Imagine Blank

I wrote the following when I was sick a couple weeks ago.  It's a trip into my train of thought.  I thought it would be interesting to write things down as fast as I could think them.  I'm sure I missed a few of the rabbit trails but I got the main trails down I think.  ~Fel

- - - - - - - -  •  ♥  •  - - - - - - - -

Imagine.

Imagine what?

Imagine blank.

I imagine blank.  Hmm. Also the name of one of my new favourite YouTube channels.

I don't know what to do.

I don't know where I'm going.

I just know that I'm here..

Right now.  And right now this is what's in my brain....

• I am sick. *cough* *cough*
• I wish I had written all the things that I daydreamed about blogging when I was daydreaming about them.
• I miss my cat.
• I have a new cat.  He is cute and I will enjoy getting to understand his little kitty brain.
• I'm scared to raise kids in a place where the school budget ain't got no money for computer lessons but there's millions for the roads.
• I'm thankful for a wonderful husband who takes care of me even when I won't take care of myself.
• I'm thankful for the few friends I have because they are real.  None of that fake stuff you can buy with cool clothes and superficial smiles.
• I'm thankful for my mother who taught me to do everything.
• I'm thankful for my daddy who taught me about Jesus. He actually talked about Him....
• Jesus. Why are you so cool?  Really.  "Love your enemies" You make it sound so simple.  
• I wish my head didn't hurt.
• I wish Eve didn't eat that apple or banana or whatever it was....
• I'm glad I'm a girl....even if it's hard sometimes.
• Husband and I are gonna have some damn cute babies.  That's a smile worthy note right there.
• Oh My Word!  I hope I don't screw up my kids! Note to self: Write down all the wisdom of parenthood that you know now because it'll all go through the window when the kids come and you'll need to remind yourself that you knew how to do this once....You won't believe it's you....but I'm telling you now, future Fel....that you were that brilliant.  
• I hate diseases. Diseases suck.  Stupid flu virus.
• Lee Blacky looks like a stuffed animal.  He's so cute.
• Under-wire is such a two faced fiend.  Holds the girls up but damn....must you stab me in the side like that!? Sheesh!
• Randy's confirmation. March 9th.  Remember that.
• *cough* 
• Expo.  Oh. Mein. Expo. Are my jeans clean?  I'll need jeans...
• Jeans...Genes....I wonder if I have red hair genes.  How do hair genes work anyway?  Black person with tough hair, with parents with tough hair probably only has tough hair genes but if you mix him/her with anything else, you get soft, delicious curls...every time.  Even if you mix them with someone else with straight hair...as long as it's not another black person....it'll be curly hair.  Does that really happen every time?  Is that a scientific fact?  I should google that.  (owwww. Head. Hurts.) maybe later.
• Excitement.  You adrenaline provoked emotion.  You are a tease.  Don't tease me when I am ill.
• "Leonard! I'm Sick!" ............. "Leonard! My comforter fell down and my sinuses hurt when I bend over!" "Leonard!"   (If you get this reference, we could be best friends!)
• Ha. I'm typing as fast as I can talk out loud.  I wish I could type as fast as I could think. Right now is a good time for that.  Thinking is slooooooooooooooooooooooooww. Haha.  That's funny. What's funny. Who's funny? or Whose funny? Who's.
• I'm hungry.

And there you have it folks.  Five minutes into my brain.  Maybe it was ten minutes.  But I just needed to write something.  Plus, it's interesting to see thoughts develop from nothing.  The human mind is a weird place and I do believe that is how it was designed to be.   A bunch of goo with no real compartments yet it has the capacity to dream and imagine.  What's in your imagination?  What do you daydream about?  Rainbows, Unicorns, a better world?

How I Sign Mi Name

Let's see if you 'ahndastan' what the poem is about...

HOW I SIGN MI NAME

By

James A. C. Elliot (1877-1961)

I’m a dashing young cutter, bote han’sum an’ strang,

     Wid no wan but myself fo suppote;

I de work inna bush now fo’ seben aers lang,

In de wildest ov t’icket remote,

Dough hardships I meet,

Dem hardships I greet,

Wit’ de mighty good-will ov a man;

For I fine in dis wo’l’ dat in spite of al’ wrang

We mus’ mek  life as bright as we kean.

Woodcutters, British Honduras (1930)

At de fus ov de aere inna Jan’werry mont’,

Just de time w’en de nort’ win’ de blow,

To de affice I gane wid me fren’ Janny Hunt,

Fe agree fo’ mi seben an’ fou’;

De smart affice man

Put pen inna mi han’,

An’ ‘e tell me fe write dong mi name;

Ses I, “Sah, I kean’t write-neber try an’ I  won’t;

You kean write it fo’ mi al’ de same.”

From me head to me foot de smart affice-man look;

An’ ‘e dress’ me like dis inna dix;

“Such a smart looking fellow can’t write in a book;

I believe you are playing some tricks.

No nonsense, young man,

Sign here, for you can,

And don’t stand there and look like a goat.”

Well, I den feel so shame dat de lang pen I took,

an'sa’, “Kose I kenn write,” an’ I wrote:

De affice-man look up ‘pan me wit’ supprise,

an’ ‘e smile w’en I geam back de pen:

“I mussy do,” tart I, “something cleber an’ wise.”

But ‘e bus’ out  a-lafing just den.

‘E hole ‘e two side,

An’ open quite wide

‘E wan mout’, an’ den ha! ha! away,

Up I stan’ dare an’ wander an’ open mi eyes,

Fo’ ‘e laf lakka jackass de bray.

W’en e’ stap ‘e hard laffing ‘e look inna mi face,

An’ ‘e tell me fe’ spellout mi name.

On de paper I look’, an’ I look’ inna space,

An’ I wander dah huddah fe’ blame,

As I neber quick answer de dixy leel man,

‘E delib’rately cal’ me a fool;

I den feel jus’ to geam de full wate ov mi han’;

But I ‘deavoured to keep myself cool;

Fo’ if I get hat,

Weddah rite ar not,

I would floor ‘im wid wan single lick.

An’ w’en adders cum in fe help, soon as dey lan’

I would sen’ dem right back wit’ a kick.

But I keep myself cool, an’ de affice-man said:

“What is this you have put in this book?

This mark looks like an ape or some other beast’s head

And the other mark looks like a hook.

Now, sir, look and see,

And quick answer me.

What the deuce were you trying to make?

Now if I were like you I would rather be dead

Than to make such a horrid mistake.”

Well, fo’ peace sake I swallah dat hebby abuse,

Fo’ I ‘tart to explain was de bes’.

I mek ans’er to ‘im de dix langwije I use’,

But now, sah, let me tell you befo’ dis ole des’,

Dot oy don’t know de XXX writing rule.

“Dot oy tole you befoh, still you fose me fe write,

An’ oy nebah lorn any in school;

But to ‘blige you I wrote, on’ you lof at de sight,

So oy tink you de bigger ole fole!”

I tell ‘im jus’ so,

An’ ‘e neber blown!

But ‘e stan’ dare an’ look inna mi face.

So I tell Janny Hunt fe comgo befo’ fight;

An’ we tu’n’ roun’ an’ lef de ole place.

I suppose dat some’ pepple t’ink cutter dah fool;

But de cutter no fool, dat I know.

Ebery man dah wan man inna ‘e place, dat’s the rule,

An’ de labah fe mek de wol’ go.

Den laf at no man,

But help al’ you kean,

Fo’ please membah we all gwine wan way.

Eberyt’ing in dis wo’l hab an’ en’, an’ de soul

Mus’ fly out ov de body wan day.

The Best

My great grandpa was a poet.  A very good one.  No...not good. Great.  Maybe "great" isn't the word either. Exceptional, inspired? Maybe there are no words.  He wrote funny things and inspiring things....This poem is sort of a family motto.

On days like these when I'm overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending mass of ignorance around me, these words come to mind.  So I wipe my tears, get off the server room floor, strap on a pair and get back to work.  Because my passing "failures" and the passing failures of others don't beat me down...they do the opposite.  And I know in the deepest part of my being that I have done my absolute best.  I've done my part ...let the Lord come in and do His.

Thank you, Great Grandpa James. We never knew each other, but your words of wisdom, encouragement and  humor  have been instrumental in the lives of your descendants.  We quote you all the time :)

Another time I'll share How I Sign Mi Name just because it's great. :)  But first 'ahem' I give you The Best. Always.

Rev. James A.C. Elliot
1877-1961

The Best 
Rev. J.A.C. Elliot

If all you have done
Is all you could - The Best;
Then be content
And leave to God the rest.

Things fluctuate,
Neither joy nor sorrow stays.
Oft changing scenes
And changing moods amaze.

But he who knows
That in all things there is good;
That passing failures
Are but strengthening food.

Will climb the hill
Though his defeats confess;
And push his way through all
To sweet success.

Rags to Rugs!

It's been a while!  Too many metaphorical hats catch up with you eventually.  But anyway...today I'll talk about rugs.

I'm a sentimental kind of a person.  So is Husband.  People like us end up with a lot of junk that serve no purpose except for having a lot of sentimental value.  Old text books, broken jewelry, clothes...yes, clothes.  Husband is very attached to the clothes I wore when we were dating.

"Those are how I got to know you". He sighs.

I have a couple sheets my grandmother brought for me from the states many years ago.  These sheets came into my marriage as the only bed sheets we had.  They served me well for a long time.  But since nothing lasts forever, I ended up having my two favorite fitted sheets all worn out with large, gaping holes in the center of them.

I don't want to throw them away.  They've been mine since I was 15!

So I don't throw them out....they're all in a separate drawer:  The "Rags Drawer" aka
"The Kodda Schüflod".  But I could never bring myself to use these clothes as rags.  Wipe up Fritz's drool with my use-to-be-nice-and-comfy shirt?  NOOO!  Ugh. What am I supposed to do with these things?  They keep piling up and I don't want to use them like that!

Solution!

Re-purpose and go from RAGS, not to riches, but to RUGS!  I started and couldn't stop.  Two rugs are built from a bunch of old t-shirts (mine and his woven together into a beautiful metaphor of love); the other is made from one of the fitted sheets I couldn't bring myself to let go of.

Rug making is a normal thing in Mennoniteville.  It's actually a very addictive craft.  The white rug started one evening after work.  I started tearing my sheet to long strips and stringing them together.  I began rugifying right after that... late into the night.  The next morning, I woke up and did some more rounds before work.  I would've taken it to work but unfortunately, rug making isn't in my job description.

So now, we don't have to mourn the loss of our clothes and sheets.  We don't have to watch them sap up Fluffy's spilled milk or Fritz's doggy slobber.  We get to wipe our feet with them when we come out of the shower or before we go to bed.   These old rags may just serve us well for a few more years.  We'll see.

♥♥♥

P.S.  The Keyboard shortcut for the ü is alt+129.  Nerdy, I know.   Another nerdy fact....if we would all spread some alt+3  the world would be a better place. ;)

♥♥♥

P.P.S.  Fluffy had a bath today.  As tame as he is, he still doesn't like water.  But his Gary was here torturing...I mean playing with his best pal.

Car Trouble, Ma'am?

Fel gets in car.

Fel turns on car.

Fel puts car in reverse.

Fel presses a button.

Car doesn't move.

Fel is confused.

Fel looks down and sees she's pressing a button.

Fel looks back and presses the button.

Car still doesn't move.

Hmmmmm.

Fel thinks.

.........*cricket sounds* .......

Fel looks down again only she turns a little more to the left.....

Fel was pressing the stop button the whole time!

Fel moves foot over to the go button.

Car moves.

Whew!

The Banquet Cake

My littlest sister-in-law turned fifteen early July and asked me to decorate her cake.  I've decorated cakes before...with droopy icing.   I've seen my mom decorate cakes 'professionally' but I've never decorated a cake for an event before.  For sure not a formal banquet/party.  Yikes!  But when a fifteen-year-old cutie has faith in you, what are you to do?

The answer is simple.  When you are ever in the slightest of pickles, deep inside the bellows of holy-smokes-I-don't-know-how-to-do-this; there are three things that can save you: Jesus, Google and Youtube!

Now, I do have some experience watching cakes being decorated.  My mom does amazing artwork with cakes.  That's how I knew that I wanted to use fondant. The problem was that I had no clue how to make it, how to use it or what all I can do with it....but that's some of the fun.

So, I Googled the recipe, and Youtubed the hows and Voila!  We have decorated cake.

No, it wasn't that easy.  I still had to mix the icing sugar with melted marshmallows the night before but that didn't take as long as I thought it would.  But when I was kneading the fondant, I noticed that it kinda smelled a lot like Plasticine.  That doesn't say much for what marshmallows are made of.

The cake didn't quite turn out like the masterpiece I had imagined but I'd say it was a success.  As hard as I tried, I couldn't get the fondant to turn red and had to settle with a hot pink. All in all, when the day was done, the Quinceañera was happy and the guests had cake.

Sketch to an Island and Visit Your Arl

I'm the kind of person who probably wouldn't make any money if I had my own business.   I'm very much like my dad in that way.  We would rather come out short handed on our side than have the other person end up with any sort of loss.  Trade is usually what we opt for in situations where the other person would compensate us for something.   Some people see that as not wise, but some of the trades I've done in my former life have left me with very memorable experiences. :)

This post is about one of those experiences.

When my best friend finished school, she got the most awesome job managing the park at Half Moon Caye.  She'd be on a secluded island for fifteen days at a time chilling with the Sea Turtles, Iguanas, Boobies (the bird, you sicko) and random people who came to pay their fees for snorkeling at the Great Blue Hole.  Oh boy, did I envy her! 

As it turned out, her boss needed a sign made that would inform people to NOT feed the sharks.  Apparently, people don't obey rules unless they're in the form of a sign.  As the Belizean system of "I know somebody weh know somebody weh could draw" would have things, my friend was my ticket to the job. So I had fun with it!

I made a sketch and sent it in.  They loved it!  The compensation? Well, how was I supposed to make a price for something that took 20 minutes?  I had no idea.....so I said: "I want a trip to Halfmoon Caye".   And just like that, my wish was granted.  Two weeks later, I was on a boat to Half Moon Caye to see my bestest friend at her office by the sea!

We  laughed and talked while I watched her work.  I swam in the Great Blue Hole and returned to explore the Island with my favorite Arl.  We frolicked through the forest reserve among the Iguanas and birds.  I saw where she slept and learned where to find the water tank from where they hauled water to use around the house.

Leaving was hard but I had to go.   I had to give up my friend for a few more days before she can come back to the mainland with us land-folk.

I cherish the memories of that trip dearly.  Really, it's almost not fair that a quick sketch bought me a priceless experience with a very special person.  Money could never buy that.  Ok, so maybe it could....but on a student budget, let's just say it wouldn't be very easy to do.

As for Arl, she's still my bestie.  She's a scientist, wife and mother of a literally-very-bouncy little girl.  I've learned a lot from her about relationships, growing beans in jars and pre/post nuptual molting in birds; among other things.  She's a fireball of wonderful that I'm so grateful to call my friend.  I love you, Arl!

So, you might be wondering where can you find your own, Arl.  I don't know....but this one is mine! Get your own scientist best friend!