More fun then should be legal

This weekend, since Thursday, I've been in VA/MD for the MARAC conference and a visit with part of DH's family. The invite to stay with the DC cousins was a treat. This is family I so enjoy spending time visiting. Discussions are always enlightening and enliving. Also being spoiled away from home is just great too.

I walked Thursday night and was handed a glass of white wine - great way to end the drive from Philly.

The "more fun then should be legal" aspect is riding the Metro from VA to Silver Spring friday and saturday. One of my favorite things is people watching. I enjoy the little kid who is just sooo excited to be on the train, especially if it's not mine. I also am entertained by the wonderful oddities of people when they aren't trying to be the image they want everyone else to see. From the guy who is so into the tunes on his MP3 that his "white boy" shimmy comes out to the college kids dressed for a night on the town.

My favorites for this trip were two boys I saw Saturday. This weekend was the Autism Speaks Walk DC. In the morning, a family group with 3 boys were heading into the District. The one boy was so excited to be on the train and riding underground. Also he would read the next stop posting for everyone. His mom would ask, "is that where we get off?" His anwser each time was nope, we go to Metro Center. Since that was my change point, I considered this generous public service.

On my way back home, evidently the walk was done. I rode from Metro Center back to VA with another family proudly sporting their t-shirts. My entertainment was a dad and the 4-5 year old chatting about their good walk and the fun of riding the train. These observations made the travel back and forth so entertaining.

I really give credit to both of these families and those others who continue to keep their kids out in the world of normal family activities. Over the past three years, thanks to a good friend, I've become more aware of just a few of the issues around life with an austistic child.

More later about the fun and other activity of the weekend later.

Halloween results

Only 12 goblins, princesses, and other characters made it to our door for treats ... but my race car driver and pirate came home with way too much.


This bowl could put even the most balanced person into a diabetic coma. And this is after a couple of days enjoyment by the entire family.



Saturday brought friends over for an Autumn party. This was held to make up for an over active August and too little time for MM's birthday party. After leaving the distribution of the invites to MM and DH, we had 8 kids for the afternoon.

We had pumpkin crafts, bobbing for apples, and general kid fun. The kids had a good time and MM enjoyed having friends over.



For me it was great, I got a chunk of the house really clean!!!




Of course Nana provided seasonal sweaters with glow in the dark designs.

I did

and I hope you did also.


My half hour waiting around as the new poll worker fouled up the process that the ladies who've been at our precinct since we moved into our house, was a breeze compared to some of the reports for others here in Philly.

Nevermore

Happy Haunting Day to one and all.

Here's another photo from my trip earlier this month. The crow pieces just sang out the Poe poem for me.

Mad Men quiz

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.


• * Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.


• * Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.


• * Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.


• * Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

• * my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level


• * my ability to establish warm connections with people


• * admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life


• * my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor


• * being unique and being seen as unique by others


• * having aesthetic sensibilities


• * being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

• * experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair


• * feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved


• * feeling guilty when I disappoint people


• * feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me


• * expecting too much from myself and life


• * fearing being abandoned


• * obsessing over resentments


• * longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

• * have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games


• * are very sensitive


• * feel that they don't fit in


• * believe they are missing something that other people have


• * attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.


• * become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood


• * feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

• * help their children become who they really are


• * support their children's creativity and originality


• * are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings


• * are sometimes overly critical or overly protective


• * are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Back from my escape

Four days escape from home and kids was wonderful, even though it was for work. Last week thru "oh dark & ugly" Monday morning, I was in Santa Fe. This was my first trip to New Mexico.

It was wonderful the little I had free time for of Santa Fe. Before the workshops started, I visited the Georgia O'Keefe museum to see their new exhibit. O'Keefe isn't my favorite artist, but I do enjoy some portions of her painting. The O'Keefe museum is small, but the collection and exhibit space design is wonderfully compact. This was worth the cost of admission. The Art of Identity exhibit includes photographs of O'Keefe, her work, and home by more then just Stieglitz. It was interesting to see drawings, paintings, and photographs of the work in her studio.

Outside of Ghost Ranch - Santa Fe is a sculpture garden with these great installation pieces by Peter Woytuk. This is one of my favorite pieces. I just love the striking difference between the cans and the apples.
The workshops went really well even though there were only 5 attendees. For the first time the focus of what we want to teach was also the primary interest of the participants.

During the airport times and evenings, I was able to get more done of the stripe scarf, but still not finished.

Monday's early arrival home and the start of the day, brought back the reality of daily life with laundry and dishes.

Up Up and Away

Tomorrow morning I'll be up - WAY TOO EARLY - to head to the flying metal bird.
The next four days I'll be in Santa Fe for work. Partially a holiday for me, DH will be home with the kids.

I'm taking two knitting projects along for the fun. Here's the progress on my current scarf project.



I'm loving the stripe pattern and hope someone else will come Christmas.

I've decided to knit up the two skeins of yarn from my swap partner from Favorite Color Swap 3. I thought I would use it for Red Scarf Project, but it doesn't fit their specs. I'll probably use it for a gift or auction item for the next fundraiser at school.