Dog Days of Summer

We went with Kate and her family to the dog beach. Nothing's more fun than an outing the WHOLE family can enjoy.Penny and Oli run with the other lucky dogs

Theron tries to teach the ocean a lesson by pummeling it with rocks

Oli played very hard, fell asleep in the car, and was toast the rest of the day.

Taking Control of His Mental Health: Wristband-a-phobia

Theron's summer camp went to a place this week where they got to see Toy Story 3 in 3D and then play video games. When I got home from work he was on his bed, in his underwear with his computer in his lap. I asked him about his day and he told me, without looking up.
'Did you need money for the games?' I asked.
'No, we had wrist bands but I cut mine off when we got on the bus'
Then he told me that he also cut the wrist bands off a bunch of the other kids.
'Wait. How did you do that?'
'I had scissors in my backpack'
'You did?'
He looks up from the computer
'Yes Mom. I told you I'm always prepared'.

And now we are 9

9 years ago a fair-haired little baby was born in the West Village. Grandpa Flip, Grandma Mary and Grandpa Richard came to Brooklyn to meet him. He was 2 weeks early.

He had beautiful feet and he could hold his head up right away, all the better to look around at everything.

He has always loved to read.

And he has always loved to laugh. He used to laugh in his sleep long before we saw him do it awake. And he still laughs and makes us laugh. All the time.

Work Neighborhood

This palm with the bougenvilla is visible from all over the neighborhood. It is so out of control lovely.
Coming down the hill into Highland Park these balloons look like musical notes, the soundtrack to rolling down the slope.

Summer!

Theron's room at bedtime. He is standing on his bed and does a hand sweep as he says, "Welcome to Theron's Evil Lair. Would you rather die or be read to?"

Seems like things never calm down but they are good. Theron actually got a good citizenship award at school - so proud!Here he is with his aid who is an actual angel on earth. Thankfully she should be back with him next year, too.

I'm working on new products for IVS.The fun never ends...

Wordsmith

Theron was reading me a Batman book yesterday and comes to a part where it says the Batmobile can only be driven by a person wearing the Batsuit. "That's a good failsafe", he says. "Wait, what? How do you know that word?"
"It's common word" he shrugs.

The following story is an assignment where he had to write a continuation of a fairy tale. It is my favorite story right now, I read it over and over. Someday I hope I can write as well as my 8 year old.

Misc

Oh, geez, this has been a busy week. My friend, Yadin, and I did a program at the museum Saturday on quilt care, focusing specifically on a silk quilt she treated for us from 1892. It was very well attended and very well received. Quilters are super enthusiastic about the topic.
I spent the rest of the weekend doing NOTHING. Nothing. Nothing.
This week I actually got caught up on the obligations I had in which someone was bound to yell at me. So as of NOW, as far as I know, no one wants to kill me. Other people may want to send me sad-faced emoticons, but I'll get to them, too.
Have you guys seen the video on the Sloth Orphanage? You must see this - you didn't know sloths were soooo adorable! I want to work there!!!!
Another super great time waster... "Young Me, Now Me" photo contest. If you don't see something that makes you LOL you are dead inside. LOVE it!!!
So now I'm planning for the summer. By the way, you can't REALLY complain about the weather out here, but I do have a thing or two to say about it going from gloomy to Hades. Gasping for air in your car like a skeleton in the desert.
That reminds me - Palm Springs!!!! Must go.
okay, Summer...
- Prepare for Theron's 9th birthday! since he's been 8 for a thousand years.
- Prepare for the conference presentations Ashley and I will hopefully be approved to do with our friends this spring.
- Bake Pies. Yum!
- Grow Tomatoes!
- Have a "Try a New Recipe on Your Friends" get together.
- Cast Iron! I read a tutorial on the net called "Yes, You can cast iron!" and it was only one page, so it must be easy!
- Make my own underwear! There's a reason I have a huge bag of fold-over elastic in rainbow colors.
- Organize the garage!
- Learn to make sophisticated Jello creations! (the Jello Mold Mistress of Brooklyn, via The Splendid Table).

Okay, that's probably enough for now...

'Remember lad, whatever doesn't kill you usually succeeds in a second attemp' , Mr, Krabs to Spongebob as told to me by Theron so it may not be exact

I've decided I always need at least 3 days off in a row. The first day is for sleeping. Hopefully everyone in the house has been briefed on the 'if the eyes are closed DO NOT TALK to the person on the bed' rule. The second day is for getting our stuff together. And the third day is for getting things done.
And oh, my was the weekend relaxing, napping and having conversations like, 'does the dog try to French you?' (my answer was no, why?). Our baby bird is in an apparent growth spurt which added a non-relaxing element to the holiday. We always want to get the food in him so it's a happy time, but busy. They say (wrongly, believe me!) that a mother can distinguish the sound of her baby's cry in a crowd. This is what my baby's cry sounds like: "MOM???!!!! I need FOOD!!! "
Then again an hour later. 'Didn't I just give you food?'
"Yes, but I'm STARVING!!!!"
All right, all right, since you asked so nice. Why can't you get your own food, how old are you???

Anyway, here are some pictures from work.

Feathered head bands from the Amazon

Sweet little doll
Pomo basket
Plains doll

Details from a muslin drawing

Back From Milwaukee

Wow, that was fun! Milwaukee is so cute - there's really good food, nice people, and we all agree it seems a very live-able place. Plus, anywhere is fun with Em. The Inherent Vice Squad reception Thursday night (Cafe Disco) was great - we had delicious food and a nice crowd. The girls went to the liquor store and got some local brews - a nice sample box of New Glarus beers only sold in Wisconsin. I walked to a grocery store called Metro Market on someone's recommendation and found beautiful food. I wonder what the maids thought because we didn't let them in until Friday. Until then we just met them at the door asking for more towels, a knife, and 20 hangers.

Liz made us the cookies and we gave them out as party favors.

Oz cuts up the mixed rye. In front of her are cheese curds, mozzarella strings, cheddar and summer sausage, all local. And oh so delicious. I brought cheese home and Theron's been walking around laying claim on the rest of the curds and declaring his love for "Wisconsin cheese".

Some products out, getting ready for the customers. The laptop is there because we live-broadcast on Ustream.

When you have a camera going people start doing things they wouldn't ordinarily do.

Professional ladies with good jobs turn out to have dance moves and hand gestures to I Saw The Sign and I Like Big Butts.

After Cafe Disco Emily and I walked back to her hotel and stopped at a greasy spoon for real food. It reminded me of when Em and I would wander around the Lower East Side looking for french fries. I had a BLT. The waitress asked if I wanted butter or mayonnaise. I hesitated. She says, "Oh, girl, butter AND mayonnaise is SO good!" so that's what I got.

The next day during break Em and I went back to the cheese store and the sausage store. Then I tried not to cry as I packed my bag and she walked me to the lobby. I kind of still feel like tears are there, but it's nice to be home. It's a good home.

Panic and Anticipation

The time is here to pack and get ones self to Milwaukee
That doesn't mean the work is all done, by any means, it just means that by the end of today everything that needs to be done by machine will be done. And we'll be sitting in the hotel room sewing tags on stuff, etc.

There are more pictures on the IVS blog

I can't wait for Cafe Disco, but also I look forward to visiting with everyone. Emily and I are going to lay in bed with glasses of wine and talk about Nilfisk vacuums.

Now that I have all this left over leather I am especially inspired by these little Apache pouches that we unboxed at work this week.

Customer Service

Drive-thru Teriyaki

Set up: there is no speaker, you talk directly to a person. This person is maybe 2 feet away from you. There is no language barrier. There are about 12 things on the menu.

Me: I'll have the #8 chicken bowl.
Person: What?
repeat
P: what? Phone order?
repeat with hand signals
P: Point
Shows me the menu with pictures and I point
M: And an small orange drink.
P: Coke?
repeat
P: we don't have that.
M: Pineapple?
P: No
M: Ice tea?
P: No
M: Sprite?
P: No
M: Okay, I'll have a Coke.
P: Lemonade?
Goes away for a really long time. Comes back with an empty cup.
P: Do you want ice?
M: Why, do you have some?

Aaaggghhhhhhh!!!!

HOW BEAUTIFUL!!!! Aaaaaaggghhhhhhh! How CUTE!!!!!

Both from Alex Monroe in Britain

Miscellany

There's tons to talk about but not so much time. Milwaukee is next week so Ozge and Rebecca and I are working till our eyes are red. Here's some images of my work neighborhood, beautiful objects in our collection, and things I'm working on for IVS. Crazy outcrop in Highland Park

Whoops, everything loaded out of order, oh well, here are some tool wraps with our lovely new buttons




French guitar from the 1850's.

Funky Northwest Coast tunic