Life with the General

Depression Lace

by Claire on Jun 20, 2012

Recently, at Christmas, Eleanor acquired a couple of vintage gingham aprons, and I was jealous. And intrigued, especially by the little thread removal lace situation on one. (I thought this was called hardanger, but I have since googled that and I was wrong. If you know what it is actually called, please comment!)

So, I set about trying to replicate one for myself. Here is the first attempt.

Then, I made another. (This time it was for someone else.) I also really went hog wild on the embroidery front--if, in fact, embroidery can ever be considered "hog wild"-- and tried real depression lace, which as it turns out, is a variation on cross stitch. It was overly repetitive and involved more counting than creativity, but was oddly meditative. This time-consuming process went really well with Downton Abbey. See the pictures below. (Except the Downton Abbey part--you'll have to Netflix that on your own.)

The whole apron, tied in the front. When I tried it on before shipping it off, I was really wishing it was mine and that it was decent to wear in public without pants or shorts. So I started thinking about a skirt with a similar fit...something that would accent the waist and hide the thickey-thighs. And that would have a more substantial back (as opposed to a bow).

Depression Lace

Depression Lace (up close)

Here is the end skirt result. I was really proud of how it turned out, considering I don't really sew that well and was making it up as I went along. To avoid dealing with a zipper (I did that once ten years ago and don't remember it fondly) I made it a wrap skirt with a few snaps. It is pleated in the front and the back, and has a separate 3-4 inch wide sash that can be knotted in the front or back. I ended up really liking the high waist-line and the variety the sash can afford.

Yep. It's basically a decent apron. (Dottie loves pictures when they are not being taken of her. Otherwise she avoids the camera like the plague!)

If you made it to the end of this post, I am impressed.

Wow, it's been a while!

by Claire on Jun 13, 2012

Um, not quite sure where to start, as it has been a year since we posted.

I suppose this posting will serve as a little catch-up.

Some high-lights and low-lights from the past year (in order from past to present):

Took nine credits of graduate classes in four weeks. It was an experience that warranted a swear word, or seven
Went to Tennessee to visit Nick (the brother-in-law) and Eleanor: toured Civil War sites, caves, and D. C. where we saw our friend Ben and the Schoolcraft family
Totaled another car. Again, it was not our fault and we walked away unscathed. Phew.
Survived fall semester: seven credits of graduate classes and teaching. Teaching. Essay writing. Grading. Planning. Eating. Sleeping. Repeat over and over and over.....
Gorged ourselves over Thanksgiving with Porter Seniors and Moores in Los Alamos
Celebrated Nick's dad's 70th birthday in Tucson with family from Wisconsin and Texas. Note: these two states are looking more and more similar.
Celebrated Christmas with Simson Juniors and Simson Seniors at the Aldrich residence in Eager
Survival of spring semester: see the fall, because it was exactly the same.
Found out I would be teaching the same subject and grade level for the first time ever! Yay for American History and 8th grade! (Nick might have an added science elective next year, though everything else will stay the same: 6th grade Earth science)
Got a nephew: Joshua Daniel Moore on April 24th!
Discovered a little taste of a normal (for a teacher) summer before returning to our last graduate class: the thesis/capstone/high-stakes/25-page essay-writing class...to bad the break was only five days!

Here is our nephew with his parents.

Here is the shed we started building during the five days of freedom. Two weeks later, it looks pretty much the same. But two weeks from now, when we are entirely done with graduate classes, you can expect some real progress.
I ~~made~~ invented a really cute skirt. I'll post more about that later, too.

Now we spend our time writing that paper. Last night was especially pathetic. We had both been lost in our macbook worlds for several hours, struggling to put our thoughts onto the page, when we realized that we needed to eat dinner. After downing three magic bars earlier in the day (for shame, Claire), I knew I needed something healthy as well as quick. Nick said he would prepare some salmon (we often fry/grill these wild-caught salmon patties that we get at Costco) though he only cooked one. That's right, we split a salmon patty. I was supposed to make spinach into a hot-sautéed salad, but instead I made a smoothie out of it, which was actually pretty tasty.

See how pathetic?

Nick with the ~~mug-o-crap~~ smoothie.

Recipe: (just in case you want to make an unattractive and unappealing yet healthy tastes-pretty-good-with-your-eyes-closed smoothie)

1 really ripe banana

1 cup of fat-free plain greek yogurt

4 cups of packed fresh spinach

2/3 cups of frozen berries

Puree in blender.

Warning: as red (berries) and green (spinach) are complementary colors, they will make brown when blended. This is what makes it appear like the innards of a sewage pipe. See below. Try not to think of this when eating, as it may make it difficult to swallow. ENJOY!

Mug or __________?

Weeds, Paper Mache, and Teaching

by Claire on May 21, 2011

One day, towards the end of April, I became fed up with the dirt in our backyard. Dottie's bright white coat is generally a dull brown by the time we get home from school in the afternoon due to the state of our backyard. Sometimes we hose her off (but she hates it and usually urinates all over), and other times we let her into the house (but then we need to dust and sweep daily). We decided the solution would be grass.

We have been dragging our feet about this; we didn't want to use up any more precious water than necessary. Luckily, we found a great place here in Albuquerque called Plants of the Southwest. We bought some seed that is native to New Mexico and apparently requires very little water (a couple of times a month!) once it is established. Furthermore, we were told that we didn't need fertilizer or compost as it would naturally like our soil.

The planting was pretty easy. We borrowed a roto-tiller from our neighbors, installed a stake and chicken-wire fence to keep Dottie out, sprinkled and raked the seed, and covered it in a light layer of hay.

Shortly after we planted the grass, Albuquerque had a couple of extremely windy weeks. The hay we used to cover the grass all blew away. Oh, and then it snowed. In May. Somehow grass still came up, but unfortunately weeds did too, outnumbering the grass.

Nick making a fence that will keep Dottie off the future grass until it's strong.

Dottie giving Nick a hug.

The weeds. (And some grass.)

On a different note, our graduate classes ended for the semester, not to resume until June 7th. The final project was actually pretty fun. Nick and I both got a bit carried away with it! We were told to create a 3D model (along with a paper, of course) with a movable part that was a metaphor for teaching and learning. Nick chose a toolbox (with a secret door representing a student's prior knowledge), and I chose to make a marionette out of paper mache and fabric scraps (the puppeteer is the super exciting subject matter, the figure is the student, and I (as the teacher) am the strings--connecting the student to the powerful and life-giving content). This is a metaphor and my goal; it is what I aspire to be in the classroom. Pictured below is the making of the marionette.

Headless paper mache doll.

Adding hair.

The finished head.

The finished marionette.

She is a sinister sight in our guest room, continuously staring at me from the ceiling when I pass. Would it be helpful to make another one (or five), or would that be even more creepy?

In other news, Nick and I found out what we will be teaching in the fall. We are both pretty pleased with our assignments. Nick has the exact same schedule as this year and the previous year: five sections of sixth grade Earth Science. I am moving back into my old classroom from the 2009-2010 school year to teach eighth grade American History. I am going to need to do a lot of refreshing and preparing over the summer! I have started by reading Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Fascinating.

Later this summer:
A visit to Los Alamos to see Maggie and Leni
A visit from Nick's parents
A possible camping trip in the White Mountains
A long and much awaited road trip to Tennessee to see Eleanor and Nick
9 credits of graduate school in the month of June (Sounds a little terrifying.)
Lots and lots of sun tea

If you made it through this rather mundane post, I congratulate you.

Bathroom Refurbishing

by Nick on Mar 16, 2011

While in Tucson visiting Jim and Candy, we decided to do several small home improvement jobs. The timing couldn't have been better: Candy was recovering in the assisted nursing facility, and Jim was away all morning visiting her. We had the house to ourselves, and we took advantage of it!

Refurbished Ceiling Fan

by Claire on Feb 5, 2011

On our second of four snow days, Nick and I decided to do something productive on the home improvement front. Our ceiling fan had been bugging us for over a year, and we thought it would be relatively simple task to paint it. Thirteen hours and four trips to Lowes later, we had the finished product. Well almost. We're going to put it on a dimmer switch because it's a little too intense!

Upcycled Workbench

by Nick on Feb 1, 2011

This work bench is made out of plastic decking. We have about 300 linear feet that is sitting in our backyard instead of at the landfill. I've been working on it for the last few weekends and am pretty happy with the way it turned out. Yes that is weekends, plural. We've been really busy here at The General.

I almost broke down and purchased some 4x4s to use as legs, but came up with an alternative using the decking. Screwing two equal length boards in an "L" shape made the surprisingly strong legs you see in the last image. I also mounted a used vise on the side, and sizable scraps of plywood as the work surface.

I plan to add a shelf below the work surface to store tools, and holes in the front and top that can be used to clamp projects to the work surface.

Coats and Coat Hangers

by Claire

Today was a snow day in Albuquerque. It literally snowed for at least 24 hours continuously. Actually, I take that back. It was difficult to tell if it was snowing nonstop because it was also very windy. This morning Nick and I realized we were in desperate need of doing laundry. Ninety-nine percent of the time this isn't a problem in this arid land, even if the temperatures are frigid. Moisture in the air (like snow or rain) makes up that other one percent. Nick cleverly hung some rope in our hallway, strung between three bedrooms and one bathroom. This system dried one load already today, and will help us out with a second tonight.

We felt very sorry for Dottie today in the icy weather; we caved and bought her third (and final!) coat. The first one we made the mistake of leaving on her one day. She took it off and chewed it to pieces while we were at work. I made her a fleece second coat. Somehow, months later, we thought she would be mature enough to keep it on while we were away. It was cold this time, and we figured she would have the common sense to wear it for the duration of the day. Turns out, she struggled to get out of it, but couldn't. (I had secured the velcro too well.) Instead of being free of the coat entirely, she had somehow managed to get one arm out, and stretch it in a way that she was able to poop on it. With her third coat that resembles a sleeping bag, she will never be allowed to wear it out of our sight. (I think it's cute that it doesn't quite cover her bum... it must be the Basset in her!)

Other interesting news (since it has been so long):

1. Nick and I are working on our Master's degrees through UNM. It is a really fabulous program, however we seem to spend all of our weekend writing papers, reading, and preparing for our own classrooms. I'm glad it is only going to be a year and a half long.

2. My parents just bought a cute vintage mobile home as a second home here in Albuquerque, and our dear friends, Byron and Jordan, are moving here next week! It will be nice to see them all more often.

Dottie the Halloween Hotdog

by Nick on Nov 1, 2010

New Threshold

by Nick

As winter approaches the cold tile floor of the Generals kitchen announced a draft create by a gap under the back door. After browsing some expensive options to remedy this situation, I realized that a three foot piece of base board I purchased at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore would serve the same purpose in raising the floor and closing the gap. I removed four screws from the old piece of aluminum shown in the first image, cut the base board to size and added five new screw. The door now closes firmly, and no draft causes the tile to be so unbearably cold on my feet in the morning.