New Toy

Grownups can have toys, too, right? Well, I am the proud owner of a brand new Fuji instax mini 7s camera. Remember the Polaroids of old? This is a new fangled replacement.

I chose the mini format because I think this is going to be excellent for my journaling adventures. The pictures are about the size of a credit card. I take a picture and pop it directly into my journal while on the go. The per photo price is a little pricey. You pay for convenience, of course.

After one use, I cannot imagine how any modern device could be easier to use. Fuji and Apple need to partner up. They apparently have a keen sense of how to make technology easy. The battery and film compartments are super easy access and everything is clearly marked.

Little thought is required. You only have to make two decisions: Off/On and current lighting conditions.

The only downside might be its bulk. It is certainly smaller than the Polaroid instant cameras, but feels huge when you are used to a camera phone or a pocket camera.

I am so looking forward to big fun with my new toy!

Amaze Me by Answering These

• When you say “Play,” why do little boys hear “Destroy!”?
• How do you tightly roll a burrito so it stays put?
• What good has ever come out of a lie?
• Is there a lethal dose of pasta salad?
• Where is my reboot button for the times when things just aren't working out?
• If the primary ingredient of your breakfast cereal is sugar, does it really matter if it has 120% of your daily allowance of Vitamin C?
• How can I get patience faster?

A New Portrait

It was another fabulous night at 106 Oak Street Place. After stressing on what was to be my next portrait subject...digging through ancient pictures....lots of sighing...I finally just brought a small selection of possibles to class. Adam suggested I combine two pictures into one. One is a picture of Simon and one is of Evy. I really liked the idea.

Here, I have started with the Simon portion of the picture. I felt very happy to have whipped it into shape after just one class. Of course, the credit lies heavily with the expert guidance of my teacher. The man has got skills. But, I feel a transfer of creative powers taking place and that is building my confidence.

Emma Internet

Emma has developed her own system of text messaging. She writes messages on pieces of paper and folds them into paper airplanes. She always waits until I least expect it and sails them at me. Usually, they are expertly aimed at my nose. In most instances, this is a sweet surprise, but when I am driving, it isn't so much.

Sometimes I will catch her lurking beneath the kitchen island or hiding behind the couch...airplane in hand...poised and ready to launch. When I am lucky enough to discover her, I don't make eye contact and just brace myself for impact. All the messages are sweet and written in Emma-ese. They are one of the best parts of my day.

Done

• Whittled on the dog. (Po has three distinctive coats! Even the deluxe clippers were bogging down.)
• Groceries gotten. (We need to get our own milk cow.)
• Van clean. (Inside and out, thank you very much.)
• Clothes washed. (May put kids in swimsuits 24/7. Then I could wash them and their clothes all at once time.)
• Goats moved. (Think it is time to put bells on them and let them free range.)
• Signed up for Remains of the Day online class. (The detritus of life made beautiful.)
• Forgot to leave a tip for possibly the best waiter ever. (If you are reading this, I'm bringing it to you tomorrow.)
• Made a little mischief. (Only the best kinds, of course.)

Snake Day

I'll admit it. I love snakes. I have been very blessed to not be burdened by any of the traditional girl phobias..snakes, frogs, lizards, or spiders. Several young men have been deeply disappointed to see my reaction to an aforementioned creature thrust in my face: "Oh! Let me see!"

When Joseph and I were dating, his friend called me a "keeper" when I hand caught a chicken snake while it was stealing eggs from our chicken house.

These days, Joseph considers it a good day when I don't go lumbering off into the brush looking for the snake that the mocking birds are harassing.

Hearing about Snake Day at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science got me really excited. I had never been. I deemed today a day of adventure and took the two smallest squirts with me to Snake Day.

The speaker Bryan Fedrick was great! He was really good at keeping the info simple and straight forward. He kept the kids participating. At the end, the kids were allowed to file through and touch various non-venomonous snakes of MS.

Simon and Evy loved it, as did I.

Snake Day was well worth the 5 hours in the car, the endless renditions of the Teen Titans theme song, and the subsequent twitch I developed in my left eye.

Fire Music

Play lists. You folks with IPods probably got about a million playlists, one to suit every mood and celebrate every happening. I don't own an IPod since I am not really an appreciator of music. I am the girl who shouts, "Oh! I like this song" when she stumbles upon a recognizable tune while setting the stereo to scan.

About once a year, I put together a compilation of tunes that speak to me. I've done Halloween themed CD's for our Halloween Hooplas of yesteryear. The last couple of years, I've done music compilations that serve as creative stimulus packages for myself and hopefully for my friends I share them with.

This year, I discovered Pandora, an online music streaming site. You pick a seed song, and it plays music based on that and later your preferences. Being the pitiful excuse for a fan that I am, I all of sudden started discovering who performs all these songs that I have always liked. Thus, the genesis of this year's compilation. They are all a re-discovering of music I've always liked but didn't know anything about it.

As a fun aside, I decided to hand-doodle all the CD labels. It is a relatively short creative project which I can do while the kids are eating lunch or pretending to nap.

Here's a list of what is on this year's CD. Watch out! It's feisty music! I find I split my creative time between listening to musical angst and classic country. This year's hits are all grit and grime.

• Bring Me to Life / Evanescence
• Harder to Breathe / Maroon 5
• It's Been Awhile / Staind
• Hanging by a Moment / Lifehouse
• Unwell / Matchbox Twenty
• You Know My Name / Chris Cornell
• Right Here / Staind
• Heavy / Collective Soul
• Cumbersome / Seven Mary Three
• How You Remind Me / Nickelback
• Push / Matchbox Twenty
• When I'm Gone / 3 Doors Down
• Extreme Ways / Moby
• Inside Out / Eve 6
• Wonderwall / Oasis
• Save Tonight / Eagle-Eye Cherry