Snakes, Spiders, and Toad frogs...Oh my!!!

Snakes, Spiders, and Toad frogs...Oh My!!!
Unfortunately this is a true story and is in fact based on actual events

Scene: An average suburban household in Northern Cali.

Cast: Four resident kiddos ages 7, 8, nearly 10 and 12 going on 20; the family dog, snake, and tarantula; and one visiting toad frog - the supposed model for a nature photo shoot by above mentioned 12 year old son and... 1 mother, suffering from terminal allergies and clinging to consciousness through an allergy med induced fog.

Scene 1:
Friday Night:
Upon entering the house, the 12 yr old son discovers an obscenely large toad frog.

12 yr old son

(excited)

Mom! Mom! can I keep him? (displaying the gargantuan toad in his palm)

Taz the Toad

(actual frog pictured)

Mom

(tired and stuffy from allergies)

No.

12 yr old son

(whining)

But Mom....I want to take pictures of him in the daylight tomorrow.

Mom

(exasperated)

Then you may keep him overnight; take your pictures; and release him in the morning.

12 yr old son

YES! His name is Taz the Toad.

Mom

(groans)

Don't name him!  We aren't keeping him!

Fade Out.

Fade In.

Scene 2: Saturday afternoon

Mom is rumpled and crashed on couch; suffering from too many allergies and large doses of Allegra and Sudafed. 

7 yr old daughter

(skipping through living room giggling)

Isn't it funny.

(not a question...just one of her famous leading statements that always precedes bad news that usually leads to getting her three brothers into hot water)

Mom

(groggy)

What?  Isn't what funny?

7 yr old daughter

That the boys lost the toad in the house. (many more giggles)

Mom

(bolting upright on the couch; no longer groggy)

WHAT????

7 yr old daughter

The boys made it a book fort.  Then they went outside to play.  It's not there anymore.

Mom

(voice rising in pitch) 

REALLY?  REALLY?  REALLY?

****flash to Animal Planet informative tidbits:

1. Dead toads smell nasty  2. Toad's poop is the size and shape of cat poop.  3. Did I mention dead toads smell nasty.  4.  Toads need food and water.  These items are not readily available in a child's toy box.

Mom

(still trying not to surrender to the seductive unconsciousness of Sudafed)

(yelling)

BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Herd of boy sized elephants comes crashing down the stairs)

In unison; because they know that all too familiar tone of voice:

Yes Ma'am?

Mom

(pleading)

Please tell me there is NOT a toad frog loose in our house.

12 yr old son

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.................

Mom

Go. Now. Find it.  and DO NOT come back down till you have him in hand.

(Mom wearily lays back on the sofa; nursing a headache and cringing at the ensuing thumps, bumps, and crashes issuing from upstairs.)

1 hour later............................................

All 3 boys:

Mom we looked EVERYWHERE. We can't find him.

Mom

Uuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN.

(24 long hours later of tiptoeing around watching out for cat sized toad frog mines )

Scene 3: Sunday afternoon

Mom

(back on couch...now with box of tissue, cold cloth on head, and still covered with a heavy Sudafed blanket)

(tells daughter)

It's time for your bath.

7 yr old daughter exits living room

5 Minutes later:

7 yr old daughter is screaming excitedly from bathroom

Mom rushes (after untangling herself from her Sudafed blanket) to see what is the matter

THE TOAD HAS BEEN LOCATED!!!!!!!!!

He had made his way to the bathroom in search of water.

Mom gathers all of her brood and lays down the law about wildlife in the house.  NO MORE!  (current dog, corn snake, and tarantula are enough!)

Mom reminds children that despite the fact that the toad has been located...he might have left us a present and they should all be on the lookout.

Toad is ever so gently returned to the wild....The children are returned to the wild...and the Mom crawls ever so happily back underneath her warm and inviting Sudafed blanket in her toad free house.

THE END

FADE OUT.

Grand Opening and Giveaway!!!!

I had a hectic week which led up to my first Vendor fair at the local Harvest Festival.  Despite the cold weather, rain, and lack of adequate lighting...a good time was had by all.  I learned a lot about what is needed in the future and receive some very good feedback from some of the customers.  I enjoyed seeing you all there.  I wanted to say a very big and very public THANK YOU to my Bestie, Salina who sat with me all night and helped me through the whole process.  I adore you! 



Win a Free Pair of Earrings!!!!!!

Earring pictured are not exact ones.  I will contact you and discuss your preference of color and style.

So...on to the fun stuff.  I wanted to start this endeavor off with a Big Bang (yes...on homage to Mr. Sheldon Cooper, the love of my imaginary life) and offer a giveaway.  I will be giving away a free pair of earrings via my blog.  All you have to do is log on and leave a comment on this post and you will be entered to win.  On Wed. October 27, 2010 one lucky person will be randomly picked and notified via this blog.  I appreciate all of your time and support and hope to see some of your smiling faces and witty banter on my blog in the future. 

Please take a moment to visit my Etsy store front and check out my jewelry.  New listings will be posted multiple times a week.  If you live in my area, we can also arrange a time for you to stop in and see my jewelry in person. 

I can be contacted via my email:  hammeredalchemy@hotmail.com

for custom orders.

Best wishes and Good luck...Trenda

Autumn Reflections

"Autumn is the eternal corrective.  It is ripeness and color and a time of maturity; but it is also breadth, and depth, and distance.  What man can stand with autumn on a hilltop and fail to see the span of his world and the meaning of the rolling hills that reach to the far horizon?" - Hal Borland

I feel as if I am standing on this hilltop right now.  I can see the hills rolling gently into my future; at each crest is a precipice of joy and wonderful things...visits home, a new business, holidays with family, and the return of my heart.  But...(there is always a But)...to reach those points I have to travel through the valleys each of these hills presents...stress, loneliness, loss, and confusion.  Despite these valleys, I look forward with such excitement.  There are so very many wonderful things looming on my horizon.  But...(there it is...always) this excitement is tinged with equal amounts of trepidation.  I'm reminded of the saying, "there is no light without the dark".  Well, I shall burn my candle (or in my case, my soldering torch) brightly and march bravely through those dark valleys for I know that on the other side awaits the ascent to a joyous precipice.  In the mean time, I shall fortify myself for this travel with good food, good friends, and lots of good wine.  I'm going to start this endeavor today by whipping up a giant pot of Pumpkin Chili to ward off the chill of the autumn rain.  My hope is that along my travels throughout the next year, I am able to breathe deep, absorb each moment, and really experience what is unfolding before me. 

It is only possible to live happily-ever-after on a day-to-day basis.  --- Margaret Bonnano

So here's to my actively creating my own "happily-ever-after", to living in the moment, and great pumpkin chili!

This is one of my family's favorite autumn dishes.  It is super healthy and tastes divine.  You can substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream and indulge without guilt.  I have even fed this to those who claim to hate ground turkey and they couldn't tell the difference.  Due to the abundance of pumpkin and the minimal use of tomatoes, this is also a nearly heartburn free dish.  Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Chili



Take a deep breath...And JUMP!

Take a deep breath...And JUMP!

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw

    

      I have spent 32 years actively trying to "find myself"...to no avail.  Don't get me wrong.  I have a spectacular life.  I am mom to four amazing kiddos (ages 12, 10, 8, and 7), wife of 14 years to my best friend, and surrounded by love from an abundance of friends and family.  I have it GOOD.  But...I still don't know who or what I want to be when I grow up and let's face it; I'm there.  I'm not just "grown up" at this point, I've almost reached what could very well be my "middle ages".  Heaven forbid!

     I look at who I am and I am content.  CONTENT!  Who wants to just be content? Not me.  I want my life to be vibrant; full of color, texture, smells (and not just the smell of bleach as I swish the toilets) and new experiences that fill and feed my soul.  Let's face it, you other stay at home moms know, our life affords us more freedom than most, but it also comes with the horrible side effect of what I loving refer to as "Groundhog day syndrome".

     Due to the baby steps I have taken over the last few years, I feel as though I am already on my way.  I have a good start.  At this point, I am just a watered down semi-translucent version of the colorful, full of depth self portrait I want to create.  So...I am actively going to sculpt, paint, carve, and hammer my vision to life this next year.  There couldn't be a better time.  For you see, my husband, who I adore; but married right out of high school,  is deployed for the next 365 days.  His deployment coincides with my Mother's diagnosis of terminal cancer.  I talk to her daily and rely on her more than I should.  She has been my lighthouse and my husband my rock.  I need to learn to be at ease with myself and to have faith that I can provide my own guiding light and be my own anchor.  I have never been on my own; never been forced to just sit quietly with myself for long periods of time.  (I realize what an oxymoron this statement is as I am now a single parent to the above mentioned four kiddos.)  With this rare opportunity to have more time alone, I am going to focus on ME.  I want to focus on creating a healthier, happier, more centered and creative self.  I know that if I use this time wisely, I can walk away from this experience a better mother, wife,daughter, friend, and artist. 

     Rather than just be full of words and good intentions, I am putting my plan into action.  It is simple really; out of necessity.  If it isn't simple, I won't do it. So...here it is:

Health: take my vitamins daily - drink more water - move more - eat less

Heart: take time to connect daily with my children - remember to remind my husband how much I adore him - don't take anyone for granted - take time to connect daily with myself

Soul: paint - write - read - knit - cook - create - hammer (jewelry) - meditate and laugh (not at the same time though)

     In an effort to institute this plan, I have started walking about five miles daily with a friend and bought an old lady daily pill dispenser for my vitamins (and yes my children snickered and made fun of me when they saw it). I have resurrected nightly bedtime routines with my children and started having face time with my hubby via the web cam.  I hope to continue my weekly painting dates with my Bestie and continue to knit.  I have started blogging in an effort to provide myself a place to process my thoughts, provide myself accountability, get some adult interaction with people who don't refer to me as Mom or Hunny, and to encourages others who might be (here comes that dreaded word) Content with their lives, to make a change and actively create who it is you want to be. And......last but not least....I have started a store front on Etsy to sell the fruits of my new found passion for jewelry making. In this way, I hope to help support my family and feed my addiction for creativity.

http://www.hammeredalchemy.etsy.com

     So...check it out and enjoy.  I plan on logging on and providing the world wide web with more of my brain numbing, inane rambling at least once a week.  Hope to see you again.  Till then.  Sending  you virtual love and good wishes.  Trenda