i've come to the conclusion that i simply don't post often enough to maintain 2 blogs. thus, i'm going to stop posting on my garden blog (rake shovel hoe), and will include any gardening content here, on whistling leaf blower. i'll leave the garden blog up, as an archive, for anyone who wants to reminisce.
please address your objections, sighs of relief, and/or questions and comments to the complaints department, at whistlingleafblower.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
01 October 2009
19 March 2009
responders response
i had a dream about this last night, so i guess that means it's time to settle the give-away list.
i will send something handmade to robin, teresa, alli, mep and bethany. i think most of those on this list will do a swap, which means they will send me something handmade too! yay!
oh, and i may send something to julie, just cuz.
i will send something handmade to robin, teresa, alli, mep and bethany. i think most of those on this list will do a swap, which means they will send me something handmade too! yay!
oh, and i may send something to julie, just cuz.
07 March 2009
fair weather blogger
my garden blog has been neglected all winter. it only makes sense, right? what is there to write about? my indoor herb garden died sometime in december. the cold frame was a bust. 'nuf said.
but now, it's spring! at least it felt that way today. i got my hands dirty, and wrote about it.
for more garden news from cake, check out rake shovel hoe.
but now, it's spring! at least it felt that way today. i got my hands dirty, and wrote about it.
for more garden news from cake, check out rake shovel hoe.
13 January 2009
seven things you don't really need to know about me
i got tagged by robin at the other mother, who has asked me to reveal seven things about me that you really don't need to know. here they are, but i won't be tagging anyone else:
- i secretly want to wear lipstick and heavy black eyeliner, but feel silly putting it on, even around the house.
- i type very slowly. i only half-learned keyboarding skills. i know where to place my hands, but i always have to look.
- i collect buttons-- the pin back kind, with political messages, images, or cute little sayings like: dip me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians.
i’ve been collecting them since high school. my favorites are the little one-inch ones, and someday i will get myself a button maker, and start making my own. until then, julie at craftknife sells some nice ones on her etsy site. - my dream job is to be the owner of an architectural/building supply salvage business. i would have a huge barn/warehouse and a big flatbed truck. i’d go around to building sites, and building demolitions and collect materials that would otherwise be thrown away. anything from bricks and lumber, to cabinet pulls and door stops. back at the warehouse, everything would be carefully sorted and organized, so that people could come and shop for what they needed.
- i like salt on my grapefruit.
- i am monolingual, and hugely embarrassed about it. i studied french in college, but can’t really speak it. i grew up (in part) in southern california, and lived in texas for eight years, and have never learned to speak spanish. shameful.
- i’m horrified, heartbroken and distraught about what isreal is doing to the people in the gaza strip. i feel angry, helpless and hopeless whenever i hear about it, see images of it, or think about it. i know, a bit heavy for a meme, but it's on my mind...
20 December 2008
last minute
a quick photo blog before we head off to colorado, for our second christmas.
this "local orange" was given to us by sarah bentley, in houston. it made the road trip up to indiana, where it wasn't local anymore, where carl and i savored its sweet juices. thanks sarah.
making xmas cookies for neighbors.
supplies, and our charlie brown christmas tree, with presents.
cosmo made these bookmarks (with mama's help), for loved ones. it's one of those ideas i found in one of the mommy magazines.
and, lastly, cosmo throwing himself into his work again, making a tummy impression in his playdoh.
this "local orange" was given to us by sarah bentley, in houston. it made the road trip up to indiana, where it wasn't local anymore, where carl and i savored its sweet juices. thanks sarah.
making xmas cookies for neighbors.
supplies, and our charlie brown christmas tree, with presents.
cosmo made these bookmarks (with mama's help), for loved ones. it's one of those ideas i found in one of the mommy magazines.
and, lastly, cosmo throwing himself into his work again, making a tummy impression in his playdoh.
27 September 2008
visititresistitadmititlistentoit
in answer to a call from MEP at not to brag, here is my post
visit it:
youtube. look at postings on youtube of vintage (1970's) sesame street segments. cosmo is really obsessed with marble mazes these days. he likes to make them out of household objects like tubes, spoons, old copper pipe fittings, cardboard, etc. and he recently spotted a new roller coaster type at a goodwill, which we've been setting up daily. he enjoys playing with them, and watching them on youtube.
we found videos of some really elaborate constructions, but usually they are not of the highest quality, filmicly, and can be difficult for a little one to follow. but those old counting pinball animations from sesame street not only fit the bill for exciting ball runs, they have a deliciously funky soundtrack, sure to please the adults too. i was thrilled to find "lady bug picnic" on there too.
resist it:
the toy museum in zionsville (indianapolis suburb). it sounds great (antique carousel, bumper cars etc.), but like so many privately owned and operated, small town museums, it's a rip-off. first of all, the website indicated that kids under 4 were admitted free. not so. they claim they've been trying to get that changed online, but still make you pay. after you pay your entrance fee, you are led downstairs, to the place with all the coin-op, ride-on toys--the kind you sometimes see in malls, used to find them outside of grocery stores. they have a large, windowless room filled with them, and they cost fifty cents per ride.
cosmo was excited about them, and we spent a couple of bucks riding them, but what's really strange is the environment. there's nobody else down there. so you feel like you are just playing around in someone's private collection, which is, of course, what you are doing. one ride on the bumper cars is included with the admission, so we tried them. but again, with no one else to bump into, what's the point? cosmo asked to get off after about 45 seconds. i cannot put my finger on why it felt almost creepy to be down there (with only the old guy who operates the bumper cars), putting coins into slots and watching cosmo go sort-of-up-and-down, sort-of-back-and-forth on a fiberglass dinosaur. it was sad, really. it felt like we were TRYING to have fun. trying too hard maybe? we took an elevator up two floors to a room with a carousel, and an arrangement of vitrines filled with antique toys. the toy collection was amazing. but who wants to look at a bunch of precious playthings that you can't play with? cosmo got frustrated when we came across some marbles and marble games. he didn't understand why he couldn't get them out.
the girl on the right, on the box looks as though she is threatening to harm herself if she can't have this toy mixer.
we did ride the merry-go-round (as they called it), which was pretty fun. i took a bunch of pictures. when i tried to climb on the pig, i was told there was a weight limit. oops. could've mentioned that before i made an ass of myself.
the guy that worked there was also annoying. he assumed cosmo's favorite things were disney characters. cosmo doesn't know anything about disney characters. they had this weird talking tree which spewed all kinds of nonsense, and was hooked up to an erratic motion sensor. cosmo was enchanted by it. i was mesmerized by this turn-of-the-century relic:
the only redeeming thing about the place was the ice cream parlor. they had a jukebox with miniature animatron figurines of jazz musicians playing at a night club. we both enjoyed that, and played it over and over (again, with the quarters!) somehow, eating ice cream all alone, and listening to fifties pop songs wasn't as disturbing as the rest of our experience at the toy museum.
take my advise, if you're in the area, skip it.
admit it:
i have a junk collecting addiction. i experience bouts of anxiety if i ride my bike past a pile of stuff someone has put out by the side of the road. i make a mental note to come back with the car, to sift through it (it's difficult to carry a wooden chair while riding a bike, but i have done it). sometimes i get distracted, and don't make it back before someone else has taken all the good stuff. i feel compelled to stop at yard sales, and i dislike going with carl. he has no patience for the kind of browsing i like to do, and might pass judgment on what i deem suitable to take home with us. in fact, i don't like to go with anyone. yard sale shopping puts me in a sort of trance-like state. it is a semi-systematic looking and touching of almost every item there.
i've found some great things too. in dumpsters, on the roadside, yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores. in fact, most of my favorite and most useful possessions came to me second hand. but i have begun to recognize that i am unreasonable, and a little out of control with it. perhaps i need to establish some rules. a couple of months ago, i asked carl to stop the car, and i hopped out and threw some boards in the trunk. he asked what i was going to use them for. i said, "i have some ideas, but in general, if you see solid wood by the side of the road, you should not pass it up. on the other hand, if you see particle board, or anything made from it, you should definitely not stop." i think that's a good rule to start with.
cold frame made almost exclusively from salvaged materials
listen to it:
oneida. i'm not talking about the flatware company, or the indian tribe. i won some tickets from the college radio station (WIUX) to go see this band at the bluebird. we had a great time, and became solid fans. i'm not sure if many readers of this blog would like it, and i am no good at describing sounds, or putting music into genres, so check it out for yourself.
we've also been listening to a lot of children's music. current favorites include hoosier hotcakes (who we see live every saturday at the market) and elizabeth mitchell. there's some lovely songs on her cd "you're my little bird."
visititresistitadmititlistentoit is not a meme, but i challenge my fellow bloggers to give it a try.
visit it:
youtube. look at postings on youtube of vintage (1970's) sesame street segments. cosmo is really obsessed with marble mazes these days. he likes to make them out of household objects like tubes, spoons, old copper pipe fittings, cardboard, etc. and he recently spotted a new roller coaster type at a goodwill, which we've been setting up daily. he enjoys playing with them, and watching them on youtube.
we found videos of some really elaborate constructions, but usually they are not of the highest quality, filmicly, and can be difficult for a little one to follow. but those old counting pinball animations from sesame street not only fit the bill for exciting ball runs, they have a deliciously funky soundtrack, sure to please the adults too. i was thrilled to find "lady bug picnic" on there too.
resist it:
the toy museum in zionsville (indianapolis suburb). it sounds great (antique carousel, bumper cars etc.), but like so many privately owned and operated, small town museums, it's a rip-off. first of all, the website indicated that kids under 4 were admitted free. not so. they claim they've been trying to get that changed online, but still make you pay. after you pay your entrance fee, you are led downstairs, to the place with all the coin-op, ride-on toys--the kind you sometimes see in malls, used to find them outside of grocery stores. they have a large, windowless room filled with them, and they cost fifty cents per ride.
cosmo was excited about them, and we spent a couple of bucks riding them, but what's really strange is the environment. there's nobody else down there. so you feel like you are just playing around in someone's private collection, which is, of course, what you are doing. one ride on the bumper cars is included with the admission, so we tried them. but again, with no one else to bump into, what's the point? cosmo asked to get off after about 45 seconds. i cannot put my finger on why it felt almost creepy to be down there (with only the old guy who operates the bumper cars), putting coins into slots and watching cosmo go sort-of-up-and-down, sort-of-back-and-forth on a fiberglass dinosaur. it was sad, really. it felt like we were TRYING to have fun. trying too hard maybe? we took an elevator up two floors to a room with a carousel, and an arrangement of vitrines filled with antique toys. the toy collection was amazing. but who wants to look at a bunch of precious playthings that you can't play with? cosmo got frustrated when we came across some marbles and marble games. he didn't understand why he couldn't get them out.
the girl on the right, on the box looks as though she is threatening to harm herself if she can't have this toy mixer.
we did ride the merry-go-round (as they called it), which was pretty fun. i took a bunch of pictures. when i tried to climb on the pig, i was told there was a weight limit. oops. could've mentioned that before i made an ass of myself.
the guy that worked there was also annoying. he assumed cosmo's favorite things were disney characters. cosmo doesn't know anything about disney characters. they had this weird talking tree which spewed all kinds of nonsense, and was hooked up to an erratic motion sensor. cosmo was enchanted by it. i was mesmerized by this turn-of-the-century relic:
the only redeeming thing about the place was the ice cream parlor. they had a jukebox with miniature animatron figurines of jazz musicians playing at a night club. we both enjoyed that, and played it over and over (again, with the quarters!) somehow, eating ice cream all alone, and listening to fifties pop songs wasn't as disturbing as the rest of our experience at the toy museum.
take my advise, if you're in the area, skip it.
admit it:
i have a junk collecting addiction. i experience bouts of anxiety if i ride my bike past a pile of stuff someone has put out by the side of the road. i make a mental note to come back with the car, to sift through it (it's difficult to carry a wooden chair while riding a bike, but i have done it). sometimes i get distracted, and don't make it back before someone else has taken all the good stuff. i feel compelled to stop at yard sales, and i dislike going with carl. he has no patience for the kind of browsing i like to do, and might pass judgment on what i deem suitable to take home with us. in fact, i don't like to go with anyone. yard sale shopping puts me in a sort of trance-like state. it is a semi-systematic looking and touching of almost every item there.
i've found some great things too. in dumpsters, on the roadside, yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores. in fact, most of my favorite and most useful possessions came to me second hand. but i have begun to recognize that i am unreasonable, and a little out of control with it. perhaps i need to establish some rules. a couple of months ago, i asked carl to stop the car, and i hopped out and threw some boards in the trunk. he asked what i was going to use them for. i said, "i have some ideas, but in general, if you see solid wood by the side of the road, you should not pass it up. on the other hand, if you see particle board, or anything made from it, you should definitely not stop." i think that's a good rule to start with.
cold frame made almost exclusively from salvaged materials
listen to it:
oneida. i'm not talking about the flatware company, or the indian tribe. i won some tickets from the college radio station (WIUX) to go see this band at the bluebird. we had a great time, and became solid fans. i'm not sure if many readers of this blog would like it, and i am no good at describing sounds, or putting music into genres, so check it out for yourself.
we've also been listening to a lot of children's music. current favorites include hoosier hotcakes (who we see live every saturday at the market) and elizabeth mitchell. there's some lovely songs on her cd "you're my little bird."
visititresistitadmititlistentoit is not a meme, but i challenge my fellow bloggers to give it a try.
18 March 2008
six word memoir
robin at the other mother tagged me with a meme. the assignment is as follows: tell your life story in 6 words. i often fantasize about writing a memoir. i keep lugging around those boxes of old journals, correspondence, date books, and other precious mementos. i call it my archive, and always justify hanging onto it by claiming, i'll need all of it for my memoirs. a couple of things keep me from doing it. one, it is a big scary project. i often take on big scary projects, but i rarely get very far with them. and now, since the recent hullabaloo about "fraudulent" memoirs, i also worry about people poking around to fact-check. some of the stories from my life are hard to believe. "verification" could be tricky.
but here i have the chance to start it, and to complete it tonight. very satisfying. it was harder that i thought it would be. below is what i settled on:
if
only
i
could
forgive
myself.
the six word memoir rules are:
i tag:
michael
texta
dodaddy
kate
le binky bitch
but here i have the chance to start it, and to complete it tonight. very satisfying. it was harder that i thought it would be. below is what i settled on:
if
only
i
could
forgive
myself.
the six word memoir rules are:
1. write your own six word memoir.
2. post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. link to the person that tagged you in your post.
4. tag five more blogs with links.
5. leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!
i tag:
michael
texta
dodaddy
kate
le binky bitch
13 March 2008
spring fresh
the wonderful thing about living in a place with seasons is that just as you are beginning to tire of the way things are, they change. august and september were really hot and unbearable. then, autumn winds blew in, the air turned crisp, leaves fell off the trees. snow is beautiful and fun to play in, but the cold gets old too. i'd been getting a bad case of cabin fever, and then...miraculously, signs of spring start popping up around the yard. we've had some warm days this week, spending more time outside. the park was absolutely mobbed with people yesterday afternoon. we all had the same idea: what a gorgeous day, let's go play!
i thought spring might be a good time to give my blog a new look. i've wanted to customize it since the day i started it. today, i finally took the plunge. the header image is from one of cosmo's water colors. i still hope to do some tweaking, but i am happy to have made the changes.
i also started a garden blog.
enjoy.
i thought spring might be a good time to give my blog a new look. i've wanted to customize it since the day i started it. today, i finally took the plunge. the header image is from one of cosmo's water colors. i still hope to do some tweaking, but i am happy to have made the changes.
i also started a garden blog.
enjoy.
17 February 2008
what i don't say
i've been thinking about the way i write on this blog, what i write about, and, more specifically, what i don't write about. i don't mention the fact that both of us will be unemployed come june, and that we don't have a solid plan. i don't write about how complicated it is to deal with cosmo's biological father, and how conflicted i feel every time cosmo and i leave carl to go visit him and his family. i rarely write about my political convictions, how disturbed i am (on a daily basis) by the war in iraq, and the many crimes of the bush administration. i haven't mentioned who i plan to vote for in our primary in may. the blog is focussed on cosmo, and on being a mom, but i don't share my thoughts on the really heavy parts of motherhood, either.
in general, i hesitate to get too personal. i guess i am still getting used to the public nature of blogging. i actually don't mind much what strangers reading this might think of me, but i do care about what my friends think, and i have a hard time being open and vulnerable, in the same way, with anyone who knows me, who might be reading this blog. i don't know if i want everyone to know how insecure i feel about the thought of pursuing a career (finally) in architecture, and what a struggle it is for me to begin to put together a portfolio of my work. it is hard to admit that i still haven't lost the extra "baby weight," and how jealous i am of my friends who have. i don't like to expose how judgmental i can be about others (especially other parents) or my issues with comparative self-esteem.
i've kept a journal since i was 13 years old. for 27 years, writing has kept me sane, and helped me work through many difficult emotions and circumstances. but journal writing is private. and i still haven't worked out what it means to share my journal with the world. in fact, i can't do that. i still keep a journal, but it rarely makes it to the blog.
what's funny is that i find that the blogs i enjoy reading the most are the ones that dare to get personal. i want to hear the rants and complaints and self-effacing humor. it can make for really interesting reading. of course, it can also be tedious and self-indulgent. maybe that is what i fear?
i'd love to hear from others on this topic (whether you blog or not).
in general, i hesitate to get too personal. i guess i am still getting used to the public nature of blogging. i actually don't mind much what strangers reading this might think of me, but i do care about what my friends think, and i have a hard time being open and vulnerable, in the same way, with anyone who knows me, who might be reading this blog. i don't know if i want everyone to know how insecure i feel about the thought of pursuing a career (finally) in architecture, and what a struggle it is for me to begin to put together a portfolio of my work. it is hard to admit that i still haven't lost the extra "baby weight," and how jealous i am of my friends who have. i don't like to expose how judgmental i can be about others (especially other parents) or my issues with comparative self-esteem.
i've kept a journal since i was 13 years old. for 27 years, writing has kept me sane, and helped me work through many difficult emotions and circumstances. but journal writing is private. and i still haven't worked out what it means to share my journal with the world. in fact, i can't do that. i still keep a journal, but it rarely makes it to the blog.
what's funny is that i find that the blogs i enjoy reading the most are the ones that dare to get personal. i want to hear the rants and complaints and self-effacing humor. it can make for really interesting reading. of course, it can also be tedious and self-indulgent. maybe that is what i fear?
i'd love to hear from others on this topic (whether you blog or not).
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