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I hate ants. I hate them with a visceral deep-down sort of rage that makes me see red every time a tiny black insect marches into my kitchen from a crack at the bottom of the screen door. I hate them, and I smite them with copious amounts of Raid.

Smiting makes me feel happy. Thanks, Mom.

Today, I made Beer & Beef for the regular Friday nosh-session at our house—it's always a big hit with the guys, and I really can't complain about the leftovers, either.

Continue reading "beer and beef" ►

Adactio Photoshop Actions is a set of tutorials and downloadable actions for creating various effects in Photoshop, including a Lomo and a painted effect.

Lomoize has instructions for creating a Lomo effect in Photoshop using either a downloadable action or the detailed tutorial.

Not having a car is not so much fun, although it meant I got a workout this morning. The kids were clamoring for breakfast and I had no cereal, no milk, and not much else (except for eggs, which were a complete failure last night). I left them with Matthew on the couch watching Between the Lions and walked to the Sheetz station that is three blocks away to pick up half a gallon of milk and a box of Frosted Flakes.

This doesn't make me a bad mother, or a great mother—it just makes me a tired mother.

Imagine my surprise when a package arrived this morning that was stamped Par Avion direct from Singapore. In it was a beautiful swatch of fabric—two yards of a thick, cotton blend woven fabric with gold brocaded geometric borders of varying widths along the length of it. I envision a long, fitted skirt… or a sheath dress with cap sleeves… or even a tailored shirt with long, flowing sleeves that are slit to the elbows, creating a kimono effect.

Timo, you've outdone yourself. Thank you.

Rebecca: "Mama, can a snowman fly?"

Me: "No, Becca. In the movies and on television and in make-believe, snowmen can fly, but real snowmen that are made out of snow can't fly."

Marcus: "But Mom, we can make a snowman out of cardboard and put it on a string and fly it like a kite, and then the snowman will be flying."

Me: "Okay… but… ."

Rebecca: "Can a snowman hop?"

Me: "No, Becca, snowmen are made out of snow and are not alive. They cannot hop."

Marcus: "But Mom, we can build a snowman on a jackhammer and then it will hop."

Words fail me.

And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.

Until, when chance came, it ensnared another bearer.

Galadriel, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

"Yes, I'd like to make appointments for well-child checkups, please."