air freshener is EVIL and should be illegal! (small rant)

Talk about an unhappy homecoming. We'd just returned from my sisters Deborah and Tara's home, where we had a lovely dinner. Walking in the living room, bam, burning eyes, tight chest, and instantly irritable, a cloud of air freshener. I'd rather smell whatever they are supposed to be covering, then feeling sick and headachey. clean linen and blue sky-my ass.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinner is over. It came togather pretty easily this year, no drama, which is always nice...I was in charge of apple and pecan pie and stuffing. I made everything yesterday and I am sure that contributed to the ease of today.

Since this is Thanksgiving Day. I'd though I'd list some of what and who I am thankful for:

Music

Food

The roof over my head

New, Nice FREE clothes

my very cozy bed and room

Mom, Dad, Matt, Laurel, Nicole, Deborah, Tara, Leah, Brandon, Braedon, Jordyn, Bryson, Jack, Jackie, Jo, Grace, Sam and Parker, Colby, Halli, McKinnley,Charlee, Reilly

Charlie, Houdini, KittKatt, GrisGris, Jasmine

My Aunt Margie and Uncle Richard, Kim and Rick and their families, my Aunts Jeanie and Suzanne, Uncle Frank and their families and all my Cluff cousins.

My garden and wild house finches, hummingbirds and the Desert Botanical Gardens

BOOKS, and the wonderfully talented Authors and Editors who created them

Theresa, Toni, Suzanne and Carla, Sheston, Connie, Shannon, Leslie, Mark, Vicki, Lisa

The ability to attend College and the teachers who work there

yarn and floss and the wonderfull people who create patterns

Singing in the choir

The list could go on and on...If I left someone off, it was just because I got tired. I'm thankful for you too!

Happy Thanksgiving.

So...

I'm sitting on my bed listening to Christmas music (yes I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I love Christmas music). I'm trying to decide how to start my essay and know that the only way to start is ...wait for it... to simply start writing.

not that I haven't had plenty of time today to write, but oh, I've had some lovely distractions. My sister Leah and hubby and kids all showed up to visit this afternoon with bags of clothes for me to sort through.

I have better stop and start what I'm really supposed to be working on.

Aude, igitur, semper esse idem! (Dare, therefore, always to be the same (man,person))

I'm back.....

Haven't felt like writing, then I felt to busy to write. It is, however, time to get back on the bandwagon. I turned in my first paper of school year today and thought I'd share it. I just
hope my instructor likes it.

Wandering at the War

On the long President’s weekend in February, an oddly assorted group of people gathered at Estrella Mountain Park for what we called the “Estrella War”.  Produced by the members of the Society of Creative Anachronism or the SCA, this war brought together about 3000 of our closest acquaintances from around the world to recreate the Middle Ages (just the good parts).  One week to leave the everyday mundane world behind to become the person we wished we could be. Knights and ladies, merchants and bards, the war enabled us to play ‘let’s pretend’ on a truly life-sized stage. Camping and costumes, hard-suit fighting and arts competitions, music, dancing, shopping, feasting and especially camp-hopping were the order of the day.

 Wandering the war during daylight hours is bright and busy. There are bravely colored banners billowing in the wind, bright painted tents and outlandish garb to behold; it hums with voices, with the crash and bash of the fighters on the field, marshals crying “hoolldd…” Merchants on merchant row selling, customers buying trims, knives, books, jewelry, anything and everything we could need to help create the semblance of medieval times. In the market are exotic delights called ‘ice cream’ or ‘fry bread’ as well as stew or steak on a stick to try. We greet friends, unseen since the previous war. There are classes to go to, art tourneys to attend, battles to observe, bards to hear, and courts to grace with our presence. At times, wearing full garb, we run into town for ice or something else that was forgotten. We call that ‘freaking the mundanes’ for obvious reasons.  We cook and clean, and we prepared for the coming darkness with prepping lanterns and fire pits, setting out candles ready in their holders. Just going to the privy (the port o’ johns) at night necessitated taking a lantern.  As wonderfully anachronistic (an anachronism is something belonging to a time other than the one being represented) as the day-time hours were, night-time transported us even further from the modern world. At dusk we let the bright colored business of daytime pass away.

We forget how deeply dark the night is, in the modern cities we have. There are no street lights or lit houses here. Out in the middle of nowhere, we remembered and played in a world lit by only by fire, moonlight and the faint glow of stars. 

Walking away from the camp’s ruddy glow into the chilly unlit lanes to visit other camps, darkness folded in around us. Over head were the stars, beautiful sparks brighter here than in the city from which we had fled. Surrounding camps were marked by greater sparks, glimmering guides to lead us in. Under foot was the crunch of gravel giving way at times to the softer brush of shoes on sand and dirt. At times, a grunt or exclamation as someone miss-stepped then caught themselves. The thud of drums playing came from several encampments, accompanied by strains of violins and flutes. The thump of feet, women’s voices exclaiming ‘lalalalalala’ as they shimmied ‘round the blaze. Those drums played till the wee hours of morning, a steady rhythm that underlay the night so thoroughly as to wake many from sleep when the constant thump gave way to quiet. Further off the mumble of faint conversations, sweet whispers of singing and the snap of banners arrived on a gust. Occasionally we’d hear the swoosh of cars or the rumble of airplanes reminding us the everyday world was still there. That same wind brought the familiar scent of desert plants, wood smoke, roasting meat, cooking food, perfume and incense. A heady mix stirred -up wonderfully together.  Other times, the cold draft also carried the tang of piss, sickly sweet odor of human waste, the rot of garbage letting us know we were passing by the privies.

Approaching the encampment of fellow players, we call “Hello the fire”.  Drawing closer, the firelight reveals a peculiar assortment of modern 20^th century camping supplies with items painstakingly recreated to carry out the illusion of the medieval era. Coleman tents sit side by side with brightly painted pavilions, hand embroidered cloths disguise coolers, and propane stoves as well as campfires cook food and heat water. We seat ourselves on store-bought fold-out seats as well as elaborate hand crafted chairs. Even our appearances mixed medieval and modern, cloaks and robes covering tee-shirts and jeans as often as they did tunics and kirtles. But somehow the cloaking darkness and the firelight that played hide and seek with our eyes, made it all fit together.

 We settle around the fire, bringing out drinking horns, tankards, earthenware cups and goblets to taste whatever libations are to hand. Then with faces and knees warmed and our backs nipped by the breeze, the serious work begins: Gossip. We speak, of course, of our interests;  different ways to make garb (costumes) that are true to the medieval ages, how to embroider and embellish them, to paint or do calligraphy or dance more authentically, better ways to make armor or fight.  Mostly, however we gossip, the ever human need to know what our fellow humans are up to. The old who was doing what for how many chocolate chip cookies?

So our nights go, wandering in the icy dark until we found a warm haven to visit for a bit followed by yet more meandering through the fire lanes.  We go dance at the drummers’ encampment, listen to a first timer wonder at everything they’d seen that day, hold a baby that was conceived on the chilliest night of the war prior, flirt with tipsy strangers in the shadowed lanes and congratulate a friend on finally getting their award of arms to become a lord or lady. Finally our feet worn out and our bodies chilled to the bone, we find our way back to our home camp. There, we receive our own camp-hoppers wandering in the dark, drawn to the spark of our fire to be warmed under a cold starry sky.

zuchinni and onions

Weird opening I know but that's how today rolled. See, I was given a HUGE zuchinni about three weeks ago. Today I grated it up and using a recipe by Paula Deen, made the best zuchinni bread ever. Or at least I think it is. It's been a while since I've had zuchinni bread.
Onto the onion part, My Dad has managed to grow onions in the garden and harvested them yesterday. actual real onions. So, I made spanish rice with onions and bell peppers from our backyard garden. I should have used a hot peppers as well. We have tons of them growing and don't really use them much.

touching my toes

It seems a simple thing, but the truth is, I haven't been able to touch my toes for a long time.
 It's a little validation that I am on the right track.
I just need to keep reminding myself that I am a work constantly in progress.

Kylie Parry's giveaway

Kylie Parry is having a little giveaway on her blog and check out her esty store. She makes really fun and fresh jewelry and beads.
http://kylieparry.blogspot.com/2012/03/inspired-by-and-giveaway-too.html?showComment=1332384869873#c321337491681615409

#wanderlove

I read several reviews on "Wanderlove" by Kirsten Hubbard and it sounds like a really good book. There is also a giveaway going on.
http://www.yahighway.com/2012/03/wanderlove-release-day-giveaway.html?showComment=1332030562558#c8287663059229237870

and read the review on I heart monster
http://www.iheartmonster.com/2012/03/wanderlove-by-kirsten-hubbard-book.html

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

What is Burlesque?

 Article Summary I wrote for a class.

In the 2011 Burlesque Bible Vol. 1 article “Embracing the Taboo” Kirsty Lucinda Allen writes about the history and nature of Burlesque. Burlesque, by its nature, is tricky to define. Misinformation abounds.  There are few reliable historical sources about the performers and their acts. What there is; is usually biased, fictional, or simply doesn’t make sense to us; relying on in-jokes and social conventions we no longer have.

To understand burlesque it helps to know that the word means literally ‘in the style of a joke’. To burlesque is to ‘make mockery of, exaggerate, satirize’. Burlesque has been around for centuries and in many different forms such as poetry, prose, musical theater, and now as performance art and striptease. Some examples of literary burlesques include Aristophanes, Chaucer, Dickens, and Mark Twain.  Many burlesquers through their performances challenge social norms and standards of acceptability in a playful manner. Their acts will often focus on gender, social class, political and moral issues with larger-than-life flamboyant displays of femininity and/or masculinity, use of spectacle, censure, and parody. The genre has been subject to many interpretations over time and is constantly changing. Burlesque is both low-brow, literate, looks to both the future and the past, is profound and profane, bizarre and seductive. Allen writes “It (burlesque) holds a mirror to the face of the masses so that society might be observed from a new perspective-often where the truth hurts.” By being the risk-takers and pushing the limits of accepted behavior burlesquers influence pop culture and set trends. It has influenced fashion from women wearing pants to the retro pin-up girls of today.

Burlesque in the 18^th and 19^th century took the form of musical comedies where women played the leading(male) parts. The goal was to get laughs, burst illusions, and show off legs that weren’t usually seen in public. This era was also a time of women starting to take control of their financial and political lives. This scared people and entertainers would become the scapegoat. In the 20^th century striptease would become part of burlesque and it started moving from female to male drag into female to female drag. Burlesquers were parodying their own sex.  Theater managers used the appetite for scandal and sex to sell tickets. New also to the 20^th century was the celebrity of the burlesquers. They were lauded and reviled in turn by the public who couldn’t get enough of them.  Until recently entertainers, esp. women, were considered to be little better than prostitutes and thieves; the new found fame gave burlesquers more opportunities to make better money or just marry well.

Burlesque has been routinely banned and regulated throughout the recent centuries. As the nudity aspect increased; so did the outcries of indecency and exploitation that continue to this day. Burlesque is often thought to be just high class stripping and sometimes, it is. It’s important to not romanticize the burlesquers of old. Many of them burlesqued because that was the only way to make a living, let alone a decent one.

If you really want to know what burlesque is, go take in a show. “Burlesque is an ongoing reaction, in action.”

John Carter

At last, a decent adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs "A Princess of Mars"! It stayed true to the books while being somewhat updated and changed for the modern mindset. The Princess Dejah Thoris isn't always being kidnapped whiley-niley and fights quite well and definitely has a mind of her own. The story is a bit slow at the beginning, but I like that they do take the time to set everything up. The sets and creatures were outstanding. The costumes could have been better, but in the book everyone on Mars is basically running around in just jewelry and weapons, so the costumers didn't have much to go on from the books. I give it 4 stars out of 5 and recommend that everyone go see it.

thrifty tips

Well none of these new, but it stuck me in the shower that we often need reminding of the simple ways to save money and make keeping house easier.

• got lotion or hair conditioner that you don't like or are tired of. Instead of tossing it, use it to shave with. just slather on and shave like normal.
• want to make your favorite or expensive lotions or facial creams last longer. apply to skin while still damp from your shower/ bath or face-washing. you will use a lot less and have better results.
• shampoo that you don't like can be used to clean your toliet or use for hand washing delicates. you can also use it for hand soap.

Great day to be outside

I had a very nice day at the RenFaire with My sisters Deborah and Tara. The weather was pretty much perfect. We got the see Tartanic perform as well as The Wyldmen and Jamila Lotus. I recomend seeing all three. Also check out Indigo Turtle, Dragon Wings, and Fleur de Jour. Best of all I managed to come home without a sunburn.

where's a kite

It's a very windy day here in Mesa, AZ. Makes me wish I had a kite. It would be great fun right now.  Also makes me wish I didn't have allergies! Spring is definitely sprung for us in the low desert. the trees have put on or are putting on new leaves, my sweet peas are blooming, as are the freesias, stocks, nasturtiums, the climbing roses, petunias, snapdragons, violas, tons of red salvia, one white iris, and my daffodils will be blooming soon. the sugar snap peas are covered with blooms and peas. Dad's tomatoes are producing, even thro the plants look like they are dying. the basil is going strong, but is needs to be cut back. which I hate to do 'cause the blooms attract so many bees, which I need if I want tomatoes or peas or new flowers for next year. I let some of my flowers go to seed so I don't have to keep buying new plants or seed every season. I did get two mint plants, apple and chocolate, as well as a Thai basil. somehow I managed to not lose any plants this winter. I hope I can continue the trend over the summer.

School is keeping me busy as well as church. My mat120 midterm is on 3/9...scary..it's 30% of my grade which is a high b right now. Latin is going well I have a solid b there too.

this Friday is the ward's creative culture night. we (the family) are going to display stuff and bring citrus squares( I haven't decided if they'll lemon, lime, or orange). Saturday is the Stake women's conference. Sunday is church and choir practice. oh and on Tuesday is the RS activity committe meeting.

I'm still busy decluttering, and cleaning stuff. I'm trying to finish some projects that have been hanging around for way too long. trouble is I keep starting new projects. oh, well I get bored.

Arrgg.....

I cannot believe it's been over a month since I posted anything. Since then I've started  back at MCC, taking latin and intermediate algebra. I manage to finish reading "The Hunger Games" Awesome book, I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I've gotten into making soda pop tab bracelets. all the flowers in my garden are starting to bloom.

some phrases I like from my latin book:

"Omnia flumina in mare fluunt et cum eo miscenter."

"All rivers flow into the sea and are mixed with it."

"Qae studia gravis te semper delectant, aut quae nunc desideras?

"Which important pusuit always pleases you and what do you now desire?"

"Qui mortalis sine amicitia et probitate et beneficio in alios potest esse beatus?"

"What mortal is able to be happy without friendship and honesty and kindness toward others?"

random poem

In my English class this summer we were sent to get inspiration from the campus. I had to go powder my nose and this is the poem that resulted.


The Women’s Room

Tiled pink room of refuge and relief.

Hazy lights flicker, running water,

Humming fans cover conversations
 
As we primp and preen,

Heels tapping straight to the point.

A quiet sigh,

Before returning to the bright, loud world.

new year resolutions

Are you making any new year resolutions?
I am, but I've decided to keep them to myself.  Except for the list of projects I want to finish.

red, black, and white scrap afgan

pink and gray afgan

blue scrap afgan

woven table runner

crochet trivet

crochet soap bag

sunny day cross-stitch

I'll come back and mark them off when I've finished with them. If I can, I'll publish a picture of the finished product.