Spasmodic Blog

Strange Days

Whoever said "Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction" would certainly agree that Boston has been VERY strange this past week.  I've been glued to the news, tracking the progress of this bizarre crime investigation that is unfolding.  Lexington's neighboring towns are in lockdown mode right now!  And yet....it seems pretty safe out here.  Lexington officials have closed the town offices, but life is going on quietly.  

It's Spring! Time for a change of color....

Howdy folks!  The weather here STINKS.  We've got snow, then rain, then snow again, then rain, then ICE....However, it is officially Spring today, so we're pretending that the season is changing.  In honor of the change, I've changed my hair color from black to blonde.  It looks okay!  Not bad.  I should be having more fun shortly....

The house is ALMOST finished.  There are guys here today working on the elevator, which is the final touch -- well, mostly.  There's a ton of walls that need painting and finish work that hasn't happened, but the elevator is the last major piece of construction.  It feels sooo good to be ending this project.  As Yoda might put it: Such a lot of stress, it was.   The great news is that the finished house might even exceed our expectations.  The choices we made months ago (on fixtures, paint colors, etc) are finally melding and creating a gorgeous interior landscape!  Blah, blah, blah...

Famous in PA-land (Oscar the Couch)

Dudes!  What a whirlwind!  We have moved into our new house but it has been quite the experience.  There seems to be an endless list of things to buy, install, return, etc, etc but it is coming along nicely.  

One of my ideas for the new playroom is something I like to call "Oscar the Couch."  We've got this old red couch which needs a new cover
and....I was perusing my favorite haunt, the fantastic Zimman's fabric store, when I came upon IT.  By IT, I mean THE COOLEST FABRIC. 

Now, it may seem ugly to you...but if it was used to make a brand new slipcover for our couch...(you see where this is going)...You'd have Oscar the Couch! Ta Da!  No?

On a more serious note, my friend Emily has written to our high school publication, the Andover Bulletin, and told them of my exploits in the Upholstery Arena.  I think she may have misrepresented me slightly.  I mean, she said that I was "continuing studies at the Boston Architectural Center" which isn't really happening right now.  (Maybe someday I'll go back to the BACollege).  It wasn't exactly accurate but I guess "all press is good press," right?

Blizzard 2013

We are all fine here.  The governer has imposed "martial law" of a sort:  no driving until further notice!  Unprecedented (I think)!  It's still snowing but it really isn't bad since we are only watching it out the window.  We are running out of our regular food, which means that we'll have to start hitting the frozen vegetables soon, disturbing their peaceful slumber.  

Finder of Lost Gloves

Wouldn't that make an excellent title for a new reality show???  Yeah.  It is really f'in cold here, and I keep losing my gloves.  Or, more specifically, one hand of each pair of gloves.  I finally bought little metal clips to attach my newest pair to my coat.  Pretty special, ay?

I have been feeling creative of late.  A friend reminded me of a funny collage I made a few years ago.  It features a Pokemon character (don't know which one) with a conversation bubble.  In it, I used a note that Andre wrote to me when he was mad.  He wrote: "No person will see my face until Mom apologizes."   The Pokemon character says this as he prances through an orangey, magical kingdom made with an old wallpaper scrap and some craft paper.  It is pretty cool.  I tried to post a photo of it here but it didn't work.  Anyway, my friend called me "an artist."  I wish! 

Another idea that came to me yesterday is a t-shirt, with a picture of Bonny Tyler on it, that says "Forever's gonna start Tonight."  What do you think?  Too much?  It's probably been done already, anyway, I bet....

 

No Flu; Shoe

Hey Everybody!  Welcome to 2013.  We were in California over the vacation and it was a lot of fun.  It was great to see lots of family members and friends, who so graciously provided us with their company.  Fortunately, nobody had the flu.  However....neither did many of them get the flu shot.  We were lucky!  Of course, David and I and the kids got our shots, so maybe that is why WE STILL REMAIN FLU-FREE.  Yes.  I encountered a bit of flu shot backlash out there;  don't know why, but lots of people are still afraid of the durned shot.  HAVEN'T YOU ALL HEARD ABOUT HERD IMMUNITY?  Oh well.  Nothing I can do about it.  I'm just saying...

And, now that we've returned to our humble, still-under-construction-after-6-months home, I feel like the Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe.  Yes, that One.  The kids are taking over at present....the bickering has resumed, with a vengeance!  Is it the darkness?  Let's just move on to another Mother Goose Tale, shall we?  

Have a Holly Jolly.

Usually, I could expound for hours on the joys of Christmas music, but I won't do that this year.  I'm too busy.  Let me just say/that Michael Buble/doesn't know his a** from his jingle bells!  Now, seriously folks....

We are headed to California for Christmas.  Before that time, many things must happen. And I hope that everyone has a Merry, Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013!!  Let Joy Prevail this Season!  (That is, unless the world ends at 12PM EST.)  And, if I should expire during this period, here is a great song to play at the funeral.  (You have to be dark at Christmas.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVx-xFltb9w

 

 

 

 

 

"If You Been" Diagnosed with a Mental IIlness...

This is a great poster.  I just wish it was grammatically correct.

 

Full Moon. The Beaver Moon.

The latest issue of Mass Audubon's "Curious Naturalist" magazine tells us that November 28th is The Beaver Moon.   Look for beavers, everybody! And here are some other things for New Englanders to look forward to:

November 26:  Watch for stink bugs in your house.

December 19:  White-footed mice move into houses around this date.

December 28:  Full Moon.  The Cold Moon.

AHHH -- the joys of nature!

Speaking of beavers, Andre is applying to a bunch of private schools and people are recommending (get this): Beaver Country Day School.  I'm not kidding!  There is really a school near us with this ridiculous name, which is almost as bad as the former Governer Dummer's Academy,  whose name was shortened in the 1980s to "GDA" and is now known simply as "The Governor's Academy."  I've told David that I absolutely DO NOT want Andre to apply to the Beaver school.  I just cannot do that to him.  Can you imagine what that would look like on his first resume?  Or how it would sound in college interviews?  I dare anyone to say it with a straight face -- it's nearly impossible.  David says that I'm being stubborn but...what can I say.  It's in Newton -- that's just too far from here.  There.

 

 

What's Up with That?

David and I watched this the other day and I was in tears, laughing:

 

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/whats-up-with-that/1263456/