Swim
 

Since you asked.
I love ...
the light play on the water
the light play under the water
the blue of underwater
the feel of the water flowing past
the feel of the muscles in my body working
the watery sounds
the sounds of the bubbles of my breath
the rhythm of the swim-breathe thing
the feeling of buoyancy
the excellent shower afterwards!

I don't love the busy.

Today I sewed two little oddly-shaped bags--they have a trapezoid silhouette in front, but then there's a fifth seam extending underneath from the bottom of the trapezoid, and everything spreads out into a thick round elastic band in the back.

They are designed to slip over the front and cover up the hand dryers in the PPCD bathrooms, because my friend's daughter is scared of them, and they think that's why she is still refusing to use the toilet at school even though she is potty-trained everywhere else. But my friend can't sew, so I offered to make them for her.

The fabric had to be gender-neutral at the very least, but since boys usually outnumber girls 3 to 1 in this type of classroom, I leaned more towards boy decor. So it's light blue, with little dogs and fire hydrants all over it.





See, because it's fire hydrants, in the room where everyone pees. God, I crack myself up.

Those sound great Clod.
Can't get my head round them though - any chance of pictures?
I think I am way off beam in the type of hand-dryer I am thinking of.

Today we made pirate booty bags for Pirate Day (29th at my school). And the children cut out templates for making their pirate biscuits (to go in said booty bags). When we made pirate hats, Rabbit conned me into doing his skull and crossbones for him. This time he did it himself. Little future-fashion-designer that he is, he made a good fist of it, leaving me to realise he is more competant than he lets on. I admit I cut it out for him though.

Our literacy work at present is Instructions, so the children are alternately making items and then writing them up. I think it's great, as the writing up stage is usually when I'm in Class 2 :)

Oh and just a pat on the back for me - I held 31 7-8 year old children spellbound with the first chapter of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Roald Dahl) this afternoon. There was no assembly, so from the time the HLTA left at 15.00 until 15.15 I was in sole control. It was probably Dahl's wonderful prose, but I was pleased with the response regardless.

They don't photograph well since the elastic makes them all bunchy, but I'll try to remember to take one tomorrow when I drop by the school to put them on.

The hand dryers look like this:

Nope, that's what I was thinking of.

Can they still be used when the cover is on? Is it about hiding the chrome?
Or is she stressed by the noise and this is just a masking device for when she is in the toilet?

They don't get used; paper towels are closer and faster, and many children are afraid of the noise after all. But these particular machines are motion-sensor instead of push-button, so when someone moves too close it may turn on, and according to my friend even the sight of one is enough to scare her daughter. She says the cover should solve it, though--when they go to the doctor's office, her daughter is similarly afraid of the otoscope, but they hang a napkin over the apparatus and all is well. The thing I made is like a giant pair of underwear, but without leg holes.

That issue can be fixed with some lightly frosted sticky tape (translucent but not transparent) over the movement sensor.

Effective against a wide range of motion detectors, and almost unnoticable unless you're looking.

Don't ask why I know*.


*because the truth is nowhere near as interesting as what you're imagining.

Hand dryer cover, freshly installed this morning. I had wanted it to sit more symmetrically than this, but the right side just wouldn't stay sticking out without a chrome piece to push against it. Oh well.

That's fantastic! Even better than I pictured.

So I'm still not clear. Is it permanent, or does the mom carry it around in her purse to put on before the kid goes in the bathroom?

It's hopefully permanent. This girl will be in this classroom for another year and a half, and even after she leaves, there are lots of overly-sensory kids who are scared to death of those things, so it makes sense to just leave it there. They don't use the dryer for that very reason, but maybe kids other than my friend's daughter will also appreciate having it hidden.

What if they're afraid of puppehs? Or hydrants? ;)

Looks good!

Clod that's an excellent piece of work!
I'd commission one just for aesthetics.


I had a fail on my making this afternoon.
Because 2a made their pirate bags in approx 20 minutes I grossly underestimated the time it would take for Class 2 to make them. I didn't factor in that I would be having groups of 3-6 at a time. I forgot that the children with higher ability in 2a were able to get on virtually unsupervied, meaning we only worked intensively with the ones who needed it. And that 10 x three children @ 20 minutes each does not fit into a 50 minute slot.

I'm still relatively new at all this TA malarky...
And after all, the teacher thought it was possible too.

The ones we got made looked good though.
And I did get through the lower ability children. Including one extremely high-achieving child academically, who cannot glue anything to anything except himself, and cuts like Edward Scissorhands before he learned dexterity.

Oh and quite a few children asked if we would have the next chapter of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator today :angel:

Dude.

I. Am. Impressed.
Also impressed by the woodcraft and lore so many Dwellars have up their sleeves. Just ran across this thread. Also love the juxtaposition of the archery and wood topics with the baking and handcrafting posts. Maybe I'll try to get some pics of my loom and spinning wheel to post. Sort of on hiatus right now, though.

I love the posts about identifying and working with wood. My father taught me a little but I haven't had the opportunity to do anything myself - mostly buy him fine woodworking books and enjoy what he makes.

Re: BigV's video

Why in God's name would you have a computer narrate that? [/bitter voiceactor]

Yes, oh, I'm sorry dear voiceactor. I know, maybe the creator is deaf.

Please do this. I would love to Be. Impressed.

:)

Are you being serious, do you know the person who made the video? I know you're tied in to the deaf community... Sorry if I offended.

A birthday cake, d'uh.

RE V's link

Lajos Kassai is my hero. I'd love to move to Hungary and live there and study. I think I posted a link of him in super slow motion.

The red headed Russian gal is equally astounding. I showed her video to the older home school girls who were taking a bow making class with me.

nononnoonononno

shit. I spoke very poorly, ambiguously. I'm sorry. I meant, "Yeah, I know! Computer voice?! What a dumb choice."

then, a separate thought, but mashedrightthehellinthere

"Wait, maaaaybe the video poster was deaf, and used the computer text to speech to narrate his video."


really poor articulation of my thoughts. No offense meant, none taken, but I'm a little embarrassed by my poor communication.

goddamned cheap whiskey! Those Fusel oils are wrecking my brain.

Great thread resurrection.

It's not impressive, not a floor loom - that's for my fantasy future house, in front of the window. That energy-efficient small maybe log house with a woodstove that I have in my mind's eye. Anyway - for now my favorite thing is weaving blankets, and on my current loom they're lap blankets/sofa throws. I'd like to get into bigger stuff. Placemats etc. bore me to tears.

So, it may not Be. Impressive. But I'll try, after this week or two go by. :)

I share a similar dream of living off grid in a beautiful mountain valley. It would be a small ranch, self-sustainable. Oh to be able to sit on the porch and smoke a fine cigar while I feed the deer and elk

Not today, but last Tuesday and Wednesday and, by Christmas, on eight other occasions in this increasingly festive time ....
In the Bleak Midwinter
We wish you a Merry Christmas:santa:
and so on.
I'm playing tuba :tuba:. Mr Limey is playing cornet, and we are ably assisted by two chums (another cornet and a trombone player).

Lovely! Wish I could listen ... haven't heard In the Bleak Midwinter in ages.
Don't forget the mulled wine/wassail/glog!

Just click on the links, or are you reading this on your iphone while you are at a concert or something?

:facepalm: No such luck ... lying around drifting in and out of naps and not firing on all cylinders, is all ...

Sounds beautiful, Limey!

Naps are the best, I love that feeling of drifting in and out of dreams and sleep.

They're helping this afternoon. It's such a luxury, drifting. And drinking gunpowder green tea, and not having any more essays to write right now!

seconded.

I've only gotten up recently, and the other three kids in the house are still sleeping or quietly alone in their rooms. It's 1:45. In fact I've only gotten my own damn self up to reply to another thread I read on my phone (from bed). Where is that thread, or was that a dream too?

...

there was a dream about a cellar thread... footfootfoot had posted a lovely picture of some well forested hills, somewhere country. I playfully replied that I wished he'd said something about being there because I was in the same area at the same time, or so I thought. footfootfoot had taken and posted the picture a long time ago, years, from a trip where he'd been helping a friend survey some land. He was in an elevated location, and the picture was the result. *my* picture was very similar, but was from a recent trip. I, too, had been out in the woods and at a high elevation but because I had been repairing some high tension lines that had failed. I had a whole diy repair photojournal of the repair/replace process (in my dream) and also took a scenic shot from on top of the tower.

When I realized I'd replied to a years old thread, I was embarrassed.

Dreams are our time machines ...

I referenced this in Jim's apartment thread so I figured I'd best post a pic. Our leather couch turned out to be really poorly made so I took the refund money and built this. I was afraid it would look terrible, but decided that would be bending to other people's opinions and this is my house done my way so I give you, Moose Couch.

I LOVE it! I love the entire look, the beamed wood ceiling, the wooden floor, beam over the windows, and what you built - I want to sit in the sunbeam on the top level and do my work there today!

That is far better than anything you could buy.

Thanks! I know its not everyone's cup of tea but for me it's nice.

I just re-read that, I built the whole house beams and all. :)

Griff -- wasn't there a thread where you posted pictures of the house?

I just searched it. Here is the thread with the video...

http://www.cellar.org/showthread.php...highlight=beam

and here is my entry project...

http://www.cellar.org/showthread.php...highlight=beam

Long strange trip continues.

Oh Griff, that looks really nice! That's a modern architectural feature, not some college couch design. Very cool.

I just looked at the video and entranceway threads - fantastic. I've always loved post and beam houses, and yours is wonderful. What a dream project. It's so great that you were able to use cherry from your wood lot, build your own cabinets, etc. - and the fireplace! A central thermal mass column that radiates heat all day and night ... and that's an oven above the firebox, isn't it? I looked at Temp-Cast when we built but couldn't swing it.

What a beautiful place you've built, Griff. :)

Thanks!

Griff has exceptionally good karma, it seems. Plus he's a great craftsman.

I LOVE it! very cool!

today I made gingerbread. It's for the little children I am going to woo into my candy house and ....well, that's a story for another time.

Griff - I truly envy your skills. Outstanding!

Today my son was sick again, so I stayed home with him and knocked out this bedside table. It's pretty basic but it'll do the job. I'll put some polyurethane on it over the weekend.Attachment 42997

I didn't make it today...Matter of fact, I didn't make it.

A couple weeks ago, me and best friend are finishing up dinner at the local Mexican joint, knocking back a few beers after dinner. The waiter comes w/the bill, we figure it out and give the waiter the amount for the bill w/a fair tip. A few minutes pass and the busboy comes by with a tray loaded with dirty dishes. We had already noticed the guy was the only busboy, and was positively working his ass off. He stopped and asked if we were done with our dishes he would go ahead and take them out of our way. When we got up to leave, my friend grabs the guy as he goes by, and lays a ten on our table, and makes eye contact w/him and taps the ten on the table, and points to him. The guy tells him (in barely understandable English) that he's just a busboy and not a waiter and he doesn't get tipped. Friend picks up the ten and w/one finger, gingerly pokes into his the guy's pants pocket, "No, you're working your ass off. This is yours, the waiter got his."

The other day we were in there again and the busboy comes up to us and tells my friend, while reaching into his pocket, "This is yours. I make for you." He had obviously practiced this phrase.

This is what he gave my friend:

Attachment 43131

Made my friend's day. And mine, kinda.

That's really cool looking! I'd buy one for $10. Someone should teach that guy how to use Etsy.

Seriously! I love that.

Most excellent story and friend.

I love it. Curious how he made it. Parts of it are obvious, but the body looks complicated.

I've handled, fondled and seen it in person, and I can't tell how he did the body. All the ends/twists are hidden inside. I guess.

Maybe it's some kind of Mexican voodoo scorpion and he now has my buddy's soul in a jar at home?

That is extremely cool!

I like working with bell wire. It's very forgiving, very fine and malleable. I've got a pic around here somewhere of a tree I made once. Nothing as dramatic as your friend's scorpion though. That's cool.

What did I make today?
 

Breakfast.

Sausage, eggs, grits, blueberry waffles, and the biggest glass we got filled to the brim with ice cold moo juice.

Breakfast, it's what's for lunch.

A pile of saw dust
Attachment 43597

And an admirable pile it is.:thumb:

Better than what I accomplished today ... :(

Not made yet, but started.

Got a New York Style Baked Cheesecake mix (silly, really - Mum grew up in a Jewish part of London so we know it's Jewish-style really).
Suggestion on the box to soak some sultanas in bourbon and add to the mix.
Seemed a small way to personalise it. So I bought a JD miniature. And gave it to Mum for safekeeping. I know me too well.

She handed it over yesterday and they have soaked overnight, so I'm ready to start the arduous procedure of making the mix...

Hey, when I was young and easy under the apple boughs I used to make cheesecake from scratch, soaking the gelatine and all that.
But I did it too well. People just asked where I bought it.
So no more.
Although there was one Baileys and orange one that even I swooned over.

Grav - missed your scorpion post first time round.
Absolutely marvellous.
As Foot says, love the story and love the outcome.

When I come visit, promise you'll take me there?

Well, today is obviously a tail-posting day.
Cheesecake mix in bin.
Sultanas in food recycling bin.

Turns out you need to add 300g of soft cream cheese to the mix (as well as milk & butter, which I had expected). Which makes me wonder what's in the mix to start with?!

Why in the bin though?

Because when I went into the living room and sat down all exasperated, Mum was completely steely-cold. "Well I wouldn't know, I didn't buy it" with a smug little smile. It wasn't a silly one-off comment either, she held my gaze.

So fuck her.
Like I bought it for myself or something. I'm sure I'll calm down at some point, but she was just so self-satisfied and downright nasty about it. Pleased I'd failed.

I've obviously stepped over some line somewhere today since cleaning the bathroom.
Nasty old bitch.