Archive for 2008

After my last encounter flying (long, arduous, and leaving  a distinct distaste for the TSA in my mouth) I was in no hurry to board a plane. So, our little family did something we’ve never done. We hopped a train! (I’m sounding decidedly Dr. Seuss-ish. Lack of sleep does that to a girl!)

Despite our train being 4 hours late (several freight trains broken down, one stroke, one emergency stop for appendicitis) I suspect we’d do this trip again. The views were lovely, the motion of the train was so soothing, and we really enjoyed being able to take the trip at a leisurely pace. However, with any new venture there is always a steep learning curve. Here’s what I’ve figured out for next time.

Surviving the Train:

1. Dress in Layers. I figured a lightweight t-shirt and a cashmere sweater would do the trick. I was wrong. Sometime in the middle of the night, I found myself wishing I’d had just one more layer to throw over my face. There is a constant air-conditioning “breeze”. Great for clearing out the fug that comes along with travel. Not so great if you don’t enjoy air-conditioned breezes. However, both Boy Wonder and IZ found themselves very warm during the evening. I grabbed every layer they stripped off.
2. Wear comfortable clothing. My upper layers were comfy, if lacking. But I wore jeans and while they were loose fit and easy on the thighs, they weren’t loose enough for such a long trip. No matter how much water you drink, or how oven you, uh, pee… you’re going to bloat. Something stretchy is your friend. Those people on the train are never going to see your bulgy backside ever again, so dispense with the vanity and find a pair of yoga pants to wear. Words on your ass are optional.
3. Pack a blanket. The train service will include a pillow (We packed our own, tyvm!) but not any kind of covering. I think we’ve established that I run cold. Hense the need for a blanket. But I also discovered that I like to be covered to sleep. (Do not even read into that, all you psych majors!). Clearly, my new store needs to have a signature blanket. Hee. With monograms. Right?
4. Bring a water bottle. But only one.  Yes, you can purchase water on the train if you don’t want to carry it in. However, that can add up quickly. The train does provide a water filling station in nearly every car. So, bring a bottle and keep refilling.
5. Drink the water you bring. I can’t stress this more. I didn’t realize just how little water I consumed on the train until a small panic attack on Sunday afternoon. We were in the park, I took a look at my ankles, noticed the excessive edema, and proceeded to panic. Dizzying black-outs and rapid breathing ensued.  I don’t have real panic attacks all that often, but I know what they feel like. Which ironically  means I don’t panic about them.  I put my head down, did some deep breathing, pitched a few prayers heavenward for good measure, and then walked myself back to the hotel to get some much needed rest.  Lots and lots of water later, my ankle bone (which was previously injured and part of the swelling is due to that) is beginning to emerge.

Consuming so much water has necessitated a walking tour of Disney’s bathrooms. Which could easily become the topic of my next post.

Take a break. Catch your breath. Relax.

I’ve known about our trip home for ages. So, leave it to me to decide last minute that IZ and I could use travel pillows.  I managed to get my studio area clean (you can see the floor in the photo… Hello! No strings on me.) enough to be inspiring again.  To compound my fate, Joann’s had fabric I’d been eyeing for ages on sale. SALE! It’s a rare moment when you see a Japanese print at our store, so I snatched up what little they had left and got to work.

I didn’t mean for our pillows to be so matchy-matchy. I swear. That was an accident. But the browns in those prints looked so beautiful against this amazing Egyptian cotton I’ve been hoarding, I couldn’t resist. It’s probably a good thing this was so last minute; as I was handing IZ his, a stray thought crept into the corner of my studio and shouted, “HEY! YOU! MONOGRAM THAT PILLOW.”  Apparently, Martha Stewart has taken up residence in the north corner of my space. She should really tidy up that spot.

Monogram? What a fabulous idea!

Then I looked at the laundry and my empty suitcase and thought better of it.

Next time.

Look who was hiding beneath all that hair.

I meant to take a “before” photo… but you can kinda get the feeling for just how long his hair was in the photo on the post below.

After his cut, I said, “Wow… I can finally see your face!”

His response, “Wow! I can finally SEE!”

The weather is clued into the calender around these parts. Yesterday’s turn of the season brought appropriate weather. It’s clear and sunny and crisp. Sweater weather. We actually turned on the heat for the first time in months and I’m pretty sure I smelled a stoked up fireplace when I walked Sophie last night.

The change in seasons also means our annual trek home. I’m busily attempting to right the wrong in our house before we leave. And my bedroom… is so wrong. Yesterday I managed to unearth the floor in our space while simultaneously creating small land-mines crafted of laundry baskets. Everything is sorted and tomorrow will put my washer and dryer into continual use. This much I abhor about traveling: it always seems to have laundry bookends.

There is always so much to do before we leave. I get a bit manic, I think, trying to accomplish it all. There is something about traveling that makes me want everything “just so” before we embark. The proverbial list has lists–items that will never be crossed off, even if I had started last week. I think I’ll add a few items I’ve actually finished just to make myself feel better.

Today, though, I took an opportunity to stop and do some art with the boy. Despite the packing and the laundry and the excessive errand running that is left to do!  We’ve yet to decide how we’ll use the finished project. But the making of these sun-prints seemed a fitting way to wish our Warm Friend safe travel to the other hemisphere.

Now, it’s time to take down the bunting, pack up the picnic tablecloths, and rake a few leaves. Pull a few weeds. Buy one last bouquet of Dahlias. While I’m busily packing summer skirts into my suitcase, I’m pulling out fuzzy sweaters and closing up windows. We will return to Autumn in full swing.

But first, one last dose of sunshine on the golden coast. We plan to accompany our Warm Friend on her journey south. . . at least part of the way.

Turn over a new leaf.

We are shifting into fall and  our school routine. I have to admit, I like the pattern. Which is odd.  I expected to really mourn my loss of free time. The last part of summer was completely my own which afforded tons of time in my studio.  However, I’m finding our routine to be a bit of a comfort. It makes for a cleaner house, at least. Because IZ and I share the teaching load and alternate days, my teaching days create a perfect opportunity for getting those pesky loads of laundry done. Which, is a good thing. Right?

Lately, though, what free time I’ve had has gone to creating. While the rest of the house is starting to look livable again, my studio is an absolute disaster. I have piles of projects waiting, mounds of fabric, and sewing debris an inch thick on the floor. I don’t dare walk in there barefoot for fear of a brash encounter with straight pins. Ouch. I’d like to think of it as creative chaos. It’s probably just messy.

My goal is to have it cleaned by next week when we leave for our annual trek home. A trip home that is about survival for me. We didn’t go in May, due to the wedding. So this is a necessary a sanity break, if nothing else. A planned “summer”. The weather here for the past few weeks has been glorious, but it’s not enough. So, we schedule a pilgrimage to all spaces holy at least one a year. In this case, Anaheim, Santa Barbara, and Marin make up the trifecta necessary for me to endure another winter here. It’s been too long since I’ve been home.

This trip promises to be interesting, but I’ll blog more on that later. In the meantime, we’ve been busy entertaining. Typically, I like to spread these things out–I’m so intensly private, to have three social encounters in my space in one week is usually overwhelming. But with the trip, we’re trying to touch bases before we go. You know how it goes. What’s that old cliche? Strike while the iron’s hot?? Anyhow, it’s made for clean spaces and that makes for a peaceful space I really crave.

This post has been a bit random. Right? I really thought I’d be blogging more in September, but I’ve been so busy with Mireio that I’ve barely brought my head up. It’s a good kind of busy, but I’m going to try to rectify this bad habit. There has to be space in this new pattern for finding my way here.

Before I go, though… I have to show you these:

I’m absolutely giddy about them! They’re so beautiful and I can hardly wait to send them out. If you want a little love coming your direction—you know, not a BILL, let me know. I’ll pop a note off to you.

And this is for Cap. I’m thinking about you. BELIEVE