Your eyes will be delighted

Things I Love

Hexagons

For some strange reason, my favorite number has always been six. Maybe it's because my birthday is on the 26th, maybe it's because I just like the number, but I think the three sets of twos that make it up are just lovely, and the two sets of three are rather dashing as well. I like the number six. Pair that with an unnatural love for honey and then a documentary I saw about bees in the fifth grade that stated the honeycomb is the most efficient shape in nature, and I'm hooked on hexagons. I don't understand it. Octagons, fare the well. Squares, you know what you are: square. Hexagons are where it's at. Forever and ever, amen. I love circles, too, of course, but right now I really love hexagons.

Druzy Druzy is formed when water forces itself inside an already formed crystal, creating a cavity and then a new crystal on top of that cavity. The result is intense sparkle and color and strangeness. I am so amazed by the pictures I see. Jewelry made with druse or druzy or however you choose to spell it is creative and interesting when done well, when the entire point is celebration of the stone itself. This one is from Free People and it's just beautiful! Search flickr and etsy for them, your eyes will be delighted.


Getting to know a knitting pattern

I've been knitting for seven years (wow! Seven years!) and one of the great parts of knitting a project is learning the pattern so well that it makes sense to you. Each time I look at it and say "ah, this requires a ssk, not a k2tog" and with the sage wisdom of something akin to a knitting Yoda, I proceed to ssk my heart out (followed by a yo). Granted, there are times when my confidence causes me to stumble, and I have several, several mistakes in this current project, but I still like knowing the basic movement of the pattern.

Things I Don't Love

Chores

It seems I've just finished doing laundry when all of a sudden all my clothes are dirty again. I've just cleaned and now there's a mess. I JUST bought groceries but suddenly my clothing is all gone. How is it that these things constantly have to be done? Please!

Honestly, I can't think of anything else right now.

Sweet and Sagey

Things I love

This Lady

Bynney and I have been pals since about 2007. We were RAs together and lived across the hall from each other for a semester. I lived above her when we were RAs. She got married today and was absolutely stunning, as usual.

The Dutchman's Hidden Valley

This is a store on highway 281 in Hamilton, Texas. We used to stop at it on road trips, and it's just a fun place with good food and candy and gifts. It's practically in the middle of nowhere, too, so it's a welcome stop.

I got a peppered beef sandwich on rye.

Highway 281/Texas roadways in general

I LOVE this drive. Everything was green and the air smelled sweet and sagey. I definitely took a lot of pictures like this, many through my bug-smeared windshield.

Stopped at this roadstop to finish my sandwich and enjoy the green.

Sweet Charity

Watched this on Netflix, and I fell in love with it. I love the character of Charity Hope Valentine, and I love the ending. Dancing's not bad either. ;) I loves me some Fosse, Vereen, and Rivera!

I think a lot of the songs are rather ingenious, too...


Things I Don't Love
The Pajama Game
I watched this on Netflix just before Sweet Charity and decided to watch Sweet Charity just to redeem the night. I don't like Doris Day very much, felt that even for a musical the plot was very ill-formed, and that the performances lacked...well...performance.
Watch the movie version:


and the stage version in the tribute musical Fosse:


Maybe Meg Gillentine (from the second video) just has more sparkle. The love story also was pretty forced...bad acting all around. Sad.

Driving all the way home from Stephenville and realizing I left my shampoo, conditioner, and razor at the hotel.
*Headdesk*
Store tomorrow.

we're peek-a-boo buds

Things I Love
Erickson
That's right, I love a developmental theorist. I love the wonder and beauty he gave to childhood. I love that he extended development throughout the lifespan, that someone finally decided that life doesn't stop changing at the end of adolescence! I love that he started out as an artist. I think that's why his theories are so beautiful, and why the sciencey people in psychology and development get so frustrated with him.

Piaget
That's right, I love TWO developmental theorists! Piaget cared SO MUCH about education, and not about how we're concerned now, about keeping the children up to pace, but about developing children who love to learn who are curious!


Seriously. I want that on a poster in every office I work in and in my room and in my car and written in the sky. If we focus only on gaining the knowledge that everyone already has on a strict schedule, where are we going to improve and develop as a society? Piaget is a guy whose descendants I would marry just so I could tell my children that they are related to a great great man. Is that weird to say? I think it might be.



Alpaca yarn


I'm knitting a project right now using it. It might be the first time I haven't gotten a bit of a string burn on my fingers. It's that soft. I'd post pictures, but it's a surpriiiiiiiise!





These Ladies

I've been friends with these ladies for 8-19 years respectively (Carrita! Next year marks year 20 of our friendship! We should celebrate!). They are truly my dearest friends. They are the people I want to see, the people I want to be around, and the people I want to tell about my life. We are each going into completely disparate careers that are totally fitting to each of us. Ladies, I know that you all read this blog, so know that I think of you all the time and I miss you like CRAZY.
Look how beautiful they all are! I love my ladies!

My Job
Oh man, I know I complain about this a lot. And it can get SO overwhelming at times knowing I have no way to control the activity in a room. But today I was helping out in the baby room and this little boy I've been bonding with (we're peek-a-boo buds) came up to me smiling and touched his forehead to mine and said 'boo.'
I love to see how they grow and develop and learn, especially right at the preverbal stage. They want so badly to communicate that they'll do anything, motions, crying, articulate gibberish, all so they're understood. I love helping them stretch and grow. One girl in the room needs to sit next to people (it's a step down from sitting in laps, which we've only just gotten her away from) and then points at what she wants. Today whenever she pointed I said "Go get it!" And she got upset. She wanted me to go get it. However, I know she's a crawler, I know she can walk a few steps even, so I said "go get it" and she went and got it each time. I even saw her take one step before she got scared and sat down to crawl.
In the fall, my position will give me all sorts of new responsibility and new challenges and new opportunities. I'm so excited about the opportunity to learn and contribute. This semester is going to be CRAZY but I think it's going to be good. And then I'll have only one or two classes left to finish my degree. Which is insane. This time next year I'll have a master's degree and HOPEFULLY working in a job I love.

Things I don't love
scratch that -- THINGS I HATE
Uneducated people who develop "therapies" without any research background and ultimately harm the helpless -- their patients

I am not sure how widespread the use of this "therapy" is. With my limited knowledge of attachment and of child development, I can say that this is detrimental to the future health of the child. Attachment theory states that a child is securely attached when a caregiver is responsive and sensitive. The child knows that their person is there for them, so the child feels free to go out and explore their world and eventually leave. Being forceful and authoritarian and physically aggressive is NOT the way to instill a "this person is safe, I can trust them" attitude in the child.

It has also led to the death of at least one child that I can confirm.

There is a website for the survivors of this "therapy" which to my knowledge is loosely compiled of bits and pieces of Bowlby's attachment theory and not on any scientific data. Here is where empirical evidence is crucial. In the realm of theory, it's fine to wax philosophical, however in the realm of treatment, just as in medial treatment, we had better be absolutely certain of the efficacy of an intervention before administering it to our most precious charges, our children.

Here is an organization searching for survivors of holding therapy and attachment therapy.

What I'm going to do to change it
Be a voice. The most powerful thing I know to do of my own volition is provide people with information. To warn them, to make them aware. To empower people to think about what their therapist is suggesting they do. To STOP if they feel uncomfortable. To feel like they have the right to put off and later research procedures they are suggested to take. This goes for medication as well. If I can let enough people know about this and the dangers of it, perhaps one person who comes in contact with this will be able to recognize this for what it is and refuse to have it done to their child.

Quick rant

And then back to normal formatting
Dear World (and in particular, a certain friend of Roommate #2)
You are not in any way, shape, or form in charge of me or in authority over me or over the way I choose to raise my dog. Therefore, every single lecture you give me on how to train her will be politely refused. And in increments less politely. And finally one day I will snap and tell you right to your face that you are NOT my boss and I will NOT be spoken to in such a way. I am in no way beholden to you and I do not appreciate your judgement. If I decide that an old shoe that doesn't smell like me and I was going to throw away anyway is okay as a toy for the night before I throw it away, then I don't want to hear about how I'm forever dooming her to think that every shoe is fun to chew on. If dogs can be taught to differentiate between different toys and tools, they can be taught that some things are okay and some things are not. In fact, just after you left she made a move for Roommate #1's shoes but moved away from them when I said to leave it and happily picked up the shoe. Now she's done with it and I threw it away.

I am SO tired of how she acts in general and in particular how she feels she knows so much more about training and behavior and about how to raise my dog. We are making slow but steady improvement unaided by the fact that the room mates are somewhat causing roadblocks in training and I feel we'd be more successful if we lived alone right now. We are doing the best we can. I am doing my best. Next time I will very firmly yet as politely as possible point out that Penny is MY dog and I am doing what I feel works. If she feels differently that's fine, but I'm not going to change due to her advice, so I would appreciate it if she keeps her thoughts to herself. Since she recently lost her job due in part to not keeping her opinions to herself, I doubt this will do any good, but at least I'll know that she knows my position.

Next post will be back to the things I love/things I don't love/How I'm going to change it format.
End rant.

Heroes in a Half Shell (On a STICK!)

Things I Love

The Ice Cream Truck

When I was very young, likely before Brother was in the picture or at least before he was three, my dad and I would play outside, fly kites, etc., and he and Mom and I would take walks and almost ALWAYS bought something from the ice cream truck. After I was older, we'd save money for summer days when we could chase the ice cream truck (they never stopped in the right spot) to get something. Some of my neighbors even chased it several blocks on rollerblades!

A few years ago I got a huge craving for ice cream truck ice cream. No matter what happened, I could never catch them when I had cash in my wallet. This went on until early May of this year, believe it or not, when I was at the park with a few friends and the truck came by. I got my first ninja turtle of the millenium. Since then I've specially kept ice cream money in my wallet, and last time we went to tube the river I handed two soggy dollar bills to the lady in the truck.

Well anyway, today I was watching TV with my pup when I heard the familiar chimes of "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" passing by the house. Without hesitating, I grabbed my wallet and ran out the door -- barefoot -- and sprinted down to the end of the block where the truck sat waiting. I got another ninja turtle...I've decided I prefer them.

I realize I could probably buy these at a store and have the Heros in a Half Shell any time I want, however I think the thrill of the hunt is worth a little extra money, and the unpredictability makes it extra special.

Grilled Apricots

I made dinner today, and by that I mean a baked sweet potato and grilled apricots with almonds. Grilled apricots are Ah-MAZING. I dipped them in a little bit of melted butter and brown sugar and grilled them for only a few minutes, flipping them frequently. Then I threw them in a bowl and drizzled honey (raw local honey!), extra brown sugar, and some of my roasted almonds on them. I saved the almonds for last and had a lovely syrup to drizzle them in at the bottom of the bowl. I think they could have taken a little more time on the grill but flipped them more often.

I also love baked sweet potatoes, but I think that a picture of it would be rather boring.

Things I don't Love

Being Disorganized

People who know me will likely roll their eyes at this. I have always struggled with organization. And I'm not alone. People with ADHD have a lot of trouble getting organized. We'll get as far as neat piles in various locations that then get scattered when we need to find something. I have several piles going right now actually.

How I'm going to fix it

I honestly don't know how to do this. I recently spoke with a professor who advised me to stick to what works and not punish myself for systems I'm not successful with. My trouble is that I'll find a place for everything and then get something that doesn't fit into a category! OR I'll put something down and completely forget where. And then I'll get to a point of wanting to do something about it, but because I can handle big picture things but not necessarily all the details that make up the idea, I get overwhelmed with the scope of the task and simply don't do it. Again, this is true of most people with ADHD and was the same when I was medicated. When I realized that difficulty organizing was part of ADHD I understood why no matter how hard I tried growing up I couldn't keep a clean room, and why friendly admonitions to "just do it" caused me so much anxiety. It also explained why I was so strict about the systems I did have in place, such as my CD collection, my books, and my movies (Movies, for example, are all in the same telephone stand and arranged first by genre and then by title) I'm looking at various organization tips and recently got a special folder just for financial documents, however I'm still not sure how to go about this. Anyone have some helpful suggestions?

Coconuttylimestrawberrylicious

Things I Love:

Cupcakes

My room mate and I made awesome cupcakes yesterday. We made the cupcakes from this recipe and the icing from this recipe
and added the stuffed strawberries. We stayed up until 1 AM making them. Totally worth it. Penny enjoyed one of them...grr. Here they are pre-baking, the fluffiest batter I've ever seen. And here they are after baking! Coconuttylimestrawberrylicious. Room mate #2 iced them, I might have done it differently.

Texas Thunderstorms in Summer

I love love love the way clouds change the way colors look.

I love the way concrete smells when it rains, when it's so hot outside that the steam rises from the pavement.

I love the sound of thunder. I love the few days I get the chance to actually drink a cup of hot tea and sit by a window with a book watching the rain. When I have my own place I have to have a chair by a window.

Being treated like an expert

I babysat last week for an 11 month old. Her parents gave her a push-pull cart for her upcoming birthday. The dad said "What do you think about the length of that rope? Is that a safety hazard?" I looked up to see that he was asking ME! And then the mom asked me about transitioning from a bottle to a cup. I felt like looking behind me to see who they were really asking. They couldn't be asking this 23 year old grad student about parenting and child safety. Really?

It was amazing. I loved it. And I had answers. And I was listened to. I was an adult who had information, not some child they hired so they could run out of the house for a few hours. They trusted me and valued my opinions. And when I work in caregiver education I will be able to do that all the time.

Things I Don't Love:

My dog can get into my new trash can

The one I replaced my old trash can that I got for my very first dorm room with. I figured she shouldn't be able to get into it, but she keeps bringing me stuff from it.

What I'm going to do about it: My trainer said that if we keep putting non-exciting things in it, making sure there's no food or tissues in it. The problem is that this dog finds EVERYTHING exciting. She will bring me a clothes tag or a twist tie. I might have to bitter apple the whole thing or get a harder-to-open trash can.

My puppy is so smart!