The Girl Who Learned To Kneel

FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21-27, 2010

WHAT I’M READING: I picked a book: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender. Actually it picked me. It just showed up on my doorstep. Oooo, so mysterious her life. The book is right up my alley: tragical whimsical melancholy.

WHAT ELSIE’S READING: Besides the same 4, she’s taken a liking to Richard Scarry’s Best Word Book Ever…

It is teaching her so many important words: double boiler, undershorts for boys, underpants for girls, you know.

p.s. Don’t try and click on the awkward image with the strange border, ’cause it will take you nowhere. This morning I tried something called technical independence. Not pretty.

WHAT I’M WATCHING: Burn Notice…but wait for it…wait for it…Season 4. This party is coming to an end. Next up: The Wire.

I’m also watching Beaver Theatre’s hype video. Over and over. Because here’s the thing about making things: sometimes you need to affirm yourself. Yes, this was worth the effort. This is the reason I don’t have a real job:

Did I mention I’m thinking of law school?

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: The other morning I was picking a scab (I know, why did I have to tell you that…) and Elsie says: “It’ll get better, Mom.” And yesterday we were walking to get coffee (Elsie had a big time craving) after a traumatic morning and out of the blue she says, “Love you, Mom.” And then this morning she says, “I’m getting old, Mom.” I’m gonna go cry for a while.

WHAT I’M WEARING: Well, lately I’ve been gravitating more and more toward this little casual ensemble of pyjama pants and a soft white shirt. Understanding less and less my infatuation of old with skinny jeans. Why would I wear tight things when I could wear soft loose things. In fact, why wear clothes at all? And for that matter why leave the house? There is so much world to be had within the many oddly shaped walls of my apartment.

WHAT I’M EATING: We have discovered the crock pot. It’s such a genius tool. Putting raw things in, walking away for many hours, and then pulling them out cooked. Fucking novel.

WHAT I’M ENJOYING: Etsy.com. Somehow I signed up for their email. Somehow. Now on a very regular basis I get emails from Etsy regarding all the fun handmade stuff I can buy. So far I have purchased this:

And I am coveting this:

In the most Christian way I can covet, which I’m telling you is pretty Christian.

WHAT I’M SNIFFING: Baked things. And salad that I tossed. Many times over. A couple sentences ago when I said I don’t have a real job—not totally true. On Saturdays I work at a real job now. This means I work for 8 hours, and they pay me small amounts for each of those hours (is this really how it works?). It’s a little cafe, the food is delicious and you would probably like it. My roles: making salad, putting cookies in the oven, mopping the floor at the end of the day…the mopping at the end still baffles me. Who can possibly have the energy for that after 8 hours of salad tossing?