwhelmed... let's face it, most of us will not achieve the Good Houskeeping Blue Ribbon for Fantastically Perfect Holiday Decorating, Baking, Caroling, Hosting and General Beauty and Hygiene. So, maybe my truth will help someone else feel amused, less isolated, or encouraged to keep trying.


First, I should admit I put the pressure on myself. I want the Beautiful Holiday Home, with snow in the yard and gingerbread coming out of the oven... it will never snow here! And keeping the whole house really clean, all the time, is almost as unlikely as building snowmen in our yard. I think it's safe to say I will not get around to sewing 6 stockings and making aprons for each of my friends. I doubt we will have a birthday party for Maria. And good grief... have you tried shopping China-free? It's nearly impossible, which is great from a money saving point, but I do not feel as though I am achieving one bit in a Save the Planet kind of way... it feels so futile.


Idealistic Me wants Homemade Holidays. I tried to save money and be a clever, artistic-homemaker-super-mom by making a pattern, so I could sew this beautiful apron, which is a delightful interpretation of this apron. My apron is wonky, weird, wrong and a waste of time and effort. "Not Martha" is already taken for a blog name, but truthfully, as far as Domestic Divas go, I am the Anti-Martha... the Sloppy Mom... the flying by the seat of my pants mom, laughing all the way mom with four coughing, hungry, bright and wonderful kids.

So, yes I threw the apron in a heap and kicked it, but I won't leave it there. Sometime this week I am going to pick it up and attack the waistband with my seam ripper (where is the seam ripper?) and I'll try again. It will never be as lovely as I imagine it could be... so, what's the point? I don't know... maybe it has something to do with never giving up, never surrendering. Maybe it's accepting mediocrity, with a knowing grin. Idealistic Me needs to be reminded that magazine covers are a beautiful illusion, a carefully crafted moment created by many skilled and paid hands, and that very few people ever accomplish everything without neglecting something else.


There is so much I hope to achieve and wish I could accomplish. There is so much I admire and... (dare I say?) envy. If I continue to focus on every ad and every craft article, and every suggestion that Christmas is better with new carpets and coordinated holiday outfits, I will no doubt feel crushed and defeated. I already have a mounting sense of dread about the holiday obstacle course and rush that is ahead, which is sad. So, I am going to improvise and remind myself to make a new focus... I want to eliminate fantasy visions. I want to witness the genuine moments, to embrace the joy in the mess, to celebrate life regardless of wonky seams and eggnog from a carton.

(Big cheers for Anna Maria Horner and her live appearance on The Martha Stewart Show! She shared a beautiful way to use fabric and paint, and she Kept it Real... admitting she has no time to make her bed! She hardly needs to be remembered for her remark about not making her bed, but I sure do appreciate her candor and humor.)

My Holiday List ...all points revokable and amendable:
1. homemade fruitcake
2. homemade tamales... maybe just a few
3. Christmas music... every day
4. Christmas cards... however many I can manage
5. lights on the house... not likely
6. driving around, looking at everyone else's lights... definitely!
7. A Christmas Eve party with candlelight, caroling and a cocktail bar
8. Us, singing carols in our pajamas... a little off-key, a little out of synch... my favorite
9. A tree and trimmings... most likely
10. Our traditional gingerbread house-hot glue gathering... daunting prospect, but always worthwhile
11. Sharing our blessings... very important
12. Ice skating... challenging endeavor
13. Travel... get real!
14. See the Rose Parade... you've waited 41 years, another year won't matter
15. Remembering the reason for the season and keeping it forefront in my heart and thoughts... imperative, not revokable
16. Relax... could save a life
17., 18., 19. and 20. Expect the unexpected and roll with it

Just Keeping it Real.

Fall Back, and Move Forward or The Rozerem Chrononicles*

Do you like setting your clocks back an hour? I think it will give us a much needed advantage tomorrow morning when we are trying to get to school on time. I enjoy the shorter days, longer nights and the very subtle effect it creates for creating a sense of change in seasons. And when I think of Fall Back, it is like a working title for the screenplay of our lives. We are behind, falling backwards, playing catch-up. Coupled with our sense of being overwhelmed, is a profound sense of gratitude for some recent blessings.

Someone got pardoned. Twice. He went in for a pre-surgery check of his knee... the one with the torn meniscus and they were stunned to see that the tear is healing. These things don't typically heal. Go home, they said, and keep doing whatever you are doing. Spared the knife! The second pardon came while he was on the table, for another medical treatment. He was going to get a Zap to manage an arrhythmia problem ( a big deal that he doesn't want me to discuss publicly, so don't ask... geez, he's really grousing about this...) It happened again... "This is your lucky day!" He's not cured, but for the time being there is an improvement that made the Zapprocedure unnecessary. Can you hear our sigh of relief?

*Our anonymous patient was sent home and advised to sleep, especially at night. Enter the drug most preferred by survivors of the Psychedelic '60's: Rozerem. The beaver meets Lincoln drug. The non-habit forming, sleep 8 hours, do not sign documents or drive heavy machinery pill. He woke this morning to regale me with his tale of running through East L.A., then entering a 3 story Victorian house, where he was met by Cheech and Chong, who were painting. He stayed and helped them rewire the outside of the house, while hanging from the third floor window. He says he dreamed all night. He hasn't dreamt in like 10 years. Far out, man.

What do you think of my pecking hens? My Aunt Becky found them in Guadalajara. It's a simple toy that is simply ingenious. The wooden paddle has hens that bob and peck when their entwined strings are pulled by the attached wooden bead. We love it!

See what I mean? All sorts of things, small and big, have been taking me down, overwhelming me, and yet there are moments that affirm goodness and light. Another example: I was so sad to learn that a friend's kitty, Nikki, was in a real bad way and then came wonderful news and a little pardon of their own... goodness and light!



School, and Max and Alex being sick, has been like a triple gut punch. ( Am I the only one burned-out already by School and it's invasive 3 headed homework serving, home-life encroaching beast of... ?) Anyway, let me just say we had a fantastic time coming home to what amounted to an early Christmas from Red Hen Studios. Julie was generously celebrating her 100th post by having a prize drawing for all sorts of wonderful goodies, including a vintage Christmas table cloth drool... I won! I won! I won! Bloggers, the ones I hang with, are generous, fun, supportive, encouraging, kind, creative and talented... and I mean this sincerely, even when I am not the big winner



In the package were individually wrapped treasures, and we sat together to open each one, happily sharing the pleasure. Fall leaves. A Christmas stocking. Cinnamon sticks. Greeting cards, handmade in the Red Hen Studio. A Little Golden Book... "The Little Red Hen." I sat the rubber chicken with my other chickens and remarked that it's my first dead chicken and Alex corrected me: "It's not dead. It's flying! It's going so fast, its feathers have blown clean off!" Freakin' hilarious!


Some of the gifts we have been enjoying.

Goodness. Look at the time!
Thank you Julie, and Becky, and congratulations Nikki and Anne N. I know someone's been praying for us... thank you too.
I gotta face the rest of the day and get lots done, but I am bolstered, encouraged and hopeful. + I have an extra hour in my day, right?

Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away?



I may be breaking my own record... Earliest Playing of Christmas Tunes. I like to say I am strictly a post-Thanksgiving Christmas music player, but I know I have stuffed a few turkeys, while singing along with Mitch. But before Halloween? "Silver Bells," "Sleigh Ride," "Christmas Island?" In October?

It started innocently enough, I think. I was assembling an autumn playlist... tunes to groove to when I want to evoke the gentle mood of cool evenings, reflection, anticipation and thankfulness. Naturally this calls for some Nat King Cole: "Autumn Leaves" and even "Mona Lisa." I love "Robin and Marian" a Nickel Creek tune. There is something warm and seasonal about "The Muffin Man" when sung by Ella Fitzgerald. I added some Stevie Wonder, then Elizabeth Mitchell, Bob Marley; all upbeat, homey, cheering, and I was really loving the idea of reveling in all of this happy music, when I realized that in the midst of autumnal gratitude and anticipation there is one thing I will be anticipating above all...

"Over The River and Through The Woods" will get you to grandma's and through Thanksgiving, but an early snow can bring a "Sleigh Ride"... giddy-up, giddy-up, giddy-up let's go! Then you want to "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!", which is what led me to singing along with Amy Grant, "Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away."



I am laughing out loud... lay down a little snow and autumn is a slippery slope to a "Winter Wonderland!" Now I want to Hark the Herald, and Wonder as I Wander. Gloria!

Ahem.

Well, if music and anticipation, reflection and gratitude are the best of this season, then I am in luck, because there are plenty of days left to enjoy all of these! Merry Christmas to all, and 3 months to sing along!

Time for a little randomness. So, for Christmas I got a new camera, which is wonderful. My dear and first digital camera gave me at least 16,000 images... not counting the many I deleted. Poor camera was so good, but it was definitely falling apart. Moment of silence. Okay, the new camera is large and fancy and takes amazing photographs and video. And the new camera is also complicated and new, and complicated (probably because it's new.) I went through this technology crisis with my first camera, so I know it can be overcome. It's a process. Eventually I will even read the owner's manual.

Happy birthday Janice.

I bought a wall calendar.

Our brand new vacuum died. S.O.B. Can't find the receipt.

So, let's take a look at some of the pictures from the new camera...



We had a lunch date with Alex's friend, Mitchell and his family. After lunch we hung out in their yard and garden. Here's Maria watching the boys play basketball.

Last week I made a huge planning error, but the children made the best of things. We let Maria direct us in a game of chase around the tree.

I baked some cookies and Maria nibbled at her's in her dainty fashion, but sleepiness came before the cookie was done.

Merry Christmas!

Can I share Christmas Eve first? We were with Holly, Izzy, Nick and Rich last night, and we had a great time. It's so nice to arrive at their home, where everything looks so festive and beautiful. We did a lot, including watching the Chargers win one more, and watching Izzy try to crawl. We were fed what has become a favorite tradition: Holly's Hot Enchiladas! She can cook. What a treat. And there were gifts to exchange. Great Grandma Nancy always seem to know just what children will love. William loves his Superman gear, Maria loves her penguin, Max loves his football kicking game... Izzy and Maria looked adorable in their matching holly dresses. We can't wait to try Geoff's boogie sled on some mountain snow. I'm trying to sum it all up, which really isn't possible, so just think of laughter and anticipation, happy children, pretty lights, and the contentment we can have when we are with family, safe and thankful.










And here we are Christmas morning. We were up at 6 and now it's nearly noon. Maria still has unopened gifts. She's busy stacking lighthouse boxes that came from her Tutu and Grampa Corm. Geoff has been assembling and reading instructions since dawn. Alex already built a dragon. William is still wearing his Superman shirt. Max took his haul to his room and probably has it all in order by now. And me? I'm trying to share it all with you, with aunts and uncles and cousins and friends and grandmas and grandpas, because the only thing that could make Christmas morning more fun would be to have you here with us. Thank you for the National Geographic subscription, the books and CDs, for the rubber ducky collection and the new table cloth, the sweater for Maria and for pretty wood frames (I've already put pictures in them!) It's not all about the presents, of course. I am delighting in the collective spirit, love and good will that propels this holiday and keeps us together in tradition and joy. May the peace and cheer be with you all through the new year.