I remember Mama….

My mother, a woman loved by so very many people, passed away 11 years ago today.  I can’t begin to count the times over the past years when I’ve wanted to tell her something; to show her how proud I am of her granddaughter; to let her know that I FINALLY can do some of the things she wanted me to do (like cook!).  I know in my heart that she’s watching over us and that she knows. But still.

The greatest joy in my life is my daughter.  Now, Mama, I understand what you felt. Oh my daughter has far surpassed me in things to be proud of, but I truly understand that depth of love for a child that allows you to hold them close and let go at the same time.  That makes you stand up tall and proud at every accomplishment that child makes.  To support them in being the best human being they can be.  Mama, I give you credit for Emma’s successes too, because you taught me how to be a mother. You were a shining example.

No, you weren’t perfect. Who is? I certainly am not.  But you were the 1950’s/1960’s housewife with a big heart. You cooked wonderful meals and baked like no one else. I remember cousins and aunts frequently at our house for meals with everyone commenting that you needed to start “Aunt Mary’s Restaurant.”  During the summer you (apparently) gladly added to the brood during the day, watching over your sister’s three kids as well as your own three, and your best friend’s two daughters.  We had a houseful!  And that doesn’t even count the Blue Bird/Camp Fire Girls you led once a week or the neighborhood kids who came to play.  You knew how to entertain us with crafts and trips to Steven’s Creek or the beach.  And you treated every kid with equal love and attention.  Everyone loved being at our house.  Because of that example, I’ve been very active in Emma’s school life and our home is always a place the kids love to come.  I have the privilege of being “mom” to a whole other passel of kids!

But most important, Emma and I have a really lovely, special relationship.  I learned from my mother and father that there’s no such thing as too much love.  And that you NEVER hide your love.  You cuddle them and kiss them as long as you can.  And that you accept and love your child for everything that they are, good or bad.  You expected a lot of us but only in the sense that you wanted us to always do the best that we could.  And you wanted us to be happy.  I am happy Mama.  I’ve had my ups and downs, done things I’m not proud of, but where I excel, where I’m most content, is as a mother.  And I learned that from you.  I miss you.  I love you.  So much and very much and with all my heart and I adore you.

Mary Ann Wilson Froom Marshall

October 28, 1925 – July 30, 1998

 

Pride

Haven’t written in awhile.  Always think it takes too long.  It doesn’t.

But today I have something to share.  Forgive my pride.  At our last parent/teacher conference we were told Emma had been nominated for a special county wide award.  Today was the big day.

This is what her teacher wrote and was read at the ceremony:

Emma Jones is an extraordinary individual and serves as a model of leadership at Freshwater School.  Her dedication to doing her best is reflected in everything she does.  Emma’s perseverance and commitment to learn has resulted in her maintaining straight A’s each report card period for the last two years.

Emma is an inspiration to her peers because she herself is inspired.  Her interest in journalism, her lifelong passion in dance, and newly developing interest in horses are all sources that encourage her to learn and experience all she can.  Her motivation, discipline and ability to balanced several extra-curricular activities help her to be the well-balance student that she is.

Emma possesses strength in character that is rare at this age.  She is a strong advocate for others and will “do the right thing” no matter what.  Her compassion for all led her to play a key role in establishing a class fundraiser to benefit Betty Chinn’s work with the homeless this year.  The blending of all her aspirations has created a very remarkable young woman.

Synopsis: Emma is a well-rounded leader, who is motivated to achieve in many areas, be it in academics, dance or advocacy.  Emma is disciplined and compassionate and her achievements will enhance her life and the lives of others.  She has a bright and fulfilling future ahead of her.

 

Holiday Hubub

Ok…the great sewing extravaganza is over and in fact, so is Christmas!  I was so exhausted from the show that I’ve not had the energy to post a thing.  I did manage to get some photos up on Flickr and a video of BalletDaughter’s performance that I shot from the wings during the first performance. 

I can’t tell you how proud I was of her.  This was her first solo on pointe and it had some rather difficult steps for someone with only a year of pointe work behind her (under her??).  But she was lovely.  Amazingly, HER costume was the easiest one I made! 

The Bellerinas, who dance with her, were significantly more difficult but I only designed them; constructed one as an example, and another mother did all the sewing.  The difficulty came when the hula hoops we planned to use didn’t get shipped!  So UkeHubby, after driving for six hours from the Bay Area, helped me cut and form yards and yards of plastic tubing.  We had to warm it in the oven to get the right bend in it because it had retained the tight twist it had on the spool at the hardware store.  We had to insert them in each dress, then UkeHubby rivited each one so that it wouldn’t twist.  Twelve costumes – completed the day before dress rehearsal!

I also made the (10!) tops for the Intermediate Latin class and some new costumes/pieces for the soloists.  I was busy and my studio still looks like a bomb went off in a thread factory.  But my serger was a godsend.  I had been so afraid of it (why????) and then when I used it – heaven on earth!

So, ballet concert is over; smashing success.  December is a hectic time for us.  UkeHubby’s birthday, our anniversary, Christmas, BalletDaughter’s Birthday…then New Years is rapidly followed by my birthday.  We can barely breathe.  But UkeHubby and I did manage to go out to dinner for our 7th anniversary.  We’ve come to really enjoy Abruzzi after BalletDaughter’s dance teacher gave us a gift certificate last year.  So we chose their romantic atmosphere to celebrate 7 years of marriage.  BalletDaughter snapped a picture before we left, with UkeHubby swathed in the wool scarf and hat I got him as an anniversary present (did you know that the 7th anniversary is WOOL??? But I have LOTS of wool already.  And wool blends…skeins and skeins of wool!)

 

 

We had BalletDaughter with us for Christmas and it was wonderful.  She had been told she couldn’t get up Christmas morning until UkeHubby was up.  I generally get up early and that morning I got a text message about 8:30 asking “When’s Tim getting up???” She used modern technology to approach a child’s age old dilemma on Christmas morning!

As usual, she was spoiled.  And so was I.  I got the new camera I had asked for.  We loved our old (?) Canon but wanted to supplement it with one of the tiny cameras that would travel in my purse more readily.  UkeSanta got me the Canon SD1100 and I’m thrilled with it.  I’ve taken hundreds of photos just experimenting with what it does.  Trust me.  It does a lot.

I didn’t finish my gift knitting completely.  I hope to get that done this week.  But I did manage to crank out a quick scarf for myself - a Fidget.  I love it.  As soon as it’s blocked I’ll post a picture.

Until then, we wish you the Happiest of New Years! May the coming year be filled with joy and peace and contentment for us all!

 

 

I WILL rise from the dead once this is over!

So…it’s that time of year again!  The annual Halloween Party!  As BalletDaughter has gotten older we’ve allowed her to invite more kids.  Somehow it just seems that there’s “less” to do (fewer games, etc.) as the kids get older.  This year they are mostly 11, 12 (maybe 13) year olds.  In the past she has invited about 20 but only about 10 show up.  We’ve held it the weekend before Halloween because Halloween was on a weeknight.

THIS YEAR…Halloween is a Friday so it’s party time tomorrow!  And this year (with very little real thought on my part of the difference between child availablity on Halloween versus any old other night; or the blatant desire of parents to be rid of their kids in a safe and sane (??!!?!) environment on Halloween) we let her invite about 30 kids.  Silly me.  I assumed we’d get the usual half saying they couldn’t make it.  Silly, silly, silly me.  Crazy me.  Poor delusional, shoulda been kicked in the head, me.

So far approximately 22 kids have said they’d be here.  22.  TWENTY TWO!!!  And that’s not counting BalletDaughter!  We have a good sized living room but still.  I envision that scene from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, after the ball when the kids are rocking out.  They’re all crammed together hopping up and down.  (Actually, I bought that soundtrack so I could have that song for the kids!)  I have a few games ready but in actuality I suspect kids will come and go (they still want to trick or treat at this age) so we may just play a couple and have a costume contest.

I’m about half way through prepping the food.  Here’s the menu:

• Witch Fingers
• Ghoul Guts
• SssssssLime Punch
• Filet of Ghost with Goblin Guts
• Backbone Rollups
• Bat Wings
• Ogre Skin
• Butterscotch Bones
• Bat Chips & Spiderweb Dip
• Peanut Butter Eyeballs

There will be assorted other stuff too…candy rocks strewn about the table, bowls of M&Ms, candy corn, pretzel mix.

A few of my Plurk buddies have asked about recipes and though I know it’s close, if you can’t use any of this this year, think about next year.  Photos will follow after the party.  In the meantime, this is me:

WITCH FINGERS: Using PIllsbury breadsticks, I cut the sticks in half, prepare them, and then before baking flatten one end with a butter knife.  After they are cooked I spray lightly with green food color spray and put a drop of ketchup on the flat end and lay on a sliced almond.  Voila – witches fingers with bloody nails.

BAT CHIPS & SPIDERWEB DIP: Using bat shaped cookie cutter, cut bats out of flour tortillas, spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with whatever seasoning you like.  This year I’m using an assortment of Mexican related spices.  In the past I’ve made these with cinnamon and sugar!  Accompanying them is a dip with: Mix cream cheese and salsa and spread on a round plate.  Over this, but not going QUITE to the edge (so you can still see the cheese/salsa) layer guacamole.  Put some sour cream in a plastic bag, make a small snip off one corner and pipe a spiral onto the plate.  Drag a toothpick through the spirals to make a spiderweb!

BUTTERSCOTCH BONES: I made up Rice Kripy treats but before you dump in the cereal, add 3 tablespoons instant butterscotch pudding mix! (What a marvelous idea.  I can’t wait to make other versions of this!).  Spread the mixture (with the cereal, I’m assuming here that you know about making this treat!) on a half sheet pan and press out flat.  You want it about 1/2″ thick.  Chill, then cut out bone shapes with a cookie cutter.  Cool these and then melt equal parts butterscotch chips and vanilla chips, dip the flat side of the bones in the mixture, chill again to serve!

OGRE SKIN: Ha!  This one is great!  I made this for dinner and actually got BalletDaughter to eat a green leafy vegetable!  Take fresh chard, cut out the stems, toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes.  Turn them over and bake about 8-10 minutes longer.  They will brown and get very crispy!  And believe it or not – a veggie is YUMMMMM!

BAT WINGS:Easy peasy.  Go to Costco, buy BBQ chicken wings, heat and serve! (SOMETHING’s gotta require little to no work from me!)

BACKBONE ROLLUPS: Spread flour tortillas with softened cream cheese and layer on sliced meats, cheeses, veggie (whatever your little haunted heart desires).  Roll up and chill.  Slice into 1″ piece.  To serve, stack the pieces, each slighly off center of the other, to resemble the bones of the spine!

SSsssssLime Punch: I’m using lemonade mix and ginger ale, mixed with lime jello that has been set and then stirred up to be goopy!  I’m putting in the usual frozen hands, using blue jello for flavor and color and gummy worms frozen inside!  Adding flavor to the water keeps it from watering down the punch.  Be careful about what color you use for the hands ‘cuz you don’t want to change the color of the punch too much.  (I also added neon food color!)

FILET OF GHOST WITH GOBLIN GUTS: Cube of cream cheese covered with green pepper jelly.  (Hey, I never said I was clever!)

GHOUL GUTS: Spinach Dip.  (I was realizing there are only so many minutes in a day!)

PEANUT BUTTER EYEBALLS: 1C peanut butter; 6T butter (softened); 2C sifted powdered sugar.  Mix, form into balls and chill.  Melt 8 oz candy coating.  Dip balls to coat.  Dot colored (I used blue and purple) icing on the middle and set in M&M for pupil.  Chill again.  Add red gel squiggles for bloodshot!

I’ll let you know how it turns out.  (Now, what am I going to wear?? Costume?? Me??? We don’t need no stinking costumes!)

 

So true….

 

Please, please, please

This election is awfully important.

 

I’ve just bought drum sticks and practice pad for BalletDaughter!

 

I’m trying to get my new home office space organized!

 

Celebratory Camping

Every year, our friends Jerry & Lisa celebrate their wedding anniversary by reserving the entire campground where they were married.  It is an invitation only weekend long celebration – this year, celebrating 25 years!  Congratulations Jerry & Lisa!!!  I should have knit a silver flamingo for you!  (I’ll have to get to work on that!  A couple of years ago I did knit them a flamingo.  Somehow, the flamingo had become a symbol at the campout.  They’re everywhere. 

Anyway, many of the invitees were at the original wedding.  I wasn’t.  Sadly, I didn’t meet Jerry & Lisa until about six years ago.  But UkeHusband has known them much longer and been attending the campout for quite some time.

This year the stay was a bit abbreviated.  About a day shorter than normal.  So some folks didn’t make the trip (people come from all over the country for this shindig!).  My disappointment was that we couldn’t work out the schedule to get Kiddlebiddle up here this year.  She tries to go every other year but ballet classes during the summer are starting to interfere.  But it was a great camp-out anyway!  It’s a gorgeous location; the people are THE BEST; and fun and festivities abound.  UkeHusband always brings a couple of his instruments and this year a couple other Ukesperience members joined us for a day (they had other plans or would have stayed the weekend too!)  I managed to snag a video of them around our camp table:

working on a waving lace sock

 I always spend some of the time knitting!  In spite of anticipated cloudy weather, we had one lovely sunny day that got just about everyone out into the meadow.

 

That L’il ‘Ol Farmgirl…me!

OK.  So I’m one of the herd.  I’m trying to be pretty active in a couple of on-line knitting communities and one of them recently associated with a book and organization I’ve enjoyed for awhile: Mary Jane Butters (http://www.amazon.com/MaryJanes-Ideabook-Cookbook-Lifebook-Farmgirl/dp/1400080479/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214968885&sr=1-2) .  Miss Violet (of Lime & Violet podcast fame) started a “hen circle” for those of us digging into the farm girl in ourselves.

Our first task is to write about ourselves.  So:

Farmgirl?  Me?  I lived in San Francisco for years and years; grew up in suburbia.  What could be farm girl like about me?  Plenty. 

When I was a child, my maternal grandparents lived on a farm in Delhi, California.  Here’s my grandma’s high school graduation photo:

 I have many fond memories (and a few pictures…I’ll have to dig them up!) of playing on the farm: helping grandma gather eggs, sitting on grandpa’s tractor, eating dinner at noon at a large table filled with good ‘ol meat and potatoes good stuff!  I think therein was laid the foundation of the farm girl within me. 

At our own home, my mother cooked marvelous things from scratch, made most of my clothes, and came up with the most ingenious, practical ideas for any problem that arose.  She taught me to sew but I balked at cooking and baking.

When I was in my 30’s and single, I dreamed of living in a cabin in the woods.  As I was then a college student in San Francisco, majoring in theatre, it seemed that that dream was mere fantasy.  But over the years, things transpired to eventually bring me to Pescadero, California.  I found myself living in a small cabin among the redwoods in a very small, close-knit community.  I was in heaven.

Of course, life took over and after a couple of years I found myself once again in suburbia.  But now I lived in a duplex with a bit of a yard and had a small daughter I wanted to introduce to the joys of nature.  I planted tomatoes, herbs, and radishes.  I busied myself learning and practicing aromatherapy.  I baked pies from scratch.  I delved into the mysteries of “putting up” foods, which for me at this point, generally meant making big batches of sauces, etc. and freezing them.  I was down to earth economical.

Again…life progressed and changed (specifically, divorce).  I found myself still in the suburbs and now working full time, but still determined to keep at least a small garden.  I remarried and we moved to a small coastal town.  A benign brain tumor had robbed me of my ability to smell, putting the kibosh on my aromatherapy endeavors.  But neither that nor living in a suburban community ended my farm girl ways.  In fact, growing older has allowed me to explore them to their fullest.  I learned to knit, am learning to spin, love to cook and bake, and busy myself (much too much) sewing costumes for my daughter’s dance school.  Our garden, thanks primarily to my husband, is soon to offer us potatoes, carrots, radishes, garlic, tomatoes…and frankly, I’m not sure what all else!  That, along with a nice assortment of flowers.  And as a family we make it a point to support our local farmers and businesses – keeping the community our focus as we learn and strive to protect our resources, our mother, and ourselves.

Farmgirls Rock!