chiaroscuro and tenebrism

Buffy says...

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:55:26 GMT

See this.
Post your own Buffy quote.
In your journal.

"You know, people underestimate the value of a good ramble." -- Buffy

thank goodness it is post office day! :)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:00:01 GMT

Meme from saoilsinn
Take a picture of yourself right now.
don't change your clothes, don't fix your hair... just take a picture.
post that picture with NO editing.

she answers

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:43:33 GMT

From justrob07

1.What were the last 5 songs your heard before you answered this?

The Thrills - Big Sur
My Morning Jacket - I'm Amazed
The Who - 5:15
TV On The Radio - Crying
Led Zeppelin - Battle Of Evermore

2.Pick one artist(as in visual)that you admire and tell me why?

I read an article in the paper yesterday about the Exhibit of the work of these amazing quilters and textile artists from Gee's Bend, Alabama. They have it at thePhiladelphia Art Museum right now and I want to go for my birthday.
I love quilt artists because I think what they do is so filled with consideration. Every aspect of quilting, from the chosen fabric to the colors to the pattern to the stitches hold the opportuinity for a story.

3.If you wrote a book of your life what would it be called?
A Pale, Still Girl

4.If you and only you knew the meaning of life would you tell?

I'd tell you because I tell you everything. :)

5.Where did I leave my glass of water cos I can't find it anywhere!?

When you're here, you always leave your water on the night table.

hotel motel holiday inn

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:51:33 GMT

Cleaning the basement.
Eth found my case of old records.
Shaun Cassidy and ABBA mixed with B-52's, Adam and the Ants, and the SugarHill Gang.
I somehow, at 8 or 9, in edge of rural Lancaster county suburbia, not only heard the SugarHill Gang, but convinced my parents (think June and Ward Cleaver crossed with the Gilmores, seriously) that I needed them to drive me to the store to buy the record!
I think that earned me street cred in even justrob07 's eyes. And that's tough!
Little Me was awesome!

What's that sound?

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:54:52 GMT

So, all morning I've been walking around the house.
Totally out of sorts for some reason.
Couldn't put my finger on it.
What's with today, today?
And then I realized.
The air conditioners were off.
There's no constant loud hummy white noise.
It's so quiet it's making me nervous.
Ha!

picture day...

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:11:31 GMT

It's school picture day today.
So, last night there was a lot of angst
about how his face was shiny and he may have a pimple
and I quote, four of my fundamental smiling teeth are still missing!
I quell that with stridex and the suggestion of a small natural smile.
He's 10!
Then I get his new shirt from the closet to iron.
I don't iron. This is true. Everything gets dry cleaned, it always has.
So Ethan is flabbergasted at the idea.
What are you doing?
I'm going to iron your shirt.
You don't iron clothes, Mom, you iron fabric. With that stuff. To stick it to other fabric. For crafts.
I know, but I can iron this shirt for you.
Don't stick anything to it!
I won't.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Hilarious.

information of the meme kind...

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:52:35 GMT

Meme from saoilsinn

1* Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”

2* I will respond by asking you 5 questions of a very personal nature.

3* You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.

4* You will include this and an offer to interview someone else in the post.

5* When others comment asking to be interviewed you will ask them 5 questions.

1 * If you had to pick another city to live in, in another country (keeping in mind practicality), where do you think you'd be happy to go to ?
Chelmsford in England. Right down the street from Mrs. Veronica. She's like a second mum to me and I feel like I really need a mom right now.

2 * On the Road or Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ?
I was a Kerouac girl in love with all boys who thought they were dharma bums. That's really only interesting until you are about 24 though.. haha

3 * The perfect name for you, other than your given name ?
I was supposed to be Gretchen, up until the very last weeks. I'm not sure what my parents were thinking. Jack says I look like an Olivia, which is a family name...my paternal grandmother. I would have been cool with being named after her. She was a very elegant southern lady.

4 * Someone told me over the weekend that due to food shortages, bugs are going to be the food of the future. Could you convert to bugs ?
Hmmm.. I was thinking about this and I decided that, when I look at a whole live chicken or something, I don't necessarily say oh yum I want to bite off a piece of that for my dinner right now. It's just become accepted and removed a bit from its original form. And if bugs are the food of the future, they will become mainstream too. And therefore, hopefully removed a bit from the bucket of wriggling creepy that I think of now.
So yeah, if bugs are gluten free and America has tarted them up a bit in the usual way, rock on. ;)

5 * Your son is growing up, fast :) What do you miss most about his toddler days ?
It baffles me that I started this LJ when Eth was 3 and he's 10 now!
I miss going on long walks/hikes with him in the red jogging stroller and singing songs and hearing all of his imaginative stories. He's a scorpio and, although highly creative, very practical these days. We used to walk every day for miles and miles and talk and those were the best days.
I miss coloring in coloring books with him while we had breakfast at the coffeehouse downtown. The purple travel soap carrier filled with crayons. We both have coffeehouse "sketchbooks" from those years. Cuteness.
But I guess to some degree I do those things with him now, just in different ways.
Okay, I've got one... I miss overalls! :D
He wore overalls from the time he was small up until preschool. I totally crush on overalls with striped shirts underneath.
And there is no way I could ever get him to wear them now. haha.
So I really miss overalls.

you're my wonderwall...

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:56:43 GMT

...and I miss you already.

all the lights that lead the way are blinding

On Saturday...

Sun, 18 May 2008 18:04:29 GMT

Headed west to the land of my youth.
The land of farming and super delicious food.
The land of the world's largest chicken barbecue.
Yum. It is the only chicken not prepared by Jack that I will eat.
(because I'm the most specific with standards flexivore ever.)
Ate our lunch in the park and visited with my Dad and my family.
Took the required walk around the pond and visited the ducks.
Two years ago, my nieces got married, two months apart.
This year, they are both having babies, three months apart.
Oh, sisters.
I think about how fun that would be.
My sister and I are 13 years apart though, so it was sort of unlikely.

if you want any flowers, you've gotta get your seeds in

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:33:36 GMT

Currently Crushing On:
( a list of the usual dichotomousnesses)

pink leather boots
steampunk
toy piano replacing cowbell
blitz
wonderland
wine and clouds
loud whispers
river edges
fauna
tuxedo strawberries
darjeeling
hopscotch
thumb stones
you

follow you anywhere...

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:06:05 GMT

Terence Trent D'Arby on the radio and I still love that song.
And the line moves we did at lobby dances.
In our black DM type thick soled oxford shoes with the wide organza ribbons for laces.

Bob Geldof should have written a verse about Wednesday too....

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:07:02 GMT

Elementary chorus started today for this semester. That means sailing the pirate ship in rush hour traffic again. Wednesdays. Yuck. I had all the best intentions and fortified myself with all the good talismans like stripey socks and square toed mock maryjanes and the silver heart pin on my coat for the best mojo out there. Rush hour has not gotten magically any more delightful than it was in December. And I swear, if you tailgate me, I'll make you walk the plank. I'm a pirate, after all.

you have an unending capacity for counterfeit astonishment...

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:25:17 GMT

cross legged on the day bed at night.
listening to Abbey Road.
incense burning.
embroidering on trinkets with threads.
you may think i'm a hippie
but "i'm a capitalist, baby."
(kudos if you know where that's from)
my favorite movie.
because i'm nothing if not cheeky.
xoxo

I don't know my right from left or my right from wrong.

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:06:02 GMT

I said, can't stop to dance
Maybe this is my last chance.

I feel like that today.
Desperate.
(I would say but not serious, but that's a whole other band and a whole other story.)
It must be the Januaries, but I couldn't put my finger on it until this song came on the radio just now.
It has always left me breathless. Those drums. And the unspecific wistfulness that they evoke in me.
I was 13. I carried the cardboard sleeve of the War album around with me in Junior High School.
Every day for a long time.
My books clutched to my chest, the album facing outward like a shield....or a standard.
I'm changing, my body is changing, I'm growing up, and I have the ability to be whatever I want to be.
(thanks Marlo Thomas)
I have this chance.
This music is who I am going to be.
It will follow me through change.
I wonder what's changing now.
I hope I'm not running out of chances.

one sweet dream

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:37:37 GMT

Abbey Road is my new secret boyfriend.

onetwothreefourfivesixseven...

It's really hard to listen through headphones when you have a cold though.
I feel like Alice.
big and small

the eve of excitement...

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:48:22 GMT

Christmas eve is always the biggest celebration of the holiday season in my family. My parents always had a big open house party with all sorts of family and friends dropping by and spreading good cheer. Twinkle lights and everything sparkled and in the 70's the ladies dresses sparkled with sequins and long heavy jewelry. Tables full of food and punch and drinks and desserts. So many great 70's party foods like swedish meatballs, cocktail weenies with toothpicks, and canapes. My mother always wore red to the party. The picture above would have been my second Christmas, since for my first one I was 2 months old. I still have that book downstairs in my collection of childhood books. I have that necklace that my mother is wearing. Strands of heavy gold filigree beads. I wish I had the dress! My mom was a model and adored clothes and they were always so Jackie O. I love that.
The Christmas eve party is now hosted by my sister. We're leaving to go there in a little while. We have Beatles CDs for the road. We have pillows and blankets for the ride home.
We want to wish you much love and twinkle light magic.
xoxo

bet you never think it feels right....

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:11:44 GMT

Last night's favorite Eth quote.
"Mom, every nine year old likes punk rock! You can jump dance to it!"
with the *obvious* tone, which I love.
and I must say, he has the energy to be quite the vicious awesome mosher.
Someday.
When I'm ready to let him out there... which might be a looooooooong time from now.
But meanwhile I can just see Harry and Owen and Eth out there at school dances.
Like that Visa commercial only with DMs and messenger bags....and "jump dancing".

allez allez in free...

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:57:26 GMT

Because I am the Queen of time wasters in the name of organization...
Yesterday was 43 Things
And because I can't remember my accout email or password at Library Thing.
Today is
GoodReads
does anyone have it?
Oh you know I do.
thatgirlkristin.
Play books with me if you want.

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:34:05 GMT

Coconut Records when I really need it to be VHS or Beta.
Holiday dichotomy.
Love this picture really for the background.
Headphones and CD binder and smack tape and wrapping paper on the table.
Me staring out the window.
Dreaming about any where else.
In the middle of December face.

Significant Restrictions Apply

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 17:05:44 GMT

So, there's an ad at the top of my yahoo mail. And it is for RAZRs and I have a pink one but there was an ice blue one that caught my eye (mmmmm pale blue). And it says something about Free RAZRS (right ,nothing is free) But it's great ...the fine print is: Significant Restrictions Apply.
Significant Restrictions Apply... not just Some but Significant
That is the marketing Psyche!
Do you remember when you were 11 and you'd say things like "I'll let you have this cookie" and then snatch it away and say "Psyche!"
Okay, maybe that was just me, because I was really mean.
But if I did that with a cookie today, I'd snatch it back and say "Significant Restrictions Apply!" :P
You know, cuz it's more grownup.

(I should not drink the *whole* pot of coffee when I make it by mistake, right? Right.)
xoxo

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 01:27:02 GMT

On the drive home from Waterloo Gardens, we learn from Eth that it is inappropriate to kiss before the 8th grade.
Just so you know.
This is coming from the boy who has 5 "girlfriends".

shhhhh.

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 14:35:39 GMT

Confession.
I'm procrastinating.
So much to do and I have my lists, but I'm totally avoiding it because that's how I work.
I'm 90 percent of the way there, but I simply cannot do the last bit until the Very Last Minute.
It has always been that way. The self awareness makes it even more irritating.
But that's what makes me a Beta Girl. That's why I need to be paired with an Alpha Boy.
I've known this since I was about 12.
I could finish it all now, but I'd do it over again at the last minute. (I've tried it)
Because I always come up with the very best ideas at the eleventh hour.
When the pressure is on.
With everything.
Christmas has a lot of deadlines. (if it didn't, I'd make them up anyway because that's how I work)
This is why Christmas and I have a love hate relationship. Why I can't totally crush on it.
On one hand there's lots of pressure and expectations and that makes me totally creative and on and I love that energy, but on the other hand it makes me completely nuts and it is all my own doing.
Don't tell.

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:41:02 GMT

I love these notes. I save them.
They are usually written to me, hastily, just before bedtime.
(procrastinating on the actual sleep portion of bedtime)
On 4x6 index cards!
Left on the stairs to the third floor where my room is.
I find them in the morning.
Because as organized as you may think I am, reality is I've got a handy little gnome micro-managing our family.
By way of Stair Notes.
He calls me mom.
Okay, so I'm off to the basement to find that Advent tree. :)

between what you want and what you need...

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:38:32 GMT

Happy Birthday

mr_ed1966
For making really great music a possibility in a quiet little Lancaster town, I thought you were the coolest boy since the invention of headphones when I was 16 and not much has changed in 20 years. :)
Lots of really good candle wishes to you!
I hope you have a great year.
xoxo

just for you...

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:02:06 GMT

uh huh.
it *is* the song from the iPod Touch commercial.
I've added some new seasonally appropriate lyrics to the chorus.
Because it is what I do.
Now, you too can sing along to your friends and family and be everso amusing.
:D

"potatoes are my boyfriend
stuffing is my girlfriend
turkey is my deadend
cranberries my imaginary friend
napping in my kingsize bed
table is where i meet my friends
dinner is my hot affair
my tummy is where i want you to touch"

it helps if you add cute dancing and have pigtails

thank you, carry on