'Peter Pan's gots kids?'

Why do people have kids? Is it because children make a family feel complete? Because they add to the overall love quota? Is is a basic human instinct to propitiate the human race? Or is it a lesson in flagellation? (Hehe.)

Of course I have thought about having kids, but it would completely change our lives. Financially, physically and emotionally (no specific order there). There must be positives to it since so many people have kids. I even want them sometimes - but I can never put my finger on why, other than (occasionally) the idea makes me all fuzzy inside.

Although this doesn't apply to adoption - I only feel fuzzy about that little Tereffrey that would be running around. Maybe it's about possession and creative pride - 'I made that kid.'

Hm. Well, any thoughts?

how bad do you want a homemade gift?

Lucky you! The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)

4- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.
The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

So....who will be the first 5 people?????

what causes smell?

- a random thought that popped into my head last night as I was falling asleep. I wondered if it is always a bacteria that causes the smell. From what I read, I gathered that odors are caused by either bacteria or chemicals. Bacteria: body odor, bad breath, the smell after it rains. Chemicals: flowers, bread (if I understand correctly that yeast is a chemical).

I found these articles:
'Why do feet stink'
How does the sense of smell work? What causes a smell?
Why do flowers smell?

I thought I was researching a simple question, but while delving for the answer I found out so much more. You can't discuss this topic without knowing some basic chemistry (most of which I have forgotten!).

i was going through some old photos...

a mask I made

halloween one year

with my parrot:

i love calling him husband

• What is his name? Jeff
  
• How long did you date? 6 months; started dating 3.18.06, engaged 9.2.06, married 3.17.07
  
• How long have you been married? 2 years in March
  
• Who eats more sweets? he does
  
• Who said I love you first? I think I prodded him to say it first
  
• Who is taller? him...6'4"
  
• Who is a better singer? me...although he may be great - if he actually sang. :)
  
• Who is smarter? us, together. two heads are better than one.
  
• Who does the laundry? mostly me, but he helps out sometimes
  
• Who pays the bills? me
  
• Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? him most of the time
  
• Who mows the lawn? both of us
  
• Who cooks dinner? him. I do the baking.
  
• Who drives? majority is him, until I get a craving to be behind the wheel
  
• Who is more stubborn? ....stubborn who us? nah...
  
• Who kissed who first? he kissed me
  
• Who asked who out? he asked me and I told him no...later that day I changed my mind.
  
• Who is more sensitive? well I show it more, he controls it better - but probably pretty equal.
  
• Who wears the pants? what an odd question. a better question would be, who wears the skirts? and that would rarely be me.
  

26 random things about T

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

Disclaimer: I wasn't actually tagged, but several people were doing it on facebook, and it looked like fun. :)

1. We name our cars, currently we have Forest and Beatrice. We just sold Isabela.
2. I really like leg warmers, I wear them with skirts which looks tacky.
3. I get nauseous easy at certain smells. Sometimes randomly - something that was just fine yesterday, does me in today. Loud sounds do it too.
   
4. I don't shave. Keeps my legs warmer. ;) Actually shaving (and even Nair) irritates my skins so I've quit. And it always was a bother.
   
5. Jeff does all the cooking while I do all the cleaning and baking. A fairly sweet set-up.
6. I am very close to my momma. We talk on the phone often, and if we are out of town - we are probably at her house.
7. I have four rather large scars resulting from being stitched up. One from crashing on my chin when I was three, and three from surgery on my ankle and calves.
8. I worry about Jeff dying a lot. Mostly at night when he is already asleep and I know he will be gone to work by the time I wake up.
9. I get some of my best ideas for writing in my dreams. One time I even composed a song for the piano -- unfortunately I didn't immediate get up to play it so I lost it.. :/
10. There are several people I think of as kindred spirits, but I don't really know them...and don't have the guts to get to know them.
11. I have always wanted to have green eyes and auburn hair. I don't know why. Instead I have hazel eyes and brown hair (with red highlights). ;)
12. I get bored very easy. I always have. I don't like doing the same thing for very long. I don't like being in the same place for very long. I'm a little worried about that for that day sometime in the future when we buy a house.
13. I hate shopping. Trying on clothes, walking on concrete, spending loads of money, finding tons of stuff that doesn't fit right, or does and is too expensive - not my idea of a good time.
14. I love books. Just having shelves full gives me a happy feeling. I re-read books, several times over....and do it again. I can't go to sleep unless I read for an hour or two.
15. I am good at a lot of things, but excellent at nothing (well very little). I am well rounded - the bane of my existence.
    
16. I like antiques. Not the cutesy pastel stuff. The wrought iron, worn wood, colored glass sort of antiques. I like old stuff.
    
17. I'm happy staying home. Occasionally I think about traveling to other countries, but I don't have the motivation. It seems like a lot of work. Besides I am perfectly happy just going to Hawaii.
    
18. I love words. I especially love reading the Bible because of the many places that the words (even through translation) are so powerful. Blunt, but with elegance. I aspire to be that sort of writer.
19. I had no clue what marriage would be like. It is so much better than I thought.
    
20. I am tied up trying to figure out if I want to have kids. They are so much work, yet I realize that they can add to your love. And then there is no getting past that I would be the one pregnant...lovely being the woman.
    
21. Yup, I married a man 12 years older than me. I hardly even think about it anymore.
    
22. I have an opinion about most things. Sometimes well thought through, sometimes on the fly. I am working on looking at things from other perspectives.
    
23. I am slightly superstitious. I am careful not to hope hard for anything - in case that causes it not to happen. I talk pessimistic when really I'm secretly hoping for the best.
    
24. When I'm sad, I'm very sad. When I'm happy, I'm exuberant. I don't have a medium.
25. I wish I were closer to my siblings, because when it comes right down to it, friends come in and out of my life, but family is stuck with me.
26. I am a bit of an organization freak. I'm happy when things are clean, put away, ordered. If my house is messy then I can't think, my mind feels cluttered. Although it should be noted that this doesn't apply to other peoples' houses. Also that my 'ordered' may be different than someone elses... :)

I think it would be fun it other people did this - it is fun learning random things you never knew about people...

tree cutting

anyone been in a book group before?

I am considering the pros and cons of joining a book group at the local library. At this point I haven't figured out if I really want to put myself in a room with random people who will assuredly expound to great length. I can see people getting all peppered, spit flying, hands jerking through the air...which may in fact be amusing, but then what if it is the opposite and it is all awkward silence as they wait for me to speak up. Ha! What I am trying to say is that I'm not persuaded at this time that I would enjoy such a group, but I could use something beneficial to fill my time. So I hope to hear any feedback to help me make a decision.

I may be more inclined to organize a book group of people I know...if there are people who are interested....? Or maybe as just an excuse to get together and eat sweets and catch up?

photos from the last few days

Sunday we spent a few hours sitting on a bench at our favorite park, savoring the sunny day and reading. I hope we always live close to the water, it is the biggest feeling soaking up the blue expanse. I can see us when we are old, still sitting on a park bench, holding hands.


I've taken quite a few pictures of clouds throughout my life...
Jeff commented, "People are only out there sailing, cause they know their sails look good against the blue water."

One day we spend driving around different pockets of Everett that we'd never been before. Although I grew up thinking Everett was the ugliest place ever (from the freeway it is), there are many old houses and views that balance its ugly parts.

Our back yard is filling up with leaves:

View of Mt. Rainier and Seattle from the ferry to Kingston:

i've been 'tagged'

I am supposed to come up with six things that most people don't know about me. I'm not sure how many people know or don't know this stuff, but here it is:

1. I'm a hermit. I am shy. I have learned some slightly persuasive acting skills that sometimes fool people, but I don't like big groups or being the center of attention. But at the same time, I need people around or I go insane.

2. I read on average about 10 books a month. I am a big fan of most things fiction. And I do judge the book by it's cover. If I don't first find it interesting by the cover, I don't pick it up to see if I might like the story.

3. I have a diary. I don't write it in it very often, but I have been writing in it since 1996. I go back every couple years and read it. Although it is often embarrassing to read what I once thought important, it helps me see how much I have changed and grown.

4. Although I am both an artist and a musician, I don't care about the old masters. Not to say that I don't enjoy listening to Vivaldi and Beethoven, or can't appreciate Divinci's genius, but I am only interested in the art itself and not in knowing who made it. Either the work stands alone, or it doesn't. It is the same with modern music - I may like a song, know some or even all the words, but I wouldn't be able to tell you anything about the artist.

5. I have fibromyalgia, a wide spread pain syndrome that is thought to be a genitically predisposed condition. It was likely triggered when I had spinal meningitis my junior year of high school. There isn't yet a cure (or even a known cause) so I occasionally take IBprofen and hope that I don't come across as too surly.

6. I cry during 1/3 of the movies I see. If the movie has hospital scenes, or anything to do with pain/physical limitations. Or if the movie explores human relationships. The most recent movies: In Her Shoes, Blind Dating. Sad eh?

Edit: I just thought of something that only a few people know: I am goofy and rather funny. I dance and sing around the house like nobodies business, but the minute people are around I start trying to be an adult. I'm not so sure how well I pull that off, but I try! :)

three thousand three hundred and thirty three

who is the 3333rd visitor?

jeff's flowers