mud and "sisters"

i'm pledging a sorority,  not the girly cheerleader-y type you see in movies and big universities, the lets get drunk and go to the beach, pretend to be lesbians to make gross guys at the bar stop trying to take us home, defend each other to the death, kind of sorority, you know, the cool kind....:P and therefore will be fairly non-communicative for several weeks. 

made me curious though, is anyone else a member of anything? 

went mudding with a couple of my friends in the "hurricane" last night.  a jeep full of girls, tearing down back roads in the middle of the night with angry music blasting, stirring up as much mud as we could and driving through really big puddles. lots of fun.

Update on my acupuncture adventure. Jane, thank goodness she has Americanized her Chinese name which I couldn't pronounce, explained to me that the procedure was like a reset button. My body would need to adjust to a new pathway. I liked that image. Third session, she added a herb (Mongwart?)to the needles that produced heat. Supposed to energize me. Still see no results but I'll give it a few more tries.

Saw Dr Shaw yesterday and she is befuddled by my symptoms and lack of results from medication. Wondering about our assumed diagnosis. Scheduled another colonoscopy on the 15th. Then?? If only I could find the right magic words.

I had my first session with an Acupuncturist yesterday. She is a doctor (in china) and and has written several books and has all the training and certification. Hoping this might help me with the Crohns flareup. It was a pleasant experience. She placed a very thin needle in the top of my head and in my hands and several in my legs and some down the right side of my stomach. Didn't feel any pain or discomfort. I laid down and listened to tweeting birds and softly tinkling bells for about 30 minutes. See her again tomorrow. It will work!!!!It will work!!!It will work!!

getting messy :)

I started a ceramics class yesterday ! Finally trying to master the wheel . It was so much fun, I was totally covered in clay!! My instructor is the best!! ...right now my masterpieces are pretty much pencil holders ...maybe a vase? ...we'll see what I can master by the end of the class :)

I took a Raku class in the spring ... it was more about the glazing, and firing process. I love getting my hands dirty!!

funny work story

I was reading a funny story that Sue posted on her BLOG and it reminded me of something funny that happened the other day at work....

I work with a little boy with cerebral palsey (1st grade, but the size of a 4 year old - and the personality of a politician). The nurse pulls me aside because there is an issue with the bathroom  He can do #1 by himself, but was in the bathroom after #2 yelling HELP ME because he couldn't wipe himself.   I was asked to investigate this and see if anything could be done to help make him more independent.  So I sat down to chat with him and ask him why he couldn't wipe himself.  He looked at me as if I was stupid... "because I can't see my butt"  When I explained to him that no one could see their butts, he argued with me that he "is a boy".  I had to explain that girls, boys, grown ups or kids... NO ONE could see their butt.  Its a miracle.  He is now independent.  That college education is being put to good use. : )  Arlynn

oh right, the crew.

ok so this is most of the people i worked with this summer. Front to back is Ryan, Anneliese, Lacey(in the green) Ed, Chris, and me.  not in the picture are Mandie, Steven (aka Smalls), the captain and three massive newfoundlands. 

we were all hanging out on a wooden fishing boat at our dock watching the lightning that was preventing us from going sailing that afternoon. The Margaret Todd is Steel so we try not to be on it when there's lightning, and tend to refer to it as the floating frying pan.

big boat.

pictures from the summer.

This is the boat i lived and worked on. the Margaret Todd

i mostly worked up in the front of the boat tending the three sails you can see the corners of and signaling back to the captain so he didn't hit anything.

this is my friend Chris untangling the flag at the top of a 90 foot mast. 

Bubbie Ethel :)

Bubbie Ethel

Tonight is the Yahrzeit (anniversary as of the Jewish calendar) of my mothers death. I will light a candle and say a prayer in memory of the special person she was. She endured some difficult times. Progroms in Salat, Lithuania..hiding behind tombstones . Good memories of childhood too. Snow that lasted all winter and ice skating on the local ponds. Plucking feathers to fill mattresses and quilts and later used for pillows that some of us still lay our heads on at night. Dad died at a young age after a long illness and left her with 3 children to raise alone with no money. She took in a varity of boarders through the years to pay the rent and feed us. Mom not only made great cookies and an interesting wine but she painted and sewed and did electrical work and put out fires. A very gentle , quiet but strong woman who loved you all

Looking for a Chocolate fix TRY THIS

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons cake flour(that’s plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips(optional)
a small splash of vanilla
1 coffee mug

Directions:Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired or eat it right out of the mug.

This is enough for 2 people to share...or you can eat it all by yourself.

Hermit crabs

Shaina was giving her hermit crabs a bath - she has 4 these days and is "crab sitting" her friends...the pink one. I posted these for all, but specifically for Ellynn and Timothy. The BIG crab in the striped shell is "turtle" Timothy's old crab that never did anything...he is the life of the aquarium : ) Ar

Remembering...

I always would watch out our front door on the first day of school to see the little kids waiting for the school bus . They would be so well dressed. Oh, how things have changed. Shorts and tees and every cartoon character represented on backpacks. How did we ever carry books before backpacks? School bags? Was it always so hot in September? Back to school meant fall clothes. During Fern's early school days..girls had to wear skirts. Leotards to cover frozen legs and she constantly came home with holes in the knees. (the leotards and HER knees)
No jeans for boys or girls. Pants for the guys. Patches on the pants were not the fun kind of the flower children era. Shel had lots of holey pants and bloody knees. No sneaker..running shoes..cross trainers or what ever you call them today. Great orthopedic shoes. I wore penny loafers during high school and rolled down white socks and pencil skirts (back in style). A real Navy pea jacket was a favorite. El and Ar had a real long ride to school in kindergarden...5 minutes. I remember bringing Ar a change of clothes several times as her motion sick sister shared her breakfast with her sister. Speaking of breakfast, how many cheesy toasts did I hand out as you guys ran out the front door? "BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILED AND KEEP YOUR HEAD SCREWED ON TIGHT. HAVE A GREAT DAY" Did I really say that?

More from the beach

My bathing beauty !!!!
The water was beautiful !!!
Ellen enjoyed the WARM beach - hers - 2 hours from home is frozen 6 months out of the year

the back of US

These are pics of Ellen and Shaina at the beach this weekend.  I also have the tendency to take pictures of my family from the back : )  AR