Birthday 29

Now I'm in my prime.

I just wanted to say how nice my birthday was. Thanks to facebook (early) and my sisters (late), I got to extend my birthday sense of festivity beyond the usual 24-hours. (A la pre- and post-feast, as Emma points out. Hmm. Her husband is in his prime, too. A different prime, but still.)

Fr. Peter and Teddy and I, after breakfast, went to a middle school whose music program was having a rummage sale. (Yay to checking craigslist!) For about twelve dollars—I was spending, not counting, so that's Fr. Peter's estimate—I bagged (literally, because Fr. Peter was smart and got the tote bags from the trunk of the car) about two feet of books, a popsicle-making kit, and a penguin marionette. Most of the books are at least nominally for Teddy, although when we came home I plowed through four of them, and am in the middle of the fifth.

Aaaahhh. Books.

I think I will have some more of the lenten (so I can share!) applesauce cake (new-to-me-recipe from Khouria Virginia Massouh from last Sunday's pan-Orthodox vespers) I made on Friday and rest my feet up. I will stop posting before I run out of parentheses (horrors!).

Framed!

After having been inspired, I went to Michael's and bought framey things for artwork I've had since a pre-teen trip to England, a college trip to Chicago, and a recent trip to my mother's house.

My mother bought these lovely Cicely Mary Barker "Flower Fairies" when we went to England for a conference of hers. I think I was twelve. "The Wood Sorrel Fairy" and "The Wind-Flower Fairy" were already matted, so I just found some frames and put them in.

 

On September 14, 2003, I was visiting a friend in Chicago, and we went to some Irish or Celtic festival, and all day I mooned about this booth, wringing my hands about not being able to afford some artwork by Jeff Fitzpatrick. I ended up not being able to say no, and bought an entire set of limited edition Iris giclée prints even though I could not afford them. (This was when I took out a loan for my last semester at Notre Dame.) Each of the four smaller prints is a slightly different size, and I ought to get them matted, but they are in frames, which is much better than between sheets of cardboard in the guestroom closet. (I know the date because I still have the receipt with the certificates of authenticity and artist's explanations of the symbolism in each piece.)

 

During a trip to my mother's house at the end of February through the beginning of March, I was assigned the task (among many, and I am requested to go back) of sorting through three paper-box-fuls of photographs and memorabilia. I found these darling little cards of the Christchild. My mother said I could have them, and that they were modern (1970s?) versions of the (1930s?) artwork she and Papa had picked out for me at an antique shop (unknown to me until Teddy came along) when they were driving between Houston and Notre Dame.

It was difficult to find frames I liked for these, so I just got some unfinished ones, and a sheet of decorative paper for backing. (And I splurged on an X-acto knife, which I had missed using since I don't get to plunder through my sister's art supplies on a regular basis any more.)

 

I spent just about an hour and a little over $60 at Michael's. I was very glad at the prices and sizes, as the last time I wanted something framed it was a custom job and cost over $200. Teddy took a nap in his little stroller, and we were just in time to pick Daddy up from his marriage counseling session. While they took their naps, I framed and took metapictures and even posted! I think I will be happily lazy the rest of today. ... but I'm not allowed to go back to Michael's until all these things are hung somewhere!