When my daughter first opened a gift of several Scratch and Sketch art activity books, I thought, how perfect.
She loves to draw, color and otherwise create. And she just loved these books.
My Future Farmgirl/Artist opened them right up and started scratching and sketching away. The Garden Fairies book captivated her.
So what's the downside? The books, sadly, are a big, stinking mess.
The black film that she scratched off is like soot and covers everything in its vicinity: tablecloths, chairs, floors, clothes and fingers.
I finally had to restrict the scratch and sketch activity to a single, isolated corner that I could easily wipe down. And I required my daughter to finish each activity with a decent handwashing.
But last night, when I cleaned up the finished book, I thought I'd probably hide or get rid of the rest of them.
Even though the book says the materials are non-toxic, I noticed tonight that there's a warning to do the activity in a well-ventilated area. With that warning in particular, I can't believe these are marketed as travel activities. I'd never allow these in my car.
Indeed, I've decided I don't want my little girl breathing in all of these nasty black particles.
If they so quickly stained my Christmas tablecloth and placemats, I can only imagine what they're doing to her lungs.
So anyone in northcentral Indiana is likely to have felt the tremor.
Hoosier Outsider says there was no damage to the house, which is part log cabin. But he's surveying just to be sure. This was Playful Spirit Potter's first quake. She reports it rattled the whole house, but the dogs didn't bark.
News accounts have reports from people feeling houses and buildings shake as far north as Michigan and as far west as Dayton, Ohio. Also, the USGS has a heat map filling in with responses from people who report feeling the quake.
The Indianapolis Star is updating its story about the quake -- which lasted between 5 and 7 seconds -- as reports continue to come in.
If I've learned anything, it's that it's tough to feel like I'm on vacation when I'm at home.
It doesn't help that I spent the morning working and that I'm on call more than I'd like to be.
It's also just hard for me to be home and not do things like tackle the laundry that's been piling up or, what I did today, clean out the fridge. Seriously, it needed it.
But my kids make it impossible to not have at least a little fun. After art projects, video games, imaginary play, and a couple meals, the kids headed outside to build some of the largest snowballs I'd ever seen them push around the yard.
After they started using the snowballs as platforms, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to lift the midsection up on my own. Indeed, I had to wait until Sim got home. And even with the two of us, it took several tries to get that sucker up and secured with packed snow.
We added legs (and boots) for good measure, which put our gentle snow giant at more than 5 feet tall, while sitting. If you include the legs, he's about seven feet long.
Future Farmgirl built a little snow dog as a companion. He's super cute.
I'm hoping to get better photos in the morning when the sun comes back out and when our snow clothes are dry.
If I had it to do over again, I might have pleaded with my kids to wait until Yogi Bear 3D became available for rental.That way at least I wouldn't have had to sit through it.
But I figured, we're all on vacation, they really want to see it, so why not?
Well, I can now come up with any number of bad movie, horrible plot, bad acting, worse writing reasons why not.
I'd been spoiled by four top notch kids' movies this year: Toy Story 3, Despicable Me, Megamind and Tangled were surprisingly entertaining (I tend to go into kid movies with extremely low expectations).
Yet, there's no denying, the kids just loved Yogi Bear. They laughed the whole way through -- at all the bad jokes, crude humor and slapstick -- and have been talking about it ever since.
They'd been brushing up on Hanna-Barbera's "Yogi Bear & Friends" ever since they started seeing promos for the movie.
Plus, my son has a personal connection. I've been calling him boo boo ever since he was a baby. So he's been wanting to get to know the lovable little bear I nicknamed him after.
As for me, I got two work calls during the movie and I was wishing for more so I could duck out for just a few more minutes. Truly, it was painful to watch.
To recover, I think I'll try to get the movie out of my mind and watch some of those old H-B reruns so I can continue to have good feelings about what was at one time one of my favorite cartoons.
On our way back to Chicagoland, we started talking about the highlights of our trip.
I initially asked the kids and Sim to pick their favorite part of the trip. Turns out that was just too tough. Between Christmas morning at The Farm and Christmas evening in Columbus, there were too many happy moments to settle on just one thing. We all agreed that spending time with family was the best part, hands down.
But there were some definite highlights - food, visit and experience wise. So we made a list and whittled it down to our Christmas Top 10.
1. Christmas Eve mass - because mom and my sisters, who sang at the 7 p.m. service at Holy Family, are just plain amazing. Man can they sing. We all enjoyed the service, which was followed by a drive through the Gas City Park's annual Christmas lights display.
2. Christmas lamb - We actually ate this on Christmas Eve before mass. But this was our big family meal at The Farm. I'd never cooked a lamb. And I'm not sure I can say I know what I'm doing yet. Our 4-pound cut was marinated in garlic and herbs and ready for baking. It was melt-in-your-mouth perfectly cooked. I'm amazed there were any leftovers.
3. Bald eagle sighting - Sim and Future Farmboy got a glimpse of an adult bald eagle on their post-sledding walk to the river. It's the first sighting of the once-endangered national bird at The Farm since, I don't know, forever. Sim thinks it may have been one of a pair because he could tell there was another large bird startled out of the same tree.
4. Visit to the CB, aka The Columbus Bar - While the kids were enjoying the company of their cousins, Sim and I enjoyed a night in downtown Columbus. We were staying at the Hotel Indigo, which is just a short walk from the CB, a bar that got its name from Sim's great Uncle Sap in 1939.
5. Eggnog muffins - I brought the recipe and bought the eggnog, but my sister Maddy whipped them up to pure mouthwatering perfection. These Christmas morning treats tided us over until our aunt brought us chicken and noodles for lunch. I'm kind of getting into the part of Christmas where I don't do all the cooking.
6. Sledding/snowboarding - Future Farmboy has our family's record for distance this year. He made it all the way to the field on a saucer sled. But we all had fun trying to stay on two feed on the snowboard. It was a child's snowboard, so I'd like to think that a better quality board would be easier to manage. That's what I tell myself as I nurse the bruises on my shoulder and hip.
7. Sammy sleigh - My family's great pyranees - Sammy - now has a custom harness that my dad managed to hook up to a flexible flyer sled so the kids could take rides across the yard. Sammy seemed to enjoy towing the kids around, after he had a chance to visit with them first.
8. Pool party - Topping the kids' favorites list was our makeshift pool party at the Hotel Indigo. All 7 cousins (plus me and Sim) popped into a small, but bright and fun pool for some splashing around. I admit I was mostly just grateful there was a hot tub to soak my sled-sore muscles.
9. Snow giant - Reading the local paper (The Republic) around the kitchen table, my brother-in-law pointed out a snippet about a giant snowman built by some college kids home from college. We made sure we stopped to see him for ourselves on our way out of town Monday.
10. Christmas morning cuddle - to my delight, the kids didn't jump out of bed and plead with me to open presents right away. Instead, they just cuddled up for a Christmas morning chat. I don't even remember what we talked about. But I'll treasure the few minutes of peace before the wrapping paper started flying off all their gifts.
The kids got to spend the night with their cousins, continuing to having the Christmas vacation time of their lives.
And Sim got to try some local brew at the CB, also known as the Columbus Bar and more recently Power House Brewery.
We'll stick with the CB. It's kind of a family name considering Sim's great Uncle Sap named the place in 1939 when he bought the establishment, previously known as "The Sanitary Cafe."
He not only changed the name, but in 1941 he put in a real floor and had the iconic horseshoe bar built. Around the top of the bar hang mugs from the regulars. I'm not sure how much it costs to get a mug up there. But it's a feature that adds to the bar's welcoming atmosphere.
Old ad from Historic Indiana message board.
Uncle Sap wasn't long for the bar business. He joined the service, shipped off, and came home with a brand new plan: Sap's Donuts. My brother-in-law still makes Sap's yeast donuts on special occasions. That's pretty much the only place you can eat Sap's version. His company was bought out years ago by Dolly Madison, which quit making Sap's recipe around 2007 I think.
But I digress. The Columbus Bar continued to change hands over the years and was turned into a brewpub in 2006. Even though the name changed, I was happy to see that the old Columbus Bar sign is still out front, the bar's history recounted on the menu, and, more importantly, the place hopping with patrons even on a cold Sunday night.
Back in Sap's day, the CB had a telephone. That was unusual then. Today, the CB has an iMac so patrons can check email and still maintains a bookshelf (filled with books donated from the Cummins library).
We weren't hungry when we got their otherwise I'd have ordered the tenderloin. I'm not sure they use Sap's recipe anymore. But it's one of the things the bar/restaurant is still known for.
Next time we're in town, we'll go back with the kids, then head around the corner to Zaharako's for ice cream.
By then, hopefully, the new Commons will be open. The playground looks amazing. And I'm looking forward to the unveiling of Jean Tinguley's Chaos, which has been in a protective capsule since the old Commons mall was torn down and the new community space erected around it.
One of the things that makes it possible for me to live in an urban environment is that, for the most part, I'm not afraid to get around on my own.
I've embraced train and bus transportation since I first arrived in Chicago in 1997.
That doesn't mean I'm not careful. I've read Gavin Becker's "The Gift of Fear" (my dad made an early version of his work required reading/listening when I was in high school).
But I generally feel pretty safe, especially when I'm in a crowded place.
That's why it was so jarring this evening to hear my train conductor, three stops from home, make an announcement that we were entering a "high-crime area." He proceeded to tell all of us to put away our electronic devices because there's been an increase in "incidents" involving presumably theft of said devices.
I stowed my iPod, but kept tweeting and Facebooking away on my BlackBerry.
Then one of my friends told me that she's witnessed six iPhone thefts - in broad daylight. Two were on the CTA Green Line and four on the Blue Line, smack dab in the middle of evening rush hour.
Makes me want to be more careful about pulling out my iPod or my phone. And it makes me want to drive tomorrow.
What is it about this holiday season? I've been more stressed than I can remember.
Juggling work to make it to school holiday programs. Remembering to buy and drop off teacher appreciation gifts.
Finding the time to find the right gifts. Getting them early enough to mail before Christmas.
Wanting to please without overdoing it. Wrapping. Planning our trek through Indiana to visit family. Packing gifts. Packing up me. Sim. The kids. The guinea pig.
Ugh. How did things get so crazy? Is it like this every year and I just develop some form of holiday prep amnesia?
What's worse, is that I usually look forward to this time of year. I enjoy shopping (not for myself), but for family and friends. For some reason, this year's been different, more hectic. I've found myself making multiple panic-buying trips to Target trying to tie up loose ends.
But even as I cross off names from my list, few of those purchases have been satisfying. I mean, the gifts are fine. They'll probably be appreciated. No worries if they're not (I included gift receipts).
Then, today, I realized my problem with my shopping strategy this year -- my Big Box purchases fall flat. The one-stop-shop convenience just doesn't work for me. My chain-store purchases lack personality and creativity. So I turned my browser from Amazon to Etsy for inspiration, looking for unique gifts for some of the hardest people for me to buy for this year.
That's when it dawned on me where I live, just a stone's throw - a short walk actually - from a thriving arts district. I looked up a few galleries online and was delighted to see they have long evening hours during the week.
Instead of heading home from the train, I walked to the shops and found just what I was looking for: warm friendly shops, pleasant conversation with artists and local business owners, and gifts I can feel excited about giving.
On my way out of one of my favorite shops, Art Gecko, owner/artist Lisa Nordstrom said, "Thank you for shopping local."
I responded with a polite wish for a happy holiday.
But I should have thanked her for renewing my Christmas spirit, helping me to be less stressed about getting the "right" gift and instead back to having fun.
Several friends - at the breaking point with the stress of the holidays - have told me they've given up sending out Christmas cards.
I admit it's something I considered. We haven't even started ours yet, so we're pushing the Dec. 24 postal delivery deadline a bit. We may end up sending Happy New Year cards instead.
But I have to say I still love reading cards and letters from family and dear friends. It's the one time of year I can catch up with my extended, far-flung family. Even with Facebook, which has done more to connect me to my cousins than any number of family reunions, the letters are welcome annual updates.
So far my favorite card this year came from Sim's uncle near Columbus. He'd lost his hog barn and a prized hog in a fire last year. But we learned from the card that Sim's uncle had recovered - built a new barn with electricity to boot.
Not bad for a farmer who celebrated his 81st birthday this year.
With the snow and especially the wind today, we were chilled to the bone.
Even suited up with hats, gloves and snow pants, it was going to take more than peppermint tea and hot cocoa to warm us up.
We started off with a loaf of banana bread...chocolate chips and butterscotch chips thrown in for good measure (the kids' idea).
But it was tonight's version of our tortilla soup recipe that really warmed us up.
We kept pretty close to the recipe, except I kicked it up a notch with the peppers.
I used a medley of roasted CSA poblanos that I had frozen, roasted mild green peppers (also from our CSA and frozen from this summer's harvest), and a serrano and jalapeno I tossed into the oven to roast tonight.
I knew the soup would have an extra bite after tasting the blended peppers, a rich mix of hot, earthy and sweet.
There's no underestimating the importance of having fresh fried tortilla strips for topping...and a handful of rough chopped cilantro.
All this came together nicely tonight. Now I'm warm.
A couple years ago, the kids got super jealous of my Christmas village. I don't even know how I got so into having a village as part of our decorating tradition.
I'd cobbled together my set from church pieces my mother didn't want, a random wedding gift and a few odds and ends I'd picked up over the years. But the set really came together when we inherited a few pieces from my mother-in-law's set: a school (my favorite), a candy shop, a bistro, etc.
I finally broke down and bought a newspaper building I had my eye on. (I had to have something to go with the newsboys and newspaper boxes from my mother-in-law's set, didn't I?)
The kids' interest (or I should say burning desire to raid the village and pilfer all my pieces) came at a perfect time. I was running out of space to display all the buildings and new figures (left over from a holiday snow globe craft).
To keep the peace, I let the kids set up villages in their rooms. They did a nice job last Christmas. But the displays this year will be hard to beat.
Check out Bella's (an explosion of pink lights and pink garland - saved from her first Christmas at Omi's):
Note the baby Jesus, with wise men, guard dogs...oh, and a few shells, a sled and a fireman with a dalmatian. I must have missed that part of Sunday school.
My son's village just cracks me up every time I look at it. Not to mention, he adds a new element every day, so there's always something quirky going on. The latest is a skateboard for Yoda. Who needs wise men when you have bobble head Yoda (left), Anakin (right) and a t-ball trophy (right behind Anakin)?
I can't believe we packed so much into two days: Christmas shopping; snowman & snowball fight; birthday party; playdate complete with movie, lasagna and a battle of wills; painting basement; rehearsal for school video project; whirlwind of cleaning; and...finally...
Our tree!
I wasn't sure I could manage it by myself with Sim out of town. But my Future Farmboy was eager to get the tree and promised to help.
We ended up with a pretty big one and he made good, helped me carry it to the man with the saw and the netting. Man that kid is strong.
It loaded just fine into the van, made snug with a couple bungee cords.
After a careful ride home, I unloaded and FFB guided me into the living room and helped me balance the tree in the stand. He even chose the prettiest part of the tree to showcase.
Both kids were a little disappointed I wouldn't let them fully decorate the tree. I let them put up the base ornaments and some trimmings in our colors this year...a lovely orange and gold.
The rest of the ornaments, the ones from our vacations and filled with memories we enjoy sharing each year, can wait in their boxes until Sim is home.
I couldn't imagine hanging those without my better half. Plus, he knows just the right music to spin to set a festive mood.
Tonight, I hopped into my minivan, on my way to an evening meeting/holiday gathering.
I turned the key and all I got was click...click...click.
Ugh. Dead battery.
I knew immediately what had happened. The kids had left the lights on by their seats and I'd forgotten to turn off the master switch.
Our AAA and Honda road assistance have long since expired, so I headed to the parking garage office to see if I could get ahold of someone who could give me a jump. No way I was going to make my meeting, so I let go of any anger and frustration and resolved to just work through this mini disaster.
That's when I met Judy. As I was about to reach for the Yellow Pages, Judy offered to help me instead.
She explained that she wasn't supposed to do this (leave her post and do favors for garage customers), but she happened to have a battery charger in her car for emergencies (the idea of being stranded on a cold Chicago street late at night has her prepared). She instructed me to take a seat while she retrieved the charger and plugged it in to juice up the battery.
That started to take longer than she liked, even though I was frankly enjoying her company in the garage office. So Judy loaded me into her car, drove up to my van, expertly attached the cables and after a few extra taps on her accelerator, I was on the road and on my way home.
Urban living can be taxing, with exhausting commutes and hectic schedules. But this was a lovely reminder that I live in a community, where kindness -- even from perfect strangers -- is all around.
Now...what to do for Judy to say thanks. I'd sing her praises to garage management, but I'd hate for her to get in trouble for helping me out.
She seemed to appreciate a couple grateful hugs and my pledge to keep her in my prayers.
