Heavenly

Back before Ian and Mira were born, someone gave us a CD of Led Zeppelin songs performed "lullaby style" (essentially, the songs are done in an annoying, twinkly way with no vocals).

Recently Ian has gotten interested in playing this CD, so it has come into the rotation of CDs they put in the player (along with a LOT of Yo Gabba Gabba and lesser amounts of Dan Zanes and Captain Bogg and Salty). This morning Ian said to Mira:

"I want to hear Stare Away from Heaven."

"I don't like Scare Away from Heaven," she replied.

Ian, exasperated, yelled: "Not Scare, STARE Away from Heaven!"

The Stupids Step Out

Mira, to me: Mama, Ian said I was stupid.

Me: Did you tell him you don’t like that?

Mira, returning to talk to Ian in the living room: Ian, I don’t like being stupid.

Loosey Goosey

Ada's tooth has been wiggling for over a month. Every day I think this will be the end, it HAS to fall out today. And every day I am wrong.

Tonight:

D List

 

After a run near my in-law's house

 

My sister bought this for Chris a few years ago

In the entrance of Whole Foods

 

I had meant to capture this during the Cs, but better late than never

A lovely woman has left us. Over the years, a daughter, sister, friend, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. As part of her extended family, I felt the glow of her love and acceptance. My little family will miss you, Lois, as will so many others.

September 18, 1917- March 11, 2012

What good is having a blog if you can't post about your successes?

On Thursday, Oregon's Governor Kitzhaber signed House Bill 4164 into law. Last summer the Legislature passed a bill authorizing Oregon's exchange to be built, but the legislation included a requirement that the Exchange team return in February to get approval for its Business Plan. We did that and both chambers voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill that accepted the plan and put the Exchange team fully on the road to opening our doors in October of next year. The Governor signed the bill in a formal ceremony that felt a bit like a family reunion, as among the politicians and key stakeholders were a couple of dozen people with whom I have worked for the past half-decade. It was great to be able to smile together and marvel that we have gotten so far. 

It was a good day.

There was cake, signed by the Governor no less!

Now C Here

What did I C?

 

  Sign, Nob Hill

  
 Ada's rendition of a drawing from Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed (Mo Willems) 

 
Detail of the vegetable list, and attempt to remember what we've 
gotten from our community supported agriculture farm 

 
This C was a table marker at a workshop

Stuff Ian* said a month ago that I wrote down so I wouldn't forget and them promptly forgot

Does this have silver raisins?

You know, snow comes from the sky. Roovers are near the sky. When it snows it lands on the roof.

I can't even really 'magine it's snowing! How can it be snowing again?

(and, in the context of cell phones ringing in people's pockets...): I want to hear the call of Ellen's butt.


*To me these all sound like Ian sayings, but since I didn't write that down I will never be sure.

Just Doing

Me, to Ian at bedtime: Okay Ian, time to lie down.

Ian: Guess what Mama? Poop!

Me: Do you have poop?

Ian: No, I was just doing guess what.

Bs Knees

Wow are the B titles I thought up corny. If you doubt me, consider that the one I chose was not actually the worst.

Some highlights of my two weeks on the B side:

From a child-free weekend with Chris, during which we did not actually go to Mr. Bing's. I snapped this on the way from the most amazing sushi to delicious old-fangled drinks.

I love this little blue car. I wish it was mine. 

Then again, it is so small I could probably pick it up and make off with it!

 

Chris wrote this on our kitchen calendar, I snapped it with my macro lens.

 

My all time favorite fortune cookie fortune; the only one I have held on to.

Now I know my A B Cs

Life continues to be too busy. One thing I am doing (besides wiping noses, recommending policy, occasionally cooking mediocre dinners and losing my voice) is taking pictures. I decided I wanted to take on a photo-a-day project this year. I loved doing it in 2010 and it seemed like time to try it again.

I considered a time-based theme, but I could not commit to a single time for a whole year (though I have loved looking at friends' sets). I considered moving through the day, taking photos at hour or half-hour increments, but I have a sense that I'd mess it up. It is awkward to interrupt a meeting in order to photograph it. 

Ultimately I chose to divide the year into twenty-six 2 week chunks, one for each letter of the alphabet. So far I have done A, B and C. This theme combines my love for signs and words with my sense that switching things up every two weeks will make it easier to stick it out the whole year. 

I am breaking radio (er, blog) silence to post some of the pictures for each letter. Here are some A photos: 

A11 is for the A key

   

A10 is for (stop) Animals

   

A7 is for All

   

A8 is for Apple

Almost, but not all the pictures are shot using my iPhone 4s. The camera is surprisingly good and I have it with me most of the time (unlike my slr). My main tools are the Camera+ and Instagram apps. Once in a while I use Hipstamatic, which I love, but is definitely more unpredictable. Chris got me some lenses for my phone, so some shots are taken with one of those. (the "All" picture used the macro lens, hence some of the fuzz around the edges.)

The whole set is here. At the end of the year there will be 26 sets in an Alphabet Collection on Flickr.