first post of 2013

A friend posted a 'current favorite things'ish blog today that made me want to come out of the dark, baby-scented, sippy cup strewn cave I've been in the past couple of months.  So here goes!

Under Female Artists, I nominate Katie Herzig for some awesome award, because I find this album to be enchanting and kinda funky and sometimes epic.  Here's a link to listen to stuff.

Under Asian Male Artists, the Golden Loop-de-Loop goes to Kishi Bashi (album is soooo good, he's very Andrew Bird-like in creating his own loops and such):

For Best Canadian Sisters, Tegan and Sara for Most Like a Real 80's Dance Party Except Better:

We saw Jeff Mangum, of Neutral Milk Hotel, at the Wortham last week.  The guy made some music back in the 90's, and then sort of disappeared, hermit-like, popping up here and there to jam with other members of his musical collective and then disappear into the night.  MGB tells me this album wasn't paid much attention to at first... with the passing of time, though, critics and such began to see the singular magic it had to offer.  The other night it was just he and his guitar, and the opportunity to sing along with this song (and try to vocalize the theremin part) was pretty magical.

non-musical good things

steel cut oats

MGB and I are participating in a fitness challenge with each other.   we're kinda sorta competing, but that's mostly manifesting in me thinking of MGB and choosing to avoid that impulse Almond Joy at the checkout.  I'm suddenly not even sure what's at stake, really, for winners and losers, except that it's fun and good for us.  I think breakfast is making a big difference, and I renewed my friendship with steel cut oats this week (easy to buy them in bulk at Central Market).  the bonus is that if you have some left over (which I almost always do) and pop them in the fridge, it's a great cold treat for when I get hungry at 9:30 at night, sort of like a good-for-you rice pudding.  using our electric kettle cuts the cooking time for me.  I've tried both honey and agave nectar as a sweetener, and I think I prefer the agave.  my other big eating strategies are to avoid most fast food, say no to soda, eat something every few hours, drink more water, and eat clean, whole foods as much as possible.  and then, I'mna try to move my body more.  mind-blowing stuff, I know.

other general good things:  we're all sleeping more after everybody being sick after the holidays.  praise Him.  I'm registering Magz for pre-school this week.  hubz and I are netflixing The West Wing and are thoroughly enjoying it.  Ruby is army crawling.  I bought some stuff to give our home organization department a makeover, woo-hoo!  I'm hoping this year there's room to let go of some things that are pinching, and make more space for self and family care.

catching up on photos... here's a snapshot of November:

the girls have their names on banners that hang across their closets... I came home from work one day to find this.  it's awesome and it's still hanging there.

ruby's blessing, and lunch after.

first experiment with pigtails.

4 mo. doctor visit.

mgb and I saw Tilly & the Wall!  see the tap dancer up there in back?

curls.

 sisters.

galleria playdate with friends.

'lollipop'.

thanksgiving @ the ranch.

just because I love it.

something you learn about yourself when you take a sabbatical of sorts from a keyboard (and really haven't opened your computer much at all because the iPhone is just so handy).....

you forget how to type.

seriously, this has taken me twice as long as it should because I'm having to go back and retype every other word.  case in point, I just had to edit 'hafing' and 'wort' in that last sentence, and that was just at the end.

oh well.

-m.y.