in, around and in spite of my family

self portrait thursday: outside my head

2012-02-02T21:10:00.001-08:00

SPT - usually a snapshot of some bodypaqrt or other plus a snapshot of what's going on inside my head.
This one is all about what's going on outside my head, namely my hair. It is most certainly bad hair day/week. Cannot get the bugger to behave. Have discovered that bad hair day alone contributes more to feelings of frump and frustration with life in general than anything else, and cannot be ameliorated with chocolate ingestion.
:(

Gee - I'm shallow.

wordless wednesday: pictures at an exhibition

2012-02-01T12:28:00.001-08:00

My work on display at Port Moody City Hall.

See the full gallery on Posterous

terrific tuesday: a few links

2012-01-31T09:15:00.003-08:00

supremely terrific :)

Tuesday is a blur - college all day (though this afternoon's class has been cancelled with extras thrown in for Thursday's class).
So what's wonderful this week?

I was interviewed waaaay back in January (wait, it's still january, just) by the amazing Amber of strocel.com. I managed to out mr ebb's vasectomy and explain why I was 'done' with having babies. Listen to my reasons as the lone voice of enough is enough in an interview with two other mums here.
This week's Family Place newsletter is ready ahead of time (f@#king amazing). Not only this but I heard through the grapevine, that it has impressed some officials within the provincial childcare community. Feedback is always good :)
The unusual spurt of efficiency continues! I'm packed and ready to go for set up at Port Moody City Hall tomorrow, where my 'carp' will be on display. There's a sneak peek here from the other blog.
I have A Very Good Reason to visit Caffe Divano this week. I don't really need to say any more on this; I really don't need an excuse either.
My winning music CDs from CBC Tempo arrived yesterday, woot! I am now five classical CDs richer, all thanks to answering a tweet from the amazing Jnez (thank you - I've never won anything like this before). Oh the power of social media :)

Wishing you an equally (or more so) wonderful week too xoxo

terrific tuesday: the little things

2012-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:00

It's the little things in life which make the wheels run smoothly and paste a smile across the face.
Like this beautiful latte-art leaf on the Wee Guy's kid hot chocolate at Caffe Divano.

midlife monday: afloat in a boat

2012-01-30T08:31:00.001-08:00

on the water, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Apparently, and in North America at least, being midlife is now the norm. According to this author, mid lifers are now one third of the population and control seventy percent of its finances.
Interesting.
The author also goes on to say that notions and prescriptions for what it is to be middle aged are now also flying out of the window. What was the norm for a previous generation of midlifers is not such an automatic assumption for the current spread. It ain't your mother's (or father's) middle age you're heading into.
Luckily I'm on the younger side of the current boom demographic; I can even wiggle into Gen X if I suck in my tummy. I can watch how my older peers navigate their way into a middle age and take notes. Many of them are in the same stage of motherhood, and those are the ones I watch most avidly.
So, I might be all at sea in this new phase of my life but, holding tightly on to my paddle, I'm hardly adrift.

tech bite: bamboo paper

2012-01-29T09:01:00.000-08:00

My first doodle with the Bamboo Paper app from Wacom, installed with the Bamboo Dock on my laptop.
This could be fun.
The software needs input from a pen and tablet, but I wonder if it will work with my super new Dell touch screen too?
note: remember to order more hours in the day

yesterday's friday forte today: parenting break

2012-01-28T21:36:00.001-08:00

A pro D day, and a break from routine to be a mum for the whole day. Sounds wacky? but with college assignments, volunteer work, more assignments and housework i've been feeling lately that the parenting has been pushed to the sidelines. Crazy, since I can't just stop being a mum.
So the wee guy and I ran a couple of errands (including a trip to the doc's; turns out wee guy does have bronchitis as I suspected) then trekked in to the big smoke to spend the day at the art gallery wandering among the Emily Carr pieces.

Me: what does this painting remind you of?
Wee guy: it puts me in mind of (sic) starry night by vincent van gogh
Etc etc etc

I love my job :)

See the full gallery on Posterous

spt: think thunk thank thursday

2012-01-26T21:30:00.001-08:00

Just back from the ThinkThursday Meetup in Port Moody (expertly organised by Kelly and Desiree from 360 Financial). Had a lovely evening putting faces to names or twitter handles, and caught up with some old friends (if I may be so bold as to describe you this way).

Networking I guess, but not too scary. Don't know how my elevator pitch held up but I did manage to tag myself as both writer and mixed media artist!
Definitely getting too big for my boots ;)

See the full gallery on Posterous

wordless wednesday: anniversary

2012-01-25T10:50:00.001-08:00

officially ....., originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

unilaterally deaf for four years

a mystery it should stay

2012-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

We solved a mystery during the christmas holidays. No, not the all time mystery of ages or any such pressing human question, but a sweetly important one to us as a family nonetheless.

The LEGO mignifier.

It ranks as highly as finding out what a "mio" was when the Wee Guy started to talk, or trying to fathom what on earth he was meaning by telling us each morning that he had his eyeballs in.

Now, our Wee Guy didn't start talking until The Very Last Minute (as defined by his doctor drawing me aside and saying, "If he hasn't started talking in the next few months we need to start some diagnostics.") when he could make sentences instead of those ridiculous one-word utterances that the average kid comes out with at first. Then he started reading (yes, there were a couple years between talking and reading) and increased his vocabulary through the written word ... which leads to some very strange pronunciations.

Like mio, which it turned out was his name for the cat (miaow!).
Then there was the mysterious inventor Zander Grahamble who invented the telephone.
And laterly, mignifier, which he resolutely refuses to pronounce as mini figure.

He's very stubborn and resilient to correction.

But secretly we like it, especially mignifier.

midlife monday: got out and played

2012-01-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I had a ski lesson.On Sunday I took a painting class.
:)

Everybody should get out and play once in a while (or more often).

Super Hamster

2012-01-22T09:13:00.000-08:00

this is from my son's blog, which he writes and publishes himself!

I came up with a New Comic idea!It is called Super Hamster!
The main character Is Super Hamster,which Is a Hamster Secret Agent.
His Enemy Is the Evil Clock.

Real Hamster

Super Hamster

design for life

2012-01-21T17:08:00.000-08:00

design for life:

business card template "i make stuff"

Apart from the wire crochet power station (a few more lines were added yesterday evening), there's not a lot of 3D creativity going on at the bench currently (and my fingers are itching to be back in business).

There is, however, a lot of homework going on; mouseclicks, typing, cut and paste, etc..

In case you didn't already know, I'm at college part-time, taking a professional writing diploma, and these business card designs are sort-of homework. I do have business cards, but they're for my other ID as a jewelry maker. They feature pretty pics of my work, give my web address, and are designed for people to pick up from my table at craft fairs.

I also have utterly gorgeous MOO cards on sumptuous touchy-feely cardstock, featuring my best flickr product shots with my URL, etc on the reverse. But nothing for my 2D exploits as wannabe writer.

In fact, it's the writer-bit that's had me blocked for quite a while. I'm not sure what kind of writing career I want yet, so I'm very unwilling to settle into a niche so early. It's also feels incredibly pseud-ish to even call myself a writer at this point.

But after a quick query on twitter, I was encouraged to declare myself as a writer (thank you, twitterverse).

So I have done so. What do you think?

tech details: business cards designed in MS Publisher

PS: design #1 was the winner after a quick Q on twitter :)

design #1

design #2

design #3

friday forte: in the eye

2012-01-20T16:46:00.001-08:00

eye, eye, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

I'm sitting in an unheated house, typing away at the keyboard and staring at the purple celtic blood circulating under my translucent skin. For some odd reason, i'm still trying to cost my family nothing, same as when I arrived, unemployed as a trailing spouse, in Canada over 10 years ago. My reasoning goes, since i'm not earning anything, then I should keep my running costs to a minimum.
of course, this is utterly ridiculous on so many fronts but the working at home with no heating during the day ideology still persists.
Other things have changed, and my thin translucent celtic skin is one of them. It's looking frighteningly haggard right now, a relic of chronic colds over christmas, I think. It's quite strange to feel no older than an undergrad (first time round) and then catch sight of frump in the mirror. But this is me - a new haircut helps, and I don't wander round with a mirror all the time. Life goes on and it's actually pretty damn good these days.
Luckily, the lines are from smiling. Excuse me while I run off to make some more.

self portrait thursday: sometimes I just say ...

2012-01-19T11:31:00.001-08:00

... sometimes I just say, sod it, and go snowboarding.
This makes me extremely happy.

Try it sometime :)

midlife monday: i haven't the slightest interest in monty hall

2012-01-16T15:03:00.003-08:00

jumbled bicycle still life (with garage detritus)

Last week, dear sweet mr ebb tried to present a mathematical probability problem to me ...

If you're interested, it's the so-called Monty Hall probability puzzle, which most people, including me, (and believe it or not, gasp, PhDs - oh wait, i am one - and Nobel physicists ZOMG!) get wrong. There is a good sound basis of mathematical modelling behind the result but it's still counter-intuitive to the majority until you actually see the proof on paper (where it does make more sense).

Evidently, most people get quite heated about being wrong.
This includes me.
I like maths, am not that great on probability, and hate to be proved wrong.

But what irritated me the most was mr ebb's persistence over a couple of days, and his timing. Apparently, the best time to bamboozle your wife is when she's trying to finish some mundane act of housework so she can get on with something more pleasant (or homework). Every single time I heard "Imagine you're on a game show, and there is a prize hidden behind one of three doors ..." I was either scurrying from kitchen to garage with garbage or similar, or trying not to lose my train of domestic thought. I really wasn't listening. I truly did not give a f*ck about doors, cuddly toys, goats or game shows and (i think) made this pretty obvious.

Eventually I relented, in the middle of some trivial domestic pursuit involving food waste.
I regret this.
I really did not need to know the answer (or be proved wrong).

It really irritated me that a. he was idly wittering on about an inconsequential game show problem while I was trying desperately to finish the household chores so I could complete my homework before midnight, and b.he has time to sit and read such drivel. Oh, and c. that he apparently has leisure time. Moving on through d. if he has so much time on his hands, then why can't he use it more constructively to, for example, sort out the bike storage in the garage, or pitch in to help the Wee Guy clean his room, or wire up the stereo, or mend something? - skipping e. and f. to finish with g. I hate it when I'm wrong and he's right.

On reflection, which is what a good marriage is all about, my reaction is as much about me being pissed off at the seemingly never-ending nature of work right now, as it is about mr ebb's devotion to household maintenance. I really resent the fact that he seems to have headspace and time for the luxuries, whereas I don't. Working from home means the to-do list is never done and always present, but if I don't turn my back on it and start building in some downtime soon I shall probably explode (at mr ebb again most likely).

So, my dear sweet husband, next time you want to educate me with a pointless (unless we get on a game show) mathematical trivia question, try doing it while I'm admiring the new bike storage or on that date night you magically get around to organising. I promise to gaze adoringly at you while you explain my error.

dear Posterous

2012-01-16T08:37:00.001-08:00

Please stop sending my mobile uploads out twice.
Kthnxbai
ebb

Critter Adoption Post: Searching

2012-01-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

Critter Adoption Post: Searching:

In once of those beautiful almost-coincidences Valerie Gilbert's art card settled under Vicki Allesia's haunting picture of a dog awaiting rescue from the local shelter.

It's quite a timely reminder that about this time every year, the novelty of a new puppy or household pet is wearing off once the daily responsibility of exercise, feeding and cleaning sets in, and everyone's back at work.

Please - don't gift pets. Think carefully before you buy - that cute puppy or kitten will grow quite a bit and not look so cute within a few months.

Are you really ready for the lifelong commitment that owning a pet means?

Any doubts, don't do it, please.

friday forte: multi-tasking

2012-01-13T20:59:00.001-08:00

Take one small after-school boy, add in one batch of html homework, and throw in the family pet ... voila! one webpage for SuperHamster, one completed homework assignment, one hour of child entertainment, and improved fluency in html.

Not bad for these crazy, over-scheduled days :)

See the full gallery on Posterous

self portrait thursday: a bit hazy out, come back tomorrow

2012-01-12T22:44:00.001-08:00

(If you don't recognise, it's from Bored of the Rings by Harvard Lampoon - the only Tolkein i've ever got through).

If I could just click into a rhythm, life would be smooth and sweet.
If I could just stop waking each morning at 4 or 5am, and thus sleep for a whole night, life would make sense.

Until then, there's chocolate (or chocolate-covered marzipan, to be more precise).

the daily griz: don't u dare (take my picture)

2012-01-11T23:19:00.001-08:00

midlife monday: a month of eats

2012-01-09T14:36:00.001-08:00

al fresco kitchen prep is the best

Before Christmas, an online contact expressed surprise I could say that, if organised, I only needed to visit the supermarket once a month, and wondered how. In the interests of full disclosure, it's only if I'm extremely organised that I can manage this but it's not impossible.

As I've mentioned previously, I now meal plan for a whole month. Before you send me hate mail, let me explain that I only provide family meals Monday to Friday; mr ebb takes over at the weekend (so he doesn't forget how to cook or loses his way in the kitchen). So, if I do one big shop for all the dry goods and freezables at the beginning of the month, then all I have to do is visit the greengrocer for fresh stuff. It frees up my time and has cut down on grocery bills. I also avoid that horrible 6pm what-on-earth-will-we-eat-tonight sinking feeling.

So while the blogosphere was conjuring up their year in review posts, I was thinking forwards to what my boys would be eating till the end of January.

And here it is!

Week One:

Monday = nachos with salsa and guacamole
Tuesday = meal out since I have a late class at college (IKEA!)
Wednesday = Panko Chicken Breasts (from the amazing Planning With Kids blog) plus coleslaw and dipping carrots with hummus
Thursday = chick pea and aubergine slow cook stew
Friday = lemony tuna pasta (if i can find the damn recipe)

Week Two:

Monday = lentil pie (similar to this recipe from Rose Elliot)
Tuesday = chicken soup with bread, cheeses, and salads
Wednesday = ravioli and sauce (from costco - open the jar/pack; heat and serve cheatery)
Thursday = slow cooker baked potatoes with cream cheese fillings, etc.
Friday = baked fish with tomato ratatouille (sauce prepared earlier in bulk then frozen)

Week Three:

Monday = lentil and spinach casserole, with fresh pasta noodles
Tuesday = caramelised red pepper flan with goat cheese
Wednesday = pan-fried lamb chops in cranberry sauce and balsamic vinegar
Thursday = slow cooker baked beans
Friday = salmon pasta bake (tinned salmon, cooked pasta, cheese sauce - baked)

Week Four:

Monday = macaroni cheese (or spaghetti and cheese bake, if I'm in a rush)
Tuesday = spaghetti bolognese (homemade, from freezer; again from the amazing Planning With Kids blog)
Wednesday = artichoke and anchovy pizza (bread dough from the bread machine)
Thursday = slow cooker pork casserole
Friday = out!

There are no desserts - I usually have cookies for ice cream, or yogurt with homemade granola, and there is always plenty of fruit.

You don't mention vegetables? - usually it's whatever I take a fancy to in the greengrocer's, or coleslaw as a standby. We also have edamame and mixed frozen veg. I cook extra beans or veg under a joint in the slow cooker then freeze the surplus.

Yes, sometimes we do have sausage, chips and tinned beans (I'm not a saint).

I'll try to scribble down more of the recipes. The vegetarian dinners come from Rose Elliot's excellent The Bean Book, a volume that's been in my kitchen library ever since I left home.

At City Hall in January 2012

2012-01-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

At City Hall in January 2012:

The whole co-operative is on show at City Hall this month! It's a great opportunity to see the breadth of work represented by the society.

Next time you're paying a parking fine, business licence or visiting the library, why not take the stairs to the mezzanine level up to the council office for a look.

As always, items are for sale through the gift shop. Please phone to arrange a viewing.

friday forte: generation gap

2012-01-06T18:03:00.001-08:00

There is gap of four generations in this photograph.
How so, I hear you ask?
Let me explain.
You see, that's my son on the left, dancing around chasing his reflections in the bevelled mirrors of the dressing table my great grandfather made as a wedding present for my great grandmother. And there's the generation gap. None of these people ever met; even my great grandfather is a mystery to me, and wife died before I was ten years old. We're still connected, even if it's just through furniture (I also have her rocking chair). These mirrors must have seen a lot.
The dressing table was given to me when I moved into my first house. It came directly from my great grandmother's house, from her's to mine, and I've always felt honoured by the connection. Though she never met them, she's been introduced to my husband and then our son in these mirrors.
I often wonder what she would make of my life, my family and my angst. I've been told she was immensely practical and down-to-earth, but did she dream or wonder if life might be different? Genetically of course, there is something of her in me. What of her do I reflect? Would she be understanding of my current dilemmas? Would she be sympathetic or brush it off? Would she, the mother of three children and fulltime stay-at-home mum (because that's where women were pre-war), be envious of my opportunities, or simply incredulous? In a different time and environment, what would she have done? She definitely had staying power, dying at the ripe old age of 93 so I think she might have made waves given the right tools.
I don't know, and will never know what she would have thought. All I do know is the life I have right now. A lot has changed for mothers, but in some ways a lot hasn't. I'm making decisions which weren't available to her, under circumstances which are probably very similar. For example, i've chosen to take a college diploma but it's still based around the occasionally complex issue of childcare. I'm trying to achieve some kind of personal satisfaction and balance, but in the context of enhancing family life. Although working (for pay) is my goal, I am, like her, constrained by being the best mother I can be to my child. Lots of differences yet no difference at all. What would she think, or did her busy life preclude time for philosophising?
Women, mothers or childless, are often very quick to point out the relative luxuries of my situation and, in doing so, stopper their ears to really listening to what is actually behind that very human of conditions, the search for a better way. Maybe they themselves are too busy to really think deeply about what's going on, or is it just plain old female jealousy and one-upmanship? Are the majority of women even capable of offering constructive, non-judgmental support to one of their own? Maybe my own flesh and blood would also summarily dismiss my quest. Or maybe, maybe it's really the bit of her in me that makes me restless?

self portrait thursday: pieces of me

2012-01-06T09:26:00.001-08:00

Back at college this week after a festive period blighted with colds and lack of energy, I feel like I need another holiday to recover. Yesterday's course, Writing for Magazines, looks fascinating but is also a reminder that from here on in, the workload piles up. It's very difficult to maintain perspective when there are so many deadlines but a clear idea of forward motion is what I need for 2012. I know from experience that it's very easy to get pulled in all directions, each project ending up with a piece of me rather than the whole, er, whole.
Note to self - keep connected with self.

See the full gallery on Posterous

wordless wednesday: forced

2012-01-04T12:31:00.001-08:00

forced inhabitance, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

midlife monday: off to a running start ...

2012-01-02T20:36:00.003-08:00

... not.

With a run of several knock-out migraines, two (or more) colds and then another cold followed by a sinus infection requiring antibiosis, I'm forced to take it slow heading into 2012. Not quite the flying start I had hope for and extremely frustrating.

In addition, the thumb and index finger joints on my right hand are aching, and rather worryingly, the thumb joint on my left is also. Potentially not good news - I'm too young for joint problems and there are many more creative projects I'd like to get done before I hang up my crochet hook/pliers/torch/paintbrush.

I really need to keep it low key until my physical catches up with my mental state, if I can keep it in check. My mind is racing ahead, getting quite frustrated with my lack of progress and the thought of yet another year of 'not achieving anything' (my little voice's words, not mine).

Until I can run, I'm keeping my spirits up with marzipan chocolates.

How are you seeing in the new year?

end of the year at last

2011-12-31T23:35:00.001-08:00

Merry antibioticfest - wishing me cleared sinuses, energy and an appetite for 2012. The rest of you? Enjoy.

friday forte: macro moment

2011-12-30T22:40:00.001-08:00

macro workshop, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Today, I remembered that it's my turn to cook the festive meal so the Wee Guy and I cornered a roast at Thrifty Foods this morning. Plus eggs, dishwasher powder, and anchovies.

Then we went out for a short walk with mr ebb, and dealt with the Wee Guy's really tedious bad behaviour in which he pushes all of our buttons all of the time until one or other of us explodes. Fun times.

This week we're trying something a little different; we're trying to flood him with attention. It's exhausting. He's a really self reliant little guy who focuses 110% on his own activities and rarely announces boredom ... but he's really appalling when asked to make a transition or asked to do something he didn't think of himself or concede to parental rule ... which can be almost 100% of a child's life. So, we're wondering, with help from a Gordon Neufeld DVD, if there's something we can do to stop having our holidays and leisure time made so miserable by constantly having to walk on eggshells to avoid an outburst. So far, we've had various theories thrown our way, ranging from bad discipline (his doctor) through anxiety to an inability to accept futility. None of them come with any kind of practical advice for how to parent through this, and the more we hear, the more confused it makes the situation and the less we trust our own natural instincts.

He is a lovely kid. He's a feisty and opinionated kid. His reading skills are way ahead but his social skills are somewhat underdeveloped. He is imaginative, creative, and kind to animals. He gets easily overwhelmed and shouts. He has a strong sense of justice as it relates to himself. All of these easily describe his parents, which of course might be the root of the problem in the first place.

Fun times!

self portrait thursday: oh my - where did the time go?

2011-12-29T22:39:00.001-08:00

How did this happen? Christmas holidays are nearly over, and what have I achieved? All my plans for tucking away some purposeful family and creative time seem to have been scuppered by a relentless cold. Any ideas for getting on with work, relaxation, bonding have bitten the dust because of zero energy, and the poor Wee Guy is vexing us with some truly appalling behavious issues which I suspect stem from being left to his own devices too much. Not so much a family holiday, and more like a family survival/endurance fest.

But while i'm itching to get back to normality so I can think i'm achieving something day-to-day (delusional), i'm also kind of pleased that i'm not coming apart at the seams with the enforced inactivity.

Progress? I think so :)

wordless wednesday: art in the afternoon

2011-12-28T09:47:00.001-08:00

art in the afternoon, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

and so this was christmas ...

2011-12-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

merry christmas

2011-12-25T10:43:00.001-08:00

rose hips frost, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

A very merry christmas day to you, and all best wishes for 2012.

Blog posting will be sporadic (or verbose) until the new year! Thanks for reading and commenting and lurking during 2011 :)

things that are christmas: cake decorating, polar express, soap

2011-12-24T20:52:00.001-08:00

This afternoon the Wee Guy finished decorating the cake by doodling over the icing with decorating pens. We've also made some melt-and-pour soaps, and finished the candied pecans. Listening to The Polar Express rounded the afternoon off quite nicely :)
Let Christmas commence!

See the full gallery on Posterous

things that are christmas: christmas eve tea

2011-12-24T19:13:00.001-08:00

Eating cake beside the fire, cos I'm too sick with a cold to move!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Things that are christmas: NORAD santa tracker

2011-12-24T11:55:00.001-08:00

See the full gallery on Posterous

friday forte: topsy turvy world escape

2011-12-23T14:53:00.001-08:00

I managed to escape this morning, courtesy of mr ebb, my U pass and the aquatic centre. After a brisk 800m swim (freestyle all the way, baby) in under 30 minutes (wow! I'm still fit?) I headed back in to PoMo to collect my unsolds from the Arts Centre (not many left - why thank you:) ). Quick stop at SHARE to snaffle the most adorable red velvet purse, then on to Caffe Divano to refuel and meet the boys.
This might be enough to get me through the next few days.
I'm sure there will be a lot of you who don't get it, but holiday times really aren't vacation for the at-home, work-from-home parent. I'm quite sure that some of you reading this will be wondering why i'm being such a whiney bitch about staying at home. A few of you have even told me your opinion (how enlightening). Whatever. It is still hard to pull the festive vacation relaxation spirit out of the bag when your life is based in, around and hardly ever away from the home. Housework, laundry, and so on never stop. Boys still need to be fed, and, in addition, your previously peaceful workspace is constantly filled with invaders who seem intent on just hanging around without clear plans. It's very difficult to get on with any projects when you have no idea how much time is available and who exactly is in charge of the child. I did let this creep up on me and felt really bah humbug shitty grinch at growling. Setting clear boundaries, especially at this time of year, seems mean-spirited and unfeminine, but it's essential for good mental health in the face of unlimited family access.
So, what are you, dear stay-at-home parent, doing to stop yourself going nuts in the face of 24/7 family festivity this year?

things that are christmas: pud and ice cream

2011-12-22T22:03:00.001-08:00

Making the christmas puddings and using the leftovder yolks from the cake icing in the strawberry ice cream :)

See the full gallery on Posterous

self portrait thursday: not running away to join the circus

2011-12-22T19:48:00.001-08:00

... and neither is he, by the look of him.
We're at River Market this evening, watching mr ebb getting to grips with a unicycle. So far, unicycle = 1, mr ebb = nil. I think he's having fun, and the instructor from Vancouver Circus School is egging him on.
Only three more sleeps till Christmas, four days into the holiday, and I'm feeling under siege with everyone at home. I wonder, as the stay-at-home parent, will it always feel this difficult to actually have a holiday? There is still the housework, the meals, and the laundry to accomplish, plus the provisioning, general/ domestic admin, in addition to The Festive Spirit. I am extremely lucky this year; mr ebb is performing the christmas lunch this year and has been off work since monday. He set the tree up then let the Wee Guy loose on it, suppervising loosely from ipad. I'm also dying to play with my super-duper new whizz fast computer, or at least unravel the mystery of why it keeps pronouncing my backup external hard drive as write protected (any ideas?). I need a few good uninterrupted hours to myself, and they're in short supply.
Right now, I look at my boys in holiday mode and wonder, "when do I get my turn?"
That's what I need to work on now.

wordless wednesday: then and now

2011-12-21T15:43:00.001-08:00

Dr Sun Yat Sen Garden, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

From our visit to the Dr Sun Yat Sen garden in Vancouver's Chinatown - yesterday and eight years ago.

terrific tuesday: Vancouver Christmas Market

2011-12-20T23:07:00.001-08:00

Vancouver Christmas Market, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Our family holiday treat, apart from having my boys home for two festive weeks (?), was a trip to the Vancouver Christmas Market today. We took transit in (oh, those green miles we've earned!) and walked through the warming winter sunshine to the market in the plaza beside Queen Elizabeth theatre. After getting even more of a discount on the cheap daytime rates (download a Lunch Pass from the website), we set about collecting stamps in our passport and fuelling up on delicious Bavarian yummies. The german noodles were excellent (even with the sauerkraut), and the wurst a big hit with the Wee Guy. For afters, waffles on sticks, a pretzel and some hot apple cider. Mmmm!

... and all for the price of an average sit-down meal for the three of us in our local restaurant! You see, this is where Vancouver falls flat on its arse - it's so bloody expensive here that festivals now cost one heck of a lot to put on, which in turn means vendors end up paying through the nose for booth space, and this of course is handed on to the punters. The reek of desperation to make a profit filled the air, at least that, I think, is why a lot of the vendors looked so grim.

Celebrating is not something that can be done cheaply here. The costs in this beautiful city are just too high and people are working too many hours to enjoy. Earning two incomes results in time-starved families. Vancouver is now so entrenched in the full worker model for families that anything and everything is geared towards those with two incomes these days. It's now virtually impossible to have a stay-at-home parent - the finances and job security just won't allow for it. So, with both parents working, Vancouver needs to lay on more of these quick fix celebratory moments, which of course will need a double income to be able to attend them ...

Not a very eloquent pondering, but I wonder how long this can continue?

midlife monday: chequered

2011-12-19T22:45:00.001-08:00

Hmmm. A bit of a black-and-white theme going on here, or maybe it's just the settings on my Android camera app, Vignette?
In no particular order, lunch out at the Bobby Sox diner in Maple Ridge, played (and won) chess, hamster escape from wrap dress.
Also chequered, the Wee guy's moods and behaviours, my energy and confidence levels, my competence with various computer problems, my productivity on various projects.
Not so chequered - the lack of snow this week. Once the christmas bird is installed, let it snow (let it snow, let it snow).

See the full gallery on Posterous

things that are christmas: marzipanning the cake

2011-12-18T21:49:00.001-08:00

If marzipanning is a proper verb, that is.
Every year, my christmas fruit cake is a Simnel cake. In other words, it has a rich and gooey vein of marzipan cooked into the middle of it. Then it's wrapped in yet more marzipan before the final icing layer.
This tradition has survived emigration, but only just. Marzipan in this part of Canada is shit, pardon the expression. A sickly sweet paste of sugar, emulsifier and anything that can be passed off as almond. It leaves a repulsive greasy feel on the hard palate and a chemical after-taste that even a sweet sherry cannot remove. Blech!
Tracking down real edible marzipan took time. Luckily (and at a price) Meinhardt's on Granville supplied the goods one year and then (bless them), Sandra and Edmund opened the Swedish Bakery just round the corner from where we were living. Real, echt marzipan was within my grasp year-round (Princess Cake anyone?).
This year is also a swedish marzipan year, although we're now too far from the bakery to stock up. This time the marzipan is courtesy of Ikea, manufactured in Belgium. It gets my yummy seal of approval and yes, most of the two packs did make it onto the cake (mainly cos I bought three packs as a precaution).
So, one cake, liberally coated with peach jam then blanketed in marzipan, is now drying out for the icing stage in a couple of days when the Wee Guy will let rip with this year's best christmas snow-scene cake topper.
Stay tuned.

See the full gallery on Posterous

friday forte: feeling older round the edges

2011-12-16T20:51:00.001-08:00

Not the most brilliant of times to contemplate contemplation, but today I'm feeling on the older side of midlife. My belly sticks out, my wrinkles are more prominent also, I feel frumpy and my waistline has morphed into my ribs. My hair is rebelling by showing my true age and my dress sense seems to have gone on vacation. I should also add that I have bronchitis so I both look and feel shit.
But enough about me!
Wait! This is supposed to be all about me.
Forte!
This would be a truly sublime moment to wallow deep in self pity, but I'm afraid the best I can come up with is regretting not remembering to record myself when my voice was at its squeakiest this afternoon. I'm sick so no wonder I don't have a very favourable opinion of myself right now. I am at a low ebb, tra la la, but it's not the end of the goddam world. Tomorrow I will wake up, a little healthier but still frumpy.
And then I might still be pissed.

Yes, that is the hamster in the pics. She uses me as a jungle gym most evenings and doesn't mind the frump :)

See the full gallery on Posterous

self portrait thursday: happy with my honey

2011-12-15T21:23:00.001-08:00

With mr ebb at Bright Nights in Stanley Park, waiting for our train ride with the Wee Guy. Happy and full of pasta after the works christmas party. This christmas seems a million light years happier than last year's. Not sure why, but maybe I've grown into myself a little more? Maybe he's grown into being with me a bit more? It's hard to say, but anyway - it's a wonderful life, to borrow a cliche.

But it's not all roses.
This year's Bright Nights is waaaaaaaay more commercialised than I remember. Though we haven't been since the petting (!) zoo closed down, the whole thing is busier, more crowded and less innocent than the Vancouver of old.

Sheesh! It's only ten years ago.

wordless wednesday: that most festive time of ordeals

2011-12-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

PS: i'm not really that much of a grinch ;)

terrific tuesday: string theory revisited

2011-12-13T11:54:00.002-08:00

nuclear physics modelled using mixed media :)

So, it looks like I should revisit my original post on string theory and issue an apology to CERN for suggesting an over-consumption of stimulatory baked goods.

This morning, two teams at CERN, ATLAS and CMS, announced that they have caught tantalising glimpses of the Higgs boson particle and now have evidence to work on an absolute proof. This is exciting for physicists everywhere, unless they are firm advocates of the Higgsless Model, but could see demotion from theoretical particle physicist to boring old proven particle physicist. Or is it a demotion to have your theories proven in your lifetime, I wonder?

There are many wonderful explanatory websites out there to explain exactly what the Higgs Boson, or goddam particle as it was originally termed in popular literature, does ... but I'll give it the same mangling as I did with string theory. Read on!

Well, I'm not a particle physicist (nor do I play one on television) so the best I can come up with is that for particles to have mass they need to possess charge, and the "only way"* that this can be explained is through the existence of the Higgs Field. As subatomic particles pass through the theoretical Higgs Field of charge they gather a thin coating of positive or negative rather analagous to swimming through a pool of treacle or taking part in a mud race (with thanks to wikipedia for leading me gently by the hand through all of this). As the particle moves it can gather more mass in the shape of charge, and it's the Higgs boson, an elementary particle, which is the proposed mechanism by which this charge sticks. So by finding the Higgs boson, the Higgs Field theory of mass acquisition and thus the last piece of the puzzle that is the Standard Model of Particle Physics will be in place. deep breath

Yes! As you can read from the above paragraph, I understand it less than I do string theory (which IMO made way more sense), but I do understand the almost childish air of scientific excitement reaching out across the scientific internet today. It is an exciting near-discovery. We all might get a Higgs boson for Christmas :)

*unless you go Higgsless, that is
PS: i apologise

midlife monday: the beautiful game

2011-12-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

yes - the scar is the length of my middle finger;
the original lesion was smaller than the
nail on my pinkie!

"Yeh! Brilliant bloody game," I thought as I read my latest Facebook invite a few weeks ago.

Midlife is when, I've decided, that you really don't give a shit about offending people and you do take a stand against bullshit in the world.

My own brush with a similar "game" was almost 25 years ago, when, as a terrified young adult, I had a superficial malignant (yes, malignant) spreading (yes, spreading) melanoma removed from my left shoulder. And then I had it removed again as it was indeed spreading. It was sudden and painful and not what I would call a game. I had no choice about playing, and my appearance on Team Skin Cancer has left me with a 2.5 inch raised scar plus a lifetime position on the bench, wondering if I'll be recalled.

Fucking wonderful game - I hope I never ever get called to play again.

it's all behind me now :)

So, this latest "game" doing the rounds on FB is yet another version of the vacuous breast cancer meme which is meant to encourage us to check our boobs regularly. Friends urge friends to post mysterious status updates in this marvellous smut- and gigglefest, to tantalise and confuse other readers (mainly the men, who, it must be admitted, do get breast cancer and do need to self examine in that region). A couple of years ago it was the-colour-of-your-bra game (yes, the one which caused so much outrage and hurt in the post-mastectomy community); last year, the ubersmutty "I like it on the table/floor/postman" final resting place for your purse dialogue.
This year I've been lucky enough to receive two invites to the game.
The first was to label myself as a fruit according to my relationship status - there was nothing, not even turnip, to describe the amount of relationship stress and confusion I was going through at the time, thank you. I did note that eventually widows got to play along with a fruit for bereavement (how tactful) but still no option for 'do I throw in the towel after 18 years?'.
The second one hit my mailbox last week with an enthusiastic "let's play the latest breast cancer game ..."

A.game.

What a great email that one must be to get on the evening of major cancer-related surgery.

And the latest humorous little gem is one which turns your status update into a pseudo-pregnancy announcement! Already, breast cancer patients are reporting that one coming on top of their own chemo-induced fertility tragedies. Again, tactful.

So - promoting breast health awareness is now making cancer into a game? or by titillation, sex and innuendo? Why not just ask your girlfriends to check their tits? Why not donate something, or take a meal round, or offer some childcare or, if you must, take part in Pinkwhitewash Marketing Month and buy a rose-coloured kitchen utensil?

Anything but coy, titillating, sexual, innuendo, ladies please!

Is this really what social media is all about, or do we really check in our intelligence at the Facebook login?

Beautiful fucking game indeed!

PS: Friends don't let friends take part in such mindless crap - stand up and say something about this crass waste of time and sensitivity. I promise you, it won't make you friends and it won't be popular, but please take a stand (and then go get your boobs fondled).

doing something practical about it all - self portrait and blogging about my mammogram
"i like it on the radiography plate"

migrainous blur

2011-12-11T19:39:00.001-08:00

my new business advisor, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

So, while the boys were skiing I enjoyed my free time with a full-on migraine.
Happy Sunday :[

friday forte: out the other side

2011-12-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Fall semester finished today. with an exam. but it's over.

Life can begin once more.

Or at least, that's what it feels like.

Homework assignments are handed in. Exam sheets completed. Binders of notes stashed away.

End of term. I have only one craft fair left and it's not till next weekend.

What next? What am I going to do with all this spare time?

Christmas. And back to life itself. Which had been postponed in the interim.

So, in answer to the following questions, since I have been a veritable hermit of communication -

no - I haven't been able to think about what gifts to get for Christmas though I did, in a whirlwind of uncharacteristic efficiency, get my share of the gift parcels off in the mail mid October (I just guessed or took a wild stab at being original or sent what I thought would make a good gift).
no - I can't even think about what I'm buying for my boys, so no, I really don't have a clue what to get them. somehow I have to sort this out in the next week before school finishes.
no - the efficiency did not extend to cards (which will therefore be late this year, again).
no - I haven't started the Very Important Embroidery project (but I did say, after Christmas).
no - I haven't forgotten escaping at the end of February (and I hope this is still a plan?)
no - I didn't ignore your messages; I just didn't respond to them (subtle difference).
no - I'm sorry but I don't want a kitchen appliance (but thanks for asking).

The management would like to thank you for your patience. Normal service will be resumed shortly, but not before I've attended to the most important two things in my life (see pic above).

Have a merry Christmas.

self portrait thursday: sometimes

2011-12-08T21:24:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, self timer is not your friend.
Sometimes, it's best to just kick your heels in the air.
Sometimes, things look better from another perspective.
Sometimes, it's good to have a friend in on the act :)

Today's outfit is completely sourced thru thrift (but not the undies, ewww!), including the new-to-me delightful doodle pattern rubber boots.
Sometimes, recycling can be fun.

See the full gallery on Posterous

wordless wednesday: on camera

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

Check out minute four onwards for filming in the gift shop I helped to set up (many thanks to Shaw TV and the artists who took part).

totally awesome tuesday: rodent ahoy!

2011-12-06T21:04:00.001-08:00

computer mouse, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Snacking at work is positively encouraged to prevent those mid-revision hypoglycaemic slumps (as demonstrated by Gertie).

midlife monday: going with the flow

2011-12-05T22:14:00.001-08:00

wibble wobble, wibble wobble - jelly on a plate

Should I just midlife go-with-the flow, or do I need to steer a course?

Life's still pretty busy - one exam, grammar homework, behavioural issues, blogging for the artists' co-op, and then the whole of Christmas to deal with - my brain power is on max and my CPU is at 100%. So far, we're getting by and coping gracefully; I don't think I'll throw anything heavy into the mix right now. Relaxxxxxxxxxxxx (frantic decisions are soooo last year).

So instead of making heavy life decisions I'd like to think about what I would like to do in the new year. I've got next semester's courses sorted out (and paid for). My calendar is up-to-date (and online and portable, thank goodness) so I won't miss ~~anything~~ much. Do I need to stress about anything else?

What would I like to do, rather than what do I need to do?

I'd like to develop more space in my life, continuing on from this summer's revelations. To that, I'd like to live with more grace - I'm not sure how to define this but it seems to go along with not being rushed and having more space for life, family and decisions. From this, I'd also like to have more time to be creative - either develop some mixed media ideas, learn some new techniques, or write more. Space, grace, and creativity - my triumvirate mantra-of-the-moment. Are these my New Year resolutions, or just recognition of what makes me happy?

I think really it's all about flow.

This is so not last year - long may it continue :)

sunday night is hamster night

2011-12-04T20:35:00.001-08:00

... and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so on. Exhaustion (in us) is no excuse - that hamster needs its exercise. Dinner is accompanied by the sound of exercise ball trundling round the living room (or muffled squeak if it gets stuck somehow). Evening work means typing around the rodent or fielding her heroic leaps from the desk. She has a taste for pencil erasers and an eye for freedom. She loves company and often climbs up the mouse arm to have a quick snuggle at the nape of the neck. When feeling adventurous she abseils down your chest then tunnels from armpit to wrist, dangling like a floppy triceps from your upper arm. Griz the cat is all eyes, unless she's being pursued around the room by a supercharged exercise ball.
Gertie - you're only a hamster, but by gum have you wormed your way into our hearts!

See the full gallery on Posterous

friday forte: lateness is my motto this week

2011-12-03T20:24:00.001-08:00

the original, as seen in the V&A this summer (so close)
When I was younger (so much younger than today ...) I learned to play the clarinet. Occasionally a school concert came along so my fellow musicians and I would be press-ganged into performing solos, duets and ensemble pieces with the school band (out Fiddler on the Roof medley brought tears to the eyes of parents each and every time it was played!) School uniform was de rigeur for such occasions - grey, more grey and black.

Then there was this one time, at band camp ... well, I had just bought a beautiful-to-me pair of bright scarlet court shoes. I loved them. They had a little conical heel and rounded toes and looked kick-ass. My current school shoes were sensible, black and flat. In the days leading up to the concert I had this inner dialogue going on in my head - red shoes or not? Is my playing good enough to pull off standing out from the crowd? Am I good enough? Will I just look ridiculous? Shouldn't I just look like everyone else and play it safe?

Red shoes won the day. I wasn't one to worry about what other people thought since I wasn't part of the popular crowd anyway (something I give thanks for to this day). As I clicked my way up to the piano to play a fiendish Lutoslawski Dance Prelude, I felt a million dollars and knew that I had practised well enough to pull off the performance with panache. And I did. No bravery required, just the confidence to ignore the doubters and put up with a few jibes.

Recently, that old sense of confidence is slowly coming back. I've already managed to ignore other people's lack of confidence in what I'm doing, and now I've started to believe in myself. After being my own worst critic for over a decade, I'm starting to have more confidence in my own abilities once more. I'm starting to feel that yes, I am good enough. What a cliche, but it feels like waking up after a long sleep.

Where did I put those red shoes?

believe in yourself - don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd :)

self portrait thursday: late to the opera

2011-12-01T21:24:00.001-08:00

Normally I run to "just in time"; I squeak in at the absolute last minute. Tonight, for a variety of should-have-been reasons I was utterly late and had to spend the first act out of the auditorium. I was late. No excuses; totally my fault.
So different compared with November where I timetabled everything rigidly to cope with my lack of time and crowded deadlines. In November I managed to hand in at least three large college assignments early, keep up on the whole with other coursework (cough; we won't mention the missed deadline 5% marks summary), and didn't miss a class. Did I mention the three craft fairs and two gift shops I stocked? Or the arts competition I've entered?
But December? Have I started to relax too soon? The opera's start time wasn't on my radar. Neither was my lack of cash for parking. Hockey? Completely flew under my radar. Pffft! My disorganised life.
Not that getting to the opera late is all bad. My lateness was commiserated with by some lovely front of house staff as I got settled in in front of the live performance screens with other latecomers. And the glorious sound wafting in from the stage like a rich aroma. The bustle of staff prepping for intermission contrasted beautifully with the music from the stage; far from being doom and gloom of lateness, the atmosphere "outside" was quite jolly, as if a party was in progress and I was included.
Far from being a spoiled evening - maybe I'll be late again (and I didn't have to queue for the loo.)

wordless wednesday: last day with this

2011-11-30T13:39:00.001-08:00

too tired to blog

2011-11-29T23:15:00.001-08:00

'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

2011-11-28T22:33:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-25T22:44:00.001-08:00

... 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?

2011-11-24T22:19:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-24T08:42:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-22T22:43:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-21T21:35:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-20T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-18T23:12:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

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

2011-11-15T21:12:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

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

Happy anniversary

2011-11-13T18:43:00.001-08:00

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

... and so, it begins.

2011-11-13T08:03:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-11T21:26:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-10T23:25:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-09T21:46:00.001-08:00

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

2011-11-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

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

See you there!

seems like a boots and woolly tights day

2011-11-08T18:12:00.001-08:00

... 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

2011-11-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

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 :)

2011-11-05T10:53:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-03T22:58:00.001-07:00

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

2011-11-02T14:35:00.001-07:00

short hair up do, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

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

midlife monday: breakthrough? not quite

2011-10-31T15:45:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that I had the answer to life, the universe and everything but, even though I am a mum, I don't. I'm not even any closer to a decision on what I want to be when I grow up in, around and in spite of my family, but when I chatted with my therapist (!) last week, I reported that I feel closer to knowing and seem calmer about it on the whole. I'm no closer to knowing what definitely but I feel bang on with the definitely what not, if you catch my drift.
Making space i.e., making time for decisions and thinking is key. Making space for friends and recharging is also key, though it has been very difficult leading up to this day of deadlines.
What deadlines, I hear you ask incredulously? What kind of deadlines is the batty and delusional SAHM possibly imagining? I'll ignore you for now - you're adding nothing to this conversation.
The definitely nots include any kind of future which doesn't involve taking part in the following:

pro D day worms at Granville Island

pro D day Museum of Vancouver visit

snow day at school

today's Halloween parade :)

Christmas stars

2011-10-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Yes - there is no friday forte this week. I'm to bl**dy busy getting inventory ready for Christmas. Midlife is postponed for a week or so :)

... if only it was that easy!
Meanwhile, take a peek at the pretty stars (then go buy them).

Christmas stars:

Not sure what happened with yesterday's post - instead of the wire stars you got me slobbing on a sofa.
Here are the stars!

See the full gallery on Posterous

this was yesterday's

2011-10-28T20:11:00.001-07:00

So yesterday' self portrait ended up on the work blog post about christmas stars - I guess I do sparkle a little but ??? Phone - what were you playing at?
I did have great plans to photograph all of yesterday's outfits (there were more?) but it got a little hectic. Suffice it to say that I glammed up considerably from my studio sweats for an evening out at a friend's gallery opening followed by the excellent Vancouver Opera performance of West Side Story. Heels, cleavge, posh dress ... and that was just me! Only downside was keeping the cleavage sufficiently tamed for an afternoon at college.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Dear Sochi - adaptive snowboarding should be in the 2014 paralympics

2011-10-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

wordless wednesday: words from the den

2011-10-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

Louise and Wendy speaking at the momcafe tricity event about their brush with the dragons in the den.

midlife monday: Student 2.0 or Back To School

2011-10-24T21:56:00.001-07:00

studious peace student, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

First time around was easy - only one schedule to juggle, study whenever, stay in the library till closing, catch up on lecture notes at will, and nurse the hangover uninterrupted.
Now, it’s College + 1.
And the Plus One needs feeding, after school care, entertainment and a sensible bedtime.
Welcome to Student 2.0

Student 2.0 feels like it’s on indefinite beta release, ironing out the bugs and the cripplingly slow processor speeds found during QA. Multi-tasking functionality is still in early development as there was no platform to build on in the original stand alone Student 1.0 release. Although Student 2.0 has been 23 years in production (mothballed for almost a decade), the New Student (NS) 1.0 has kept pace with technological advances in education and does not freeze when confronted with the MS Word Ribbon for the first time. NS1.0 can apparently seamlessly integrate coursework into daily life, whereas S2.0 has found lecture notes in the dishwasher or the Plus One unit’s backpack. Note: the Plus One unit is a modified mobile app running a stripped down 1.0 OS.

Student 2.0 is somewhat backward compatible with NS1.0 although communication errors are frequent. For example, 2.0 currently cannot process Pub Night, Evening Networking Event, and Working After Midnight. Student 2.0 also does not do Alcohol 1.0 unless Babysitter 3.0 is installed. Student 2.0 does not understand My Music ... unless it predates the original Apple. A compatibility pack is in production; meanwhile, please use the Humour plug-in downloadable from Microsoft.

Though developed from an older version of 1.0, Student 2.0 will not benefit from the modernised consoles which house NS1.0. Student 2.0 notes with envy that, due to the size of the old style motherboard and installation of the Plus One unit, slimline consoles are not feasible and anyway, they don’t have capacity to house the extra RAM upgrade required. Student 2.0 despairs of ever looking trendy again. S2.0 sadly realises that trendy is not supported in NS1.0 these days. Along with trendy, S2.0 needs to delete Duran Duran, 50210 (the original version), vinyl records, floppy discs, and the tape cassette from its OS. Student 2.0 also realises that the current Bond actor is younger than her.

Although capable of running many of the educational programs required in today’s higher education environment, Student 2.0 will continue to operate … really slowly.

family sunday walk

2011-10-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Salmon Come Home

2011-10-23T09:02:00.000-07:00

Salmon Come Home:
stained glass by Margret Billings

This is the time of year when our brave salmon swim home, making their way up the rushing waters of the local streams. Energetically leaping up waterfalls and dodging hungry bears, these noble fish thrash their way to distantly remembered gravel beds

where they spawn and then die.

cough
Glad I'm not a salmon.

PS: Hyde Creek Hatchery is celebrating these demented creatures on Sunday, 23rd October. Get down to the streams and cheer them on.

fibre friday: moss

2011-10-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

fibre friday: moss:

It's a cuff.
Just in case you didn't recognise.
A moss cuff, to be precise (hence the tiny stems).
And asymmetric.

See the full gallery on Posterous

friday forte: youth full

2011-10-21T21:05:00.001-07:00

aaaaaargh! contact lenses, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

This week I ran out of face primer. No panic - easily remedied by a quick trip to Sephora (how I love thy hallowed aisles). Why face primer? It's the only thing that evens out the blotchiness of rosacea but doesn't cover the freckles and leave me feeling like fake see-through woman. I am older. I have wrinkles. I have freckles and my skin isn't blemish-free or softly dewy. I no longer turn heads as I pass groups of handsome young men ... well, I never did but at least when I was younger it wasn't as ridiculous a concept as it is today. I am not young anymore, but neither am I old.
But young is what we're meant to be these days. Have you noticed how many prevailing images of mothers feature perfectly toned, streamlined early thirties or younger models? and this isn't just in advertising either; I noticed it in the crop of pics from a recent mum meet up I attended. Only the youthful and beautiful need apply? Is this the only model of motherhood available these days? I have absolutely nothing against younger mums - they were sensible to procreate at peak fertility and in their prime, but they're not the only version. And yes, I do think mature mums, i.e., those who first gave birth over the age of 35y/37y, are different. Slipping into peri-menopause at the same time as packing the school lunches gives a whole new outlook to family life.
What do mature mums crave in family life? Are they pursuing the same idyllic work/life balance as their younger sisters, or are they either more sanguine or career hungry? Do they race back to work, or do they savour stay-at-home motherhood? Was motherhood hard won, almost too late, or a happy accident? Are they as interested in mompreneurship or do they have a more jaded view of working life? Is there a sense of urgency to beat the biological clock, only this time it's ticking toward hormonal disruption and death. Do you wonder if you'll be around long enough to be a grandparent, or is it enough to make it to high school graduation?
So mums - mature mums - mature mums of young children - do you think you're included in the blueprint for the current model?

self portrait thursday: looking ahead

2011-10-20T17:40:00.001-07:00

It's good to feel comfortable and settled. From this kind of peace, looking ahead is more productive, positive and less vulnerable to The Little Voice. You know which one I mean, the internal naysayer.
It's also a lot easier to brush off the external naysayers too when feeling positive. I'm pretty realistic in my goals and dreams so really, I don't need to be reminded of my feet of clay. I had one such conversation this weekend. Now I'm sure offence or doubt weren't meant by this person but their overall message, when are you going to stop sponging off your husband and get a real paying job, sent me into a minor tailspin of doubt. It didn't help I was already tired and felt 'trapped' at home all weekend doing homework/housework while my boys were out enjoying the sun.
Dealing with my own inner critic takes enough energy; coping with another's negativity saps me even more. There are some people I've decided, it's worth while avoiding. Otherwise I risk exhausting myself dealing with them while the rest of my life stalls.
Sorry, but I'll have more time for you when I'm my kind of successful.

wordless wednesday: framed part II

2011-10-19T21:47:00.001-07:00

My submissions for the Port Moody Arts Centre 6x6 silent auction. Bidding starts on the opening night, Thursday November 3rd (6-8pm).

early rise commute public transit walk interview commute exam home

2011-10-18T21:38:00.001-07:00

Morning commute, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

My day, in a nutshell.
A different format compared with the usual, took me right out of my sweet comfort zone but with ~~great~~ awesome results - interview = ace! and passed my grammar test (wahoo!)

And then I find out that 14 of you fabulous mums have taken my Survey Monkey "Just For Mums" homework assignment survey!! Thank you :)
... and if you haven't, click here to take it

midlife monday: space and keeping it simple

2011-10-17T21:35:00.002-07:00

McMillan Space Museum, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

The more I do, then the more I have to cram into my day, and the bigger workload means that I need to multi-task more to fit it all in, which results in less work finished by the end of the day with most of it not addressed properly which diminishes overall satisfaction thus increasing my workload and misery levels for the following day which cuts down on productivity and enjoyment and sense of achievement so I try to get more done to catch up ...

Sound familiar?

Make space.

fibre friday: framed

2011-10-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

fibre friday: framed:

flower panel, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

A new home for a felted flower panel - a tiny cube frame.
voila! a garden which never needs watering. Perfect for that tiny bijou condo :)

friday forte: date night and organising fun

2011-10-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

Date night with the boys :), originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

This time, date night was for the whole family, not just me and the Wee Guy. We took mr ebb bowling with us to our favourite lanes (yes, the ones that serve pizza and wings while you bowl) for a fun night out.
We all had a great time and each scored over 100, at least once (cough).

Date nights started last year as a way of getting out of the house and having fun with the Wee Guy, without constant reminders of work staring me in the face. I did also wonder if they might spur my partner on to setting up some date nights himself, but alas, no.
The Wee Guy and I have had some great times and I've found going out makes it easier to concentrate on him and not constantly running through my to do list. As a result, I've felt much more present for my son. The Wee Guy seems to have enjoyed this too; he even reminds me about dates if I forget one month.

I love going on these date nights - long may they continue (at least until it's no longer cool to hang out with your mum). I've learned that I can switch off for a while and just enjoy the moment with my son. And I hope I've taught the Wee Guy that it is good to make someone feel special by making time for them. Perhaps one day he'll do the organising!

self portrait thursday: biggest one evah!

2011-10-13T22:19:00.001-07:00

This week's SPT is a group affair: never have I had so much support for my solo vanity project!

I spent the evening with these amazing ladies as we were guided through a personal journey of skills discovery by Karen of Work Matters Consulting.

My personal skill set (see image right) includes really bad facial expressions in self portraiture.

I am also able to pull together an entire outfit of thrifted clothes for the day :)

Big thanks to Suzanne of Lunapads for the office space for the evening, and to Christine of momcafe Vancouver and North Shore for getting it all together.

wordless wednesday: happiness is a speedier laptop :)

2011-10-12T22:50:00.001-07:00

homework can be fun :)

2011-10-11T10:53:00.001-07:00

Yes, you heard it right! Homework can be fun.

I have a number of assignments on the go at any one time - this morning I combined two with a little bit of tinkering around on the blog.

Yesterday's post included an audio clip of the boys and their latest garage band offering from the new all-singing, all-dancing iPad in the house. I posted it via Posterous, a sweetie of a blogging site which automatically makes your multi-media blog-ready. However, autposting it to Blogger still means a trip back to Posterous to listen to the track.

Back to the homework. One assignment to be completed next week is a face-to-face interview with A Writer (a bona fide freelancer too) and I am terrified. I am terrified of many things, including shyness, but mostly of equipment failure. So this morning I recorded myself reading out another assignment, a memoir snippet.

And then I tootled around on the web to find podcast embed stuff for Blogger.

And, voila! (please excuse the clunky start).