Requiem for a Bellybutton

My bellybutton - is disappearing. This disturbs me, though I'm not entirely sure why. Except for a rather enlarged chest size and a slightly rounder belly, nothing much has changed at the start of month 5. I can still fit into all my clothes except for not being able to comfortably button higher waisted pants. According to the scale at the midwife's I haven't actually gained any amount of weight. And yet, every day my bellybutton slowly pans out. I give my innie another two weeks before it's an outtie. Farewell small button - I'll see you again in about 6 months.

Ok, so...

... my beloved husband just walked passed the window carrying two whole deer legs. I know he'd gotten a nice looking doe; he came in to tell me so. It's just something that you don't see every day, legs. Without bodies. Passing windows.

The cat is intrigued. 

"Pet Peeve" or "Decor to Die For"

I spent a few minutes thinking about if I really wanted my first post in many months to be a complaint. I came to the conclusion that this was really too good not to share.

So, even though I have issues with holidays being turned into these massive materialistic events (seriously, who doesn't?), I do admit that there is a certain charm about seeing everything sparkling at Christmastime. I don't mind decorating for Easter, the Fourth, "Fall" or even Halloween. I'll over look the fact that Christmas decorations are available for purchase 365 days a year, that Halloween decorations went up on September 15th this year, and even that those big blow-up decorations with the "snow inside", you know, the ones that look like giant cracked-out snow globes, are terrifying; but not in the way the designers intended, I'm sure. All I'm asking is for a sense of appropriateness. 

The funeral home in Brunswick has decorated for Halloween. Over the top decorated. Including a black Christmas-style plastic tree with orange and black lights and glowing monster heads, a giant pumpkin head over the lamp post and a liberal coating of halloween-themed stuff and twinkle lights everywhere else. 

Now I could easily see a Christmas or Easter theme going over well with images of life after death, eternal love, rebirth and heaven. Heck a nice "Fall" theme subtly suggesting a harvest and winter rest for the earth would be sweet. But skulls, pumpkins and monsters is a little bit extreme. 

Rant over. In other news, three weeks ago Evan started to officially work for his dad. The pay is good, the hours are great and the boss is a nice guy. I've taken the last three months off to gather my thoughts and goals. In the mean time I've had a chance to brush up on my housewifery and can whip out one mean fruit turn-over. Though I still haven't gotten the hang of wearing heels around the house. The search for someone to hire me part time continues and until that day I am enjoying my small free-lance jobs and find them MUCH more rewarding that school ever was. The cats are doing well; Meowmies seems ready to weather another winter. In fact, Evan and I just found out that we are going to inherit another small pet sometime this spring. Probably in April. Things are going well and I have never been more thankful.

Good News

Good news. My website, bergenhowlett.com, is finally looking somewhat pulled together and has some actual information; about me, about my work, and examples. Woo-hoo! You should stop whatever you are doing (namely reading this) and go chcek it out. The link in on the right.

...for the longest time

I haven't written for a while. Things have been difficult here as recently Evan and I lost someone we loved very, very much. It caught us by surprise and turned our world upside down and inside out. He taught us more about ourselves as individuals and as a family than I could have ever believed possible. He will be sorely missed but we are so grateful for everything he taught and all the love he brought. Our friends and family have been so loving and supportive in helping us through this time. Thank you, to all of them.

We will love you forever, dear one.

Sad news is just as important and good news, but it isn't the only news. The end of school is finally in sight for me. The final schedules have come out for each class and all include the words LAST DAY OF CLASSES. After this semester I have one class left. It's a first summer semester class - and it is only one month long. The best news is that this class is an open studio class where I can do anything I want. I have plans to write and illustrate a children's book about Bijoux. I already have a few illustrations done; a sneak preview is above. I am so excited and energized by this light at the end of the tunnel.  I haven't been able to breathe for the last few months, and I and relieved to be so close to the end. 

Just a quick check in this time. More later.

Garden

Today was beautiful, and I actually have something to write about: We started digging our garden! We ordered our seed and seedlings a few days ago. Evan stared to turn over the big garden while I cleaned out the herb beds. There was so much stuff in there, leaves, dead plants, sticks, trash, that it filled out two trash bags and the rest we'll turn into the garden. I'm so excited to eat food that I grew in my backyard with my own hands!

 Now.... I don't have that great a track record with plants. My pets live longer than they normally should (my cat turned 16 this month) but my plants have an unnerving tendency to commit herbicide when I have my back turned. Evan seems like he knows what he's doing, so there's still hope.  

Sick of being Sick

 I've been sick on and off for a while now. School is rough when you don't even want to get out of bed. I'm starting to get behind in my work. I didn't have class all week for various reasons; since nothing was due - I didn't do anything. Not really true,  I did a few things (like get all my graduation papers in one place, and tweaked and printed my project due Monday) but true enough to make me feel terrible for being a slacker. I wanted so much to be a "good student" this semester. With only three classes you'd think it wouldn't be so hard to keep ahead of everything. And I was doing so well at the beginning. I was ahead in all three and doing well. I worry about what will happen when the weather gets nice and sunny and the last thing on my mind is school...

On a happier note:  As much as I love living in my don't-try-to-turn-around-in-the-shower, not-enough-room-for-both-a-couch-and-a-bed, super-tiny house, I miss having a bath tub. The other day I went to a friend's new apartment a took a bath in her tub. It was wonderful, a bit odd since she was having friends over for dinner while I was soaking, but wonderful nonetheless. Its a good friend who will let me take over her only bathroom whenever I want. 

 Well, here I am, still avoiding homework. Back to work

Playin' Hookie

Today I decided that I didn't want to go to school. Having been a diligent student (understatement of the year award needed over here!) for all of my life, Husband Dear pointed out that I could take a day off. Today isn't a sick day, because otherwise how could enjoy it if I were sick?! With any luck this won't come back to bit me. I only need a C to pass this class and I really hate it anyway.

 In other news: not much. Just doing homework when the mood strikes me (which isn't often, sadly), and just enjoying life. School will be over soon. In early May I'll never have to look at a portfolio again if I don't want to. I have an internship and a painting class in the summer but those are going to be fun (and aren't really graded - I just have to show up and do some work, or a journal in the case of my internship). I do need to get all my paperwork done soon, Graduation forms and class substitutions and all that stuff. 5 months and counting. Just think, if I actually sat down and did some homework I could be done even sooner..... 

Naw, maybe later - today I'm playing hookie!

Monsters

The other day Husband Dear and I visited the in-laws (well, my parents, his in-laws). Vito, G and I had a little photo shoot. I had made a stuffed monster for each of my siblings for Christmas. With 10 brothers and sisters I had my work cut out for me. It was fun and I didn't buy a single Christmas gift this year - I made them all from scratch (with the exception of HD's gifts -- a bibliophile he required more text-substantial gifts than I could whip up on the sewing machine). Since I was still sewing on Christmas Eve morning I never had a chance to photograph them for my records, and in the heat of the moment, also forgot the camera at present opening time (what a loser I am sometimes). So we had a re-do on Sunday. This photo makes me particularly happy: Vito and an arm full of fleece monsters.

HD and I have been trying to live a simple life since we got married in June. We have a small apartment that is really more like a house; detached from any other building, has a yard shared with the land lady's house and it's own private entrance. Rent is insanely cheap. We live in a small town where we walk almost everywhere. We spend most of our money on good, tasty, healthy, whole food. HD has been sick for the past few years and we are trying to get him back to healthy again. Lately we've eaten little or no refined sugar, inspired by a friend's year of no sugar or shopping. It's been a bit tricky (we keep forgetting that ketchup is basically red corn syrup), but its not really as hard as I thought it would be. HD's tummy hasn't been as grumpy and I'm not as moody or angry feeling. We should have done this a long time ago.

 We read like there's no tomorrow and the two libraries in town can barely satisfy us. HD has a workshop in our basement where he turns wooden bowls, goblets and vases. We're trying to sell them through some of the small shops in town. I try to make most of the gifts we give - I think they are more personal, and a heck of  a lot cheaper! 

 This summer I plan to (attempt) to grow a garden in our little yard. I'm generally terrible with plants. They die when I look at them funny (or not funny!). I have a cat that is 16, had a pony that was over 30 and a dog over 19 when they died, but I cannot for the life of me grow a stinking plant! It should be a challenge. One I look forward to. 

Sick Day

Today I'm home sick, and I skipped classes. All I've done since I woke up at 9 is sleep. It isn't a glamorous sickness, like the flu. The Flu is great. You generally live through the experience, and you get real Sick Time - allowance to sleep all day, drink ginger ale, stay home from work/school, catch up on movies and reading, and people are really nice to you (Note: the nice only lasts about three days - after that you get no pity). Granted, throwing up and blowing your nose until it's red aren't fun or pretty but man, if you're going to be sick, be Sick. My malady ranks somewhere between bunions and  hemorrhoids in the coolness factor. Plus it is about the most annoying ailment that I can think of. Ever. But it got me out of school (I haven't taken a sick day in years) so we'll have to go with that.

 Since it's nice out - a generous 50 degrees - Husband Dear went for a bike ride. He said he'll be home in a few hours. I have the house all to myself, a rare occasion to be sure. 

 I've got Spring Fever something fierce. As mild as this winter has been, I've had enough. Darn you, Punxsutawney Phill, Harbinger of Winter Doom! I want to wear skirts, read out in the yard, plant a garden, take a stroll through town, picnic, eat fresh fruit again, sleep with the windows open, catch lightening bugs (I'm such a little kid). I thrive in the warm and the cold just takes it all out of me. Feburary is, by far, the worst. You can almost taste the flowers and warm breezes, but the short month is a cruel mistress. She teases and taunts and delivers naught but icy, slushy, blizzards. Ugh.

Twiterpation

  Today was an unplanned cleaning day, the warm weather a greater motivator than just the thought of having a clean house. Of all the pit falls of a tiny house (and I mean tiny, about 25 x 30 foot square loft with some basement space for storage -  half of which belongs to a neighbor's Jaguar named, quite aptly, Folly) the fact that we can clean the whole thing in less than 3 hours is not one of them. In contrast, such a small house means that it  get dirtier quicker, but we won't dwell on that. 

  The cats are happy to be able to go outside and get away from each other for a while. Attempts at such ventures yesterday lead to two very soggy, ice-encrusted, highly annoyed kitties as we had freezing rain all day. A sunny 40 degree Saturday is a little slice of heaven, with the glorious promise of a balmy 67 Ash Wednesday! In an ironic twist, I don't have classes on Wednesdays and so am free to fully enjoy the beautiful first day of lent.

  The spring-esque weather has seen everyone slightly twiterpated. Everyone's been falling in love. Husband Dear and I ran around town doing our errands, squealing like middle schoolers who are everywhere in this town. (They were surprisingly absent from their street corners, stone wall, bakery and coffee shop this morning.)

  With the exception of hordes of pre-teens our town is a beautiful place. A quiet german town in West Virginia, bordered on one side by the Potomac river, and the other by the University. Yuppies and Hippies drink their coffee together outside the coffee shop and bakery. You can walk to both libraries, the bank (which sucks, and I need to get a new one, but until then it's nice to be able to walk to go complain to the manager), 7 amazing restaurants, a few adorable, albeit disgustingly overpriced shops, book store, ice cream shop, coffee shop, tea house, the post office and all my classes all within 4 blocks in any direction from my house. There is a farmers market at the end of my block every Sunday morning in the warmer weather; a two block walk from Church. Not bad for a forgotten little town. The only real problem is that there aren't a whole lot of job around here, Graphic Design included. I know of students who graduated two years ago still looking for design positions here: there just isn't a huge need yet. 10 years from now the county will be a suburb of DC. Already it's the most affluent in the state. Until then our town offers little more than waitress or teaching positions. Husband Dear is looking for jobs as University staff as we speak. Then he could walk to work as well as everywhere else!

 Okay, I've already blabbered on for longer than I meant to.   

okay, so I'm bored and thought I'd fart around with this thing some more.

 

HAHA - more eggplants!

Number Two

I have got to get more creative with my titles.

 Another day typing mindless html. I love my Interactive class, but lordy, is it tedious! My paltry skills have resulted in the underwhelming www.bergenhowlett.com. Meh, it's something anyway. We need websites for capstone, so at least I've got a head start with that (if nothing else...). Heck, I even got the links to my other Interactive projects to work. 

 So, today was unremarkable except for the sudden flood of pregnant questions. "Are you pregnant yet?" asks my landlady (who is convinced that I threw Husband Dear out, since she hasn't seen him. Poor duck doesn't have much to do), while the venerable Amazon.com sends me a nice e-mail to say that one of the gifts on my baby registry has been purchased by a kindly soul. Funny thing. I DON'T have a baby registry and a through search of the database confirms it. Maybe someone knows something I don't....

 Since it is wednesday, I had Tea with the Goddess of Design. She is such a dear and sweet friend. I am lucky to have found her (which is funny since we were class mates for two years before ever hanging out. Oh the woe of two shy girls trying to make friends!). She and the Goddess of Theater would get along swimmingly, yet they never seem to cross paths here in She-town. I wish that I could bring all my friends together in one place. The Wedding was a good excuse for that, but the circle of friends has since expanded so I need a new excuse. Sadly major holidays mean that Goddess of Design is away home (or to her fiance's parents' in Malibu! How sweet is that?). 

 

Number One

So I don't have a whole lot to say. Another amusing distraction that I can pretend is worthy of my homework time. Today Husband Dear is with his dad working on fixing something at the cabin in weather that is cold, wet and probably highly unpleasant. HD doesn't mind the cold like I do. Men seem to have built in heaters. All the better for cuddling but annoying when it comes to discussing the probability of winter camping trips.

 Post #1 accomplished