“some of my best friends are foodies”

OK, look. Today was not just about food or anything. No, really, there was a lot of friendship and talk, catching up and cuddles and walks. But like, the company who visited us? Responsible for:

CUPCAKES

THESE AWESOME CUPCAKES

and this was after:
a taco date al taqueria
cream scones, hot English Breakfast tea, blood oranges (made by Ralph)
Beecher’s Flagship cheddar, two wedges
Spanish almonds from Pasta & Co.
dried fruit crisps: apple, orange from Simple & Crisp
and Honey Hazlenut & Flagship Cheese Crackers (Beecher’s, again)
all-day pot roast & mashed potatoes
a winter fruit salad with lemon poppyseed dressing, apples, dried cherries, and swiss cheese
raspberry sorbet

ridiculoussss

I have to say, the orange crisps were my favorite. Well, besides the cheddar. Some things are just so amazing to taste. And are also just beautiful, too – the orange crisps look like stained glass.

Phee, opening a few presents:

Phee Opens Gifts

But Hamilton isn’t happy about anything. She’d like to passive-aggressively remind you, “other people need to use these stairs you know.”

Hamilton Has Some Complaints.

pie hustle part deux

Two Layer Dark Chocolate Cream; With:

Homemade pie awesomeness. Both of them with a slow-cooked dark chocolate custard. But that’s just the bottom layer. The pie on the left includes a vanilla layer and is topped with homemade whipped cream w/Mexican vanilla. Pie on the right, same as the pie on the left but with roasted coconut as well. I hear some of you assholes don’t like coconut, so whatever. Thought I’d defer to your taste.

You’ve got until 6:30 to reserve a pie. $20 apiece. Normally $25 but I’m having a sale. A black market, clandestine pie sale.

here dwells lurve

Breakfast, Watching Pokemon

Nels says to me, “We’re grown up now, not babies. You can’t hold us any more.”

“Oh really,” I say dryly. “So like how every morning you come downstairs and climb on my lap for snuggles?”

An instant cloud darkens his brow and his eyes focus on the floor. He frowns. He’s pissed.

“Well you can’t voluntarily or easily hold us.”

Phee clips Nels’ nails.

Nail-Clipping

Nail-Clipping

Nail-Clipping

Nail-Clipping

Breakfast. Vegetable quiche. I don’t like eggs in any form. But my kids ate more than half the pan, immediately:

QUICHE

Today I finished my housework early in the morning, avoided the computer (and Twitter!), canceled some of my mental commitments to other endeavors/people, and instead spent the day goofing off with, lunching with, and crafting with my children. I’m committing to a Halloween craft per day. Think we can do it?

last thursday

was First Thursday in Hoquiam. My kids had a lemonade stand which did well.

Phoenix & Nels' Lemonade Stand

Ralph built the stand. I designed the sign, and my mom painted it. The letters are executed perfectly, I just couldn’t get a good shot.

Sign; Designed By Moi, Painted By My Mom

Phoenix & Nels' Lemonade Stand

The Brothers Jim From Olympia, WA

The Brothers Jim, from Olympia.

Phoenix & Nels' Lemonade Stand

Nels wore his toque well into the night.

After A Hard Days' Napping

Josie held down the fort at home. She was exhausted.

Really Pooped Out

we’re out enjoying the sunshine, here are a few images

Phoenix's Creation

Phoenix drew an island – the far-right brown-pink blob is the living hut, which is very far away from the far-left blue blob which is the sole source of fresh water. Active volcano in the middle, sharks and monsters. I’m thinking this place would be tough to survive in.

Cats

The cats, after eating an assload of roast beef

Hardboiled Eggs With Tamari

Hardboiled eggs with tamari, part of a breakfast for the kiddos

Nels On His 2nd Chocolate Milk

Nels on his 2nd chocolate milk

Sleep-Pile

Sleep-pile, nighttime

newness

Easter at Wolf Palace

Today was tough. I moved about in a half-daze, getting a variety of things done. I made up most of a coat (melton wool, pictures soon) as well as housework and Easter dinner. I was tired from things yesterday, but I didn’t rest. It’s a little after nine PM now, and I’m going to make up a plate and watch a movie with a friend – as soon as I’m done here.

I took some time to enjoy the kids. They pretty much make my day, every day. Eventually we had to shoo a few other children off so we could have family time. We had to shoo them rather aggressively and more than once. They either preferred our home, or didn’t feel welcome at their own.

We released our butterflies today.

Daughter, Butterfly

Miracle + Miracle

Butterfly

& Nels ran in shortly afterwards, telling us he saw this season’s first bee. [ smile ]

Easter dinner – kids waiting.

Awaiting Easter Dinner

Awaiting Easter Dinner

Challah with red goose eggs, pea salad, fruit salad, honey-orange glazed ham. My mother joined us for dinner. I took two Tylenol (lower-left) and had some chai and felt better after a while.

Easter Dinner

Easter Dinner

Challah With Red Goose Eggs

Something special for birthday weekend:

N E L S Sugar Cookies

#gratitude

Easter at Wolf Palace - Kids Dividing & Sharing

“By the sea, Mr. Todd, that’s the life I covet!”

My Mom & My Son, Before Heading Out To The BeachMy son, & my mom, about to head out to the beach together.

So YE GODS I’ve been having fun embroidering. Last night I finished up this space-age sampler as designed by Wendi Gratz. I really dig her whole approach, as found on her site Shiny Happy World.

Space Sampler

Space Sampler

Embroidered Comet, Close-Up

The whole business made me decide to make up my own patterns, including a sewn samper. LET’S SEE how it goes. Because you know, not only can I draw, but I’m into stuff. For instance last night? I started and finished the above piece, concluding my last stitches while viewing Attack of the Crab Monsters with my kids, Tylur, and Emily, and whilst sharing a pint of Late Night Snack with said Emily.

YES I REALIZE I HAVE NOTHING, EVER, TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.

Anyway I could draw up some awesomeness ala Crab Monsters right this moment. Instead I drew and traced and finished a pattern of subjects close to my heart, non-Crab-Monster-related – and provided my sampler doesn’t shit the bed, you’ll be seeing it soon!

Embroidering

(Hint: will involve GLOW-IN-THE-DARK thread!)

Glow-In-The-Dark Embroidery Floss!

In other news: we got our table finished. The entire table was a gift, both in materials and construction, from friends. I am more than thrilled. It is my Favorite Table Ever. Many people were almost maimed while we put it together.

Making Our Kitchen Table Which Almost Killed A Few People

New Table! With New Wool Coat In Progress

First meal made on the table – meatballs! (recipe, previously shared):

Making Meatballs

Making Meatballs

Followed by – using the crusts discarded from Phoenix’s bread-cubing – fresh bread pudding for breakfast:

Fresh Bread Pudding For Breakfast

Phoenix:

Phoenix, Sly Creature

Harris (Every. Damn. Day!):

Life Is REALLY HARD For Harris

Finally: a piece of mine was published in the latest issue of Natural Life Magazine. As you’ve no doubt heard me say before, I heartily endorse anything written or published by Ms. Priesnitz, and I encourage y’all to head over and subscribe to this excellent publication.

In closing please, do not be so casual about “just a few land crabs” – unless you want to pay the ultimate price.

i immediately regret that decision

Cat Bullshittery

My cat herd (shown here, 75%) fills me with occasional shame.

A tea party with Nels, including his St. Patrick’s Day ensemble. He is learning to make homemade chai (and teaching his grandmother); he insisted we share a mango as well. #lurve

Nels, Tea, 3

Nels, Tea, 5

Nels, Tea, 8

Dear God, look how my son is growing.

Dishes On St. Paddy's Day (Green Hat, Nels' Choice)

Just so we’re clear, here is how old I picture Nels to be, in my mind’s eye:

Yeah, Pretty Much

OK.

***

A delicious Korean seaweed, given me by a friend. It doesn’t look like much different than typical nori from the supermarket but – wow. Nels and I fought over the last bit.

Korean Seaweed

Phoenix. Being lovely.

Studying

I made deviled eggs for a friend today, and a couple for my  mother as well. I speared each with a black olive and one tiny caper.

Deviled Eggs For A Friend

So yeah, things have been wonderful here. Today I got semi-acquainted with a local who’d found my blog and writings through an email link. We chatted back and forth a bit and she asked,

“How do you have time for your writing, sewing, husband, family and teaching … and yourself?”

You know what. I get this a lot. People who follow closely know I “do” less these days than I used to… but I guess I still “do”. I take only a minimum of time for myself, that is, time that is completely restful. A very minimum. Today I don’t feel guilty about this. Who knows, maybe I’ll learn a new trick.

Or maybe… not.

so comfortable and yet so resentful

October 23rd, 2010

Today’s family lunch: tuna fish sandwiches on fresh bread with homemade salt brine pickles*, orange and purple carrots* (pickling cukes and carrots from our CSA), sho-yu tomago* (soy sauce eggs), and Lay’s potato chips.

We were calling this a “Haunted Lunch” because of the orange-and-purple carrots and the “shriveled rotten eyes” (olives). And the “dinosaur eggs” and the tuna fish that “died by being pushed down the steps in an old spooky castle”. As you can see not all our jokes were relevant to Halloween, but it had Phoenix, her girlfriend S., Ralph and I laughing.

But Nels didn’t appreciate the “Haunted Lunch” theme and complained louder and louder about our jokes (such as they were) until he finally silently stood up and went in his room and then I heard him crying. We apologized, coaxed him back and promised it was just a regular lunch at which point he felt much better. Oh and you should hear how he says the word “lunch”. It makes me happier than just about anything.

Today I got back to some stitching and (my least favorite sew-work) mending and jeans-hemming. The second I get back there or warm the room up for use my goddamned CLOWDER is back there rolling on my feet or love-climbing up my leg (ouch!) or sleeping so soundly it looks like they’ve died:

I Leave My Sewing Room For One Minute

Baleful
“Fuck you, bro.”

Oh by the way, this particular individual I believe is responsible for giving both my kids ringworm. Lovely, huh?