Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

In 2011:

I turned a quarter of a century old 26 OHMYGOSH why can't I remember how old I am???
I finished my first year of teaching -- 8th grade Language Arts.
I spent my first summer completely free from any job or obligations... and it was wonderful.
I built a blanket-and-pillow fort in my living room and spent the whole day in it--twice.
I dyed my hair purple for a while. Then black, to cover up the purple and be an adult again.
I hosted a Harry Potter party, a Star Wars party, and co-hosted another HP party and a beautiful candlelit Edgar Allan Poe party.
I sewed things.
I knit things.
I crocheted things.
I wrote 50,000 words of a novel for the 7th year in a row during November's NaNoWriMo challenge.
I had a couple of outdoor tea parties with my wonderful knitting group, Weekly Fiber.
I rode my bicycle, Mabel (although not as much as I would have liked to).
I wandered the Farmer's Market several times, although I only ever bought peaches and a delicious ham and cheese crepe.
I lived on almost nothing but Ramen and beans for a week at a time, several times.
I got a cat, and we slowly got used to one another.
I spent way too much time on Facebook and Pinterest (which probably contributed to the minimal blogging).
I spent a fantastic weekend in Denver with my husband, who whisked me away for a birthday getaway of rich food, a funny play, lots of walking, and even a little history.
I had some really spectacular fails as a teacher, but some really great wins, too.
I became obsessed with 1920's fashion, hair, makeup, and music.
I helped plant grass in our tiny back yard.
I spent my fourth Christmas without my little brother, Logan. Miss him every day.
I became very discouraged about ever getting pregnant after a heartbreaking miscarriage in 2010, then angry with God, then resigned, then at peace that everything will happen in his perfect timing.
I said goodbye to some wonderful 8th graders, and was holding the door wide open for others to leave.
I welcomed a new crop of 8th graders, who seemed so small and strange at the beginning of the year, and how are now just "my kids" (although they are still certainly strange).
I grew a little more distant from some friends and a little closer with others.
I read a lot of really good books and a few crummy ones.
I hosted a nice little New Year's Eve party last night with board games, snacks, and good friends.

Goodbye, 2011! You were a good year, a hard year, a memorable year.

In 2012:

I will spend less time on the computer and more time reading books.
I will purge useless/broken/unwanted/unused stuff from the house.
I will write at night in my Book of Days planner/journal at least a few lines about that day.
I will be a better housekeeper (which will hopefully be easier to do with less Stuff).
I will be a better listener and not an interrupter or a wait-until-you're-done-talking-so-I-can-say-what-I-wanted-to-say-er.
I will pray more.
I will write more--more letters, more blog posts, more journal entries, more stories, more poems.
I will find a lesson plan format that works for me and I will plan in advance as well as I am able.
I will remember that I am not teaching Language Arts, I am teaching people.
I will not dwell on the past any more than I can absolutely help.
I will Skype loved ones that live far away.
I will love this year.

Welcome, 2012!

Poe Night

Welcome to the (first annual?) Edgar Allan Poe Night, co-hosted by Ann and Heather at Ann's house on the evening of 21 October, 2011.

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For you literary types, you can play Spot the Allusion. We have bits from "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Raven" (several times over--you may find a [paper] bust of Pallas over a doorway if you look very closely) of course, gifts from the Poe Toaster (the mysterious man who visits Poe's grave every year on his birthday), and "The Fall of the House of Usher."

There were also black paper cutouts of rats lurking around the walls from "The Pit and the Pendulum", Ravenwood red wine, blank bookmarks to decorate with fake quills (red Bic pens with black feathers taped on top), plenty of old books, lots of candles, plates with quotes from Poe's poetry, prose, and criticism written on them, mismatched wine glasses, banners made from fabric and pages from an old, falling-apart book containing some of Poe's stories, illustrations from that same book adorning the table, wonderful food, and even better company. The whole thing was conducted solely by candlelight.

We played True or False with facts about Poe's life and works, and everyone learned a little something. Someone read a poem that reminded him of Poe and someone else read the poem from "House of Usher." Thanks very much to my friend Ann for hosting; all I did was bring decorations the day before and help set the table earlier that evening. Everyone had a wonderful time, and I can't wait to do it again, whether it's another Poe Party next October or a night honoring another author in a few months!

Knitting Tea Party

Today was Knit In Public Day. The library hosted a get-together on the front lawn, and a lady from the yarn shop downtown came as well. (And handed out coupons. Evil woman. I saw everyone from our little group at the yarn shop right after the library thing was over!)

Our knitting group, Weekly Fiber, meets Saturday mornings at various coffee shops to chat and knit (or crochet or embroider or hand sew or whatever--mostly knit). We assumed this event would just be a "come set up your lawn chairs wherever and chat" kind of thing, so we decided to bring a table and chairs, and I brought my fancy antique tea cups, tea set, coffee pot, and cloth napkins. That way we could still get our usual caffeine fix! One lady also brought muffins and scones.


It ended up that the library had a display of knitting books, chairs, and an awning... on the other side of the tree where we had room to set up in the shade. We felt slightly anti-social, sitting apart, but we enjoyed ourselves, and several people came over to say hi.

Melissa, Ann, me

After a while, a woman and her just-out-of-college daughter joined us and enjoyed some tea and conversation. It was a lovely morning with perfect weather! We're all very glad we went.

***

Last week when I lived in the Luxury Tent for a couple of days, I got on a 1920's kick and researched fashion, shoes, hairstyles, makeup, food.... This website was a great help (and makes me really want to go to that event)! Then, of course, I decided to sew my own 20's dress. It wasn't just flappers! Very few women wore fringed dresses, headbands with feathers, and rolled down stockings. (There were no fishnets unless you were *gasp* in a burlesque show or similar.) However, long strings of beads were popular with everyone!

I liked the look of the boat-neck, kimono sleeve dresses, and rather than sew on trim, I wanted to do embroidery. I didn't use a pattern, just traced a t-shirt for the general shape, measured the length I wanted it to be, and made it a little extra big to begin with--it's easy to make things shorter, but rather harder to make them longer!


I had the dress mostly "built" in a day. Over the next few nights, I did the embroidery, starting out with the little flowers on the sash (which were pretty wonky, but it's not really noticeable), then doing the ones along the neckline and bottom hem.


The neck facing was the most fiddly bit. I ended up hand-stitching a little of it because I had to fudge it to make it work, but I think it turned out fine.


The skirt is in four panels: the front and back are flat and plain, and the two narrower panels at the hips are gathered. The embroidery pattern (which I made up) could be little four-petal flowers, like lilacs.


I call this dress the Lilac Garden Party Dress.

8 Decades Friday

Yes, you read it right. Not 8 THINGS Friday, 8 DECADES Friday.



Last Sunday, we celebrated my Grammie Joan's 80th birthday.



She was a school teacher (elementary) for thirty-some years, I think, and seems to have taught at least a full half the population of the tiny town where she's lived for fifty-something years. Many people that came were taught by her, as were their children.



Dean of Women at Quincy College in Illinois. Mother. Teacher. Rancher's wife. Grandmother. Catholic. Friend. She was and is many things, and is well loved in the community and by all her family.

Happy 80th birthday, Grammie!

Oy.

Today:
-sew shorts to wear to party tonight
-clean house for party tonight
-make cookies for party tonight
-decorate cookies (yep, you guessed it: for party tonight!)
-wipe down bathroom fixtures
-do laundry (socks, undies, towels)
-throw Megan's bachelorette party at 7:00
-snuggle on Matt for not only running my errands today, but for being banished to the office during the party

Friday:
-sleep in!
-walk?
-deposit check
-go to Goodwill for new bedsheets as ours are getting quite sad
-more laundry
-probably do dishes
-rehearsal for Megan's wedding at 5:30
-rehearsal dinner at 6:30-7?

Saturday:
-get hair and makeup done
-pictures
-WEDDING! :)
-reception
-come home and CRASH

Sunday:
-recover from wedding craziness
-go out to dinner with in-laws, including little sis-in-law and her husband
-do something just for me, i.e. make a new skirt or something

Monday:
-go down to visit my parents, grandparents, and aunt that's come from CA
-possible combined Heather/Aunt Lori birthday lunch at Grandma's?

Tuesday:
-more visiting
-drive home after dinner

Wednesday:
-back to work etc.

Bridal Shower

Finally, here are the pictures of Megan's shower.


I downloaded the funky font from DaFont.com, and did all the invitations myself.


The obligatory Megan and Heather pose, holding the camera out with one hand. We have so many of these from various events. :)


Megan and three of the four bridesmaids! That's me on the far left (in my wrap pants!), then Megan's sister, Lisa, Megan herself, and her youngest sister Becca. The fourth bridesmaid is the groom's little sister who lives in Washington state and, clearly, could not come to the shower. (I got Megan a grass skirt and "coconut" bra to wear over her dress, something we did for another luau-themed shower I did a couple of years ago.)


Yum! The cake was a yellow cake with crushed pineapple in it, a layer of vanilla pudding, and a layer of whipped cream sprinkled with walnuts and coconut. Fruit kebabs and yogurt-y fruit dip. Cucumber sandwiches on the little pedastal thing. Not pictured is the punch in my grandma's pretty punch bowl that I borrowed.


One of the little games we played went like this: I passed around rolls of crepe paper streamers in the wedding colours and told everyone to take "however much you think you'll need," but didn't tell them what it was for. Plenty of scrutiny went into the measurements! After everyone had a strip of each colour, I told them we were making flowers for the rehearsal bouquet! I passed out green pipe cleaners and everyone went at it. Turned out very cute, I think.


The other "game" was to make Megan a wedding dress out of toilet paper! Fun fun.

I can't believe the wedding is less than a month away, now! Augh! But we can do it!

Anyone have any great games/snacks/anything for the bachelorette party? :D