Christina Has Been a Very Bad Blogger

I think it was over a week ago that Elizabeth chastised me for not posting pictures of the baby chicks. Nope. Make that two weeks. (That's little Japan helping us with the pumpkins.) The chicks have grown so much that we had to move them from the tiny bathroom off the mud room to a big cage (with lots of heat lamps) on the front porch. (And for those of you who care, we have 23 adorable, mixed-breed bantams.) There is nothing, absolutely nothing, like 23 baby chicks to keep a 9-year-old girl happy and occupied every minute of her waking day. So if they sound like a lot of trouble to you, I know you don't have a tween girl in the house. And eventually, they will lay eggs. I like fresh eggs. Chickens are great pets. Even the dogs think they are cute. (The cat licks his lips a lot and I swear that I can see a roast chick thought bubble over his head.)

Anyway, I guess I have been busy because I don't know where those two weeks went. Hmmm….

Well, I started out the month by coming home from Iceland and then going almost immediately to Boston for the BlogHer tour. I'm writing a feature for Family Circle on blogging but I missed BlogHer's July event in San Francisco. I've heard some amazing, thrilling stories from women about their online adventures. So I thought I should go chill with the hip BlogHer chicks while they were on their East Coast tour. They were awesome, inspiring, and I learned a ton.

It was only a one-day thing. But since my sister lives there, I stayed three and caught up with her. My sister has had a rough time for, well, the last 20 years, off and on. But she was just starting to get her life in order earlier this year. She had even fallen in love, and was engaged to her new guy when he died of a super-sudden and massive heart attack during their Sunday morning lie about the house. Crap! Girl can just not get a break. I invited her to come to BlogHer because I think she needs to blog and see how women are changing their lives by writing for an audience online. And she agreed with me! She got all fired up and started her own blog. So go over there and say, "Hey!" She's pretty cool and she needs a little moral support right now.

Okay, so then I got home from Boston and got hit with final layouts for my new book, a deadline for an article to Family Circle on using technology to organize your house, another on getting control of your kids' cell phone, and edited an entire magazine for The Computer History Museum. I also have to post pretty often over at my blog Gripe Line at InfoWorld. Whew!

But for some reason, I decided I wasn't busy. (Now that I look back at this, that must have been some form of temporary insanity.) And that it would be a great time to take off by myself and spend most of a week in the sleepy little town of Bath researching a novel I'm writing. So, I packed my bags, left the husband in charge, and Bath is where I went!

There is really nothing there. Not even an actual store. There are only two places to stay. I chose the Bath Harbor Inn. It had a great view (as you can see) but the room was dirty, ant-infested, and uncomfortable. The water was steps from my porch and the view, as I said, was stunning. So it was pretty much the seedy writer's getaway I was looking for; all was well. On the way home, I stayed at an amazing little find in New Bern, The Ziegler. Terrific spot! Beautiful room, comfortable, free Wi-Fi. It was more like renting a stunning, furnished apartment for a night than staying in a hotel. I just loved it. My next writer's retreat will definitely be at the Ziegler.

And now it's now and I am swimming in article revisions and deadlines. So I have been a very bad blogger over here at Wilmaville. And I am only barely prepared—no candy yet!—for Halloween. But, hey, it was an awesome month and I'm not complaining. I'm just making excuses!

Tampa travel

Sunday I returned from Tampa and a couple days away at a conference. With three young kids, I haven't had much of a chance to travel by plane or had time to myself in quite a while. (Many years, actually....)

Travel went pretty much without a hitch, although having to wake up at 3 a.m. to catch a cheap flight on the outbound and inbound legs was, well, exhilarating, to say the least. My flight from Tampa to Atlanta was the most interesting--the attendants were dressed to support the pink ribbon campaign, which I admired. Some of their fashion choices were a radical departure from their regular uniforms, which led to some confusion--especially the attendant who wore jeans, black high-heel boots and her sleeves were rolled up. Many thought she was a fellow traveler, who handled the overhead compartments like a swarthy sailor.

I had heard about the lack of food and drinks on flights and wasn't too bothered and managed to find inexpensive food within the various airports I traveled. However, my one disappointment came on the return flight on a Delta Airlines flight.... Years ago alarms over the peanut allergy lead most airlines to seemingly ban them. So I was surprised, as an anaphylaxis sufferer of a peanut allergy, when flight attendants passed out peanuts on Sunday's flight. As soon as other passengers opened their nuts, my lungs started to constrict. Fortunately the flight was over shortly after and that was the extent of my reaction.

I'm definitely convinced that I will be even more cautious in future travel, but wondered if peanuts are still the norm on other flights. With all the dire warnings I heard, I thought food of all types was banned, including nuts. What has been your experience?

Having written all that.... While I was in Tampa I had a chance to visit a few of the tourist sites, which I'll post about...once I have a chance to download my photos.

I did it!

I have the sniffles, I'm hot and tired but needed to run an errand.

So I went to early vote.

Today. Early.

I had the one-year wonder Petra with me and am thankful she will be in school during the next presidential election.

The site was packed with people looping around the inside of the Northeast Library conference room. And the workers had to show each person how to use the touch-screen machine. (It is different than voting on Nov. 4.)

We must have looked out of our element around the Landfall crowd--Petra was in toasty warm sweats, but managed to lose one of her shoes on the way into the library (later found and delivered to us by a kind soul who needed a break from the mass of humanity). A bedraggled pair with me sniffling along the way.

I think it took longer to vote than to give birth, but I can't be sure. I do know that I spent a lot of the time chasing Petra around and trying not to lose my place in line. And, yes, trying to quiet her squeals that, I'm sure, are a frequency that shut down several of the hearing aids of the elderly voters waiting their turn stuck in seats in the middle of the snaking lines.

It was not the wonderful, uplifting experience that a friend of mine had where someone walked out of the poling place, saw the line of voters, and shouted, "You've restored my faith in democracy!" -- raised hands and all. She also witnessed church groups pulling up at the early voting station and a woman who had never voted before and needed to sign her name with an X.

Maybe one day I'll tell that story to Petra. I'm sure she might appreciate it more than learning that she was almost escorted out of a polling station for her rambunctious screams and shoeless behavior.

Or maybe this will be a memorable enough election that I'll be able to tell her both. (And let her father take her to the polls next time!)

p.s. -- I had planned to scan my early voting sticker, but, yep, you guessed it, Petra ate it. (Well, almost...it's very soggy.)

We Won’t See You There…

Did you see that tickets—free tickets—for James Taylor's Wilmington show sold out within an hour of going on sale? I don't know about Elizabeth but I was not in line for those. I have two kids and a job. (And we got baby chicks today so there is that.)

Those of you who got tickets: Enjoy the show!

 

 

James Taylor Plays Wilmington

James Taylor will play in Wilmington on Tuesday to support Obama. For free! Pretty cool. I don't know where or when yet—I don't think anyone does. But we'll let you know as soon as we do. The concert is not posted on his tour dates page. Stay tuned! (And we'll—hopefully—see you there!)

Want to get involved in the local film business? Try adoption.

Okay, so maybe not *in* a film, but the Cucalorus Film Festival is coming up and the organizers are looking for a unique kind of volunteer. (I feel it is only right that you know that I am helping with the festival's PR this year...but if you are looking to get involved, this is one place to do it.)

Cucalorus is looking for people to take a filmmaker into their homes, sharing a guest room. It's a neat way to meet some of the incredible people who are here to promote their creative work--and enjoy what Wilmington has to offer.

Some Cucalorus alumni return and request the same hosts as previous years--the bonds are lasting. There are more than 160 films in the festival and a growing number of filmmakers who want to come to this end of the film festival season...and making it possible for a filmmaker to network and build his or her career.

Hosts are not needed to act as drivers and most of the filmmakers attend festival events during the day (especially since food is readily available!).

So if you have a spare room you'd like to donate...give Cucalorus a call at 343-5995, leave a comment or e-mail me (elizabeth AT wilmaville.com) for more details.

p.s. - Just to keep you in the loop, there will be a Cucalorus Kids Saturday morning of the festival, which runs Wednesday, Nov. 12 through Saturday, Nov. 15.

What *did* you want to be when you grew up?

A couple years ago, we put Veronica in dance classes. She loved them, but in recent years the scheduling hasn’t been great for getting her to and from The Dance Co-op. (We love, love, love The Dance Co-op). Last year, we put the kids in soccer and, while it was enjoyable to be outside and Mac seemed to adore it, Veronica ran hot and cold.

Over the summer, swim team was great for all involved, but, again, Veronica ran a little hot and then a little cold. Once each child had a trophy, they seemed to say (in a nice way), “Okay, we’ve done this, now we don’t have to swim in a meet ever again.”

This year, my first year working from home and Mac’s first in Pre-K, we held off signing up for anything this fall. But, frankly, the kids need an outlet. Heck, *I* need the kids to have an outlet.

Last week, amongst the backdrop of a green and rustic backyard, Veronica modeled clothes again. This time it was like watching a determined child who thinks the rest of us are just there to, well, help her toward the result. She was confident and moved confidently. She seemed to know which way to look and what props to pick up.

Over the weekend, we took her to an audition for “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Mind you, I’ve never been to an audition…okay, not since high school and then I didn’t need to fill out a from for “stage manager”…they needed the warm bodies who could take directions.

At Saturday’s event, I felt a little intimidated by the parents who knew what to fill in on the form. Even some of the kids were more confident than I am as an adult. And, while I feared that Veronica was going to have a negative reaction (hot-cold), again, she seemed to derive an energy from the place and the people.

I don't want to force her into these things, but she seems to truly enjoy them, without the drama of soccer or swimming.

It started me thinking—did you know what you wanted to be when you were younger? If so, how did you know it, how did you get there and did your parents support you when, as I did at the age Mac is, I said I wanted to be a baby eagle?

And, more importantly, do you have any suggestions...for me...for local outlets during the school year?!

A Mosquito Storm

I just got back from walking my husband and two dogs and I feel the need to comment on the mosquito storm that is currently going on outside. It's brutal! Everyone we passed on our walk today and yesterday commented on it—as they flapped their arms at the cloud around their heads. Is this somehow related to the weather? Or, do you think it might be a direct result of the state slashing the budget for mosquito abatement?

And has anyone tried that outfit I keep seeing signs for The Mosquito Squad? Did it work? Should I do that?

Don't forget that we are still giving away a gift certificate for dinner (or lunch) at the marvelous Laterna. Go here to enter.

And I'm picking a winner this weekend for the SitterCity giveaway. So get over there and enter!

Books, books and more books...

I love books.

I have tried to contain this addiction and then the semi-annual Friends of the Library sale happens at the Northeast Library.

I was doing a really good job of ignoring this great sale, but we went to the library Saturday and yesterday I brought the kids there.

It was a quicker-than-usual visit, but we still managed to add to the collection of books bursting-from-bookcases.

Ten books--three each for Veronica, Mac and me. One for Petra. $3.75. One of the books captured my kids' imagination so much that they were entertained for at least three hours yesterday and some time this morning. That's an investment I can live with.

Now I have to figure out how to hide the fact that I bought more books from my husband....

Shopping in Reykjavik

Shopping in Iceland's capitol is a real experience. You won't find a Gap store or a mega-mall. But you do find tiny, delightful shops packed with hand-made and incredibly creative goods. And the kronur is currently in a freefall against the dollar so this is a good time to shop there.

Iceland may be still right next to nature, the water that comes out of the tap is melted glaciers, and fishing is a major industry but it is also on the cutting edge of technology. The power they harvest from the geothermal activity just below the surface of the island is the greenest on the planet and they are busy selling it to the US—in the form of know-how. You gotta love the Icelanders. They have it going on. But today, I bring you my two favorite shops in Reykjavik. Even if you don't have the wherewithal to take a trip to Iceland, you can still shop there because the place is so wired that even tiny stores offer goods for sale over the Net.

Kraum

Kraum was my favorite store, by far. It's a collection of woolens, jewelry, purses, furnishings, and clothing, from more than 60 Icelandic artists and it is all displayed beautifully in the oldest house in Reykjavik. It's more modern museum where you can buy the displays than average store. And in keeping with this idea, the shop also does museum exhibits.

This shop is a bounty of strange. The sweaters are nothing like the traditional Icelandic stuff (which are also very beautiful). The aesthetic is ultra-modern meets rock, lava, sheep, and sea. The dresses knitted from local yarns drape, cling, and flow in an unconventional, all-natural goth. The shoes from horse leather are high-fashion. There is a series of jewelry where local lava and other stones are melded with silver, a necklace made of silver and fur, and a series of bags made from the most incredible fish leather.

Each and every item in this place made me wonder if there is a design school in Reykjavik that encourages incredible innovation. But I think it may be just that Icelanders—whipped at breakneck speed from desperately rural to cultured urban in the last 30 years—just see things differently.

This is an incredible shop and if you are ever in Reykjavik, I encourage you to bring your credit card and do some damage to it. In the meanwhile, though, Kraum does sell through their Web site. Though there is no English on the site, there are lots of photos and, if you call the store, all the shopkeepers speak excellent English and tell me they will happily pack up and sell over the phone. (Use Skype! It's cheap. Iceland is four hours ahead of us.)

Kulusuk Art

 



Kulusuk Art—a shop that imports traditional Eskimo creations from Greenland—was small but incredible. They sell online but if you find something you love at the Web site, you might want to call to place your order and get a little background on the items because the Web site is in Icelandic.



I got one of these carvings for my son Cole because this is just the sort of thing you marvel over when you are 12 and still treasure when you are old and grey. And he loves it. I told him it was a talisman to keep him safe when his mother is away. He liked that. But it is really a carving of one of the spirits the Tupilak Greenlanders believe in. Someone started carving one to explain these spirits to a foreign visitor in the 1880s and that started a fad, which has since become a traditional art. You can see photos of the artist who create the goods in the shop here.

Riverfest is just the half of it...!

As you may know, this weekend is the extravaganza known as RiverFest.

While Labor Day signals the end of our tourist season (basically), Riverfest seems to signal the beginning of the holidays unleashing a stampede of theater/theatre, concerts, festivals and other events in our town.

Do you have a favorite annual event that is coming up? If so, tell us about it. And we'll try to mention as many as we can...as soon as we get through all the excitement of Riverfest!