wordless wednesday: last day with this

too tired to blog

'nuff said
zzzzs

PS: got almost all my homework done, now just an exam to complete, plus two craft fairs and a whole heap of housework.
PPS: happy :)
PPPS: Don't visit - the toilets stink here and the floors are awash with dust bunnies.

midlife monday: use it or lose it

withered flower, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

yes, it's a vagina post - look away if you're scared of the dark

Midlife, midlife. Shall I count the ways I love thee?
Well, maybe I shouldn't waste may time counting the ways but spend it loving my vagina instead.

This morning I retweeted this from my blog reader. Yes, I have some great material to read over breakfast, but none as potentially terrifying as the thought of a midlife disappearing vagina act. Just when you thought that some things were immune to the forces of gravity, eh? According to Wikipedia (and is anyone else slightly perturbed at the face of Jimmy Wales looming over the dire warning of impending genital doom?) it happens in, around and in spite of the menopause. It's presented as a dead cert for anyone without a Y chromosome and accompanied by an eye-watering array of symptoms according to the Mayo clinic.

Fortunately, there are Things That Can Be Done. In short (and that's what your vagina will become if you don't take heed), please get ready for lubrication, dildos, sex over the age of 50, and oestrogen pessaries. It's also a great excuse for regular sex - What do you mean you've got a headache? Dammit man! My vagina's getting shorter by the minute - do something!

Have fun in midlife :)

friday forte: when I lifted my eyes from my desk

... this is the view I saw. Beautiful clouds in the sunlight. Clear sky.
On my desk - literature review, homework assignments, admin. Outside - a wonderful sunny day.
My head has been well and truly down for what seems like an age. My nose has been stuck variously to the grindstone, inside a book, or pointed at the computer screen as I bash away at online work. I feel very withdrawn from life - it' s been necessary to sever connections so I can get this shitload of stuff done. As usual, I'm more productive if I disappear from my social media universe for a while. Let me rephrase - I have longer chunks of time to concentrate in if I ignore my online life, and time to concentrate has been what was needed recently.
But I miss online. I missed handing in an assignment on time cos I was offline/ignoring online! I miss online interaction. I miss tapping out a blog post or playing around with flickr or hunting down YouTube videos to embed. It's like a part of me is missing ... but no, not in an addictive way. I miss the creativeness of it all.
Only a couple more weeks of crazy.
Not long.

self portrait thursday: so what exactly am I thinking?

The answer is, not a lot. Life is too busy for rational thought right now and, although I'm not running on survival mode, it would be foolish to contemplate any Deep Thought. I think it's like asking my old desktop to run just one more program when the CPU is screaming, no! cannot handle anymore tasks.
So I won't.
Automatic can take over for a while.
I think I have enough in place to keep functioning for a while.
It's really only for another week or so.
Patience, grasshopper.

(late) wordless wednesday: full speed

What the boys have been up to while I've been slaving away at craft fairs and homework assignments (no, I'm not bitter ... much!)

totally awesome tuesday: the photographer

the photographer, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

... and here's the photographer from yesterday's pic. Isn't he awesome? Well, I know you can't tell from where you're sitting but let me assure you, he is.

He's also struggling with behavioural issues at school. For the first time in a long time I had one of those, can we have a little chat after school? conversations with his teacher. It seems that his behaviour has been deteriorating over the last two weeks. We've also noticed this at home, and it can seem like we're walking on eggshells trying to keep him on an even keel.

But why now? We're not sure. It is colds season. Maybe his asthma has been playing up? Is he getting enough sleep? As usual, the answer isn't clear. It has also coincided with me being ultra busy, and unfortunately I think there is a correlation. He gets easily overwhelmed when life is busy and crowded, which of course it is all day at school. We just found out today that he's being teased/bullied by some kids at recess just because he reacts explosively when anxious. Of course, this makes it worse.

So, it's not just about space for me to get my act together, it's space for him too. We'll try teasing out the problems here at home, and in my best incredulous but still respectful voice, I've asked that he be switched from speech therapy (he sounds too english for the Canadian school system, I'm not making this one up) so he can visit the school counsellor again.

I dearly wish I could wave a magic wand and fix this once and for all. This is the fourth year running and I'm out of ideas. How do I help him get over this over-reaction and help him deal with being overwhelmed? How do I teach him to calm down instead of exploding with anxiety? How do I manage all this when I'm still learning myself?

Motherhood - continuous L plates.

midlife monday: not much space

mum, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Not much space, too busy to even think.
Winter's closing in; the temp inside the house dipped to 63F during the day. I climbed inside two cardigans, swaddled into an extra pair of socks and broke the back of a particularly troubling homework assignment. Just where are my neural connections when I need them these days?
Recognising the no space/too much to do-ness of life right now is a Big Thing. The familiar "so what exactly are you doing with your life?" panics started up over the weekend (not helped by a particularly shitty selling moment which lasted all of Saturday and then returned on Sunday). Last year I would hurl myself frantically into action, trying to make it right ... this year, meh! I'll sort it later. I don't have enough headspace to think rationally about it.
Frantic life decisions are so last year.

Christmas 101: shipping gifts

How about a little post-election gift shopping?

either here Christmas 101: shipping gifts: or at Fab Fair in Vancouver today?

Some fortunate souls have their nearest and dearest close to hand, thus avoiding lengthy queuing at the postal outlets or lose/lose fights with sticky tape or parcel string.

For the rest of us, might I suggest some of the smaller and easily packaged gifts you will fund (in abundance) in the gift shop.

We have jewellery.

We have tiny ceramic tasting pots.

We have exquisite felted flowers.

We have luxurious handwoven and handknitted scarves for flat packing.

We have miniature tree ornaments (yes, even for miniature trees!).

... and don't forget our beautiful cards, gift bags and gift tags.

A one-stop gift shop for the globally scattered.

friday forte: it snew

By golly, it sure did.
Remember on Saturday to a. Vote, and b. visit me at Fab Fair (http://fabfair.ca for details) in Heritage Hall on Main Street :)

wordless wednesday: button pendant

I didn't post a wordless wednesday here yesterday. In truth, things are a little crazy with homework deadlines looming, a magazine article to write for a colleague's assignment (a very enjoyable process - I'll as her if I can share it sometime), and All That Prep for craft fairs (one almost every weekend until Christmas).

... and then there's christmas!

So here's yesterday's ww from the other blog - enjoy!

wordless wednesday: button pendant:

button pendant, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

wire crochet bezel holding ceramic button handmade by Pauline Doyle

totally awesome tuesday

I've started a head cold. 

I have way more homework than I can think comfortably about. 

My last craft fair was pants. 

I'm way behind with an entry for an art competition.

My son made me this movie.

there's more ... Fab Fair 19th and 20th November

there's more ... Fab Fair 19th and 20th November:

Happy anniversary

Eighteen years ago we got married.
Happy anniversary mr ebb :)

... and so, it begins.

Christmas has started.
I'll let that sink in a little.

Christmas has started. pomo mama design (me) has just finished the first day of the first seasonal craft fair. Sales were reasonable, not stellar, and I chatted with some wonderful shoppers. It's a great way to meet people - who knew there we're so many expats in the Tri cities?

Tomorrow is a later start than this morning's 6.45am wake up. Maybe we'll have waffles for breakfast?

It snowed up on the mountain today - christmas is closer than you think :)

friday forte: in remembrance

in remembrance, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

I couldn't find my peace poppy this morning so my red poppy didn't have its usual company on my lapel.

Remembrance Day is an amazingly busy event in Port Moody. I believe this is so throughout Canada - I can't remember it being that big a deal back in the UK, though I do remember freezing outside the church in thin cotton Brownie/Guide uniforms not designed with a Scottish winter in mind. But in Port Moody, the centre of town comes to a standstill around the cenotaph as the local air squadron does a fly past of every legion ceremony in Lower Mainland. After Port Moody, the eight planes flying in formation veered off north over Belcarra and then on to Deep Cove.

The ceremony is a well attended event with a broad range of ages in the crowd. Little children sit on shoulders for the best view. Older couples stare resolutely into the distance. Couples my age clutch a young set of medals. After the official stuff, the Wee Guy and I took part in another peculiarly Canadian custom - we took off our poppies and pinned them on the wreaths.

Attending the Remembrance Day ceremony means much more to me now that I'm a parent. It's like a lot of other parts of life; it has so much more resonance now that I'm a mother. The names carved onto the monuments are now recognisable as sons and daughters.

I wish I could find my peace poppy.

self portrait thursday: the back of me

self portrait thursday: the back of me, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Slaving away, making stuff. Trying to remember advice from my chiropractor about changing position every 20 minutes, and sitting properly.

Cardigan, Zara; silk top, handmade Babe in the Woods on Etsy

wordless wednesday: enjoying the meetup - fashion blogging

Archbishop Carney Craft Fair - the first of the season for pomo mama design!

Archbishop Carney Craft Fair - the first of the season for pomo mama design!:

See you there!

seems like a boots and woolly tights day

... and it was. No sense in being chilly, add in a pair of handknit socks in crazy stripes to complete the ensemble.
Voila! A smile on a no-nothing November day.

PS: don't forget - more cheer-you- up goodies available at this weekend's Archbishop Carney Craft fair. See pomomamadesign for the deets :)

eye, eye! Draw prize alert

eye, eye! Draw prize alert:

Another of our fabulous artists has donated a piece of their work as a draw prize during the Christmas Marketplace.

Driftwood sculptor, Pat de Couto, has very generously made this lovely fellow available to you (yes, you). All you need to do is visit the gallery and fill in one of our customer experience forms with your details, signing up to our mailing list, and this natty chap could be hanging on your wall come the new year :)

... to this! Christmas Marketplace opens this evening :)

Yes - a reason for the dirty hands post on Thursday, and the sporadic nature of other posts in general (including the non-appearance of friday forte) = I've been damned busy (and don't even mention the homework!). If, for some strange reason, you want to catch up with me in the flesh and berate for unreturned phone calls, emails, texts, etc., then please check out my list of upcoming personal appearances . ... Oh, and bring cash! ;)

... to this! Christmas Marketplace opens this evening :):

Please consider this as your invitation to the 2011 Blackberry Artist's Society Christmas Marketplace Opening Reception, to be held in the Port Moody Arts Centre this evening starting at 6pm. Free entry, refreshments provided, shop till you drop ...

Have you seen what you want to buy yet? It's here ... but not for long ;)

self portrait thursday: dirty hands

Been working on a project, getting my hands dirty. I like getting on with a job - can't stand shilly shallying around with it. Action, not words when I'm busy.

See the full gallery on Posterous

wordless wednesday: deadline deadlines deadlines and a new class

short hair up do, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

... but still time for a haircut (thanks Jen!)