Show & Tell

I'm not clever. I couldn't think up a cool, creative title to name basic posts about our random goings-ons. Girl's Gone Child calls hers "Liner Notes". I'm sorry, but that breaks the sound barrier on cool. I can't compete.

At first, when I was trying to come up with a title, I was like "Nutrition Label"!

"DVD Insert"!

Ummmmmmmmmmm, No.

So all I've got for you is "Show & Tell". Because lord knows I always liked me some show & tell.

These Show & Tell posts are for the times when I feel too daunted by the thought of writing the real, intellectual post in my head. (Ironically.)

This happens far too often. I really really think it's an ADD thing. I feel like procrastinating and am overwhelmed. Like there must be a thousand other things that I should be getting done. Because who in the world has time to sit down and write during the day?

Truth be told though, I do, at least right now. I've started using two, life-changing, I MEAN LIFE- CHANGING websites to streamline all of my house-wifely obligations. One has to do with cleaning and laundry and things of that ilk. The other is about getting a fresh, nice dinner on the table every night, on time!

I'm going to tell you about all of this streamlining next time, and in fact! I think this blog should start being a simplifying blog for the home. A slow living, simplified, lower the bar on perfectionism blog! I know a lot about it now.

So, since I've been "working smart" around my homestead, the laundry is done for the week and everybody is ironed for the next seven days. The house is clean, I got my exercise in today, and dinner was already partially made by noon. That gives me time to start trying for the second part of my New Year's goal: to blog more often! The first part was to: SIMPLIFY LIFE! :)

Phew. Ok, so here's some Show & Tell from the past couple of weeks...... oldest to newest:

I decided to go all out, and cook for an entire day to surprise Noah and Jon with a shabbat dinner. A sweet friend of ours invited us to a shabbat dinner sometime, and Noah said to her "What's Shabbat"? That's when I thought, hmmmm.....maybe he should at least know the basics.

This isn't going to win me any friends, and in fact, I'm afraid it might lose me some. I'm well, not the biggest fan of organized western religion. I struggle with organized religion as an institution, and feel, at least personally, that perhaps it does a lot more harm than good in our modern world. (Don't worry, I'm not trying to er....convert anyone!) ;)

I was raised nothing, with no religion. It might be a cliche', but I do view myself as spiritual. I believe in something powerful that runs through us all, and that connects us. My family, both sides, are a mix of Jews and Christians. Of course, when my Jewish and Christian grandparents were married, the religious mixing part pissed off other family members, and thus created lifelong needless divides. Fun! Thanks religion.

Jon was raised quite religious, he's Jewish. If he wants, maybe sometime he'll tell you about his life as a good Hebrew School boy. Together though, we haven't found a desire or need to raise our kid with true religion. NOT the jeans, the institution. Oh no, I feel VERY certain that every child needs a pair of True Religion jeans. Of course.

If you had to call us something, I suppose it would be secular, humanistic, cultural Jews? Wow, that's almost like having a hyphenated last name. So Jewy!

Judaism is also a culture. Did you know that? I think it's important for Noah to know the traditions and rituals and history of many his peoples. Because of their differences, they struggled for a long time to be free, and treated with dignity, and to exist. (Hmmmmmmm......sound like ANY OTHER currently struggling group that religion persecutes?) And, Shabbat is pretty nice. Just a slow dinner, with some chatting and family time. (Unless your seven-year-old has a meltdown. UGH! And doesn't want to eat anything! URG! ) Then Shabat is a special time that you all feel depressed and hunch away from the table.

That colorful box on the table is a Tzedakah Box. I made it myself! Tzedakah in Hebrew means "Righteousness" BARF!

BUT....BUT....it is truthfully known these days to mean charity. On Shabat, people put money in a tzedakah box to give to charity. Unfortunately, our beloved, little son has recently turned into a real Eugene H. Krabs. His interests include making money, hoarding money, and counting money. So, I thought it would be nice to trick him into giving a little bit of his money away to charity by making a fun, colorful box and giving it a name in a language he knows nothing about.

I'm just joking. We explained things, and happily, he was more than willing to donate to charity, in fact, he was very into it! We have yet to decide which charity, there are so many good ones to choose from.

This is the potato kugel that I made.

These are the two challah breads that I made.
This is the honey cake that I baked...
Also made from scratch, that only one other family member agreed to eat: a roasted chicken, (Oh wait, I skipped that.), matzo ball soup and green bean casserole.

POW!

This is Hector the cat, practicing his free throw.

We like to take walks around town. It's amazing how just living close to things, makes you leave your house more often. On foot! Of course, for all the times I'm all "Niiice. I'm walkin', burning those calories. Woot"! I walk right on over to the coffee shop, or when they force me, the cupcake shop.
Noah invented a new scooter move called the "Cross Bow". This boy be cross bowing and fancy footin' all over town now.
I would like everybody to know that I just stopped writing this post to go outside and make sure that "The squirrels are all ok". In the fall, I came up with these two "safety escape bridges" so that we would not have any rodents in peril in the mini-pool. Here is a gorgeous snap I took of a squirrel, mid-gallop on one of the safety escape bridges.
How can you not love these beautiful furbabies?

I asked Jon to purchase two frog Logs: The Critter- Saving Escape Ramp, for this summer. They're here, and I'm ready!

Gosh, those people have a lot of varmints in their pool.

I started draping a pattern for a dress. Then I gave up. Maybe I shouldn't have. In my mind, it's a 1950's summer dress. The fabric that I bought is a vintage reproduction - navy blue with tiny red and white flowers on it. I can't for the life of me, follow a pre-made pattern, but I can drape. The only problem is...... I can't sew! Not really.

I finally found somebody to appreciate and wear my crocheted pieces.

For two minutes. Then he thought they were annoying.
Notice my first completed hat! Which I am wearing as we speak. AND, the "scarflet" that I designed and crocheted for Jon, that he says is WOMANLY. Whaaaaaa? NO.

When Chip told me he was going in to get a little "work done". Some filler and check implants, I never expected this. I think he went too far. Do you?

Here is a picture of the hearts that I cut out, and stuck to all of the windows for February and Valentine's Day. I'm so angry, but I think the photos of what everything looked like from the outside were erased. I had also hung a big, sparkly, pink heart from a nail on the front of my porch. It was fabulous, at least to me.

See, there's something fun about living adjacent to a fairly busy street. Hundreds of people drive by each day, so your seasonal decorating does not go to waste. Just wait until the presidential election heats up. I have plans!

These are my springtime decorations! I put them up on March 2nd., and then of course it promptly snowed. Michael's Craft was having a 1/2-off sale on all of their wreathes and spring floral supplies. I found a basic wreath made out of twigs for cheap, and then bought several sprigs of spring flowers, all different colors and kinds. The sprigs of flowers were taken apart and then hot glued onto the wreath. I also bought some daisy garland 1/2-off! The last part was heading over to Paper Source, where I bought two packs of THESE Spring Daisy Flower Kits. It was a lot of fun putting them together and taping them up in the window with double sided tape.

I'm already scheming about late spring and summer decorations. I can't wait!

Today I made Beet Salad. Don't you just adore the color that beets dye everything? It's the most beautiful fuchsia you'll ever see. Nature makes gorgeous colors.......

Like this......

.......and this.
Here is Noah doing something that my Mother would have never let me do. I don't know, I thought it looked kind of rad. Like a freestyle walking trick.

Wait! SEE. I am NOT turning into my mother! Ha!

(ok, maybe a little bit.)

I've been trying to walk on the treadmill most days. Well, most weekdays. Today, when I saw the sun shining outside our window, I felt like I should get another little walk in. I needed some vitamin D! I walked around town, trying to stick to the sunny side of the street.

When I came to this view, it brought back a memory. This street kind of reminds me of West Portal, a neighborhood in San Francisco that we frequently visited. It was just a bit south of most of the hustle and bustle. West Portal felt to us, like the closest you could get to a small town, midwestern feel. Of course my my Main Street doesn't have the K, L, M and T trains running down it. Lol. Sweet memories.......

Look at this shirt! I love it! Maybe I could even make it. Mom, could you please come spill your paints on my shirt. Thanks.

This has been my very most favorite Anthropologie storefront design EVER!
Somewhere along my walk, about 15 minutes in, I noticed that my dress had clung to my coat and ridden up in the front! HOW EMBARRASSING! I was right by the police station. The po-po could have dragged me in for indecent exposure!

Now you have me all nostolgic for California.

I'm eating my hair and almost, omg, making a duck face. ACCIDENTALLY. Of course.

Oh yeah, we're on the top of Grand View Park in the Inner Sunset.

Noah angry on the N train. The N-Judah! I'm sure I've blogged about it before, but the N. rumbled past our flat day and night. The whole place would shake a little. It sounded just like the train in Spirited Away.
What was I wearing!? I actually ask myself that every day. Have you seen me lately?

Anyway, this is Noah and I at the top of Grand View Park. It was windy, but so gorgeous!
Here is Noah at the summit of Mt. Sutro. I remember him looking down and saying: "Look at all of the 'V'partments' down there"! He meant apartments. :)
Ok, it's getting late. Can you believe that I've been writing this "Show&Tell" post all day and into the evening!?

The last thing I had on the docket for recent things to show and tell is my new "whip". I mean ride, I mean car. I'm just.....excited. Sooooooooo......old green car was very old and needed lots of expensive work. Too expensive for us. It was REALLY difficult to let her go, green car had been with us for over eight years. Noah and I were sobbing when she drove away. :(

The good news is, is that she went to a super nice guy in New Jersey. He's going to fix her up and give old green car some more life!

So, if you're a Mom and you only have one kid and a need for some speed (ehem....WELL within the posted speed limit!), I think you should try a Mini Cooper with a manual transmition, racing stripes and a pair of kick-ass rims.

It's so so so much fun. I really recommend one. You should have seen me stuff a whole week's worth of groceries into the car with Noah and I. It was Lols, but possible!

And that is my show& Tell. Apparently, way more work than the original topic post that I was procrastinating over. Oy. ;)