Dream Log

I've been meaning to start keeping a dream log ever since I started having some really whacked-out dreams a few weeks ago.  I managed to remember today's long enough to grab my laptop and write it down before it slipped away back to whatever bizarre place it came from - but I'm going to dig up a journal to keep beside the bed!
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Last night I dreamt that I was back in Spokane for a conference or something, and I was staying downtown only the neighborhood looked more like Washington DC, with row houses and little cafe's tucked in, and I was rollerblading down the street and looked in a cafe window and saw Sky Becker sitting there (guy from college) and I went in to say hello, and he looked at me like I was an angel come down from heaven and told me he'd been looking and looking for me, and that he was sorry he was such an ass when we knew each other and could we try to be friends again.  (Which, yes??  Hello, dude was HOT even if he was an ass.  It's my thing for blue-eyes-dark-hair coming into play again.)


Then, same dream, I had to go out to Riverside for something work-related and meet someone in the middle school, except the building was closed for renovations and I couldn't find anybody, and then I realized that the classrooms had all been shoved inside a stack of coolers. (What happened to the laws of physics?!  We're suddenly in an episode of Dr. Who...)  Then I walked down to the high school and Mr. Martin (head football coach) was there working on the school budget (it was summer break) and I was all, why are YOU stuck doing the budget?  And there was another teacher there too that I didn't recognize and she said they all had to do their share of the work but that they made the best of it, and she handed me a bottle of Grey Goose and another of Boone's Farm.

Mommy, Mommy, See What I Made!

When I was in first grade I remember making this little book for the parent open-house at school.  Each page had the same little poem on it, each time starting with a different family member - Mommy, Mommy, see what I made!  Mommy, Mommy, I like first grade! -  and then a space below it for a drawing or writing sample or something that I supposedly learned in first grade.

Here's my 30-year-old version.

*ahem*

Check this shit out people!  I made a damn QUILT!

It measures about 75x75, or just a hair smaller than a queen-sized coverlet.  I hand-tied it rather than quilting it (Seriously?  Hand-quilting a queen-sized blanket?  On my first time making one?  I don't think so.) and used cute little felt buttons at the corners.

Some of the fabrics have sentimental value too. 

The pink gingham used to be curtains used in my nursery that my mom saved.  The white with tulips is scraps from my first-day-of-Kindergarten dress, and the plaid is also scraps from a dress Mom made for me.  

The purple paisley is from a shirt she made when I was in college, and the white with blue flowers is a sheet I bought at the thrift store that I remember having when I was growing up.  The rest is stuff I bought at Joann's to match.

The pattern is called "Map of the States" and I got it from Oh, Fransson!'s website.  It was pretty easy, and good for smaller scraps of fabric like what I had.  I had actually started making a plain patchwork quilt from these child-hood fabrics back in eighth grade home-ec, but didn't finish it.  Which is a good thing, because I couldn't sew a straight line to save my life!  So I took that apart first, then used smaller scraps later.  The plan was to keep making blocks until I was out of one of the fabrics, but when I started laying it out and realized how huge it was already going to be... yeah.  I figured this was a good start!

Fifty things is a lot...

I was inspired by Lucy March's post to compose a list of things that make me happy.   I've been working on it for the past few days, adding a little at a time.  Have you ever noticed it's harder to think of good things in your life than it is to think of all the things that are wrong with it?  I'm totally stuck in that rut... have been for ages.  Although I'll admit that this time at home has given me a different perspective, and I'm learning to appreciate the things I enjoy.

1) A cat on my lap. They're like furry, rumbling hot water bottles.

2) Sunshine as my alarm clock. It's  helluva lot better than a screeching buzzer.

3) iTunes. I can create a soundtrack for whatever it is I'm doing, which makes even the mundane things a bit more enjoyable.

4) My Macbook. Using a computer used to be a pain in the ass, but now it's actually FUN again.

5) The little happy-dance that Jake does whenever we come home.

6) Cute socks. I can appear all professional on the outside, but my socks reflect what I really feel.

7) Books. If I had a million dollars, I could very easily spend it all on books. And no, I have no interest in a Kindle.

8) Making things, from a massive quilt to something as simple as decorating an old jelly jar to hold safety pins.  I go through "crafty cycles" - one month it's making jewelry, the next it's sewing handbags, later it's glass painting. I always have something I'm making.

9) Cooking. I never thought I'd say it, but cooking makes me happy. Unless I burn it or screw it up somehow... but at least I tried.

10) Getting long emails or letters from friends. I don't like talking on the phone, so getting notes or messages or wall comments or whatever makes me happier than hearing the phone ring.

11) Unique-smelling candles. No plain vanilla for me!  

12) Shopping for other people. As much as I like shopping for myself, I love finding something that makes me think of someone else, and then seeing them light up when I give it to them.

13) Being near water. Lake, ocean, river, creek, whatever. I love the sound of it rippling or crashing, and the way light sparkles across its surface.

14) Songs that remind me of my dad. I was listening to my iPod the other night and had just put a new Nickel Creek CD on it, and this song "The Fox" starts up and immediately I recognized it as one my daddy used to sing in the car.

15) Leverage, and Bones. The two shows I actually get excited about watching.

16) Teaching someone something I've learned through my job or my experience. I wouldn't ever want to be an actual teacher, but I like passing on things I've learned myself to my friends and family.

17) Gardening. Being out in the sun, the smell of the dirt, watching something grow, seeing and tasting the results - all very therapeutic and rewarding.

18) Walking in a big city. Weird, because I'll be the first to say that I'm a country girl at heart, but I love walking through a place like Chicago or Boston, being able to take the time to really look at and enjoy the city. I think you feel more of a camaraderie with a place when you can walk in it, rather than just drive through it.

19) French fries. And cupcakes. And Whatchamacallit bars. And a really good burger. And fresh seafood. 

20) The way Jake curls up in a ball with his tail covering his nose.

21) Lilacs.

22) Flipping through the channels and stumbling upon a great movie I haven't seen in a while.

23) Having people over. We don't do it as often as I'd like, but I enjoy being a hostess.

24) A rocking chair perfectly situated in front of a fireplace or in a sunbeam (or both!).

25) Putting on sweatpants the minute I get home from work. (Of course now, I just wear them all day, but it's not the same.)

26) Playing hooky. When I don't have to do anything or be anywhere, and I can just enjoy the day however I choose.  Which, even being laid-off, is still a special occasion.

27) Shopping for fabric for a sewing project or quilt. Every time I go to the fabric store I find something cute or pretty, and wish I had something I could make out of it.

28) A sunny day at a park with my camera.

29) Splurging on something at the grocery store. Today it was Dove hearts with almonds from the Valentine clearance bin, and Fritos.

30) Finding a great blog and reading through the archives.  

31) Browsing an arts & crafts show, and finding something truly unique and beautiful that I just have to have.

32) The Menagerie, aka when both cats and the dog are piled on the bed with B and I at night. It's a little crowded, but it's fun anyway.

33) Flannel.  Sheets, jammies, shirts, quilts, whatever.


34) Birdwatching.  Sounds a bit fuddy-duddy, but growing up in the sticks we had lots of birds that would visit our yard.  Here in Toledo, we have sparrows.  And pigeons.  And starlings.  That's about it.


35) The heated seats in my car.


36) Completely oddball, ridiculous humor.  Like Robot Chicken.

37) A glass of cold milk.

38) Etsy.com

39) My cat Lily's noisy, sputtering purr.  She sounds like a car with a bad muffler.

40) Clearance sales at my favorite stores, especially when I have a gift card or two.

41) Good coffee.  I've gotten spoiled, and I can't drink Maxwell House or Folgers anymore.

42) Also, good beer.  I refuse to drink Bud Light or anything like it, if there's something better available.

43) Decorating.  We've been lucky to have a landlord that lets us paint and such, but I cannot wait to have our own place to do anything we want.

44) Flip-flops, or better yet, my Croc sandals. (and the appropriate weather of course!)

45) Browsing a thrift store for fun things.  I found the perfect pillowcase today to make another one of these (I've already made two), and also spotted a pretty blue & white plate that I kind of wish I would have bought.

46) The nights when B and I look at each other, say "screw it," order a pizza from Papa John's and watch TV all night.

47) My hairdryer/brush combo thingy.  It makes covering up my cowlicks so much easier.

48) Having a craft room.  One day it'll be a full-blown studio, but for now, a cheerfully messy craft room.

49) Fixing something or figuring something out all by myself.

50) Realizing that there are a lot more happy things in my life than I originally thought.

Second verse, same as the first

I could title this post the same as the last... it's snowing again, and it's a Random Tuesday Thoughts post again, and I'm not feeling particularly creative.

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Holy weird dreams, Batman. Last night I dreamt that a co-worker was having a dinner party at her house, but to make it more interesting she had her house moved to Santa Monica during the party, with all of us in it. She told us that she did this often, but that the IRS had caught up with her about paying property taxes in both Ohio and California, so she couldn't do it anymore. While we were in Santa Monica it started to rain, and the city started to flood. There was an Infantry company based in an underground bunker beneath the city, and they told us it was zombie skeleton pirates causing the flooding, and they couldn't be killed. There was a giant zombie greyhound guarding the entrance to the bunker, but we cut off its head with a sword and it died, so we knew the zombie pirates could be killed somehow too. We were in a baseball stadium with the soldiers and the zombies were down on the field, and I kept yelling "Where's the damn Browning?! Somebody tell me you have a Browning!" We finally found it propped up against a wall (the rifle was painted bright blue for some reason) so I grabbed it and climbed up on top of the press box and started shooting at the zombie pirates. I figured out they could be killed by shooting them straight through the heart, because their blood had been chemically changed and that was what was keeping them alive.

Somebody do a dream analysis on that shit.

Stopping by blogs on a snowy morning*

This particular brand of organic instant oatmeal? More like instant glue. Just add hot water, and voila! Use it to stick your cat to the ceiling!

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It's an especially lazy day today. I thought yesterday was lazy - but yesterday I actually did the dishes. I can't even get motivated to do that. Which may not sound like a big deal, but I HATE dirty dishes in the sink. BUT! I got motivated to post, so that's a win at least.

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Portion of a chat convo earlier this morning with a friend from work:

Him: so what's the snow like at your place?

Me: white. and cold. and blowing like Jenna Jamison.

Him: that's so not right. funny, but not right.

Me: I'm never right.

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I finished season 1 of Lost last night. I think I'm hooked now. Or I could be honest and admit that it's just Sawyer. Holy dimples, batman.

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I had some money left on a gift card to JCPenney, so I got on their website this morning to scour their mega-winter-clearance-sale for a new coat. My poor leather jacket is looking pretty beat up - I mean, when you can take one look at it and know that I carry my purse/laptop bag on my left shoulder, and that I pack waaaay too much into it - then you know it's time for a new coat. I found a super cute wool jacket, black & white plaid, for $19.99! SCORE. I'm glad I saved my Christmas gift cards. I can still go shopping despite being broke.

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I made my daddy's peach cobbler this weekend, and it turned out exactly like I remember it - sweet and gooey and doughy and yummmm. I'm going to post the recipe on Tasty Kitchen today. If you haven't visited this recipe site yet, go! It's the Pioneer Woman, so of course it's awesome. I've posted a few recipes there already - look me up!

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*I really do love this poem. Hint to family members that need birthday gift ideas: a collection of Robert Frost, please.

Eating bon bons and getting fat on the couch

So you would think I'd be blogging and twittering and such every day now, right?

Since I have all this free time.

*snort*

In the past week, I have cooked a couple of elaborate meals, baked cupcakes, painted the breakfast nook in the kitchen, painted the wooden dog-baby-gate-thingy that guards the doorway to the kitchen, painted the kitchen island/recycling station thingy, done several loads of laundry, vacuumed and dusted, rearranged the furniture in the bedroom, reorganized my closet and dresser, gotten groceries, gone to the library, reorganized my entire iTunes library, finished our taxes, filed unemployment, gotten hooked on Lost, and slept in once or twice.

I know I'm missing some stuff too. This being unemployed is wearing me out already.

Financially, I think we'll be okay for a month or so (knock on wood or wood byproduct or wood-based material or whatever you have readily available to you, please), due to a big ol' tax refund (thank you, educational credits!) and B's last GI Bill check that should be here any day now, and of course the unemployment benefits I've applied for. And hopefully by then I'll have a better idea of whether this lay-off is really as temporary as everyone said, or if "temporary" means "Don't sell the bike shop, Orville." In which case, I'll find something equally temporary to get us through until B's graduation, then adios muchachos. I hope it doesn't come to that, but closing doors/opening windows and all that. You never know. It might be time for a change.