Random Bits: Vol. 2

There is a curious paradox
That no one can explain:
Who understands the secret
Of the reaping of the grain?
Who understands why Spring is born
Out of Winter's laboring pain?
Or why we all must die a bit
Before we grow again?
–Spoken by El Gallo from The Fantastics, music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics by Tom Jones

Radio Silence

1. An absence of or abstention from radio transmission.
2. A period during which one hears nothing from a normally communicative person or group.

It's been pretty quiet in my little corner of cyberspace lately. School started for the Little Bugs two weeks ago, the day after Grandma Week ended, and we've been getting used to our new schedule. We've had a fairly smooth transition, but the Little Bugs are busier, so the mom is busier.

I hope you won't take it personally, but I picked sewing over blogging in my spare time. But I have been thinking about you and have saved up two whole weeks of posts in my head. I'm going to try to fit everything into one post {without being tedious} and then you'll all be caught up with me.

I Love the Smell of School Supplies in the Morning
When we went to Kindergarten, it was a surprise to me that the elementary school provided all the supplies the kids would need. It was just as much of a surprise when we started 7^th grade to find that the junior high does not provide materials. When Grasshopper came home from the first day of school with lists from all six of his teachers, I was kind of annoyed with myself for not realizing ahead of time that he would need this kind of stuff. I would have paid more attention to who has what on sale. I guess seven years of having everything provided tends to make you a little soft.

I decided not to take Grasshopper shopping with me because I knew I'd spend more if he came along. I mean who can resist the rows of neatly stacked school supplies just waiting to be bought? I planned on stopping at the office supply store on my way home from work the next day, but remembered that the dollar store was just down the block and went there first. I found everything there but the fancy binder with the clear plastic cover, the divider tabs that are inside it and the colored pencils. I got those at the office store, as well as the pencil box {which was on sale for a dollar}. While I was there, I compared prices and was glad I went to the dollar store first.

It was fun to put together a back-to-school package in Grasshopper's favorite color, blue. The pencil box has blue mechanical pencils, blue pens and a blue eraser in it. And I absolutely LOVE the plastic covered composition notebook. Mission accomplished! Mom's first homework assignment finished with style.

Hip to Be Square
If you wear glasses, you know how much a part of your wardrobe they are. Before I started wearing contacts, I liked to get a new pair of glasses every year. It was kind of an indulgence, justified by the fact that my prescription changes about that often. And while its not strictly necessary for the Little Bugs, whose prescriptions don't change as quickly, I've kind of made it part of the back-to-school preparations for them to have their eyes checked and pick out new glasses every year. The sales are usually pretty good just before school starts, and who doesn't love a sale even if it is for something as mundane as glasses?

Picking out glasses with the Little Bugs is always an adventure. They both think that biggest factor in choosing frames is whether or not they come in their favorite color. Grasshopper couldn't find any blue frames he liked and there wasn't a single pair of green frames, ugly or otherwise, for LadyBug to even try on. I finally convinced them that color is less important than how the frames look and Grasshopper settled on black pair and LadyBug got copper colored ones.

This year I got new glasses too. I only wear them first thing in the morning and in the evenings when my contacts have glazed over and I have to take them out, but my last pair was six or so years old and the prescription was really out-dated. And the frames were on sale, so why not?

The style of glasses these days is square. Or to be more precise, rectangular. I wasn't convinced that rectangular was the look for me and I tried on about every pair in the shop, looking for a more rounded style. But when I found a pair that were pink, with pretty, sparkly butterflies on the sides, I had to have them. Because having pink glasses is awesome.

What do you think?

Business in the Front, Party in the Back
Did I miss the memo? Are mullets back in style? Because I saw two boys in church on Sunday who were definitely wearing mullets. And I saw a third boy with a mullet somewhere else. probably outside the junior high.

I've noticed, too, that pant styles are changing from flare and straight-leg to tapered. Skinny jeans are not just on boy bands anymore. They're everywhere. And men's suit pants are narrower in the leg and the hem hits just at the top of the shoe. They're calling this "modern."

Has it finally happened? Did the 80's happen long enough ago that they are cool now? I've been dreading this. I already did the 80's and didn't like them that much the first time. Someone please wake me when the jeans aren't so tapered that you have to have zippers at the ankles to get them over your feet.

Meme
/mēm/ noun

1. An element of a culture or system of behavior that may be considered to be passed from one individual to another by nongenetic means, esp. imitation.
2. A humorous image, video, piece of text, etc. that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users.

I'm still not sure if I really understand what the word meme means. But if you Google Panicked Dog Meme, this is the image in the top link:

That's my sister's dog, Raynor. She came home from work to find he'd made that mess. She said it took a lot of coaxing to get him to sit there and he didn't really want to pose for the camera. She posted it on Facebook, and someone added the caption. Since then it's gone viral. Someone even Photoshopped him into another messy room and added different captions to it. I guess that makes it a meme.

The Happy Tree Guy
Whatever your medium, remember it's your world, you're the creator. There are no limits here. We don't make mistakes, just happy accidents.