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I leave for Seattle on Tuesday and I am SO not ready! If you doubt me, take a look at this:
Of course, there is also this:
I must have 100 pounds of tools for metalwork, metal, drill, hammers - and all the metal "ephemera" - you know, because I might actually NEED it all in class. Then, there is the butane torch. TSA must have a riot with ArtFesters' luggage.
Yup, that's what we call her and that's what she is. Thursday is the birthday of the amazing songstress, Ms. Sherry Pruitt. When this woman sings, if your whole body doesn't tremble with emotion, there is something wrong with you! She has lived a life. She has weathered many a storm. She is a positive, joyful light in the world.
Happy Birthday, Sherry. You are an inspiration to so many. We all love ya, honey!
My family. I'd like to introduce you to all of them, but it might take too long. We are many. We are 9 wacky, silly, smart, successful and (ahem) good lookin' siblings. Some of us (ok, most of us) do fairly odd things on the spur of the moment for no reason other than sheer enthusiasm. We will go very far down the road to create an amusing situation or get a laugh - or a tear. It's genetic.
Here are four, who gathered recently at the family's favorite pizza place in Chicago. They're crazy for the pizza. They carry it from Chicago on their flights home. They buy it frozen and ship it to sons and daughters away at school. This is serious pizza.
Now, the guy on the left is a doctor, see? Remember that; it's important. The guy sitting at the other side of table is an engineer, which may be an important fact. The guy standing up (see his hanging badge?) does stuff at O'Hare Airport related to taxis and security and committees - don't let him catch you. Finally, the lovely lady is my dear youngest sister. She works in corporate customer service and knows her way around the postal system.
So, when they asked for my address because they "had something for me", I got a little excited, thinking they were sending me a Malnati's deep dish Chicago pizza, containing my lifetime allotment of cheese. I mean, they posted that picture from the restaurant. And I pouted back at them through Facebook. I figured they were taking pity on me way out here on the West Coast.
But, no. Waiting on my doorstep two days later was a little square box that was overnighted to California. Not big enough for a pizza, I'm thinking.
That would be correct. Inside, was this.
After I stopped laughing hysterically, I got to wondering. Remember that doctor brother? And he sends me a slice that's 36 hours old? Did he not do a bacteria count on this thing? Could the engineer not have come up with a system to preserve it? Could the sister not have shipped it refrigerated? And why didn't the security brother worry about my security?
I'm not eatin' this, guys, but thanks for the thought! You crack me up.
Thanks also for the artwork.
I'll treasure it always. Unlike the now 4 day old pizza slice that is
currently sitting on my desk. I'll find a way to part with it, honest
I will. But for now, it's still making me laugh, so I'll hold on to it.
Thanks a lot guys. Mom would be proud of you. Your "Strauel" is showing!
So.
Pasadena City College Flea Market. You did it again.
I actually wasn't going to go. I've been under the weather, and, more importantly, had no funds. Zero. Zip. My wonderful husband knows how much I enjoy the flea, so he turned over his cash from the last gig. (Now don't get all excited; it was a friends and family gig, so it wasn't that much). However, it was just enough and what can you say to a guy like that?
I love every single thing I found and enjoyed chatting with all the vendors; it was a very relaxing morning.
Now this doesn't look like much of a haul, but trust me, it's actually fabulous!
The little metal book is Greek, I think.
It has a clasp and inside is this....
Both sides of the pages have images and there is a list of what they are...um...in Greek, so I guess that doesn't do me much good. I want to use it for a necklace: I just need to figure out the technicalities.
Just for giggles, you have to see the embossing on this little bitty can. Empty, darn it! Wonder what they looked like, yes?
But the real find was that unassuming green fabric colored box. Inside, is this:
Is your heart palpitating? Mine is. Each compartment has a small piece of wood on one side, so the bottles can rest at an angle. Each one is glass, embossed with a number that corresponds to the fold-out content list in the lid and contains bitty screws and bolts. Here is a close up of the bottles.
Score! Now I have to go give my DH a big smooch for his generosity and love.
This summer is our family reunion and I won't be able to attend. So, it's nice that some of them paid us a visit here on the West Coast. We are all so close emotionally, but I don't get to see my siblings nearly enough.
As usual, we ended up on the porch, everyone's favorite spot. Of course, since Jim had just arrived from Baltimore and Jay from Chicago, any view that was not white was appreciated! Just reading the paper is great.
I hope Jay likes this doctored up shot.
We all hooked up with Ben for lunch and then went to see his loft in downtown L.A. It's a fantastic place; amazing what is happening downtown - very "big city"; very not L.A.. Los Angeles is actually very "small town", for all it's size.
Quite a view from Ben's roof.
The brothers took off for the Mohave and a photo encounter with trains and terrain and we all headed home for a nap. A few days later, I left for London. And here, for my family, is this station on the way from Heathrow. Who knew?
It's been almost eerily quiet this morning.
I mean, it is silent. Except for bird song.
I may have done a very foolish thing. I bought tomato plants - a bit early. And, I bought them at the wrong place. But, you never know :-)
