You may have already read about my weekend, which was divine by the way, but that's okay. I can't let it go without at least a few comments.
I have the very fortunate circumstance of having some best friends who have stayed with me from the high school days up till (and beyond---like eternity?) our 30th birthdays. So I had the wise idea that we should all meet somewhere and celebrate together. No appendages, just "BORG" as we aptly call ourselves. (Imagine me explaining the nickname to my 80-something grandparents . . . interesting. And I don't even like Star Trek, so I have no real experience with the other borg. We are the only true and living borg.)
Wow. So much has happened since we were somewhat (but only somewhat) nerdy and naive (at least of a few of us were terribly so). It's so amazing that no matter how long it's been since we last talked into the wee hours, we pick up right where we left off . . . like nothing's transpired since age 18. But so much has.
Favorite weekend highlights:
*Nearly peeing my pants (stress incontinence is a terrible thing) from laughing so hard at the pictures Becca compiled. (Particular favorites:1. Becca and me in front of the Eiffel Tower the summer before our senior year. We both looked like flaming hippies. Why didn't someone tell me to get a haircut? 2. Bad hairday picture of campout and horseback riding at Kodachrome Basin after freshman year of college. I look exactly like Billy Crystal from "City Slickers." Frightening. 3. Lindy slumped over the door of her engine-just-got-fried Subaru on our epic trip to see the Indigo Girls in Portland in the summer of '95, right after the repairman (with porno calendars hung up in the garage) stole her Lemonator Slurpee----why would anyone take a Slurpee from a sobbing 19-year old who just fried her engine 800 miles from home? 4. Wedding pictures from 3 of 5 of our weddings. ) I can't believe where I've been with these amazing women. And that's just the beginning of it.
*Eating at least a pound of chocolate covered cinnamon bears. (And that was just me.) Don't even get me started on the pecan bars and lemon bars that my mom sent with us, along with the cutest card about how much THE BORG has brought to her life.
*Obligatory sex talk. Enough said.
*Massages. Mine was awesome. Sorry Becca.
*Sleeping in. No kids!! No obligations!!
*Fabulous fresh food. (Gazpacho, fruit, salad, the most amazing salsa on the planet. Lindy, I NEED the recipe. I'll post it here for all to see, because it truly is the best salsa I've ever had.)
*Walk up South Fork Canyon in place of church on Sunday. I honestly couldn't justify being at church when I had so much to catch up on, and so little time to do it in. And I think God understands because he loves the Borg.
*Fooseball domination (go Chi and Eroo!) complete with the age-old victory dance and song, which we haven't done for at least 7 years, but still remembered . . .
*Projects. We all left with some rather amazing bracelets and earrings. We are crafty ladies.
I also LOVED seeing my family in the few spare moments. I got to go to Zinn Bistro in SLC (33rd South) with my mom and s-i-l before meeting up with Borgies. Let's just say they bring you the most delish basket full of pastries/rolls/croissants/other earthly delights BEFORE the meal. That makes it number one in my book. I hardly ate my meal because I had eaten about 5 pastries--no joke--before. We also had the annual chili and cinnamon roll dinner at the Squaw Peak lookout on Sunday night. I love the tradition, but haven't been around to enjoy it for 7 years. By the way, the leaves are gorgeous right now. I snagged a few and put them in my purse. Fall has arrived somewhere.
I came home a very rejuvenated mother/wife. That lasted for a few hours until Giz awoke in a raunchy mood from her nap and Leah told me I was so mean because I don't even remember why. But I know they love me and missed me. And I love and missed them, too. And don't forget the Jonnie---I missed him just enough.
We're talking an Enchanted April for our 40th.
9.19.2006
8.31.2006
A few items:
1. My awesome sister Susannah just launched her clothing line at www.pronkstyle.com. I know I mentioned this before, but just wanted to reiterate and give some new info. Basically, her clothing is ultra fine---the fabrics are imported from London and are pretty much exquisite to look at and touch. She was going to sell her first collection in little posh boutiques, but decided that in order to do that, her clothing would be very expensive, and well out of the range of most budgets. So she decided to market and sell the clothing on her own for about half the price of what the items would go for in boutiques. When her pattern maker and others from the industry have seen her clothing, they all tell her that it should be in the $200-$300 range per item. So, considering the hand embroidery, the fabulous design and fit of each item, and the amazing fabrics, their ~$100 price range is quite a steal. And it is really cool because she is using an amazing women-owned-and-run factory in Madagascar. It is definitely not a sweatshop.
2. Darlybird has a few new items. Not that that's a big deal. And I'll be adding some great stained glass necklaces and new vintage jewelry in the very near future. But, I am interested in expanding to include more items made by moms at home. This is kind of an intriguing genre for me---I see amazing handmade things made by women who have little kids---and they do it in every spare moment that they can muster. (That's how I have always been. A project or two or three on the back burner, and as soon as nap time comes around, I'm OFF to start my project.) So if you have something that you think fits into the Darlybird genre, send me an email at rachel@darlybird.com. I always love to see new things.
3. What do you do to keep track of your keys? Such a random question, yes, but I lose mine everyday and I'm about ready to cry, get my license revoked, or have them somehow surgically implanted . . . I NEED HELP!
2. Darlybird has a few new items. Not that that's a big deal. And I'll be adding some great stained glass necklaces and new vintage jewelry in the very near future. But, I am interested in expanding to include more items made by moms at home. This is kind of an intriguing genre for me---I see amazing handmade things made by women who have little kids---and they do it in every spare moment that they can muster. (That's how I have always been. A project or two or three on the back burner, and as soon as nap time comes around, I'm OFF to start my project.) So if you have something that you think fits into the Darlybird genre, send me an email at rachel@darlybird.com. I always love to see new things.
3. What do you do to keep track of your keys? Such a random question, yes, but I lose mine everyday and I'm about ready to cry, get my license revoked, or have them somehow surgically implanted . . . I NEED HELP!
8.30.2006
Not that you care,
but the "Master of Light" aka "Painter of Light" isn't so light afterall . . . I've always deplored his work. And now I have an excuse to shout about it.
8.29.2006
I promised myself
that I would not do any canning (as in produce in glass jars) this summer/fall. Not because I don't like the process, not because I don't love the outcome, but because I've been super-duper busy and I didn't want to add another task to my list.
But today I happened to be near my favorite spot in the whole wide world, Pedrick Produce. Folks, this is no Eiffel Tower, no Cinque Terra---it's just a big un-cozy metal quanset hut (sp?) that holds some of the best fresh produce in the world. So I decided to stop in really quickly, just to get a little bag of nectarines and maybe a basket of strawberries---mushrooms, cilantro?
And I left with 50 lbs of peaches, 25 lbs of Roma tomatoes, and tons of assorted gems from earth's bounty. And a huge hope that Jon wouldn't recoil when I told him that he was going to be involved in my big Labor Day weekend project. I called him immediately on the way home---and HE'S IN!
But today I happened to be near my favorite spot in the whole wide world, Pedrick Produce. Folks, this is no Eiffel Tower, no Cinque Terra---it's just a big un-cozy metal quanset hut (sp?) that holds some of the best fresh produce in the world. So I decided to stop in really quickly, just to get a little bag of nectarines and maybe a basket of strawberries---mushrooms, cilantro?
And I left with 50 lbs of peaches, 25 lbs of Roma tomatoes, and tons of assorted gems from earth's bounty. And a huge hope that Jon wouldn't recoil when I told him that he was going to be involved in my big Labor Day weekend project. I called him immediately on the way home---and HE'S IN!
8.21.2006
Expert Beach Camper
If you ever have the chance to visit Lime Kiln State Park on the central Cali coast, please do it. We loved it. 
I love this kooky drama queen!
The faces she makes are worth millions! Check out this mock look of surprise!
She's my daughter, she's my darling!
I decided Giz's hair was getting a bit mangy. So I cut it in about 60 seconds flat while she was squirming in the bath. Results:
8.17.2006
* * * *
Going on vacation always makes me very introspective. Ideally, it's a time to get away from normal life just when normal life is starting to grind. Even more ideally, it's a time when I re-realize that I really do enjoy my normal life and I'm excited to get back to it.
Just returned from a week-long San Diego beach vacation with all 38 members of my family (parents, sibs, spouses, and all kids of sibs and spouses). We hadn't all been together for 4 years, since #8 (Joecinogen) left for "the mish," before my parents left for their 3 year "mish," and before 6 of the 20 grandkids were born. So it was pretty monumental.
Although many awesome things happened there, I think one of my very favorite had nothing to do with me or my family:
Wednesday morning, I walked to the beach with Blue, Giz, and niece "Kawenakolina." Where concrete met sand, I noticed a small family (mom, dad, son). The son (about 20 y.o.?) was in a wheelchair, his legs limp---his whole body limp. They were just standing/sitting there observing the ocean from afar. I briefly thought about how hard it would be to be a parent taking my child to the ocean in a wheelchair---and how it would be so hard that you couldn't enjoy the normal ocean hoopla---I was sad for them for a second, and then got distracted by Giz, who at this point was hightailing it across the sand and running straight for waves.
About 15 minutes later, while jumping waves with Blue and Giz, I looked to my right and saw an amazing scene: "Dad" was standing in a semi-kneeling position (leg jutted out in front, with stabilizing leg in back) while "son" was propped up on dad's knee, the waves swirling around his legs. There was no talking---just standing in the waves. I looked behind and saw his wheelchair ditched several feet back in the dry sand, with the mom looking on, letting father and son have their moment together. Goosebumps.
I also saw some not-so-touching things, like a woman rollerblading in a string bikini (for the love!), a "zebra"/burro in Tijuana with whom we had our pic snapped (do they wash the paint off the poor animals ever?), the distinct difference one inch makes when you go through an iron whirlygig at a border crossing, too many jumbo-tron boob jobs, enough lower-back tattoos for a lifetime, wealth beyond compare in LaJolla, poverty beyond compare in Tijuana, a few somewhat-interesting episodes of Project Runway, Giz trying to outwit every impending stair-doom blockade, and a million flies, 99 of which I killed in one afternoon. [Diversion: I actually got a little obsessive about fly-swatting. It began out of dire necessity and then it became a game. Yes, a game. I killed 4 in one blow! And 3 in one blow more than once. Yes, tis true. After an hour, I started calling myself the "Fly Whisperer" because twice I took a napkin to a healthy fly and merely pinched---no swatter involved. I caught two flies with just my stealthy hand and a napkin!]
Highlights of the trip included:
*Laughing my guts out on the roller coaster at Belmont Park. I thought it was going to be totally whimpy. I was so caught by surprise at the hardcore characteristics of this mousetrap. I couldn't do anything but laugh so loud. It was the best therapy I've ever had. Just ask Ben and Becca and Jon. Meanwhile, Big Ben had been smashed by the metal safety bar---said he thought he might pass out from the excruciating pain caused to his thigh. He said my laughter right behind his ears was the only thing that, and I quote, "kept me going" (meaning alive).
*My girls modeling their darling hand-embroidered Tijuana dresses. That was well worth the border trauma (I forgot my I.D. and me and blue and ben were separated from jon and giz who were separated from joe and julianne. and we only had one cell phone. being "lost" in tijuana without i.d. is not a comforting feeling.)
*Late night discussions with family members. Some very intense and rollicking. It's awesome that families can have hugely divergent opinions---even about important matters---and still be fabulous friends.
*Dad's delicious smoothies. He fine-tuned this skill in Madagascar. In fact, all of the food was divine. Which is why I'm still feeling bloated.
*Pete's professional water color lesson. You should see my mad color chart. It's fetchin' awes.
*Listening to the waves. Boogie boarding. Sand beneath toes. Italian ice on the boardwalk.
*Chilling with the fam, and some awesome girl outings with my s-i-l.
*Figuring my life out for the next 50 years, or 20 minutes, whichever the case may be.
Just returned from a week-long San Diego beach vacation with all 38 members of my family (parents, sibs, spouses, and all kids of sibs and spouses). We hadn't all been together for 4 years, since #8 (Joecinogen) left for "the mish," before my parents left for their 3 year "mish," and before 6 of the 20 grandkids were born. So it was pretty monumental.
Although many awesome things happened there, I think one of my very favorite had nothing to do with me or my family:
Wednesday morning, I walked to the beach with Blue, Giz, and niece "Kawenakolina." Where concrete met sand, I noticed a small family (mom, dad, son). The son (about 20 y.o.?) was in a wheelchair, his legs limp---his whole body limp. They were just standing/sitting there observing the ocean from afar. I briefly thought about how hard it would be to be a parent taking my child to the ocean in a wheelchair---and how it would be so hard that you couldn't enjoy the normal ocean hoopla---I was sad for them for a second, and then got distracted by Giz, who at this point was hightailing it across the sand and running straight for waves.
About 15 minutes later, while jumping waves with Blue and Giz, I looked to my right and saw an amazing scene: "Dad" was standing in a semi-kneeling position (leg jutted out in front, with stabilizing leg in back) while "son" was propped up on dad's knee, the waves swirling around his legs. There was no talking---just standing in the waves. I looked behind and saw his wheelchair ditched several feet back in the dry sand, with the mom looking on, letting father and son have their moment together. Goosebumps.
I also saw some not-so-touching things, like a woman rollerblading in a string bikini (for the love!), a "zebra"/burro in Tijuana with whom we had our pic snapped (do they wash the paint off the poor animals ever?), the distinct difference one inch makes when you go through an iron whirlygig at a border crossing, too many jumbo-tron boob jobs, enough lower-back tattoos for a lifetime, wealth beyond compare in LaJolla, poverty beyond compare in Tijuana, a few somewhat-interesting episodes of Project Runway, Giz trying to outwit every impending stair-doom blockade, and a million flies, 99 of which I killed in one afternoon. [Diversion: I actually got a little obsessive about fly-swatting. It began out of dire necessity and then it became a game. Yes, a game. I killed 4 in one blow! And 3 in one blow more than once. Yes, tis true. After an hour, I started calling myself the "Fly Whisperer" because twice I took a napkin to a healthy fly and merely pinched---no swatter involved. I caught two flies with just my stealthy hand and a napkin!]
Highlights of the trip included:
*Laughing my guts out on the roller coaster at Belmont Park. I thought it was going to be totally whimpy. I was so caught by surprise at the hardcore characteristics of this mousetrap. I couldn't do anything but laugh so loud. It was the best therapy I've ever had. Just ask Ben and Becca and Jon. Meanwhile, Big Ben had been smashed by the metal safety bar---said he thought he might pass out from the excruciating pain caused to his thigh. He said my laughter right behind his ears was the only thing that, and I quote, "kept me going" (meaning alive).
*My girls modeling their darling hand-embroidered Tijuana dresses. That was well worth the border trauma (I forgot my I.D. and me and blue and ben were separated from jon and giz who were separated from joe and julianne. and we only had one cell phone. being "lost" in tijuana without i.d. is not a comforting feeling.)
*Late night discussions with family members. Some very intense and rollicking. It's awesome that families can have hugely divergent opinions---even about important matters---and still be fabulous friends.
*Dad's delicious smoothies. He fine-tuned this skill in Madagascar. In fact, all of the food was divine. Which is why I'm still feeling bloated.
*Pete's professional water color lesson. You should see my mad color chart. It's fetchin' awes.
*Listening to the waves. Boogie boarding. Sand beneath toes. Italian ice on the boardwalk.
*Chilling with the fam, and some awesome girl outings with my s-i-l.
*Figuring my life out for the next 50 years, or 20 minutes, whichever the case may be.
8.15.2006
Darlybird Has Landed! Finally!
Hey----I've been super duper busy with lots of things, namely a large-scale family reunion in San Diego and the "launching" of my Darlybird enterprise and working at the Sacramento LDS Temple Open House (just got home from a 7-hour shift and the feet are throbbing!) So, Darlybird's up and running, so start shopping if you feel so inclined. And for the few of you who already have, your orders will be on their way tomorrow. You picked cute stuff, you!
7.24.2006
Embrace the Heat
At the beginning of this summer, I decided that I would change my attitude and in some yogic state/trance/Zen moment, this phrase came to me: "embrace the heat." And I imagined myself in the hottest place possible and made myself enjoy the sensation. Lungs full of hot air, heat-induced claustrophobia, perma-sweaty hairline and all. It was a test of will and mind-over-matter that I thought I might possibly win. And, I've been doing pretty well this summer---thanks to my new philosophy---until this week and last.
115 degrees, friends. And I don't live in Arizona. The $7k a/c unit that we were forced to purchase in a similar-yet-way-less-toxic heat wave one month after our move-in date last year, (depleted our kitchen fund in one day) is trying to keep up. But alas, it has gotten up to 88 degrees in my house with the a/c running full blast. Our energy bill last month was $214 for 1780 sq ft. And that was last month. I don't think I want to be around when Mr. S (husband-o-mine) opens July's bill.
Our funky/mod '63 house with its slightly-sloped roof, exposed beams, single-paned 20 foot windows (2 of them west-facing for optimal afternoon sun), lack of attic and insulation are all conspiring against me right now.
Embrace the heat is not comforting anymore.
What are you doing to escape/embrace the heat? The best thing I can think of is a Lemonator Slurpee in a camelback, but then I'd have to get into the 150 degree car and drive to ghetto Sev-Elev....and the camelback would doubtless make me have back sweat in this inferno. No extra layers allowed!
(It's only supposed to be 111 tomorrow. That's comforting.)
115 degrees, friends. And I don't live in Arizona. The $7k a/c unit that we were forced to purchase in a similar-yet-way-less-toxic heat wave one month after our move-in date last year, (depleted our kitchen fund in one day) is trying to keep up. But alas, it has gotten up to 88 degrees in my house with the a/c running full blast. Our energy bill last month was $214 for 1780 sq ft. And that was last month. I don't think I want to be around when Mr. S (husband-o-mine) opens July's bill.
Our funky/mod '63 house with its slightly-sloped roof, exposed beams, single-paned 20 foot windows (2 of them west-facing for optimal afternoon sun), lack of attic and insulation are all conspiring against me right now.
Embrace the heat is not comforting anymore.
What are you doing to escape/embrace the heat? The best thing I can think of is a Lemonator Slurpee in a camelback, but then I'd have to get into the 150 degree car and drive to ghetto Sev-Elev....and the camelback would doubtless make me have back sweat in this inferno. No extra layers allowed!
(It's only supposed to be 111 tomorrow. That's comforting.)
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