Sledding Paradise

Only about 9 degrees F. We stayed out about an hour and we all decided it was cold and we were ready to go in. Then it was a nap for little man and a pedicure for me.

Merry Yuletide

Santa has been a topic of conversation in our house for the past, well since the tree went up. Aido is very excited. I got some photos taken. He got tubes placed in his ears last Wednesday. He has been moving at warp 4 every since! He has been very loving too, I think he feels lots better. To me there is nothing sweeter than an I love you Mama and his thin little arms wrapping around my neck with a cheek to cheek kiss. Sigh!

Fiction

I have a rash of thoughts today. They are kind of itchy and now they are going to ooze on over to you.

Wouldn't it be funny if a character in a movie would shake a hand or touch an object and get images that s/he believes real. And they are always really gruesome. But they are never true. Ultimately funny in an anticlimactic way.

Also, I am reminiscing about my childhood. Particularly the bits in Montana. Every time I think about it I get the same feeling. It is in my chest, like it is laid open with a brisk breeze drying it out. I went for one of my long walks (I do it every year) and thought about it. I get these feelings very strong when I set out on an adventure, a long walking adventure. Here in Montana if you go anywhere on foot it is a long walk. On the ranch I would back some water in a bag along with a towel and a crystal and some marbles you know the essentials and head into the rims across the creek and up the hill. It was a long golden brown walk. I would also walk the other way for the perfect hill to fly a kite on, really I could get my pink and purple uni-peg up to dizzying heights. Sometimes I think my childhood can be summed up with penny candy, crisp sun and walking down Livingston alleys. Today I think the main roads a bottle of water and a really long walk gets to the point.

Snowing in May

April Snow brings May...

What rhymes with snow? cause that is what May is bringing.

I am not having very good luck catching little man with a pleasant look on his face. Rightly so as it has been (except today) 6 days of puking and other nasty bodily things. I had it too. Man oh Man that is so gross and draining. I believe it was the noro virus. We caught it from the only indoor play ground in Livingston (ahhemm McDonalds).

It was so cute that night. We said where do you want to go to dinner? And little big man said "Donalds Pease" "donalds pease" He is groking that please gets his just about anything he wants. Too bad it got us all the noro virus.

Really I wasn't going to talk about that because it was so traumatic. I am going to talk about the April Snow. It is wet and lovely. With the sun out it was a balmy 50 degrees. I bundled him up and we trudged around the yard. The mittens lasted a little while.

3:06 minutes of YouTube

Here is my first trip into Youtube.com video ownership. It is from one of Little Big Man's first snow adventures and a really crazy dog. I hope you like it.

Ice in Sunshine, like Lohan in Fame

We have been experiencing a thaw in Southwestern Montana. Last week was bloody cold and I am sick of cold! This week its in the 50's much more to my liking. No one is wearing coats so everyone is getting a cold next week. The make believe week of spring is worth it.

These pictures are of the Yellowstone River on the East End exit outside of Livingston. The ice is melting and breaking off like miniature icebergs. The water looks navy blue from the freeway and up close it just looks cold.

The Crazy Mountains are a long thin range of hills. This is from the side. My favorite angle of them is still from my childhood-- looking from the west.

I know I am a Montanan because when I walk on non windy days I have the sense of acute imbalance. On windy days I am surefooted and comfortable. Today I was pretty darn comfortable.

Fresh Glistening Snow at Battleridge

We went to Battleridge campground this morning to pull the sled about and enjoy the beautiful weather. We suited little big man up and of course headed straight up the mountain.
People were tent camping there. I am too much of a hedonist to tent camp in January when the high is 20 degrees Fahrenheit. They gave us the eye that is the Montana Ho The Camp. I smiled but to no avail. So I think they might be nuts.

Little big man got hauled up the hill and crazy zignut ran like the wind. We came back down the mountain without seeing the other side, because the bear taught me that its just the other side anyway. Little big man got to run around in the snow with his daddy. He laughed at the crazy dog and tripped and gave himself a white wash in the face.

The Briger Mountain Range was hugged by fluffy lively clouds. The snow glistened like diamonds, but alas these things do not register on my camera. I bet it was a great day for skiing.

Born Under a Wanderin' Star

To succeed in the world it is not enough to be stupid, you must also be well-mannered. -Voltaire

I don't normally quote people smarter than me, however today Voltaire captured my feelings. I just can't seem to get the "well-mannered" part down. Once again I feel like a pacing animal. It originates outside of the home, and my lovely family is not source of my restless feelings. I just wish today I could be a gypsy. Take my family in the wagon and go. Anywhere. The wind here seems to have a purpose and a direction.
I think we might follow it for a few days. Among my RSS reading I also found a picture of this lovely girl. She is a real gypsy if you click on the picture there is a pithy little interview. My favorite thing about my participation in the Shrewsberry Renaissance Faire was waking up with the sun in the camp to hear the rustle of families laughing and talking over breakfast preparations. I also loved the nights after the gates closed and the wild untamed nature of ren rats bubble to the surface like bathtub gin. I loved the singing and the dancing. The shows of bawdiness were alright, but the story telling was divine. I still remember the "I want a proper cup of coffee" song. If you are really nice and give me some marzipan I will sing it for you someday.

Happy New Year!

Mekaleka Hi Meka Hinee Hoe.

I predict this will be a great year!

Beloved Dentri, Casseroles and Cadillacs. Love for the American Proletariat

This looks like a communist baby to me. He is Russian ( I can tell because of his facial muscle structure). He only has snow and rocks to play with because the toys had to long of lines. My Dentri explores the alley immune to cold because his passion for snow warms him tip to toe.

It would be a wonderful life lesson for all of us to be passionate about what we have. Like me-- I love casserole. I love long drives morning and night.

Seriously I don't love casserole. And this is our American baby in our back alley. Those are our neighbors "pet" Cadillacs. They are pet for the exclusive purpose of re-routing the alley and to avoid having to haul them away.

Speaking of Cadillacs and my recent language jag. When I was a child on the ranch "Cadillac" was a very bad word. I always heard "here comes her old Cadillac" as "here comes the old Battle Axe" really for my grandmother the terms where interchangeable. I don't have a picture of her, and this lady looks much nicer than she ever did! Here is a strange coincidence though. This lady is named Bernice and so was my grandmother! They also live in Springfield, Oregon. That is 5 minutes from my university and 45 minutes from where my beloved grandmother lived! My beloved grandma preferred a ruby red Buick Riviera. My beloved grandma's name was Jan.

Moon over Montana

The new year is going to be exciting. I can feel it in my skin. I found an interesting article on the names of the moons to come in the next year at space.com There will be a Blue Moon on May 30, 2007. Space.com also says this about the March full moon:

March 3, 6:17 p.m. EST – The Full Worm Moon. In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. A total lunar eclipse will take place on this night; the Moon will appear to rise will totally immersed (or nearly so) in the Earth’s shadow over the eastern United States. The rising Moon will be emerging from the shadow over the central United States, while over the Western U.S. the eclipse will be all but over by the time the Moon rises.

2007 is the year of the Boar. That is my husband's Chinese Zodiac sign so it will be a good year for him. That should mean me too if all goes well. I am a Dragon so this year is an opportunity to turn my luck around and make changes for the better. That makes me very happy because we are going to be selling our house in hopes of finding a better location.

My western sun sign says that I will have a subtley good year:

For Cancer, 2007 will bring exciting trips and mental journeys prepared by March eclipses and activated by the New Moon in April.

During the last three years, Uranus has been inspiring you a spirit of independence. From April 2007 on, when it will meet the North Node, Uranus will bring impetuous people and unexpected events in your life, helping you redefine the path you need to follow.

This sunday my lover and beautiful child will stay home and celebrate our lives. We are happy and blessed. As we raise our Rose Spumante we will toast ourselves and you. Cheers to the New Years!

Christmas Mush

Onward! Mush! Mush! Why aren't you moving? Brother was a great sport and pulled the sled around. We did get outside but its really muddy and not really snowy. I hope we get some snow.

2006 YuleTide blessings

Christmas Eve was wonderful! We had a delightful smorgasbord and lovely company. We all got great presents too. My boy was good through the whole evening. He played with each toy before moving on the next package to open. This was the best Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve Morning

I guess my wrapping job didn't leave anything to the imagination.

Snow and Elmo. Life is Good.

My son loves 2 things: Elmo and Snow. Here they are in perfect harmony. I love my blue eyed boy and I am doing just fine.

Here in Montana, people have an affinity for Litotes. A dramatic understatement to overstate without sounding cocky. There is a cleaning service here named "pretty darn good cleaning" That means very good cleaning. "Not to bad" is a good At a boy. Like in Babe when the pig learns the secret code of the Ba Ram Ewe the farmer states simply "That'll do Pig" as a major pat on the rump.

I remember learning about Litotes in Rhetoric 406 the example in the book was "Those who cared not for battle departed the field." Those deserting jerks. It has lodged in my brain for years.

What is your favorite example of litotes?

Fast and Furious SNOW

this is my favorite outfit on the little tyker! Montana ready for anything. We went to the park in the pull sled and went all over our little burg. He was happy to come in because he got cold. We had a very good morning
!

white edition

My boy no longer speaks of Dogs first thing in the morning. As soon as he wakes up he says SNOW! It is too cold to let him go outside, but he is letting us know it is not that easy to dissuade him. He would stay all day outside in 33 to 17 degree weather. My mama's worried mind is more at ease now that he is properly bedecked in winter finery. He can put his arms down but not quite all the way. Snow boots, warm pea coat, bib snow pants. Mittens that I cannot get on and if I did would not stay on. Any suggestions how to keep toddlers hands warm in his snow frenzy? He came inside with no fuss today. My hypothesis is that the pull sled was so satisfying he didn't need any more time or that I made really good La Chatelaine Chocolat Chaude and he got a couple sips. He likes warm milk chocolaty goodness. Smart Kid.

I don't have any photos with a dribble of hot cocoa, but here he is in his bibs.

The air was still and the sunshine lit the winter land for my boy. He was out twice and for a half hour each and he still wanted more. i spent 20 minutes video taping him but i forgot to press record. I dragged him in and he wandered around yelling for daddy. I think he wanted to tell on me for being a mean mama. I dialed up daddy so he could explain. Daddy calmed him down.

Snow Baby Boy

We have snow and it is cold outside. It is starting to feel like a Montana winter and we are pleased. Baby Boy LOVES snow! He points and says "noooo" which is different than no-no. It is said very lovingly with large blue eyes open wide and sincere the index finger of his right hand is pointing outside. I wish we could have gone out to play today but the windchill was about negative 10 and it was blowing snow (in Montana that means frozen precipitation forced through the air by wind, not like in LA where blowing snow means something entirely different. Good thing there are no rappers named snow up here).



Baby boy got a bath and ate tuna organic pasta with California blend organic veggies. We all had a good day. I also learned that among my changing taste bud's preferences I like Jack on Ice (not organic). Can I call that a Jack Frost?

Cheers to living in warm houses. Cheers to cute boys. Cheers.