Exciting News Day!

I am just adding all of the exciting news in to this one entry--so re-read it, even if you read it yesterday!

Breaking News:

Cutie sister A (mom of the 3 cutest girls in the Mid West) has made the Dean's List and gotten PERFECT ATTENDANCE at her Culinary School!

It is OFFICIAL:

AUNT A PASSED THE BAR EXAM!

They don't release grades or averages, it is just pass/fail, but
we know she kicked butt! Seriously, it is like living with Hermione Granger!

Our BigGirl is BACK! She arrived home yesterday, inches taller, curvier and more grown up than ever! She also cut her hair, in the shortest "do" she's ever had.

When she was in 1st grade, she decided to cut her long hair off to donate, so she got it cut in a "bob". She grew it out again and donated it at the end of 3rd and 5th grade. But each time, it was chin length. This time, it is a short little "Pixie" cut, which is adorable on her.

It feels good to have our family "whole" again!!

Also, I am taking LargeBoy in an hour to get his hard cast on. He still hasn't decided between black and glow in the dark. Since this is his 3rd time breaking the same arm, he has plenty of experience with this process.

Several people have asked if I am upset or angry with him (since it is the third time!), and actually, I'm not. The first time he wrecked his bike, and both of the other two were falling out of trees (not the same tree). I'm glad that he is outside playing active games instead of vegging on the couch, even if broken bones are a natural consequence.

This time, I am also relieved that only broke his arm, when it so easily could have been his head or his neck! (and it really wasn't carelessness--one of the branches was rotten inside--but looked fine on the outside!).

All in all, a red letter day!

Also--big thanks to SAHMinIL, for helping me with the darn computer issues--Look! I made it work! (But I won't tell you how long it took me!)

Halloween-ish

The kiddoodles are out begging for candy from the neighbors tonight. Yes, I know that it is days until Halloween, but the powers that be in our town have declared that Trick or Treating will always be on the Tuesday before Halloween.

Not to be sexist, but this decision was obviously made by a group of men for reasons like "that is the best day for the police force" or something like that. The decision makers were obviously not the parents or school teachers of any of the small, exhausted, wound up, sugar-buzzed kids WHO HAVE SCHOOL THE NEXT MORNING.

Just back from the ER

Nothing makes you grateful for the blessings you take for granted everyday like a trip to the Emergency Room!

LargeBoy fell out of a tree again, and broke his arm again. Third time's the charm, right? He is doing fine, very proud that his pain tolerance is higher than it used to be! I am ready for bed!

Wow! What a great day!

I had the oportunity to attend a great class today! A one day (9-5) feltmaking class. Now a lot of people wouldn't get excited about that, but I was in heaven!

The drive over was incredibly beautiful. I am blessed to live in a particularly beautiful area, (which has seasons! I have lived in places--i.e. California, which didn't have seasons, and it sucked!)and right now the autumn colors are absolutely stunning.

Not only did I learn a skill I have been wanting for years,with fun creative people and yummy food, I also got a big stash of merino wool top roving in GORGEOUS colors. So much creativity awaits!!!

Plus my sweet hubby brought me a present back from his camping trip, just because he has learned that it makes me happy!

A PERFECT DAY!

Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.

My dear friends are all aware of (and mock me for) my strange paranoia: I feel that everyone forgets me as soon as I leave the room.

SO I am completely stunned (and rather horrified) when people remember me (why, why, WHY?).

Yes, I know it isn't rational.

I remember hundreds of people, many of whom I have only met briefly. I like the vast majority of them. I have no reason to assume people would not remember or like me--but there it is.

I have quietly assumed that my blog was being read by maybe 6 people--three of whom are related to me. The comments that have been left have pretty well backed up that assumption. Now I have this cute little map gadget--and whoa! People in places I have never heard of have stopped by, at least for a minute.

This shouldn't surprise me, either. I follow several blogs, from "unmet" friends around the world, that I have stumbled upon, and that I now cherish reading. I hope the new blog friends enjoy what I have to say, or at least get something out of it. I do enjoy this technology that allows friendships that never could have happened otherwise.

If you are a new friend, let me recommend reading the very first post, about who I am, and how it got it's name. It might help.

Also, whether you are a new friend or an old friend--I love comments, and would love it if you said "hi" or let me know when you enjoy something. Positive feedback always makes me happy!

Whoa! Adventure! (albeit minor adventure)

This morning I have been alone in the house--quite, quite glorious!

However, while I was upstairs, I kept hearing little noises--but old houses make noise, so it didn't really bother me. However, after I came downstairs and started working on the computer, I noticed that the birds were being very noisy today. And possibly bonking into the windows again.

Our doves seem to lack all brain cells, and routinely fly into the windows, which are a) curtained and b) COVERED in crayon, paint marker, toothpaste, lotion, etc--(thanks to SmallDaughter, we have very few opaque windows!).

However, when I slowly went into the dining room to see which window was causing all the fuss, I found a bird (sparrow, I think, but a bit large, so maybe something else) IN MY KITCHEN. Poor thing. It was trying desperately to get out, and I opened the door and a window, and (fortunately) it didn't take it long!

I'm not blogging much because I am sewing for halloween. Last week I hooked people up with a gorgeous renaissance purple velvet with white and gold trim gown, outfits for Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Toad and a Goomba, and parts of other costumes. This week it continues.

I just love it!


I want to blog about autumn, but I never seem to get around to it. I used to hate fall, but now I think it is my favorite (of course, I have LOTS of favorites--the kids always tease me that every single option is my favorite--except crickets!!!)

It's that time of year again...

The time when I am reminded (forcibly, sometimes!) that "normal" people do not have 8 or 12 wedding dresses hanging around the house--and at least that number of other formal dresses in many styles, sizes and eras. I can't help it--they follow me home.

Other people can't resist dogs, or shoes or cookbooks. I just love costumes, and the more glamorous, the better. If you need a Venitian Ensemble for Carnival, or a Marie Antionette, a Celtic wonder (complete with cloak) or a Steampunk Gothic, I'm your girl. If you need a pair of pants mended--you're on your own.

Rebellion

Being a rebel for the sake of rebellion has no intrinsic value. Trust me. Rebelling against rules, propriety and manners is not difficult--most one year old's and every two year old can do it! Rebellion itself is not great or glorious. Rules, propriety, manners and culture exist to make us better individually and as a society, and blind rebellion weakens us individually and as a whole.

However, Rebellion for the sake of changing parts of society that are "broken" is of tremendous value. It is also much more difficult. There will always be people who hold the Andy Warhol's and Jack Kerouac's up as examples, simply because they behaved badly--but with flair. That is not true rebellion of change--it is merely bad behavior and public demands for attention.

The symbol of Gandhi's revolution was--a spinning wheel. The Charkha is a small, compact, portable spinning wheel that Gandhi invented. He understood that there was no point in overthrowing a government if your people don't have a way to support themselves. Spinning cotton was an ideal solution--India's tropical climate is ideal for growing cotton, 1 cotton plant provides enough fiber for 3 dishtowels or 1 small t-shirt (as well as seeds to continue growing more supplies!), and the box charkas are cheap to make (there are even plans available for making them from cardboard!) This is truly revolutionary thinking!

Any moron can destroy what others have built. It takes true genius and leadership to inspire every one around you to build up and improve.

Summer Reading List (at Last!)

What would you do if you were a compulsive reader? Someone who read all the time, to the point that you read the shampoo bottle while you were in the shower and the small print in contracts? What if you read really fast, so you could get through a lot of books in a hurry (and you were very good at ignoring minor things like housework and cooking?)

And, even more to the point, what if you were a compulsive reader who had a great local public library less than one block away from your house, AND you found a booklist compiled by people from all over the world who had similar taste in books and wanted to share their favorites with you?

Yep, you would spend all summer reading. Me, too!

I have mentioned the “Pollyanna Booklist” a couple of times on this blog. Two of my favorite authors (Orson Scott Card and Robin McKinley) each have their own reviews and online recommendations for books, and I have really come to trust them. So, here is the long promised list of “Books I Read This Summer” (Although, this list goes up until last week, so not technically still summer).

They are in the order I read them (pretty much!), and I am going to use a 1-4 star rating system. Even the 1 star books were a pretty good read—none of the books on this list was a waste of time or of space in my brain, it is just that some of them didn’t resonate with me the way others did.

Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway ***
Gerald Morris’ series based on King Arthur ** up to ****
Kate Seredy’s The Good Master ****
“The Miracle of the Bells” by Russell Janney *** (don’t give up on it, it gets better!)
The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne * (a little too “bodice ripper for my taste--truly the only one I wouldn't recommend)
Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. MacAvoy * (strange, but enjoyable)
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner **** I loved this trilogy, very creative!
Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede ***
Magician’s Apprentice by Patricia C. Wrede ***
Elantris, Brandon Sanderson **** One of the best fantasies I have ever read!
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett **
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith *
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope ****
The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope **
Diana Wynne Jones’ Chrestomanci books **
Princess Ben by Catherine GIlbert Burdock. **
Georgette Heyer –I love all of hers!
In the Castle of the Flynns by Michael Raleigh **
The Mistborn Trilogy, Brandon Sanderson **** I LOVED this trilogy, TRULY AWESOME!
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld ****

If you haven't been spending time in the YA section of your library, you are missing out on the freshest, most creative enjoyable writing that is out there.

Whew!

What a wild sprint through the weekend! I cleaned house manically on Friday, and it was LOVELY by the time my party rolled around. I had small, but not pathetic attendance. If you are still interested, you can order stuff until this Friday.

On Saturday, we got dolled up and went to a "surpise 40th anniversary party" for Mr. Prism's Aunt & Uncle. It was good to see family we haven't seen for a long time. Lots of exclamations over how tall LargeBoy is getting (and we didn't even have BigGirl here--she has SHOT up this last year, and is amazingly tall and pretty). SmallDaughter and the WonderDog behaved very well--and she ate about 10 plates of potato chips, which her loving brother patiently refilled for her.

When we got home, LargeBoy and I worked on a model of the human body while we listened to General Conference on the internet. It was nice and mellow to listen together.

http://lds.org/conference/languages/0,6353,310-1,00.html" (once again, nothing will link, and you are forced to cut and paste. Sorry.)

In the evening, Mr. Prism went into town to attend the Priesthood Session, and the cookout dinner they had before, and LargeBoy and I did a lot of baking: a batch of bread dough which turned into 2 pizzas and 4 loaves of yummy bread, a pan of really rich butterscotchies, and a lemon jelly roll.

On Sunday morning I made up 2 huge crockpots of stew (one of beef veggie stew, one of corn chowder)(--Thanks for loaning me your crockpot, Miss K!) and got them cooking along. Aunt A and Uncle R, plus their awesome chillun arrived, and we began listening to the Morning Session of Conference. Partway through, my dearest-cousin- in-the-world arrived, with 2 adorable babies in tow (one is her sweet nursey baby, and the other is her sweet niece.) She has come to our part of the world to assist her little sister (my awesome cousin Kit), who is undergoing some medical stuff and needs help chasing her little one (who is 19 months old and FAST!).

It was great to have everybody here, and we all squished into my little computer room to listen. During the break between sessions my dad & co. arrived and he set up a screen and his spiffy computer projector, and we arranged all the couches in the living room (currently 4!) like a theater, and listened to the afternoon session in comfort!


I particularly loved Elder Jeffery R. Holland's bold and forthright testimony of the Book of Mormon, and Brent H. Nielsen's touching talk on missionary work.

Then we all ate and ate and ate, while watching a "slide show" of old family pictures that had been put on a CD from my grandparents old slides. It was great.

I am so blessed.

Shameless Plug!

In case you didn't know--


I am having a Pampered Chef party tomorrow Friday, October 2. Pampered Chef is the only "party business" that I ever do, because I actually love and use their tools.
If you happen to want something, just comment, and I will hook you up!