the birthday list

yes, it's that time again. i shall be 31 soon, and to celebrate, please feel free to buy me stuff.

it's been a long, hard year, but i'm feeling good, if tired. i'm rounding the bend and will be done with my first year of school soon. my eldest turned twelve, my middle turned nine, and the wee little man is now three years old. i have a few more wrinkles (which should always be referred to as SMILE LINES in my presence) and some additional grey hairs, but not many. i'm happy to have circled the sun for yet another year--i learned a lot, grew a lot, and stretched a lot...and now i'd like to relax. preferable with all this loot by my side.

the official list, in no particular order (except the insanely expensive, unrealistic ones are first):

1. a macbook pro. i love my imac so much that i want a portable version. plus, you know, i'll need one later anyways to present to clients, so...(i want the 15-inch with 500 GB of RAM).

2. a dishwasher. any dishwasher. but this rad one is my ideal.

3. scott mcCloud's understanding comics would be awesome and useful.

4. black francis has a new album out, which i want severely. as in, really, REALLY want. ahem.

5. i need, and want, some new shoes, and i'd like to buy them from footwise. so, you know, a gift certificate would be rad. i'd love enough to get some dressy shoes, but would also be happy with some simples.

6. fancy dinner. you know i love fancy dinner. this year i'd like to eat at the rabbit, or adam's sustainable table. yum.

7. a saddle stitch stapler. yeah, i want the fancy one i highlighted, but here are some cheaper ones, too.

8. anything to do with paper crafts. ginormous rolls of brown kraft paper, for instance. or a screen-printing kit. ah, how i love paper. also, i've been pleasure-reading about book binding and can't wait to try it out again (it's been a few years since i did it regularly.)

9. this should probably be near the top, due to the price and completely unnecessary nature of it, but damn how i want it! it's an instant camera that prints credit card sized photos...like polaroid's little brother! so awesome.

10. anything from etsy. a gift certificate to etsy. or, this specific "un-paper" towel dispenser and a set of towels from, you guessed it, etsy.

also, your undying love and devotion, best wishes, and all that type priceless stuff.

happy upcoming birthday to me!

i am grateful for:

1. persistance

2. rodney coming to his damn senses.

3. good food.

4. my muscles.

5. my instructors.

yippeee! and...darnit

i had an excellent birthday, thank you. it was wonderful from start to finish. and there's more to come: dinner at adam's sustainable table and building a chicken coop with dad. i think i got everything on my list--rodney made that his private, personal goal this year. which made me feel totally special. i haven't cross-referenced my loot with my list yet, but you know i will. and i'll post a mosaic of all my presents, once they all arrive (i mail ordered some goodies with my birthday money from gramma and grampa). it felt like a holiday all day and i got everything i wanted: presents, alone time, sewing done, a clean floor, cheesecake, a yummy (easy to prepare) dinner, the love and devotion of my family. some of the gifts were really thoughtful...vesta sketched a portrait of me and wrote a long paragraph about my wonderful qualities...rodney didn't just get me a glass tea pot, he got me an italian glass teapot named "love". it was just such a good and perfect day.

so it's spring, and it's my own personal new year--both of which i love. and i am driven and motivated to clean and clear out and organize for the new season and the new year and my new projects...but! my damn back is still injured. it's a lot better, two trips to the chiropractor later...but of course, it's not magically restored to its former glory...and won't be for at least another week (and several back exercises!)...so i'm frustrated. i want to just work and work and work as much as humanly possible until it's done, but i can't because my back says "no!" so i'm trying to deal and be patient, and appreciate what i can do, and relax often. but it's hard, cuz i don't want to! for once i have the energy and the drive, and i can't utilize them! grrrrrr. i frequently remind myself that the more i accept it and rest now, the quicker it will heal...but i am NOT good at just doing nothing, when i feel like doing a million somethings. shrug.

i am grateful for:
1. my awesome birthday
2. the rain (at least i can't lament all the garden work i'd be doing)
3. my husband
4. my camera, new best friend
5. my life

ps. i cross-referenced the list and he missed the apple trees...but let's not tell him. shhhh.

my birthday wish list

yes, my birthday approaches. i will be thirty whole years old (it strikes me as wondrously hilarious that there was a time and were a people who once considered thirty to be over the hill! i haven't even APPROACHED that hill yet...i can't even SEE it on the horizon of my life!)...in honor of the impending celebration of my (nearly) perpetual aging, here is my birthday wish list for anyone who might be interested. ahem.

it's a list, but it's not ranked in order of importance or preference:

1. stainless steel electric tea kettle (my (non-electric) tea kettle died over a year ago when vesta spaced off that she was boiling water and i've been using a saucepan to boil water for too dang long) http://www.hammacher.com/publish/74961.asp?source=Bizrate&keyword=74961&cm_ven=NewGate&cm_cat=Bizrate&cm_pla=HOME%20ESSENTIALS&cm_ite=74961# (just an example)

2. tea pot, preferably the clear glass variety (my brown betty finally hit the sink the wrong way. ouch) this one is particularly lovely: http://www.teavana.com/Tea-Products/Teapots-Teapot-Sets/Glass-teapots/Amelie-Glass-Teapot.axd

3. chicken coop and roomy chicken tractor/movable run--the right size for two or three chickens--such as this one:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Backyard-Chicken-Coop/

4. an upgrade to pro on my flickr account (now that i've joined the scavenger hunt--post to come soon--i need to get rid of the monthly megabite limit so i can post 20 photos for the hunt and still be able to post pictures of the kids and the crafts and the garden http://www.flickr.com/photos/hedgenettle/

5. two apple trees--maybe the columnar varieties they have at territorial...in my extra wild dreams they would come with giant pots so that when we move (either to a bigger house or a whole 'nother area) i can take them with me http://www.territorialseed.com/product/7833/163

6. king size jersey sheets like these in blue, purple or brown: http://www.target.com/Home-Bamboo-Jersey-Sheet-Pillowcase/dp/B001J096R8/qid=1240246827/ref=br_1_7/180-7129519-3809506?ie=UTF8&node=344723011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1

or these in lavender: http://www.target.com/Home-Organic-Sheet-Sets/dp/B001LQWV3Q/qid=1240247166/ref=br_1_3/180-7129519-3809506?ie=UTF8&node=341519011&frombrowse=1&rh=&page=1

what can i say? i'm worth it!

i am grateful for:
instructables/online tutorials
links
fantasies
flickr
my family

happy birthday, eldest child

vesta is eleven today! she is a wonderful child, mostly effortless to raise and a pleasure to know and love. she was born at home after a full twenty four hours of labor. present at her birth were: lorin and myself, dad, jan, dawn, clarebeth the midwife and her wonderful assistant kimberly stonebreaker. there was much walking on the day leading up to her birth and it was a beautiful april day...it had been a warm and early spring, so many flowers were in bloom and i especially remember the lilacs. i am surprised every year when i go out in the world to find myself some lilac blooms for her birthday bouquet to find that they often are not out yet. after the many, many painful and somewhat frightening hours of labor it suddenly (or so it seemed) was time to push! 30 minutes of pushing later and she emerged into the world, pure and innocent--all the pain and effort of her birth instantly forgotten and forgiven. she was perfect and wonderful. she still is.

we spent the morning baking pound cake for her birthday dinner tonight (my easy and kind daughter chose "awesome sandwiches" for her birthday meal!)...vesta, hazel, jubal and i all working together to mix and blend and pour and bake. it was lovely and fun.

vesta is: a talented artist, surprisingly funny, generous, kind, patient, helpful, amusing, free-spirited, too hard on herself, beautiful, sweet, loving, smart, a pleasure.

happy birthday, vesta bean! i love you.

i am grateful for: vesta, vesta, vesta, vesta, vesta.

spark the candles, i'm here

nahnahnahnahnahna--they say it's your birthday! nahnahnahnahnahnah--it's my birthday, too!

we had a great dinner with dad and beckie at ring of fire. an appetizer of calamari, a bottle of red wine that beckie picked (it was quite delicious), yellow thai curry, yummy phad something or other noodles with veggies, and this tasty special involving a wok and new york steak pieces that were the tenderest thing i've ever eaten. followed by my standard dessert of coconut custard with homemade coconut ice cream. super delicious. nana and papa watched the kids and a great time was had by all, even jubal--who didn't cry once.

i realize 29 is young, but it's still another year to me, and i don't FEEL 29, whatever that feels like. 27 i felt, but this one just feels like another digit. a year away from 30, whatever that means. i still woke up to a mountain of laundry and dishes (though rodney IS washing the dishes, bless his soul). still diapers and dog training and dealing with my mostly good but recently disappointing car...that involves compiling all of my soap profits and all of my birthday money to pay for parts and labor. plus i have to go to lorane today to pick up the car. i have this thing where people are supposed to do whatever they want (within reason) on their birthday, but it doesn't always extend to my own birthday--part of the parenting thing, i guess. i kind of wish i had a fairy god mother who would wave her wand and totally organize my house and garden, because what i really wanted for my birthday was relief from the weight of the burden of all the stuff i always have to do. i suppose it's not quite realistic, even for the BEST holiday of the year!

aside from the stuff i have to do, i don't know yet what i'll choose to do today, but i'll make it good. a nice set up for the year to come...which i hope is loaded with fun, adventure, calm, joy, love, comfort, laughs, peace, pleasure, growth, abundance, faith, family, confidence, health, art, honing of skills, and stretching further into the world. i hope for an even better relationship with my husband, and a blossoming relationship with my sister. i hope i always feel grateful for what i have and for what is. and i hope i never stop growing up and out into the wide world, and down and deep into my own spirit.

today i am grateful for: my life. my parents. my body. my dreams. my mind.

also a special thank you to everyone who wished me well this birthday and sent goodies and cards and love. thanks so much! i love you.