Take a break

Lots of my days are fairly busy with rehearsals or errands or social engagements or Japan adventures. But some days are not. Some days, like today, are spent mostly at home, binge watching Season 2 of Grey's Anatomy for the third time, doing laundry, straightening up the house, and just relaxing and cuddling the dog.

In the morning, I had an Officer Spouses of Yokosuka coffee at another member's house in my neighborhood, which was convenient. When I got home, Malcolm made it very clear he was happy to see me and didn't want me to doing anything else for a bit.

After lunch and some more chores and some indoor fetch, Malcolm needed some more cuddle time.

At the end of the day, the house wasn't sparkling and my to do list is still fairly long, but I felt good about my day. It's good to slow down sometimes, spend time with family (even the furry members), and relax. I've also had a bit of a cough this week, and I think spending the day at home was good for that too.

Sometimes I feel guilty about the days I spend this way. There are more of them than there used to be when I was working full time and/or going to school. But it's okay. Different seasons of life bring different opportunities and this season is a little more flexible for me than most have been or will be. The key is to be grateful for the highlights of whatever season you're in, and days like today are certainly a highlight of this season.

Everyday, it's a gettin' closer,

Hi friends. It's been a minute. I started off the year strong and then . . . well, nothing. Nothing for months. I'm sorry about that. I honestly don't have a great excuse - I've just been out of the habit.

I know one challenge is that I don't have a typical schedule. There is almost nothing predictable about my schedule most weeks. Sometimes I have classes or rehearsals, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have an extra dog to care for. Sometimes I don't. No 9 to 5 job for two years now. Every day is a little different.

I've tried to come up with routines and schedule my days to actually get things done and use all this time and flexibility I have to do as I please and sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I'm a big fan of my life right now and I actually do get a lot of things done and have great adventures, so I don't really regret my inability to consistently do ALL of the things AND keep a good record of it. There is always more I could be doing, sure, but as long as I'm doing something, it's better than nothing.

I really enjoyed a talk from the most recent General Conference of the The Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titled "Divine Discontent", which outlines the different between divine discontent and paralyzing discouragement. Divine discontent, an inspired feeling of the need to do more, can lead us to action, doing good, and come closer to Christ. Paralyzing discouragement does the opposite - convinces us there is no point to even trying, it won't make a difference and we'll never get any better. I've certainly experienced that kind of discouragement, but I also certainly prefer the divine discontent.

As Gordon B. Hinckley said, we should "go with determination to try a little harder to be a little better." That's what I'm going to do. It's NaBloPoMo season, and I haven't missed one yet, so I'm going to try and get back in the groove. Again. I'll try to talk about current events, adventures of the last year, and life in Japan updates. Life is good!

Malcolm napping today. He's a weirdo.

You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew

Today I happened upon a blog post listing 10 Japanese Travel Tips for Visiting America. It's from February 2016, and I'm a fan of Mental Floss, so I've probably read it before. After a year as an American living in Japan, however, it's a really interesting read. Some things that stood out to me were their suggestions on laughter (Americans laugh loudly - Japanese do not) and slow cashiers (the Japanese cashiers are incredibly efficient). They are also not wrong about the dinner dishes and table settings. I definitely laugh more loudly than the locals (something that was really noticeable at the showing of Allegiance - no one ever laughed out loud except the four of us), but I can definitely get behind the efficient cashiers and flavorful foods. We've also discussed our love for Japanese vending machines.

Fortunately, even though I know I do things differently, I try my best and I feel like the Japanese are a patient people. They are more embarrassed personally when gaijin (foreigners) can't understand something and do it wrong, because they should have made it easier for you. I've never once felt shamed because I made a mistake, and I've made plenty.

I think that it is really key just to try. Just try, in whatever country you're traveling, to do your best and you'll be okay. Things will be different from whatever you're used to, sometimes wildly so, and expecting the same treatment or experience that you would at home will limit your opportunities to learn and experience new things. Learn a few words in the language, travel the way locals do, and just try! Really, what's the point of traveling otherwise?

Some people never leave home or try new things or do anything differently than they've ever done. And, really, that's fine. If those people are happy, then I am happy for them. But I don't understand those people. There is a great big world out there and I want to see as much of it as I can! I'm not as well traveled as some, but like I said - I try. And that counts for a lot.

Paris, Christmas 2007

London, Christmas 2007

Cairo, May 2010

Cairo, May 2010

Tucson, September 2010

New York City, 2015

Seoul, August 2017

Kamakura, October 2016

Oh. I- Ahahahaha oh, I thought, ohhh. What a hilarious misunderstanding.

Every time I go to Kamakura, a town nearby that is just old and small and traditional enough to be popular for day-tripping Japanese people from Tokyo and that we also love, I feel like I can assess how I'm doing with my cultural assimilation and language acquisition. It was the first place we visited off-base after we arrived and were incredibly overwhelmed and so tired. So as much as we loved it, a lot of it was one big blur at the time. When I went back for my second visit, it went a whole lot better, and every time I've gone back I can measure against previous experiences.

Today was no different. We went to Kamakura and went to the same yakiniku place we went to the first time and we both felt a lot more confident about the situation today. It's our favorite yakiniku restaurant so far, so we will be taking any visitors here.

Then, we went to a store we like for Christmas gifts and I handled the conversation in more Japanese than English than last year and I even wrote the names for the orders in Japanese!

Totally copied this from a note I'd put together while we were on a train, and I definitely need practice, but I still feel really good about this - even if the woman at the shop ultimately corrected how I spelled the fourth name. She understood it all, and that's a win!

Unfortunately, things went a little downhill from there. While we waited for our order at the other shop, we went to a nearby cafe that does really impressive latte art. Much of the art is Disney-themed from what I've seen of friends' visits, the cafe is charmingly decorated, and the music playing was delightful jazzy piano covers of Disney songs.  I ordered Blake's hot chocolate to be decorated with Stitch and my hot caramel milk with Mount Fuji. The waitress confirmed our orders and with a "kashikomarishita" ("of course") was off. Several minutes later (good latte art takes time), Blake's adorable Stitch drink came, followed some minutes later by mine, which wasn't exactly what I expected.

It was super well-done, whatever it was. So, while we sipped our tasty drinks, I read the receipt, which was all in katakana, and tried to decipher what she thought I'd ordered.

What I thought I'd asked for:
フジサン
Fuji-san

Took this photo from Zushi Beach after Typhoon Lan cleared out.

What I got:
フリーザ
Furiiza

Still impressed

Turns out she thought I'd asked for a Dragon Ball character named Frieza, a thing I did not know existed before this afternoon. But now I do! It was an understandable and amusing misunderstanding. Among our friends there is a phrase for the things that get misunderstood by any party or problems on trains or at stores or just the challenges of life in this country - Japan Tax. This was definitely a Japan Tax situation. I'll just have to try this cafe again, and ask for Mount Fuji in English instead. 

It was a lovely afternoon in one of our favorite places, and then we came home for naps and second Thanksgiving, which was also lovely. I do love our little adventures and Blake's extra days off. 

Look what you made me do

I found this post from September 2008 when I was searching my posts for something recently. Let's see what has changed in 9 years! The bold is the original list. Anything I've done for the first time since then is in red. Anything I should have put in bold the first time but didn't is in blue. One thing I have plans to do very soon (as in the trip is booked!) is in green.

All you have to do is copy the list (after the jump) and bold the things that you have done.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business (lemonade stands count, right?)
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal or physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions (the joys of being in quality control)
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream (didn’t know it was my dream, but I’m living it anyway)

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where at least four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Been inside the pyramids
115. Shot a basketball into a basket
116. Danced at a disco
117. Played in a band
118. Shot a bird
119. Gone to an arboretum
120. Tutored someone
121. Ridden a train
122. Brought an old fad back into style
123. Eaten caviar
124. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
125. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
126. Published a book
127. Pieced a quilt
128. Lived in a historic place
129. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
130. Asked for a raise
131. Made a hole-in-one (mini-golf counts, says I)
132. Gone deep sea fishing
133. Gone roller skating
134. Run a marathon
135. Learned to surf
136. Invented something
137. Flown first class
138. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
139. Flown in a helicopter
140. Visited Africa
141. Sang a solo
142. Gone spelunking
143. Learned how to take a compliment
144. Written a love-story
145. Seen Michelangelo’s David
146. Had your portrait painted (sketched, yes)
147. Written a fan letter
148. Spent the night in something haunted
149. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
150. Ran away from home (only temporarily)
151. Learned to juggle
152. Been a boss
153. Sat on a jury
154. Lied about your weight
155. Gone on a diet
156. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
157. Written a poem
158. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
159. Gotten food poisoning
160. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
161. Hiked the Grand Canyon
162. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
163. Gone to the opera
164. Gotten a letter from someone famous
165. Worn knickers
166. Ridden in a limousine
167. Attended the Olympics
168. Can hula or waltz
169. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
170. Been stuck in an elevator
171. Had a revelatory dream
172. Thought you might crash in an airplane
173. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
174. Saved someone’s life
175. Eaten raw whale
176. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
177. Laughed till your side hurt
178. Straddled the equator (Prime Meridian!)
179. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
180. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
181. Sent a message in a bottle
182. Spent the night in a hostel
183. Been a cashier
184. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
185. Joined a union
186. Donated blood or plasma
187. Built a camp fire
188. Kept a blog
189. Had hives
190. Worn custom made shoes or boots
191. Made a PowerPoint presentation
192. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
193. Served at a soup kitchen
194. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
195. Know CPR
196. Ridden in a convertible
197. Found a long lost friend
198. Helped solve a crime
199. Shaken hands with a famous person
200. Commented on The Book Guardian’s blog

Rubber Ducky, you're the one!

I finally visited an onsen today! I've been wanting to do it the whole time we've been here, but since public nudity is just not a thing for Americans and there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to doing the onsen, I've been nervous about going. Well, no more!

King Yumemira, the mascot of this chain of onsen, behind him are the shoe lockers

Onsen are natural Japanese hot springs, which are easy to come by since Japan is a volcanically active country. (Sentō are indoor bathhouses, but not hot springs.) They are intended to be used for relaxation and health and are popular among all ages. I saw at least one three-generation family at the onsen today. Men and women are separated, though some do have communal areas where you wear a swimsuit. 

Basically, upon arrival into the onsen, you undress and then scrub top to bottom in a seated shower area before bathing. The bath is not for cleaning. It's not terribly complicated, and you mostly just need to be mindful of others. Here's a pretty good overview of how to do it.

I recently got a visit into the pages of my favorite Japanese children's book - パンダ銭湯 (Panda Bathhouse) by tupera tupera at the Yokosuka Art Museum's special exhibit of their work! Since I didn't take photos of the interior of the real onsen, these will have to do.

You take off all your clothes

Scrubbing time!

Today, I was taken to an onsen with another military wife, a friend I knew from church back in DC before we both got married, and her sister who is visiting for awhile. Being naked with a friend is a little more personal and odd than being naked with strangers, but it's really not that big of a deal. 

It's a lot like this - pandas, I mean people, of all ages, relaxing in the tub with their towels on their heads.

Once we scrubbed up, we took a variety of baths - you can see a map here, and use your browser's translate tool. Indoors, we enjoyed a green tea bath and a whirlpool where some sections were deep enough stand and others to sit. Then, we went to the outside portion, which was nice in the cool evening around sunset. We did a salt scrub (rinsing with cold water inside a hot sauna is eye-opening), which felt really good. Next, we laid down on a hot stone bed with water running over it and stared up at the night sky, which was more comfortable than it might sound. My friend particularly recommends it if it's raining, so you have cool water dripping on you, but the stone and water warming you underneath.

To enter the next bath, which was another laying down bath, but inside the water, you had walk into a pool with pebbles big and raised from the floor enough to give you a bit of a foot massage. Nice, but actually a little tricky. Then I took a soak in a big jar or barrel like tub, which was also very comfortable. 

At this point, I was starting to run out of time, so I quickly tried a few other bath experiences. In one tub, I splashed my face with mineral water bubbling from where the bath was filling, to get water straight from the source of the hot springs. Then, I went back inside and had a brief moment on a big stone chair with water running down it and a foot bath. The last hot bath I tried was an electric bath - there were little shocks coming at my lower abdomen from behind. I feel like I almost got used to it before I got out, but it was odd.

Finally, I tried to take a dip in the cold tub. I only made it about waist deep before I had to get out. I then noticed a cool shower that others were rinsing in before they got in the cool tub, so I tried it, and it made all the difference. Then it felt good and I wish I had more time to really relax in it. That would be even nicer in the hot summer.

This particular onsen is a little far away from me to go to regularly, but now that I've done it, I absolutely want to try and find more! 

It made me feel excited, well, excited and scared

Even though I had almost five months notice about moving to Japan, almost four of which I spent as a semi-retired person, I still spent the last week before leaving running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Truthfully, a lot of it really did have to wait until the last minute. For example, I couldn't sort things to move via suitcase, express shipment, or slow boat until a few days out, because I needed the things that I wanted to ship faster. We did clean out several boxes and things throughout the summer, but there was still some left at the end. We also didn't even get our official date for leaving until about 10 days before we left, so there really wasn't anything I could do about a lot of it until those last few days, like cancel our cable or book a hotel.

The last donation pile. Once I added the food I wouldn't be taking, this pile close to doubled.

So I started a to-do list. At first, I broke it down into categories; I had a call sheet and a list of things I could do online. Then, sitting in church that last Sunday, I started breaking it down by day, putting certain errands or activities together that made sense, making sure to write down appointments or other things scheduled events.

Now, I realize this is what a lot of people do. I frequently have some version of a to do list, but it's usually in my head. One does not run a library on their own without some sort of to do list. It's not uncommon for me to write it down, but it just depends on how much there is to do and how well I'm keeping up with things. I definitely keep a calendar of scheduled events, but it doesn't always include tasks. This is totally fine - you gotta do what works for you.

In fact, here are some funny webcomics about to do lists (Wondermark Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. Invisible Bread) and a great article from Art of Manliness about The Power of Checklists.

And this worked for me for that crazy week.

Most gratefully, Blake came home for that long weekend. We managed to find some time to just hang out, but I also put him to work and we accomplished a lot. In fact, I don't think I could have done it without him. I also had other friends help when I needed them, and even the missionaries came over for 30 minutes and helped me take things off my walls.

Sunday evening, we took some time to meet friends at a park near our home for a final sayonara! It was a bittersweet end to our chapter together in DC, but we are so glad to have found wonderful friends there and look forward to maintaining those relationships in other ways now.

Here is how the schedule broke down:

This day actually ended up look a bit different from this, like going to the vet twice and then going again on Thursday, but I tried.

At this point, I added things I probably would have remembered, but you can't be too sure, like eat breakfast.

Watching the movers pack all our things was strange. Malcolm was at day care, so I just sat and watched the movers. I ran around crazy before they arrived to get Malcolm squared away and get everything laundered, and then sat around for several hours. Then I ran around crazy picking Malcolm back up and hauling everything to a hotel - even had to borrow a friend's van large enough to carry Malcolm's travel crate. Malcolm got dropped off a minute after the day care center opened and picked up a minute before they would have charged me for overnight boarding. I hope he had a good time!

Thursday, I sold my car, which was a bit emotional. I had purchased it brand new eight years earlier and was parting with it much sooner than I anticipated. We had some good rides together, and I hope it's making someone else very happy soon.

I also dyed my hair brown, since dress code on our base requires natural hair colors. Maybe I'll get to go blue again one day.

Friday, I chilled as much as possible because everything else was done. My licensed massage therapist friend gave me a much needed massage as a farewell gift and I picked Blake up from the airport. Miraculously, we were both able to sleep that night, because this is the part of our story where we travel for 20 hours and start life in a new country! Stay tuned!

Guess who's back? Back again!

Hello friends. It's November - National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo). The glorious time of year when no matter how much or how little I've kept up this blog during the rest of the year, I will attempt to blog every day for a month.

I miss blogging. I miss writing. So this is a really good reason for me to get back into it.

I know I haven't written much for awhile - only one post in June and one in January. But this year was what Blake and I call a snow globe year. It's the type of year where everything gets shaken up and stirred around and then you have to figure it all out again as the pieces settle down around you.

2012 was a snow globe year. I lost the job I moved to D.C. for; Blake started law school; we met and ultimately got married. So much changed, but all of it was for the better, one way or another.

2016 is definitely another snow globe year for our little family. Once again, just about everything has changed and we are once again trying to figure it all out as the pieces settle around us.

Because Japan.

In case you only follow my life by reading my blog and didn't already know, the short version of 2016 is that Blake joined the United States Navy and we moved to Japan.

The long version is what I will spend the rest of month filling you in on. It's a story I look forward to telling! So, buckle your seatbelts, kids. We're in for a ride!

Getting to know you

Part of the VAASL conference this year has been a celebration of Virginia authors. There was an authors reception on Thursday night where various local authors were spread around the exhibit hall, signing books and meeting fans. On Friday night, the annual banquet was held and Maggie Stiefvater, who lives in the Shenandoah Valley, spoke.

To date, I have only read one book by Maggie Stiefvater, Shiver, and I ultimately did not care much for it. I'm even more wary of paranormal teenage romance trilogies than I am about dystopian trilogies. I really liked her talk though, and I am willing to give another book or series by her another chance.

After the dinner, Maggie was going to sign books and there was line practically out the door for it. So, Margaret, my keynote speaking conference buddy who has read even less Maggie Stiefvater than I have, jumped in line with a book to have signed for a friend, and I went to the restroom. Margaret was pretty close to the front when I got back, so I went up to stand next to her and a few other librarian friends and said, "It's not cutting if I'm not having anything signed, right?"

Everyone agreed, but then the conference planner/new VAASL president handed me The Raven Boys, the first book in The Raven Cycle.

"Do you want me to have this signed for someone?"

"No, it's yours now. I ended up with an extra copy."

"Well, okay then! Thanks!"

And about a minute later, I was at the signing table, having Maggie sign a book I received just moments earlier and have never read.

"To Amanda." *flashes name badge for spelling* "So far I've only read Shiver, and I didn't care for it much."

"That's okay. I think my books have gotten better since then."

"That's cool. I just got this one and I've heard good things, so I'm looking forward to reading it."

It was a bit awkward. But what DO you say to an author whose only book you didn't really like and you were not planning on meeting until literally a minute earlier?

The Virginian author/illustrator at today's lunch, Henry Cole, was also interesting to listen to. I'll be honest though - I dozed off a little during his talk. I was getting the sleepies after lunch and I knew I had a 2.5 hour drive coming up after, so I rested my chin on my hand and closed my eyes for a few minutes to take the edge off. I don't think anyone noticed, thank goodness. I did wake up in time to watch him illustrate this super cute drawing to the music (and even rhythm) of a Peggy Lee song.

And I'm the one who pays for it

When Eilonwy and I discussed what our daily topics for NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) were going to be, I suggested doing crafts on Wednesday, because that was the night I was trying to make my weekly craft night. I thought it would be motivating and I'd get my craft on and then talk about it.

In case you haven't already figured this out - I have done little to no crafting this month.It's the third Wednesday of the month and thus far I have talked about how I can't finish anything and yay! I pinned some fabric! and a craft project I actually completed back in October.

Not very impressive.

Eilonwy, on the other hand, has made multiple sweaters and done cool art projects with her kids. I'm a little jealous. But you know what? That's okay. I don't know how to knit and I don't have kids. That's not to say I couldn't still do my own hand and foot print art, but it wouldn't be the same. Eilonwy and I are in different seasons of our lives right now. and there is nothing wrong with that.

Come to think of it though, Malcolm and I did do some paw print art back in April, at an event at our local pet supply store.

This was the only paw print I could get out of him before he made it abundantly clear that he was not interested in this project. I framed it and put it up in our kitchen anyway. 

So what did I make tonight? A very long drive. It should have taken me 2.5 hours to drive to Williamsburg, VA, but it took me 5. I left later than I should have and got stuck in rush hour traffic. 

No crafting for me tonight. Instead, I listened to the entire cast recording of Hamilton, chatted with my mom on the phone (with my earbud/mic), and jammed to some tunes. 

Now, I sleep.

I'll be there someday, I can go the distance

I am pretty awesome at starting craft projects.

I am not pretty awesome at finishing them.

Sometimes I finish them. The odds of finishing a craft project are increased based on the simplicity of the project or the time it takes, as well as my confidence in my own abilities.

The odds are also increased if it doesn't involve me using my sewing machine.

My parents gave me a decent sewing machine a few years ago for Christmas. I've successfully made a few things with it, and I'm definitely grateful to have it. But I'll be the first to admit that I need to practice a lot more. There are probably things I'm doing wrong related to the threading or tension or various feet. Since I don't have one of my sewing mentors nearby, I'm stuck figuring it out on my own. Way to go, me. Should have taken advantage of the opportunity when I lived closer to those people. (Hi Mom, Grandma, Fran and Eilonwy!) My parents also gave me a sewing how to book - should use that more often. Maybe even go through it in order, like a textbook.

Oh and Malcolm has varying reactions to the sewing machine. Sometimes he doesn't care. Sometimes he does.

Jewelry goes quickly, at least the styles I make lately, though there are some more complicated designs I'd love to try sometime. My jewelry stuff currently lives on the shelf under the coffee table, so I really ought to bust it out and make more things while I'm just hanging out.

And then there are all the random crafts I've started or purchased the materials for. Sometimes I get the materials and then don't have the time to do it immediately, so eventually it gets stashed away and I forget about it for awhile. Sometimes I just work on it when I remember, but that's once every several months - this goes to the time factor involved in actually finishing it. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood.

This school year, I decided that I wouldn't be taking a dance class in the evening. The friend I was taking the class with last year had a baby two weeks ago, so she wasn't going to be dancing for a few months, and the studio was in her town, which is about 30 minutes away from mine. So, for time and money reasons, I chose to implement a craft night at home during one of the nights Blake is gone for class (he's still working on his Masters). I haven't been able to do it every week, but I have had some success in working on or finishing projects.

Knowing I wanted to blog about crafting tonight and if I didn't do something I wouldn't have anything to talk about, I decided to work on a project I started two years ago. The pieces were in two different places (some in the embroidery box, some on a shelf on a bookcase in my living room) and I thought I still had some embroidery to finish.

Apparently I finished the embroidery back in . . . um . . . whenever, and the next step was pinning all the pieces together so I could sew them. So I did.

Then I realized a few pieces might be set up wrong side out, so I unpinned, flipped some things, and repinned.

The next step will be sewing.

I'm going to go make some snickerdoodles instead.

Where is the path to Wonderland

Welp, it's finally happened. I've taken the plunge. Fallen down the rabbit hole.

I've joined Pinterest, and you can follow me by clicking on that link.

I've certainly liked the idea of Pinterest for as long as I've known about it, but I've known for that same amount of time that it was the perfect opportunity for a time-sucking rabbit hole. One could get lost there for hours. I already knew that I could get lost in recipe or crafting blogs without Pinterest, so I decided it was best I just stay away from having an account.

That doesn't mean I stayed away from it entirely. I looked at it sometimes to see what friends had pinned or to gather ideas. Once I started my current job, I discovered it was useful for ideas and lesson plans for the library. I would go months without looking at it and I didn't feel like I was missing anything. 

Then I got called to the nursery.  I started looking to the internet for ideas and a lot of them took me to Pinterest. I quickly realized that I couldn't look at pins without an account anymore, as they had apparently locked down the site to non-pinners. I began some occasional deliberation. Eilonwy sweetened the deal by telling me she had already created a panda board for me. 

After a month of pondering, I was looking online for ideas about teaching MLA citation to sixth graders and I could no longer deny that having a Pinterest account would be useful. I think knowing of its rabbit hole possibilities going in will help use it responsibly. I didn't even create a board or stat pinning until today, though I actually signed up on Tuesday. I'll likely limit myself to follow only people I already know in person or other internet forums and possibly set time limits on my browsing as well. I've been using Evernote to curate my recipe, crafting, and other inspirations, so I'll probably use a combination of both going forward.

Do you pin? How do you use it? How do you manage your time?  I'll take all the suggestions I can get!

Turn off the idiot box, it's a disease just like the chicken pox

I love tv. I just do, and I'm not sorry about it. I have lots of other interests and hobbies, and of course I do love me a good book, but I also love just turning something on the television for 20-45 minutes and just letting a story unfold in front of me. In recent years, I've even gotten better about actually focusing on it, and not just watching while I compute or internet surf or something. Sometimes I do something crafty, sometimes I just snuggle on Blake, sometimes I just sit there and watch.

And that's okay!

Shows I currently watch

Bones
Criminal Minds
Face Off
Call the Midwife
Scandal
Miranda
Once Upon a Time
So You Think You Can Dance
Glee
Grey's Anatomy
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Shows Blake and I watch together

Blacklist
Castle
Big Bang Theory
Defiance
Covert Affairs
Grimm
Doctor Who
Animaniacs

Shows I'm rewatching with Blake for his first time

Chuck
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Torchwood

Looking at it all listed out like this, that does seem like a lot of tv, and I'm not even listing the shows I I've already watched all the way through. Honestly though, at most I might get one or two episodes in a day, if that. Thanks to Hulu+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime that just collect episodes for me, and other providers of tv on the internet, I'm well behind on most shows, and I really appreciate the ability to watch (and sometimes binge watch) tv on my schedule, because that's the only way it works for me. I can't even tell you what day all of these shows even broadcast. Not everything is of equal quality, but having a variety of shows gives me more flexibility in watching whatever suits my mood, just like being in the middle of several books at once. We cut most of our cable last year (just a few basic channels now - mainly for news and the occasional live event), and switched over to using the Roku, and I really like it. I also like the larger tv we bought with wedding gift money.

The weirdest thing I think is watching two shows featuring David Boreanaz - one from the late 90s and one from today. He's aged well, but he's definitely aged.

What are your favorite shows?

Just one step, look at where one step leads you!

This may be my second year at the school, but I still don't know my way around the entire building. I was given a tour as part of my signing of my original contract and again during orientation, but it wasn't until two weeks later I finally felt confident enough to say from most of my routine places that I knew how to get back to my office from just about anywhere. It took me at least four days to find the women's restroom on my floor. I didn't even know about the administrative supply closet that I am allowed access to until the beginning of this school year. Now, I think I could get back to my office, but that's because anywhere new would only involve a few steps of backtracking to familiar territory, rather than the whole route.

Yesterday, I figured out where the "green room" is. I knew we had at least two gyms. I couldn't tell you how to get to the girls' gym with very much certainty, but I think I could find the boys gym. They're probably right next to each other, but I have yet to fully investigate this. I go different ways to get to them if I need to.

But yesterday, not only did I find the green room, but I discovered we actually have practically the equivalent of an athletic compound. Of course, leaving the green room, what I thought was the door to the stairs was actually a closet. So I have some work to do. There are several rooms near the gyms for health and physical education. Rumor is that there is even a weight room. We only have a few sports teams, but they actually have a fair amount of space, and I might need to explore this more, just to satisfy my own curiosity. I do know that some of the locker room space is actually being used as office. I wonder if that guy ever gets lonely. I actually haven't seen him in weeks . . .I also wonder if we have any other locker rooms, because the ones I know of don't seem to be in use.

I certainly don't know where everyone else's offices are, but I found one of my friends' offices last week when I was turned around trying to find one of the second grade classrooms.  It's a big and confusing school and there is not actually a lot of reason for me to know where everything is. The only reason I needed the green room in our PE wing was because of an after school Zumba class, which is not part of my regular duties, but something I'm happy to be a part of!

This was a high school in the county before our school rented the building, and there always some quirks to an old school like this. Rumor is that we'll be moving to a brand new building in a few years, and I'm sure I'll get lost there too!

Now, a mystery I'll probably never solve is why and how these books magically appeared in my office when I wasn't looking . . .

Half a set of 1992 World Books and other assorted reference material. Yay!

Trapped in the closet

Three years ago, I posted about my least favorite chores and said, "I really hope I marry someone who doesn't mind sweeping and mopping."

I found that post while randomly surfing through my own blog the other day and realized that my wish had come true. I did indeed marry someone who doesn't mind sweeping and mopping! That, my friends, is a major blessing in my life. And, he hates cleaning toilets, but I don't, so guess what one of my chores is?

I do think that I get the better end of the deal on vacuuming too. Currently, I hide in the office with Malcolm, while Blake vacuums.

Malcolm does not like the vacuum, at all, and we don't really trust him in the office without supervision. So, Malcolm and I hang out in the office while Blake vacuums, and it's usually followed by some Malcolm and Blake reunion time, as evidenced by this series of photos from July.

Malcolm waiting in the closet for the vaccuuming to be done

Hugs!

Malcolm hugs are an experience

And might involve a nose or tongue in the face

Piggyback rides are fun too! 

From the top of my head way down to my toes

Yesterday morning, I drove down to Roanoke, Virginia, for my first Virginia Association of School Librarians annual conference. My school was happy to support my attendance and I can use all the help I can get with ideas on how to run my library better.

And boy howdy have I gotten a LOT of ideas. I probably could have attended last year, but I was so overwhelmed by the newness of everything last year that I didn't even think about VAASL for quite awhile. Thinking about it now, I'm actually glad I didn't attend. I would likely have gotten even more overwhelmed!

Attending for the first time as a second year school librarian gives me a good perspective. I know where my weaknesses are, and my strengths. I know what I do know and what I don't. I know a little bit more of what my library needs and what my student and teacher population needs. Having gotten to know my library over the last year has given me a good base to work with this year as I choose what sessions might be the most beneficial to me. And, instead of getting all worked up that I'll never be good enough and make my library the best ever, I'm getting excited about what I will be working on when I get back! What I don't get to do will be okay. Whenever my time to move on comes, I will leave the library a better place than how I found it and that's what really matters.

I also learned today that I forgot to pack socks. I know I set them out somewhere to put in my bag, but I certainly couldn't find them this morning.

Fortunately, in my swag bag at the First Timers Breakfast, I received a brand new pair of socks. They won't match my ensemble tomorrow at all, but at least they'll be clean!

The pandas are coming! So hide under your beds!

I announced on this blog in November that I really like pandas. So when the Smithsonian National Zoo announced on their new Instagram page a contest for panda lovers to submit a 15 second video about why they should be chosen for the zoo's first ever Instameet and be one of 30 people to meet the new panda cub in a private gathering, of course I submitted a video. My entry is above.

The extent of panda collection surprised even me. I kept finding things to bring out or put on (even had to be reminded about some of it) and repeatedly thanked Blake for marrying the crazy panda lady. But I decided to let my panda freak flag fly.

Fly it did. Out of 585 entries, I was one of the chosen 30! Saturday morning, we met at the zoo nice and early, before the buildings opened to the public, and were treated to a private meeting of the adorable Bao Bao. We met some of the keepers and learned some interesting panda facts before getting to the see the star of the show. She wasn't as pleased to see us as we were to see her, so she kept escaping back into her den, but the few moments she did share with us were priceless. We saw a little bit of training with her keepers and a lot a bit of cuteness.  I will now share many pictures.

Tian Tian (dad)

Mei Xiang (mom)

Panda monitoring station

Ball o' panda

Training Bao Bao

Mei Xiang

Touching panda fur (handwarmers by AnneArchy)

I even made CBSnews.com's coverage of the event! And they didn't make me sound too much like a crazy person.
Sadly, because it was a private event, Blake didn't get to attend with me. Instead, he wandered around the mostly empty zoo, listened to the wolves howl, and made friends with the seals.

He introduced me to them once I was done.

It was a fantastic morning. Many thanks to the National Zoo for making it happen!