Posted by fabricpile
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 21:24:00 GMT
Today at Otterbein Library’s storytime, the kids got to decorate these t-shirts.
Miss Cindy likes to let the kids do crafts with stuff that mom might not allow at home. There’s nothing like a bunch of toddlers set loose with glue and glitter! I’m glad I hired her back to do programming for me. She’s great with the kids. The t-shirts reflect her professional motto.
So when Kira and Mark saw the t-shirts that Emma and Henry had decorated, they laughed hysterically and immediately wanted one.
But not for cute, sentimental kiddie reasons. Noooooo . . . my twisted little basement-dwelling geeks’ brains went directly to this:
This is one of those days when I realize that my kids aren’t really children anymore. And I’m cool with that! They are all so much fun to have around.
Posted by fabricpile
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:05:00 GMT
This is Bill. He’s my dealer. His stand is almost on a street corner—actually it’s in the Pizza Hut parking lot.
He pushes the sweetest corn, melons, and other produce from Prairie View Farms in Battleground. He fulfills my every sweet corn and watermelon desire through the summers. I’ve been buying from him since we moved back to Indiana. Now that I live within walking distance of the stand, it’s a lot easier to keep stocked up. Bill says that I am only one of two customers he always remembers by name each year. I think I know who that other friendly frequent buyer is . . . . Gary!
This has been a remarkable year for local produce. We have been given more surplus tomatoes than I can reasonably use. I haven’t had the time to can this summer. I probably should have made time. They have all been delicious fresh, though.
And this is not your granny’s grocery push-cart.
I bought this when we first moved here so that I could easily haul food and other goodies. It’s a half mile to the grocery, a half mile to the farmer’s market, and only a mile and a half to Wal-Mart. I want to be able to leave the Momtana at home as often as possible as I run walk my errands. This cart can haul!
Ten years ago, I spent a whole summer in Berkley pretending that I didn’t have a car. The kids and I walked everywhere and I loved it. I hauled produce from Westborn Market, library books, quilting stuff and two kids in a Radio Flyer. It felt like I stretched my right arm longer than my left that summer.
That is one of the memories that made the move from the lake into town more appealing. Life is sweet—like a watermelon.
Posted by fabricpile
Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:41:00 GMT
Here’s a baby quilt which was delivered to the mommy-and-daddy-to-be in Chicago just this past weekend. It’s much quieter than most of my work. I’ll admit was a nice change of pace to use pastels—especially since I worked on it mostly in the wee hours of the morning. I started it during my 4 am shift at the Tae Kwon Do school’s overnight movie marathon, and worked on it after Joe’s 4 am departure for his trip to San Diego last week before the kids woke up.
I did noisy it up a bit with some bright chartreuse to match Mommy Kinga’s ebullient personality.
The baby shower was a big, Polish family affair. As expected, there was enough food for the neighborhood. It was all wonderfully delicious and we laughed every time Kinga brought out something else, announcing, “I forgot! We also have . . . .” No one goes home hungry from Kinga and Tyler’s house!
Posted by fabricpile
Sat, 25 Aug 2007 05:29:00 GMT
We looked forward to this little guy’s arrival in Michigan with great anticipation—and now he’s six months old and I haven’t even hugged him yet! Don’t leave for college until we get there, Miles!
At least he has a quilt that I stitched up, so there’s a little part of us there with him—apparently keeping the little guy awake at night.
We’ll be there very soon, Raja. We can’t wait to meet you in person.
Posted by fabricpile
Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:30:00 GMT
If finally dug up a few old photos of Kira’s real first day of school.
And here’s what Mark-Formerly-Known-as-Max looked like:
His best parlor trick about this time was telling Kira’s teachers at the International School that he could speak French. Then he’d say “French Toast!” in an excellent (and therefore hysterical) fake French accent.
Posted by fabricpile
Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:38:00 GMT
Well, actually this is Kira’s second first day of school. She attended Kindergarten at a private school in Detroit, but that’s it.
It is Mark’s first first day of school—ever!
After 10 years of home schooling these monkeys, they are officially public high school students. Kira is a sophomore and Mark a freshman. We’re excited about the opportunities that the schools here have to offer. It’s going to be a bit of an adjustment for them to be on a strict schedule, and they’re taking some tough classes, but we’re confident that we’ll all do fine with our new routine.
Posted by fabricpile
Sun, 05 Aug 2007 20:57:00 GMT
Most of my creative energy is currently being poured into the painting and remodeling of our house. I hadn’t really planned it this way, but my studio space is going to be the first completed room. I’m nearly finished removing the paneling, repairing the walls and painting. I just need to get new lighting, refinish the double circulation desk I salvaged from the old West Lafayette Public Library, and get my machines up and humming.
In the meantime, I’ve been spending spare moments hand-stitching away on this little number for my dining room wall.
In it lie all of the secrets of my plans for the main living spaces. I’ll share more of them soon. Right now I need to get back to work.
