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I LOVE THIS. (and now I'm going to continue researching woodstoves and hot water heaters)

hmm...

from Jung's Red Book

dinner tonight with father's family, yummy food, starfruit included!

spent time drawing a pretty lady in a ballgown, attempting to re-engage creativity and pay more attention to detail in setting

one thank you package given away, three waiting to be mailed

listened to old, friendly albums: 

Devotchka- How it Ends
Grizzly Bear- Yellow House
Iron and Wine- The Creek Drank the Cradle

the video here is from another album, but is just SO neat

read about Jung and dreams and archetypes and collective unconsciousness

thought about these topics in relation to the ever-expanding pharmaceutical industry, The Red Book, my dreams, David's autism and his dreams, depression, deepresso (see video below), lack of spirituality or connection to self in modern society

Last night I dreamed I was in the back hall of my job. Turned into my old high school, lots of construction going on, everything was very dark, turned into my middle school. I floated/slid around the floors on my stomach, looking for my health classroom. Met an old friend, Dylan Byars, who helped me find my way around. Once I got to class, I was in my middle school body with my current mind. All the kids were smoking cigarettes but the teacher didn't mind. She told me Dylan had been killed a day ago by some rowdy men who hung out in the back hall of my dark job/high school/middle school. I suppose I was speaking with his ghost?

I like this quote: "Neurosis results from a disharmony between the individual's consciousness and the greater archetypal world" 

Bill Murrr-aaaay

Three things on that list are done!

And these are cool sheep phones...

some good news

1. Everything in this house is as organized as it's ever been. 
2. We are considering this property. FIVE acres! Makes me think of this song.
3. Abraham appears to be getting much, much better. Oliver is becoming very social! Bill Murray had a taste of freedom with the big boys and now is brave enough to venture out alone (and without permission).
4. We sold the goats and made $100 to go towards his vet bill.
5. I've been making some amazing bread. Here is the SUPER-EASY recipe (that I stole from the internet and now can't find a link to): Put one package of yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar, and a cup of warm water into a small bowl. Let it proof for ten minutes. In a larger bowl, place 2 1/2 cups of bread flour, 1 1/2 tsp sugar, and 1 1/2 tsp salt into a bowl. Add the yeast mixture. I realized if I use my kitchen aid mixer it saves me from getting flour everywhere and I can use my bread hook attachment to knead it for a few minutes. You can do this all by hand though. Rub a sheet pan with olive oil, and rub some saran wrap with olive oil too (as it rises, it'll stick). Cover with the wrap and let it rise somewhere really warm for about 45 minutes. I've made it two days in a row now. When it rose somewhere only kind of warm, it took about an hour and half to reach the same size as it did after sitting on the warm stove for 45 minutes. Bake it at 350 for about 15 or 20 minutes, or until it's a light yellow color and sounds hollow when you knock on it. So far, I've made it into garlic bread by baking it with olive oil, butter, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I also made it with just a spread of butter and a little salt for a good all-purpose bread. The butter makes it more flaky on the outside. If you store what's left in a plastic bag, it keeps really well and makes perfect French toast in the morning. 
   
6. My friend Rachel began writing a blog. She's really witty and I think you would like her. I do. :)
7. 
   

(I want to be excited about this, but it also makes me very unsure about the what it could bring about if used for the wrong cause)
9.

10. Starting tomorrow, these things will get done during the rest of my vacation: re-scan all of my artwork into higher quality whatchamacallits and update portfolio, mail out packages to people on my list, repair dollhouse and paint it white, transform Henry into magnet-form or felt-board form (whichever is more functional) and complete segment one, repair salt and pepper shakers, sort out ideas for potential gallery show which involves pretty ladies' dresses, talk to lady at women's clinic about selling some framed art, and just DRAW. 

This month has really been an unlucky one. First the moving news, then Haiti has a devastating earthquake on my birthday (a really good omen, eh?), our kitty Thadeus dies two days later, another massive earthquake and MUCH more unnecessary violence happening around the world (though I've been avoiding the news because I think I'll flip out, and besides, if I turned to televised news, would they really tell me anything new? No.) In this very same week, Katie's transmission dies and Rick finds out his sister is really sick. And now, some icing on the cake of doom... Abraham is infected with a nerve damaging parasite that attaches to his spinal cord and works its way into his brain. It's got a name too long, I can't even remember... wait... Google knows everything, I'll ask it. Paralaphostrongylus tenius. Last night, he couldn't even walk. He's probably gotten about seven shots in 24 hours. And he and Oliver both had to swallow down a huge tube full of worm killing white goop. Poor guy. I feel so, so, SO terrible for him. And I've never heard a more saddening cry than that of a sick alpaca.

I think it's all because of those goats. (I'm only sort of kidding.)

feeling pretty content right now...

Today we welcomed two goats onto our little farm(ette). Oliver and Bill Murray were quite brave, but Abraham kept his distance. When I checked on them after dark, I found all five sleeping together in their cozy little shed! They must have smelled the snow coming. Right now it looks like everything has just been sprinkled by a giant, cloud-sized powdered sugar sifter.

I also had two very old friends over. In high school, we passed around journals filled with crazy teen-angst-filled stories. And tonight we made an amazing meal of ground deer seasoned with curry, ginger, tangerine, onion, garlic, paprika, cumin, and  some other stuff (like vegetables). There was also couscous with butter and lime, warm bread, rosemary roasted potatoes, and a salad with apple cider vinegar, pears, tangerines, celery, and carrots.

I love food so much. And friends too, of course :)

woo! yeah! OK!

I'll have some new products soon, in the little shop.

1. bookmarks
2. trippy greeting cards
3. pocket notebooks
4. and a very special princess-themed valentine's day assortment

:)

newssss-cast

Henry in his new little home...

and...

homemade banana and apple chips. YUM.

My friend Cyndi did some amazing interwebbing today. (I have been too busy to do so myself...Oh how I crave it...) I'll share her treasures:

1. yurt
2. the best bumper car ever
3. neato
4. wowie
5. drool
6. I won my bid on some cool antique hand-carders from New Zealand on Ebay so this will come in handy soon 

ps. I'm 12 years old and what is this?

renew year celebration at studio 34

things to do this year:

practice yoga

learn to meditate

only eat bad food if it's free (and only if I'm starving)

grow as many vegetables as possible

start making my own music (and mixed tapes)

incorporate more nature into lessons with David

write more

read more

draw more

make stop motion animation

and there's more, but how about you?