We’re gearing up for the Authi/Noxy II. I’ve found a great new site, I’ve got a theme that I think will be a LOT of fun, now I just need to start hammering people for RSVPs.

I’m hoping to at least get the undergarments for the German dress done this summer. The fun bit is making sure that I don’t go overboard on it… Oh, it’s just a basic chemise, corset, and bum roll, but of course I’m thinking about black work (On the collar. And cuffs. Maybe shoulders. Chevrons from the center line to shoulders are period. And all I have is white linen, so the corset will be boring – maybe I should put a nice big motif in the center front of the corset? It is back lacing, after all…).

Well, whatever I do with the dress, hopefully it’ll distract me – the kids will be at their dad’s from early June to late August. Sure, one on one time with Sweetie is good, but… argh. Moms, you know how it is – no one else can take Proper Care ™ of your babies! (Never mind that I have no complaints about how their Dad takes care of them, or that they are far from babies at this point…). I’m hearing horror stories from one of my friends who is sending her daughter off for summer at dad’s, so I’m just grateful that C&N have a good relationship with their dad and are excited about the trip. And they are very, very excited.

Well, last night we did it. Her hair is now a deep brown, almost as dark as mine, and it looks really good on her. She absolutely adores it. Caught her in the bathroom singing to herself in the mirror and admiring the new color this morning.

LOL and a part of me feels irresponsible for letting my 10 year old color her hair.

And in other news…. Reading Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About by Kevin Trudeau and Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser back to back was probably not the wisest choice. These books will completely ruin you for mass produced food of any sort. And traditional medicine. Not that I needed help being anti- traditional medicine, especially not with this recent bout of goodness-knows-what. I think Sweetie has decided I’m buying into conspiracy theories, but with the amount of chaos I’ve run into trying to practice Aromatherapy and study Homeopathy and Naturopathy, I do believe there is substance to their claims. Mr. Trudeau uses a *lot* of hyperbole in his book, but given that it synchs up with what I’ve experienced and he states flat out that his goal is to be non technical and write something that everyone can understand I think it’s excusable (and a lot of his references are available on the associated website). Mr. Schlosser has more factual data in his book, and really, it’s far scarier than the other. At any rate, I highly recommend Natural Cures… and Fast Food Nation (although, the latter requires a strong stomach. Not bedtime reading!)

Happy stuff… I’m still trying to find sheet music to “Old Maid in the Garrett” so I can learn that one silly verse about “Come landsman come townsman…â€? – can’t seem to get the melody to stick when I sing it. I’d like to perform it at Crown War next month. If anyone has any leads, I’m eager to hear about it. I’ve got pickling eggs in the fridge (they aren’t pickled yet) and I’m debating between entering a period mulled wine (Yppocras) or doing some blackwork on a hanky or something. The blackwork is admittedly part of my cunning plan to get Aiden to submit something for arts. We’re going to work on it together. Of course she doesn’t realize that yet…

Well, February was a rough month. Two weeks conducting training, then a week miserably ill. The regular docs have no idea what’s wrong (my favorite was the guy who looked at me, while I was covered with a rash & so swollen that I couldn’t eat or hold anything smaller than a soda can and said “Well, your tests are negative. There’s nothing wrong with you.�), so I’m seeing a gal who does Applied Kinesiology & Allergy/Sensitivity Elimination and Retraining. *Shrug* we’ll see. It’s only been about 24 hours so I can’t really comment about how successful it’s been. I feel good, but I haven’t tried adding any of the stuff I’m not supposed to eat for the eczema back into my diet (because the roads are ugly out there… I’d *like* to drive out for a cheeseburger, but I’m thinkin’, why tempt fate? That jeep just means more vehicle to slide on the ice.)

So. Knitting: Heh. Yeah. Now that my hands have stopped peeling I can physically knit again. Now to figure out where I blew it on Sweetie’s sweater before I got sick.

The German Dress: Well, breathing new life into the underbits, at least. If fighter practice doesn’t happen (see note about ugly roads above) I want to iron the linen for the chemise and, if I have time, cut it. Hey, that’s a lot of linen to iron! I’m probably going to do at least some blackwork on it, so I’ll need to spend some time finding a pattern for that.

Kids: Well, doing what kids do, I guess. C. is having school issues ‘cause she doesn’t turn in her homework. Oh, and she’s sworn off boys, forever, because “I’m just done with them, Mommy.� I’m thinkin’, thank goodness! Apparently I’m not ready for this yet! N. is plugging along. He’s been working on getting his handwriting legible, which I’m sure his teacher appreciates. Hopefully it will pull up the rest of his grades. Report cards come at the end of the month, which means another trip to the bookstore for their rewards. Oh, woe is me, I have to go to Barnes and Noble… hmm, maybe we can compromise and go to Borders….

Work: Don’t get me started. Kinesiology lady thinks part of my issue is internalizing stress. Gee, I wonder where that comes from?

ECS: Well, another competitor for Source of Stress. Crown War is coming up, so I gotta get my ballot in (yeah, I know). I’m also working on projects for it – pickled eggs, a song (“Old Maid in the Garrett�, I’ll sing the version on www.contemplator.net. Er, .com? Nuts), and possibly some Hippocras (mulled wine, from a 15c recipe). I’d like to have the undergarments for the German Dress done in time to bring down and have judged as a masterwork, but I’m not holding my breath. Hopefully I can get the chemise done! LOL

We’ll do the ugly part first:

I still haven’t started the german dress. Well, all of the fabric is washed, but I’m not sure that really counts as starting….

Yay, done with confession.

So, yesterday was Clean Your Room Or Else! day in my household. C & N clean their rooms, and as I’m telling them they can go do their thing, C turns to N and says, “Did you clean out behind your amp?”
N says, “Yes.”
C: “All of it?”
N: “Yes.”
C: “Even the hidden candy stash?”
N: “I don’t know what you’re talking about, what candy stash? I don’t have candy in my room!”
C: “Yes you do, behind your amp!”
N makes a confused face and shrugs.
C storms into his bedroom, comes back with a small bag (maybe 1/4 pound worth) of jelly beans. “See! These! From behind your amp! Mom, he had a hidden candy stash in his room!”
N: “What?!? You’re framing me! Mom, I’m being framed! I don’t even like jellybeans! I don’t know where they came from!!!”
Me: makes a funny face, trying to not laugh
N (on the verge of tears): “I’m being framed!”
Me (mostly under control): “Just go play, N.”
N (wanders off, still working the upset): “I was framed!”
OK, less funny until you realize that this kid was so working it. Definitely in the running for Best Melodramatic Performance By a Pre-Teen