weekend homework

kidjen, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

remember your inner child this weekend.

here, meet mine: she's goofy, shy, loving, cuddly, bright, imaginative, quiet, a daddy's girl. she didn't have a care, lived in her own little world where her stuffed animals came alive just like winnie the pooh, and loved to climb trees and sing quietly. she collected rolly-polly bugs and would set them free after a time of intense observation.

your turn.

*in bloom*

orange blossoms, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

breaks in the storm have allowed me to go check on my babies. my garden babies. i swear all the starters have grown 2x their size since the weekend. kristie gave me three yellow squash starts last night (barter for babysitting. or bribes, both of which i accept lol) and i do believe i am going to do some containers for them--they are space hogs and i already have two of those in the one bed and i don't think it wise to be overcrowded with the crazy squash.

today was much better for me mood-wise, even though i miss mr. jasper it is nice to be able to step out and run these crazy errands solo. today i went for a blood draw to check my thyroid but the dr. had also ordered some other tests that require a fast. *doh* so tomorrow back i go for the poke. :)

i think i will go check on the orange tree--most of the petals have been swept away by the wind but it still smells delicious. i also have to do surgery on the honeysuckle bush that the wind blew over. my next house will have nothing but fragrant trees and bushes. it smells so wonderful out there. my next house: that is a weird thing to say but it's true. there will be a "next" soon enough. :}}

*don't give up*

don't give up girls only, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

oh big sigh. the rainy day situation is really getting me down. i could not think of a better mantra *don't give up* for what's going on behind the curtain. someday i will go into detail about the mess of affairs people have made (after the passing of my mother). until then, trust me i think it could make a REALLY crappy lifetime movie.

great news for me, though: pretty soon it will all be a memory. i can process it, take a deep breath and get on with things! and those *things* will be something else, i tell you. :) then maybe in my spare time i will start my memoirs...i hear lifetime is always looking for crappy docu-drama screenplays! LOL

(this picture was taken while living in portland, around this time in april 2008. a lot has changed since then!)

a little cross-promoting

andy nguyen's, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

shawn and i have a vegan eating guide to sacramento called sackoftomatoes. there's just a handful of restaurants up but they are a good mix so far. up next will be udupi indian, huong sen tofu on stockton blvd, and queen of sheba ethiopian. mmmmmm. it's a hard job discovering new and old vegan fare in the area...but someone has to do it! :) anyway if you can pop over and see what's going on at that blog. tell a friend?

last night was so much fun seeing the slackers. they did a rock-steady version of "we can work it out" by the beatles! loved them so much. one of the opening bands called the phenomenauts from oakland were amazing, too. they have this surf-punk/dance hall thing going on with fun props like this ray-gun looking thing that was basically a leaf blower that had toilet paper rolls attached and it blew out streams of TP. good times, good times. good food, music and company is what it's all about!

i can't say i am going to do much more than do a little light crocheting tonight...jasper is here spending the night. his mom is going to be on good day sacramento at sugar plum vegan at the butt crack of dawn, too early for daycare drop off! check out the 7am hour if you haven't been by or seen the other news segment. or better by make it a point to stop off and buy yourself a whoopie pie. :) (pssst...please bring me one too, k?)

OM

basil, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

yesterday shawn and i popped off to the home depot to price yard stuff and get some sort of gate solution for the dog's side yard. our one dog angel needs to be watched constantly for she is a chewer. so to save our garden from certain doom when we can't supervise her we devised the kennel idea for the side yard.

then i diverted to the nursery and picked up a few starters and some more soil for the raised garden beds. ah...OM...i feel so much better already. i got dirty in the garden and shawn worked on the gate--we both got sunned out to the max but it was wonderful. lucy filled up her kiddie pool and froze her butt off in that ice-cold hose water :) and lyric did her thing. a perfect saturday in my book.

it all started off with brunch at sugarplumvegan, and the best cheezy-biscuits and gravy i have ever had. no lie. you want to try these. i digested them ALL DAY LONG, talk about some stick-to-yer-ribs vegan food. you didn't think that existed, did you? well, it does and i ate it. mmmmm.

tonight, shawn is taking me to harlow's to see the slackers and get our dance on. but today while he is helping a friend move (aw he is so sweet) i am going to solder as many pendants i can in one sitting. i am going to set up outside and enjoy my yard and garden while getting neverfeltbetter stuff done for the week.

happy sunday!

nobody's perfect

gift from e, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's true. that is all, except for HAPPY FRIDAY!! hope you have a fantastic weekend :)

*homework*

homework, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

post pity party wrap up: after pondering where i am going wrong, realizing i haven't given up my dream, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and figuring i need to memorialize my thoughts for others to believe in me too, i am going to write my business plan if it hairlips the pope (as my dad would say). and when it's written and i am going to share it with my good friends who believe in me and get some feedback and advice. from there, i am going to "move forward". that's about as far as i have gotten/can share.

i have given myself by the end of may to complete this task. it's not an easy one since i have had my thoughts rattling around in my head since 2000. here we are a decade later, the dream lives on. however, the difference now is that the "dream" has become a "goal". I can't remember who said "be stubborn on the big things and very flexible on the details" but that's about right for me. this plan will going to be tweaked for sure--the end result will be the same. one huge difference is in 2000 i was planning on doing it alone, and now i have a partner in shawn. :)

{this is for you , mom.}

sloth. get it off me!

WIP_7, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

confession time: i am totally guilty.. craft sloth. my apparent laziness/craft depression has reached epic levels, unseen by me for years. i have half-finished projects up the wazoo. they are laying around my workspace, my little corner, in bins and bags stashed around, taunting me. making me feel well, like a asshole.

what is my problem? here, reach into my grab-bag of issues LOL. but "issues" for me is a euphemism for "excuses". i have plenty of those...

in the meantime, i have so many cute spring/summer vintage pendants to solder, pouches to finish crocheting, vintage items to photograph and list, thrifting to do...i really ought to get off the excuses and just get to making. these things are cute and deserve to be made and enjoyed!

{i will be having a line form like that scene in airplane! to kick start my crafting heart. would you like to take a number?} :))

grill your corn

grilledcorn_1, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

last night we threw some stuff on the grill for an impromptu cook-out. (cook-out is a phrase that shawn uses being from ohio--we call'em bbq's here lol. it's cute and i like to say it now, too.) shawn was the grill master, i got to relax and let him deal with everything. he did cherry tomatoes, corn, eggplant and some soy dogs for the girls. you know what i love to eat/am able to consume mass quantities of? corn on the cob. grilled sweet corn on the cob, to be exact. i am certain there is nothing quite as delicious. everyone gets a cob...and every time i always immediately wish i had another 2 or 3 right there, i could easily eat more to be honest. i start eyeballing everyone's plate thinking "wonder if they are going to eat that?". they do, dammit! it's because they are that good. the trick, shawn shares is to soak them in the husk in cold water before throwing them straight on the grill. for me the trick is getting an extra cob for myself the next time i am buying corn produce for grilling! :)

mmm mmm good.

tempeh ruben, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

i had a list of things i wanted to accomplish today: have vegan brunch at sugar plum vegan...go grocery shopping (trader joe's)...and ride my bike for exercise. so far i have got two out of three checked. my bike ride will have to be an after dinner affair. i did compromise with the girls (they wanted to play at the park) and shawn (he wanted to skate) so we ended up at mather field in rancho cordova (ugh). it was hot (80 degrees) and as i baked in the sun i felt like we should have stayed closer to home and play in a park where there are uh...TREES? SHADE? rancho is not my favorite place, to say the least. i feel like i want that two hours of my life back! lol. what does that city have against "trees"?

let's just talk about the sandwich i had at sugar plum...it was the tempeh ruben. now, up in portland we stalked places that served vegan rubens. i can say i have had quiet few variations. this one was so delicious...so perfectly crisped on the outside and warm and sauerkrauty/dressed on the inside: i have not had a better one. i also handled the rest of the girls vegan quesadilla pieces. it was amazing, too. shawn had the same as me, but on GF bread. he was totally satisfied, and gave the "thumbs up" between bites. brunch is serious business in my book: we go there to EAT. :)

i am loving life...let's hope it continues throughout the week and the winter storm that is looming. bye-bye sunshine! hello cold/rainy blech!

sunny days

sass, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

sunny days are sweeping up clouds away in my neighborhood today. i set out on a bike ride, up for anything. i decided to scoop up kristie to go get coffee at the old soul coffee place on broadway. i got a dirty soy chai plus a shot of house-made vanilla. yummers, it was delicious. from there we biked down 2nd ave to the old cemetery to see the flowers in bloom and take pictures. it was gorgeous, as usual this time of year.  i enjoy peering into the crypts and seeing the old monuments and gravestones.  makes me sad there is no place to go visit mom and kelley, since they were cremated and their ashes spread.  i totally see the value of having a grave of sorts and would love to have somewhere to go and picnic to be with them.  this "they are everywhere" idea isn't working for me too well.

the weather was perfection:  it was warm enough for me to strip down to a tank top so you know how hot it was for that to happen lol.  lately, i am a cold-blooded hypothyroid LOL. today, however i was like a lizard on a rock, and i soaked up the sun. my batteries are recharging...tomorrow is going to be even nicer than today!

everybody's working for the...

afternoon tea, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's friday, and i worked for the weekend just like the loverboy song says. i wrangle a very rambunctious toddler boy, plus my own kids and i am tired. this week i got maybe two "good" days but i don't want to solely blame my thyroid--i think i will blame old age on this as well just to be fair. i am an equal opportunity complainer. today i have a plus 1 toddler (doing my friend a favor while she irons out her daycare) full house situation going on and i am sporting a sore throat.

now i know full well moms and daycare providers can't get sick but the facts are facts...let's pray there isn't strep throat going around or something.

i must really be a masochist, because i joined a friendly weight-loss facebook challenge with a group of awesome friends for 8 weeks that involves a pyramid-type scheme payout at the end for the most lbs lost. god knows i have more to lose, so if i do this i better be getting that loot at the end. the challenge starts today, first weigh-in by noon. *sigh*

so, my week ends on a flat note but i plan to make up for it this weekend no matter how i feel or what my throat is doing. last weekend was so great...i need a repeat of some LIFE again starting tomorrow. :)

sidewalk chalk city

chalk, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

lemme tell you, this netbook is the best. thing. ever. i blog to you outside on my porch today :) watching little jasper make chalk marks, like hash marks, all over the floor, the posts, the siding. talking about airplanes, trucks and flowers.

i love my backyard, but i also love my front porch. who doesn't love to hang out and people watch the people in your neighborhood? my retired neighbors always nod/say hello and chit chat about how the weather, cars zoom down our block with crazy bass booming, the occasional stray cat will stroll by and stare at me then go about it's kitty business. my best, favorite-cat-ever-on-the-planet, simon is curled up in the kiitty condo, his usual post. there is always something going on, i love my street.

after this playtime it's lunch and nap for the lil' guy. i am going to continue crocheting some more of those tiny bows from a few posts back...i made some orange ones last night. they're very cute. because they're little, and everything little is cute dammit. my friend gifted me some vintage acrylic yarn balls from a departed relative in all kinds of yummy colors. time to get hookin'! :)

simply delicious and full'o win.

yellow curry, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

yesterday was a good day. i was productive. it was a hellava lot better than monday so i rejoice two-fold. i sewed, prepared for more sewing, got some crochet going, cleaned this house/laundry/animals, helped lyric with math, had kristie pop in for a spell...it was a good day all around. love these days where my thyroid is working WITH me, rather than against me.

then, this morning along with my usual emails i got a contact from someone who would potentially like to use me in their vegan print project. i am overjoyed! viva vegan women! love it. (no details yet, i don't want to jinx it!) the kids had some cinnamon toast and i had some soy yogurt and coffee. everyone got along, no big blowouts over *insert action or object here*. love it x100. let's make today the day and tonight the night, shall we? yes. always.

last nights meal was a simple yellow curry over rice. garbanzos, green onions, carrots, potatoes, coconut milk. simply delicious and full'o win! i am not sure about tonight's meal. i am working on it...

cozy up!

pint/cup cozy, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

i did some sewing today during nap time. it was great (i think my baby needs a tune up...) and extremely satisfying. i made a couple pint/coffee cup cozies, and cut the fabric for a few more to stitch up tonight. everyone loves a cozy for something, right? what goes IN your cozy...that's between you and you.

the sun was out, it was nice and mild temperature wise. with days like this i think things are going to be juuuuust fiiiiine.

heavens

gray skies and trees, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

thinking about the heavens, literally and figuratively today.

my good friend's father passed away this morning and he was like my adopted grandfather. she loved him very much and he will be missed terribly.

then here comes the rain again...literally buckets of it on and off all day long. i went in our van to grab the car seat and it smells like mildew from some sort of leak under the dash. *sigh* i honestly can't contend with that right now, don't know how to fix it so i can drive it--that mildew is a killer and i am highly sensitive. so far it hasn't been a stellar monday, but i will take it over a sharp stick in my eye. i wanted to cut fabric for pint cozies but that will have to wait until after jasper leaves for home. it's a shorter (if 11 hours is short lol) day for him tonight and i should make some time to do some sewing. i could use the distraction...and i really do have some cute ideas swirling around in my head for NFB. i am just feeling the disconnect from up *there* to down *here*.

maybe my focus just needs to roll around in the heavens for a bit, then it will come back to me when it's able to find it's way...this time is to dream, plot, plan and keep those i love and who love me close.

RIP frank! love you E!

sunday sunday sunday!

grilled tofu vegan 'dilla, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

today was the earth day festival in down town sacramento's southside park. last year shawn and i had a date and we road our bikes, enjoying the sunny warm weather. i got a freakin' sunburn even. today, one year later, i am wearing a winter sweater, hoodie and rain jacket shaking my fists up to the gray skies. i was feeling bad for the vendors, everyone knows if sacramento has "weather" people don't show up.

so we packed up as our true hearts of pacific northwest gold beat in our chests...we would endure the "weather". glad we did! i caught my landlord in his awesome cover band 'the four eyes' playing hits from the 70's and it was sweet. the band prior to him did all beatles covers and that was totally awesome, of course. we were happy to only spend a hour or so because right before we left we got word that exene from X was playing at R5 records on broadway. it was amazing. i was so happy to have seen her so close up and intimate. i have been lucky enough to see X once at the crest when i was probably 20 or so...but that was a while ago to say the least. cross that one off the bucket list, to see and hear excene sing to 50 people was truly inspiring.

at the earth festival, we shared a raw burrito wrap but dang those two or three bites didn't do me so we swung by sugar plum vegan to grab a quick lunch. shawn got the GF portabello pannini and i went with the very glutenous mock chicken/tofu grilled quesodilla. both were delicious, and the cafe was pleasantly full of nice happy full vegan people. <3 home now, i am looking through pictures, uploading some and thinking about the last two days. shawn and i don't get to go out as nearly as we need to but when we do we really go for it and maximize our time! i have to thank him for making me get out of the house and having a totally rad weekend. happy sunday!

2nd sat 4/10/10

2nd sat 4/10/10, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

had a great time last night. it wasn't too cold after all, it didn't rain and people were really nice. best of all i think i turned a couple folks onto veganism and hey, that is priceless :) afterward we cruised into the distillery and bumped into some old friends. earlier in the day there was a memorial for an old friend who suddenly passed away last week in midtown, so there were a lot of people out for that. i drank my share and thank you shawn for letting me sleep in and making me a big pancake breakfast :) he's the best...

anyway i thought my table looked great. i was really happy with it and i look forward to next month! i hope it's even warmer than last night--i am getting sick of bundling up lol.

*park your art* 2nd saturday 4/10/10

soldered pendants, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

don't forget tomorrow is midtown sacramento's 2nd saturday, and of course me and a lot of other rad vendors will be down at 21st and k st., from 6-10pm. don't miss out, come on down and walk around! bring some cash, too :)

mcmartin reality *park your art*
see you there!

i want to ride my bicycle

cemetary_2, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

today was a treat...although the reason i took the day off from being nanny jen didn't go exactly as planned this morning (family business) and got put off until the middle of next month (it's ok patience is my middle name. not really but it ought to be.), shawn and i still got to spend some quality time together with some solo bike ride action. we went thrift window-shopping (and i found the best .99 vintage sweater ever and a cute faux pyrex sugar dish), had au lac cheapo-lunch special ($4.95, best in town) and then we found ourselves in midtown checking out friends i have been neglecting. sunshine, exercise, friends, thrift scores...what a nice ending to a day that started out iffy. but then do i deserve such good fortune ALL at once? yeah, i think i do.

after that, we got the girls and went to the gluten free specialty store in midtown and grabbed some daiya vegan cheese shreds and some bread and had grilled cheeze sandwiches for dinner. shawn and lucy built a little skate "fun box" to practice ollies. while we were outside i was playing fetch with the dogs, and shawn noticed that delia our border collie mix had something stuck in the roof of her mouth. upon closer inspection we saw she had chewed up a drumstick and part got embedded in the roof between two of her back molars. shawn got it out and we will watch it until it heals up. POOR DOG we have had no idea how long it was there, but from the looks of it, we think a while. with some loving triage she looks like she will heal up great.

ah the fun never ends at our ranch...here's to more bike riding and fun times. and happy friday!

vegan m-n-c baked casserole

vegan mac and cheeze, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

so i ended up making the macaroni and cheeze recipe, as i always do, from the new farm vegetarian cookbook. ours is so old and used so often, we have literally duct-taped the spine and oil splattered pages fall out when we open it. it is a testament to how awesome a basic pantry-staple ingredient using bible of goodness this book is.

as i was preparing to boil the small package of GF elbow macaroni's, i thought it needed something else...some bulking up, in addition to the usual broccoli. then i thought i would try adding a cup of cooked rice to the cooked pasta, and a handful of TVP in the cheeze. not sure what to think of the pasta/rice combo, i turned it over to my official vegan taste-testers: the kids. lucy and lyric had seconds, thirds even and my visiting picky eater jasper ate a small portion. so, the verdict is it is truly a casserole, ma! and it was delicious.shawn came home late after job #2 and had some for dinner and lunch today. so my idea to stretch the pasta dish worked after all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
macaroni and "cheese" baked casserole
recipe from the new farm vegetarian cookbook:

cook 3 1/2 cups elbow macaroni.

in a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup margarine over low heat. beat in 1/2 cup flour* with a wire whisk and continue to beat over a medium flame until the mixture (called a roux) is smooth and bubbly. whip in 3 1/2 cups boiling water, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of tumeric, beating well to dissolve the roux.

the sauce should cook until it thickens and bubbles. then whip in 1/4 oil and 1 cup nutritional yeast flakes.

mix part of the sauce with the noodles and put in casserole dish, and pour a generous amount of sauce on top. sprinkle top with paprika, and bake for 15 minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven. put in broiler for a few minutes until "cheese" sauce gets stretchy and crisp.

*i used GF flour as a replacement for regular and GF pasta. works perfectly well either way, GF or not. i flash boiled the broccoli at the very last few minutes of boiling the pasta, in the same pot, and i had the rice made and had it to the side to add to the pasta/cheeze mix in the casserole dish. i threw the handful of TVP in with the cheeze mixture as it got smooth and it worked out fine for me. i am all about as few pots and pans to wash during clean up.

enjoy and happy thursday!

friends in cool places

artichokes, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's good to have friends who work in cool places, if not high places, such as the sacramento coop . i went along with her last night with to pick up our dog's food, V DOG (vegan dog food, made here in sacramento! awesome-sauce!) for less of the normal sticker shock i fall into every month buying it.  it's great for them, but dang it's pricey!  now for the record,  i have my problems with the coop (the "humane meat" myth, anyone?) but it's kinda all we have as far as coops go.

got a few sundry items and some annies gummy-bunnie snacks for lucy's speech therapy and we are good to go on groceries. tonight i am making the baked mac-n-cheeze recipe from the new farm cookbook since i grabbed some nutritional yeast as well. i should have picked up some hair dye, but i think i will do that this weekend anyway. i have some very serious grays going on. yikes!

on the NFB front, 2nd saturday is this weekend and i am ready with a ton of new earrings, some new crocheted items and a big old smile even if it's cold*. i am happy to do what i do, after all. i had a dream two nights ago with neverfeltbetterbyjen.com...i think i prefer to call it a *vision*. it's going to happen, folks. swearin' it.

(*i was reminded that even though i am totally temperature intolerant and it literally pains me...it will warm up soon enough and the yuba river ought to be slamming this year with all this rain. we are doing some preliminary camping planning and camping at the yuba is up there with ocean camping at the bodega dunes, as well. if all goes well i am thinking big sur, too. ah man i love it over there...it's been far too long since we have driven that way. )

happy weds to you!

having a moment

rushing water, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

...and that moment is telling me that i could use a little bit of *this* stat. if my inner core temp doesn't get a few ticks warmer i don't know what i am going to do. and even though it's not raining on saturday (supposedly) for 2nd saturday, i am scared i am going to sit outside and freeze this old patootie off and get sick because that is about where i am at physically. between my hypothyroid, allergies and stress, the Rx is clear: i could use a sunny get away immediately. calgon? where you at?

april showers

baby blue mums, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

these crazy april showers are bringing some more cute blooms to neverfeltbetterbyjen! i got more colors in of these cute-as-hell mum vintage style post earrings. i should be updating the site later on today with a few new styles i have multiples of, but i am hoping that the weekend's 2nd saturday at mcmartin's *park your art* is a good one and i will list what is left over from there. i am praying the good weather holds out into the weekend--i can't take much more cold outside functions that don't include camping which includes campfires, wine and cuddling. outside craft shows generally have none of those!

sunday is the earthday celebration at south side park in downtown sacramento, and last year it was pretty good. i am hoping for more vegan food vendors ( i know sugar plum vegan will be there!) and more emphasis on veganism in general. if people honestly cared about the planet going vegan would be a no-brainer. why vegan?

go vegan, ya hippies! ;)

easy like a sunday morning

dunking, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

it's only saturday and i am feeling the groove. it's noon and i have already dropped the mr. off at the amtrack to go visit his buddy dave in SF( who is out from OHio) to do some skateboarding. tomorrow they come back via car to do what? more skateboarding ;)

after our goodbyes at the 'track, me and the two girls went grocery shopping at trader joe's where lucy had a mental breakdown over the choice of joe-joe cookies OR the maple cookies (we went with the joes, she wanted the maple) then she lost it when all of a sudden she wanted TWO balloons from the nice man, who told her she can only have one. *sigh*

came home made chocolate chip pancakes and some DAMN FINE new coffee i had not seen there before, diner blend. mmmm just like truck stop coffee but better. you can probably french press leaves and have them come out like velvety heaven in your cup. *having a love affair with my french press, shhh don't tell shawn!)

now i am going to knock out some chores and make the house extra nice for company tomorrow. uncle dave is such a sweetie and usually comes solo but this time his girlfriend is with him and i am excited for them to come with us to vegan brunch tomorrow! no easter baskets here, just a delicious vegan meal with the people we love. i am fairly sure jesus is risen not so we can load up on honey baked hams and waste even more stolen eggs for dyeing. (or consume even MORE candy than we already greedily do in the US.) happy vegan easter!

ca state train museum

train museum 4-2-10, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

our very first trip to this museum. i can't tell you how many times i have walked or driven right by this place in old sacramento. lyric's school had a meet-up there and i had three extra little bodies with me coming along for the experience to sneak in for free so i knew it would be crazy! :) going here reminded me how much i miss OMSI. it's the oregon museum of science and industry and their kids exhibits were second to none. i don't know why sacramento has no kids museums, come to think of it. anyway OMSI was pretty much the bomb for both kids and adults. it was the very first museum we had a membership to :) but getting back to the train museum it was pretty cool with tons of vintage toy trains, actual historic train cars in pristine condition (a couple of which you can walk through like the dining and sleeper cars. the dining car had a beautiful collection of china each line having their own pattern.  i wanted to smash them and make pendants LOL), and a very small 5 and under kids play area. we didn't see the movie offered; i guess i am not *that* into trains to see a short documentary on them at this time. basically the only one who was insane over the trains was little jasper who LOVES trains. and trucks. and airplanes. the girls were a little "mreh" but enjoyed themselves over all. we hit up the candy shop across the street to load up on sugar and headed home for a nap for the little one.

good times, go check it if you haven't already :)

come back blue skies...

flowers, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

we are having not only spring showers, but an unseasonable and unwanted cold snap. i live in a hundred year old plus house and my dining room/family room is shady and dark. brrrrrr! i am hypothyroid and the annoying cold person in the room, and it's oh so cold in here. even lyric thought so today and she is always hot. i even had her feel my hands today, which were icier than usual to let her know i wasn't bluffin'. i am a total failure at being a therMOMeter, because inevitably lucy has too much clothes on and will strip down to her underwear as i sit there and shiver in my sweater.

this has been a long couple weeks for me. i have had little J for sometimes 14 hours a day--everyday. it won't be like this forever, and i love that little guy...but i really could use a babysitter myself LOL!
i feel like i haven't seen my friends since forever. i miss those gals!

this post is basically to remind me that it's going to be alright, i will have time to myself and to craft/solder soon enough. spring really is coming, and my thyroid medication is working. and soon enough shawn and the girls and i will be bombing midtown with me on my cute turquoise bike with my new wicker basket and new rims and them on their bikes all cute. ah, la vita dolce!

little helpers

digging for worms, originally uploaded by neverfeltbetter.

these kids are always grimy; digging in the dirt is generally a regular occurrence around here. give them kid-sized spades, shovels and hoes and an empty garden bed and we got a real dirt farming operation going on! this activity was two-fold. for one they love to make a mess, and i love to let them. but also i had them sort out the soil, digging for gold as it were, to unearth all kinds of treasures like sticks, leaves, worms, beetles, cat poop (!) and seedlings-of-we-don't-know-what. out with the debris of last year and in with some new good soil for gardening. so, when we came inside from this gardening session you could see the fun they had all over their faces...hands...shirts, and pants.

now, of course when the garden is planted there will be no more digging in the dirt but i think i can compromise by picking up a sand and water table for some sensory fun.

my backyard is missing something very important: my hammock. i am having a mean jonze for my MANDATORY hammock time. it can't happen at the moment, since the tree it was anchored on last year had to come down and is now the giving tree stump. so, i am on the hunt for a decent hammock stand that can hold up to the use it will receive. my hammock means a lot to me, it's my 'time-out', my quiet time. and that time is mandatory at the fosnight ranch.