an old-fashion (long)house tour

The Hubs Kid had a project recently at school. They spent a unit learning about local Native American traditions, and students all took home paper to be cut and colored into a traditional longhouse.

Naturally, leaving it at paper was not going to happen in the Hubs’ universe in this house, especially since the Hubs is Alaskan and has seen actual longhouses and known actual people who lived in them.

In light of all the screaming and crying good, detailed work that went into it, it seems only fair to have a house tour….
Nice curb appeal, yes?
Side angle, with space for gardening. Must be dinner time… Notice the tiny hide?
This is the kind of attention to detail that makes the Hubs say, “Argh, I can barely sleep around the lousy paint job they did in this vacation rental,” while I say, “What paint?”
Every longhouse with a girl in it totally had one of these outside.
Like the smoke? After much debate about how to create a tiny smoke machine, I convinced him that perhaps a third grade teacher would be happier with air-brushed cotton.

All in all, a fabulous job, you guys!!

Although I’m a little nervous at what might get created here with the upcoming unit on the Sasquatch…

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The Fake Weight

Not to brag much but the other day I got on the scale and realized I had gotten down to my fake weight without leaning on the wall.

“Fake weight” — the number we put on official documents like our driver’s license applications and other “public” forms. Every woman I’ve mentioned this to knew exactly what I was talking about.

Men, however, had no clue. They apparently don’t have a fake weight! They’ll deny it but they have a fake height or fake length they tell themselves…

But, honestly, I’m here to tell you that it’s a little disconcerting if you ever see your fake weight on a real scale. I mean, with attainment of the fake weight all should be perfect in the your world, right? The fake and the real have merged and anything is possible!

We should at least expect a rousing parade or curly confetti to miraculously fall from the sky or Ed McMahon with a big check.

But no. I got none of that.

Given my up’s and down’s with life weight, I’ll likely bounce back up and the fake weight will once again become fake if these Girl Scout cookies have anything to say about it.

Or maybe it won’t, in which case I’ll be required to come up with a new fake weight. Where do our fake weights come from? Old insurance charts? Some online weight calculator? An asshole ex-boyfriend? A number from your past? The Miss Universe pageant?

The fake weight must be lower than your actual weight, but not so far removed as to cause snickering at the DMV or when your driver’s license is broadcast on a local news show after you run off with the soccer coach go missing.

I will confess that once I touched on my fake weight, it somehow managed to lose its power. It is just an artificial, externally-imposed number. Health, strength, energy, focus, these internal traits are the things that should have meaning and magic for us all through life, right?

All of which I promise to ponder deeply as I Google weight charts and calculators to generate my new fake weight.

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Not My Idea, and yet Somehow Still Entertaining

Here’s usually what happens when someone suggests a blog idea for me:

Them: Oh my God, this is so hilarious! You should totally put this on your blog!

Me: silently smiles & nods

Me to myself: Yeah, that is now a thing that will never be on my blog.

Well, there’s always an exception to prove the rule and here it is. I present Mishka, the talking dog. Please enjoy.

Not to toot my own horn too much more than usual, but I happen to do an excellent impersonation (imdogation?) of Mishka talking. But this galaxy doesn’t need that video floating around for infinity scaring the little alien babies…

Kid, you’re welcome.

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The Shiny Coat Series: Come to Your Senses!

This month’s installment on healthy living, The Shiny Coat Series, looks at, sniffs around, and possibly fondles you wish the topic of your physical body.

My friend Trish and I were talking about this need we humans have that we totally ignore: to be aware of living in your body. We’re busy, we’re all about what’s in our head, the should‘s, the have-to‘s, the to-do‘s, and we use our body as if it’s an old beater which it may resemble, only good for getting from Point A to Point B.

Well, I am here today to remind you to turn off that ever-spinning engine in your brain, and come back into your skin. At least for a minute or two.

No, this is not how to make yourself feel better with a scarf, part 2, the X-rated version not a bad idea, though, oh the spam!. Although sex can pull you back down into your curled toes for moment. But if you’re one of those people I would never! sorting your mental laundry list during the act — multitasking at its worst — then no, sex may not be the answer for you sorry, Hubs.

Some may disagree; certain religions, even some Eastern philosophy, have a thing against listening to your body or indulging your senses, like physical desire is a thing to be risen above. It’s that age-old wild animal versus civilized man argument, as if we can’t have both.

I say bullshit. Dive in. Your brain, your gut, your skin, your senses, they’re all connected, and sending warm fuzzies through your system, scientists are finding out, is good news for everyone in your cute, little, physical ecosystem. We are sentient beings after all.

We naturally do it as kids. Seeing a giant dirt pile in our yard, the Kid at age 3 ripped off her clothes, plopped herself down, and poured dirt on her legs. Pure, simple, physical joy.

So, here are my suggestions for coming to your senses:

-sex (IF you can shut off the mind for just two fucking minutes I mean, hours, of course!)
-soak in a hot tub, bathtub, metal bucket, whatever!
-drive with the windows down, radio blaring
-skinny dip
-meditate and mentally scan your entire body
-drink a delicious pinot noir (but this is not about numbing yourself!)
-get a massage or scrub
-squint in the sun
-dance crazy
-savor a luxurious dessert
-go hear live music
-walk in the woods and listen
-do yoga or stretch
-run hard
-go barefoot in the sand
-beat a drum or two
-get a mani/pedi
-photograph wildlife
-wear anything cashmere, silky, satiny, or soft

These are just some suggestions. Maybe you have others?

What brings you back down out of your head into your whole, delicious body?!

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Puppy Love: A Harbor Seal PUPapalooza!

The sun came out around our little island so we all slacked off on our medsjust as everyone sat down with their beer and their chips to watch football, I got the fam out and about.
I confess, I’ve been going a little stir crazy this winter. You?
And not only do we get an awesome, sunny day in a beautiful place, but look who we met!
My first harbor seal pup sighting! Ever! And that’s after seven years of Southeast Alaska and ten years in Puget Sound (I’ve done so much for only 29). Finally!
So, sit down. You’re gonna get an eyeful of pup.
It was naptime.
We call this “the love pose.” Pink tongue!
Every now and then, he’d look around. Especially when dogs were close by.
Aw, little nails.
Awww.
Double awww.Sleeping baby. Shhhhhh.

[Note: If you ever see a seal pup on the beach, steer clear. Usually, mama is close by fishing and will be back to pick up her babe. Read more here about seal haul-outs in Washington. Keep wildlife wild!]

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