Hear that? That was the sound of a champagne cork popping in parents homes in our area. My little girl started second grade today. I set my alarm (with my 3 snooze time cushion), got up, and prepared to wake a sleepy kid who usually doesn't get up until 8. As I stumbled toward the bathroom at 6:45, I heard "Mommy, did you forget about me?". Catie was up, dressed, and ready to wait for the bus. I reminded her that the bus wouldn't even come for another hour, forced her to eat breakfast, packed her lunch money, reminded her that bouncing won't make the bus come faster, and finally sent her out the door.
Daniel is still asleep - and small wonder. I caught him not only out of bed, but out of his room drawing on a chalkboard at 11:00 PM. I'm a little groggy myself - I might take a little rest while the getting's good.
As for my current project, I'm still trying to figure out a cheap way to Frankenstein my bike into something with a passenger seat. I'm very taken with the xtracycle concept (www.xtracycle.com) which elongates the bike frame and puts passengers on a board over the rear wheel. Not only that, but the stretched-out frame allows for twice as many pannier bags to be hung, so you could concievably bike your kids to school and pick up groceries without using a drop of gas. I really like the idea of popping Daniel on the back of my bike and doing my errands, and of course he's too big for a baby bike seat. "Why not a trailer?" my fiancee asks - the answer is they seem cumbersome. I've watched parents labor with pulling them up hills, struggle through tight spaces, and have difficulty securing them when they reached their destination. Apart from that the kid is way behind you, making conversation harder. Maybe that's what some parents want - I know I'd like a special kid bubble for the car on noisy days - but if I'm on a bike ride on a busy street I want to know that my kids are righttherethankyou.
So why not spring for an xtracycle? Dude, look at the name of the blog! It costs $235 for the conversion kit, and another $350 for the "family van" package. I have a $10 bike! I'm brainstorming using one of the higher end pannier racks as a foundation for my own, shorter version of my mom taxi. I probably won't be able to fit both kids on, like I would if I had the xtracycle, but I'd get at least one on there.
Going to enjoy the peace while it lasts!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Annnd... we're back!
Camping at Lake Pinchot was terrific! The kids spent all afternoon Wed. and all day Thurs. on the beach with minimal fights and meltdowns. (The first meltdown-free day my kids have, I plan to declare a national holiday!) Of course, Friday we woke to heavy rain. Fortunately, Jake likes to be well prepared for any weather. When we were setting up I teased him a bit about how many tarps he was stringing over the campsite in a makeshift roof. Friday I was very glad that he had taken that extra time. The extra tarps gave everyone a dry place to sit, kept our firewood dry, and allowed us to get out of our camper and tents (which can get a little cramped when everyone is awake and moving) showing the kids that a little rain doesn't mean we can't have fun.
One of the great things about campgrounds is that you get to meet people that you have a lot in common with. Face it - if they're out there camping, already you know a few things about them. You know that they enjoy getting outdoors, that they probably are more thrifty than spendy, and you know that these are people who value a little know-how. Also, when you're camping 20 feet away from someone there are very few barriers to conversation. We met one family from Chicago who had spent the week there, using vacation time to visit the local sights. Another family from outside Philly, enjoying the freedom of time that had come with the fathers' layoff, was trying to camp in all the state parks in PA. A father and 12 year old son camping for the first time, spending "guy" time together away from the other three homeschooled kids and mom. The last were a lot of fun - they shared in our dinner, our breakfast, and our fire, and we had great conversations. I hope they had enough "guy" time alone - I felt a little guilty about that - but we enjoyed their company.
The kids favorite part? Freedom! We allowed them to ride bikes and scooters around the campground. They could swim if one of us was on the beach watching them. They went visiting, making new friends - and the other kids did the same. We went there with 4 kids, and at any given moment they might be 4 kids at our campsite - the trick was they weren't always ours! There was one point that I did a head count and realized that none of the kids I had just fed were part of our group. It reminded me of a note put in the program of the dinner theater I used to work for - "Please don't feed the actors - they may follow you home, and then what will you do?"
Today is my first McGiver class - at least, no one has told me that it's cancelled, so I'm going.
Have fun, live cheap, be free.
One of the great things about campgrounds is that you get to meet people that you have a lot in common with. Face it - if they're out there camping, already you know a few things about them. You know that they enjoy getting outdoors, that they probably are more thrifty than spendy, and you know that these are people who value a little know-how. Also, when you're camping 20 feet away from someone there are very few barriers to conversation. We met one family from Chicago who had spent the week there, using vacation time to visit the local sights. Another family from outside Philly, enjoying the freedom of time that had come with the fathers' layoff, was trying to camp in all the state parks in PA. A father and 12 year old son camping for the first time, spending "guy" time together away from the other three homeschooled kids and mom. The last were a lot of fun - they shared in our dinner, our breakfast, and our fire, and we had great conversations. I hope they had enough "guy" time alone - I felt a little guilty about that - but we enjoyed their company.
The kids favorite part? Freedom! We allowed them to ride bikes and scooters around the campground. They could swim if one of us was on the beach watching them. They went visiting, making new friends - and the other kids did the same. We went there with 4 kids, and at any given moment they might be 4 kids at our campsite - the trick was they weren't always ours! There was one point that I did a head count and realized that none of the kids I had just fed were part of our group. It reminded me of a note put in the program of the dinner theater I used to work for - "Please don't feed the actors - they may follow you home, and then what will you do?"
Today is my first McGiver class - at least, no one has told me that it's cancelled, so I'm going.
Have fun, live cheap, be free.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Going Camping!
My fiancee, his mom, his niece and nephew, my two kids and myself are all going camping at Pinchot Lake until friday. It's sorta "cheating" camping, because we now have a pop-up camper, the site has power, and the bathhouse is 30 feet away. Still, the camper is only extra beds - we don't have a fridge, cooking range or bathroom - and last time the people next to us brought a microwave! So we rough it in the sense that we cook over the open fire, and the beach is right across from our campsite. Ahh.
I'm bringing along my plarn rug in the making, so my hands have something to do while I play lifeguard, and I might try to bring my bike along. Besides that, it's the last week before Catie goes back to school - we're getting our kicks in! I actually had to turn down a HersheyPark trip for Monday because I was worried about cramming too much activity into this last week. We'll go Labor Day weekend, curse the crowds, and look forward to a week at a desk!
My fused plastic tent has been going slowly, mostly because I want to have a frame before I make more fused plastic, and I can't decide what size to make it.
See you Friday!
I'm bringing along my plarn rug in the making, so my hands have something to do while I play lifeguard, and I might try to bring my bike along. Besides that, it's the last week before Catie goes back to school - we're getting our kicks in! I actually had to turn down a HersheyPark trip for Monday because I was worried about cramming too much activity into this last week. We'll go Labor Day weekend, curse the crowds, and look forward to a week at a desk!
My fused plastic tent has been going slowly, mostly because I want to have a frame before I make more fused plastic, and I can't decide what size to make it.
See you Friday!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
No such thing as a free... house?
My mom hobbled downstairs giggling (she hurt her knee tripping over lumber she's been cutting up) and told me to come up and see the craigslist page under "free". 2 Houses on 14th street in Harrisburg. You pay the cost for deed transfer and you can have them.
Most people would roll their eyes and say "Must be a crap hole!". We did that, then decided to find out just how bad of a crap hole it was! Both were in really rough condition, but hadn't been condemned. One of them had a notice of taxes owed - about $1800 - tacked to the door. The other one... well, it had a door...
To be clear, we were checking them out for the SOM - not as a primary home or rental. I think one of them MAY be salvageable, but well beyond my abilities. If they weren't row homes I'd seriously consider taking them down and putting up a straw bale home on each lot, but the layout is wrong for that.
It seems like half the block there is for sale, too. I counted no less than 5 for sale signs - and the houses we were checking didn't have any.
I would love to be able to pick up these houses for a song, wave a magic wand and repair everything, and then start renting them out. Too bad my magic wand ran out of fairy dust shortly after I turned 11! The cleanup alone would require 2 large dumpsters, a crew of really strong friends and enough food and alcohol to make sure those friends stayed friendly after that cleanout!
As it is, if the SOM wants the houses, they can acquire them and all the help they need. The Pepsi Bottling Group did a great job of fixing up 1604 (my former residence) and got some nice PR out of it. Besides, the SOM has been running into city issues - the city can't decide what to call the Silence. It isn't a shelter, a rental property, or a boarding house - so they're trying to limit the people in each home to 1 family and 2 individuals. Having a few more addresses to spread the people around in might be helpful.
So , the houses are "free", but I'd have to pay for transfer and taxes, then fix them. Oh well.
The good news is that Jake is making amazing progress on the fixer-upper that we will be living in after the wedding! Of course if you came in and saw it you'd say "what a dump", but trust me, it's come a long way.
Working on a passenger seat for my new bike - the baby seats are too small, and the trailers are heavy and cumbersome - I'll post once I figure something out!
Be prepared!
Most people would roll their eyes and say "Must be a crap hole!". We did that, then decided to find out just how bad of a crap hole it was! Both were in really rough condition, but hadn't been condemned. One of them had a notice of taxes owed - about $1800 - tacked to the door. The other one... well, it had a door...
To be clear, we were checking them out for the SOM - not as a primary home or rental. I think one of them MAY be salvageable, but well beyond my abilities. If they weren't row homes I'd seriously consider taking them down and putting up a straw bale home on each lot, but the layout is wrong for that.
It seems like half the block there is for sale, too. I counted no less than 5 for sale signs - and the houses we were checking didn't have any.
I would love to be able to pick up these houses for a song, wave a magic wand and repair everything, and then start renting them out. Too bad my magic wand ran out of fairy dust shortly after I turned 11! The cleanup alone would require 2 large dumpsters, a crew of really strong friends and enough food and alcohol to make sure those friends stayed friendly after that cleanout!
As it is, if the SOM wants the houses, they can acquire them and all the help they need. The Pepsi Bottling Group did a great job of fixing up 1604 (my former residence) and got some nice PR out of it. Besides, the SOM has been running into city issues - the city can't decide what to call the Silence. It isn't a shelter, a rental property, or a boarding house - so they're trying to limit the people in each home to 1 family and 2 individuals. Having a few more addresses to spread the people around in might be helpful.
So , the houses are "free", but I'd have to pay for transfer and taxes, then fix them. Oh well.
The good news is that Jake is making amazing progress on the fixer-upper that we will be living in after the wedding! Of course if you came in and saw it you'd say "what a dump", but trust me, it's come a long way.
Working on a passenger seat for my new bike - the baby seats are too small, and the trailers are heavy and cumbersome - I'll post once I figure something out!
Be prepared!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Diva Cup details - guys, go to ESPN.com
I promised myself that I would sit down and write more details about the Diva Cup ages ago, and somehow have never gotten to it! Here it is.
The Diva Cup (and its cousin product, The Keeper) are both reuseable menstrual cups worn internally. They catch the fluid for up to 12 hours, at which point it's recommended that you remove, empty, wash and reinsert it.
Inserting it has a learning curve, and so does removing it, but when it's in it's like someone hit the "Goodbye period!" button. I don't even feel it once it's in, and I have no leaks. NO LEAKS. Even with tampons I always had to have a pad as a backup. Also, when I used tampons, I always felt really *dry* for a few days after my cycle. It must have thrown off my internal balance. With my cup, I just feel normal. And of course, when I used pads it was just... bleah. What a mess.
So, no mess, no leaks, and no out-of-balance vaginal issues. Added to that, I never have to worry about running out of supplies or spending money on something that will soon be trash!
OK, all done guys! You can come back from the sports sites now!
Guys?
Hello?
Damn. Never tell them to go away if you want them back!
The Diva Cup (and its cousin product, The Keeper) are both reuseable menstrual cups worn internally. They catch the fluid for up to 12 hours, at which point it's recommended that you remove, empty, wash and reinsert it.
Inserting it has a learning curve, and so does removing it, but when it's in it's like someone hit the "Goodbye period!" button. I don't even feel it once it's in, and I have no leaks. NO LEAKS. Even with tampons I always had to have a pad as a backup. Also, when I used tampons, I always felt really *dry* for a few days after my cycle. It must have thrown off my internal balance. With my cup, I just feel normal. And of course, when I used pads it was just... bleah. What a mess.
So, no mess, no leaks, and no out-of-balance vaginal issues. Added to that, I never have to worry about running out of supplies or spending money on something that will soon be trash!
OK, all done guys! You can come back from the sports sites now!
Guys?
Hello?
Damn. Never tell them to go away if you want them back!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Blogging - a writing tool or exercise in vanity?
Well, heck, I just had to ponder that at some point! I just got home from the movies, where my mom and I howled through Julie & Julia. Delightful chick flick, I must say! Maybe it's because I'm still on an estrogen high, but I thought that movie was absolutely terrific. I was especially inspired by the "Julie" part of the story - the one who cooks and blogs about it. Her blog was translated into a book, which became a movie! If you look, there are several books on the market that chronicle the experiments in living (Not Buying It) and they started out as blogs. Will this blog lead to something? Nope. But it is a chronicle of my cheapskatery, and therefore useful to myself, if no one else.
Today Catie's school had their annual uniform exchange - you bring in their outgrown uniforms and get credit toward larger outgrown uniforms. It's the circle of poly-cotton blend life. I had to upgrade most of Catie's things - she's been growing again - but all of her long sleeve Peter Pan collar shirts were disgusting at the cuffs. I don't know how they get so much gray pencil junk on them - she has a gift. So I looked at these blouses, at my meager bank account, and decided that I needed to get as much trade credit as I possibly could. I sat down, cut off all the long sleeves, rehemmed them into short sleeve shirts, and then they were acceptable trade items! I got her two jumpers, 4 blouses and a sweater only spending $7 out of pocket. Then we went to Payless. Her school has everyone, boy and girl, in the same style high top black leather sneaker, which was marked down to $16.99. But wait! They also had their BOGO running - I got her her current size AND the next size up! Now she's set for most of the school year.
Why didn't I get shoes for Daniel with my BOGO? He has shoes! I don't have to buy that kid shoes until he needs his uniform - I'm stocked with yard sale finds. I should get him something, I suppose, so he doesn't feel left out, but he did get a bag of Ring Pops at Dollar Tree for suffering through the shopping expedition.
Why didn't I get shoes? I bought myself a pair of never-worn Candie's pink sequined wedge flip-flops at Salvation Army for $1.99 - my feet are feeling pretty pleased with themselves. I don't want them to feel too important - they might swell, and at size 10 I can barely manage them!
Frugal experiment alert - I've been fusing plastic bags. It's a pretty cool process where you iron the bags until it becomes one thick piece of plastic. Where does my mind go with this? Impermeable, waterproof material = shelter. I am looking at making Geodesic domes from PVC pipe and covering them with fused plastic bags. With a crocheted plastic bag rug on the floor. Jake has been calling me the bag lady (with love, I hope!), and enabling my habit by finding new bag colors for me. Most of them are white around here, but if you know where to go you can find tan, blue, green, and yellow. Why do it? For the po', naturally. Make a house from trash, heat and cook with trash, and you have the freedom of Walden Pond without the extreme borrowing. I may see about making the dome kits to sell - there are plenty of eco-friendly people that might enjoy living or camping in something like that. :Note to self - see if Tiny Free House blogger would like to use fused plastic bags on his pallet construction house instead of Tyvek or tar paper.:
Whoa. One AM. Time for bed. If anyone knows how to shut a brain up for the night, I'd love to hear the tips! I'm going to have a hard time settling down tonight.
If you fuse plastic bags, two tips.
1 - always iron them inbetween sheets of paper
2 - don't breathe the fumes
and
2- don't breathe the fumes
;)
Today Catie's school had their annual uniform exchange - you bring in their outgrown uniforms and get credit toward larger outgrown uniforms. It's the circle of poly-cotton blend life. I had to upgrade most of Catie's things - she's been growing again - but all of her long sleeve Peter Pan collar shirts were disgusting at the cuffs. I don't know how they get so much gray pencil junk on them - she has a gift. So I looked at these blouses, at my meager bank account, and decided that I needed to get as much trade credit as I possibly could. I sat down, cut off all the long sleeves, rehemmed them into short sleeve shirts, and then they were acceptable trade items! I got her two jumpers, 4 blouses and a sweater only spending $7 out of pocket. Then we went to Payless. Her school has everyone, boy and girl, in the same style high top black leather sneaker, which was marked down to $16.99. But wait! They also had their BOGO running - I got her her current size AND the next size up! Now she's set for most of the school year.
Why didn't I get shoes for Daniel with my BOGO? He has shoes! I don't have to buy that kid shoes until he needs his uniform - I'm stocked with yard sale finds. I should get him something, I suppose, so he doesn't feel left out, but he did get a bag of Ring Pops at Dollar Tree for suffering through the shopping expedition.
Why didn't I get shoes? I bought myself a pair of never-worn Candie's pink sequined wedge flip-flops at Salvation Army for $1.99 - my feet are feeling pretty pleased with themselves. I don't want them to feel too important - they might swell, and at size 10 I can barely manage them!
Frugal experiment alert - I've been fusing plastic bags. It's a pretty cool process where you iron the bags until it becomes one thick piece of plastic. Where does my mind go with this? Impermeable, waterproof material = shelter. I am looking at making Geodesic domes from PVC pipe and covering them with fused plastic bags. With a crocheted plastic bag rug on the floor. Jake has been calling me the bag lady (with love, I hope!), and enabling my habit by finding new bag colors for me. Most of them are white around here, but if you know where to go you can find tan, blue, green, and yellow. Why do it? For the po', naturally. Make a house from trash, heat and cook with trash, and you have the freedom of Walden Pond without the extreme borrowing. I may see about making the dome kits to sell - there are plenty of eco-friendly people that might enjoy living or camping in something like that. :Note to self - see if Tiny Free House blogger would like to use fused plastic bags on his pallet construction house instead of Tyvek or tar paper.:
Whoa. One AM. Time for bed. If anyone knows how to shut a brain up for the night, I'd love to hear the tips! I'm going to have a hard time settling down tonight.
If you fuse plastic bags, two tips.
1 - always iron them inbetween sheets of paper
2 - don't breathe the fumes
and
2- don't breathe the fumes
;)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
lazy and cheap!
I've hit a new level of laziness - my car has been in need of a wash for a while now, but I figured since it's summer and there's no road salt, there's no rush! It was starting to bug me a little, though. So when there were torrential downpours forecast for today, I went out just before the rain started and squirted soap all over my car. 5 minutes later, my car was being pounded by water and the suds were rolling down the driveway!
Yeah, it wasn't the most effective wash, but it's not like I have a status car! Besides, it was free!
Yeah, it wasn't the most effective wash, but it's not like I have a status car! Besides, it was free!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Can't wait!
Good news/Bad news time!
Ok, so no one signed up for my survival class at the HodgePodgery - YET. Apparently, there are a number of people talking this one up, and a daycare even asked if I would come and teach their after-school program. So, things are looking up!
That was the good news - the bad news is once again, my child support has dried up. We don't know any specifics, we only know that the ex was "terminated". Who knows - maybe this time they'll arrest him - I'm not really worried about him.
Despite the utter lack of ready cash, I find myself abundantly provided for. Yesterday I transferred my prescriptions to Rite Aid to take advantage of the $50 in gift cards they were offering as an incentive. I got my medication, Caties Miralax, 2 packages of Daniels overnight pull-ups, and a backpack for Catie for a total out-of-pocket cost of $18.99. I needed to get a bike (still not sure why that wouldn't leave my head, but I knew I HAD to get a bike) and found the perfect one at a yard sale for $10. Granted, these things haven't been free, but they have been as reasonable as I could ask for. Currently all my upcycling craft items are made from free materials - I'm crocheting a rug from plastic bags and sewing lunch bags out of Capri Sun pouches.
The latest idea that won't leave my head is an emergency shelter made from PVC pipes and covered with fused plastic bags. (Plastic bag fusing is one hell of a craft where you iron bags together between two pieces of paper until you have one solid piece of plastic that resembles Tyvek.) But what if it gets cold, you say? Instead of pricey Reflectix insulation, what about sewn-together Capri Sun pouches all over the inside of the shelter? After I finish this rug, I'll start experimenting with that - I promised myself that I wouldn't start another big project until I finished one. (Lunch bags don't count - they take 20 minutes to sew.)
Physically, I'm not feeling well. Hoping I don't get sick again - I can't handle going back into the hospital. Probably it's something minor, and I just need my rest. I have too much to do to get sick!
Check out The HodgePodgery online - if you Google it, theirs is the first hit!
Ok, so no one signed up for my survival class at the HodgePodgery - YET. Apparently, there are a number of people talking this one up, and a daycare even asked if I would come and teach their after-school program. So, things are looking up!
That was the good news - the bad news is once again, my child support has dried up. We don't know any specifics, we only know that the ex was "terminated". Who knows - maybe this time they'll arrest him - I'm not really worried about him.
Despite the utter lack of ready cash, I find myself abundantly provided for. Yesterday I transferred my prescriptions to Rite Aid to take advantage of the $50 in gift cards they were offering as an incentive. I got my medication, Caties Miralax, 2 packages of Daniels overnight pull-ups, and a backpack for Catie for a total out-of-pocket cost of $18.99. I needed to get a bike (still not sure why that wouldn't leave my head, but I knew I HAD to get a bike) and found the perfect one at a yard sale for $10. Granted, these things haven't been free, but they have been as reasonable as I could ask for. Currently all my upcycling craft items are made from free materials - I'm crocheting a rug from plastic bags and sewing lunch bags out of Capri Sun pouches.
The latest idea that won't leave my head is an emergency shelter made from PVC pipes and covered with fused plastic bags. (Plastic bag fusing is one hell of a craft where you iron bags together between two pieces of paper until you have one solid piece of plastic that resembles Tyvek.) But what if it gets cold, you say? Instead of pricey Reflectix insulation, what about sewn-together Capri Sun pouches all over the inside of the shelter? After I finish this rug, I'll start experimenting with that - I promised myself that I wouldn't start another big project until I finished one. (Lunch bags don't count - they take 20 minutes to sew.)
Physically, I'm not feeling well. Hoping I don't get sick again - I can't handle going back into the hospital. Probably it's something minor, and I just need my rest. I have too much to do to get sick!
Check out The HodgePodgery online - if you Google it, theirs is the first hit!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Benn a while!
Well, it's been a long time since my last post. Since then, I've moved back to Mom and Dad's house and out of the Silence of Mary Home. I could do a fantastic blow-by-blow of the incident that led me to move out, but what good would that do anyone? I suppose it would stretch my descriptive writing skills.... nah, not worth it!
A few days after moving home, I had to be hospitalized because of an intestinal problem - I picked up a nasty bugaboo from some contaminated water which caused a serious disturbance in the force. In an attempt to bring balance to the force (to continue the metaphor) I took a good bit of Immodium. Wrong move. Three days in the hospital later, I found out that cryptosporidosis was the culprit, and it would just have to work its merry way out, which would now take longer because I tried to slow things down. But I'm better now! And it was perfect timing in a way: I had just moved back, so when I was in the hospital my kids were well cared for.
One frustration at the Silence was that I was unable to teach my classes the way I had hoped - now I have that chance! The HodgePodgery in Harrisburg is an upcycle shop that operates on a consignment basis - they've taken my "butts of jeans" purses, a messenger bag or two that I made from the legs of the old pants, and I'm teaching an Urban Survival Class - MacGiver Style!
At least I hope I am - we're waiting to see how many people sign up. Take a peek!
http://thehodgepodgery.com/classes-and-workshops/ The Szechuan Sock Monkey class looks like fun too!
Hopefully this can be a small source of income over the next few months as I stumble about trying to find a job that will work around Catie's school hours. It would be nice if I could find something full time, but ever since Catie was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome (it really has been a while since that last post!) I've been reluctant to be away from her. It's on the autism spectrum, so it's not life threatening, but her behavior goes right down the tubes every time I try to work. She just needs me home when she's going to school and when school is over - even if I had the coolest sitter or daycare in the world, she'd have a blast but fall apart daily.
A positive note - I'm able to spend more time with my fiancee! The wedding is going to be 9/28/10, and we have GOT to get crackin' on the guest list!
Long post - next one will be sooner and shorter.
And I still love my Diva Cup!
A few days after moving home, I had to be hospitalized because of an intestinal problem - I picked up a nasty bugaboo from some contaminated water which caused a serious disturbance in the force. In an attempt to bring balance to the force (to continue the metaphor) I took a good bit of Immodium. Wrong move. Three days in the hospital later, I found out that cryptosporidosis was the culprit, and it would just have to work its merry way out, which would now take longer because I tried to slow things down. But I'm better now! And it was perfect timing in a way: I had just moved back, so when I was in the hospital my kids were well cared for.
One frustration at the Silence was that I was unable to teach my classes the way I had hoped - now I have that chance! The HodgePodgery in Harrisburg is an upcycle shop that operates on a consignment basis - they've taken my "butts of jeans" purses, a messenger bag or two that I made from the legs of the old pants, and I'm teaching an Urban Survival Class - MacGiver Style!
At least I hope I am - we're waiting to see how many people sign up. Take a peek!
http://thehodgepodgery.com/classes-and-workshops/ The Szechuan Sock Monkey class looks like fun too!
Hopefully this can be a small source of income over the next few months as I stumble about trying to find a job that will work around Catie's school hours. It would be nice if I could find something full time, but ever since Catie was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome (it really has been a while since that last post!) I've been reluctant to be away from her. It's on the autism spectrum, so it's not life threatening, but her behavior goes right down the tubes every time I try to work. She just needs me home when she's going to school and when school is over - even if I had the coolest sitter or daycare in the world, she'd have a blast but fall apart daily.
A positive note - I'm able to spend more time with my fiancee! The wedding is going to be 9/28/10, and we have GOT to get crackin' on the guest list!
Long post - next one will be sooner and shorter.
And I still love my Diva Cup!
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