Last night, I was pretty darn successful in my campaign to do Mostly Nothing with my shoulder. I had other people do all the chopping for the chicken soup we assembled for tonight's dinner. Because I had more than one person helping, I got to admire the assembly of the ingredients next to the stove -- all in lovely little bowls -- over a couple ( Read more... )

Getting excited about putting together gifts for the holidays. I've learned I really like the traditions we've built since blending families, one of which is the cocoa mix blitz for teachers, bus drivers, and buddies ( Read more... )

A couple of nights ago, diermuid started two smallish batches of mead. I'd say "we" started it, but really...he did all the work. I just hovered, asked questions, and offered to lick up honey drippings. YUM. I think he was really excited to start this -- a most proper art for bears, you know -- after a nearly ten-year hiatus. I know I'm excited to be ( Read more... )

Last night, I got to participate in a Football 101 clinic for women down here in my town. Somebody knew somebody, and then asked somebody else, and -- BAM -- we had former (sorta legendary and entirely fabulous human being) KC Chief Will Shields in da house, along with a bunch of terribly fit and friendly former pro/arena football players, showing ( Read more... )

Manoman, I should have put "wear a Halloween costume to work" on my 101 in 1001 list this year, because WOW. Fun, but definitely on the ragged edge of my comfort zone. I much prefer being in character. Performance attention is very different from personal attention. There's a "costume contest" being judged at 1:30p and I don't know if I want to ( Read more... )

I'm starting to work through the next iteration of my 101 in 1001 list, which will renew sometime in January, and I'm having a hard time coming up with more than a dozen or so items. Surely there are other learning opportunities, fun activities, and horizon-expanding moments I could seek out, but I'm stumped. It occurs to me that some of the best ( Read more... )

This weekend was another rare one -- beautiful weather, not much on the calendar, and both of us with energy to devote to homesteading projects. Finally selected and installed new house numbers, which have been missing since the house was repainted (last August). They are shiny! And diermuid purchased lumber while I was at FionaPie's (chilly) soccer game ( Read more... )

We spent many hours working in the yard this weekend -- mostly clean-up work and lots of hauling rocks. Like, 25 bags of pea pebbles and several wagons full of concrete chunks. It was awesome. We measured out a spot for a garden bed on the side of the house (probably for some herbs and other things that tolerate sun and mild neglect) and started ( Read more... )

Got through yesterday pretty well, despite my nose and eyes starting to feel as if I were chopping onions (all burning and FUN) and some amazing exhaustion. Still really worn out today. Not sure if I'm going to push through my lifting session this evening or not. I'll start, and see how the warmup sets feel ( Read more... )

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