The Park

Yesterday was a surprisingly beautiful fall day. We leashed up Bumblebee, strapped Cordelia into a carrier and headed to the park.

Cordelia and I in the park.

Eric and Cordelia in the park.

Today we're going to SUPER FLEA, a giant flea market. Wish us luck. What are you up to today?

A Bit -o-Everything

Today I am feeling a bit like I don't want to write about any one subject for very long. My brain is just sort of bouncing around from one thought to the next. So, enjoy a little sampling of what's going on in my brain.

Last night we were sitting around the living room, Cordelia was sound asleep in her bouncer and we were just chatting. After a while our conversation turned to inward reflection. Eric seemed to be deep in thought. When he came to he said, "You know what word I really like? Kaboom." Now I wonder about all of those times when he looks like he his mulling over the problems of the world that maybe he is just thinking those kind of thoughts...which I suppose I prefer.

Cordelia is growing. She's moving out of the teeny tiny newborn clothes. She smiles, she can hold her head up for longer periods of time, she laughed in her sleep (but not yet when she's awake), she's starting to try and grab for things with little success.

I think that I need to make banana bread today. Just seems like a banana bread type of day.

Next month Eric and I will have been vegan for 9 years! I remember celebrating one month.

Also happening next month Eric and I will have been a couple for 12 years! We're hoping to have that be our first post-baby date night. My parents are more than willing to watch her. I think that maintaining our great marriage will be the best gift we can give to Cordelia.

Last night I slept with my hair in a couple of braids and now I have fancy wavy hair. It feels sort of like I should do something special since my hair looks special.

What random thoughts are bouncing around your brain today?

Hair, Unitards and the Death of a Dream

What does super long hair have to do with unitards you may be wondering. Well my friend let me tell you a tale...

Several years ago, as in maybe a decade. I had short hair. I always had short hair. I was always cutting it and coloring it. I had never had long hair. Eric and I were talking about it, who knows why, and we made a friendly wager. He bet that I couldn't grow my hair all the way to my bum because I was too impatient to wait for it. Well I took that bet. What would I win if I managed to get my hair to grow that long? Eric promised to publicly wear a spandex unitard just like Freddie Mercury.

So, for the past decade I have grown my hair, desperately trying to get it to the length reserved only for women in cults. I have tried it all, but it has reached it's max length.

I have to give it up. My hair will never reach my bum, oh Crystal Gale how did you do it? So Eric can rest easy knowing that there is no spandex unitard looming in his future.

Now, don't assume this means I am off to go and get a hair cut. I just need to face reality. Really, it's liberating.

Night

Sunday was the time change, the good one. Fall back. When I woke up in the night I thought, "Oh it's the time change I can fall back to sleep."

Now, this time of year night seems to take over. The moon is out and we're tucked away in our house.

When this time of year rolls around we change up our habits and have several things that we always do:

• Eat lots of roasted veggies, soups and stews. I recently put leftover roasted veggies (onion, potato, garlic, butternut squash, zucchini, yellow squash) onto a pizza, it was soooo good!
• Sit in front of the space heater. We compete with the cats for space in front of the heater. yes, our normal heater works fine, but there is something about sitting in front of a tiny heater as it blasts in your face.
• Close the curtains much earlier, since it's dark out we close ourselves in and feel like bears in a cave.
• Watch movies.
• Drink teas.
• Wear slippers and big comfy sweaters.
• Pull out the quilts from storage.
• Put an extra blanket on the bed.
• Bumblebee also gets very snuggly, she tries to steal our body heat.
  

Do you have any habits this time of year? I might want to adopt your habits.

Mother to my Brothers

What's your birth order? Were you a first born, middle child, youngest or only child? I was a first born. I have a younger brother Ben and a much younger brother named Sam. Below is a photo of us. I think I was around 13 when this was taken.

My mom and I were on a walk a few days ago and she told me that she had been talking to Ben about what a good mother I am (isn't that sweet?) and Ben said that I was a good mother to him (also sweet). Now don't get me wrong, my mother was an awesome mother to all of her kids. I just became a second mother to both of my brothers.

I think being the first born has really impacted my personality. Honestly I see its influences on a daily basis, from the way that I take charge (or ways that I can be bossy) to how at ease I feel with caring for a newborn.

Do you think birth order has impacted your personality? If so, how?

Goals

Lately I have been living moment to moment. I am a new mother so really all of my plans are fairly immediate; things like when to change/feed/bathe/burp. I am really enjoying it. I have always been a girl who likes to plan for the future and have a dozen projects going at any given moment. I have often tried to live in the moment, but I've always found fleeting success with such attempts, until now.

This weekend I was talking with my youngest brother, Sam, about it. He asked if I feel as though I live in the past, the present or the future. A year ago I would have said all three, but now the answer is certainly that I am living in the moment. My future plans extend to later this day or maybe later this week, but mostly I am just hanging out in the present. I admit to looking at Bumblebee many times and having wondered what it must be like for her to have no major plans, to feel like she is completely in the moment. She seems so happy, so I have always assumed that it was pretty nice to live in the moment. I was right, it's really nice.

Sure, I have goals and plans, projects that are all somewhere in my future and they will get done, but they seem wonderfully foggy right now. Instead I am focusing on today and maybe just what my goals are for this day. So far my goals for today include:

• Getting this blog written.
  
• Getting dressed (in a cute outfit not anything lazy) and made up before 10am. Noon if Cordelia wakes up in a bad mood.
• Take Bumblebee and Cordelia for a walk.
• Listen to music with the girls (Cordelia, Bumblebee, Ophelia and Mia).
• Have a snack at 10am, this is a time honored tradition (Jennifer J. I bet you can guess what snack I'm having!).
• Do the dishes and maybe run a few errands late this afternoon.
• Gazing at Cordelia. This will probably take up the bulk of my day.
  
• Spending time with Eric and Cordelia this evening.
• I am sure that I will talk with my parents at some point today. Either talk or text, for some reason my parents are really into texting, they even use weird text lingo.

Do you live in the moment? What are your immediate goals for today?

Holy Cuteness

In case you had forgotten, yesterday was Halloween. Cordelia's first Halloween to be exact. You know we had to dress her up, because that's how we roll.



She went with it...for a while.



I love her!

Happy Halloween and Happy 2 Year Blogiversary

Happy Halloween! Are you doing anything to celebrate? Eric and I are going to dress up at home and pass out (vegan) candy to the kids in the neighborhood. I think this will be the year that we get kids. Everywhere we have ever lived we've never had more than a few stop by.

Last night I decided to carve a pumpkin (see above). I went with a classic design and named my pumpkin Seymour. I think he's quite charming as far as pumpkins go. I also toasted some pumpkin seeds and they were scrumptious. I need to have pumpkin seeds more often, but I really only have them once a year.

A friend of our family gave us this scary looking pumpkin with Cordelia's name on it. She has this cool thing that she does each year, she scratches in names of the kids in her neighborhood and let's her pumpkins scar that way. When it's time to harvest them she surprises the kids with a pumpkin with their names. Isn't that such a fun idea?!

Also today is my blog's 2 year anniversary! I have been posting every day for the past two years, with only a couple of exceptions (like giving birth). Wahooo!!!!!!!!

Some More Winter

Looks like we are going to continue to do one week of winter and then one week of fall. Next week it's supposed to be warm again, but for now it is cold and frosty. My family has been holed up in our house. The cats are hanging out next to the heaters, Bumblebee is snuggling extra close and Eric seems to have the perpetual pot of coffee going.

This morning I ventured outside and the air felt extra cold with the Wyoming wind blowing it up and through the fibers of my clothes.

When I came back inside I was greeted with a blast of warm air and a very happy basset hound. I think much of it will melt away before the day is over, but I do love that feeling of coming in from the cold. Makes me extra thankful that I am not a homesteader, thank goodness for electricity!

Interview With the Coolest Musician in the World!!!

You may recall that my husband, who just so happens to be the coolest musician in the world, has just released his newest album, The Invisible Audience. Today I thought I would interview him about his new release.

Maria Rose: I guess I will refer to you as EK in this interview as that is your music name. Can you share the basic stats about your new album, The Invisible Audience?
EK: The record has 11 tracks that were all recorded within this past year (except one song). It was recorded in several states including Montana, Colorado and Wyoming as well as a couple of tracks in England. I have a couple of British vocalists, some Canadian rockers and you! I feel like Paul Simon doing some sort of global unity project. Okay, maybe that was stretching it, but I did have fun working with all the musicians on the record.

Maria Rose: Can you tell us a bit about your musical background?
EK: I joined elementary band as a percussionist in 5th grade and stuck with it all the way into college, so on one hand I'm a classically trained musician. On the other hand I've been in rock bands since I was 14. Punk, surf, indie, metal, electronic and even cover bands have been pretty steady in my life over the past 15 years. I guess the combination of all of that formed my sound on the solo records.

Maria Rose: Please tell us what the intention is behind this album and how it came to be.
EK: The term "The Invisible Audience" refers to the notion that artists can fall victim to creating something they think their audience will enjoy. The result is an attempt to please an audience that doesn't exist. That's never good because the product isn't sincere. My album is an attempt to not let outside opinions about my past records influence the sound and style on this album. The result is the most diverse group of songs on a single album that I think I've ever done.

Maria Rose: How does this album differ from other works you've released?
EK: Live drums! After nearly a decade it's my first ever non-electronic album. It's more of a traditional rock record. Bass, drums, vocals, guitar, keyboards and piano. In the past it was more programming, drum machines, samples, synths, etc. Also, like I said earlier, everything was recorded in the past year which is huge for me. I usually have albums that are more like compilations because the songs were written years apart and clumped into one collection. On my new album it's self-contained. The collaborations with other musicians is also a big first!

Maria Rose: What track is your favorite and why?
EK: Oh man. I just read a quote from David Lynch answering the same question about his movies. He said something like, "A good parent never favors one child over the other." On this album each song is almost a different genre so I can't really compare them. It depends on which mood I'm in. If I'm feeling down I'll like the depressing song or if I'm feeling happy I'll like the upbeat song. You get the idea.

Maria Rose: This album does have a lot of diversity. After listening to it I feel as though I've taken a little tour through your mind. The song A Well Traveled Ghost in particular is very different for you. How did you come to that style and was it difficult to let your hair down and do something out of your comfort zone?
EK: It felt like a trip back in time. When I released my first album back in 2001 it was over-the-top experimental. Since then I've refined my sound and I've been hesitant to take risks. Back to your last question, A Well Traveled Ghost would probably be one of my favorites because of that reason. I really wanted one more song written in 6/8 for the album so I picked up my bass guitar. I wrote it in about 15 minutes. It was the last song written for the album. It just came out of nowhere! Sometimes that happens and I just have to ride with it. It's rare, but always welcomed.

Maria Rose: As you mentioned you have three different guest singers on this album. Tell my readers how you found your collaborators and a bit about the process you used to work with people from as close as your own home to as far away as the other side of the globe.
EK: I was a big fan of these two British groups, The Electrilickers and Theoretical Girl. I had interviewed them both back when I used to interview people. I just went out on a limb and asked if they'd be up for lending their voice to a track. Amy from Theoretical Girl was just finishing up her debut record and getting ready to play Japan or something crazy like that so I was very surprised she said yes. I sent them the songs and the lyrics. I had them record their parts then send them back to me. We live in a great time! The other collaborations were Paul and Sarah from Two Year Touqe. That track was recorded all together back in Missoula, MT. The last collaboration was you! I just forced you to be involved on the record and you finally agreed to do it. In addition to your vocal part, the lyrics for track #3 are taken from a short story you wrote.

Maria Rose: I think the album artwork is really spectacular. How and why did you decide on this particular design? My readers might like to know that you did all of the design yourself.
EK: Thanks! This is definitely my favorite album layout so far. The cover is a photo of my grandfather from the 1950s. I didn't change anything which made it perfect for a cover! The back tray piece is a photo of my dad as a child jumping off a dock into a lake in New York. The inside artwork is a collage of my family from the 1950s as well as a portrait of me that you actually took a few years ago! The overall design is about the past and the connection between generations.

Maria Rose: You have total creative control of your album from start to finish. Do you enjoy the process or do you just do it out of necessity?
EK: Both. Sometimes I love letting other people do the hard work. Studios are expensive, but not always worth it. It depends on the sound I want. With bands I'm in I like studios, but for my solo stuff I like doing it myself. It's been that way for so long that I couldn't imagine recording a solo record in someone else's studio (although I'd like to have access to their equipment)!

Maria Rose: Why did you take such a long break in writing new material?
EK: I was burnt out, uninspired and was focusing more on my film and photography. I didn't want to force another album. I knew it would come eventually. I'm glad I waited because the end result feels right.

Maria Rose: Where can people buy this album?
EK: Ha ha! Well, thanks for asking! You can buy cds and downloads through CDbaby or you can do the itunes thing. It'll be available in a bunch of other places soon also.

Maria Rose: Anything else you want to share?
EK: I'm a dad! My baby is insanely cute and my wife is smokin' hot!

Maria Rose: How does it feel to be the coolest musician in the world?
EK: Very similar to being the coolest dad in the world.

Maria Rose: Thanks for the interview. I love you.
EK: Thanks dear. I love you too and if any of your readers actually made it to the end of this interview then you have very dedicated followers! You should do something special for them.

Tea Party

When I was but a wee little lass I loved to have pretend tea parties. Did you do that? I loved the tiny china sets that were just my size. I didn't really care if there was tea to be had, I'd make my own concoction. What might this concoction consist of you may be wondering. Well, I recall one time where I made "tea" out of water and toothpaste (also I made "gum" out of water and toothpaste, I was weird). I can't tell you if I actually drank it, but let's just pretend that I didn't. I am not sure who first introduced me to the tea party or when it became something that I was interested in, but there it was in my childhood. I had tea parties with different family members over the years. It became a way for me to get some one-on-one time with treasured family members like my Aunt Tina and my Grandma Carol.

When my grandmother was visiting this weekend she came up close and in a quiet voice she revealed that she had something to return to me. My aunt ran out to the car to retrieve whatever it may be. My mind raced, trying to think of what I could have accidentally left with her. When my aunt returned a moment later I looked to her hands and couldn't make out what she was carrying up the stairs. I didn't recognize it at first glance. A moment later she produced the child size tea set that you see above. I looked at the box and in the corner was a Christmas gift card that read To Grandma Carol Love Maria. I had given (through my parents of course) it to her and we would use it when I visited. She had returned it for Cordelia to use in the coming years. Hopefully Cordelia will enjoy tea parties with her family in the years to come.

Did you ever have tea parties as a child? If so did you drink tea or make "tea" out of toothpaste and water? What about "gum"?

Mom's Brown Suitcase

We were all sitting around the living room at my parent's house this weekend. Talking together with family we hadn't seen in a while. You know how it goes when family gets together. Stories are told, memories are shared. Often we have to relive a few favorite stories, laughing like it's the first time we've ever heard them. Sometimes a new story is thrown into the mix. This past weekend I heard a new story from my mom, about her childhood. I thought the story was so precious and so telling of the generous person my mom has always been. I wanted to share it with you...

When my mom was a little girl she kept her treasured dolls in a brown suitcase and slept with it, just in case there was a fire she'd be able to escape with her prized possessions. She moved a lot as a kid and I think maybe the suitcase was just a way of life for her.

One day she heard that her friend was ill. She now thinks that the girl had chicken pox, but at the time my mom thought her friend was on the brink of death. My mom, being the generous person she is, gave her treasured brown suitcase full of her beloved dolls to the sick girl. How sweet is that?!

She does admit that she was a little surprised when the girl made a full recovery, but she didn't ask for her dolls back. I love my mom.


***On a completely different note, Eric's album was released today! Wahooo. If you want to check it out (and I think you do) you can click right here. I will post an interview with my husband later this week.

Weekend Update

This weekend we had a bunch of family stop in to meet Cordelia. My Grandma Carol, cousin Erin, aunts and uncles were all here. We were so touched that family came from all over the country to meet our daughter and to just enjoy each other's company.

While we were all here we decided to go ahead and have Cordelia's baptism as well. You may already know this, but I am a PK (that's church slang for pastor's kid)---so my father actually preformed the baptism. The coolest part about the proceedings is that the baptismal dress is a family heirloom. You know how I love my family history. The dress itself was made by Cordelia's great-great-great grandmother in 1895! My entire family was baptized in it. You can see how amazingly well the dress has fared over the past century. I was sooo concerned that Cordelia would have a blowout, if you get my drift, but we managed to use the dress and bring it no harm.

The rest of the time was spent catching up with family and passing around Cordelia. Our family hasn't had a baby in 16 years, so everyone was really quite excited to be around such a sweet little lady. She also chose this week to start her first few smiles! Needless to say we have now been trying everything to induce more smiling, more often than not she will frown. I don't blame her, it makes me uncomfortable when people try too hard.

Quick Hello

Good morning, or whatever time of day it is when you are reading this. My father's side of the family has come from all over the country for a visit with Cordelia. Last night we all gathered at my parents' house and spent some time catching up. I will give you a full update on the goings on tomorrow. What are you up to today?

Godmother

My cousin Erin, Cordelia's godmother, came to town yesterday. This is the first opportunity she's had to meet her goddaughter.

She came bearing some wonderful gifts for Cordelia. She knows how much I love to make faces with my food. Click here to see a few of my food faces, or just look at the one below (that is vegan lunch "meat," fyi).

Anyway, Erin wanted to ensure that Cordelia gets a head start in this particular art form so she got her this...

I cannot promise that I won't break this in for Cordelia. How great is it? I want to get an entire set of these dishes!