Our song (Today is the 23rd of May)

My dad loved Bill Cosby, the Smothers Brothers, and Allan Sherman records (and other racier ones that we weren't allowed to listen to, as you can imagine). Still, it was my little sister who noticed, circa 1978, that both of our birthdays are in this Allan Sherman song. Twice a year, one of us calls up the other and sings our birthday song. I like it.  

Our song starts around 4:42. And the video is just a shot of the album cover and the vinyl, but I'm just lucky I found it online at all, peeps. 

I'll probably post more later today. Until then,and/or if not, happy birthday to me, Jeff Kolness, Diane Nelson, Barney Selzler, and the rest of us May 23rders. I think I'll go find me some liverwurst.

Name that flower!

I took pictures of some wildflowers this weekend, but I only know the name of one of them.  Why don't you show off your vast plant knowledge and educate me?

I think they're all pretty awesome, whatever they're called. As I came up out of the ditch, a woman walked by and said "You know, that ditch is full of poison ivy." Thanks for the (too late) heads up, lady. Still, I must've avoided those nasty leaves of three, because nothing itches today. And the ditch is clearly not FULL of poison ivy, because if it were, there would be no room for those pretty flowers.

First swim

The new yellow swimsuit, in action yesterday at Lake Belle Taine. It was windy and cool but she was sure she'd have fun. 

 She was right. 

 It was lovely weather for ducks, too. 

Seven looked on with concern. 

About ten minutes after she got out of the lake, the thunderstorms began, and stayed the rest of the weekend. I hope it wasn't because we offended Mother Nature by swimming before Memorial Day.

Thrift Score: V edition

Oh, summertime! So lush and green and hot and full of bugs. I finally signed V up for swimming lessons: they start in June. So the girl needs a swimsuit. Since she continues to grow at remarkable speeds (she looks like a 3rd grader, and the people at the Snap Dragon, where kids 6 and under eat free on Sundays, think I'm a terrible liar of a mother), last year's swimsuits will only carry her so far. Target has adorable swimsuits, I know, but they are at least $10 each. There's so little fabric, and for just one summer's wearing, I can't stomach it! (I did buy her a cute orange and turquoise one last year, so the girl knows that new Target smell of clothes. I swear I'm not depriving her). I buy almost all my own clothes at thrift stores, so I figured it was worth a try. At the same time, swimsuits, esp. for kids, often get worn hard, so that when I have found them, at Saver's, for example, the seats are usually too pilled or threadbare to be really worth buying. Knowing all this, I went to our local Boy's Ranch, hoping against the odds for something good.

And I was not disappointed! A brand new cotton dress, two new swimsuits, an Amelia Bedelia book, a music game for the DSi, and sneakers a half size bigger than her current shoes, all for under $20. I win!

A brief note about thrift store clothes: I know some people find it kind of icky to buy previously worn clothes, especially those that go right next to the skin, like under things or swimsuits. I respect and understand that reaction, but I don't share it. Well, I do for panties: panties should be a one-owner product. But brand new clothes are often covered in all kinds of germs and pesticides, and if you buy them in stores they were likely tried on before you got to them. Swimsuits, bras, and socks all strike me as worth saving money on if they're in good shape, and after a good washing don't bother me at all. Bake a pie, eat a pie, as it were. 

All thrift stores sometimes get new items donated, though, and if the hang tags are still on an article of clothing, I have no qualms about paying thrift store prices for a brand new item. The pink swimsuit in the photo, bottom right, still had the store tags on it, and it was a $24 suit, marked down to $3.99. The yellow one piece, above, still has the protective panty liner in it, and was donated by Target (which I can tell by the Target brand tag, marked through with a permanent marker), and was $2.99. The girl gets 2 brand new suits for less than the price of one! 

The shoes and dress were likewise Target donations, as was the video game. I don't normally buy V shoes when she's not with me to try on, because she wears braces in her shoes that can be tricky to fit. But she tried on some size 2 Converses just the other day, and though she didn't like the look of those (a boring pink pair), the braces fit just fine, and I'm pretty sure the addition of sequins and hearts will win her over to these. And if not, my little niece, a fashionista at only three, will love them in a few years. 

Whew. It was a big triumphant thrift store day for me, so I thought I'd share it with you. The book is already in the library, the video game in the gift closet (sh!), and the clothes are in the washer. Good luck in your shopping today, gentle readers! And happy, happy summertime.

Rage Against the Flying Machines

I don't fly much, because I am a simple, driving woman. But when I do, it's most often from Fargo, and most often to Vegas, which means I fly Allegiant Air. They have recently changed their carry-on policy, so that carry-on bags, which used to be free, now cost $24.99 in advance, or $34.99 the day of the flight. This would be fine, of course, if ticket prices dropped accordingly, but they haven't, and so this new policy really gives me pause. More than pause, it pisses me off. So I thought I'd find myself a way around it. From their website, passengers are still allowed one personal item free of charge. And I quote:

Examples of personal items include:

1. Male or female purse
2. Briefcase
3. Laptop computer
4. Camera case
5. Portable electronic devices of similar or smaller size to items listed above
6. The exterior dimensions for a personal item must not exceed 7" H X 15" W X 16" D (this measurement includes wheels, pockets, handles and decorations).
7. The personal item must be placed under the seat in front of you.
8. An oversized personal item may be considered a carry-on bag (fees apply).  Please measure your bags carefully.

So...if I were to have a purse or some other bag that measures 7x15x16 or less, including all hardware and handles and stuff, and I could fit all I needed for a trip in there, well, then, I would save myself $25.

I've been to Vegas three times, and each time we flew out on Monday and came home on Friday, so we spent 4 nights away. Now, camping for 4 nights and 5 days, I could wear the same clothes most of the time, and would only need to pack sunscreen, bugspray, and a few sandwiches. (You're not going to invite me to go camping with you, are you?) But in Vegas, I like to dress up a bit, wear a little make-up, maybe some earrings...could I pack for all of that in just a 7x15x16 bag?  I decided to try.

 I should mention that we have no real plans to go to Vegas right now: I'm teaching summer school, and Shaun's still got this new-ish job, and we're not financially in a position to wander off to Vegas willy-nilly. Quite. I'm working on it. Anyway, above, the bag from the side: you can clearly see it is less than 7" here, thanks to my handy Hendrum Grain Elevator yardstick.

 And though this one is harder to see, trust me that this side is only about 14". This bag is, by the way, a prototype, made with my less-favorite fabrics to just try out the idea/refine my pattern. The navy is very strong nylon, double thickness, and the zippers (there are two) are from our local hardware store, at 80cents each. If I make one again, I'm thinking of using a lovely sparkle vinyl, maybe.

 And this side is under 16". And it's packed. With everything I need for 5 days in Vegas. I swear!

The rear-end, measuring in at just over 6". Whee! But wait. Maybe you still don't believe me. 

 Here it is, unzipped for your voyeuristic pleasure.

 My liquids bag, in a front pocket for easy access. I've packed 5 prs of one-a-day contacts, a small tube of sunscreen, toothpaste, lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner, and my 2 inhaler canisters (which are technically considered liquids, apparently). It's all there, baby.

 Let me prove it to you: unpacked, above, are five shirts of varying sleeve lengths (I'll wear a lightweight jacket, because, though it's the middle of the desert, the A/C can be fierce in some casinos). I'd only need four tops, but I'm a sloppy woman, and I like to have options. The patterns on the shirts help to hide the sloppiness, too.

Basic things: my Nintendo DSiXL, which has 100 classic books locked and loaded; my sexy carpal tunnel braces; and my make-up bag, with my remaining make-up, my pills, and my Maalox, which mama needs in Vegas. And my eyelash curler, which is really unnecessary, but again, it's Vegas.

 But wait, there's more! Above: my swimsuit, a black skirt, a white skirt, a gray skirt, a brown pink and cream skirt, and brown pants. I could totally leave out two of those skirts and double up, but if I have the room, why not?

 Then, at the very bottom, my extra shoes (I'll wear the bulkier, less-practical pair on the plane), with my undergarments. That's right. I"m not afraid to post photos of those on the internets. And that is all. See? Everything I need for 5 days in Sin City. Not pictured: a small purse, which will easily fit, as will my camera and charger (I can't take a photo of the camera with which I'm taking a photo). And the cell phone and charger. Ta-da!

I feel vindicated, and if I ever fly to Vegas again, Allegiant Air is simply not getting an extra $24.99 from me.

Now I just have to convince Shaun to come with me. And we'll live happily ever after.

What are your favorite packing tips?

Wildlife photography

As a little girl, I was never squeamish around bugs. I rather liked them, actually. Potato bugs, though, were one of the banes of our existence, and the half-acre of potatoes my mother regularly planted were at risk, always, from these varmints. Our parents would pay us 1/2 a penny per bug, during peak season. 

 Perhaps because I had a hand in killing thousands of his brethren, this little feller showed up on my windshield one day last week. Instead of gathering him into a tobacco can with 1/2 an inch of gasoline, as was our wont, I just took his picture, and then drove him away from our yard, where he blew off somewhere near the fire station up the street. He's kind of pretty, though, when he's not decimating our winter's food source.

 In not really related news, this little inchworm found her way unto my shirt this afternoon. I know that inchworms can cause massive devastation to plants and trees, but I have no charming childhood story of massacre for this one. I just thought the baby inchworm was cute.

I took her outside for better light, got some extreme close ups of my thumb, and set her free. I hope she's not in cahoots with the potato bug family. I'll be so disappointed.

Those photos I promised you

Almost new Ruff Hewn X-strap mary janes: $3. Aren't they cute? Yes, I have other red mary janes, but these are clearly completely different. Don't judge me. 

Then I made  myself a new summer-y purse. I've been working a lot with vinyl, lately, and I really like it, but lordy, vinyl does not breathe. By definition, it's too hot for summertime, so I found some very pretty cotton and made myself a mock-Vera Bradley bag. (I actually own 2 Vera Bradley bags: one kinda of like this, in Paprika, which was a gift from my sister-in-law and which I love so much I only carry it on special occasional, and one like this, which I got for $2.50 at the thrift store, which I also love but I'm sort of bored with the colors, which are muted blue and cream and brown.) So, ta-da!

Fantastic rainbow fabric from Mill End, with lots of interior pockets and a lining made from orange and red fabric that we used at our wedding ten years ago. There's a big zipper pocket inside, with pen and cell phone pockets opposite, and a smaller zipper pocket on the outside. I quilted the fabrics together with a lightweight cotton batting, though next time I think I'll just use a nice interfacing: the quilting just takes up too much space in a small bag. I even got fancy and added a loop onto which I could clip my keys. You know how that is, when you toss you keys in your purse, and then you have dig all the way to the bottom? I hate that. So I added a little loop on the strap. 

 Only I didn't think that particular addition through, so it points to my boob. Like you wouldn't notice my them anyway, I now have a prominent detail on my lovely handmade bag clearly drawing attention to my right breast. Awesome.

But I can fix that, and otherwise it's pretty cute.

Now the 6 year old is telling me she's hungry, so I'd better go rustle up grub. How's your summer going?

Summertime!

Grades went in on Monday, so today is my second official day of summer. I thought you'd like to share in the joy that is my to-do list.

Walk the girl to school: done.
Morning nap: done.
Clean the kitchen: contemplated.
Selfish thrift-store shopping: done. Sweet $3 red mary janes scored. Photos to follow.
Mow the backyard: done. I had to restart that poor mower four times, but I got it done.
Pick the girl up from school, walking the dog to and fro: done.
Clean the dining room: considered.
Make a tasty supper that somehow includes broccoli: done. Unanimously voted as tasty.
Sew myself a cute summer purse: done. Photos to follow.

It was a pretty great way to start my summer. Hope your day was full of things you like, too.

Zzzz

If we hadn't named the girlchild V, (and if I didn't already have a cousin named Zya), we may well have chosen the letter Z. Look at it: it just looks cool. All N turned sideways, alphabet ending, nothin' more to say Z. In honor of V's almost name, let's make the final entry in April's A to Z blogging challenge a special name edition.

Zillah is the final entry in Edward Gorey's "Ghashlycrumb Tinies" (spoiler alert!): she died because she drank too much gin.
Zuzu: one of the names I liked for V, this is, I'm sure you remember, from It's a Wonderful Life: Zuzu is George Bailey's daughter. She's the one who gives him the flower petals that he puts in his pocket.
Zsa Zsa: I'm not crazy about the Gabor sisters, but I love the name Zsa Zsa. It's sexy and playful and it's just plain awesome.
Zachhaeus: He was a wee little man. A wee little man was he. Any name that packs both a Z and 3 of the 5 vowels is a good name indeed.

Thank you all for reading and commenting this month! It's been fun, and I'm taking suggestions for further daily challenges/themes. Send your ideas toward me, won't you?

You thought I wasn't gonna finish, didn't you?

Yodeling: I have a vague memory of my dad's cousin's ex-wife yodeling in a country-western style when I was about ten. Even before then, I loved the sound of yodeling. It may have started with this awesome Leroy Van Dyke song (which isn't really yodeling, but is so melodic), but we also listened to a lot of Hank Williams and Jimmie Rogers when I was growing up, and that vocal break has always been appealing to my tender ears. With the joy of the internet, YouTube will teach me how to yodel (with Bonnie) if I want, which I clearly do. I'm not quite sure what I'll do with the new, impressive talent I'm sure to develop, but karaoke night in Fargo is never gonna be the same. I sure hope Pepper has this song.

X

I loved X the Owl as a kid, but not as much as Henrietta Pussycat. I think that's normal. (I mean, I loved Henrietta Pussycat more than I loved X the Owl, not that Henrietta Pussycat loved X the Owl more than I did. Though that's certainly possible. I always assumed X the Owl was gay, though. Poor Henrietta. Meow meow boys meow).

When we play alphabet games, V and I often resort to saying x-ray fish. They are lovely little tetra fish you can see through, sort of, but I actually like fish x-rays much more. Check out these from the Smithsonian (ah! undulating eel!).

Now, if I don't have a lengthy-ish story to tell, I like to have at least three things that start with the letter of the day, as I'm sure you've all noticed. So I had to look some up, since I didn't want to use xylophone. But how exciting! You and I both get to learn new words!

• Xylomancy is divination by examining the wood found in one's path. Marvelous! I must learn this and practice it constantly!
• And I'm embarrassed that I didn't know that a xiphopagus is a set of conjoined twins joined by a band of flesh on the torso (like Chang and Eng!) 
• Shaun would likely suggest that around this time of the semester, I am often a xanthippe, an ill-tempered woman. Really, that's a possibility year-round. 
• I hope I never, in any capacity in this life or the next, encounter a surgeon's instrument for scraping bones, called a  xyster. I guess I'd rather hear my surgeon ask the nurse for a xyster than a bone scraper, though, when it comes right down to it. 

I can tell by the sticks in your path that you're unlikely to be either a xanthippe or part of a xiphopagus. Congratulations! And if you do tangle with a xyster, may it be very sharp and held by steady hands. 

Double-ewe: a down home collection

Wandering: I love the Tolkein quote, "Not all those who wander are lost," and when my work or home life gets too crazy, I dream of the woods by the Red River, where I used to wander for hours and hours as a kid. I followed deer trails all the way to where the Elm meets the Red, and then I'd turn around and come back. I should really ask Steve Harrington (who bought that land when I was a teenager) if I could wander there again this spring or summer.


Winnifred and Winnifred Turnipseed: My dad used to rent land from this lovely couple, named Winnifred and Winnifred Turnipseed. I know: if I hadn't met Mrs. Turnipseed myself when I was young, I wouldn't believe it either. I believe they used to farm in Traill County, and had retired and moved away and rented their land to us. Mr. Turnipseed died first (I never met him, that I recollect), leaving only one Winnifred Turnipseed. I remember that when I met her, her hair was short and white and she wore a Mickey Mouse watch, which I thought was very cool.

Wood ticks: What with all the wandering I did as a child, it should come as no surprise that I've encountered lots and lots of wood ticks. My two favorite wood tick stories: once, after picking lilacs that grew over by the railroad tracks near my hometown, I came home just covered in ticks. Well, not totally covered (ew!), but I counted until 27, and found many many more after that. My dad had fun setting them all on fire, though. Secondly, the very first time we took V to the lake, she was about six weeks old. She slept in a pack and play beside my bed, and when we woke up in the morning, I noticed a little something in her tiny, tiny ear. It was up on the top, under the crease. And since you've read this whole paragraph, I bed you already know what was there. An attached, insistent wood tick. On my precious, precious baby. I woke up my baby daddy, handed her off, and drove like a woman whose child was being devoured by a vampiric nuisance to the local drug store, where I bought a tweezers and three homemade caramels (mamas need a lot of candy, in the beginning). I removed the offending tick, considered mosquito netting for future visits, and spent the rest of the weekend on wood tick sparked adrenaline fumes.

Why yes, her name is V

When Shaun and I first talked about having a baby, we agreed immediately on a name for a boy: Dewey David. In that one name, we honor both of our fathers, and there's really no argument to be had. But a girl's name? Without an obvious choice (Myra Mary or Mary Myra just didn't sing for us, and besides, they're both still alive, which makes it complicated), oh, we could not agree. 

I love fancy/old fashioned names. Sylvia, Olivia, Sophia, Zuzu...Shaun liked none of them. Old lady names, he called them, or just too strange. Isabella, Carpathia, Ruth, Eliza, Beverly....no, no, no, no, no....Finally I asked what names he liked. Something simple, he said, like Jill. Or Ann. 

Now, I have nothing against any Jills or Anns, but as a Jennifer, I know how it is to have a name that is completely unmemorable. No way was I going to name my daughter Jill or Ann. 

These exhausting discussions all happened well into our marriage. Years earlier, on our second date, he had shot down the one girl's name I have loved the most. I had wanted, for many years, to name my firstborn daughter Ruby. Somehow Tenessa was there, and told him I wanted a girl named Ruby. He immediately responded, "Ruby's the name of my toilet." 

This raised several questions for me, as you might imagine: "what kind of man names his toilet?" for starters. 

Anyway, it turns out that his toilet really was named Ruby, but that's for some other post.  My point is, Ruby was clearly not an option, though it's a lovely name.

One day, not long before we got pregnant, Shaun came home from work and said "What about a letter?" After my initial confusion, I saw he meant as a name. "You know, S. Epatha Merkerson is an actress on Law and Order. We could name our potential daughter a letter, couldn't we?" (I know now that his logic there was flawed, since her S. stands for Sharon. Harry S Truman, on the other hand, his S was just an S). So I said, "How about V? You've always loved that mini-series, right?"  And so it was decided.

I mean, that part, anyway, for us. There was some weeping and gnashing of teeth by the grandparents-to-be, and we had to chose a middle name, but this, gentle readers, is how we decided to name our daughter V. We love her so.

Kids Sewing Challenge: Days 2 and 3!

I was done with day 2 by day 2, I swear. I just didn't have time to upload the photos yesterday. (I may or may not have misplaced my camera for a day or two). 

 V's class is studying caterpillars/chrysalises/butterflies right now, so when she found this shiny butterfly fabric in my stash, she was certain she needed a dress. It's only a yard, I said. Well, a shirt then, she conceded.

 And because we were in a hurry, and I'm a rebel, and not too bright, I made it without a pattern. I folded it in half, cut a hole for her head, and slipped it on her. Then I pinned the side seams and the arm seams while she wore it (which I doubt she'll let me do again, since it caused a lot of little pokes on the way off), sewed those up, then finished the neckline and sleeve hems with a little foldover-foldover hem, and wa-la. A very pretty, non-skanky, shimmery shiny butterfly shirt.

And day three's project is less well photographed, obviously, so maybe for day 4 I'll try to get more, better pictures of day 3. But I made this hat, via Martha Stewart. It's totally reversible, and yes, that's robot fabric. Again. Anyway, I used interfacing on the orange fabric, since it's just basic quilting cotton, and I really liked how quickly and easily this came together. The brim is still a bit too floppy, but I'm envisioning a whole wardrobe of summery hats for everyone I know.

May your needles be sharp and your fabrics unwrinkled.

U (yes, u)

U R Kewt: Each semester, I get more and more papers from students that use text-y words. U know? i have put in my syllabus that u cannot use letters instead of words btw, but they still do. I expect it in the first papers, bristle for the second, and by the third papers, I just stop reading the second i get to "u c?" or "cuz".  If I could tell students one thing, I would want them to know that it's insulting to me, as a teacher, when they hand in crap like that.

Undulating: Well, now, that's just a fun word, isn't it? I am afraid of eels and anemones and sea things that undulate. I don't mind strobe lights, though. So now you know. (do you like how I stopped saying u for you? Me too).

Umpteenth: I really like this word, but V prefers googol or googolplex. I try to explain to her that googol is now Google and so  no longer means what she thinks it means, but she doesn't listen to me.  I also like words like eleventeen, lots and lots, and boatloads. I especially like those words when they pertain to cream cheese based food, or time off from work. 

Kids' Clothes Week Challenge: Day 1!

To take a little break from the A to Z stuff, it's also Kids' Clothes week over at elsie marley. And since I said I'd play along, here I am, playing along. I completely avoided took a break from grading this weekend to sew up a little Simplicity 1903: Toddler and Child's Romper for V. I was a little nervous, as it only goes to a size 8, and V's more in size 10 range these days, so I added the pink stripe on the side. I think it would've been fine without it (romper's aren't exactly form fitting, you know), but I do like the contrast of that pink. 

 It's a very easy pattern, with only 3 different pattern pieces: the ties, the ruffle, and the romper itself, which you cut out in four identical pieces. I'm not sure what move she's doing, below, but it's probably ninja related.

 I was going to make this is a pink linen (the child loves pink these days), but found the Best Fabric Ever at Mill End on Friday. It's an upholstery fabric, actually, from Timeless Treasures. But it feels quite like a heavier linen: it's got a nice hand to it, not too close to denim, but substantial and awesome. It has robots! Orange and pink freaking robots!!! I only bought two yards (and this only took one yard of it) and I may need to go back and buy all the rest. I love it so. Lookit! (I should've matched the print better on the center seam. I hate matching prints, though. Besides, she promptly stained it, so I'm going to put in a pocket, anyway).

Here's V, rockin' the romper to the grocery store. It was chilly out so she needed the jacket,but the thing is roomy enough to wear with a shirt underneath, too. She loves it very much, and so do I. 

I think, no matter what happens the rest of this week, we can call the week a success, just based on this one little romper. What say you?

T is for Teaching

It's the last week of the semester, so I thought I'd go off on my semi-annual teaching rant. I teach at a community college, where students fall all over the spectrum, from very very bright to not so bright at all; from single mothers of six (!) to 16 year old Post-Secondary-Option students to nearly 80 year olds. Many of them cheat, or don't try very hard, or expect me to hand them an A just for showing up 51% of the time. I was all ready to tell you how exhausting it can be, semester in and semester out, to try to motivate people who are here because they believe it will help them get a better paying job, but beyond that they don't see the point in learning much. "Why do I need to know this?" "Will this be on the test?" Ach.

That part is true. It is exhausting. But on my way down the hall to write this post (from my classroom halfway across the college), two things happened that made me change my mind. First, I bumped into a former student, one who is very bright, just naturally. He's graduating next week, and looking forward to doing work besides bar tending for the first time in five years. He has grown so much, since I first met him, and completely understands the joy of learning. He'll go on to get his Bachelor's degree, and I know he will do well. A few minutes later, I passed a student from three years ago, a solid C writer who worked hard on every single paper, and moved herself up in just one semester to solid Bs. She told me excitedly that she's been chosen as this spring's student speaker for commencement. "I had to write an essay, you know. That's how they chose me. You have no idea how much you've helped me."

And so, I come to tell a different story. Many of my students are first generation college students, and many have challenges in their lives I can barely imagine. Many of them don't know anyone who's read Shakespeare, ever. And many of them come with open hearts, to try to learn, to grow as humans, to see the world in new ways. And they do. They learn and their minds expand and sometimes even when they don't want to they learn to like Shakespeare. This is why I teach, why I try semester in and semester out to motivate students who aren't even sure why they're here.

They have no idea how much they've helped me.

Suitcases

I have a surprising amount to say on the topic of suitcases. Special thanks to my sister and her lovely husband, who reminded me of this this morning.

Samsonite: Oh, Samsonite. The most beautiful of all suitcases, especially the vintage hardsides. I have one in white, red, and pink, and if I find one in orange and/or blue and/or yellow, they WILL be mine. Mostly, after the NYC incident, my Samsonites live in the basement and hold my craft supplies, including fabric, altered book stuffs, and rubber stamp things. I dream of making coffee tables out of a few, and I'm also very fond of the child-sized suitcases, which are easy to move and look cooler than boring old briefcases. There is something magical about the very smell of a well-cared for Samsonite, and when the satin lining is intact? I'll pay up near $7. Check your attic, people. If you complete my collection, I'll put a picture of you on my sidebar for a month.

Duffel bags: I don't really know what inspired me to buy the pattern for that fabric duffel, but I'm so glad I did. I really love making them, and I love using them, too. V's has enough room for her to pack four dolls, clothes for a weekend, plus five or six Rugrats books. Mine lets me pack five outfits for a single weekend, plus two pairs of shoes, my Nintendo DSxl, my jewelry bomb, and maybe some pajamas, if I remember to pack them. Plus, they're adorable. Travelling is even more fun this way!

Carry-ons: So I don't fly very often, but when I do, it's almost always on Allegiant Air. Unfortunately, they just recently decided to charge up to $35 per carry-on. That's right. Per carry-on. Meaning no one who works for the airline even has to touch your stuff, really, but they're going to charge you $35 for the opportunity to carry it yourself. I know airlines are trying to keep fares low, but this strikes me as ridiculous, and so rather than just give in and check my bag, or pay to carry one on, I have big plans. Allegiant's website indicates that each person is allowed to carry on one thing without charge: you know, a laptop, or a medium purse. At least that's what the airline hopes people will carry on. The "free" bag can measure up to 15"x16"x7". You know where this is going, right?  I'm going to use a strong, thin fabric to make a bag of those dimensions, and then all I need to do is make sure I can fit all I need for my next trip to Vegas in that space. Or on my person. It's been years since I read Heidi, but I know she didn't have a suitcase, so she wore all three of her dresses at once when she went to live with her grandfather. If it's good enough for Heidi, it's good enough for me. Take that, Allegiant Air. 

Romance

In June, we will have been married ten years. More than a quarter of my life with him. 

 He's never been a flowers and chocolates kind of guy, but he'll put together a gingerbread cemetery with us after Halloween.

 And he doesn't like holding my hand in public, but he can sing a love song that makes me weak in the knees.

He pulls his socks up way too high, but he's a patient, gentle father, and a funny, caring husband. I've got plenty of romance over here.

Quilting with friends

I write about my quilts and other sewing excitement fairly often here, so it must come as no surprise to you that Q is for Quilts. I considered just directing you to the "Quilts of Our Lives" series, in fact, and calling it good. But then I remembered these photos I took at our last quilting retreat, and decided you probably wanted to see them.

 The first rule of Quilt Retreat is we don't talk about quilt retreat. No, wait. It's that you don't have to take a shower if you don't want to. No, wait. It's that we offer sisterhood and support to each other in a crafty way. Yes. That's the first rule.

 The second rule of Quilt Retreat is it must include some combination of the Johnson Girls and the Sund*seth Girls (the asterisks protect the innocent from unnecessary Googling). My mom was a freshman in college in 1961 when she met this crazy woman, Kathy from Detroit Lakes. They became part of a rough and tumble group of card players and, after graduation, remained close friends. I wrote about them years ago here. And other places too. Anyway, my point is, I've known Jennifer (above, in green), and Emily, (up above, in pink, saying something with passion) for my entire life, and they are like sisters to me and Jess, but without the weird competition vibe you sometimes get with your own sister.

 Married into this tangled mess is Min*ke, above, who provides a calm, thoughtful perspective under the dull roar that is the rest of us. She also is mama to twin sons, who are the oldest of the grandchildren in our group. She once made a king-sized flannel quilt and decided that was enough quilting for anyone, so she added really cool stencils to t-shirts for her boys during our latest festival.

 And here is Meagan, whose name I rarely spell correctly on the first try, and whose figurative adoption into the Sund*seth clan more than ten years ago (How long has it been, M?) has brought all of us so much joy. She is an expert knitter, a beekeeper, and soon a graduate student who fits right into to our crazy little family.

The third rule of Quilt Retreat is to keep it classy. Above, one of our matriarchs, picking breakfast out of her teeth with a pin, I believe. If you don't know how to play cards, Kathy will teach you, and then proceed to never ever let you win. But she'll do it in a classy way, I tell you.

The fourth rule of Quilt Retreat is something mechanical always goes wrong. Here, Em, Meagan, and I have taken apart my poor Shark sewing machine (don't try this at home. I mean it). On the one hand, cool sewing machine innards, eh? On the other hand, we still couldn't fix it. But we sure had fun trying.

 The fifth rule of Quilt Retreat is no drinking until you're done cutting. Obviously, these three had finished for the evening and were on to wine-fueled discussions of music therapy or dog ownership, probably.

There may be other rules, but if you follow these five, you're sure to have a productive, entertaining weekend of crafty goodness. Now pass me the rotary cutter, and make sure to save me some wine.