<p>D said there is a rooster on the roof to wake up them everyday in the early morning. Feel funny it is nyc, we don’t have this kind of noise in Iowa</p>
<p>there are people like to keep chiken in backyard. sort of new fad, I think.
and
did I tell you there are places you can buy live chickens?
they’d have cages and cages of birds in warehouse and you get to pick one, they’d fix it while u wait.
go home with super fresh still warm bird to roast.
no I haven’t done it myself.
I do eat chicken thou. mmmmm</p>
<p>that rooster better be careful.</p>
<p>yes, I told D she may try to buy one and cook a chicken but she won’t do it.
When I was little, we bought chicken alive and my dad is the one to kill and clean them. Feel sorry for him.
the rooster can make BIG noise according D.</p>
<p>We had chickens in Ecuador. They started as pets–two layer hens that were baptized “Peter and Wolf” (son loved that disney video!!). I loved those two chickens. I made them extra pancakes on the weekend (preferred syrup on top). They ran around our walled garden and layed (sp?) for a couple of years with the encouragement of the occasional visit by our neighbor’s rooster who was an evil SOB who would attack the children. But then they got old and stopped producing. I could not bring myself to have them killed them so they lived until a ripe old age eating bugs and worms and a little corn plus the pancakes. </p>
<p>I often received live hens as gifts from local farmers for the use of our irrigation water when their wells were dry. Our nanny was country raised so she did the dreadful deed expeditiously…but one time she decided her 16 year old son needed to take over the task. I found him out back; it looked like some scene out of a horror movie…blood and feathers everywhere…the boy was green and the task was not complete…he handed me the chopper and asked me not to tell his mother…I was the killer but hope I never have to do that again.</p>
<p>Raising chickens is all the fashion in England and london is full of pet chickens and now, lots of urban foxes. Our last visit to england was met with tragedy when my H admired the little cousins’ pet hens (sophy and caroline–named after their best friends) and the little girls and H did not lock them in their foxproof pen (my H never considered foxes since none in ecuador). Anyway, we returned from pub-dinner to find a few feathers. H horrified that sophy and caroline were dead at his carelessness and wanted to go out and buy replacement hens. Kids didn’t seem to care much…turns out that sophy and caroline were hens 6 and 7 …all the predecessors had also been killed by disease or fox.</p>
<p>Launched again!</p>
<p>Now I have time to read our thread. Thanks everyone for your input. Famom…that was an interesting article. The part I liked best was the Nietzsche quote about him finding his inner 25 year old superhero to deal with mid life angst. When you mentioned your existential ruminating I totally identified. I think after the move and subsequent flooding I lost my bearings and started falling deeper and deeper inward into that place of questioning and doubt. I am turning 46, not where I imagined I would be at his point in my life etc, etc. Bears’ reference to that author hits the nail on the head with his talk of a revolution of the inner life. I also think that I am spending wayyyyy to much time on the computer. Before starting this business with my husband three years ago, the computer was entertainment for me. Now it is work and entertainment. I am missing what Switters and Loveblue bring up: time spent sitting quietly. This week I took time to stop and pull myself away from the screen. I let myself feel a breathing between my inner world and the outer world. I do feel better for it.</p>
<p>Congrats to mom4art - now you are an official launcher!
Bears - do tel…did S make it to college?</p>
<p>In the end H and I did not take S1 up to RISD. After a flurry of activity getting him ready to go: ordered him eye glasses at Costco, got a consult (needs all 4 wisdom teeth out in December…just in time for 2nd semester RISD payment!!!), a trip to Trader Joe’s for cooking staples and Ikea for dishes, utensils, glasses etc. (he has his own kitchen now) I realized that it was time to let go. He was taking his old Honda up to school, he could fit all of his stuff and it just seemed foolish to follow him up in the other car. I asked him if he wanted to go on his own and he said sure. I could tell he was pleased but he never would have come out and asked this of us himself. He is far too sweet.</p>
<p>OH boy…what a morning. We took so many pictures of him standing by his car, waving from his car, we could make and animation out of them…surfboard on the roof, vintage Schwinn on the back. That little hatchback handled it all.</p>
<p>He met his roommate at the apartment complex and they set everything up themselves. Back in the Spring he was pretty much shut out of undergraduate housing and chose to live in leftover graduate housing. I freaked out because it is far from classes and the cafeteria. I pictured a starving, cold guy trudging through the snow with heavy art supplies in his arms. ( I am a bit melodramatic). Well, he called me the next day and said "Mom I don’t really want to rub it in your face, but this place is AWESOME! and it only takes me three minutes to ride my bike to the center of campus. Then he sent me a video of the apartment. It came fully furnished with a couch, two upholstered chairs, a table, desks, beds, dressers, huge closet and get this, a sliding glass door to a balcony overlooking a little river. The guys already hit the salvation army and are planning to go to garage sales this weekend. How cute is that!</p>
<p>On another note I thought you guys would like to see this. A friend told me about it today. It might appeal to one of your kids someday. It’s in Portland, Maine. One could spend some time here and that cartooning school in Vermont and end up with the coolest education:
[The</a> Salt Institute for Documentary Studies](<a href=“Salt Graduate Certificate in Documentary Studies”>http://www.salt.edu/)</p>
<p>that is ^some cool graphic, nice school I bet. My boss went to Portland ME this summer and reported that however sad-side, there are happenings in those nice NE towns. I think trends would continue.
our kids got good options. </p>
<p>He is baaaaccckkk!!
met at GC terminal ( Fisher king. sob sob) and went to this weird little Japan of 41st street. Cafe, grocery stores, suspicious sushi joint.
We shared this fudge dipped mochi donut and plate of curry and rice ( you are to eat with spoon. You can tell if person is somewhat Japanese-y if eat curry over rice with a spoon, never a fork).
The street also had used/new Japanese bookstore you can read all manga upstairs while supplies last, now relocated to few blocks away.<br>
^this made the street for popular destination for both chuzai (staying for time being because of the job) and eizyu ( staying here for good=misfit of the homeland) families with kids, who would be getting weekly dose of manga treat.
Yet it was rather frustrating that, say, total of twenty vol. publication could be missing the book #18 which everyone’s fav. character happened to die or got to have intercou*rse(fully graphic-iated for about PG 13 in Japan=the land of pervert. watch it Gmom) with this heroine or whatever, were missing from the set, for seller kept it for her/himself and only sold the rest.
around the corner is midmanhattan library, but someone snatched in matter of half a-day the book copy I was after. </p>
<p>I am now at work watching over his laptop eating software (3 discs total, ancient)
I was told to keep eye on it when one disc is done, it pops out by itself, then I were to wake him (told you it’s a boy) by hitting space key, then insert the next CD. wait til done, repeat.
I am patching up few pieces of bedding to make it into extra long sheet.
Who in the world would do that?
it’s your one and only launchee time, go to darn BB&B two blocks away on 6th Ave and just BUY one!?
well
I have a story about this sheet. do you wanna hear it?
no?</p>
<p>OK blue bar on the screen sayz
writing files:45% complete
reminding time 23 min.
It was 77% few min. ago, and reminding time was 15.
WEIRD.
OMG
now it spited out CD. and asking me questions I don’t know… yes I am in US no I don’t know my Apple ID.
I am gonna call dogs owner//doctor of fixsology/mr. clean (throuly cleaned keyboard “eh, lots of food in there…” and the frame “so it was a white model”)
be back soon</p>
<p>PS
yes we are leaving Sat. morning weather permitting. gotta pack. yikes.</p>
<p>I am hesitate to tell you guys this story but it may make you all laugh!</p>
<p>In summer, when the weather is hot, children can get “Prickly heat”. Not sure if this name is right, I pasted Chinese word and ask Google to translate it for me. It is some tiny red spots in the skin, because of hot weather. Here, no one have this problem since we have air conditioner.</p>
<p>D got this “Prickly heat” when she was 3 years old, an old lady told me that I should make a snake soup for her to put out the hot/fire in her body. She told me where I can buy snake.</p>
<p>I went there, it is a huge hall and many people were selling snakes there. I came to one lady. She asked me to point out which one I want from a big bag and she got that one out and killed it very FAST! I even feel scary to carry a dead snake home. I cooked it and let D drink the soup and then her skin turn back normal very soon.</p>
<p>famm’s story remind me of this story. Sorry it is a little disgusting :—)</p>
<p>Drae:
It is so true, they grow independently fast. You S is sweet for still fine with you go with him even he can and want to drive to school alone.</p>
<p>Last Saturday I got a call from D in the morning. She was outside of an art supply store waiting it to open. Since she is waiting we can talk longer! She is patient enough to tell me all her homework, it seems already a lot. She feel the load is lighter than last year but still hard to tell. Complain English have too many reading. Just get done a 500 page book of her summer homework, need to read a 40 or 50 page of another dry and hard book …</p>
<p>She went to a parade in Brooklyn on labor day and tell me there were shooting happen in the parade/festival. It is NYC, so fun compare to Iowa.</p>
<p>bears: we may hit post in the same time again, but you win!</p>
<p>Goof to know:
you are leaving Sat. morning ! Weather will be GOOD!</p>
<p>“I am patching up few pieces of bedding to make it into extra long sheet. Who in the world would do that?”
ME!
I’ve even been known to make my own pillowcases out of extra fabric. Just can’t stand spending $$$ and up on two pillowcases. I guess I’m a natural Vermonter even though I even did this when I lived in NY!</p>
<p>Also quick tip, single bed top sheets are almost the same size as extra longs anyway so if you can find or create the fitted long bottoms you can just use the single tops. Of course my sister claims there’s no need for top sheets anyway because from her experience it was unusual when even the bottom sheet actually made it to the mattress during the course of a year!</p>
<p>Hey fammom…We are starting to look at schools for S2. He, like your S, would like a gritty urban feel. He is undecided about his major at this point. I thought we should consider VCU. I went on the VCU forum and the first thing I read was about a student you got shot across the street from the school. I know your son seriously considered attending - so…please fill me in.
Thanks!</p>
<p>love
what happened to the boiled snake?
I can’t eat eel if the piece is bigger than sushi-topping size and it’s skin is on it because it reminds me of a snake.
you are supposed to eat this in certain ancient calendered midsummer day (was July 21st and Aug 2nd for the summer of 2011) when heat is prickling to fight back heat exhaustion.
[うな重</a>; - Google Search](<a href=“http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1680&bih=838&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=うな重&oq=うな重&aq=f&aqi=g5&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=82885l88642l0l89209l4l3l1l0l0l0l227l405l0.1.1l2l0]うな重”>http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&biw=1680&bih=838&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=うな重&oq=うな重&aq=f&aqi=g5&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=82885l88642l0l89209l4l3l1l0l0l0l227l405l0.1.1l2l0)
every Japanese would order them,
it would be big $$ day for eel business, and hi demand make it quite costly.
since I can’t eat it, my folks saved money every summer.
If I had that savings with me, might have paid my kid’s meal plan.</p>
<p>wait, it could not happened in Iowa… I mean, the snake soup?</p>
<p>smarty!
so it was you!!
I remembered someone mentioning about trick of extra long sheet in other thread.
I added about a foot and a half for the safer side.
He can use it under the pillow so won’t feel the seam. not that he would usually feel anything that prevents good night’s sleep.</p>
<p>here is another interesting program:
[Make</a> Brown Ledge the Start of Your Gap Year! | Brown Ledge Gap Year](<a href=“http://www.brownledgegapyear.com/]Make”>http://www.brownledgegapyear.com/)</p>
<p>Gmom…would your daughter be interested in something like this? There info page talks about how it is structured but fosters independence. Seems like a great opportunity.</p>
<p>I am dreaming of going here: [Penland</a> School of Crafts Home Page](<a href=“http://penland.org/index.html]Penland”>http://penland.org/index.html)
Sewing and Shoemaking in the Summer!</p>
<p>Bears - I want to try that mochi donut. Do you think my H would like that bookstore?</p>
<p>Saturday morning??? Give a hug and good wishes to him.</p>
<p>bears:
It is in China, we came here when D is almost 6.
China don’t have tradition to eat snake at certain time. Chinese divide food into three kind:
- Lamb/pepper … hot
- snake/duck/watermelon … cold
- beef/peach … medium
It is good to eat Lamb in the winter and snake will help in the summer. I am really bad to remember this kind of stuff and will eat whatever I like. </p>
<p>The link show so many eel and looks really good. I can not cook that good, but I can find them cooked even in Iowa now.</p>
<p>This is only the second week I launched, but miss D so much.
Wish I can learn the way to live my own life, but it is so hard.</p>
<p>Gosh…I wish I had known about the snake soup for prickly heat! Florida was full of snakes and I suffered most of my childhood with it until we finally got air conditioning! </p>
<p>Loveblue…take heart. I find I miss S more this year than last!? Luckily he has been a little bit more communicative. He actually talks about his classes but zero about his social life. Perhaps he doesn’t have much of one with all the work. Very happy to be managing in his tough math and comp sci class. I think it is important for his ego to know he can do that stuff but CHOOSES to do art. </p>
<p>Yikes…outlook is blinking…I have a meeting. BUT…about VCU drae. It is a huge university in an urban area. RIchmond is POOR and there is a lot of drug and violence t hat sometimes spills into the campus but it is rare. None of my son’s friends have had any problems even the ones living off campus. I think it is an issue of being very smart about where and when you walk and where you hang out. I will see if S knows of any other incidents. </p>
<p>I would not have hesitated to have S there despite the reputation. Temple neighborhood looked pretty bad too. I actually thought MiCA had a worse situation because there were just so few campus police and people out and about in the evenings compared to VCU and Temple. I am going to ask S if he has heard any other news about crime and his friends at VCU.</p>
<p>famm:
It is really hard to learn art and computer in the same time. Your S made it but he must be very busy.
I was a lecture for many years to teach computer principle, computer language,data structure, artificial intelligence, computer graphic … It is very time consuming for students.</p>
<p>so love
how did you eat snakes?
the eel you see is skewered and broiled on open fire, (often parboiled ahead) and sweet savory sauce is brushed onto.
I bet after you made the snake soup, cook the flesh the way eels are done, noone would know the difference…</p>
<p>Natural History mosaic edit!
Today, world famous opera guy is giving free concert in the central park as we speak.
free tickets are distributed and gone before it was ready.
We planed guerrilla entrance into the park but cops are on every corner, not unlike other free concert the park would give every summer, and gotten turned away.
as I came back I checked on the subway mosaic and alas!
I lied.
Insects got no question marks.
who has “?” are, bold eagle, owl, sea turtle, big finned hefty looking what-ya’ma call fish!!
now I am not so sure why… any bio majors can explain this?</p>