Friday, 26 September 2008

Size 14

Clothing sizes have always baffled me. What's the point if even the actual size varies from brand to brand. Gah. Add that I am uber petite in height and finding comfortable clothes that fit without having to be altered is just a nightmare. Remember me trying to find maternity clothes? Well, now those don't fit, which is a good thing, and I needed a decent pair of well made jeans.

I refuse to pay 70$ plus for women's jeans that don't fit. Often it ends up being even more. Since I'm not pregnant I don't get to give in and buy another pair of expensive jeans. I started lamenting that they don't have adjustable waists in adult clothing like they do for kids.

:)

I used to be able to buy boys jeans with elastic waist bands. Well, I'm not really built for that in the hips anymore. Yesterday at Target I stumbled back into the boys jeans section and it was as if a light shone down. Holy cow, I'm a HUSKY boy shape now! AND these jeans have adjustable waistbands! A one year warranty! Lots of pockets! Very well stitched, heavy denim.

Best part. 13$.

Better part. They fit. They really fit. No elastic waistband. Button and zipper fit. Next month, when they go on sale, I'm buying 2 more.

It is so sad that the same fitting charts used for children and men are not applied to women's clothing. It is even sadder that the price is so jacked up for women's clothing that doesn't fit and falls apart when worn hard. I'm not worried about chipping a nail, I'm worried about my jeans ripping (well, not now I'm not).

And no, I am not embarrassed to yell out, I'm a size 14 husky! How about this: I'm a meat eating, healthy woman, mother of 2 daughters who will also wear boy jeans. So ha.

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Food For Play

CSA Thoughts

Every CSA I've looked up today has a waiting list. More demand than product. Interesting.

The model just may work for us. Reading more about it between grading papers, baking pies, and tending to nursling and tot. If any one who reads here has a CSA or has a resource to share, please post it! I have a lot to ruminate on, but I an hungry for more data.

Dearest went out and walked the property today, came home tired and excited. We played at the park for 5 hours and came home tired and excited. Right now they are all sleeping soundly and it is not yet 8 pm. Wow.

Time to reflect in the quiet I guess. Or go grade papers. You know, whatever.

I had a conversation with a student today. It really amuses me (and saddens me too) to think about the irony of my unschooling home and life in contrast with my teaching Literature and Composition to college kids. The difference in my teaching approach (revision, ability ot correct exams for full points, lots of discussion, self directed topic study) really freaks some of them out. It would be easier for me to adapt the fail/pass model, much less work, but I like how teach. I would not like the other model, easier though it may be, it would make me unhappy. I didn't mortgage my brain to mechanically grade papers day and night, I did so to learn and relish in my discipline. The bonus is that now I get paid to pass on, day after day, more of my craft and knowledge. Lucky that I get to do so in my PJ's in my kitchen. Yay Interweb.

That actually speaks to the way we live as well. Some things we have chosen are harder than the way our mainstream peers do things, but we are happier for it. Yes, it would be easier to go buy a pie from Hy-Vee but it simply cannot compare to picking our own apples, hand rolling the lard crust dough, the smell of baking pie, and finally, cutting fork into that first delicious, warm, gooey bite. Easy as pie. God, I love apples!

And one last thought.....Zone 5, peaches. How can I possibly choose which varieties from Stark Bro's? I used to be limited to just the 3 cold hardy varieties and now just about every variety is doable! My head is about to explode with possibilities. Suggestions are welcome.

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Part 2 of Haunted Mansion Project Series