Snapshot 03.13.13

- Last weekend we attended our friend’s husband’s Celebration of Life, and I want to thank you again for the support you have shown this family. Jason was loved and respected and meant so much to so many people. I cannot express the depth of grief in that room.

- Like parents with a sleep-resistant infant, the first rule about Migraine Club is don’t talk about migraine club. You never, ever want to tell people how your migraines have been lately because if they’ve left you unmolested for a period of time talking about it is a surefire way of catching their attention. With that in mind, it can’t get much worse for me. After having a nine-day migraine I had a one day break and then had a three-day one. And with that I’m going to obey rule number one and shut up about them.

- We have no news about the layoffs and won’t until the end of this month at the earliest. I am alternately tearing my hair out and staring despondently into a corner–if I let myself, that is. Mostly I’m keeping as busy as possible and just trying not to think about it. There’s nothing we can do at this point, and when the time comes, we’ll roll with the punches. If there’s one thing all this heartbreak has taught me it’s enjoy the moment. Hug your kids, headbutt your cat, text your partner and friends inappropriate pictures. Enjoy what you have because things change.

- I proudly showed off Isobel’s debut on Modern Kiddo and my mom seemed please. “Yes. So, that is a website,” she murmured appreciatively.

- Last Monday I had an excellent mail day and we received packages from Cristina, my Ecuadorian internet pal, and Amanda of Salvaged Strawberry fame. Cristina noticed that Isobel loves her Ecuadorian sweater that we bought last year at the Almond Festival, so she kindly picked one up locally and mailed it to me while she vacations in New York. Her Instagram feed is nothing but New York awesomeness right now. The jacket is a little big, which is perfect, because we are already enjoying temperatures in the low 80s over here. This jacket will fit her exactly come winter. It’s adorable. Amanda was kind enough to send me a sweet care package full of goodies since I’ve been having a rough time lately. Knowing that people who have never met you face to face care enough about you to send you presents is one of the best things about the internet.

- Even before Monday we received a bounty in the mail: three boxes of clothes from our friend Ashely’s daughter Alice, who’s just about a year older than Isobel. She couldn’t wait to wear a new pink dress, so she didn’t. This is the third time we’ve received a lovely care package from Ashley, the first being the epic kids’ clothes from Japan sent while they were overseas. I owe that girl a ton of vintage goodness, STAT.

- Isobel said the most amazing thing the other day, so I’m just going to post it here verbatim:

“Pink and purple dresses are for girls, Mama. Only for girls. Not boys. Not boys, Mama.

Boys get to wear blue dresses.”

- Some friends of mine got to see Les Stroud, Survivor Man and epic harmonica player, speak at a local theater a few towns over and since then I’ve been putting his show on while I clean around the house. I had never seen it before and I really liked it. The man isn’t arrogant, which is what I thought would be the case, and he’s very likeable and knowledgeable about the environment. Isobel sometimes watches it with me in the evening while we relax and since she can’t really grok the idea of of a survival show she just assumes he’s camping. “It’s camping man!” she’ll say. She has a morbid fascination with all the bugs he eats. “Do we eat spiders, Mama? Do mammals eat spiders?!” Some do, but, uh, people in our culture don’t often partake of the arachnid, kid. He is definitely expanding her definition of what is potentially edible. She saw an episode where he ate sea snails and kept shouting “I WANT TO EAT SEA SNAILS! I WANT TO EAT SEA SNAILS!”

Scrapbook: Home Life. “Spring, spring, spring,” sang the robin. “Spring, spring, spring,” sang the frog. It was spring. The leaves burst out, the flowers burst out, and robins burst out of their nests. It was spring.

Little Big Vintage. For those about to shop, we salute you.

Follow Friday: Melynderson Farm. Nobody in here but us chickens!

Thrift Store Gore: Sex Ed. Hide yo kids! Hide yo wife! This one’s about S-E-X. Don’t tell Mom.

Recipe: Lemon Garlic Spinach Alfredo. A delicious way to use up leftover roast chicken and add some greens into your diet.

Where is Matt Damon? A wonderful serendipitous tale told on twitter about one woman’s quest to ask the American Embassy where she can find Matt Damon. Hilarity ensues.

FUCK YEAH! Study shows cursing helps alleviate pain. Via @brainpicker

Why introverts shouldn’t be forced to talk in class. Preach! Via @LizB

Headphones for Cats “They also have a mic and remote, but I don’t envision many cats using that functionality.” Via @mashable

Benefits of Lemon Water.  Healthy and delicious! I always loved lemon water.

Star Trek Pinterest board. I’m really enjoying my friend’s Justin’s pins. Via @TheBlackStar

I answer a reader question once a month. Do you have a question for me? I’d love to answer it! If it’s a short one I’ll answer it here. If it’s more complicated, I’ll give it its own post. You can leave your question in the comments, @-reply me on twitter, email it to me at alittlebigblog@gmail.com or send me a messenger pigeon. Don’t actually do the last one, though. My cat will eat it. Be sure to let me know if you want me to include your name and link to your blog or shop. Anonymous questions are fine, too.