Stacyverb

Yay, reading!

Reading has always been a huge part of my life, and I'm sad to say that I haven't done much of it in the past year or two.  Working so much last year especially, I would climb into bed and read for about 15 minutes and fall asleep, and usually that was about all the time each day I could devote to books. 

This year, I'm determined to make reading a higher priority in my life!  I'm actually getting up earlier in the morning, just so I can have some dedicated reading time.  I sit in my Ikea chair and drink my coffee and read, and that gets my day off to a fine start.

Over in my sidebar there's a little ticker that says "2012 Reading Challenge."  I snagged that from Goodreads (where technically I'm a member, but I don't bother writing reviews or anything like that--I just use the site to keep track of books I've read and want to read).  The reading challenge lets you decide how many books you want to read this year.  I set my goal at 30, which is very modest compared to how many I've been known to read in the past.  But considering I think I only read about a dozen books in 2011, 30 would definitely be a huge improvement.  Mostly I just like having the ticker there to remind me that reading is important to me.

The first book I've finished so far this year is American Rust by Philipp Meyer.  I loved this book so much.  A bleak but beautiful story about the people of a small Pennsylvania town that has fallen on hard times after the steel mill closed.  How do they get away?  Do they want to?  And if they try to, what are the ramifications of that?  And if they don't or can't, whose fault is that?  An act of violence near the beginning of the book sets the stage to examine all of these questions and more.

Mandolin mania

I know I've mentioned a couple of times on this blog that I wanted to learn to play the mandolin someday.  This is one of those things that you keep putting off, because you don't have the money to buy an instrument or take lessons, you have enough other things clamoring for your time and attention, blah blah blah.

But then an occasion comes (say, Christmas), and someone (say, my dad) decides to take matters into their own hands and get you a mandolin.  That's what just happened to me.

This photo shows me on my parents' couch, moments after opening the gift (not shown: actual moment of me opening the gift and being utterly shocked).  The tag is still on.  I have no idea what I'm doing.  But I have a mandolin.

So, I've been working on it.  With the help of a booklet that came with it, YouTube, a DVD from the library, random tips from friends who actually know how to play stringed instruments, and much trial and error, I'm learning.

My favorite thing about receiving this gift is that it demonstrates how thoughtful and sneaky my dad is. :)  My other favorite thing about it is that it serves no practical purpose whatsoever.  I'm not striving to be a professional musician here.  It is purely for enjoyment.  I'm doing it for the simple reason that I want to.  Without someone actually giving me an instrument, who knows how long I would have postponed attempting this, just because there are always more "important" things to do?

What dreams are you postponing because they're not practical?  How could you help give someone else a nudge to pursue an impractical goal?

Welcome, 2012!

Happy New Year, readers!  I hope you all saw 2011 out in style.

Looking back at 2011, it wasn't a banner year in my world, but it sure beat the crap-fest that was 2010.  Anthony and I basically went into 2011 thinking of it as a time to regroup and recover from 2010, to lay low and focus on work and finances.  I think we did that very well, and although it was often stressful and/or boring, we did manage to save a lot of money and give ourselves a little breathing room.

My wish/hope/plan/goal for 2012 can basically be summed up like this: to be more like myself again.  Because I'm not really a person who likes to spend all her time working, or all her brain cells thinking about budgets and bills.  I can be very focused when I have to be, but my preferred lifestyle is much more well-rounded. 

So in 2012, I really want to make sure I make time for things that I often had to sacrifice in 2011: socializing, reading, sewing, traveling, and more.  Writing, too--on the blog and otherwise. 

How about you?  What would you like 2012 to do for you?

Finished: Black sparkly hat

Don't worry, I'm here.  Thank you to everyone who sent their condolences about Nacho Kitty.  I really appreciate all your kind words!

What have I been doing, since I clearly haven't been blogging?  Well, here's one thing:

Terrible picture, but anyway.  It's the Peace Street Hat from the Holidays Gifts 2011 issue of Interweave Knits.  Although you can't really tell from this photo, the hat has a hint of sparkle.  I held one strand of black alpaca together with a strand of metallic yarn (also black) to create this subtle shimmery effect.  The buttons are some pretty glass gems from Blue Moon Buttons.  This is my new go-to hat for the holiday season.

Let's see, what else?  I'm trying really hard not to catch a cold.  Yesterday I felt yucky all day, but last night I had a hot toddy and then a lot of sleep and I'm feeling much better this morning.  I'll be eating tangerines all day to load up on vitamin C and ward off any cold germs (not to mention scurvy--man, there's nothing like a pesky case of scurvy to ruin your Christmas vacation).

I hope you all are doing great and enjoying the holidays!

Thanks for the memories

It's been just over 24 hours since the shocking, sad loss of our Nacho Kitty.  While those last moments were terrible, and I'm sure I'll never forget them, I don't want them to overshadow the four years of happy memories our little pip squeak gave us.

 

This was one of the first pictures I ever took of her, shortly after she appeared on our doorstep one cold evening in November 2007.  She was so friendly, I thought surely she must belong to someone.  But we put up posters and no one ever claimed her.  By then, she had claimed our hearts.  Just look at that adorable face!  She was about 6 months old when she found us.

 

She quickly settled in as part of the family and developed a wonderful friendship with Little Kitty.  They were snuggle buddies and playmates.  The day before Nacho died, they were up in the window watching birds together.  I wish I'd taken a picture of that.

 

One of her favorite activities was "helping" Anthony while he was working at his drawing table.  She always wanted to be where the action was.

 

Case in point: here's our party animal, wiped out after a whilrwind of Christmas festivities.

 

Despite her chronic breathing problems, this kitty was unstoppable.  She might have a coughing fit one minute, but then as soon as it was over, she'd be back to her normal mischief-making.

 

  She wasn't supposed to be on this high shelf, and she certainly wasn't supposed to be in this flower pot!  Fortunately, I'm a terrible gardener, so whatever had once been growing in there was already ruined anyway.  Besides, this photo brings more smiles to my face than any plant could have done.

 

I miss you, pip squeak.  It's not fair that your life had to be cut so short by an ailment you were born with.  You got a raw deal in the lung department.  But did you ever let it get you down?  No way.  I've never known any animal who was full of so much pure joy and zest for life as you were. 

Having you in my life taught me two important lessons: 1) Although losing a pet leaves a big hole in people's hearts (as I was still grieving for Dinah when I met you), that hole can heal when the people let a new pet into their lives; and 2) When you have a bad spell, don't let it stop you.  Just get through it, and get back up, and go right back to making mischief and living life to the fullest.

This morning a friend reminded me of an old song, and this line sums up what I'm feeling as I remember my furry little sidekick: "You didn't have to love me, but you did, but you did.  And I thank you."

Heartbreak

Readers, I am typing through tears today.  This morning Anthony and I had to say goodbye to our beloved pip squeak of a cat, Nacho.

She has had a mysterious breathing problem her whole life.  X-rays showed that her lungs were malformed--some kind of birth defect--resulting in asthma-like attacks.  Last week she had a particularly bad spell in which the vet had to give her oxygen.  She came home and had a few pretty good (not great) days. 

But early this morning she just could not get her breath, period.  We rushed her to the emergency vet, where they tried to help her with an inhaler and more oxygen.  But she continued to struggle.  At that point the doctor told us that in his opinion, we should let her go.  We knew it was true.  Anything else they could have done for her would have been only a temporary fix, at best.  As horrible as the choice was, the thought of her asphyxiating alone during the night or while we weren't home was worse.  I held her on my lap as the vet administered the final injection.

We've been trying to think about some happier stories about our sweet little sidekick.  Believe me, there was much more to her than her medical problems!  I will write more and share some of these memories when I feel up to it.

RIP Nacho, 2007-2011

Insert clever title here

It's been one of those months where stressful things keep happening, and you end up getting not-enough sleep and hemorrhaging money.  Two pet health emergencies, laptop had to be replaced, car got a flat tire, dryer is broken, blahblahblah.  So yeah, I've avoided blogging for the past few weeks.  I can hardly stand to listen to myself--why should you have to?

The other day, someone I've known since early this year asked me if I'd ever thought about being a writer.  She'd read some stuff I wrote here and liked it.  Her question made me feel weird--why?  Because there was a time when writing was such a major part of my life that no one who'd known me for ten months would've had to ask that question.  Also because, well, she just read some of my writing so...I am a writer, right?

So anyway.  Here I am on my day off, in a little yellow house strewn with recuperating cats and air-drying laundry, filling you in on all that.  I really don't have anything to report.  Does that mean I shouldn't blog?  Is this blog just about reporting and documenting my life?  Is it just about posting pictures of cool events I've gone to, and projects I've made, or what?

It's supposed to be my own place where I can do whatever I want.  Somehow I got into a rut of taking photos, reporting what happened, and posting it.  Which is fine, but there's no reason I have to be limited to that.  I need to do some thinking about this, if I can free up some brain cells from dealing with all these domestic crises.

Watch for more randomness, coming soon.

"Old Man Cabbage" screening party

A few months ago, I mentioned that my husband had shaved off his goatee for his role as an extra in a music video.  It wasn't just any music video, but a 15-minute "long form narrative music video" produced by Ninja Puppet Productions and featuring the music of Atlanta's fantastic Blair Crimmins & The Hookers. 

This week we were invited to a screening party of the almost-finished video at The Goat Farm (an amazing venue that might need its own post sometime).  Director Raymond Carr introduced the film, and the band performed the soundtrack live.  It was a great evening of music, wine, and creative folks.  At the bottom of this post, watch the trailer for the video!

 

Anthony appears very briefly at 1:02, but is much more visible in the full video. :)

Closing The Gaps: brown high-waisted skirt

Well, look at this: I finished a sewing project, without any drama this time.  Ahhhh, success!  So much better than failure and frustration.  Sometimes you just need a simple, straightforward project to cleanse the palate, get you back on the horse, or whatever cliche you prefer.

This dark brown skirt will be really useful in my wardrobe, coordinating with a lot of my print tops that have brown somewhere in their design (Closing The Gaps, baby!).  Also, be proud that I used a different pattern for a change.  No offense to my beloved McCall's 3341, but somtimes a girl needs to branch out, you know?  Being higher-waisted, this one has a bit more of a curvy shape rather than a straight A-line.  When I modeled it for my husband, he said (umprompted by me), "I like the waistline."  Rawr!  :)

PROJECT DETAILS:

Pattern: Butterick 5466, View E.

Fabric: Some kind of faux suede material, less than a yard (60" wide)

I'll be honest, there were better shots of this skirt, but this one cracks me up for two reasons: my feline co-worker, Bibi, made an appearance in the background; and the way I'm leaning makes it look like I have a giant Popeye arm.  Heh.  I'm easily amused.

Fall frolicking

I hope everyone's enjoying a beautiful autumn (or spring, for those of you south of the equator).  There have been some lovely days and nights here, and I seem to be spending less time on the computer--thus the lack of blogging.  Let's catch up.

 

What could be more autumnal than a nice crackling fire?  Our friends Kerri and Dave have this fire pit on their back deck, where we celebrated Kerri's birthday a few nights ago.  It was a great evening of friends, fire, good food, and...

 

...pumpkin carving!  Personally, I am terrible at pumpkin carving, so I abstained this year.  I did, however, save the seeds for roasting later.  Mmmmm...pumpkin seeds.

 

On Monday, Anthony and I went out to lunch.  Our work schedules have been out of wack lately, so this was a rare day when we could both be off all day on the same day.  We took advantage of the nice weather and ate outside at Sun In My Belly.

 

Yum!  I couldn't resist this omelette of the day, with chicken sausage and roasted red peppers.  And their biscuits are sooooo good.

After lunch we meandered over to Little Five Points to spend some money at Criminal Records, but on the way we ended up wandering into a Halloween store and, well, this happened:

This might be my favorite photo of my husband, ever.  I giggle uncontrollably every time I look at it.  Not every guy would put on a cowboy hat and gladiator shield and let me take his picture, am I right?  Oh, and he would like you all to know that he was giving the battle cry, "FOR SPARTA!!!!" in a very manly voice when this shot was taken.

 

Moments later, I was viciously attacked by this flesh-eating ghoul baby.  Zombie babies: they're real, and they're hungry.  Beware!