Circus of the Sun

'Twas my birthday yesterday.

I know.

If you missed it, you probably feel devastated.

It's okay, I quit having high expectations of the day decades ago.

Yesterday was actually pretty good. Our Jenny must have posted birthday wishes at least ten times on facebook. Plus she and Jon and the boys brought tres leches cake and presents over on Tuesday night.

See...

Party girl!

Jeff sent me flowers, friends and kids sent wishes on facebook, Mum bought me some comfortable new walking shoes, Annie and Bethany gave me a spiffy new iron, and last night we went to Cirque du Soleil, thanks to 50% off the last few performances in Portland.

We have been to Cirque several times and, frankly, I am getting harder to impress. So here is my slightly jaded review.

Heading out of Newberg, we climb a mountain...

 

...and then drive through stands of trees for a mile or two.
Beautiful, isn't it?

Last night was rainy and windy, can you tell?
Annie's going to hate me for this photo.

Our seats were average, with a pole blocking some of the action.
And the Japanese group in front of us were politely informed No photos in the grande chapiteau.
So.
I stole these from their website.
That'll teach 'em.

This Cirque show goes back to its roots and involves a lot more clowning around, with lots of genital jokes that, quite frankly, they appeared to enjoy waaay too much. 

Meh.

The first half included a girl on a trapeze.
Who wore a big old safety harness.
I mean, where's the suspense in that?

A high-wire act.
Ho hum.

Acrobats walking around on balls.
La la la.

Contortionists, who were fairly impressive...

...but not as impressive as these ladies.

I suggest clicking in the lower right corner and watching this on Youtube.

All through the first half, I kept eyeing the VIP section that was half empty. As soon as the house lights went up, I asked an usher if we could move. Here's something good to know. She said that once the first half was over, we could move to any seats that were not occupied. So we quickly hefted our bodies down to those wonderful front and centre seats. 

The second half was a different experience.

First up, the extreme Wheel of Death.

My personal favourite.

These guys are wickedly awesome.

You can catch their act on Youtube, but there is nothing like being there in person.

This naked-looking lady made me want to take up the hula hoop.
Only I would not wear the outfit.

I almost have no words to describe this next act.

He was tattoo-ed from his toes to his waist.

Ask me how I know!

This photo is misleading, because the balanced chairs were vertical.

I have never seen a body that was so finely honed and purely powerful. He defied gravity at every move.

And lastly, the teeter-board.
What kind of a name is that for an act?
There were a few breathless moments during this act, especially for Mum.
She said, afterwards, that Cirque was the best thing she's ever seen.
So I guess I am right.
I am jaded.
And spoiled rotten.

Here is the trailer, to give you a taste of the evening.

Frugalistas unite, re-done

Dang, Blogspot has been giving me grief tonight. Nevertheless, I persevered, and here is the masterpiece.

In the ever-changing lexicon of our times, some words combinations are just annoying. Like the propensity for adding "ista" to the end of everything. Fashionista, for example. The practice is Latin and Spanish in origin and meansone who follows a principle. Like Taoista. Now there's an awkward word. And Lincolnista. Eek. The English "ist" doesn't seem quite as pretentious somehow. 

And of course, frugalista.

All that aside, those of you who know me understand the frugality that lies behind almost every action that I take. I think it is an inherited trait and not from my Mum. She was the one who made impulse purchases and then hid them from my Dad. I remember being on a camping holiday at Mt. Maunganui one summer and Mum and Dad having a discussion, near the end of the week, about whether there was enough money left to buy ice cream treats for the four of us. At the time, all I could think was, please, please, let there be enough for ice cream. Now, I see the wisdom of living within your budget. Dad was the master of making do, of figuring out how he could make something cheaper and better than the one that was for sale. So, while I like to have fun and enjoy the finer things that life has to offer, I choose my splurges and operate under a mindful frugality most of the time.

Last week, I was asked to teach a half-hour class at a Relief Society gathering. Relief Society is the women's organization of our church, for those of you who haven't had the pleasure. Dad used to say, "It's a relief to be away from Relief Society." Followed by much chortling. He was a funny guy.

So here, in a nutshell, is the accumulated wisdom of my years of being frugal. Originally of necessity, but now by choice.

I have been thinking about community a lot lately. About how living in a consciously frugal manner can build community. For example, if I find a great buy on Snickers bars on the clearance rack at our local Safeway, I will call a couple of friends to see if they want me to pick some up for them. That is, if I want to share and don't buy them all for me! Them when I get home, I might post the info on facebook. You will notice that many of the following ideas necessitate joining together with friends and neighbours to share resources and create blocks of buying power. In this day and age of increasing isolation, it's all good.

I must emphasize, however, that I am keen on quality as well as thriftiness. The older I get, the less patience I have for stuff that's crap. 

How elegant is that turn of phrase?

To illustrate, let me remind you of the quilt I made for little Elsie.

It cost about $2 for the batting. Everything else was free.

Now, this little baby...

 

...is another matter. It is my new pincushion, purchased at the Pacific Artists' Alliance in Lincoln City. It's made of wool that was raised, spun, and felted by Lorraine Karassik, and cost much more than $2. It supposedly sharpens your pins as you use it and I am inclined to believe the claim as I have drawn blood several times since I started using it.  If I told you how much it cost, my kids would probably never let me hear the end of it. I have already been razzed unmercifully about it by a couple of them. Check out her felted hats, which I crave but I couldn't make myself spend the money. 

So, here is the handout.

I know, you thought I'd never get to it.

But first, some pithy words from Ben and me.

Frugal living is dependent on delayed gratification and thinking ahead.  Sue Osborne

A penny saved is a penny earned. Benjamin Franklin.

Frugal living can create community. Me again.

Groceries

http://moneysavingmom.com/

http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

Couponing boot camp at http://www.preparednesspro.com/blog/

preparenow@googlegroups.com for local buying group.

My favourite store is Grocery Outlet. I stop every chance I get because they are all slightly different and products change every day.

Check the clearance racks at your grocery stores, both bakery and other goods.

Make a deal with friends and family that you will call each other when you find good deals. I often post them on facebook.

Take advantage of bulk buying groups to save money and add to food storage.

Entertainment

http://www.groupon.com/portland/

http://www.restaurants.com/

Sign up for PCPA, Ticketmaster, other venues’ emails for good ticket prices.

Attend your town’s free concerts in the park.

Use free passes from the library to various venues in the area.

Travel

http://www.travelzoo.com/ for weekly emails of deals.

http://www.travelocity.com/ for hotels.

http://clarkhoward.com/

Home and Garden

Swap plant starts and share seeds with friends.

Share tools with neighbours and friends.

Find good kitchen supplies at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Ross.

I look for good quality products at a discount, rather than buying cheap stuff. Less waste and better performance.

Review your utilities and home entertainment bills to see if there are any better options; things change constantly.

Don’t buy new technology. Wait until it is proven and the price goes down.

Financial know-how

Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard are both very savvy and full of information on all kinds of financial topics. Dave is more about being debt-free, Clark about making decisions that are good for your pocketbook.

Other good websites

http://www.4inkjets.com/

http://www.6pm.com/ (shoes and clothes)  

http://www.foodstoragemadeeasy.com/

http://www.heyitsfree.net/

Now.

Go forth and save.

Let me know your great ideas and I will share them.

My neck of the woods

The sun was low in the sky tonight and the air was balmy when I asked Mum if she would like to go for a walk around the block. 

My Mum would follow me to the ends of the earth, so of course she said, "Yes."

Today was a beautiful example of spring in Oregon.

I would like to say "typical," but it is not so.

But here is proof of the reason we true Oregonians (and I lay absolute claim to that label) are loath to complain too much about the rain.

First to attract my camera lens were the rhodies. They are at their best right now.

The sun was luminous on the clouds...

...and trees.

Are you jealous yet?

A little artsy editing of the spruce tips.

This house has a quirky sense of the unusual in this ...

...and this.

Stay with me now...

On to the fire station with its training building.

My trusty walking companion, who is always astounded and amazed at the beauty in a tree or a cloud.

And home again.

Billy Graham said, "My home is in Heaven. I'm just traveling through this world."

Something to think about.

Party girls

In our family, Jenny holds the title of Party Girl. She and Bethany hosted a baby shower for Annie. Finding a date for it was challenging, because the week was packed with family activities. We wanted to do it before Edwin went back home to North Carolina so that he could haul the loot with him. We settled on Wednesday night, which was fine until I realized that it was my busiest work day of the week. Four preschools in the morning and five piano lessons in the afternoon. I had a few hours in the middle of the day to get groceries and clean the house. Luckily, Edwin is Mr. Speedy when it comes to chores. Between his efforts and those of Jenny and Bethany after I left for the afternoon, everything came together very nicely with minimal stress for me. It was epiphanic, the concept of my kids being ready to take over some of these responsibilities that I always think of as being uniquely mine.
Do you think they're ready to take over Thanksgiving yet?

Jenny went all out on decorations. Those are real onesies and bibs hanging from the ceiling. We had a splendid time with friends old and new. 

Oh dear, the chubby forearm doesn't quite hide the unintentional cleavage.
Charlie has been rather cuddly lately. I'm so glad that my boys turned out to be loving sons. When they were in their prickly teenage years, I despaired of their ever even liking me.

Bethany received rave reviews over the salsa and other treats.

Men and little children were banished to the rec room with Star Wars and pizza.

After everyone went home, we checked out some of the family photos on Lindsay's photo blog.

There's nothing better than spending time with people who love you. I am grateful for people who also love my kids. This is the community that gives me strength, that bears me up when times are tough, and rejoices with me in the good times. Thank you friends.

A Mother's Day to remember

Mother's Day is a strange phenomenon. For 364 days out of the year, we take care of our families. Then, for one auspicious day a year, we expect them to pamper us and to do it without burning down the kitchen. I don't know about the rest of you Moms out there, but the day has rarely lived up to my expectations. So, rather than be disappointed, year after disconsolate year, I just decided to bypass the whole expectation thing and be happy with whatever happened. 

Let's just say that the philosophy has served me well.

This year broke the mold.

I've been wanting to perform a family musical number at church for several years. This seemed like a good time to do it, so on Sunday we sang "Be Thou My Vision". I found several arrangements of this old Irish hymn and did a little fiddling around to come up with our own version. Bethany played an introduction on her flute, then Jeff, Bethany, Jon, Annie, Charlie, and Mum sang the five verses while I accompanied on piano. We had a lot of fun practising, if you ignore Jeff threatening to quit when I got impatient with his repetitive mistakes, and Jon being all grumpy because he was tired from having worked all night on Saturday. I love this hymn. It's not in our hymnbook, so here is a lovely rendition if you want to listen.

Chris, with some wheeling and dealing, got himself a Traeger grill, and he looks for any excuse to use it. After sitting through two meetings with the little guys on Sunday, he left church early so that he could smoke a couple of chickens. Charlie went over to their house to pick up the grill the day before. We got home as the birds were going onto the grill. Let's just say that it's more work than I'm willing to do for chicken, but I'm mighty glad that Chris likes to do it. Here he is, with the curiously anthropomorphic finished product, looking quite pleased with himself. Yoga frog pose, anyone?

It was very tasty.
The men peeled potatoes and mostly prepared dinner, but I took pity on them and made the strawberry shortcake. Yummy.
Josh wore himself out and crashed on the couch.

After thirty years of mothering, I think this was the best one yet.

Demise Part II

I can't sleep.

I've had this stupid cold for about two weeks. I go all winter without getting sick and now it hits me. The first week, I just felt tired and draggy all the time. Then this last week has been bouts of sore throat, sinus-y stuff, and cough. Tonight, cough. 

Plus, Charlie is leaving tomorrow.

Sniff.

There's so much I want to share about this last week with all the kids at home, but tonight I will do an easy post.

About Saturday.

The day the mimosa really bit the dust.

Jeff and I did yard work all morning. He stacked our new cord of wood in the woodshed. Which had to be cleaned out first. I dug bulbs and sprayed weedkiller and planted vegetable seeds and generally got distracted by one job after another. Then we sat on the deck with Mum and had a nice lunch. Leek soup, toasted homemade bread, and

strawberries and vanilla icecream for dessert.

We deserved it. 

Under this sky.

Charlie and Chris showed up mid-afternoon to finish taking down the tree.
You know, I have some pretty smart sons-in-law.
And a hunky son.
Don't you think?

The last limb to fall.

Jeff didn't even pretend to be directing the action.
He just watched.

That chainsaw was a smoker! 

Joshie likes Harvey.

Later on, I found this funny little sight. The toadstools are living in the back flowerbed now. Right behind them yesterday were some real ones. Do you see them hiding under the penstemon?

There.

Maybe I will sleep now.

More to come tomorrow.