tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-273189022011-08-13T17:04:31.230-04:00In which we tell you about our many works in progress. Homeschooling, teaching, writing, recorder playing, knitting, spinning, home renovation, gardening, anything else that comes up.elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.comBlogger1331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-36806408206798695802011-07-26T20:24:00.005-04:002011-07-26T20:41:14.343-04:00

Just because our porch is done doesn't mean there aren't other porches in the neighborhood that need a little love. We have been working together for the last week or so on our neighbor's porch columns. It's been good to have a project that has a definite end point. Because we were hired to do the columns and only the columns, we don't have to worry about the floor, or the ceiling, or the

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-16906178499774922622011-07-21T13:14:00.011-04:002011-07-21T20:02:50.904-04:00

It's been a long time since we've blogged, and even longer since I needed a space to pontificate on matters educational. I've begun a doctorate in education, and I get plenty of time and space to read, write, and talk about all my dearest concerns, and many that are less dear. Although this opportunity to be a full-time student has been attractive only because the dreadful economy has made it all

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-62606796268173627092010-03-09T10:50:00.004-05:002010-03-09T11:32:11.431-05:00

I am working a lot these days, not always for a lot of pay, but still running from one end of my week to the other most of the time. I'm learning a lot, and fast. I'm doing a practicum to learn how to be a literacy specialist, and I'm subbing when I can spare the time from my course work. Yesterday I was startled by something. I was teaching a lesson to a group of second graders, as part of my

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-1928467990647254052010-01-11T17:24:00.004-05:002010-01-12T08:11:43.091-05:00

Little has begun school, and I have had my first taste of what it will be to be a teacher again.The first week was very difficult. Little's not used to getting up early, and even though we spent the last few weeks before school began for him getting him to bed early and up early, he didn't really relish the idea of getting up, getting dressed, and going out into the cold. The first day he was

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-78647958808495361722009-12-20T10:21:00.004-05:002010-06-04T09:34:02.679-04:00

Little and I are winding down our homeschooling time by choosing to do some things we've been putting off. We made a field trip the the Sciencenter a few weeks ago, we visited a great nature area and dog park near our house, and we've been making Christmas cookies. Last week I asked him what else he wanted to make sure we got to do together before he started school.Take a bus, Mama.Oh, okay.

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-11363548985272740072009-12-16T11:28:00.003-05:002010-01-12T08:18:10.872-05:00

Little and I are coming to the end of our homeschooling time together. Just before Thanksgiving, Joe and I decided that the time had come for Little to go to school.It's good news, really. When Joe first lost his job, we really didn't know what to expect. We knew I needed to start substitute teaching and looking for a permanent teaching position, but we didn't have any idea what Joe would be

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-6417563191283694172009-10-21T16:30:00.002-04:002009-10-21T16:41:54.766-04:00

What is the etiquette, exactly, of sharing bad news? Does one assume one's friends will want to know, and therefore tell everyone, as quickly as possible? Or does one keep it to oneself, in the interest of keeping everyone's lives as simple as possible? And what about those friends and connections we make only through the internet? Facebook friends, some of whom I haven't seen since I was 19 and

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-35581071122855786122009-10-19T08:53:00.004-04:002009-10-19T09:01:12.926-04:00

That's a freshly carded batt of exceptionally soft corriedale, lounging on the back of my spinning chair and waiting to be spun on my delightful new spinning wheel. It will wait until after laundry and dishes, and some schooling for the little guy.Little and I have really shifted gears in the last week. I'm having what I hope will be a minor health crisis, and he has had several minor meltdowns,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-23683646340043264712009-09-26T19:40:00.009-04:002009-09-26T20:05:58.615-04:00

This morning, in what was to be a triumph of technology that hastened the enjoyable process of watching freshly spun skeins of yarn dry outside on a sunny fall day, I put fifteen skeins of handspun yarn in the washer. I wasn't washing them, understand. I just wanted to spin the water out of them after I'd carefully washed and rinsed them by hand in the sink.Except I also decided to let the

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-90431999401031994892009-09-15T11:43:00.005-04:002010-01-12T08:29:30.085-05:00

We're having an interesting adjustment to public school. Mostly things are going swimmingly, although there are the expected feelings of being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of students (him) and the bureaucracy required to handle those numbers (me.) Big One is going to have to learn to get very organized, very fast, but we knew that was going to happen. On balance, he's really pleased to be

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-32332346065371565762009-09-11T11:52:00.003-04:002009-09-11T12:26:05.088-04:00

Let it be known that I am no longer depressed, and that this post should be evidence of that. There is no way I could write about this stuff if I were still in the thick muck of depression.But let me say this: I was depressed all summer, and probably for many months before that. I have been tired, exhausted, uninterested in everything, self-recriminating, bored, boring, negative, hopeless,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-37928271483709343262009-09-10T06:33:00.003-04:002009-09-10T06:36:12.934-04:00

Big's first day went well. He came home tired but smiling. He found a bunch of kids he already knows, sat with an old friend for lunch, and likes most of his teachers. He's excited to go back today.And I'm breathing easy. Yesterday with just Little was a completely different sort of day. We're going to have fun this year, and we're both going to learn a lot.

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-20129764169550724922009-09-09T08:13:00.004-04:002009-09-09T08:42:28.927-04:00

Big One's first day of school. He's checking his new watch to make sure he'll get there on time. This day has been coming for some time, in glimmerings and rumblings, and more recently in definite plans and deadlines. He has for some time felt restrained by the tiny circle of his home school colleagues, which primarily consist of me, his brother, the dog and four cats. He wants, fervently wants,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-53169130377702113962009-09-06T17:42:00.006-04:002010-01-12T08:33:54.926-05:00

Joe and I have been busting it out with the paintbrushes this weekend. Sometimes it's latex, sometimes it's oil, but we've been pulling this old house in the same direction. I do find it troublesome that oil paints require a whole set of brushes unto themselves, and I also fail to appreciate the freaky-deaky paint thinner spaciness engendered after a few hours of huffing the stuff, but on the up

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-60150274522472921662009-09-04T17:06:00.004-04:002009-09-04T17:14:45.267-04:00

I've been carding again. I thought for a time that I wanted to trade my drum carder for a very snazzy new/used wheel, but Joe reminded me that I got the carder for some reason that made sense to me at the time, and so I've been trying to figure out what that reason was.Turns out carding is good fun, which of course I knew.In other news, Big One is going to school this year. He will be attending

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-30808661494752684792009-07-30T09:40:00.003-04:002009-07-30T10:05:38.627-04:00

I have had a sad week. Last Friday, I dropped my older son off at a birthday party. Not just any birthday party: a party that was essentially a mini-reunion of all his friends from our now-defunct progressive school. Big One was especially lucky in friends at our school; not every kid had a large group of kids his own age, and these kids all arrived at the school by age 5 or 6, so when the school

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-3791445897629273522009-07-23T12:16:00.012-04:002009-07-23T12:44:47.512-04:00

Little and I have been doing a lot of this. We're reading the sixth Harry Potter book on the front porch, so that when we go see the movie he'll have a better understanding of it. We've just finished the sixth book, on to the seventh tomorrow morning.The garden grows, with very little attention from me. In the foreground are dill, cherry tomatoes, and a tiny patch of lettuce that you can't

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-4236999274321490722009-05-16T19:00:00.009-04:002009-05-16T19:19:31.599-04:00

Ok, that's a really dumb title, and I totally staged this picture, but this is what greeted me when I got home last night. A very big, heavy box! I didn't even know it had been shipped. I walked the dog quickly quickly quickly, all the better to get home and open the box. There wasn't really any time to play last night, what with the children who live here, and Joe being away this week, but I

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-74734678311935079552009-05-03T21:27:00.008-04:002009-05-03T21:41:29.633-04:00

We had a garden last year, just cut into the yard in the sunniest spot. It didn't do very well, mostly because the grass kept growing into it. We've been planning raised beds for some time, and it all came together this week. Here you see Joe banging in the stakes and leveling the rough cut Hemlock we got from a sawmill.Little and Cricket are supervising.Here's Joe, trimming the boards in his

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-91860136532694200062009-04-14T08:13:00.004-04:002009-04-14T08:49:05.999-04:00

Last week we went about our usual activities, but without electric lights. I think we were inspired by Earth Day and Lights Out day, but we were really just seeking an adventure, a way to go somewhere else while staying home. The kids and I were all equally excited about it, and Joe went along.We started with a meeting last Sunday after dinner, to discuss concerns and make accommodations. The

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-90589340994754715432009-04-10T08:38:00.009-04:002009-04-10T08:53:40.300-04:00

I finished this sweater. It's a major project because it's a sweater, first one I've knit in probably five years or more. I've been a socks-mittens-scarves-hat knitter for so long, I really thought I'd lost my sweater mojo.It's good to know I haven't. My very first knitting projects were sweaters, and for a long time, that's all I knit. Mostly pullovers, though, and lately I've been wanting to

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-16329967441318851042009-04-07T06:22:00.006-04:002009-04-07T18:20:17.919-04:00

So, I live in Binghamton.I was home with my kids on Friday morning when I got an email letting me know there was a hostage situation, and not to go downtown. I had a friend over for a knitting lesson that afternoon, so we were knitting and chatting, wondering what was going on at the Civic Association. We couldn't find a radio station to give us the news, and I don't have television in my house,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-43371220296394883432009-03-17T09:58:00.002-04:002009-03-17T10:04:18.675-04:00

Many months ago, I submitted a post to Blog Nosh Magazine, and then heard nothing. Yesterday I heard that they're publishing my post TODAY! I'm excited, but a little wigged out. (I know, I know, what a change.) It's a post I'm proud of, and I stand by it, but it did generate more than a little controversy the first time around, and now that I'm not blogging quite as regularly, I'm not sure I'm up

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-66378637452225941642009-02-27T11:39:00.010-05:002009-02-27T11:58:40.089-05:00

Seriously rainy. Just coming down, and down and down. I don't even want to take a peaceful walk through the neighborhood with Cricket the dog in this weather.It's a day for spinning, and building forts in the living room. A really good day for hot cocoa, as it turns out.I'd love to tell you I'm full of inspiration for all sorts of ideas for blog posts, and that I'll be back on the blogging horse

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-6292538992362329012009-02-05T11:35:00.006-05:002009-02-05T16:42:59.435-05:00

One of the more interesting aspects of having gifted kids is that you get a chance to see yourself through the eyes of your parents and former teachers, as you realize that your kids' giftedness didn't come from nowhere. The kids and I are all what I call garden-variety gifted, while Joe is more in the "yikes-scary-smart" category. We are each curious and articulate, and school work comes

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-10918426150732204502009-02-03T20:55:00.004-05:002009-02-03T21:25:50.596-05:00

So I've given a lot of thought and writing to the ways in which homeschooling is different from teaching school. And really, it is way, way different. Coming off six intense years of teaching made moving to homeschooling feel like a warm bubble bath after coming in from the cold. Fun! Relaxing! Easy!I haven't thought much about how teaching at home is the same as classroom teaching, I think

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-26476087415109190892009-02-02T13:40:00.013-05:002009-02-02T13:57:44.247-05:00

Today was a sweet day, because today was the homeschool day that very nearly wasn't. Today might have been the day that my big boy went off to public school for the first time. Instead we have pulled ourselves together, thought about what's really important, and come to an agreement. More soon, today just pictures.As an added bonus, dinner is planned and done, although still simmering and not

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-37208324128982866972009-01-10T16:40:00.001-05:002009-01-10T16:41:35.024-05:00

On the 18th of DecemberElsie gave to mea sketch:Elsie wanted a plying box.She had never seen a plying box but she saw in her mind what it would do and told me what she wanted. It would a covered box with compartments to hold the separate balls of spun fiber that together are plied into finished yarn. During plying the strands are drawn up through narrow openings in the top. I had seen her do

Joe Deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05946212500155765397noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-15737403597079501322009-01-06T19:11:00.001-05:002009-01-06T19:13:36.500-05:00

Is it legal for me to do this? As long as I attribute it accurately? I assume so, but someone, please correct me if I'm wrong.And may you all find the poems in your odd sock drawer in the new year.Valentine for Ernest MannYou can’t order a poem like you order a taco.Walk up to the counter, say, “I’ll take two”and expect it to be handed back to youon a shiny plate.Still, I like your spirit.Anyone

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-40408879402045294712008-12-30T10:16:00.004-05:002008-12-30T10:23:28.061-05:00

Here's a Bosworth Midi. Gorgeous. The shaft is ebony, and the whorl is pink ivory. It seems to be wood, though, so I'm waiting to hear from Sheila Bosworth about just what kind of wood it is.And this is a Hatchtown Spinimal. Very cute, no?Ok, I am a hopeless geek. I'm going back to my cave now.

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-62408496950651991742008-12-19T13:41:00.005-05:002008-12-19T14:01:20.416-05:00

We have a new dog. Recca developed a brain problem shortly before Thanksgiving, and deteriorated very quickly. We (ahem, I) decided we were now dog people, so we (that is, I) immediately started looking for a new dog. I found her, at a local shelter. She's mellow and polite, friendly and gentle to the kids, playful outside, and she completely respects the cats. In fact, she's more respectful of

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-36216783318049020662008-12-16T22:04:00.001-05:002008-12-16T22:07:47.364-05:00

This is how you do this. And I didn't know that before.

Joe Deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05946212500155765397noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-20901808268839673172008-11-17T21:17:00.002-05:002008-11-17T21:22:05.597-05:00

Little: What are you doing, Mama?Me: I'm writing some things in my calendar, so I remember the things I have to do. Did you know I'm going away for a whole weekend soon?Little: No! Where are you going?Me: I'm going to take the train to a spinning class in Michigan.Little: Mama! That is a big waste of time! You don't need to take that class, because you are not going to be spinning the rest of

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-67342012928861568822008-11-05T19:30:00.008-05:002008-11-05T20:02:55.291-05:00

My dad is a bird hunter. He keeps bird dogs, and has all his life. Most of his bird dogs have never made it to retirement, for one reason or another. Each dog was useful until the day it died. Not so with Recca, who developed diabetes a little over a year ago and became blind about six months after that. This makes Recca pretty much completely useless as a bird dog.We've been toying with the idea

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-58429861646791530812008-10-31T16:29:00.002-04:002008-10-31T17:03:40.026-04:00

Warning: heavy analogy use ahead.You know how they say that after you experience a major change in your life, like a divorce or the death of a partner, or a job loss, you should wait a year for things to sift out before you make any major decisions? I think I might have some insight into why that's a really, really good idea.When my school closed last fall, after I'd been part of it (and it a

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-89350720274845767582008-10-26T20:19:00.009-04:002008-10-31T17:05:07.799-04:00

Last summer (07) I was consumed with worry over the looming demise of my school. I didn't accomplish much other than a whole bunch of sock knitting. This summer (08) we got a lot done on the house, and I still added several new pairs to my sock drawer.We scraped and painted the side of the house, and worked on the porch spindles:I also installed a much-needed and long overdue walk around the

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-20425779008656464452008-10-01T17:14:00.011-04:002008-10-31T17:03:48.123-04:00

Well, now that I've neglected the blog for over a month and completely lost any readers I might once have had, it seems a good time to reveal that I am now completely, devotedly, overwhelmingly obsessed with spinning.I've learned a great thing about knitting in the last month or so: that its start-up costs are very low. Buy a couple of pairs of needles, a skein or two of yarn, download some

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-61756870411798428072008-08-26T18:14:00.002-04:002008-10-31T17:03:40.026-04:00

When I was a kid, my mother took a picture every year, on the first day of school. It was always my brother and me, at the end of our driveway, ready to get on the school bus. Some years she actually got a picture of the moment we stepped onto the bus. New shoes, new clothes, new backpacks, you know the drill.Here's mine for this year. Today was my first ever day of teaching graduate school.

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-35848452104659458942008-08-25T17:22:00.008-04:002008-10-31T17:03:13.922-04:00

My identity theft problem is not over yet, but it feels contained. I still have plenty to do, but it has ceased to be an all-day-every-day crisis. I have thoughts about the whole process (advice! ruminations! wonderment!) but I'll save those for another day.Today, it's all show and tell. Here is some yarn I spun:Here is the yarn I'm currently spinning, along with the only spinning equipment I

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-92200627694679557692008-08-12T10:25:00.002-04:002008-10-31T17:04:17.936-04:00

Joe is really coming through in a crisis, folks. I always knew this about him, but it can be hard to remember when you are, well, between crises. The latest crisis is this identity fraud mess, and it has hit the Deluxe household like a ton of bricks. Or at least me, anyway. The kids are pretty much oblivious, but last week? Ugh, last week, my means of asking for help was to, uh, shout at Joe that

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-66946511008647532582008-08-06T14:04:00.002-04:002008-10-31T17:04:25.188-04:00

It has come to my attention that some people think that people my age shouldn't wear bikinis at the beach. As MadMad says, if you're over 35 and in a bikini, you're either showing off, or you don't look as good as you think you do. I regularly wear bikinis to the beach, and I plead guilty to all three charges: I am forty, I've had two kids and I'm not a triathlete, so I don't look as good as I

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-1269798667365162502008-08-05T17:32:00.003-04:002008-10-31T17:04:17.936-04:00

I am having a wild and crazy time, my bloggie friends, and I don't mean that in a good way. I'm learning so much about myself.1. I shouldn't tell people when I'll blog or what about, because I'm bound to rebel.2. Caffeine is bad for me, and it's even worse when I'm quitting.3. I don't need to take on any more cats, projects, children, teaching opportunities, or anything else. Particularly not

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-87425903323991566462008-07-23T20:11:00.003-04:002008-12-10T11:31:19.193-05:00

It rained all day today. We did very little that we intended to do, and that includes blogging about etiquette books. Instead, we watched three movies: The Queen (with Helen Mirren, fabulous), The King and I (with Yul Brenner, also fabulous), and finally, Monsters, Inc. (love Billy Crystal).We also went bowling and to the library. As a result of all this laying about, my house is untidy in a fun

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-38790295039493451562008-07-22T07:10:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:19.416-05:00

We jump ahead almost 70 years with today's post, with a book published in 1952: Amy Vanderbilt's Everyday Etiquette: Answers to Today's Questions. I think I got this at a thrift store. Times have changed since 1887, and the book is clearly commenting on a world we would see as similar to ours: there are sections on Business Etiquette, and Divorce, Separation, and Widowhood. It is still quaintly

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-7348693249573197452008-07-21T16:17:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:19.644-05:00

You'd probably never guess it if you met me, and you'd almost certainly never guess it based on what I think about (and therefore blog about) most of the time, but we are both collectors. We collect amusingly retro drinking glasses, vintage blown-glass lab ware, vintage sewing machines, English tea tins, and probably some other things I'm not thinking of right now.This week, I'd like to spend

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-52137053194350510052008-07-18T19:55:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:20.119-05:00

The gardens were sadly neglected while we were away. I came back to lots of weeds and many dead plants. We're not getting much rain. The front garden, which is the first one I planted, has also become overgrown and messy. I didn't know the plants were going to need more room as they get older! Here's how it's been looking:The yarrow has taken over, and not in a pretty way. It's all sprawly, and

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-74488710984912599422008-07-17T20:02:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:20.296-05:00

These are my new socks, finished while we were away at the beach, knit from handspun 3-ply blue-faced Leicester. The leg and instep are a simple k2 p2 rib. The yarn turned out much fatter than most sock yarn I use, so I knit these on 1s with 56 stitches around.It was an interesting experience, knitting with my handspun. I fretted from time to time over the unevenness of the yarn, but it knitted

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-60203090586142701932008-07-15T17:43:00.004-04:002008-07-21T22:43:38.825-04:00

I go back and forth on how useful I think behavior charts are, and I am now swinging back into useful at times territory. Little is having a hard time using words instead of hitting, kicking, and throwing his stuff around. Given that he's well beyond toddlerhood, I think he can do better. Talking (and talking and talking) isn't working. Time outs aren't working (although they do remove his

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-82142048781210783242008-07-12T19:18:00.002-04:002008-07-21T22:44:21.289-04:00

My mom and I have what has become an annual tradition of taking the kids to a rented beach house on the Jersey shore. We're back now, and my mind has shifted from the big concerns of a beach vacation: Is today a beach day? Will tomorrow be a beach day? (I decided they all were, unless it rained, and it didn't. Much.) Will we make it to the end of the week without going to the laundromat? (We did,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-24122997199776758532008-06-28T08:40:00.002-04:002008-07-21T22:44:27.492-04:00

So there's this virus going around our homeschool playgroup. The kids are fine, but the moms... well, we're breaking down. Too much laundry, too many bickering kids, too many dishes, too many demands. Nobody, it seems, is finding a way to adequately take care of herself. Me included.Isn't it an incredibly cruel irony that we take care of the kids, the dinners, the shopping, the vacuuming, and

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-14262180452370603012008-06-13T13:04:00.002-04:002008-12-10T11:31:20.688-05:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:1. My lawn mower simplifies my life. I don't have to get it tuned up, sharpened, or stored over the winter. As soon as the grass needs it, there it is, sitting in my garage, ready to go.2. It saves me money. See above, plus it doesn't need gas or oil.3. It's durable. Five years, no repairs or adjustments.4. It keeps me in shape. It's work, but my lawn is

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-84308453642278085452008-06-10T07:24:00.011-04:002008-12-10T11:31:21.684-05:00

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-68190249814070076892008-05-18T15:35:00.002-04:002008-12-10T11:31:21.782-05:00

See you in a week or two.

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-26505184675526340872008-05-15T12:40:00.003-04:002008-07-21T22:45:57.749-04:00

I was all set to post yesterday about how if I could just let go of my ambitions to write professionally, teach kids other than my own, and help teachers learn to be more flexible and inclusive in their classrooms, I would love this life.I have incredible freedom. I can't believe that I can actually find moments in my day every day to spin, for fun. I can read what I want, I have enough yarn in

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-83458250098544545022008-05-13T12:28:00.009-04:002008-12-10T11:31:23.389-05:00

If you've been reading this blog for a while, or if you've clicked around a bit, you'll know that while many aspects of my crazy new unscheduled homeschooling life suit me to a T, I have really struggled with the unending requirement that I provide my family with reasonable things to eat at reasonable times. I don't mind keeping the house clean (probably because I've noticed that I can do it when

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-66700096227702773042008-05-12T11:48:00.007-04:002008-12-10T11:31:24.500-05:00

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-81953173234488484482008-05-11T08:19:00.005-04:002008-12-10T11:31:24.681-05:00

You'd never know it from my gracious aplomb (snort) and my general state of well-adjustedness, but my mom and I used to have a really rough time together. From about age 13 until, um, well into my twenties, uh, thirties, I barely tolerated her. She was the parent I could count on to love me no matter what, so I took advantage of her and was not very nice. In the guise of speaking my mind, I said

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-91850587285025780282008-05-09T11:35:00.010-04:002008-12-10T11:31:26.769-05:00

You may have noticed from Monday's post that I've acquired a spinning wheel. I've now had it for almost a week, and I think it's time for a proper introduction. Here she is. I may name her (actually, I may already have named her) but I'm embarrassed to admit that I seem to have become the kind of person who ascribes gender and then names an object, as charming as that object might be, so I'm not

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-43718285408251393562008-05-08T08:43:00.003-04:002008-05-09T12:12:39.957-04:00

As a result of my thinking about the need for some kind of final synthesis, I asked the kids to think about what they wanted to do as a cumulative project to convey what they've learned about the Lewis and Clark expedition. I told them they could write a book, make a poster, put on a play, make a television show, write some music, create a dance, or anything else they could come up with. Wide

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-83750400361335757172008-05-07T07:05:00.003-04:002008-05-07T08:45:58.001-04:00

Evenspor over at Spors in the Desert posed a great question recently, in a post about gifted education:There is one question that I still wonder about despite all of this. How much of this really matters in the end? Don't most of us still become productive and relatively happy adults, despite public schooling? I believe there are at least a few cases where the difficulties with the system are so

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-16228247234686800562008-05-06T06:34:00.003-04:002008-05-07T08:45:58.002-04:00

Sandy, a fellow teacher and the parent of one of my former students, asked a really good question about my post about constructing curriculum out of children's questions. She writes: My problem is getting caught up in product and assessment. Should we write a report about Lewis and Clark, or make a play or draw a picture... I have to let go of that and see process as important. But how to balance

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-44587279785639975602008-05-05T10:20:00.008-04:002008-12-10T11:31:28.138-05:00

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-50399596485914245162008-05-03T18:34:00.006-04:002008-12-10T11:31:28.759-05:00

Almost twenty years ago, a good friend of Joe's from college told us that his grandfather had given him two pieces of advice. This conversation has really stuck in my head, because even in the inexperience of my early twenties, it seemed like really sound advice, and it still seems so now. Anyway, here's the advice.1. Always have a project.2. The most important decision you'll ever make is who

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-73895633613798040022008-05-02T10:39:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:29.025-05:00

I'm feeling too glunky to create any kind of intelligent post today. I'm reduced to mindless knitting and posting about socks.Uptown Boot Socks, from Opal 6-ply. These are comfy and warm. I was concerned that they might end up too thick or not fit comfortably because of a strangely narrow heel, but they are quite perfect.Cat Bordhi Sky socks, from Trekking XXL. I misjudged where to start the

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-14091229359971808672008-04-30T19:28:00.006-04:002008-12-10T11:31:29.401-05:00

We were in LA for a week or so earlier this spring, and the kids and I spent a few days exploring. We went to the library (right across from our hotel), we walked around the neighborhood (no grocery stores or laundromats), and we took the Metro. A lot. One of the places we took the Metro to was Chinatown. Here's me in my two dollar hat, purchased to shield my eyes from the Southern California sun

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-56333615309120617922008-04-29T13:49:00.002-04:002008-05-07T08:45:45.882-04:00

I've been running an experiment the last few days, to see what happens when I stop doing laundry, stop making bread, and stop vacuuming in order to knit as I listen to Rufus Wainwright, Leonard Cohen, and Steely Dan.So far the results seem to be that I finish the socks I've been working on, but we run out of clean clothes, bread, and the house is suddenly overrun by bits of paper (Little is

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-75304075586256886452008-04-25T07:07:00.003-04:002008-05-07T08:45:23.660-04:00

Another great question from anthromama in the comments:When you allow the children to lead, will they grow up thinking that they only need to study or do what they want?My children would die laughing to think that someone out there in cyberspace wonders if they get to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Just rolling. On the floor. Laughing.Here's how it goes in my house. In the morning,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-18579450863809931952008-04-24T09:40:00.010-04:002008-12-10T11:31:30.820-05:00

Big is feeling glunky. Nasty head cold, bad cough, general exhaustion. We've canceled almost all our plans for today, and he has agreed to stay mellow and in his room for the one remaining event (a recorder class he doesn't participate in so far.)So Little and I will continue to check in on our various gardening projects, and we're going for a walk to visit a neighbor's garden. After that, I'm

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-28334717262284897332008-04-23T09:48:00.004-04:002008-04-23T18:52:13.170-04:00

I gotta say something.I didn't mean to imply (and I hope I didn't) that it is only because my kids are somewhere on the gifted spectrum that I can be relaxed about milestones and ages and keeping pace with externally prescribed academic goals. I really believe this is something that can be applied to all children. It's just that I don't have to think too hard about it, because I know that my kids

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-49225202824267372382008-04-22T07:32:00.004-04:002008-04-23T18:52:13.171-04:00

From the comments to my post about child-led learning, anthromama asked: I would be interested to hear about whether you have any specific goals for your sons, any milestones that you would like them to pass by a certain age, etc. Essentially, how you will gauge how they are doing. Or if you have something else you are measuring, either qualitative or

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-18010051448440677312008-04-21T09:43:00.006-04:002008-12-10T11:31:31.538-05:00

Joe and I have made the unbelievably adult decision that we will not go away for our annual anniversary weekend. We've been going to the beach once a year while my parents take care of the kids, but this year we want to do something else with that money, like pay off some of our fabulous trips from the past.So the kids are still going to my parent's house for the weekend, but we've agreed to get

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-24846194551013044082008-04-19T16:18:00.006-04:002008-12-10T11:31:32.321-05:00

This is a post for those who think letting the child's interests, academic needs, and questions lead a homeschool curriculum is too much work. I hope to demonstrate that in fact, it is the very opposite. All it requires is that you don't already have anything planned, or you're willing to drop it from time to time, and that you're paying attention when your child is talking.Example the first.A

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-67132782180791613222008-04-18T21:26:00.004-04:002008-04-18T22:04:18.291-04:00

Well, there certainly are a lot more people around here lately. Thanks to Shaun and Jove and Casey, this blog has seen an increase in visitors every day this week, and thanks to Sitemeter, I can watch it happen. I'm gratified, but a little nervous. On the one hand, more visitors means more comments, and the commenting has been superb. If you're visiting for the first time, please visit the

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-80442444982105806662008-04-17T07:31:00.002-04:002008-04-18T22:04:06.231-04:00

I had this incredibly nurturing and thought-provoking day with an old friend earlier this week. I've known this woman about as long as I've known my husband (almost 17 years) but we've been out of touch for the last eight or so. I used to babysit for her daughter, who is now an adult with a Master's degree. She now has a son the same age as Little, and the boys spent the day digging in the dirt,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-19011353313982245522008-04-16T22:02:00.003-04:002008-12-10T11:31:32.721-05:00

Little insisted that this was so beautiful we had to put it on the blog. He even delayed the eating of this very delicious mango, in order for me to take the picture. This was a big sacrifice for Little, who lives on fruit and air, and particularly loves mango.The sun was streaming into the kitchen through the back door, and the moment was very beautiful, as was the day. We have finally left the

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-90674594306188755772008-04-15T07:51:00.005-04:002008-04-15T22:02:11.374-04:00

I've been thinking about the collision of two worlds lately, or the overlap in the worlds between classroom teachers and parents who opt to keep their kids out of school to teach them at home. I'm thinking about it in part because of the brou-ha-ha in California, where suddenly a bunch of people seemed to be saying that homeschooling parents were going to need a teaching credential. The issue has

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-66221789878334108842008-04-14T09:08:00.006-04:002008-12-10T11:31:33.327-05:00

I've been knitting some crazy colors lately. These are the colors that were completely worn down in my crayon box when I was a kid: the deeply saturated colors, the colors that were between the primaries. I loved the red orange, the yellow orange, the blue green, and so on. I still do. If I were braver, I would have a crayola house. As it is, just the bathroom is as crazy as I want it to be.But I

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-82949817091158621122008-04-13T17:32:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:33.609-05:00

Enough with intensely thinking through decisions I don't have to make for over a year, eh? Thanks for your willingness to engage in a discussion of my potential career paths and professional satisfaction, and so on. It has been very helpful, believe it or not. Here's what I'm going to do: teach the class, see how it goes, meet with some professors, apply for the program in January '09, do some

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-43333603748425907502008-04-12T11:12:00.003-04:002008-04-15T22:01:52.342-04:00

I have an interesting opportunity. And a decision to make.I've been asked to teach a class at the local university next fall. I'm going to leave out the details, because it's not completely definite yet, but it seems very likely that I will be teaching a very juicy course to Master's level pre-service teachers next semester. For the uninitiated, this means that I'll be teaching a small class of

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-55011529235595111302008-04-09T19:59:00.002-04:002008-04-15T22:01:43.478-04:00

I have made an astonishing discovery. I've been coddling my kids. This comes as a great surprise to me, because autonomy and independence from me has always been one of my biggest goals as a parent. I am the queen of "go get it yourself" and "look in the fridge." I am always looking for ways to get both boys to take care of it (whatever it is) themselves. I expect them to get their own snacks. I

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-22340097041961789402008-04-08T16:15:00.003-04:002008-12-10T11:31:33.861-05:00

Friends, today the gardening bucket came out. Little and I share a love of plants and sunlight and green things growing that Big One just doesn't comprehend. Little and I trimmed and carried dead stuff to the compost. We made room for small things trying to poke their way up through dead leaves and mulch. We basked in the sunlight and counted freckles. No small task.Today at Big's French

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-57771572108413566792008-04-07T17:36:00.005-04:002008-12-10T11:31:34.647-05:00

There was quite a lot of knitting time on that train, and very little time spent doing the normal things like dishes, laundry, vacuuming, cooking.... We did maintain some semblance of our usual school life, with daily sessions in the cafe car for math time, checking out the maps and how they squared with the view out the window. We told stories and read books. We visited the library in downtown

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-37177750842811333432008-04-06T10:30:00.003-04:002008-12-10T11:31:34.838-05:00

It will grow back, buddy. It will grow back.

Joe Deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05946212500155765397noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-3611400313352462142008-03-30T20:38:00.012-04:002008-12-10T11:31:36.458-05:00

Much of the country is flat.But some of it isn't.I've been knitting some socks. (I know, you're shocked.)The sleeping compartment was tiny.The Art Institute of Chicago was amazing.LA has been a glorious, hectic blast, and we'll be back on the train tomorrow.It's been fabulous to get out of my head, out of my house, out of my rut. Nothing like a trip to get things moving and flowing again.

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-5551888629435315402008-03-21T12:22:00.003-04:002008-04-15T22:00:38.257-04:00

We're leaving tomorrow, on one of these:to go to Los Angeles for one of these:Along the way, we'll sleep in one of these:And visit the Art Institute of Chicago during our long layover in that fine city, which I have never before visited.Joe tells me that I'll be able to blog from LA as long as remember to bring this cable he's given me, so with any luck, stay tuned for updates about our trip once

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-68543637781174664522008-03-20T17:57:00.004-04:002008-12-10T11:31:36.818-05:00

A couple of moms and I have gotten together and asked a local music teacher (who is a genius but really hates being photographed) to teach recorder to a small group of kids. The kids are just starting out, so we're learning things like tonguing and hand position, as well as basic music stuff like beat and rhythm. Today was our second class. It's way too easy for Big One, although he has agreed

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-85761522010976628452008-03-18T18:14:00.009-04:002008-12-10T11:31:38.344-05:00

All over the mama-blogosphere are images of flowers coming up. Mine are well behind most, because it's cold here, but my post has the added benefit of letting you feel good about your own gardening. You will see exactly how much of a slovenly gardener I was last fall, and how very much I have to do before spring gets going in earnest. The beds are a mess, but the bulbs are coming up anyway. Above

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-16273948414501515172008-03-17T22:03:00.002-04:002008-04-15T21:59:46.767-04:00

I'm tired at looking at all these words, so here's a picture of the spinning wheel I've started saving up for. It's a Schacht Ladybug. I've been learning to spin on a friend's Schacht Matchless, every Tuesday while Big One has his French lesson. Little plays with Legos in the living room while I spin in her dining room and Big learns French down the hall.So I crept up to my room today for a

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-14384978422076030252008-03-16T05:44:00.004-04:002008-04-15T21:59:31.080-04:00

This is going to be an interesting week. Joe has just left on a five-day business trip to the West Coast, so I am the solo parent for a while. This won't change our day-to-day routine much, but it will mean that the boys and I will be having dinner alone, and that I'll be doing the bedtime routine alone. It also means I'll be washing the dinner dishes and changing the cat boxes myself. And that

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-65308562828298300622008-03-13T08:43:00.002-04:002008-04-15T21:58:37.367-04:00

Little: I'm very sad. Nothing can make me happy. (Can you believe this kid? I really believe he's not actually depressed. He is very happy all day long, I promise. I think he just says this stuff to see how I react.)Me: Oh. You know what works for me when I'm sad and it feels like nothing can make me happy? I take a walk or do yoga.Little: I don't like either of those things.Me: What do you like?

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-49919819503770609932008-03-12T15:34:00.005-04:002008-04-15T21:58:14.384-04:00

Minor crisis, I should say. More of a conundrum, really. Conundrum didn't seem snappy enough for a post title.Big and I did some new work today: more complicated long division, resulting in repeating decimals. This wasn't frustrating for him, because he knows how to do it, but it was tedious. All those steps, and then you have to keep doing them. And doing them. And doing them, until finally a

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-91398166016819688342008-03-11T12:57:00.007-04:002008-12-10T11:31:38.617-05:00

Uh, not mine, necessarily. I just mean blogging in general.The title of this post violates a basic rule I set for myself when I started blogging, i.e. Don't Blog about Blogging. How interesting could a blog about someone else's life really be anyway, and then when people start blogging not about their lives but about their blog... well, you see what I mean. That gets really boring.Point of

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-71005738134339694392008-03-08T19:41:00.004-05:002008-12-10T11:31:39.233-05:00

would this be your blanket?This is my proposal for an arrangement of the colors we've been choosing over the last several months. Alison keeps saying she needs to see it all laid out before she can say whether she agrees to my proposal. These are not sewn together, and in fact, the dark blue squares are still rectangles; they've just been folded in half to get a picture of how they might look in

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-3323341953332902202008-03-06T14:09:00.003-05:002008-03-08T20:46:45.636-05:00

Most of you already know that I used to be a teacher at an alternative elementary school, before it closed at the end of September and we became a homeschooling family. That info used to be over there in the sidebar, right under my photo, but both photo and description have disappeared since Joe accepted my invitation to post under his own pseudonym. I can't seem to get Blogger to let me display

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-51150280893791928132008-03-05T09:43:00.002-05:002008-03-08T20:46:45.637-05:00

1. It's a lot easier than teaching a classroom. Really, this shouldn't have been a surprise, and I knew it would be somewhat easier, but people, let me tell you, it is a LOT easier.2. I don't need to take relaxing herbs anymore. I am already relaxed, most of the time.3. Most of what Big One does for fun can be seen as some kind of academic subject. Paper airplanes? Physics and geometry. Dungeons

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-52151067165661375532008-03-03T15:07:00.006-05:002008-12-10T11:31:39.841-05:00

Here's the Shetland Triangle, yanked into shape after a soak in the sink.I'm pleased. I think it's an intriguing pattern, and it was fun and easy to knit. I'm a little disappointed that it isn't bigger; I followed the directions exactly, and I wish I'd added at least one or two extra pattern repeats. It is a skimpy scarf more than a shawl, and one I'll use mostly when the weather is mellow. I'm

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-29547437124758950242008-03-03T08:53:00.008-05:002008-12-10T11:31:41.390-05:00

Intrepid friends Alison and AK braved a snow storm this weekend to enjoy pancakes and continue work on the reclaimed felted sweaters patchwork blanket. First we cut the felted sweaters apart at the seams, resulting in a colorful pile of seams:(I know, doesn't this look knittable? Into rugs, maybe? Too bad I didn't think of it until I'd already tossed almost all of it out. Next time.) Fortunately,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-62407976292537262402008-03-02T14:39:00.023-05:002009-12-22T09:21:26.251-05:00

This is a legendary mixer post.Sharp readers already will have zeroed in on the ambiguous adjectival construction in the previous sentence. Props to you.Meet the Deluxe family's Hobart C-100 10 quart mixer. It does not have a pet name. It does have an exploded view. =>Suitable pet names would include Bertha, Dreadnought, Neaddought, L'Utile, and GL'Utile.I brought the mixer out its mixer

Joe Deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05946212500155765397noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-42835720896298411272008-02-29T09:38:00.005-05:002008-12-10T11:31:42.817-05:00

Friends, I have discovered an excellent parenting book. I imagine many people have already discovered this book. (Actually, I don't have to imagine; I can figure it out from its publishing history.) This book has sold lots of copies since it was first published in the 70s, and spawned workshops, workbooks, and a whole generation of parenting books about various challenges(sibling rivalry,

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27318902.post-43954918041514526372008-02-27T20:34:00.002-05:002008-12-10T11:31:42.829-05:00

I've been having this lovely email exchange with my cousin, in which she asked me what I like best to knit. Isn't that an interesting question? One you would think I would have well in hand, and yet it required some serious thought. I've been trying to branch out some, into cabled sweaters, and I've had to knit some mittens out of necessity... but when I stopped to think about it, I remembered

elsie deluxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01285701124252639728noreply@blogger.com6