you can call me 'jacques'

jack has recently become aware of all of the other 'jacks' in the world: jack frost, jack be nimble, jack sprat, jack and jill, and so forth. he truly believes that all of these jacks are named after him, because he is so famous.

he is so famous, because back in the spring, he was in a fishing tournament, in which he received a trophy for catching a turtle. it was a very small fishing tournament, and it's a small trophy, and the fish he caught was a, well, it was a turtle. however, he believes he is famous for this.



i don't think i will ever tire of him expounding upon all of the other 'jacks' who have been named for our famous jack. may he always feel so good about himself!

Day 5 1/2 (!) of vacation

i finally had to pull out the arts and crafts. 5 1/2 days of jack is a lot. we didn't go outdoors enough (my fault), we watched too many videos, etc., etc.

it was just a lot of time. together. alone.

he still has the ability to make my heart melt, even in the midst of a meltdown. and he picked the craft himself. it actually kept him occupied for the better part of an hour. he hung all the ornaments on the little tree in his room, and it is precious.

note to self: in the future - schedule things to do!! and find the energy to do them!!

Thanksgiving

A few things to remember from Thanksgiving 2006

brined turkey
corn and wild rice pudding (too much corn? too much liquid?)
brocolli a la ritz
stuffins
cider pie with whipped cream
using fine china

however small the gathering (it was just the three of us), i am glad to have made the effort.

Of Charlie Brown and Cider Pie

we are staying put for Thanksgiving this year. and the rest of the family is headed elsewhere. i am thankful for the break (and thankful that i get to see my family all the time).

with no cable, there's no macy's thanksgiving parade, although there are places we can go to watch it, if the spirit moves us. we didn't get the gas logs hooked up in time either, so no cozying around the fire.

however, there IS netflix, and turkey and our first Thanksgiving in our new home. i'm going to try a recipe for cider pie (linked from not martha, and i plan on sitting down and writing a note to a blogger who has touched me, connecting two little corners of the vast internet.

i'd like to get myself organized for holiday season. my goal is for it to be as simple and as wonderful as last year.

how does your family celebrate Thanksgiving?

For the boys 'over there'

last night was opening night of 1940s Radio Hour at Brunswick Little Theatre. i was exhausted, and really wanted to stay home and sleep, after the week i've had at work. of course, i went, and it was a great opening night.

my jaws ("chops") were really tired. i've played the sax/clarinet 4 nights this week already. that is a TON, considering i haven't played at all in 19 years!! the other musicians were asking me how i was enjoying the experience. i can honestly say that it has been a blast. michael and nick keep me in stitches throughout the whole show. and listening to them play is a treat.

i am soooo thankful that i have an ear for music, and an appreciation of music. it makes my life so much richer.

a wilmington paper gave us some great press. all in all, it's a fantastic way to kick off another simplified Christmas season!!

reading, writing...

found this addition to my weekly shopping list. i had to blog it so that i would remember how amazing it is to witness jack learning how to read and write. he stops to sound out every written word he comes across.

when do we lose that thirst for learning?

once, i had a wire whisk

i bought a trendy kitchen aid gadget set, mostly because of the solid-handled wire whisk. i loved the thought of feeling the weight of this utensil. i loved the thought that it would match my kitchen aid kitchen.

and then. and then my monster-in-law came for Christmas, and we didn't have a gift for her. so... i wrapped up the gadget set and gave it away.

and now, my last wimpy wire whisk has bit the dust (o.k., well it's been several months now. i just couldn't stand the skinny, poke-me-in-the-palm whisk any more.) with the holiday baking season just around the corner [and let's face it - since i won't be watching any season's eatings, i'll just have to make my own], i've renewed my search for the perfect whisk.

or whip? which is it?

cocktails

please, oh please, remind me to make this drink sometime soon.

i don't drink cocktails that often, but when i do, if it can include gin? and ginger? in the same delicious glass?

sounds like i may have found myself a holiday treat.

in the belly of the beast...

yesterday, at my darkest desperate time, the hotel called me from my fetal cocoon, and made me come back. back to a place that i wanted, more than anything, to run from. to hide from.

as if, to say, no, eleanor, today is not the day you give up. today is not the day you give up on me. nor will i give up on you.

crawling into that elevator shaft in my pajamas i realized, much later, lying awake trying to calm my thoughts... THAT was the moment i turned back to the hotel and said, ok. i tried to turn my back on you. but you are much stronger, and apparently wiser, than i.

so, here i am. back at work. more focused, and somehow stronger than i was before i crawled into the belly of the beast.

Interesting enough??

ah, the ultimate dilemma of blogging...am i interesting enough??

which, if you want to be real about it, translates to...will other people like me??

i've been really trying to push those thoughts out of my head, otherwise, I WOULD NEVER BLOG!! i'm trying to keep this blogging thing in a small, manageable package. hopefully, it will evolve into a life of its own.

beacuse, the popularity thing? i've lost that battle so, so many times.

Grrrr...

has everyone taken an "i wan't to annoy eleanor pill" today?!?!

i voted

whatever happened to the little stickers you would get after voting?

i stopped and chatted with a guy i know as i left the polls. he said, "doing your civic duty?" and i said yes, i am.

but it's more than that, isn't it? i was raised in a family of voters. it's a duty, and a right, and your CHANCE to contribute, because, how many of us really have aspirations for political office?

i voted. did you?

comfort food

mmmmm. i've been wanting to make individual serving macaroni and cheese for 3 or 4 years, ever since i first saw martha serve it up in a photo shoot. of course, part of the comfort for me, in that spread, was the rosy-cheeked kids in stocking caps and snow.

while we didn't have snow, what we DID have was jack's first sleep over guest, and the perfect opportunity to wow two five year old palates. of course, they reminded me, often, that this was not mac and cheese, but penne and cheese.

cheeky monkeys...

Craving

oh, T***-W*** Cable, why have you foresaken me??? why does it have to be so expensive to have the Food Network, HGTV and hi-speed internet connection at home? why is it always the first of our unneccessary expenses to get the boot??

i've been 2 months without cable, and i'm staring at a holiday season with no Season's Eatings, no Grinch, no Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!

i'm feverishly trying to figure out how to pay our past due balance and get back in your good standings.

oh, alton, i miss you!!

montessori

i spend so much time raving to people about how jack just "gets it" at montessori. i really should try to spend some time actively bringing those elements into our home.

this article inspires me to do just that.

kalamazoozoozoozoozoozoo

i'm loving playing sax and clarinet in this show! we just had a reed rehearsal, and i really was able to lose myself for 2 hours. who would have ever thought that after 19 years i would pick up the sax again?!?

playing this show has put me back in touch with a creative outlet that i had almost entirely forgotten about.

cool tunes. nice charts, man.

The Force is strong with this one

yoda 2, originally uploaded by lelly.

Jack had his first sewing lessons while we stitched up this outfit. One of my favorite things in the world is creating Jack's Halloween costumes!! Now that he is old enought to help in the process, it's even more fun!

Yo-Yo-Yo-Yo-YoDA

coffee-dyed, hand-made, community-centered Halloween.
love

pictures to come...