whocares

Breakfast Brew-Ha-Ha

2012-01-02T11:27:00.004-06:00

Friday, January 6th, any time after 8a at the Perry's. Please come hang-out before everyone returns to the post-holiday regular routine.

A fall brekkie

2011-09-28T11:26:00.000-05:00

Ladies - I would like to propose a breakfast at the Gamerl household. How does Saturday, October 15th work for everyone? Darby suggested a Saturday as everyone might be able to get out of the house kid-free for a few hours!

Nut Chips!

2011-08-10T13:33:00.003-05:00

So in an effort to keep myself going as I aim to meet a writing deadline set for tomorrow, I bought some of these:

They're pretty good. But as much as I like them as a snack, I like their name even better as an interjection. Nut chips! Try it out. Try 'em both out! Let me know how it goes.

Pee my pants funny.

2011-07-28T19:12:00.003-05:00

Submitted for your enjoyment, friends,

shameless

2011-07-12T07:03:00.000-05:00

Roadtripping

2011-07-05T23:31:00.002-05:00

Hey Ladies - It seems we are all waiting and saving up for CO, but I can't take it anymore. So here is to a little dreaming (inspiration, Caron's Florence and the Machine photos on Not Dark Yet).

Jenn Grant - Dreamer - The funniest videos are a click away

if you weren't already in love with them, watch this...

2011-06-30T20:11:00.000-05:00

...and this

2011-06-30T19:25:00.000-05:00

Yo

2011-06-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

Storing Produce without Plastic

2011-06-11T12:01:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine posted this link (click post title) on facebook today, and I thought it had lots of good information and handy tips. Who else might like this, I thought? Answer: whocaresians!

Three cheers for the summer and fresh produce!

grudging admiration

2011-06-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

as much as i hate to admit it, gwyneth paltrow has a damn good recipe for peanut butter cookies. ben loves to make them, so we've gone through a fair number of recipes. hers are the best. i've nurtured a long simmering loathing for the gwynethness of gwyneth, so when i saw her new cookbook, i wondered if anything was safe. you know, if country music doesn't work out, publish a cookbook! and if that doesn't pan out, run for public office or something! but the cookies, as it happens, do indeed pan out. i just bet two million dollars gwyneth has never eaten one.

there ain't no mama like a whocares mama

2011-05-08T07:53:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to the moms of whocares. You are creative, dedicated, joyful, real, and thoroughly wonderful examples of motherhood. I'm grateful for all of you in my life. Enjoy the day, Barby candles and all. Oh, and click on the link for some Mr. T.

easter by martha

2011-04-22T16:15:00.002-05:00

Wendy sent me this link: Tie Dye Eggs. I am not sure if she meant it as "what a great idea" or "who in the world is psycho enough to go to this kind of trouble" but either way, my response was, 'Oh, I am totally gonna try this!' It really works!

laughing my butt off

2011-04-21T20:26:00.001-05:00

i was laughing my butt off on a riding mower, cutting the grass at the cemetery where we work. why? because i realized we've got two fantastic people in our bunch (i'm sure you can add to the name-calling):

Dr. A.A.

Dr. B.S.

HAHAHAHAH!

Breakfast Re-Location

2011-04-21T11:25:00.000-05:00

In light of Darby's newly acquired pink eye (boo), I'm happy to host tomorrow's breakfast at my place. C'mon over at 9. Stay til whenever. Does that work for folks?

evil (pink) eye

2011-04-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

with much lamentation, i must call off the whocares breakfast at my house scheduled for tomorrow. i woke up this morning with a raging case of pink eye (thanks, kiddos) and would HATE to infect you and yours, just as you're about to hunt easter eggs. this makes me sad, sad, sad.

if you all still want to gather somewhere else, go with my blessing. and have a happy resurrection day!

2000

2011-04-21T06:40:00.003-05:00

well, our blog has reached 2,000 posts. this is 2001. so fun. and know what i was gonna post about....do ya?....do ya?

i finally got all of the chords for "was it a morning like this?" and have been practicing it. yeah. i can't reach the high notes...it's LOW!

no matter the key, my heart seems to pound "he is risen" when i hear this song. and when i read those words in matthew 27: "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split."

torn in two! no need to fear! who can approach? only the one with a rope around his ankle? no!! all can approach. when? once a year? where? only jerusalem? any time! any place!

i hope the never-ending round of "hallelujah" is echoed from my core til i shirk this body for a new one.

Our New House

2011-04-18T14:50:00.003-05:00

Here is the real estate vid for our new home. It's amazing. We love having all the space! The one bedroom apt. was getting a little cozy with little A's arrival.

When I Grow Up...

2011-04-17T22:12:00.000-05:00

I'd like to be Emmylou Harris. Her new album is available to listen to on NPR and you can see a lovely little mini concert here. She's pretty dern amazing.

50 and 50

2011-04-16T18:16:00.003-05:00

Just found out about an art project called "50 and 50," which is "a collective, curated project where fifty designers are invited to represent their state by illustrating its motto." I thought, "If anyone would like these, Whocares would like them." I hope you do. Click on the title to have a look at the full gallery.

Table Grace Cafe, Omaha

2011-04-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

A friend just told me about this new cafe that opened at 16th and Farnam--all freewill donations, in the belief "that everyone, regardless of economic status, deserves the chance to eat wonderful food while being treated with respect and dignity."

Cool, huh?

I feel a field trip coming on... Anyone?

Have you heard of The Cleverlys?

2011-04-13T15:44:00.001-05:00

High dork factor bluegrass cover band. They are our new favorite YouTube addiction. Here's a taste.

whocares getaway update

2011-04-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

when: leave early-early friday, july 15 - come home late-late sunday, july 17

where: the beave

how: driving paul dyer (the minivan). it ends up that plane tickets are really pricey and we can do better splitting the gas

what happens next: we need to nail down who's in (depending on how many go, we might have to arrange a car rental. rentals for that week seem to be going fast). so post your decision as soon as you can! call me if you have any burning questions.

Little A - 10 months today

2011-04-12T11:22:00.002-05:00

prayer for my friends

2011-04-08T17:36:00.002-05:00

heard this tune on a Putumayo Americana compilation i found at the library and immediately thought of you all. xo!

weekend in the mountains

2011-04-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

update: because of scheduling conflicts, i'm now proposing three new possible dates for the getaway, all of them in july instead of august. if this throws a wrench in anybody's summer plans, i'm super sorry for the change-up. hopefully we can figure out something that will work for everybody who wants to come.

july 15-17
july 22-24
july 29-31

i'm assuming a friday through sunday schedule, although given the distance we're proposing to travel, perhaps we should look at thursday night through sunday? or friday morning through monday morning? i'm completely fine with group consensus. power to the people.

lindsay found a deal for plane tickets on frontier for $95 round trip. we have to purchase them by april 12, though, so we probably better settle on a date ASAP. i'm assuming we'll agree on a flight and then purchase our tickets individually.

depending on how many plan to go, we'll also have to figure in costs for a rental car to get us to beaver creek.

oo-de-laly. it's going to be fun! whip out your calendars and let's figure this out.

a new kind of love poem

2011-04-06T19:39:00.003-05:00

Late Poem by Cynthia Zarin

I wish we were Indians and ate foie gras
and drove a gas-guzzler
and never wore seat belts
I’d have a baby, yours, cette fois,
and I’d smoke Parliaments
and we’d drink our way through the winter
in spring the baby would laugh at the moon
who is her father and her mother who is his pool
and we’d walk backwards and forwards
in lizard-skin cowboy boots
and read Gilgamesh and Tintin aloud
I’d wear only leather or feathers
plucked from endangered birds and silk
from exploited silkworms
we’d read The Economist
it would be before and after the internet
I’d send you letters by carrier pigeons
who would only fly from one window
to another in our drafty, gigantic house
with twenty-three uninsulated windows
and the dog would be always be
off his leash and always
find his way home as we will one day
and we’d feed small children
peanut butter and coffee in their milk
and I’d keep my hand glued under your belt
even while driving and cooking
and no one would have our number
except I would have yours where I’ve kept it
carved on the sole of my stiletto
which I would always wear when we walked
in the frozen and dusty wood
and we would keep warm by bickering
and falling into bed perpetually and
entirely unsafely as all the best things are
—your skin and my breath on it.

get up, it's time for breakfast

2011-04-05T22:28:00.000-05:00

when: good friday, april 22, 9:00-whenever
where: my house
bring: your usual thing
why: to hang out with our beloved julie one more time before she lights out for the territory

Ridiculous

2011-03-31T12:25:00.001-06:00

A friend from grad school posted this link (click on the title) on facebook. I thought it was hilarious (and more than a little disturbing...though maybe just a TAD appealing too) and that you all needed to know about it.

I especially love the commentary the post's author includes about this particular cutting board. Enjoy!

long lost sister

2011-03-28T08:07:00.002-06:00

i miss you locos. remember last year when i was in omaha and everybody came over to my sister's house? yeah, that was great. it was a year ago.

i've been listening to the avett bros. album a lot. and mumford and sons. and florence & the machine. and amos lee.

violet and i went on a little date on saturday night (because everyone else wasn't feeling well). i bought the pioneer woman's cookbook and am loving it. i can't wait to make the "cowboy calzone" and this "sangria" recipe (about which she emphatically writes: "I love making sangria for any get-together involving females, but only if designated drivers are on the scene. The delicious fruit can really mask the "flammability" of this drink!). ha! maybe for the next retreat?

have you seen this slideshow? i want to visit.

i'm sipping coffee, the youngest kids are coloring, belle is sick on the couch, and the pup is locked in her "room". i hope to finish some quilts today. and clean my room. and make rice w/ sriracha. and run 3 miles when jay gets home. and go to bible study and be reminded of my focus. i'm rambling.

remembering the feel of reuniting with long-time friends...hugs and smiles and warmth. i love you, friends. i stand on your shoulders every morning when i wake up. xo.

Oh, man. I really want these.

2011-03-23T08:22:00.002-06:00

(click on the title to see more...)

Brekkie

2011-03-20T06:37:00.002-06:00

The Whocarsians have been strangely quiet of late.
Anyone up for a little spring catch-up over
some coffee and breakfast fare?
Perhaps Wednesday or Thursday of next week?
Any takers?

Do you supposed the festival cooks wore the aforementioned apron?

2011-03-17T18:20:00.002-06:00

thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's apron

2011-03-07T19:02:00.003-06:00

but this is super awesome.

i'm pacing

2011-03-01T09:57:00.002-06:00

i could be doing a lot. instead i'm snacking on wasabi peas (the burn! the burn!) and working on some editing while the kids are learning a lot of lessons from handy manny. but really, i'm pacing around my room, crunching, and waiting to hear news of corrie's c-section progress. a new nephew! thrilling. babies are so precious. what a gift! praying for you, corrie!!

Auden on professors

2011-02-21T04:57:00.003-06:00

"A professor is someone who talks in somebody else's sleep." -W.H. Auden

Hehehe. I like this, even though I hope it's not entirely true...

Oh, and Auden's birthday is today, though I'm not particularly fond of him, so I don't plan to make much of it. Too bad for him that he couldn't get himself born a day earlier. Then he could have shared a birthday with the fabulous Lindsay Young, someone I am particularly fond of. Happy Birthday, Lindsay! You are far more to me than W.H. Auden!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINDSAY!

2011-02-20T14:43:00.002-06:00

Parent's Shouldn't Text

2011-02-15T15:18:00.005-06:00

Oh, my face hurts from laughing.

Click on the title of this post.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T17:09:00.001-06:00

See more. Loved these!

Ain't no party like a letter-press party!

2011-02-13T14:19:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I spent the morning at Porridge Papers in Lincoln. If you've not visited, go! Brooke can testify how cool it is. It is a dreamy place full of beautifully pressed wares for sale, handmade paper and all sorts of lovely goodness.

Anyway, Christopher (the owner) mentioned that he gives classes to whomever can round up a group of 2 or more interested person. It is $140 a person. You get to learn how to work an actual letterpresses (and possibly set type) and you get to bring home whatever you make-- something like 250 calling cards or 100 personal stationary notes. I think the class is about 4 hours long. Anyway, comment here if you'd like to spend some fun tax-return money on a really great morning in Lincoln with friends getting your craft on. I'll set it up.

A Spot of Joy on a Late Night

2011-02-08T00:27:00.005-06:00

It is so far past my bedtime, this late-night delirium is probably the only thing keeping me from over-thinking this post to the point of cancelling it before it ever leaves the draft box (which is my normal way with the Whocares blog). I have had an overwhelming realization of my current state of apathy in the last week or two. It isn't exactly depression, by then again, maybe it is. It is still too cold to go outside. It is dark at 6:10, right as Nate is pulling in at night to come home to us. Isaac is gone every day now, which i think has been a slow revelation of loss to me. Ella, the bright little torch of her namesake, also comes with a high price on my patience, as all 2-year-olds do. And then, there has been the never ending process of potty training. (Darb, I can hear your amen!) The potty seat tucked into my oversized purse everywhere we go. The dum-dum suckers in the pockets of every jacket, one occasionally escaping down into the very lining of my coat through some mysterious hole...

But tonight, three things happened that are 'blog-worthy' in my heart: A bit of levity and light amidst heavy winter drudgery.

1. Our first stop after dinner tonight was to Borders. Nate found a book he wanted to read today while perusing some self-proclaimed geek design site. When we were there, Isaac was strangely desperate to buy a book for himself. He picked up several things that were far beyond his maturity level and when I finally asked him why he was so anxious to buy something he told me, "I just really think I am ready for a chapter book. Claire is reading a chapter book, and I think I should have one too". Thankfully he was easily appeased with the stack of beginning readers we already have here at the house, which he has never noticed.

2. Leaving our second stop, Nebraska Furniture Mart, after a hilarious round of circulation through the massage chairs (at Isaac's request), Ella just simply told Nate, "I have to go potty". She and I quickly rushed to the vacant room of stalls, found the largest handicapped space (which miraculously smelled of lemon cleaner), and camped out there with our Tinker-bell potty seat until all of number 1 AND number 2 were dispelled. With a sucker in her freshly (obsessively) washed hands, we peacefully made our way home in dry pants.

3. After tucking the kids in bed, Nate sat and read his new book to me, out-loud, for several hours. We haven’t successfully read together like that since before the kids. The geeks were right; the story is great so far.

The Lord really knows how to treat a girl when she needs it most, eh?
I’m praying for bright spots in the routine of your week.

let's get away from it all

2011-02-07T08:27:00.000-06:00

with temps hitting six below this week, i'm dreaming of summer. august, to be specific. c'mon. let's get the summer whocares weekend on the calendar. i propose beaver creek, colorado as the destination. my in-laws have a place there where we could crash FREE.
how about the first (8/5-7) or second (8/12-14) weekend of august?

Time for Class!

2011-02-04T18:33:00.002-06:00

Container Vegetable Gardening Class
One Evening Only: Thurs. February 17th
6:30-9:00pm Metro Comm. College Fort Campus
Course #163625
Call: 457-5231
Only 10 slots still avail.
$19.00

WHO IS GONNA JOIN ME?

my profound realization of a universal truth

2011-01-28T11:56:00.001-06:00

males are never fully housebroken.

am i a sexist?

What do you think they are advertising?

2011-01-19T22:57:00.002-06:00

I saw this ad while clipping coupons in the Sunday paper. I couldn't resist posting it.

Winter in Nebraska (not to be confused with "Christmas in Nebraska" ;)

2011-01-19T13:49:00.004-06:00

I'm teaching My Antonia in class this semester, so I was reading it over the break, and I came across this fantastic description of winter. And though I've already subjected several of you this passage, I thought I'd post it today for those of you who got away.

"Winter comes down savagely over a little town on the prairie. The wind that sweeps in from the open country strips away all the leafy screens that hide one yard from another in summer, and the houses seem to draw closer together. The roofs, that looked so far away across the green tree-tops, now stare you in the face, and they are so much uglier than when their angles were softened by vines and shrubs.

In the morning, when I was fighting my way to school against the wind, I couldn't see anything but the road in front of me; but in the late afternoon, when I was coming home, the town looked bleak and desolate to me. The pale, cold light of the winter sunset did not beautify--it was like the light of truth itself. When the smoky clouds hung low in the west and the red sun went down behind them, leaving a pink flush on the snowy roofs and the blue drifts, then the wind sprang up afresh, with a kind of bitter song, as if it said: `This is reality, whether you like it or not. All those frivolities of summer, the light and shadow, the living mask of green that trembled over everything, they were lies, and this is what was underneath. This is the truth.' It was as if we were being punished for loving the loveliness of summer."

--Willa Cather

It is as if, certainly. But that's not to say it is. And I think it was Shelley who said, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" The answer, I hope, for my Midwestern friends, is "Not too far."

Happy Snow Day Omahoneys...

2011-01-10T08:21:00.003-06:00

Started our snow-in here at the Perry's with pancakes, dancing and curious george. Hope you all have a snuggly day!

New Year's Brunch

2010-12-29T09:25:00.002-06:00

Maria Callas - La Traviata

2010-12-28T22:32:00.000-06:00

republic of bejewelled jeans

2010-12-23T08:07:00.000-06:00

it's as bad as we thought. i looked at the republic of couture website and yes, it's exactly what their window display shows. hoodies and embellished jeans. very "jersey shore." a tragic use of space and unsuited to midtown. h&m, where are you?

what's cool.

2010-12-22T00:33:00.002-06:00

it's cool if you have your friend over for a few hours of chatting while the kids are playing. and if that friend wants to set up a little crib in your room for her young daughter, that's cool, too. and it doesn't matter if her daughter takes a nap or not because you're both enjoying the time to catch up on life. and it's even COOLER when your middle daughter opens the door to let your friends daughter come out of your bedroom.

wow. she got out of her make-shift crib all by herself? and she was walking around the house with a 3-pack of golden packaged condoms?! WHERE ON EARTH COULD SHE HAVE FOUND THOSE?! AHEM. UM. WHO WOULD KEEP SUCH A THING IN THEIR BEDSIDE TABLE?! GOLLY GOSH!

golden. golden moments.

they know about us!

2010-12-21T08:58:00.004-06:00

A friend of mine from WY just posted this on Facebook. It's a t-shirt design. Click the link in the title for a look at the whole shirt. I think it means more than its makers know!

Fancy Dancer - Utah

2010-12-18T15:09:00.002-06:00

Photo by D. Gamerl

Christmas Celebration

2010-12-18T15:01:00.003-06:00

When: 6:10 Prelude, 6:30 p.m. Service Commencement
Where: Harvest Community Church
3903 Cuming Street

Yours truly will be playing, carols will be sung and choirs will be singing.
Hope to see you there!

Photo by D. Gamerl

So Sick. So Classy.

2010-12-16T15:30:00.003-06:00

My hubby and his BFF have started a side company.
Taxidermy inspired sportswear.
I'm so proud.

(click the title to go to the website).

P.S. the next breakfast I host (TBA), I can always feature the squirrel over the mantel...
Ahhh. Nothing like the welcoming of a warm hearth.

The sound track at our house

2010-12-11T08:54:00.002-06:00

If you click on the title of this post, it will take you to the part of Target's website with the free christmas album to download. Yes, it is all about consumerism (they are 12 songs newly written for the winter ad campaign), but they are fun none-the-less. I have been singing the song by Blackalicious for days :-)

Merry Electronic Christmas Ladies!

Tis the Season!

2010-12-10T15:28:00.000-06:00

Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture

sharing lots of love and happiness

2010-12-07T09:21:00.000-06:00

if you listened to kgbi in the 80s, here's a little blast from the past. you're welcome.

Another great Christmas gift idea.

2010-12-03T14:41:00.002-06:00

my favorite trader joe's snacks

2010-11-30T12:55:00.002-06:00

since you now have a trader joe's in omaha, i thought i'd post some of my favorite snacks from that store. i don't have the chance to buy much of their fresh/cold/frozen foods because we're usually on a road trip of some sort when we swing by, so we only stock up on snackies. (though their naan is fantastic)

1. chocolate sunflower seed drops

2. dark chocolate almonds (sea salt/turbinado sugar)

3. wasabi peas

4. sesame honey cashews

5. triple ginger cookie thins

backin up song - watch second

2010-11-29T08:38:00.000-06:00

watch this first

2010-11-29T08:35:00.000-06:00

to keep the black monday doldrums at bay, another news item in the spirit of antoine dodson.

Someone in your life difficult to shop for?

2010-11-29T07:24:00.002-06:00

I have the answer. I saw it on etsy today!

That's right, personalized dish drain plugs. The little snowman will only look better covered with old rice, coffee grounds and chunks of soggy bread.

happy birthday!

2010-11-27T16:16:00.002-06:00

to caron the great. able to lift two kayaks simultaneously, all while eating a dumdum. girl has skillz. many happy returns, my friend.

bird of paradise

2010-11-27T13:33:00.000-06:00

a happy birthday and many happy returns to the founder of the feast. we love you.

Maybe I am Some Family's Personal Santa...

2010-11-22T08:54:00.000-06:00

I keep getting Christmas gift wish-lists from some family who has confused my email address for their family member Brad's email address. They have very reasonable requests (a moleskine notebook, some Burt's Bees lip balm), but I keep telling them that I am not who they are looking for.

But maybe I am.

Maybe I am their own personal Santa Claus.

Does this happen to anyone else? It's kinda weird.

God's Gonna Cut You Down

2010-11-20T13:07:00.002-06:00

Johnny Cash God's Gonna Cut You Down - Watch a funny movie here

At this morning's fabulous WC breakfast (Thanks Darb!) we started talking about Gwyneth Paltrow's attempt at being "Country Strong". I think we all agreed that she fell somewhat short just because of who she is - but these days, the very genre of country music is compromised, with blurry lines between it and the world of pop. This is evident in this rendition of "God's Gonna Cut You Down" with images of pop icons in limos being flashed (Who are they preaching to anyway?) while Johnny Cash grits out the lyrics underneath. Indeed, the irony is too great.

whocares design star: season 2

2010-11-16T16:25:00.004-06:00

HELP! i'm doing some rearranging today, thanks to a snazzy new bar/cabinet/buffet thingy i nabbed from the craigslist 'free' section (don draper would be so proud. all i need is a decanter. but i digress). now i'm left with these two bookcases that i've pushed together - which i like, but am not sure how to arrange the shelves. i didn't even try. you can see what i've got to work with - but i can pull books (have a shelf full downstairs) onto the case, and have 3 matching baskets, elephants, blue vases, etc. etc. or i can find new-to-me stuff. what i really don't like are the magazines.

your ideas, please! please. oh please. i'm begging you, stars of the whocares design spectrum. [in-person consultations also welcome]

really?

2010-11-11T07:58:00.000-06:00

channel surfing last night, we caught this performance. gwyneth paltrow, singing a song called "country strong." it was weird. not because she can't sing, but because it's hard to picture her connecting with the nascar set. absolutely nothing about her says "country strong." not her macrobiotic diet, not her downward-facing dog, definitely not her upper-crust, yacht-club, uber-polished vibe. what's next? katherine zeta jones' rap album?

is is MY favorite billy collins poem

2010-11-08T19:25:00.001-06:00

"morning"

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,

the swale of the afternoon,

the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,

his many-pointed stars?

This is the best—

throwing off the light covers,

feet on the cold floor,

and buzzing around the house on espresso—

maybe a splash of water on the face,

a palmful of vitamins—

but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,

the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,

a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows—

trees fifty, a hundred years old

out there,

heavy clouds on the way

and the lawn steaming like a horse

in the early morning.

you belong at whocares breakfast

2010-11-03T08:17:00.000-06:00

breakfast time.
saturday, nov. 20
8:30-whenever
darby's house
be there.

kitler

2010-10-31T11:23:00.003-06:00

So I was looking at NPR's list of signs from the Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear and I saw this one: "Kitlers Against Hitler Analogies." I didn't know what a kitler is, so I asked the google, and it turns out that this is a kitler:

Haha! Did you all know such a thing existed?!

some snapshots

2010-10-29T15:27:00.007-05:00

when i'm feeling rather brave, i open a random box in our basement and find all sorts of treasures from the past. here are some pictures that were unearthed a coupla days ago. thought you might laugh at some of them.

ambf, david gray, and me. david and i were playing a trick on anne marie by not smiling.

annie @ my sister's house.

violet at 1.

with jenny (sieler) noble at great harvest bread company. i was the baker. she did the sweets. and notice the sweatshirt, darci?! the one i stole from you and you eventually gave it to me? ("can't fight the the sieler"...sing it with me)

annabelle and linus hanging out at our old house on 48th avenue.

slight of frame person sitting in between two dogs that are enormous=funny.

ma'am darling

2010-10-28T13:21:00.003-05:00

So on my recent drive to and from D.C., I got by with a little help from NPR. "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me" was especially good for staying awake, having a laugh, and...even learning stuff! The funniest thing I learned was that the late Princess Margaret, sister to Queen Elizabeth II, "insisted everyone address her as 'ma'am' except for her closest friends who were generously permitted to call her 'ma'am darling.'" Hehehe. You can listen to the episode if you click the link in the title, and if you want to know more about "ma'am darling," you can click here. Oh, NPR. I love you so.

I think this is my most favorite Billy Collins poem.

2010-10-25T16:00:00.005-05:00

(I know it looks long, but it is worth the read!)

Tension

Suddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias

outside in the garden,

and suddenly I was in the study

looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.

When suddenly, without warning,

you planted the last petunia in the flat,

and I suddenly closed the dictionary

now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.

A moment later, we found ourselves

standing suddenly in the kitchen

where you suddenly opened a can of cat food

and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.

I observed a window of leafy activity

and, beyond that, a bird perched on the edge

of the stone birdbath

when suddenly you announced you were leaving

to pick up a few things at the market

and I stunned you by impulsively

pointing out that we were getting low on butter

and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.

Who could tell what the next moment would hold?

Another drip from the faucet?

Another little spasm of the second hand?

Would the painting of a bowl of pears continue

to hang on the wall from that nail?

Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?

Would the stove hold its position?

Suddenly, it was anyone’s guess.

The sun rose ever higher.

The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map

when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch

where I closed my eyes and without any warning

began to picture the Andes, of all places,

and a path that led over the mountain to another country

with strange customs and eye-catching hats

suddenly fringed with little colorful, dangling balls.

Thanks, Daphne and Caleb!

2010-10-18T08:37:00.002-05:00

random bullets

2010-10-18T06:48:00.003-05:00

i've been enjoying the matt & kim station on pandora -and- karen elson's music quite a bit.
i took a long walk yesterday. upon returning home i found 2 friends waiting for me outside. and as i went inside to get some money for ice cream, i found jason playing JUST DANCE 2 all by himself. ALL BY HIMSELF!! when the kids were in bed, jay promptly turned the game station on and handed me a controller...and soundly whooped my butt on all 5 songs. my arm hurts today.
at 6:30am i said to jay, "isn't it time for you to go to work?". my arm was hurting and i was mad at him for making me play a dancing game (and he won?!).
my 7 yr. old daughter informed me that she has a boyfriend. when i asked what she liked about the fella, she said, "he is so fun. he likes to play with legos, star wars, and build forts!".
the kids and i constructed a fire pit in our backyard on saturday. i feel like i've turned a corner. maybe some of you non-nebraska folks have felt a similar feeling when you caved & became husker fans. why resist? soon we will have a couch and clothing rack on our front porch. and an old car hangin on the side yard. why not--you already know that we have a framed tree stump in the front and use our garage as an office/lumber yard.
i spilled coffee on myself this morning. it was hot. dramatically i threw the quilt down the stairs and said "this is the worst day EVER!". jay would not stop laughing about it. i said it for effect, partially.

i hope your monday is starting off better than mine. i hate being crabby on mondays. it sucks. i'm fighting fire with fire here...crabby with crabby...and crabby is winning! much angry love to you.

off to nowhere

2010-10-03T05:57:00.003-05:00

i always feel like my brain is getting fat when i start to watch tv regularly. that said, i never quite watch in moderation (go figure). so lately i've been gorging on episodes of HOARDERS, ever since i discovered it on watch instantly for netflix. it's a dangerous thing because my kids are playing together a lot. they don't really care if i join their play or not (believe me, i'm NOT complaining). and so the amount of time i have to think about those episodes, consider the implications of no order, contemplate over the denial/acceptance each person exhibits...it seems a little excessive...like these people actually exist in my life!

i usually listen to internet radio on our ipod (app: pocket tunes). my latest favorite station can be streamed from your laptop, ipod, droid, etc. try it here. there's also a cool "big band swing" station.

i get pretty sentimental when fall comes around. the phantom cloves in the air. the ghosts of days past. miss you cuckoos.

save the date!

2010-10-01T12:27:00.003-05:00

Just announced last night - Trader Joe's at One Pacific Place is set to open on Friday, November 12th!

Let's organize a Whocares shopping trip - sans kids if you can swing it. Anybody available the week after opening weekend?

one monkey don't stop the show

2010-09-29T06:16:00.004-05:00

I guess I posted once before about Flannery O'Connor's gorilla in "Wise Blood," but that's been so long ago. Let's talk about it again. I was working on a paper about a different story of hers, but came across this quote about what the gorilla costume means. I thought I would put it up here as a warning. A warning. of just where that costume can take a person...

O’Connor’s narrator describes Enoch as divided into two parts: “one his blood sense and the other his social self.” Enoch finally rejects his “social self to embrace his wise blood, donning a gorilla suit that signals his entry into the animal world" (Brinkmeyer 107).

Caron, if you do ever reject your social self to embrace the animal world, I feel confident that the who cares rebel women would be Jane Goodall to your Flo.

I think I need these

2010-09-26T15:27:00.001-05:00

Onion goggles! To protect you from the nasty fumes of an onion. Or a scallion. Or anything like that. I can't totally imagine myself really whipping out my onion goggles to chop something up, but I kind of wish I was fashion-forward enough to do so....

What say you? Worth the $20 (on Amazon, $24 on thinkgeek)? Or, better yet, what tricks work for you to avoid those painful onion tears?

for the mad men fans

2010-09-24T07:21:00.000-05:00

cafepress.com has a new line of mad men goods. if you like mad men, you'll love these. they're so darling, they're gonna be gangbusters.

Trampled by Turtles-Wait So Long

2010-09-22T22:03:00.001-05:00

Am I the only one just hearing of these boys? They should take the credit for a new genre... Aerobic Folk. Whoa.

Where are they Now?

2010-09-22T16:25:00.003-05:00

Click the Title. A few of our friends appear to be back. Hmmm.

Not naked yet...

2010-09-22T13:29:00.002-05:00

A big hello to you all from Pennsylvania--just miles from Gettysburg.

I thought of you all yesterday as my teacher was giving us a little bonus lesson on guilding-- the adhering of gold onto vellum or paper. People use a lot of acrylic mediums now to do the adhering. But, prior to the invention of acrylics, gesso was used. It is very temperamental stuff and the conditions have to be exactly right for the gold to stick. The right humidity and absolutely no dust in the air. In fact-- the best place to guild-- according to Sheila-- is in an empty sealed room with no windows, regulated temp. and no clothes on.

So, things could get a little wild around here after all!

okay, stop me!! (please)

2010-09-21T23:45:00.003-05:00

scenario: it's the eve of our 9th anniversary. jay (NEVER MISSES WORK) stayed home today because he was feeling extra, uber, really sick. long day for me with kids + housework + schoolwork + getting groceries + prepping basement for water flooding.

enter 11:50pm. already decided i was taking the couch. i don't want fever & chills. (and our couch really is so comfy). but i somehow find myself watching the first week of "dancing with the stars" online. florence henderson, jennifer grey, david hasselhoff?!! WHAT!!! it's irresistable. is this how t.v. programming is supposed to work? i've been able to stave off all other lures (except for LOST)...but i think i may be starting something that i cannot control. what if BABY falls? or ALICE takes a tumble?! or MICHAEL biffs it (please please please)??

how does this kind of tv watching happen for you?

ignite your bones

2010-09-19T16:52:00.002-05:00

i watched this video this morning, hiding in the bathroom for a moment of quiet before a busy day of services & lunch elsewhere. anyhow, when i got to the "i got big, i got sad...lost a relationship" i started bawling. and then bawling to see transformation. i don't know who this guy is...but i'm so glad he found the strength and motivation to work out the sadness.

a deliciously happy birthday to you!

2010-09-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

happy, happy birthday, darby! i hope your day is filled with delights and wonders.

birthday sister

2010-09-18T07:50:00.003-05:00

happy birthday, darb! what a gift to be your sister and your friend. i hope it's an awesome birthday, full of abundant things over which to give a knowing wink. many happy returns of the day of your birth. you're a present to us all.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY #5!!!

2010-09-18T06:47:00.002-05:00

the sky is a blazing red this morning, kinda like your hair was that one spring. hope you're enjoying some zzz's or the same beautiful scene out your window, with a cup of coffee and your little fellas sleeping til 9!!! cheers: to the woman who is not afraid to walk straight through the eye of the storm and always comes out on the other side as if nothing too out-of-the-ordinary had just occurred. love you darby!!

if i could turn back time

2010-09-17T23:40:00.002-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TO MY FAVORITE CHER!

Hope you at least packed a shawl for the trip!! Enjoy, Ink Fingers!

we raise a birthday cocktail

2010-09-17T09:57:00.000-05:00

a happy birthday to cheryl: thrower of great parties, guru in the kitchen, reader, conversationalist, schoolmarm and design wizard, we are so lucky to have you as a friend! hope you have a super day.

happy birthday, rebel woman!

2010-09-17T09:33:00.002-05:00

It has been said that if you give Cheryl a free coffee, she'll wear that vest anywhere. Well, Cheryl, I hope that today the coffee is free with no strings attached. Though that vest is quite fetching. I'm so glad we're friends. Have a great birthday.

Happy Birthday Cheryl!

2010-09-17T09:25:00.000-05:00

A very happy birthday to you, Cheryl! May the day be filled with laughter, joy, and celebration.

I like how in this picture you are all kind of raising your chocolate chip cookies in a sort of delicious dessert-based toast. If I had a cookie right now, I'd raise it to you!

Happy, happy birthday friend.

Birthday cheer!

2010-09-16T14:42:00.003-05:00

Best birthday wishes to you, dear friend. May this day be even greater than the pie shakes at Hamburg Inn.

Happy Birthday Ali

2010-09-16T13:39:00.002-05:00

all hail the victor on her birthday!

2010-09-16T09:28:00.000-05:00

happy birthday to you, friend. may this year be full of joy and laughter. thanks for bringing lots of both to all of us on a regular basis.

happy birthday professor marvel!

2010-09-16T08:31:00.000-05:00

many loves and hugs to you on your birthday! you're the pride and joy of the arants. i love you!

COUSIN: happy birthday, ali!!!

2010-09-16T06:02:00.003-05:00

when i think of a spirit of camaraderie, this particular evening comes to mind. celebrating the finish of a tough TOUGH semester, we three met at the brazenhead for some toasting, dining, & polluting the air. but more, we were gathered to celebrate the end of a great amount of focused effort + perseverance = COMPLETION. it is a pleasure and privilege to celebrate milestones with friends.

and so today, Cousin to All, to you i offer: my elbow raised high, head tilted to the left, dorkiest grin i can conjure, and hand extended in that better-to-give-than-receive way. A HANDSHAKE OF HUGEST PROPORTIONS!! love. love. love.

for all you pirate lovers

2010-09-13T15:17:00.002-05:00

this is henry in the backyard killing bears like a good pirate. he goes by the name pirate andrew and only kills mean animals. bunnies and small birdies are his favorite...he wraps them in a blankie and protects them from the neighborhood bulldog. this may be my favorite age for a young kid...when they tell elaborate stories and love to delve into imaginary settings. and, since he's the youngest, he doesn't boss anyone else around.