Marsbarn Designs...

Fay weather ahead

Ah, Oregon sunshine... it does a heart good. Sweetheart G was back to school today, and I have been gathering supplies for the Birthday O Rama Weekend. Chocolate seems to be a theme this year, along with fairies.
This is a fairy rock garden Sweet G created while home sick. I think of it as a zen labyrinth for the wee folk. They wander the rock path striving for fay (or should that be "fey"?) wisdom.
I haven't been working on much in the crafty-goodness department this week. I have been cleaning and organizing, though. (I even vacuumed, and the world didn't end. Don't gasp like that... ) My sewing area was beginning to look like my closet... don't get too close or you might loose a leg. I did my normal, "Oh, lookie here is that (insert cool tidbit) I bought to make that (insert cool mystery project), maybe I should work on that next." Of course, when I get to that project, I won't be able to locate the Safe Place I put the inspirational doo-da. Still, my sewing table is ready for action again.

the bloom is gone, but the light is on

I finally had to compost my parrot tulips yesterday. They had lasted a long, long time and were gorgeous!

And... I have kicked my Pavlovian habit! I solved my sewing machine light problem. I remembered that my mom had an old Kenmore in her basement (after I spent 3 weeks sewing without a light), and I traded my blown bulb for its working one! No longer will I compulsively turn my machine off and on.... and I will probably be able to see better in the bargain. Sure, someday I might want to buy a new bulb, but that would require going to Sears... and well.. I just wanted to be more creative.. ya, that's the ticket.

no snow, but more snot (no fair exchange)

The weather taunts me. I know that to the South, East, West and North it is snowing, but we just get cold rain. Humph. Sweetheart G is home with a snuffly cold. I am hoping that this cold will evaporate just like our snow did yesterday. Her last two stuffy nose events had 36 hour runs (literally). Big E is getting restless, which is a good sign. He wheezes less, and bounces off the walls more. I was able to run downtown with my mom for a quick birthday party shop. Sweet G's birthday is Saturday, and we have events planned for the whole weekend. I hear the fairies are coming...

here I thought I was making it up as I went along

"Fantabulous" is a word, as in its found in my spell check and on-line dictionary. How shocking! Even more shocking? I spelled it right on my first try.

Yay, snow delay

I love Portland. I do. One of the reasons I love Portland is that this (See photo) is enough snow for a two hour delay for school. Can I tell you the number of mornings I spent as a child, frustrated that the 4 inches of snow outside was not enough for a snow day? Or how the longing for a day at home turned into a wet, sloppy march to school? But that was on the East Coast (where New Englanders are made of sturdy stuff and school boards are mean)... not here in glorious Portland (where any white stuff falling from the sky is reason to stall or cancel school, because the world might be coming to an end).

grommetators arise

For my birthday Auntie O, one of my amazing sisters, gave me this box of origami butterflies. She thought they would make a fabulous garland. When Big E and I married, lo' these ten years ago, she made a million of tiny butterflies like these for wedding favors.
So yesterday, O and her beau came over to fashion a garland with me. We brainstormed about how to construct the chain, and I though "Hardware!". Time for some origami bondage and piercing. So, I finally used this neat-o grommet setter I bought this summer. I've never seen another setter quite like this spring loaded wonder, have you? First you punch your little hole (the child in the lap is essential at this point).Then, you place the setter on the back of the grommet.
Pull back on the spring loaded grommetor, and voila! You have grommeted!

Now, grommetting 48 butterflies leads to a sort of hysterical fit of bad, bad jokes. Blessedly, the hysteria has wiped my mind clean and I cannot remember any of them. (Wensleydale anyone?) After the piercings and hardware were installed, we strung the butterflies on ribbon. Pretty sweet, huh? Thank you O!

It was grand indeed!

Where to begin? Well. I had a wondrously grand birthday yesterday. I must admit that at the beginning of the week I had given up on my birthday. With Big E being so ill and my being so tired, I was really tempted to just pack it in. Maybe I would just stay 34 for another year. But... between my girls and Big E the day was a really good one. And, oh my goodness, the commenters out there totally turned my mood around. Talk about the love! Thank you, thank you, thank you.




So now.. the dinner... My mom out did herself (which seems impossible). We had tender, juicy, roast pork loin that had been wrapped in thick bacon, creamy scalloped potatoes, souffled eggplant (think warm, fluffy baba ghanouj), butternut squash lasagna (so sweet and tender), green salad with orange, seed bread imported from Eugene, and a vegetarian shepherds pie with the yummiest black lentils. Oh, and how could I forget? Mac and cheese for the kids. Did I mention that there were 21 adults and 6 kids to do this feast justice? Ya, I thought I hadn't mentioned that.
The worst part? Big E wasn't there in his glory telling stories. The second worst part? The leftovers are only enough for Big E's lunch today. The best part? The conversation. What a happy hive of talk, laughter, and enjoyment. Thank you to everyone who came! Thank you especially to Grand M and Papa! What a blast!

(Oh my , I forgot the pickled green beans! Crunchy, delicious, oh my...)

Big E Delivers

Big E went in for his 2nd chest x-ray yesterday, chauffeured by my Good Girlfriend. Hey, he still has pneumonia, but the spot has reduced in size from a tennis ball to a half dollar! So he is getting better, but slowly. Big E continued his Big Day Out by stopping off at work (they are scared of him) and pausing at our lovely grocery store. He wanted to buy me some flowers (he's a good boy!). After talking to the florist about what he wanted, he was greeted at the register by, "What are you doing out of bed?! You're sick!" A mom from school is a manager at the store, needless to say she was in the Know. Big E said, "I want (wheeze) to get flowers (wheeze) for h. It is (wheeze) her birthday." For his utter sweetness, he was rewarded with 20 percent off. So he heads to the florist with his receipt. The gal there is still wrapping the flowers, so Big E starts to tell her his story of woe. She grabs adds a second double handful of flowers to Big E's bouquet. The man could barely carry the flowers in his weakened state! I had to divide the bouquet in two because I couldn't possibly fit them all in one vase. Then he huffed, puffed, and wheezed for about an hour in bed while his body scolded him for going out.
He is cleared from work for another week. He goes in for chest x-ray #3 on next Friday.

Cake Required

January 24th:

Little e: Momma, what would you like for your birthday?
h.: I want two things from you. I would like you to be kind to your sister tomorrow. And, I would like you to sing "Happy Birthday" to me tomorrow morning.
little e: But you don't sing that song in the morning. You sing it at night with cake.
h.: But I would like you to please sing it in the morning, and at night.
little e: You need cake for that song. (Flat tone with no room for bargaining...)

January 25th: the Birthday morning, after breakfast in bed.

h.: What did I ask for as my birthday present? (This after little e has driven her sister to tears.)
little e: To be nice to my sister, but I didn't do that.
h.: What else did I ask for?
little e: I don't know.
About ten minutes of little e thinking goes by without effect.
h.: Did I want you to sing "Happy Birthday"?
little e: Oh, ya. You need cake for that.
Now, I will add that post-pre kindergarten she did sing "Happy Birthday" without any hints or duress, and it was lovely... and there was no cake... Oh, and she made me a lovely birthday crown.

A lovely start to the day

Isn't this a nice start to a birthday morning? Sweetheart G planned this breakfast in bed for weeks. She laid out the tray the night before and made notes to remind herself of her plans. So very thoughtful and sweet... Big E came through with the assist for the hot coffee! Thank you Sweet G. Thank you Big E.