Going on Sabbatical

Ok, so my daily posts are not so daily.
Today I went to the Winter Craft Fair at WSP and everyone's tables were so full of beautiful things! I must therefore excuse myself from blogging, as well as conversations longer than a minute and a half and meals other than reheated soup, or I will never reach my ideal of a beautiful and bounteous table at the Kimberton show in 2 weeks.
(All of a sudden I have automatic spell check on blogger!)

Upsidedown Day

Yesterday I had a perfectly leisurely morning, rising around 7:00 and not having to be anywhere until 9:30. Well, once 9:00 rolled around things started to rush, and I tore off to pick up Jame and Ivy before my meeting (they were going to borrow my car while I was busy). While Jame was installing the car seat and I was rummaging in the basement for a pair of shoes, that for some reason I could not wait another day to retrieve from storage, the phone rang. It was my meeting. It was supposed to be at 9:00. And could he have my phone number while we were at it so he didn't have to track me down at my mother's.
So off we went and my fellow meetees were only slightly annoyed and nobody really knew anything and we all decided to meet again next week with a couple more people who didn't know much specifically.
Then Jame and Ivy picked me up and we went to visit Danielle and her girls. Ivy and Amelie and Madelaene enjoyed themselves and eachother emensely, as did the grown-ups. On the way home ivy was hungry and tired, but it had been hard to tear ourselves away, and we still had to drop off some movies and pick up some groceries. That done, life seemed to be slowing down when I suddenly realized that there was to be a brokers' open house at my house going on at that very moment and I had not taken down the makeshift clotheslines that were booby-trapping the entire 1st floor, some still laden with socks and sweaters. So I swung in and apologized to the realtor (whose children I had babysat 20 years previous) and all was well.
Needless to say I hardly got any sewing done. And now I am procrastinating some more to write this all down. Do you think it will look funny if I only have one item to sell at the craft show?

November

By way of making up for 2 days in one post, I will write about the weather, which has been much the same today and yesterday. It is grey and cold, but the thick blanket of clouds takes the sharpness out of the cold and wards off the frost I've been scraping of my car of late. The view from every window in my house is beautiful, even in these conditions. The fog mutes the tree colors, giving me the eyes of an impressionist. From the window I'm looking out now, this backdrop is dotted with grey and red roofs and given added drama by a tree that has already let go of its leaf burden. He doesn't look dead, he looks liberated.

early riser

I can now report after several days of it, that a side effect of a clean liver and colon seems to be that I wake up, rested and refreshed at 6:30 every morning. This has very much improved how much I can get done in a day and how close to on-time I arrive at work.
Sadly I don't know how well the-little-organs-that-could will be able to keep this up if I keep staying up to all hours, so bonne nuit!

Exposed

It used to be pretty much my sister who read my blog, and I could say anything. At a certain point I decided to let some fellow teachers in on it, then I had to be careful I didn't badmouth anyone at work. Then last summer I told my aunt about it, at which point a whole slew of extended family got on board. They are now some of my most loyal and appreciative readers, but it certainly would make me think twice about posting, say, details about my sex life (if I had one).
I have now reached a new rung. Tonight over the tray of meatballs at the aforementioned dance and auction, someone said she had googled the organization and it brought up my post about Mr. Handsome. I have therefore edited the post, removing the name of the organization. And I think we will be dropping the Mr. Handsome story line.
And I feel a little silly and misunderstood. I think part of why I started this blog is that currently, and for some time, there has been no one at home at the end of a long day to vent to, to laugh about it with, to share the excitement with. I don't mean that to sound pitiful, most of the time I like being the only ruler of my roost, but I find it helps one to understand one's thoughts if one says them out loud, or at least types them into coherent sentences. I forget that the cyber dinner table around which I digest my day now seats unnumbered people and they don't all know me well enough to get where I'm coming from.
My apologies for missing yesterday, I was babysitting for my niece in Philadelphia and if I am not at this little desk, I forget to write.

Crap Week

Just when you thought you were finished hearing about my internal organs, I have something I must share, in case it may give others the strength to boldly go where I have just been.
It was once suggested to me that I might look into colon hydrotherapy. Well, I thought it sounded interesting, and thought about it for 10 years or so, and finally mustered the guts to do it (as it was recommended following the l/g flush). I will not go into detail, again, for the squeamish among you, but I feel fabulous, and am eagerly awaiting my next session.
In other news, I made a very disappointing broccoli soup today at work, and bought the 3rd wrong color of burt's bees lip shimmer since I lost the one I loved and can't remember its damn name!

33 going on 93

I was having a dream that I was on vacation with Molly Brett and I think Justin Timberlake. We were in the airport on our way home (I think just me and Molly, I guess Justin was staying on) and I was getting a drink from the hot beverage machine. I was trying to use up spare pence (and yet we had been to warm, sandy beaches?) and it was taking FOR EVER because, as often happens in my dreams, I could not keep my eyes open. I needed just a few more p for the beverage, but couldn't see to find it and a line was growing behind me. So I summoned all my strength and forced my eyes open.
And that is how I woke up this morning.
Just minutes later, Jane (landlordette) called to say that Peter (landlord) was on his way over to get the plunger because Nina (next door neighbor) was having a plumbing emergency. The door was locked, however, so I had to go downstairs to hand of the instrument. And once I was up I thought I might as well make muffins. I did a little work in my workshop (including making a baby-doll that bears a striking resemblance to Kartman from South Park), then went to lunch at Helios House. I am making my rounds of all the households in Camphill so that I become a familiar face by the time the cafe opens.
I would have called this a full enough day, but then I had to go to work. Have I mentioned that I hate the afternoon shift? I hate it. The whole time I was there I was imagining being on my couch with a book and a cup of tea. Like I said...93.

Flushed

Well I have come through the liver/gallbladder flush just fine. I got rid of about 500 gall stones and it was relatively painless, but not for the squeamish. I've decided not to go into detail unless asked as the whole experience comes under the heading of TMI.
And I have successfully avoided any preparation for the upcoming craft show I'm selling at. Today's tactic was making curtains for my room and then taking all the pictures off the walls and books off the shelves therein. Its a little spartan, but starting to feel less like house-sitting and more like my legitimate residence.
I can recommend "Come Early Morning", which I rented and watched last night! I believe its one of those straight-to-video gems. Romantic but not sugar-coated, with some good observations on getting out from under the crap you've inherited (I don't mean Aunt Doris's hideous wedding china) and becoming who you want to become. It is the directorial debut of Joey Lauren Adams and stars Ashley Judd and "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan. Two thumbs up!

You don't bring me flowers...

Is it possible that the reason your honey stops asking how your day was is because the reports start to sound like these posts?
So far today I can report that I have lost my sense of smell and along with the ability to taste, and therefor to create, delicious food. I cleaned out the walk-in fridge; that was satisfying. My landlords are currently corroborating the stereotype that British people are lawn-care maniacs. Tonight I start my 24-hour liver and gallbladder cleanse; that should make for an informative and possible repulsive post a day or two hence.
Until then, never fear, only 25 days of NaBloPoMo left!

Fall Back

I woke up this morning, looked at my clock which said 8:04, sat up and let my feet dangle to the floor. It is infinitely easier to get down out of bed than up off the floor. I showered, took my time with my hair, got dressed, made tea (I know this seems deathly boring, but I'm setting the stage). I was about to run to the fabric store, aiming to get there when they opened, then go straight to work, but I thought I'd check my email first. My computer knew better than I that I had missed my once-a year chance to get an extra hour of sleep. It was too late to capitalize on the sleep part, but I did have a whole unaccounted-for hour in which to clean my bathroom and put away some boxes of books.
In other small celebrations, today was my final Sunday on the closing shift. Now if I could just get rid of Wednesdays too!

Built in a Day

I asked my dad to help me built a frame for my mattress. He pretty much built it for me. It took him most of the day, including an early morning trip to buy the lumber. Tonight will be the first time in a month I have not been sleeping on the floor. I owe him one swanky steak dinner!
This evening there was a folk dance at the Waldorf school. My parents and I were alerted to this by our friend Kelly who teaches there. Late in the afternoon we all started to wonder what kind of gathering we were really crashing, since none of us has any official tie to the place at the moment. When we arrived we were indeed the only people there, besides a handful of villagers, who weren't parents or teachers. One man, whom I don't particularly like, came up to Dad and asked how we heard about the event, the subtext being "what the hell are you doing here?" We told him Kelly told us. About 10 minutes later he came back and asked if Dad had grandchildren at the school. He just really couldn't figure it out. He doesn't realize that the ownership he was feeling toward that place at that moment will never go away. You don't have to be paying tuition or receiving an education or a paycheck to feel that you have an open invitation to everything that goes on there. And why shouldn't you be able to stop by your alma mater for a pot luck and a Virginia Reel?

First Friday Phoenixville

This evening I went to man a table at First Friday Phoenixville. The purpose of the table was to drum up interest in the upcoming dance party and silent auction fundraiser for an organization I belong to. I had done precious little to help up to this point so I thought it was time to pitch in.
The table was set up right next to Parents of Phoenixville's Budding Athletes (not their real name) and the buds themselves were supposed to be selling raffle tickets, but were mainly wrestling and swearing at eachother.
The band playing accross the street had something of a carny theme: there was fire juggling and booger jokes and a flute player - I just don't know!
Most people read the sign that I stood beside, one woman looked like she might take a flyer, another actually did take one, but other than that - zip!
As I stood there up walks the man we will call Mr. Handsome, as my Aunt so aptly named him after his first appearance in this blog (remember the blushing incident?). He was on the phone, but made a face at me as though to say "I'm down with the Time Bank" and I made a face back like "I'm down with having your babies" When he got off the phone we talked a little about the event that he was out promoting and how he hadn't paid his dues yet this year. Then he asked my name and I said Erin and he asked what my last name was and oh was I Cara Graver's sister? Um, no. I'm her daughter. But she looks young. He apologized and I asked his name and there we were. The blushing incident never happened. Now he's the one who can be embarrassed at calling me old. And next time I see him (Oh there WILL be a next time) I will calmly remind him that I know him and eventually he will remember who I am and that I am not old enough to be his mother and we will be off to a great start!

NaBloPoMo

November is National Blog Posting Month. Many have committed, through official channels, to posting at least once a day all month long. I am intending the same, unofficially, but cannot vouch for quality at this rate.
Tonight my only words are these: I have just come from a dinner where the company was sublime and the food sub-par and overpriced. We will not be returning to that spot!
I am having my annual bout of respiratory agitation and my voice sounds less like me and more like Bea Arthur. I should be in bed and soon will be.
Sweet Dreams!