My first 10 weeks of Pottery 1 are complete. (I missed the last class because I was so sick I couldn't sit up. I expended all my energy that day to take a shower. It was sad.)
I am really happy with how I've grown and developed and I absolutely love pottery. I already asked Alpha if I can spend more funds on taking it again and he was down with it. He was surprised because he thought I wanted to take a stained glass class next. Don't make suggestions on how to spend money, sweetie. I already know how to do that!
Pottery has inspired another aspect of a business. I'll be more confident once the pieces I threw are fired and glazed. Don't expect pictures... well, ya'll know not to expect picture by now.
Friday, September 13
Sunday, September 8
Farm Five- Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival 2013
I get to hang out with some other siblings every now and then. It's something that I've been trying to do to be a better/ more social person and to keep up a connection to people who share partial DNA. It helps that they are awesome people. Hyperactive, but awesome.
(For instance, first time... I was WAY more nervous about the encounter. They were completely cool and eager to see me. Thank goodness that my crazy self-consciousness comes from the Chinese side of my family and missed them by two oceans and a continent. That would have been a really awkward Chik-Fil-A dinner if they were all as socially handicapped as me.)
Anyway, last month we wanted to meet up. My area was too far, they had activities and they were signed up to go to a harvest festival in Charlottesville.
"Charlottesville?" Nothing gets my heart palpitating more than the opportunity to go to Charlottesville's outdoor mall and peer awkwardly through 'The Needle Lady' windows. "Alpha and I love it there. What is this harvest festival you speak of?"
Monticello's Annual Heritage Harvest Festival. (Try saying it 10 times fast... I dare ya.)
So we go, meet up, wander away from each other, meet up again, wander... listen to bluegrass music and wonder where the heck the 'South Terrace' is because it isn't listed on the map. We then realize 'South Terrace' meant 'Back Porch', and felt like the stupid tourist-y people we were. Anyway, you don't care about that! You care about the Farm 5, my top 5 picks of that festival...
Admittedly, it was all pretty cool. If I had walked in with more cash, I would have still walked out with zero monies.
Honorable Mention: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
They were the stars of the event. No question about it. Harvest festival goes hand and hand with seeds and gardening. Since my most successful garden was located in a windowsill, I don't think I'm qualified to talk too much on this subject. From their tasting tent I learned that I don't actually like tomatoes. I want to like them and that is a VERY different thing. Now onto the COOL stuff.
5. Monticello Festival Chocolate
Monticello only sells this chocolate at hosted festivals. They demonstrate how cacao is processed and how the Founding Fathers and the Continental Army drank hot chocolate. Frothy little samples were dark, rich, bitter and amazing, definitely not your everyday Swiss Miss. Hit up a festival sometime and pick it up. Maybe you'll see me. Walk away slowly if you do...
4. Caromont Cheese
Alpha and I have a problem. We are definitely food people. This causes problems when there are a million food vendors and only a tiny stomach to contain all the deliciousness. The Bloomsbury was such a good sample of cheese that it walked away with us, despite the warm walk to the parking lot and long ride home.
3. LFN Textiles
My family has a dish towel... fetish. I think that's the word best used to describe the way we handle dish towels. Dishes much be very clean, pre-dried with something we don't love as much and possibly, just maybe, we need to wear archival gloves to handle said dish towel. Let's just say walking into this booth was not the most brilliant idea if we want to keep money. Momar took the hit for me and walked out with a set of dish towels that had Jeffersonian sayings on them.
2. Java Bags
My families feelings about dish towels are pretty much my feelings about bags. I saw these beautiful bags (made from painted coffee sack bags) and nearly cried when my cash came up short. news for Alpha (and my wallet) she accepts custom orders.
1. Oakencroft Farm Grape Juice
Given my liberal use of the words "amazing, awesome, etc" I don't think there are words to describe my excitement over this stuff. It's a vineyard making a high class grape juice. As a teetotaler, I've always felt like the one drinking koolaid in a sippy cup at the kid's table when it came to fancy parties. (Or eating paste in the corner.) Now I feel I can enter the conversation in a limited way! YAY! This was far and away my favorite, but that might come from the natural feelings of inferiority bred by koolaid.
(For instance, first time... I was WAY more nervous about the encounter. They were completely cool and eager to see me. Thank goodness that my crazy self-consciousness comes from the Chinese side of my family and missed them by two oceans and a continent. That would have been a really awkward Chik-Fil-A dinner if they were all as socially handicapped as me.)
Anyway, last month we wanted to meet up. My area was too far, they had activities and they were signed up to go to a harvest festival in Charlottesville.
"Charlottesville?" Nothing gets my heart palpitating more than the opportunity to go to Charlottesville's outdoor mall and peer awkwardly through 'The Needle Lady' windows. "Alpha and I love it there. What is this harvest festival you speak of?"
Monticello's Annual Heritage Harvest Festival. (Try saying it 10 times fast... I dare ya.)
So we go, meet up, wander away from each other, meet up again, wander... listen to bluegrass music and wonder where the heck the 'South Terrace' is because it isn't listed on the map. We then realize 'South Terrace' meant 'Back Porch', and felt like the stupid tourist-y people we were. Anyway, you don't care about that! You care about the Farm 5, my top 5 picks of that festival...
Admittedly, it was all pretty cool. If I had walked in with more cash, I would have still walked out with zero monies.
Honorable Mention: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
They were the stars of the event. No question about it. Harvest festival goes hand and hand with seeds and gardening. Since my most successful garden was located in a windowsill, I don't think I'm qualified to talk too much on this subject. From their tasting tent I learned that I don't actually like tomatoes. I want to like them and that is a VERY different thing. Now onto the COOL stuff.
5. Monticello Festival Chocolate
Monticello only sells this chocolate at hosted festivals. They demonstrate how cacao is processed and how the Founding Fathers and the Continental Army drank hot chocolate. Frothy little samples were dark, rich, bitter and amazing, definitely not your everyday Swiss Miss. Hit up a festival sometime and pick it up. Maybe you'll see me. Walk away slowly if you do...
4. Caromont Cheese
Alpha and I have a problem. We are definitely food people. This causes problems when there are a million food vendors and only a tiny stomach to contain all the deliciousness. The Bloomsbury was such a good sample of cheese that it walked away with us, despite the warm walk to the parking lot and long ride home.
3. LFN Textiles
My family has a dish towel... fetish. I think that's the word best used to describe the way we handle dish towels. Dishes much be very clean, pre-dried with something we don't love as much and possibly, just maybe, we need to wear archival gloves to handle said dish towel. Let's just say walking into this booth was not the most brilliant idea if we want to keep money. Momar took the hit for me and walked out with a set of dish towels that had Jeffersonian sayings on them.
2. Java Bags
My families feelings about dish towels are pretty much my feelings about bags. I saw these beautiful bags (made from painted coffee sack bags) and nearly cried when my cash came up short. news for Alpha (and my wallet) she accepts custom orders.
1. Oakencroft Farm Grape Juice
Given my liberal use of the words "amazing, awesome, etc" I don't think there are words to describe my excitement over this stuff. It's a vineyard making a high class grape juice. As a teetotaler, I've always felt like the one drinking koolaid in a sippy cup at the kid's table when it came to fancy parties. (Or eating paste in the corner.) Now I feel I can enter the conversation in a limited way! YAY! This was far and away my favorite, but that might come from the natural feelings of inferiority bred by koolaid.
Friday, July 19
On the geek-
So Alpha and I tend to see kid movies in theatres. Kid movies are awesome; they don't have cursing, extreme violence, nudity. The best thing is we can generally agree to see a kids movie together while our taste in other movies doesn't mesh well enough to spend a bucketful of cash for two tickets and occasionally popcorn.
Not even all geeky-esque movies will have us tromp out to theatres. For instance, while we did go see 'Iron man 3' and 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' (ohmygoodnesssoamazingweevensawittwiceandpaidforourfriendstoseeitwithusbecauseitisjustthatamazing) we just weren't that enthused to see 'Man of Steel' or 'Pacific Rim.' And looking over the movies coming out soon the only movie I can say with any certainty that we'll pay full price to see in theatres is 'Ender's Game' which is followed by 'Thor: The Dark World.'
ANYWAY-
We saw Monsters University and Despicable Me 2. Despicable Me 2 is a fun romp and quite funny; it's a definite home-run to take kids to. Monsters University was surprising. I was expecting a lot more hilarity and instead I got a dose of unconventional realism that made me want to share this movie.
If you don't want anything to be spoiled, I'd suggest you stop reading. Not that I'm going to bust out major plot points, but pointing out the overarching moral question bugs some people too.
Monster University addresses the "Hard Work vs. Talent" question. The message the movie presents is "Just because you work hard doesn't mean you'll be accepted or succeed. On the other hand, just because you're talented doesn't mean you'll get anywhere either." Those concepts are difficult to accept, but in order to move on to the things that make us shine, we need to choke down the hard truths.
Not even all geeky-esque movies will have us tromp out to theatres. For instance, while we did go see 'Iron man 3' and 'Star Trek: Into Darkness' (ohmygoodnesssoamazingweevensawittwiceandpaidforourfriendstoseeitwithusbecauseitisjustthatamazing) we just weren't that enthused to see 'Man of Steel' or 'Pacific Rim.' And looking over the movies coming out soon the only movie I can say with any certainty that we'll pay full price to see in theatres is 'Ender's Game' which is followed by 'Thor: The Dark World.'
ANYWAY-
We saw Monsters University and Despicable Me 2. Despicable Me 2 is a fun romp and quite funny; it's a definite home-run to take kids to. Monsters University was surprising. I was expecting a lot more hilarity and instead I got a dose of unconventional realism that made me want to share this movie.
If you don't want anything to be spoiled, I'd suggest you stop reading. Not that I'm going to bust out major plot points, but pointing out the overarching moral question bugs some people too.
Monster University addresses the "Hard Work vs. Talent" question. The message the movie presents is "Just because you work hard doesn't mean you'll be accepted or succeed. On the other hand, just because you're talented doesn't mean you'll get anywhere either." Those concepts are difficult to accept, but in order to move on to the things that make us shine, we need to choke down the hard truths.
Wednesday, July 17
Dreams and things...
You know, my goal is to one day own a small sheep farm in Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia. Small farm, not small sheep. I'd sell or spin the fiber my animals would produce and just generally be a happy, well-adjusted person.
You know, thinking about it I think the biggest goal there is to be a happy, well-adjusted person, but I digress.
I've been thinking about starting a business to help me reach that goal for a while. Thinking and actually applying myself are two different things and I am told part of that difference is writing out a list of goals to achieve what you want to do. So...
As you can see, I'm beginning. One of the first items on this (besides 'starting this year 2013') is to take pictures.
We'll see how I do. Ya'll know my relationship with a camera is spotty at best.
You know, thinking about it I think the biggest goal there is to be a happy, well-adjusted person, but I digress.
I've been thinking about starting a business to help me reach that goal for a while. Thinking and actually applying myself are two different things and I am told part of that difference is writing out a list of goals to achieve what you want to do. So...As you can see, I'm beginning. One of the first items on this (besides 'starting this year 2013') is to take pictures.
We'll see how I do. Ya'll know my relationship with a camera is spotty at best.
Monday, July 15
Hello, Romania!
Along the lines of Wait... WHAT?, I do believe my heart restlessly palpitates contemplating the fact that I made a new friend.
It may be awkward, or even uncouth, but Romania. I love you.
I don't pretend to understand our new relationship, but I am ready to fall in love with you if you will have my blackened, uncouth, lazy heart.
I promise, someday we will be together. For now, keep visiting me through the faint glow of your screen and I will try to remember more of your history than the small gothic tidbits I have gleaned from fiction, hollywood and pure geekery.
It may be awkward, or even uncouth, but Romania. I love you.
I don't pretend to understand our new relationship, but I am ready to fall in love with you if you will have my blackened, uncouth, lazy heart.
I promise, someday we will be together. For now, keep visiting me through the faint glow of your screen and I will try to remember more of your history than the small gothic tidbits I have gleaned from fiction, hollywood and pure geekery.
Friday, July 12
Wow... summer gets busy!
Everyone is in and out over the summer! Mei-Mei went to germany for 2 weeks; momar and dad went to MormonMecca (read: Utah) for a cousin's wedding. Dad stayed out there for about a month. With all the trips of the family, it's pretty amazing that no one has gone crazy yet. The house has suffered abominably. Really. I am quite embarrassed and delighted that I have never, ever decided to post pictures of what it looks like here. In the interest of full disclosure... I haven't clean the basement in *coughcough* way too freaking long.
I went on a camping trip with Alpha. It was to commemorate our 5th year anniversary. We decided to further test our devotion to one another by eking out 5 days in beautiful not-quite wilderness. No one was hurt or maimed on the trip and I am very happy to congratulate myself on 5 years marriage. It's a wonderful accomplishment for someone who was never certain that maintaining a healthy relationship was even possible.
I went with every intention of working on knitting or spinning or even, you know, being productive, but sadly the allure of sleeping to all hours and cooking over a fire was too much to handle.
We did stop at The Needle Lady where I bought more yarn that I have no time to work with. Such is the way of things though.
I went on a camping trip with Alpha. It was to commemorate our 5th year anniversary. We decided to further test our devotion to one another by eking out 5 days in beautiful not-quite wilderness. No one was hurt or maimed on the trip and I am very happy to congratulate myself on 5 years marriage. It's a wonderful accomplishment for someone who was never certain that maintaining a healthy relationship was even possible.
I went with every intention of working on knitting or spinning or even, you know, being productive, but sadly the allure of sleeping to all hours and cooking over a fire was too much to handle.
We did stop at The Needle Lady where I bought more yarn that I have no time to work with. Such is the way of things though.
Saturday, June 1
So, here's the plan....
Imagine these babies in green and you have Mei-Mei's socks this year. We were perusing Ravelry earlier this year in preparation for her Great Giving of Socks (her birthday) and she was vaguely interested in some designs until she saw these and whispered "It has pockets."
That is generally a good sign.
I have bought the yarn (that was harder for Mei-Mei since she had to pick between a variety of marvelous colors) and will commence on the suckers soon. I have a good track record with her socks. I was only a month behind last year.
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