Blog Salad

This is how we felt most of the week post-Gram and Grampy:

But we're going to be okay. After all, April is closing and making room for happy May.

And today we hit the getting-better-every-weekend farmer's market where we victoriously said "15" in Czech when we really meant 15 and not 50, which has happened and is not pleasant. Then we sat at the sunny (lilac-laden) park with the (totally fantastic) A family. And later--later P has convinced me to play Catan. He's been super-hero-husband lately, so I can't opt out no matter how ridiculous I feel saying "stone. sheep. wheat." 

There's even been some doodling. And some thinking on How To Steal Like An Artist. And a ricotta pappardelle made from local produce and pasta.

Yay, Saturday.

 

Keeping our chins up

Good things from Wednesday:

• M was wise, wise, wise. At a rainy park, while Gus ate sand and head-butted cement, she pretty much put the whole universe in perspective.


• This new fabric collection from Orange You Lucky's P&B Textiles.


• Neighbor B walked me to DM---just because. We both earned cappuccinos.


• Gus smelled every lilac on the walk to Billa (and those lilacs are out-of-this-world).


• Three borrowed books.


• A nap and early bedtime.

Moving Forward

Thanks to energetic (and wonderful) inlaws, I'm making progress and Gus is making sandcastles. And now we set out for Spanish adventures where I hope someone makes us sangria.

Knitted and Denim Love

I'm having fun. I'm studying fabric patterns from the 30's, learning about my colored pencils, and plugging away on projects that are more enjoyable than anticipated. The hands don't work as often as I'd like, but they work enough to feel good. Thankful.

Talented L spent an afternoon chatting up creative things with me (and I was in poor, zombie-form), brought a hand knitted gift, AND made an apple tart that was gone almost before she left; fashionable M took me jeans shopping (Surprisingly, the skinny, back zip, smooth front, no pockets, acid washed pair was tempting and not as comical as the try-on intended. But a no.). She took her dressing room role seriously and wouldn't let me leave without denim success. When my too-fast dressing popped off an ink-filled, plastic security doo-thingie, M braved the language barrier and embarrassing hand over of it, despite me squealing, "Don't touch it! It could be motion sensitive! We're going to foreign prison!" The generous things people continue to do are getting embarrassing. 

Sweet knitted bunny for a one-year-old-boo (better photo choice than the tight-fitted jeans for a 34-year-old brat):

Thanks, L and M!

Avoiding the blues--at least the sugar-free ones

Here's how we're keeping it happy and creative in arthritic times:

1. We're buying Easter brews at Billa. The jogging stroller needs a workout.

2. We're reading the best of design blogs and pondering the most recent Tigerprint competition.

3. We are pretending a lot of things are cell phones: Carrot sticks. Socks. Xylophone mallets. Anything goes.

4. We are practicing our playground Czech on gorgeous Prague Spring days (Zowie! Spring comes fast and glorious here!)--learning to say, "That's not yours!" and "Stop that!" and "He is very sorry he flung sand in your face. He's not very coordinated. Would you like to share our pretzels?"

5. We're reading David Sedaris's newest.

6. We are loving--Loving--our blue birthday cake.

7. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Grammy and Grandpa. They have no idea how much they have been missed.

Happy Birthday, sweetest Gus!

I've had years with more sleep, but I haven't ever had a year with more joy or love or laughter or simple goodness. We inept parents are celebrating ourselves (we made it through!), our brave boy, and the new direction blessed Gus has taken us. It's a good path, this road paved with rainbow colored foam toys. I honestly had no idea.