Franklin Trip - Thursday Night in Memphis

We stopped in Memphis Thursday night and stayed at the Beauchamps... and we 5 went out at midnight to buy ... canned chili. Silliness ensued.

Franklin Trip - Thursday

On Thursday we packed up our bags and went our merry way to Memphis!

The view out the window the whole way to Memphis.

I decided to be annoying trip photographer and scare the driver... and this is his delightful road trip face.

Dr. George (the owl) and I in the back seat... we played I spy. He won. He was so awfully excited to meet his doppelganger and to go to Franklin!

And it seems I was rather excited also...

We stopped in Mt. Vernon for lunch... at this awesome place with a huge rooster on the roof. On the menu they had not a vegetable of the day, but a "Fried Vegetable of the Day", which of course I ordered. Fried okra, yum. And by the way, dear father wasn't spitting his roll out, though it sort of looks that way.

um... what?

i drove about 9 hours today. yech.

while i was driving i took some time to pray, asking God if i'm on the right path, if i'm heading towards the right things, planning the right plans... i asked for some sign that i'm doing the right thing...

... and then i got a speeding ticket.

ok. hmm. that's... weird. i never speed. i've never gotten a ticket.

... and then i saw a star drop and fall into the field next to me.

huh?!

i'm getting mixed messages!

--

(i'll write about the weekend of wonder soon, i'm too tired right now)

(and about the ticket... i'm going to try and hold off on the rant i'd like to go on, and spare you. but yes, i am annoyed.)

Letters from back home, no.I

Our dear Beatrice,

How we miss you! Things are awfully confusing around here without you... for instance, remind us again how to turn on the record player? We've tried and tried as silly old Cecil wants to listen to Elgar (It's not silly, it's greater art than that hoo-hoo-hoo stuff you listen to!) I'm sorry, that was Cecil. He's mad at me because I said the only reason I don't like alpacas is that they aren't pretty.

How are things in Franklin? COME HOME SOON!!! Tell Dr. George (the owl) that we miss him!

Friendlily,
Percival Eugene "Percy" Worthington

(Post Scriptum: I do not approve of Percy's exuberent use of capital letters and exclaimation points, but did not want to neglect my communicative duties. Sincere regards, Cecil Alexander Beatley.)

I feel fancy. I'm blogging on an iPhone. I'd feel cooler If I could do more than type the subject line... On the road!

"The Hidden Language of the Soul", Pt. I

After attending a ballet a few weeks ago, I was feeling particularly inspired to dance, so when I visited home-of-sister-and-brother a few days later... this is what happened.
(note: these are also due in part to a viewing of "Silk Stockings"... we are convinced that this movie was made directly after some tragedy in the Cole Porter household, as that is the only explaination for the glittery disaster that is the music of this movie. yeep.)

First, we tried the art of the Grand Jete:






Dan's is our favorite. We believe he captures the essence of the jump.

A lesson from your friends, No. I

Lovelies,

We three here at the Heart of Flame Therein would like to impart some gnomely wisdom to you. With these chilly solstice months coming up, we feel one skill to be of immense importance. Sock Layering. It is an art, a talent, a skill honed by practice and careful mentoring.

What purpose does this "art" serve, you ask? We will pass over your obviously oxymoronical phrasing for now and merely point out that all of us have had to deal with such problems as socks slipping off midst slumber, certain socks being soft but not warm or long enough, or warm but too scratchy. All these problems we are about to solve.

When layering, take care not to mix like socks. For example, refrain from mixing two pairs of woolen socks, or two pairs of thin running socks. For a soft, warm, stays-on-your-foot effect, try putting wool socks over running socks.

Our current favorite combination? Long striped toe socks mixed with striped woolen leg-warmers:



We hope this has helped in some small, small, small way.

Love and sincerity,

Beatrice, Cecil A. Beatley, and Percival E. Worthington

It Must Be Stopped

Because of where I am sitting to study, every time I look up I see a mirror.

and because of some weird genetic trait that somehow nobody in the Pyles family has noticed yet, every time I do this, I make a face.

Not a cute, look at me making a cute little face kind of face. An "oh, I'm so sorry I just made your children cry" kind of face. The sort of face that makes me despair of ever making a pretty looking face again.

So... I tried to take a pretty picture. It didn't work. I dodged from myself.

And then the Pyles family face making genetic curse prevailed. I deleted those pictures.

This Must Be Stopped.

(i sent one of the genetic curse pictures to elliebird and it got tumbler'd. heed this warning!)

Etsy

I've been thinking of starting an Etsy shop, because I've become rather crafty of late. Unfortunately I haven't time to spare at the moment, but this is something I'm longing to do. Perhaps over Christmas break.

So many things are being pushed onto the "perhaps over Christmas break" list recently that I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps I'll be busier over Christmas break than I am during school.

If I did open an Etsy shop, I'd be selling things like headbands, curtains, throw pillow slipcovers, my monster dolls (they're really quite friendly and personable), and I've recently designed some rather delightful mobiles. I've got other ideas, but those are the ones I'm confident of right now.

Problems with this idea:
1. No time.
2. Whenever I create something I become so attached to it that I can't let it go. Because of this, things are looking frightful on the whole motherhood front.

"my credo is, don't tread on me"

(name that quote!)

I've recently come up with my new motto, inspired by "Still Life With Chickens". Here 'tis:

Feed your Mental Chickens today...

...Collect the Eggs of the Mind tomorrow.