Julian and Holden play "doctor"

Naked Folk Singer Appears in Berkeley

Scraphappy

What could you possibly need less than a cozy for a travel pack of tissue? I'm not sure, but perhaps an oversized Tupperware storage container full of fabric scraps.

As such, I am on a mission to turn my haphazard collection of fabric scraps into something (slightly) useful, if not charming.

And I'm not alone. There are 132 tissue-holder pictures posted on flickr.

Make that 134. I just made two of these.

Pattern inspired by WhipUp.net.

Backstory on the three fabric scraps used above:

1) Outside khaki silk brought from Japan by my mom
2) Inside mod cotton canvas left over from Amanda's birthday apron.
3) Trim made of quilting cotton purchased for a never-to-be made quilt


Backstory on the three fabric scraps used above:

1) Outside green quilting cotton purchased for late-90s Halloween costume "Material Girl"
2) Inside (not shown) dark blue denim left over from purses made when we lived in Oakland (pre-2002)
3) Polka-dot trim from fabric used on my own every-day tote bag, made about a year ago.

Mother's Day

32 weeks (7+ months)

Sippin' smoothies with Theo

Julian is very much in love with his friend "Fee-o" who has the following admirable attributes:

1. A train table at his house.
2. A baby sister who is still small enough to be held by Julian.
3. A relatively new, super tough scar across his nose.
4. A mom who is happy to hang out with me as much as possible.
5. Unbridled enthusiasm for chasing after lemons from the tree in our back yard.

His passion for Theo does not mean that Julian did not spend half of their time together yesterday whimpering in my arms. However, he did greet Theo warmly at the door with a smoothie that we made especially for them to share.

Can't get enough of me?

An interview with me has been posted at Peekaboo Picks, an online magazine.

Check it out.

Ryan, the Almighty

Driving in the car yesterday afternoon, Julian said "Where's my rainboots?"

"I left them at home. We don't need them anymore today 'cause it stopped raining," I told him.

"Daddy turned the rain off."

Four jobs I have had

When you are a woman my age, and have a kid or some kids, you suddenly have access to an employment status that would not have previously been acceptable: unemployed. I'm not saying it's acceptable for YOUR household-- that's between you and your partner-- but, in society at large, no one seems to be thinking I'm a loser even though I don't have a steady paycheck. Now people ask me IF I work, not WHERE I work. And, if we've just met, and they ask WHERE I work, I say that I have a kid and I'm writing a book. I don't know if I'm adequately explaining the weirdness of this, but what's happening is that I am trying to get used to my work situation and the uncertainty of what it will be over the next year.

My friend Sunny sent me an email asking me to list four jobs I've had in the past. This is not my resume, but a more interesting random assortment of jobs, none of them related to the $8 million slice of LeapFrog's business that I worked on most recently.

Four jobs I've had for more than four weeks

1. Sales girl at upscale sporting good store - GO Sport, in the Century City Shopping Center, where I learned about Gor-Tex and clothing that wicks, several years before Patagonia became all the rage. Fun because friends and celebrities would come in the store.

2. Gymnastics Teacher - I got this job about ten minutes after landing in the Bay Area and it paid about a dollar more than minimum wage. I am great at this job, but cannot support myself this way.

3. Receptionist - At the Salem Lutheran Home in Oakland, a multi-level care facility. Scariest moment - I almost had to say "grace" for about 100 residents at breakfast one morning, and I don't know the first thing about Jesus and appreciating his gifts for us. Finally the pastor arrived and saved me.

4. Copy Chief - At WineShopper.com, I was responsible for proofreading and editing two-sentence descriptions of wines. I sucked at this job and quit after six weeks.

If you leave a comment, please share four of your past jobs.