Marsbarn Designs...

Candied Calamondin

I have Big E's sneezy, snotty cold. This is giving me the perfect chance to try my Candied Calamondins. I preserved them about 10 days ago, but never got around to posting them. I used a recipe I found on line. The syrup is amazing! Oh my, just wonderful. So right now, I drinking a tea made from a candied calamondin to rally my cold-fighting defenses.

Library Show... the Mail Art cometh

About a million years ago... okay so a couple of months ago, I talked about the Multnomah County Library doing a mail art exhibit? Well look! They put up the exhibit! And that postcard at the bottom of the photo? It's mine! (Happy Dance!) I can't wait to go down and see the whole collection. The info from Sister Diane is that there were so many submissions that the show will rotate half way through. That means two trips to the large and fancy Central Library!

And if you can't wander in to see it, the library has posted a whole big bunch of them on its website. Take a look! (Just click "next" to wander through the images.)

Christmas, round two!

We are back from our Christmas celebration with Big E's folks. There is something very liberating in having Christmas on your own timeline. Everyone was relaxed and we could choose our night for Christmas dinner. The girls had a great time (even when Big E "squeezed the pee" out of little e while wrestling in the hallway). Santa did a special visit (Grandma R has the connections, let me tell you), and we got to have a second round of stockings. And, I watched Elf with Will Ferrell. It was funny. Really funny, and I am shocked to admit it, but I really liked the movie. I am even tempted to add it to our Christmas movie collection.

Little e: Solver of Inequities

Little e: Momma, you do not have a kiss.
(Pause)
I do not have a kiss! (look of wonder)
(Pause)
You do not have a hug.
(Pause)
I do not have a hug!
Little e leans forward with arms out stretched to fix these inequities.

Snow Tutorial

It seems that the Weather Bureau in our area has become confused. We have many, many types of rain; mist, shower, downpour, light, heavy, continuous, freezing, pelting, monsoon style, etc. It even rains when the sun is out. But, this (see photo) is snow. Notice the white, cold fluffy, flakiness of it. Notice how it rests on top of the grass. See how you could pick it up in your hand and mold it, or eat it? It is, in fact, rain in solid form. What we had yesterday was rain. Not snow. Honestly people, is it that hard to tell the difference? 100% chance of snow, and not even a single white flake. Pah! (And yes, I know those of you who live where snow is as common as our rain will guffaw at my piddily photo of snow, but I tried. I still have a better handle on it than those Weather Guys who make the big bucks!)

Snow or Snot?

The weather man is taunting me with promises of snow. Bad weather person! Do not taunt me so!
Big E has been knocked flat by snot. Poor man, he has little e's cold. I guess that's what happens when you hang out with sick people on your vacation and then work in the cold and wet for Christmas eve and day.

Post Christmas Craft show and tell

In my holiday sewing spree I made a play quilt for each of my sweet monkeys. This is little e's quilt which was made for Little Lumpy, her favorite elephant. I had so much fun making this little riot of orange and red! Months of careful sewing, 1/4 inch seam allowances, matching corners, lining up seams, turning tight corners, and intensive care was abandoned for this freeform, lopsided bit of cuddliness. Freedom! Color! Fun! I felt like I was coloring outside of the lines!
I also made the girls bonnets. Little House on the Prairie is a big deal here, so I made cozy bonnets following Amy Karol's pattern. What quick, easy fun! And the girls love them! (I would heartily recommend the pattern. The only thing I would add is that I used a 1/4" seam allowance instead of the 5/8ths so that the child's size would fit my 7 year old's head.)

Christmas cheer under the microscope

Christmas Day here at last. And look! Sweetheart G received her two Christmas wishes... a microscope and snow. Big E and I figured that Santa would come through with the microscope, but the snow took us all by surprise. So here are the girls out in their pajamas and coats, armed with a battery operated microscope looking at snowflakes! What could be a better Christmas morning treat? Then, we got dressed, moved onto Grand M's house and watched the big flakes continue to fall... until the snow turned to rain that is. So now Big E is out in the chilly rain, with little e's cold from last week, working away. Well, Merry Christmas all.. it is bedtime for kiddies, and then picking up time for Mommies.

Hurrah Christmas Eve is here

Merry Christmas Eve! Little e has been very concerned about our lack of snow. "But Momma, it can not be Christmas Eve. There is no snow!" I tried to explain that Christmas can come without snow, but she isn't quite sure. "But Santa cannot come without snow!" I told her that most places do not have snow on Christmas, and Santa gets along quite well because he flies his sleigh. I think that she will only be at ease when she sees Santa's handiwork tomorrow morning. Big E is at work, but he is hoping to be able to stop by later this evening.

Time is up

Today is the last day of Big E's Christmas vacation (SIGH). Although we didn't get to go out much during his time off, he did get some lovely painting completed. This tree is particularly nice. He finally made green leaves which look like spring leaves! And I love all the texture on the bark of the tree, especially the way it carries over into the spite hiding on the back side of the tree! It is just wonderful!