From the Lady of the House...

9:20am: Sticky Post...Looking for me?
I'm not hanging out on LJ as much as I used to do... I'll still post sporadic updates about my life in general, and I try to catch up on reading everyone's blog when I can find the time (I suppose I really ought to set up an RSS feed at this point - just call me a luddite!), but my focus these days has been on my art and dance blog, work, teaching, and business. So if you're looking for me, and don't find me, try looking and commenting here: http://stitchingwithashimmy.com. I love you all, and I'd love to see you there!

~Romilly

PS. meriwynn is now blogging at Martialartess.
      My Dad has started a blog about aging with diabetes and kidney disease.

8:07pm: Looking for me Part 2...
I've had some requests for more posts. I'm not particularly happy with Livejournal in general... no real reason, just a general malaise, especially about how people on LJ don't tend to read outside blogs and outside people don't tend to read LJ blogs...  and I've been feeling the need for a real, personal presence outside of my stitching business, blog and website.

I'm doing some real work on getting unstuck from some of my back patterns right now, and I'd like a place to share the journey. I want to be able to maybe help some other people who might be in the same or similar situation mentally. And I want to develop another business and share the journey. So in any case -- I'd love for you to come join me, feeling free to comment.

My 18th century salon type thing is now open, and most likely  I won't be posting here again.

See me at Lady of Toad Hall.
And I'm still at Stitching with a Shimmy if you're interested. :)

10:07am: Life, career and happiness...
I need to vent a little. I'm frustrated. First, though, let me apologize for not getting holiday cards, posts or emails out this year. I think you'll see why in a few paragraphs.

<rant on>
My day job is no longer my dream job. This has developed by many, many routes - from just being in the same position for almost 8 years to management changes that have changed the corporate culture.

Because of this, and simply changes in my mindset, or maybe a reset of my old mindset -- I'm becoming more and more creative, in dance, needlework, and mixed media! I am listless at work and off and on have even had small panic attacks on Sunday evenings when I think of going into the office on Monday.

At Thanksgiving I found myself in the hospital having gall bladder surgery -- and with a week and a half to two without work looming, sick as i was, my blood pressure was lower than it was in college. And I'm guessing that with the health improvements over last year, the lower numbers are probably the accurate ones, when I'm not stressed.

Obviously, the "pragmatic" side of me says, "You have a mortgage. You still want kids. You need to keep the income as long as possible." And frankly, I realize that being overwhelmed and out of balance over the last three months have been due more to the situation at home impacting being able to relieve stress than anything else. Already I am starting to pull things back together again. (If no one's told you, the other half of Cheromilly, and her son moved into a place of their own at Christmas, and she bought a car last week (just in time for the snow to hit so she couldn't go test for her license this week!) The house is ours again! yay!) The EO and I are trying to get used to not only having a quiet house, but also being able to actually accomplish housework/repairs without tripping on people. As things get pulled together I will be able to focus on getting stuff done so that maybe I can move away from corporate life sooner rather than later, and balance my spirit with my income in a better manner.
</rant off>

For now, though. I feel stuck. I'm not. I'm making progress. Much progress, actually. I actually wrote the above a couple weeks ago. Now, I've talked to the EO about the whole thing and realized that part of the issue is that I DO see movement. But because of this I want it all right now! That's not so conducive to actually accomplishing much -- it's when we find ourselves stuck like deer in the headlights.

But since November I've managed to up the blog posts to regular postings. And my hits have gone up exponentially. I've created several beaded pins, and just need one more set of photos so I can put them up on Etsy. The marketing research has sent me in a direction needlework-wise that I've WANTED to go in, and I'm about ready to get the website up and launched. (Website design is tedious for me.. the design is ok, but the coding is not my forte). I have put the book on hold until I have the energy to write more at home as well as at work. Right now short blog posts are about all I can handle.

I think I originally wanted to ask advice about jumping in headfirst, but I've worked it out pragmatically now, and I think I've identified the evil little tapes working in the back of my mind. After all, it's not like I haven't done this sort of thing before. I can deal with the corporate culture; even thrive in it, now that I don't have an invisible (even to me) illness hanging over my head. And I can pull a business up by its bootstraps in my not-so-copious spare time. Knowing what I'm dealing with helps immensely in knowing how to deal with it.

So anyway. Send your love and good thoughts to Cherie and Kiddo (who turns 12 TWELVE!!!! in February!) and think good thoughts for all of us (y'all as well) as we navigate this new year.

8:53am: Squirrels # 6 - A reason? A war?

I think I may be getting a handle on this thing.

Here in North Carolina, we have several kinds of squirrels - grey, the kind that hate DH; fox squirrels, wow I'd like to see one of these cuties in the wild!; flying squirrels; and the endangered miniature flying squirrel.

I think the issue may have to do with the last. You see, back when DH was a "tween" there was a big storm, not an uncommon occurrence in North Carolina. Apparently, though, this storm knocked a nest of miniature flyings squirrels out of a tree in the back yard. DH's dad brought the poor little ones inside and the family nursed them to adulthood. Imagine little flying squirrels launching themselves from the schimney top to the heads of unsuspecting visitors to the house!

When they were old enough, the family released them back into the wild, where they apparently integrated back very well.

Miniature flying squirrels are nocturnal. Grey squirrels, are, of course, diurnal. I think there may be a war or at least tension between the two groups. Because of his kindness to the little flying ones, the grey squirrels now hate my husband - and apparently his father. They are literally eating the outside of his house. Nothing, including cayenne pepper, seems to keep them at bay.
 

8:14am: Squirrels #5 - Government Facility

It would be easy to write DH's antagonism to squirrels off as a vibrant imagination (he is, after all, a writer) if it weren't for the confirmation by outside sources -- like coworkers.

DH spent several years as a contractor at one of the government facilities out here. He and his coworkers used to walk across the campus for lunch on a regular basis. This route took them through an outside picnic area - with trees. Where acorns regularly beaned him. And we always thought he wore that hat to keep the sun off his head!

After a week of this, one of the guys asked DH, "Why do acorns keep hitting you and only you on the head?" DH just pointed up. There they were -- three of the little rat-finks, looking down at them. While his friend watched, one of them hauled off and threw an acorn - directly at DH's head. "Dude, they really do hate you!" said his friend. And reported to me at the first opportunity. This was probably the first time I really started to believe him.

 

8:43am: Squirrels #4 - Enter Me

I've not had the same issues with squirrels over the years - I tend to think they are quite cute, and although annoyances when I want to feed birds, not a horrible thing. We used to have one outside an apartment in Eugene that we called Napoleon becuase he'd stand up on his hind legs, cross one paw over his chest and, well, frankly look like Napoleon Bonaparte. He also had a tendency to stand in the middle of the parking lot and attempt to control the cars. I wonder how long he actually survived...

Then there was the squirrel on the UO campus that Christie taught to expect food, and who was very angry that I didn't provide it -- but I try to forget that incident as it almost ended in rabies shots. Terrorist extremist squirrel trained by a FRIEND of all things!

The squirrels in Longview, WA were cheeky critters. Maybe they were spoiled, having a suspension bridge built just for them, but they would stop in the middle of the road and try to stare you down as you drove, daring you to hit them. I thought they were insane, but still cute.

I am, however, losing patience with the acorns planted in my garden now sprouting oak trees under the tomatoes. But for the most part - squirrels and I have a live and let live philosophy.  My oregano is still in one piece - after a whole season of growing! (Just a LITTLE gloat there, sweetheart!)

7:52am: Squirrels #3 - Home Invasion

The squirrels have even taken it a step further and performed home invasions -- DH suspects the same operative as in the Oregano Caper.

As I recall the story, and remember that this is second-hand, something had gone wrong in the kitchen - probably involving smoke - and DH had decided he needed to open the windows.

The most effective window for these sorts of operations is, of course, the sliding patio door. It was duly opened, and DH began the return trip to the kitchen. And almost fell down as a small, grey fuzzy creature zipped between his legs and sat in the middle of the kitchen, chittering at him. This was BC (Before Cats), so you can't even blame Paddy - oh wait. She was in MY house at the time!

"That's the last straw! This is MY apartment, you little beady-eyed, bushy-tailed interloper!" (He may also have used some of those unrepeatable words for squirrels, but they are, well, unrepeatable.) And the chase was on!

The squirrel did not want to leave; maybe he was hoping DH had a stash of the oregano somewhere and was looking to raid it; maybe he just wanted to torment DH.

Whatever the reason, though, the little brushtail made DH chase him around the apartment for half an hour before skittering back out the same hole in the screen he had used to slip in. Personally, I think DH should be glad it wasn't a full contingent of commando-squirrels, but only the scout.

7:50am: Squirrels #2 - Oregano Caper

Then there was the oregano. A friend had given DH an oregano plant, growing nicely, that he put on his patio so it could get light and continue to grow and hopefully thrive.

He then went inside and started cooking dinner.

Who knows what made him look - some small noise, some innate sense of threat -- whatever it was, look he did. And there, outside the sliding patio door, looking smugly through the glass and stuffing hte end of the oregano plant into his cheeks, was one of the local grey squirrels. As the DH took his first annoyed steps toward the door, the little tree-rat turned his back on DH, twitched his tail three times, leapt into a nearby tree and disappeared.

My future husband was not amused as he looked at his now-empty flowerpot, and invented three more unrepeatable words for squirrels.

11:12am: Squirrels #1 - Lunch
This begins a series of articles I've been wanting to write for a while about my family and their quirks. We'll start with my Dear Husband, because he volunteered, and I promised miladycarol the squirrel stories.

I don't know what my husband did to antagonize the squirrels - and I don't mean in our yard - I mean all of them. I think they may have taken a hit out on him.

The stories go back to his college days -

He, like so many college students, was short on money. using his last five dollars to get lunch at the school cafe, he set the lunch tray down on an outside table and turned his back to get the ketchup.

He swears he was only turned away for a moment -- and when he turned back, the squirrels covering his meal scattered. All but the littlest, who grabbed the last French fry, looked up at DH with beady black eyes, chittered, and ran, leaving him stunned and with only crumbs. DH invented an unrepeatable word for squirrels and thought, "Peanut butter for another week. Rah." :)

1:51pm: Flowers...
I wouldn't have guessed this, but it seems suprisingly accurate. :)

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

9:41am: I'm surprised...

That you guys bother to read these, given how rarely I seem to post!!! Busy busy. That's me. :P

SpiritCloth tagged everyone. :) So:

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
At this time 10 years ago I was getting ready to leave NorthCarolina to move back to the Pacific Northwest. The job I'd been promised by the job shop hadn't materialized, and Dad wasn't taking care fo himself, and well, I was homesick after six months on a different coast. We were also preparing for a huge science fiction convention fundraiser, and I was doing medieval dancing twice a week: heh, I was also falling for my future husband, but I was denying it at the time. <grin>

2. 5 things on my To Do list for today...
a. Write the help topic for the new software feature at the day job.
b. Pick up my pseudo-nephew from Taekwondo.
c. Stitch on my next needlework model for release in the next couple of months.
d. Read.
e. Buy yarn for a knit baby shower gift for a co-worker.

3. Snacks that I enjoy
Carrots, celery, oranges, chocolate...

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.
Fund the ballet for a year. Pay off the house. Open a full sized combination dance and needlearts (including dying) studio. Fund a safe house for the non-profit that an acquaintance is developing for abused women.

5. Places I've lived. in no particular order. :)
Eugene, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
Longview, Washington
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina
Tucson, Arizona
Raleigh, North Carolina
Northridge, California
Cary, North Carolina

 

4:28pm: Because we all need some good news...
Dad's out here now, and settled in on dialysis. The local dialysis center made arrangements for him to get his treatments at an outlying town, where he has parked his trailer until he can find an apartment. Theoretically his last treatment by my house was supposed to be this Saturday. 

But today on his way home the rent-controlled apartment complex two miles from my house called him and told him that he'd been approved, and that a one-story garden apartment had come available for him. I'm not sure if he will be moving immediately or at the beginning of the month, but he's all set for housing! And back to the local dialysis center... LOL 

He's annoyed that he may have  paid for a full month rent on an RV lot that he won't be using now, but really, that's a happy problem. No word yet on whether he is allowed to have a cat. I think he'd really like one, and I'd be happy to provide the adoption fees for a Father's Day present. 

Dad! Housing! Closer to our home than we had any right to hope for (though that didn't stop me!)

5:05pm: Requiescat in Pace...
This has been a difficult two weeks. I've lost two very dear friends.

First Jeremy was found shot in Washington. I haven't been in touch with him for a while, what with being on the other side of the country and all... but there's now a hole in my heart that he once occupied. I still don't really have words about this. But I was doing better...



Then this morning, after several days of not eating, I took Rhys in to the vet. His liver had joined his kidneys and stopped working, and he was very very ill.  Signing the euthanasia form was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

I'm going to miss him very much, he got me through some rough times (including my breakup with Jeremy) with his kitty-cuddles.

 

10:04am: Why I am a horrible wife...
 It has been a hard week all around. At work, at home, little things just don't seem to work right. 

But there was a bright spot in my week. My BPAL order came. Testers! smelly stuff! I have tried them on in the mornings so that I've got all day to see how they change over time. So far, Morocco works on me. :)

So Wednesday I decide to try the Antique Lace sample that they sent me as a freebie. DH is running late. Just after I put it on, he heads out the door. Without thinking, I give him a goodbye hug. 

I spend the day smelling like Sam Adams Vanilla Creme soda. (Remembering friend's drinking habits when we were in school, I made a commment to meriwynnthat if we were still in college, pjackwould probably try to drink me... and broke a friend's brain by that idea...) 

But anyway... remember that hug? Apparently the oil was still damp on my wrists. I imbued my husband with essence of Antique lace. The reviews say that depending on body chemistry it either goes creme soda-y or floral. We know which it did on me. Just GUESS what it did on DH!  For such a supposedly light fragrance, it's very pungent. And it was on his back, so he couldn't get it off. Apparently EVERYONE asked him about it. Including the waiter at lunch who complimented him on his perfume. <sigh> 

I haven't done that to a male of our species since I was in second grade. (And I claim peer pressure from that episode...) 

I paid for it karmically on Thursday. Tried out the Dragon's Tears. It turned into CHEAP hotel soap smell on me, made my eyes water, made my nose stuff up, and wouldn't wash off...

I know I've apologized profusely in private, but love, this is my public apology.  The things you put up with from me. I love you.

2:05pm: *headasplodey*
Of typos and architecture...

cyberbertha broke my iddle biddle writer-brain today. See her post here, then come back: 

And then I wandered over to Erica Henderson's blog, expecting pretty art,  where she had a link to THIS monstrosity... http://www.kunstler.com/eyesore_200712.html

YEOUCH!!!

I share the pain with you, my friends and family, because who else would let me inflict it on them without slapping me? (yes, karjack, I know you would, kinder and gentler or not, that's why you're 2500 miles away from me!)

10:49am: Smells, Homesickness & Hay fever...

I had my first experience with Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs Wednesday. And a bout of homesickness.

One of my dance students brought in some of her unwanted imps and after class about four of us had an impromptu smelly-time. :)   I've avoided these like the plague - most of you know about my icky allergy problems: and my husband's are even worse. But his seem to refer to petroleum based products, which these aren't. Even a little bit... Because of aforementioned allergy issues, I only wanted to try one actually ON me. <sigh> I'd have loved to try them all! But I know better. Really I do. I tried the Sri Lanka,as it had a sandalwood base that I've known I've dealt well with in the past. And it was lovely, with an insensy undertone...

Then an hour went by. The sandalwood smell almost disappeared, leaving the insense. Why am I suddenly feeling homesick? Why is that scent so familiar,

meriwynn? "OH, that's the [unprounouncable by me] incense we had at Peralandra! YOU SMELL LIKE PERALANDRA!!!"  Uh oh. I am starting to remember why, although I loved that store, I went in in short bursts only. The smell is lovely. I'm getting homesick. My head is stuffing up almost as fast as if I'd submerged my head in lavender blossoms. Now there's the start of a headache... OK. It may not bother the rest of the household, but I can't breathe any more! Oops.

 

So. I have established several things: 1. I can tolerate at least some of BPAL's goods, as can the rest of my family. 2. This is going to take a LOT of experimentation! 3. This could get expensive. 4. I now have a list of scents I want to try.

<sigh> I'm doomed. And it's all your fault. You you you people who kept talking about this until I actually had to TRY it! Grrr. Purrrrrrrrr.

9:46am: I thought...
I thought of  cyberberthawhen I saw this: 

http://failatlife.blogspot.com/2008/03/at-mountains-of-madness.html

No, I can't explain why. :)

9:33am: Plan early!

NC Yalla Dance Guild is excited to announce the return of Horacio and Beata Cifuentes to North Carolina!

( Read more... )

11:56am: Report on life...
A new-to-us car is in the works. It looks like DH & I will still have matching cars, aaaaaw, aren't we cute?!

My dance troupe, Phoenix Rising, dances at the Aisha Ali workshop hafla on Friday, Feb 29. My dress is too big. Luckily it doesn't have the belt sewn on yet, so I can take it in first. <sigh> We're designing new costumes for May, and I have NO idea what size corset I'm going to need. Starting to think I may need to sit that one out, but I don't want to. DON'T. WANT. TO.

And I found this on a site I frequent early this morning. It is now making the rounds of the bellydance community. Worth watching. THIS is why I dance.  Language of LIfe:

 

11:10am: Can I ever relax again?

Pretty please?

I may be in and out over the next week, so if you email me and can't get through, it's probably because I'm not online. Not that I have been, but the stress level went up a notch again this weekend.

You see, DH and kiddo were in a pretty bad car accident on Friday. They had to cut DH out of the car. Despite this, all they seem to have taken away from it is bruises. They're both going to be fine. Kiddo was, understandably, terrified to get in the school car to go to school this morning, but he made it there just fine. As of Friday, he has a new stuffed sheep to keep him company.

Please send energy and hugs. The next few months is going to be rough with software releases, work issues, custody cases, dance performances, and recovery. Gleep.

11:47am: StarWars/bellydance geekiness...
As requested when I was in Eugene. Here are the two links. What exactly DID Jabba expect Leia to do? Mostly SFW (slave leia costume, bellydance. You decide.) ( Enjoy. )

12:09pm: One of those mornings...

A friend sent me this and I tracked it down via youtube... Ever have a morning that felt like this?


 

10:05am: Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

 I'm back - and what a whirlwind of a trip! Everybody is doing better now - DH says when he talked to Dad yesterday, Dad was more chipper and upbeat than he has been in a long while. For such an introvert, my father thrives on adventure -- and he's planning a big one now, moving out here.

I enjoyed myself immensely. I have really missed the three-four hour conversations like the one we had on Thursday, and meeting

miladycaroland tibicina was a highlight. When I told DH about it, he claims jealousy. :) 

For those of you I missed because I passed through Portland much too fast to stop, or becasue I couldn't get in a northerly direction, my apologies. I wish I could have seen each and every one of you and for much longer than I got to. :(

 

My ancient cat apparently went on a hunger strike while I was gone, but now that I'm back he's decided maybe

meriwynnand DH weren't lying to him about me coming back and is eating again...

 

I've got a list of things requested, so here I go.

Castle Builders website... :)
My art site

I'll get the photos scanned so that people can download them as soon as I can get to the scanner. These are from some party when we were still at the 19th street apartment... Mark was out from Scotland, and Abe was in attendance as well... I believe this might have been the night that Unbie dove down lethran's throat after the brie/bread. :) For those who weren't there Thursday, Unbie passed on last month. She apparently had cancer. No one told us until she was gone. Onyx is still going strong, as is Rhys.

If I've missed anything, let me know and I'll track it down. I have yet again proven that I need to write things down because I have a mind like a steel sieve.

miladycarol, we need LOTS more time. It WAS a tease.

8:32pm: I'm on the west coast...
Yay! Using Dad's computer at the moment. I'll check in once more tomorrow. Family issues are a mess out here, but we're working through it. I'm going to have to drag dad out to NC (miladycarol, I"ll bet you understand the problems that brings) but right now he's decided it'll be fun. So that's good.

We'll be driving down on Wednesday after all. I think I may need to stop in Salem at Chemeketa community college unless I really screwed up and left meriwynn's paperwork behind, in which case I'm toast when I get back to Raleigh. We should be there sometime in the afternoon. Staying at a Motel, probably the university inn, wednesday and thursday and then going back to Seattle on Friday, probably midday.

I probably won't have computer access when we start down, though I might convince Dad to bring his laptop and find a wifi connection somewhere. I'll give tibicinaa call, and I think I've got kjack's number somewhere. I DO still know where she lives, so you might find me on your doorstep looking for milady and cmdrzoom et al if I can't find numbers.

Looking SO forward to seeing you all. I'm sorry I won't make it north, but I don't have transportation of my own this trip, and the family stuff has been a bit intense. So we'll  have to do that trip later. Miss you all, and wish I could see everybody. But a week's not enough. Of course, if DH calls and tells me we've won the lottery, al bets are off!

See you all Wednesday or Thursday!

9:11am: schedule and other cool stuff...
I'm leaning to driving down to Eugene on Wednesday, spending the evening goofing off... then taking thursday morning to sort out the storage unit. Seeing friends thursday evening and then going back to Seattle Friday morning. Unfortunately the middle eastern dance guild performance is friday night and I've got to catch a plane saturday morning from SEATTLE! DURN IT. If I'd realized that I would have flown back on Sunday and to heck with sleep... <sigh>
 
In other news, if I was blue-tooth enabled, I'd want one of these. I just can't bring myself to pay that much for phone service of any kind! http://mbf.blogs.com/mbf/2004/11/and_beam_me_up_.html

See y'all soon!

tibicina do you have a cell number to use to get together when I get there? maybe we can combine our friends, mutual and otherwise...  (I'll post this on your LJ too...)