Holiday Tea: The tulips are fabulous.

My mother in law Donna's Church holds a Holiday tea every year. It's quite a production, hostess volunteer to decorate individual tables, and there is some friendly competition to see who has the best one. All the tables have themes, and people really go all out, china and guest gifts and so on.  Lots and lots of fancy.

So, since everything is so fancy, I felt like I should dress for the occasion. I'm not a member of the church but my mother in Law is; and this is the only time of year that I see these people so I feel like I should make a reasonable, not embarrassing impression for Donna's sake. So I dress, I flat iron the crap out of my hair, do the make up, a fitted top and skirt, and in some fit of masochism don the highest heels I own.

Now these might not look like much to you, but imagine that you're the type of girl that wore chucks with your wedding dress, is barefoot most of the summer, and also is a complete and utter klutz. Just standing up in these things for me is akin to walking a very painful high wire over a pit of broken glass and social embarrassment. I've only worn them about three times since purchase, so I'm not exactly practiced. But, they do give me a considerable height advantage over the husband, and generally make me feel like a librarian that does pinup on the side. 

So walking in these things is a bit like walking on stilts. It requires lots of concentration and resolutely refusing to look at your feet while you walk. So, I'm wobbling gracelessly out in the reception area, looking for a few friends that were running late. There are about three hundred fancy ladies sitting at the tables in the main room, but out there a few people were milling around the christmasy decorations, but I'm not really looking, since not falling down requires me staring at a point in the middle distance and willing my ankles to steel. Suddenly and tiny older woman appears at my elbow, she leans in conspiratorially and asks; 

"Has anyone ever grabbed those to see if their real?"

There are no words nuanced enough. I made, what I'm sure was the weirdest face she'd ever seen, and clapped my hand over my mouth. She smiled the way you imagine Ms. Claus smiling, and said, "The tulips, they sure look real don't they?"

Oh. 

The Tulips. 

These Tulips. 

Apparently she had assumed I was watching her test the 'freshness' of the table setting, and came to explain herself. I've never been so self conscious of my chest in my entire life.

Amy, who lives across the street of course had the best response. "Oh honey, whenever anyone says that to you, you always say, 'Of course they're real, and they are fabulous'."

So the rest of the night went well. The programing was much more personal than it's been in previous years, and much more brief. The food and company were excellent. Next year we hope to have two whole tables, that is to have twenty women attend. 

Thank you girls for coming, and remember ladies; these tulips are real, and they are fabulous. 

The winter sick.

Cold enough for coats

Hello there Blogger.

We always catch something, or several somethings this time of year, just as the cold starts to hit. So far Quinn, Genna and Cody have caught what ever it is. Genna has bonus points from her adventure with 'head foot and mouth'.

The current plan is to subsist entirely on chicken noodle soup and vitamin C. It's not been entirely successful.

We are also watching Lady, Thax's canine companion, for the weekend.  She is old enough that that the hairs on her face and snout have gone gray. She doesn't quite know how to handle the smallish humans that live here.

She does love the scritches though.

I've been working on this insane appliqued tunic, that just cannot be less rock and roll. All the symbols are on fire, and the phoenix that is on the chest will be playing a purple flying V guitar.

It will also take forever to finish, my sewing machine was so frighted by the prospect that it promptly broke right as I started. Had to take to the shop.

The phoenix its self is several different colors, and I have the pieces cut out, but nothing attached yet. It's the most complicated thing I've tried since I made that tunic for Kelly's master Rose.

Today I've got Genna and Quinn bundled on the couch, and some prep work to do for Holiday Tea tomorrow. I'm making little bags for the snow globes that will act as the hostess gifts for Donna's Table.  Back to the grind. 

Day in pictures;

Stayed after school today on the playground, here are all the kids watching the turtles in the lobby of Old Town.

Genna having a snack of Cantaloupe, which she is very good at pronouncing, whilst in her princess git-up. Which she feels she must wear all of, at one time. Curse you Joe.

Cody explaining to Nicoli were the food was hiding. Coley kept trying to make me open the pantry, leading me over there to get dinner.

Mister Quinn, the mighty, getting taller by the minute.

This his self portrait from art class. All the other kids have smiling or at least, bland faces. Not my boy. He wants to scream.

Epitaph

Feb. 2nd, 2010


I was in a hurry to leave. Cody was waiting downstairs, with the all kids. Ready to go back to Texas. I picked up my stuff, checking to make sure I had everything; and rushed over to kiss Gram's forehead. She was sitting up in bed, and gave me a very pointed look. 

"You just quit it with that mushy stuff."

"Oh suck it Gram." 

We both smiled. It's not the perfect goodbye. There were no 'I love you's; but it was a good one for us. 

I can only be grateful for the time I had with her; cantankerous, funny, and brave, as she was. 


My Grandmother, Joel Marie Growden passed away this morning at 7:20 from complications of lung cancer.

In today's episode;

July 26th 2006


C: It’s a survival skill.
K: a survival skill?
C: Yeah, what if you had to... um, drive out of a burning building?
K: If I have to drive out of a burning building, I think I’d have more immediate troubles than learning to drive a manual. 
C: It’s still good to know. 
K: Heh, I’m gonna put this in my journal. 
C:…
C: I get editorial and veto powers.
K: How do you figure?
C: Because I said it. It’s my intellectual property. 
K: But you said it to me, that makes it mine. Information wants to be free.
C: *Pout*
C: Information does not want to be anthropomorphized.

conversations out of context; the Coley edition

Nov. 17th, 2007 

C:"Juan!" 

K: "Why?, Coley? did you just say ... Why?"

C: "Won!"

K: "ONE?" 

C:"Too!"

K: "Two?!"

C:"Preeeeeeee!" *Pounce*

K: "Three!!! You said three!!!" 

He wasn't imitating anyone, He wasn't repeating anything. He was playing a game, just playing a game. You count to three and then you pounce. 

He talked to me!

EDIT: Also, we played this game for the rest of the afternoon. I even got to show it to Cody when he got home from work. not only is it a game, but it's a repeatable game.

A dissagreement on torso coverings, via Genevieve Dec 17th 2007

K: "SH-Ur-T."
G:*Plucks at her clothes* 
K:"Yes! That is Genna's 'Shhhhh-ur-t'." 
G:"Shhhhit."
K:*winces*No honey, 'shhhhurt', can you say 'shirt'?"
G*nods vigorously, and her sweetest voice says* "shit!". 
K:"Okay, that was closer, can you say 'Shhhh uuuuurr T'"
G:"Shit, moh-mee. Babee shit."*She smiles indulgently* 
K:"You are gonna get me in so much trouble with your grandma."