bubbling

My hands are itching to make, create, plant, sew, clean, smooth, organize, and redecorate. With spring finally bringing a little sunlight and warmth (gasp! it's 60F!) all the little nerve endings in me are bubbling with excitement at all of the promise of Things To Do.

First and foremost: vacuum the living room. We've pretty much reached maximum capacity for Pup hair, and I'm pretty sure I might go a little crazy/ier if the situation isn't resolved. And yes, I do realize that vacuuming is just an everyday thing and not a "just in the spring" thing.

Next on the list: build a planter box (big, but not too big, baby steps are good) and plant herbs and other edibles. Then, spend the rest of the spring and summer tending to them and exclaiming (on possibly a daily basis) how quickly they're growing, how green they are, and oh-my-goodness: is that a bud!?!

And finally: paint some more. And more. There are still far too many walls carrying the sad colors of the before-people. It's best to do it when you can open the door and let the fumes out. Otherwise, you and Pup may start acting a little silly as brain cells gasp and die.

As I plot and plan, all the while I am thinking, "If I could wear a vintage apron, twist my hair in a grand knot (like in Anne of Green Gables), and sip sweet tea in between: even better."

photos courtesy of twig and thistle

isn't it funny

I have been reminiscing on life, people, past, and past people.

Somewhere in the world doing their Monday things are all of the people I have come across over the 33 1/2 years I have lived. I remember many, and keep in touch with a precious few. I love the ways I've been altered by those just passing through, these tidbits of knowledge gained (though we never spoke again). Sometimes that's all you need: one friendly interaction and a life is changed. Or you are changed, in some small way.

It's funny to think of all the people I no longer know, or knew well (if only for a while)...

We are all dancing along in our little worlds, doing our little this's and thats.

I poke around in my memory, clearing the fuzz away and pulling out memories.

little things poster

flower heaven

I want to run, leap, fly, or jump into this bouquet! I love it's softness and loveliness. It reminds me of a painting (in color, only) that I had hanging on my wall growing up. Another world of pretty skirts, a beautifully laid table (whites and silvers with pale blues), sun beaming through wide windows and summer outside.

If it were fabric I'd make it into a dress, it's colors splashing against one another and long silky layers fluttering and billowing. I'd walk through wild gardens, letting the breeze push me wherever it may.

photo courtesy martha stewart

prey

The circle of life makes me a little bitter sometimes.

I'm all for the Law of Nature and the best and brightest of the species surviving, but I have a difficult time standing by while some adorable little creature is being hunted by a big ugly one.

I actually pulled the car over to try and intervene as a giant crow (no bigger than your everyday crow) ruthlessly stalked a baby squirrel. An adorable baby squirrel. I've heard squirrels called rats with fluffy tails, but I rather like them squirreling about and they are particularly cute when they're tiny.

So, with no particular plan in mind I actually hopped out of the car and shouted and waved and clapped in the general direction of the nasty crow, which of course scared the crap out of the squirrel, and he just sat there trying to disappear into the woodwork of a nearby telephone pole.

The crow hardly noticed me except to acknowledge that I was irritating, and flew up onto a telephone wire waiting for me to leave. I realized that it was futile, and interrupting the nature of things can go badly for people (have you seen video of that lady and the bear?!). I drove away hoping the crow would head off, and that the tiny adorable squirrel would find somewhere safe and secure to hide.

Afterward I decided I will continue to carefully rescue earthworms from the sidewalk and carry spiders outside but I think my squirrel-saving days are over.

squirrel photo courtesy of my cute animals

crow photo courtesy of fat finch

just don't

It's always best to look both ways, double check, and then look again.

Which I did.

I did not, however, see the police officer walking (fast like the wind?!) right behind my vehicle and into the street. Luckily, I saw him, and had already stopped. Can I just add that backing up out of a driveway with a huge light pole and a wide pedestrian walkway is tricky?

Unfortunately: he wasn't too nice about it, gave me a "I'm a police officer, tiny worm-slug" look and said, "Be careful."

Fortunately: no ticket. I'm not sure what the ticket would have been for, but something in his look told me he could have come up with something.

*sigh*

I find it a little bit funny that I was actually mad at him for a minute. What the...!? Where did you come from?! I'm thinking my fear of crushing a man with my car may not have outweighed his fear of being crushed by a car.

fat content

I held my breath as I returned to the refrigerator to double check that I hadn't gone momentarily insane. I took out the "Light" Italian Dressing (it's delicious, made by Newman's Own) and there it was: The Label with its list of ingredients and calories.

I was right, and it was shocking: 60 calories per serving (2 tablespoons per serving), 50 from fat. I looked back at the small container of full-fat sour cream in my hand: 60 calories per serving (2 tablespoons per serving), 60 from fat.*

Without hesitation I plopped a healthy tablespoon of sour cream onto my baked potato and said quietly to myself, "well, hell."

*Sour cream can easily be replaced by plain yogurt in many recipes. I now prefer yogurt on my enchiladas, and it is delicious on top of fresh fruit with ground flax seeds on top. This option obviously had no affect on my choice of baked potato toppings.

yogurt photo courtesy of good guide

sour cream photo courtesy of 110 pounds

my revolution

There's nothing that gets me as riled up as the blatant waste of natural resources. Well, I really get upset about war, genocide (and in general all crimes against humanity), racism, and cruelty to animals, too, but that's not what's got me going today.

I have an eyelash curler that I love. I found it when I typed "best eyelash curler" into my search engine. It's wonderful. It fits comfortably into my hand, it feels ergonomically correct (like I'd know) and the rubber bit is nice and hardy. The maker is Shu Uemura, and their products are not cheap. Fine, I splurged; I love the results and want to use it forever.

And here's where I get mad: you cannot replace just the rubber bit after it wears down (about six months with daily use). You MUST replace the entire curler to receive the two new bits that will get you through the next year. My tail feathers are pissed.

I absolutely refuse to toss out the entire curler just to replace the stupid tiny piece of rubber that I need to replace because it won't work without it (it literally starts to rip out eyelashes and/or curl them in random and ridiculous directions).

So here's what I want to do: create a line of rubber bits for all of the fancy eyelash curlers out there that don't offer refills. I'll charge $5 a piece, and people like me will be thrilled to have at least one more thing they don't have to throw out because of some stupid company who doesn't care about wasting and being wasteful.

I'm starting a revolution. It's about standing up for your right to use something you bought for more than one stinking year, and show you care. About my eyelashes.