thebeckybug

I’ve had the “If I Had a Hammer” song stuck in my head for 3 days now. I don’t know if I’m more disturbed about:

1) the repeating song, repeating and reapeating in my head, repetitively

2) the fact that I kinda like this song circulating round and round in my head for 3 days (at least it’s cheerful, right)

3) the subsequent coke commercials that pop into my head, subversively creating a craving for the addictive red-canned substance, urging me to storm every soda fountain I gaze upon

4) propaganda and marketing really have an effect on me

We’re watching Dancing With the Stars on tivo when Marlee Matlin’s turn comes up.

Jacob asks me, “Why is he doing that thing with his hands?” Referring of course, to her translator.

I respond, “She’s deaf.”

“What is deaf?” he continues. This kid. He loves to ask questions. He would like you to think he knows everything, but kinda gives himself away by asking all those questions.

“It means she cannot hear,” I say, as the TV shows a demonstration of what she hears on the dance floor. “Watch the show, they explain everything.”

“She can’t talk?” Jacob proceeds with the questions.

“She can talk, but she can’t hear. The thing he’s doing with his hands is called sign language. If you can’t hear you use hand signals to communicate. She can also read lips. Do you not know these things?”

Jacob responds, “Oh yeah, I do.”

We both get transfixed by the TV. I’m appreciating a rare moment of non-interrogatory-silence.

Jacob breaks the silence.”I thought deaf meant you can’t breathe.” He then tries to demonstrate by holding his breath. I wait a good, quiet moment.

“No, silly if you don’t breathe, you’ll die.”

“Oh, I thought not breathing was called deaf.”

“No, there is a difference between death and deaf. Death means you are dead, deaf means you can’t hear.” I try to enunciate every “th” and “f” very distinctively.

He summarizes, “She can breathe, but she’s deaf. Can she see?”

Sunshine sounds like:

• 2 yr old girl hiccup-laughing
• little girl singing about it being the afternoon
• teeter-totter squeaking under exuberant one-sided bouncing of young one, oblivious the toy is meant for two
• young boy consoling the timid dog, telling her how nice and sweet she is being today
• small gasp from the tot who suddenly hears the birds twittering away

In an interview I saw recently, this awesome lady said she has a no-buy rule about the things she posts on her shopping website. How does she do it? The temptation is grueling!

Here are a few creatures I would love to have grace my home.

Pair Of Quackers Vintage Brass Ducks Geese

by greenhearts $20

Bridging Worlds

by SandraHealy $90

The Decemberists hand screenprinted gigposter

by strawberryluna $75

Inspired by Maggie. I could only come up with 77

1. plant a garden
2. keep 3 houseplants alive
3. throw a dessert party
4. enjoy a beer at a small German brewery
5. make a cheesecake
6. commission a piece of artwork
7. visit the homestead of my ancestors in Moravia
8. purchase a home
9. start a business
10. befriend nomads in Mongolia
11. become proficient at grilling meats
12. shake hands with the people whose work i admire
13. shop at a market in India
14. see Bjork perform in Iceland
15. compete the dog in agility
16. own a home in a different country
17. accumulate a library of home videos
18. have waterfront property
19. take a family portrait in costumes - with all the animals
20. scuba dive off the coast of Indonesia
21. shop locally for produce and meat
22. let the dogs loose on a herd of sheep
23. throw a retirement bash for my mother
24. sew a quilt with my grandmother, one she would not otherwise attempt
25. take over family reunion planning
26. get a teaching certificate
27. start & sustain a club or organization
28. perform in a recital
29. visit a rain forest in South America
30. make and read a book list of 100 books
31. do more charity work
32. learn to sail
33. surf in California
34. purchase and effectively use a nice film camera
35. learn to play the mandolin
36. install a light fixture in the ceiling where there was previously none
37. send more birthday and minor-holiday cards
38. meet the trumpet player in our neighborhood
39. climb the Mayan temples in Mexico
40. see the tulips in Denmark
41. go fly fishing
42. catch a deep-sea fish
43. learn to fire a gun
44. take ballroom dance lessons
45. subscribe to more magazines
46. visit all local historical sites/homes
47. provide funding for a public park
48. have a family ‘art show’ as a fund raiser
49. fill a room with a sea of post-it notes labeling everything
50. have a BBQ with the bums on the street
51. make my dream website
52. see the northern lights
53. watch the herding dogs work in Ireland
54. memorize peoples’ birthdays
55. visit Morocco
56. web-designing with photoshop
57. watch the meteor shower again
58. publish an article in a magazine
59. write down memories of my childhood
60. help my father with his life’s work
61. see snow fall from in hot tub at a log cabin
62. pay off college loans and start a college fund for someone else
63. categorize my library
64. donate enough money to PBS to have my name announced before “… and viewers like you”
65. do a kitchen remodel, paying for any labor with only food and beverage
66. house sit more often
67. maintain a variety of bird houses and feeders
68. only wear clothes that make me feel like i look good
69. take more opportunities to see live music
70. master tiramisu
71. establish a large, regionally specific saltwater reef system
72. produce something to be sold at the farmer’s market
73. grow and harvest a vanilla bean plant
74. plant a tree on monumental occasions
75. develop a roll of film in a darkroom by myself
76. restore a classic car
77. own a moped
78. finish this list and come up with a better #78

We’re walking to the school to collect the kids as we call them (the younger siblings.) I turn to J6 (let’s call him Jacob) and say, “Mmmm, smell this,” as I offer up a handful of a mountain laurel bloom from the tree. It smells like purple fun-dip or grape gum and brings back fond memories of being a kid. I wave him over, pretty certain it will trigger some kinda of sensory connection for him, as well.

Jacob was cautious, wary of what I was trying to torture his nose with. He sniffed it in, and reeled back with a scrunched-up face. He’s at the stage where everything that tastes or smells nice to most people will revolt him to no end. I call this the punk-teenager stage, except he’s only 6. This yummy grape-smelling flower was one of those things. I was still a bit surprised with the scrunch face.

I inquire, “What does it smell like?”

His answer, very definite. “It smells … Jurassic.”

“Jurassic?” I attempt to clarify, “like dinosaurs.”

“Yeah. Jurassic.”

What I learned about my family history during last night’s dinner:

• My great-grandmother played piano at the nursing home. She would help the other elderly residents by wheeling their chairs to wherever they wanted to go. The staff asked her to stop, and she couldn’t understand why.
• My great-aunt was a missionary in South America. Her son had polio because of it.
• My grandmother and her sister shared a bed when they were young and act the same way now toward each other as if it were the case now. However, they currently live a thousand miles away.
• My grandfather likes any food prepared for him by anyone in his family. His exact words are “How did you know this was my favorite?”
• But even more than that, he LOVES coconut cream pie. My Grandmother doesn’t eat it, but makes it for him once a year for his birthday. He would have eaten the whole pie after dinner, but I had a little slice.
• My great-aunt is the most opinionated person I’ve ever known. She only half-heartedly doesn’t mind when you don’t agree with her.
• My great-aunt remembers everything as if it happened yesterday, The War, growing up on a farm in Kansas, and college.
• My paternal side of the family has musical abilities, but no vocal abilities.
• My grandfather loves puppies.

While hanging the last shelf in our living room, I’ve decided that this room is officially re-did. Over the past year or so, I’ve been attempting to make our living room more “homey.”

Because we rent this duplex, it was difficult to conjure the energy to put any work into it, at first. We ended up living in a bare space, except for the loads of couches, and how there were loads of couches! I think we ended up giving away 3 couches and 1 oversized chair with matching ottoman.

The living room was difficult to tackle because the shape and size of the room. The room is more like and oversized hallway, being much longer than it is wide. Some other challenges we faced were: getting ample amount of seating for the gatherings (where someone always brings a keg) we tend to host; the fish tank we swore we would never move until absolutely necessary; the large-in-so-many-directions TV; the placement of the front door, and lack of natural light. I added the additional pressure on myself to make the room into the most use-able space in the house.

It took months to come up with a layout that had any potential, it took even more time to find furniture that could fit. Ikea showed the most promise, being able to cater to the small, unique space we have. Once I found/customized the couch to fit, everything started falling into place. Once I got over my fear of putting holes in the walls, the place gained some real character.

Here are some random pictures that show what the room looked like before, through a few re-arranges (I forgot to take formal pictures, so don’t mind the people in the ‘before’ shots.) Today I took pictures from about the same angles.

Before: Yes, I purchase that painting, and paid for it, with money. And no, I didn’t like it, it just went perfectly with that ugly couch. Yes, that is an inflatable corona bottle hanging from the A/C vent.

After: The painting is replaced by some tasteful rodeo art drawn by my brother.

Before: Same wall as before. This picture screams: “we need storage!” Also of note: how to turn your TV antenna into wall-art.

After: We have storage! I’m thinking about taking the middle door off the cabinet. Option A: deal with big white panels throwing off the symmetry. Option B: have an open-shelf that acquired dust. I think I’ll take Option A. I don’t like dusting.

Before: Notice bikes in the background, and lack of place to put beers (besides own crotch.) This is also before we acquired a million couches.

After: Places! to put drinks! And who knew the back wall was useful for things other than a place to lean bikes. Artwork on back wall also by my brother.

Chairs purchased for $140 from Room Service Vintage. Table purchased for $20 from Room Service Vintage. The desks and bookcases are from Target, purchases from college.

Before: Here is when we had a long room full of couches. Only one made it into the picture. Also note coffee table in the middle of the room, yet we still put our bud light on the sofas. That corner with the TV was so dark, like our own little black hole.

After: Couch from Ikea. Wall shelves from Ikea. Lighting from The Home Depot and Ikea. It took lots of little lights, but that corner is now less depressing.

Before: Yeah, we really needed some storage. and some stuff on the walls.

After: Viola!

I have some goals for this website:

• Start running ads
• Find/design a template that I’m in love with
• Design and post a new masthead every month or so
• Create a “projects” section and update regularly
• Assemble a survey-less “about me” page

Time frame: this month

Suggestions: welcome

Dear Boyfriend,

Please note I am aware that I have been a psychotic girlfriend as of late. There is basically no excuse for my actions. I want to thank you for not shooting me in the face this past week.

I realize that my obsessive behavior about furniture can appear as a serious psychological problem. However, I realize this and apologize for trying to get rid of most of the furniture you own; including but not limited to your couch, your coffee table, your TV stand (both of them,) your desk, and hrmm, I’m sure there’s something else that inadvertently got thrown to the curb.

Your sense of style (if mis-match furniture was ever a style) is debatable, but I know I should respect your need to keep the stuff you purchased less than 2 years ago (even if it doesn’t match or have a use in this house.) After all, I’m one of those things you’ve acquired since moving into this house, and it’s nice that you want to keep me around, even when I seem useless. Thanks for not inadvertently throwing me to the curb.

Also, thank you for understanding and being flexible. Thank you for loading and squeezing box after box of collapsed furniture into your beloved car. Thank you for trusting my sense of style and helping me install the shelves to the walls. Thank you for responding to my screams (with ample amounts of alcohol) as I continuously battle with the meaning of “some assembly required.”

You are truly a gem.

Love,
Becky

P.S. Would you like to join me at The Ikea on Sunday to pick out a new headboard?