It's Happening!

I got the email today that every expectant shepherdess can't wait to get--a note from the breeder confirming that I want two wethers, asking about color preferences, and notifying me that they may be picked up on any Wednesday or Saturday in June! There are some extra details that I need to share with the Wrangler before I write about them here, as it would not be courteous to have him read here first that we may be getting four sheep instead of two (I'll explain later), or that we will be flying to Branson, Missouri and driving back to California with sheep in the back of a rental SUV. So I'll fill everyone in after I make the Wrangler some nice homemade granola and break the news gently.

And THAT ... was AMERICAN IDOL!

I'll admit that I've been an Idol fan since Season Two. I wouldn't say that I'm a huge fanatic, but I do watch it faithfully. Shows air twice (and sometimes three times) a week, from January through May, so it's a big time commitment...I hardly know what to do with myself in the off-season. After Simon left and J-Lo and Steven Tyler were brought aboard as judges for Season 10, I had decided to part ways with the show this year. But curiosity got the best of me, and I started watching the audition shows in January. And what do you know--I got hooked again. Hey, it's good, clean, family fun.

Last week I was thrilled to learn that I'd finally scored Idol tickets for tonight's results show. The Wrangler was considerably less enthusiastic about the idea of attending, but he focus group-tested the idea among some coworkers. The idea tested through the roof--everyone told him to go. And so we headed up to Hollywood this fine afternoon, dressed to impress (as we were instructed). We checked in around 2PM and were seated around 4:30PM. The show, which is aired live on the east coast and in the midwest, began at 5PM Pacific Time.

The studio looked just as I'd imagined, although it was much smaller than I expected. It was fun to see the judges, Seacrest, and the contestants in person. At the risk of sounding like a starstruck 'tween, I'll say it was simply a fabulous show! I just read a recap describing it as the most exciting results show EVER, and I must agree! We got our groove on during the surprise live performances by Stevie Wonder and Jennifer Hudson. (The Sugarland performance was pre-recorded; we all just sat and watched the video on monitors. It was a little weird.) We witnessed an elimination shocker, and we were stunned by the truly dramatic save by the judges.

After the show, we waited out the rush-hour traffic on the 405 with a stop for dinner in Little Ethiopia on Fairfax. We arrived home in time to re-live the glory by watching the recorded show (which airs at 8PM here), freezing the frame to point out our tiny, blurry faces in the nosebleed seats. Indeed, we are so blurry that I don't think this counts as our 15 minutes of fame.

Slide Down My Rain Barrel

The Wrangler and I learned how to build a rain barrel today at the Ecology Center, and we might be able to put it to use as early as Monday--there is rain in the forecast. Harvested rainwater is a great source of high-quality water for the garden. Here in Laguna Beach, it's an especially good means of reducing the storm water runoff that ends up in the ocean. As a general rule, a 1,000-square foot "catchment area" (i.e., your roof) yields 600 gallons of water per inch of rain. My rain barrel is a 55-gallon recycled food-grade plastic drum (with no harmful BHT), which I estimate will be filled after only an hour or so of moderate rain.

Constructing the rain barrel was extremely easy. It's just a matter of having the right tools. There are only four steps: drilling a hole in the lid, which will be positioned beneath the downspout of the rain gutter; using silicone caulking to attach a piece of screen under the hole (to keep out mosquitos and debris); inserting an overflow spout; and installing a spigot for the garden hose or watering can. The Ecology Center provides more detailed instructions on its website.

What Are the Bees' Names?

Today at the farmer's market, I purchased some local honey and found myself innocently asking the seller too many questions about the honey: Where was it harvested (Northern San Diego County.) Who is the producer? (A guy with just a few hives.) What kind of flower? (This honey is from orange blossoms, but he's also selling some from jasmine. It just depends on what's in bloom.) During the inquisition, the Wrangler interjected, "And what are the bees' names?" He was referring, of course, to this hilarious clip from the new series Portlandia. Sometimes you just have to laugh at yourself.

You're Welcome

I finished my craft project. When I last reported on this attempt to create replicas of the $7.99 Easter-themed Welcome sign that I saw at Michaels, I was somewhat alarmed that the cost-per-unit had reached $55. Well, I ended up spending approximately $240 on supplies, for a total of $60 per sign. This, of course, does not include labor. My friend Theresa and I spent most of Sunday afternoon painting the letters. Connecting the letters with wire kept me occupied throughout the entire Academy Awards red carpet pre-show and ceremony. I spent a couple hours cutting fabric on Monday evening, and tonight I fired up the glue gun and spent an hour affixing all the buttons. I guess that's about 13 hours of man-power. Assuming a modest wage of, say, $10 an hour, the cost per sign is $92.50.

Theresa offered to sell my signs at her booth in the upcoming craft fair at the Laguna Beach Women's Club. As lovely as my signs are, I suspect that at $100 each they are unlikely to fly off the shelves. No worries. I always had intended to give them as gifts to VERY LUCKY recipients.

In the mean time, I need suggestions for something I can do with the four jars of leftover paint in pink, green, tan, and eggshell!

Urban Flower

Homemade Living

I've been enjoying the four books in the Homemade Living series by Ashley English. Beautifully designed, the books are both informative and fun. Ashley is a former medical professional-turned homesteader in North Carolina and seems poised to become the Martha Stewart of the modern homesteading movement.