On the Job

Last week I wrangled for 2 different clients, and one job in New Jersey had a woman there who caught me in the act.


Photography by Michelle Alton.

I think I now know why my face hurts on a wrangling day.

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Independent

My friend invited Phoebe to go camping with her family.

I think she expressed concern for her urban up-bringing, and the lack of green in our concrete jungle, and that camping was a necessity. I was convinced.

We made a deal with Phoebe. If she could save up a certain amount of money from her practicing money, then we would pay for the rest of her plane ticket to visit her friend and go camping. [Sidenote: my friend gave me the wrong dates for the camping trip, and I could not afford to change the ticket, so she is not actually camping, but is experiencing nature and green.]

She did it!

Thinking about the trip for almost an entire year, really motivated her to practice on the mornings when she didn't want to.

It came down to the morning of the trip. I had figured out all the details of traveling as an unaccompanied minor, and I was feeling pretty confident about the process, with a tiny bit of unease about my little one traveling alone across the US of A. I kept thinking about this time when she was a baby and she and I were together on a plane and it dipped suddenly. Her presence brought so much comfort to me as we emergency-landed and deplaned and started the trip all over again. I was hoping nothing like that happened to her on this flight.

As we drove to the airport I reminded her of how hard she had worked and how well she had saved. I told her; "you could have bought a bunch of hotdogs each week (one of her favorite treats), but instead you put the money away and saved it up." I told her how proud I was of her practicing and her saving and her being brave enough to go on the trip. She said: "Mom, I'm sort of crying, hearing you say that."

I then reminded her that if she felt any unease, or any nerves that she could say a prayer. She said: "But, I'm just going to say a prayer in my heart because I don't want to say it out loud, because that would be too embarrassing with the person sitting next to me." I replied that a prayer in heart was fine and that I had prayed that angels would attend her.

When we got to the airport, we waited in the long FULL SERVICE line, then the special services line, then the security line, with full plans to get breakfast at the airport because of all the waiting we would have to do. Instead we arrived at the gate right when they were boarding and though the map indicated there was a Dunkin Donuts right there at the gate, there was not. I tried to brainstorm what to get her for breakfast with very little time. She told me she could eat the dry cereal I had packed. I made sure her SIGG bottle was filled up with water from the fountain so she didn't have to wait for the drink service.

I was pretty horrified at myself that I hadn't gotten my child a proper breakfast just before a 6-hour flight, even though she also had a lunch packed and puh-lenty of snacks. I was even more horrified when we watched 5 sparrows descend into the water fountain for a bird bath, moments after we had filled her sigg bottle with water from that very fountain.

Two other Unaccompanied minors gathered around the desk. They were siblings, probably 13 and 14 years old. They looked a little rough around the edges and I worried about their language. (TOTALLY JUDGING I KNOW!). I introduced Phoebe to them and asked the girl, who took more interest in her than her brother, to "TAKE CARE OF MY BABY!"...they were all sitting together.

Then it was time to go. Phoebe waved and said BYE MOM! I insisted on a hug, then she turned and walked onto the plane, and didn't even glance back.

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Feelings

Last night as I was drifting off to sleep...

My eyes were closed but smiling and I felt a real, Kristy emotion. It was clear and penetrating and not clouded by anything else.

And, it was HAPPY.

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Movie in the Park

Movie in the Park.

I saw Twilight. It was beautiful weather and my allergies weren't too bad.

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Artist Date

I HEART Etsy.

During a search for CLOCHE, I came across this fabulous hat shop. I love these hats because of the unconventional shapes and versatility.

I fell in love with the aqua fedorable, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for so long that I had to have one. I realized that the hat-maker is near my hood, so I tried to set up a time when I could try on some of the hats, but that didn't work out. It was okay because I was still just set on this 1 hat, I knew I would end up with it in the end anyway.



I saved my pennies and arranged for a pick-up, to save on shipping, and waited a week for the hat's completion.

Wednesday, Lolly and I stopped by to pick up the hat and Terry graciously opened her home and studio for us to take a look around. Her husband engaged Lolly in a game of marbles, in which she finagled 3 marbles out of his possession, into hers, and I got a chance to see the studio.

The door on the outside has 4 letters painted in pink: hats. Inside are large rolls of fabric, stacks of ribbons, a large sewing table, bulletin board with patterns and I am sure much more, but I didn't take a photo and I wasn't there long enough to soak in every detail. I loved the space. Someday, maybe, I can have an artist space of my own...though I do love my "nook" as a friend recently called it.

If you would like your own Terry Graziano hat, you can shop on etsy. This month she is giving 20% off a hat a week, and you can find these updates on her twitter page or her blog. She is a really open, nice person, and does impeccable work, all stitched by her hands. Next on my list: Fine and Dandy. That green bow! Stop it.

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Paint

We painted last weekend.

This paint was a white chalky nasty paint that we SHOULD have painted the day we closed, but instead we waited two years and took everything apart and it was a big pain and yadda yadda...so from white to REJUVENATE:

Oh, and the desk, we put it in a notch too high, and it's annoying, and we still haven't fixed it yet. Maybe in 2 years.

And I decided to paint this hand-me-down bookshelf CERULEAN:

I'll be honest, despite my primer and two coats of high-glass cerulean, I am nervous this paint is going to chip pretty bad. So far I have made a rule: No taking anything off the shelves, no putting anything back on the shelves. And this is completely impractical as this bookshelf gets a lot of traffic. On the "to budget" list is perhaps a new bookshelf.

And on the "to do/to budget" list is about 3 tiny frames to put in between the pink frame there and the GOD BLESS OUR PAD embroidery.

Oh, and a new leather sectional to replace those blueish couches, and a new rug and mounting the tv, which might totally change this nook anyway.....oh the "to budget" list!

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Gradually Going Green

I happened upon Two Coves a few weeks ago.

I finally got a chance to stop by briefly the other night to take a quick peek.



I want a garden plot.

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Grass

For some reason, I find the grass in my mini-condo-backyard endlessly fascinating.

Before, it was pocked with brown/yellow spots from our neighbor dogs doing their business on it. Finally our management got on it and the dogs doody = big fine.

Our super then made it his goal to regrow the grass. He smothered each spot with grass seeds and it worked! But, I think the grass seeds he used are different from the existing grass. See, how the lawn seems spotted with lighter green patches?

And the new grass is not only light in color, but it also grows about double-speed to the existing grass. Our lawn is only even for a few hours the day it is mowed, and then those ilght green patches just get taller and taller:

It's been probably 6 weeks and it still pleases me to no end. Don't be surprised if I do a more involved photoshoot involving the crazy grass before the summer is over.

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Geared up.

Checking out the latest loose tooth.

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