Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Reflections and Play


That was one, Ugly Delicious cake.

And the candle! Wholly smokes! the candle was outrageous. Ours was slightly less fancy than the one in the link, but it flared, it opened, it spun around, and it played "Happy Birthday." It played, and played, and played.

Geoff dismantled it. Alex examined it. Maria mourned it. And still it played, and played, and played. Hilarious. Just the finishing touch I needed to make the cake complete.

Speaking of playing… some times I like to play in the Blogosphere, then come back here and report what I've seen. So this is one of those random posts, a webby post, a catch up post.


Alex had Joe out in the garden the other day, so he could create an image for his end of year Japanese Two project. He made a DVD called "The Totoro Project." It's to demonstrate his speaking skills in Japanese. He wrote the script and created original art and images inspired by "My Neighbor Totoro." He was also fortunate to find a really charming photograph on Bitter Betty's Blog, and she let him use it in his documentary.


Alex plays a scientist searching for the elusive and stealthy Totoro. It's going to be a charming piece. I give him an A+. Moms can do that.


Most of the film work Alex took care of with a tripod, and for some outdoor scenes I held the camera. Sometimes he was reading and memorizing his lines, so I had a moment or two to play with the camera.

There's that word again: Play.
I love you Play.


Too bad my cake decorating career tanked. But maybe I can be a fabric designer like my darling friend Monica, The Happy Zombie. I call her "darling," because she is. And she is funny, and talented. And I call her "friend" because we are kindred spirits living at the opposite ends of the same Interstate, and some day we will meet, and it will be wonderful. Also, I pestered her so many times on her blog she finally had to surrender and tell me I am funny and agree to be my friend. *grin*

I think her quilts are great, and her fabric is fabulously festive… I crave holiday whimsy. And pretty soon my craving is going to be satisfied, because my number was randomly generated, pulled from a hat, and conjured by red and turquoise gnomes… and I am one of the lucky winners of a Happy Holiday Fat Quarterlette! What is a "Fat Quarterlette?" If it's any snip or bit of that fun fabric she created, then I am a Happy Holiday Chica.

Thank you Monica. I will be pestering you later this summer when I am completely intimidated and unsure of what to make with your fabulous fabric. Be ready!


Two long haired boys in the yard last night. One of them with whiskers.

Max is so very, very close to the end of his school year. And he has plans. And unplans. He craves home, books, swimming, camp-outs in the garden. He wants to do plenty, and plenty of nothing.


Max's beans and corn are sprouting. Maria's radishes are popping up everywhere!

And from the good folks at Mucky Boots Farm I have been learning new things about gardens, and harvesting, and simply enjoying the beauty of whatever is blooming.


And like our little farm, Mucky Boots Farm has new chicks blooming, lots of cute little Opringtons. But they are growing fast! Go see them before they are laying and broody, like poor Betty.

Our chicas are growing too. Did you recognize Puff?


And look at Temple! Oh, my gosh. They are really absurd looking right now. I think these Polish might be some turkey-vulture chicken hybrid. Freaky. I have got to get them new accommodations, very soon. I had a reminder, from Dancing With Frogs about how much bigger our chicas will be, and it all happens quite suddenly. Or at least it seems sudden. I took one look at her Silkies and fell in love with that funny breed all over again!


Okay. Enough reflecting and playing, and thinking about playing. Time for me to look busy, to rattle pans, run water, and make domestic strides.

8 comments:

The Words Crafter said...

I completely love this! All of it! Play agrees with you!

Miriam said...

Oh, I wish I lived in your neighbourhood. You and your kids sure know how to have fun! I don't want to hurt Temple's feelings or anything, but boy, is she strange looking. So ugly she's beautiful. How could we be anything but awestruck by how ugly-beautiful she is?! Do you think she knows how ugly-beautiful she is?

mascanlon said...

I was so jealous to see you had won the HH from Monica. I am still sulking and waiting for it to appear in my mail from somewhere!

Frogdancer said...

It happens overnight.... I'm not kidding. Yesterday after work I walked into David2's bedroom and the 2 white silkies suddenly had silky fluffy feathers all over them. I'm sure that they looked different in the morning. And they were about 3 feet taller than they were in the beginning of the day. I HAVE to get an outside coop organised pronto.

Tiglizzyclone said...

Wonderful pictures! I especially like the two long haired boys! And the reflections are really interesting!

happy zombie said...

I've loved you dearly for years, and now my cup runnith over with love for you! And now I'm getting emails, thanking and loving me for linking my winners... linking YOU specifically... they're so glad to have found you. My next logical step is to start a VisitTheChickenBlog.com - it'll be a windfall of lovin's for us both! xoxom

Teresa Stenson said...

I found you about a year ago, Natalie, when you were appeared as a 'blog of note', and I just wanted to say that I still check in, still enjoy reading you, that your writing has great style, and warmth. Have you ever written fiction? Or anything non-bloggy? You could do it well, I reckon.

Susan said...

Just don't let Temple look in any mirrors right now...she will be beautiful in a few weeks. The babies grow so fast and they have to get through that awkward teenage period with their feathers. I love her coloring. Almost as much as I love this entire post. You rock, chica!