Boogie down, baby

I downloaded the free iTunes software yesterday. I really like the way it gives you a really shuffled version of the mp3's you have on your pc. I'm rockin' out to a little bit of everything this morning....Eurythmics, then Sade, then Jann Arden, then a little ditty from the Sound of Music, then some Ben Folds and Cocteau Twins....



...life is good!

Here is a little description of my shoulder issues....a picture is worth a thousand words afterall!

Oh, and I subscribe to an email list from Filter magazine....and found the singer of one of my favorite songs (i had no idea who sang it)! Eureka! She's kind of a toned down,less random version of Bjork....

Kate Havenik

Here's a link if you want to give her a listen....

http://www.filter-store.com/fms/album/0,,3758838,00.html

Bothered....

I watched the final episode of SIX FEET UNDER late yesterday afternoon.

I'd been watching the series in reruns on Bravo. I didn't start watching until the series was well underway (Nate was married with new baby). Despite how flawed these people were and the feeling that I could never ever recommend anyone else watch the show because of how immoral they all were, I was really sucked into their individual stories. In spite of their deep flaws, disturbingly deep emotional scars, complete individual detachment from reality and an only thread-like attachment to each other, I was completely addicted to this show. So yesterday it ended. It was appropriate and yet hauntingly disturbing. I watched the end of it twice because of multiple interruptions and now my brain just keeps replaying it. Everybody died. And not all at once in some tragic traffic intersection or cruise ship sinking.....they each died in their own time, at the end of each of their lives, most at very ripe old ages.

It was so sad and horrifying......and completely appropriate. The symbolism of the journey out into the world, Claire driving to her future, overlapped with scenes of each of them ending their journey.....it left me with such a deep sadness. These people were so LOST. Each one trying to find their own way in the world, believing that there were no consequences for their actions. There was no God to answer to and no one to pray to for help or solace. They were each so completely alone, believing that you are born, you live, you screw up, sometimes find happiness, you screw up your happiness, you are alone, and then you die. It was soooo deeply depressing. I think it bothered me so much because such a large part of the world's population really DOES think that way. They have no hope. They live for the day, play their part of the story and then they die. I am so grateful to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That this life life really ISNT' the only thing we have to look forward to.

Well, I just needed to get that off my chest.

Time to go drink some coffee and get Bella some apple cake.

SPRING has sprung!

I just finished up an awesome visit with my sister, Stephanie. While she was here, we got 'barbie makeovers' at the MAC counter and we also had a tastefull simple party (which evolved into a few rounds of Loaded Questions. I LOVE that game!! )

The girls absolutely adored their auntie Tessie ("Assey Tessie", according to Bella) and took right to her from within five minutes of her arriving. If you knew how apprehensive they are around visitors, you would know how unusual that is. (Mia even let her be held by her within hours of her arrival. She doesn't like being held by friends at the hall and sometimes not even her own dad. Talk about charisma! I was astonished! )

Although there is still snow on the ground, it is melting fast. There is a stream trailing down our driveway where the snow has turned to water and is trying to escape. This morning, I saw some squirrels chasing each other in and out of the tire swing in our giant maple and around and around the trunk. And yesterday a whole FLOCK of robins were struttin' around eating stuff where the snow was melted. It was so cool that I lifted bella to the window so she could see them all!

My houseplants are suddenly growing too and the leaves are all reaching up for the windows. Along with them, I've suddenly had the distinct need to change and evolve! My house is suddenly overwelming me with it's corners and stacks of clutter and I feel the urge to purge! I want to empty out every drawer and (what limited ones we have) cupboard and just GET RID OF IT ALL!!!! So far I have a list that is steadily growing of all the stuff that needs reorganizing and sorting.

Looney Light....shine on!

Follow your inner moonlight;

don't hide the madness.
-- Allen Ginsberg

TUESDAY TIME....

Mia is teething again so she is a bit under the weather from that. She is getting the big ones in between the back and the front ones she already had and all four of them are coming in at once. Three have broken thru and the fourth is pressing against the gum line so the little tiny girl is just miserable. She slept thru the night last night though so I finally got to as well. * tired sigh*

I'm cleaning like there is no tomorrow.....I spent Sunday vacuuming and mopping. Then I went to the chiropractors yesterday all swollen and in pain. Most of my joints were just too swollen to let the bones adjust. When the chiropractor went to adjust my hips, they just kept stretching and stretching and the chiropractor was like, 'what the heck?'! LOL I told the massage therapist exactly where to work on this time (i showed her the muscle groups on the chart on the wall) so that helped considerably.

For some reason, she follows her own little routine of areas to work on instead of working on the bits that are all messed up. I think in the future, i will need to be just as specific because the 20 minutes she worked on me yesterday were the most theraputic of any of the massages she has EVER given me in the last year and a half!!!

I put formaldehyde-free nailpolish on myself last night that is pink chrome. WAY shiny and metallic looking. I got it at Caswell's (the discount grocery store) for $1.87 and thought i would take it for a spin. Then I put it on Bella's fingers and toes this morning. She was VERY EXCITED about it! And then I painted Mia's fingernails for the first time too! I bought her a big plastic white bangle at marshall's the other day (on clearance for .70!) and now she is totally into bracelets! She found a bunch of bella's plastic bracelets and has been wearing them along with all the necklaces the last couple of days.

Now, in your head, picture piles of shiny mardi gras beads AND every shape and color of bracelets lining up her chubby little arms AND shiny metallic fingernails on her itty bitty little hands as she shoves handfuls of cheerios in her mouth and you get one adorable little picture!!! I LOVE IT!!!!

Monday, Monday....can't trust that day...

Today I'm in countdown mode....

I've got my long list of things to get done in the next couple of days before my Tessie gets here. Not sure that it will all get done (history would suggest 'NO') but I'll do my best. Richie and I got quite a bit done yesterday afternoon around the house. He vacuumed (shopvac) the landing where a lot of the drywall and plaster patching debris had landed and stuck to things. I vacuumed all the floors upstairs with the upright

(man, do i hate lugging that thing upstairs...

"CLUNK, CLUNK, CLUNK", it complains as it slams against every other step going up. It's really a wonder the thing still works at ALL!!).

Then I mopped just about the whole second floor...even the bedrooms. I was so proud of myself! I went to bed sore and am still recovering today but it represents a huge project completed from my spring cleaning checklist.

Now I just have to reorganize the blankets and sheets for both queens and store all the twins in the house together. I'm hoping we'll be getting a bunk bed sometime in the next couple of months and then we'll be actually USING that huge pile o' sheets. Sheets of all sizes have been gathering in corners of the closets, cupboards, and trunks and there are just too many to keep in any one place (since we don't have a linen closet or any kind of built in storage). And then there are the blankets....yikes.

Mom and I moved the changing table out of the girl's room and replaced it with a dresser I found in the attic. So the changing table has been 'floating' from room to room as we figure out where to use it. I hate to give up even a single square inch of storage so it was a toss up between leaving the giant trunk/chest in the guest room or moving the changing table into there. The changing table won. So we moved the large chest into the attic yesterday afternoon as well. (go figure my hip is killing me today...hooray for chiropractors!)

I snapped a few pictures of the girls in their

matching blue polka dot dresses

and little white sweaters yesterday. Nobody sat still long enough to get anything memorable but I'll add a few shots here so that you can see the dresses (mom picked them out for the girls while she was here). P.S. The little girl in the pink dress with the girls is Bella's favorite small person, Jaina.

The girls are splashing around in the tub at the moment so I've got to get back to work. I'm just now gulping down my 'morning' coffee. It took me this long to make it and man do i need the caffeine!

And in the back of my mind are the two projects sitting on my art desk waiting for attention. I have to finish Mia's ABC Book and get to the Altered Round Robin book that needs to get into the mail by Thursday....panic does not always aid the creative process.....EEEkkk!!!!

i love me

I think these sum me up just fine...... LOL

Uh oh.....

I'm not sure if it is a coincidence, but two things happened today.

First, Bella turned four.

Second, Bella felt compelled to knock on the bathroom door while I was otherwise occupied to report, "Mamma, I need to tell you sumpin'!!".

(to which I replied, "TELL ME LATERRRR!!")
But no, she continued, "Mamma, I need to tell you sumpin'. Mia PUSHED me."

Well, under different circumstances, I might be worried that sibling rivalry was finally rearing it's ugly head....BUT....I'd just been hearing them chasing each other around downstairs and both of them were giggling their heads off as only tiny little girls can do. That deep belly laugh that errupts into a high pitched silly giggle. It's awesome.

But now I'm wondering.....does age four equal tattletelling age among sisters? Having had sisters of my own, some of my most vivid memories are of us tattling on each other for some small infraction or other. Is this where it starts?

Hmmm......

PICTURE PAGES PICTURE PAGES

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of days. The top one is of me and the girls in front of the FABULOUS restaurant, Eggspectations. It is on my list of top five places to eat. You can see my blonder hair....

(I say "blonder" because it isn't quite blonde enough for me yet although it is Blonde - ER than before).

Then ........we have a pic of me and my Bella, Mia eating her melon slice, Mia this morning (I wish I could be THAT full of joy and energy without coffee!!!) and one of my mom laughing at the restaurant.

After the foursome of pictures, is one that was taken of Me, Bella, Mia and Mom by the waiter. (They are so super nice to folks with kids at that place. Not only did they bring complimentary melon slices and crackers for the girls WITHOUT being asked, the waiter was even concerned about Mia choking and so cut some up for her! SO NICE!) Bella asked, "Mama, can we go here EVERY day???".

The next picture down was just too funny so I had to include it. Bella and I are BOTH closing our eyes as the picture is snapped.

Two of a kind. LOL

In other news, Mom brought me a copy of Adobe Picture something-or-other-5.0

I was checking it out yesterday and it BLOWS AWAY the program I've been using for like the last ten years. Talk about old technology left in the dust! It's going to take me a while to get the hang of all the bells and whistles but I hope to be making some BIG improvements to my pictures with it. Only time will tell but it is soooo exciting!

A NEW TOY!!!!