Some news and a b(r)ag

First off, in news that makes me about the luckiest nana this side of the Mississippi (that was just to show you that I could spell it), I have a new grandson. Gabriel Edwin, born yesterday to Annie and, you guessed it, Edwin. He's a healthy little chubbo and the birth was relatively smooth. I was very grateful to Annie for not announcing the labour proceedings until they were almost at an end. I have a couple of photos but they're on my phone. Hopefully, one of my savvy children will post a photo on the web soon and I can steal it.

If you haven't been keeping track, that makes two babies in a little over a week.

I know, lucky us!

I expect somewhat of a dearth on the procreation front for at least the next year.

Second big news; I am leaving for Haiti on Friday morning. I feel less prepared this time, but maybe it's because I was going into the unknown last year and was obsessive about packing and getting everything ready early. My friend, Dolly, is going with me and I am so thrilled to spend this time with her. We are packing bags this afternoon and will also take some over for the MBH board, so will be loaded down with luggage again. 

I told Jeff that I wanted a netbook for Christmas so that I could blog on the go and not have to carry so much weight, so I got a sweet little Acer netbook from Costco. The timing was fortuitous, because my laptop has been having some connection issues when we're away from home. After several hours on the phone with HP, I had to do a recovery on it, which is a nasty, inconvenient process. I'm unwilling to restore all my files until I can test it out some more, so the Acer has been my weapon of choice for the last week or so. 

It is a cute, teeny little thing and I couldn't wait to make this adorable pouch for it. 

I made it from two layers of leftover fleece that I had hung on to for such a purpose. 

You can see in this picture that I pieced small remnants of the fabric together. They were left over from some instrument bags that I made. It's very easy to do with a zigzag or other decorative stitch. 

Three old buttons and some bias tape completed the job.

I didn't think ahead one this one very well and had to get creative on the edging. 

On the first envelope I made for my HP laptop, I had a larger piece of fleece and was able to sew it right sides together and turn it inside out, so I only ended up with one edge to finish.

I also sewed velcro onto the fabric before sewing the side seams...

...and a few sunny daisy patches.

I am unreasonably in love with the small one.

I know it's not a tutorial, but tutorials abound on other websites.

Yup. This blog will never be a moneymaker for me. Pure labour of love.

Here, here, and here are some decent tutorials on making your own laptop sleeve, although if you have sewn anything I think it is kind of intuitive. Any of them would be easily adaptable to sewing with fleece, which I like because of its natural padding qualities and lack of fraying edges. It is such a versatile fabric.

In case you haven't seen enough of my handiwork for one day, here are pics of some of the bags I've created by using the natural shape of each instrument as the pattern.

My doumbek has a head cover as well as a bag.

Ukelele bag with a carrying strap and velcro at the wide end.

Bodhran bag with carrying handle.

And that, my lovely readers, is the end.

Thank you for staying with me.

Till next time.

The littlest angel

Repentant me

As I was in the middle of a stress-induced "flight or fight" mode last week, lying awake for two nights, praying and pacing the floors and tending Bethany's four sick children all day while she was at home labouring to deliver her baby, I became so desperate for her to be relieved of her travail that, in my mind, I ran out into the cold, wet night and shook my fist at God and shouted to the heavens, Why, why, when you see every sparrow that falls and notice every lily that blooms, do you let my Bethany suffer for so long? Why don't you reach down and just give that baby a nudge? All night long, I railed against what I perceived as His lack of concern.
You see, I thought I saw the big picture.
It was this simple: Bethany needed to deliver her baby and she didn't want another C-section.

Now, you may think it irrational of me, but unless you have had a daughter such as Bethany, who is a determined woman when it comes to delivering a baby, you cannot judge me. This is not a treatise on the joys of giving birth at home, but it was my choice as a mother and that of Bethany also. Her first baby was delivered prematurely by Caesarean section. She laboured at home with her second but ended up in the hospital and another Caesarean, mostly due to problems caused by the first. I was with her during that labour and also the third, when she rejoicingly delivered naturally and at home. That was a tough labour and I was awed at her determination and true grit. I'll spare you the details, but if I had ever had to endure such a labour it would have been general anesthesia for me from then on!
Number four was a little smoother, so we didn't expect much trouble from this last one.

Thirty six hours later, when the little darling still wouldn't cooperate, Bethany and her entourage went to the hospital, and, after a light epidural that let Bethany relax a little, our little Madelyn Nicole was born in a couple of pushes.
Later that day, when we took the four siblings to the hospital to see their new sister, she related what happened during the birth, as I had only received sporadic updates during the event. Then she casually mentioned one last detail of something that happened at the hospital.
Ah, I said, it's just as well you ended up coming in.
That's what I thought, she replied.
And there you have it.
Just when I had decided that my wants weren't being met, I discovered that my needs were really being taken care of.
Again.

And no, I'm not being overly dramatic.
My thirty-six hours were that bad.
Although, I will allow that they pale in comparison to Bethany's thirty-six hours.
Just so you know it's not all about me!

If you want to see some more cute pics and read Bethany's rather more understated version of the birth, go here.
And thank you for reading. May your year be wonderful.
Oh, and I removed word verification from the comments.
Just in case, you know, you're so inclined!

Those mice and men and their blasted plans again

Our main Christmas gift to the grandkids this year was an outing to see ZooZoo at the Imago Theater. I had things well in hand, or so I thought.

First, there would be a stop at The Sweetest Thing cupcake shop, where we would stock up on sweet things.
Then the theatre.
Then a stop at Coldstone Creamery on the way home.
The first thing to go awry was at the cupcake shop, which no longer offers vegan cupcakes.
Boo, hiss!
The guy tried to tell me that they cost $5 a piece to make.
Right.
Just as well I had a blueberry bar for Josh to eat.
He took it like a man, but does not look quite as excited as if he were eating a cupcake, does he?

With the remaining cupcakes boxed up for later, we piled into Bethany's van and drove into Portland.

Back-of-the-van high jinks ensued.

It was then that I discovered that our Coldstone plans had also bitten the dust.

The branch for which I had purchased the living social coupon had closed and no other branch would accept it.

Cool.

Oh well, onward ho!

It was a bitterly cold day.

Daniel was being all manly.

Apparently, the cupcakes didn't stay in the system for long, because by the time we exited the van, snacks were requested.

Just as well Nana never goes anywhere without a bag of food!

The Imago is a bit of a dive, but wondrous things occur inside.

Natalie stayed home with her new doll, a consolation Christmas present. Bethany didn't think she'd be able to handle the visuals of the show.

We had front row seats, as usual.

Fun things happen when you sit in front at the Imago.

Which you think would guarantee us a great time, wouldn't you?

Well, the kids had fun, but I was so distracted by the rude adults behind us that I had gritted teeth through the whole show.

A young mother behind Jeff narrated the whole show to her children.

I did send her one glaring glance, but I think she mistook it for admiration, because it didn't slow her down one bit.

I wanted to say Lady! There's a reason the show is non-verbal. You're supposed to use your imagination! 

But, this is Portland, and no doubt the woman micromanages every other moment of those children's lives. With the same lack of concern for anyone else in the universe.

And then there was the old lady behind me, who was so enamoured of the show that she let out continuous oh, oh, oh's and ahhhhh's that were so heartfelt and enthusiastic that I wanted to tell her to get a room.

But I didn't.

Because I'm polite that way.

But I did spend a large amount of mental energy trying to think of a way to ask these two women to hush their mouths in a way that wouldn't make them feel embarrassed.

I have since decided that next time this happens, because you know it will, I'll be less tactful and more assertive. No more will my good times be ruined by people with no consideration!

So here, for your enjoyment, and mine, is a quick snack of ZooZoo.

I highly recommend the show.

Only, maybe, not the matinee.

And be careful who you sit by.

Plenty more driving time, as we stopped by the art studio on the way home to glaze our clay pieces.

The treat for the day was a two-pack of Lindor truffles for each child.

Score!

I suggested another brisk walk around the "don't feed the ducks" park, but was resoundingly turned down by one and all.

We stopped by Wendy's to get some Frosties to make up for the Coldstone thing.

And then we went home.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams

For if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged bird

That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreams

For when dreams go

Life is a barren field

Frozen with snow.

                                 Langston Hughes

I'm all about the Bucket list lately.
Dreams fulfilled.
Have you noticed?

The latest one was a glass class, which I took with three great friends.
We ruled the class.
Rowdy, we were.
It was a cast glass class, which wasn't my first choice, but the fused glass class conflicted with the trip to England.
So cast glass it was.

It was fantastic fun and I learned a lot. My creations look like third grade art projects, but I'm being kind to myself and calling them "garden art".

Here's Lori, showing off her "quilt fan" tile.

Her hubby, Elijah, liked the idea so much he stole it and ramped it up a notch.

No sense of ethics, that boy!

Then she made some stained glass sun tiles.

Which I copycatted too. 

Where would we be without Lori's creativity?

She's a true Ninja crafter.

The evilly-grinning sun design is cut out of a thick papery medium and creates an indented relief after firing.

Lori's sister, Colleen, helped me cut the glass.

I carved this design out of plaster of paris. 

Not my favourite process.

Black-eyed Susans.

The circle-cutting tool.

Mastery of this process gives one a feeling of self-satisfaction.

These glass chunks are from a tile that I had made from several layers of colour. When turned on their side and fired again, they were supposed to turn into puddles of swirled colour. The finished result wasn't what I had hoped for, as they were too close together and didn't swirl, so I'm still working on this one. 

Our last batch of treasures, waiting to be fired.

This was my first effort. Another cut-out pattern.

It is imperfect, like me. 

Note the little red spot, that must have sneaked in with the clear frit.

See how handily I sneaked in that word?

Frit.

Tiny chunks of glass.

Feel free to use it any time.

I like how it looks when I hold it up to my Solatube.

Jeff wanted to know if the flower centres were raisins.

So, the three classes were fun and a learning experience for me. I decided that cast glass is probably not my preferred method, so at some point I will take a fused glass class. I did learn some good basic techniques for working with glass and had some entertaining times with my friends, so it was definitely worth the money. 

And I just discovered Langston Hughes poetry.

Another one?

I thought you'd never ask!

Helen Keller

She,

In the dark,

Found light

Brighter than many ever see.

She,

Within herself,

Found loveliness,

Through the soul's own mastery.

And now the world receives

From her dower:

The message of the strength

Of inner power.

Happy Christmas to all

Just because:

I have a Christmas cold;

I'm working on Christmas Eve dinner for the gang (pot roast, twice-baked potatoes, with all the trimmings);

I'm blogging-lazy today;

I'm unreasonably fond of it;

Here's a re-post from last year.

Hit the play button.
Please.





Jesus, our brother, strong and good,
was humbly born in a stable rude.
And friendly beasts around him stood,
Jesus, our brother, strong and good.




"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,
"I carried his mother, uphill and down.
I carried his mother to Bethlehem town," 
"I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.




"I," said the cow, all white and red,
"I gave him my manger for his bed.
I gave him my hay to pillow his head."
"I," said the cow, all white and red.




"I," said the sheep, with curly horn,

"I gave him my wool for his blanket warm.

He wore my coat on Christmas morn',"

"I," said the sheep, with curly horn.

"I," said the dove from rafters high,
"I cooed him to sleep so he would not cry.
We cooed him to sleep, my mate and I."
"I," said the dove from rafters high.

Thus all the beasts, by some good spell,
In the stable dark, were glad to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel,
Of the gifts they gave Emmanuel.

P.S. Here is a longer, but masterful, version by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Brian Stokes Mitchell.


You're welcome.

Just because I love it

'Tis Christmas Eve Eve and I'm thinking, for no particular reason, about product placement. The Wikipedia entry is one of the longest I have seen. Next time I watch a movie or TV, I'm going to observe very carefully for name brands.

Segue with me, please.

In case you're wondering, Salonpas hasn't sent me any free patches yet.

Still waiting.

Considering the surge in sales that probably followed my last product post, I should be getting something in the mail any day.

Segue.

For years, I have fought the notion of an electric, supersonic toothbrush. Or is that ultrasonic? Whatever. The notion seemed namby-pamby to me. Typical American overkill of a concept. But Jeff, who registers high on the scale of dental paranoia, had been bringing up the topic more frequently, so I broke down and bought him a couple of cheap ones. He loved them.

A few weeks ago, I was at Costco and in a bit of a spending mood. Their two-packs of Phillips Sonicare brushes were on coupon, so I thought to myself, What the heck, and put one in my cart. 

There they sat, in their pristine box, for several weeks. I was loath to put them to the test for some reason.

Scared of buyer's remorse, maybe?

Last week, I took one out of the box and read the instructions on how to get started.

Seriously, instructions on using a toothbrush?

Heaven help us!

And there it sat for a few more days.

Two whole pages of DANGER and WARNING notices coloured me reluctant.

But one morning, when I wasn't rushing out of the door, I stood at the sink and ploughed through the instructions as I brushed my teeth.

Don't look at my belly.

You did it, didn't you? Looked at my belly.

Pshaw!

Holy cow. I am a convert.

After I brush with this thing, I feel like I just came back from the dental hygienist.

Without the hundred-dollar price tag.

Squeaky-shiny-clean.

So, here are the things I love about it, apart from the above-mentioned squeaky teeth.

There is a learning curve, so the brush speeds up over the first twelve uses to allow you to get used to it.

The brush turns itself off after two minutes, so there's no guessing how long to brush. And I'm surprised how often I am still brushing when it turns off.

The little blue patch on the brush fades so that you know when to replace the head.

My gums feel healthier since I've been using it.

But there are a few drawbacks.

Drool. Down your shirt. Because you forget that under no circumstances should you open your mouth while the brush is turned on.

Likewise, forgetting to turn it off when you take it out of your mouth results in mirror splatter.

It's not pleasant.

The charging light is bright. The first night I left my brush on the charger, I couldn't find it in the morning. Jeff had hidden it because the light was disturbing his sleep. But that's because our sink is in our bedroom.

It's expensive. You can get one brush with a spare head for about $40.  I normally buck at paying more than a dollar for a toothbrush, so you can imagine how that sits with me.

Drawbacks aside, I will stick with this. I still keep a manual toothbrush on hand for those times when I'm in a hurry or the power is out, but I will choose the Sonicare for my main morning brush.

And, oops, my impulsive bout of wallpaper stripping is revealed to the world.

I figured that if I started it, I could work on it a little at a time until the wall was stripped.

Yeah.