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This is Eglentyne

 

I am Dani Smith, sometimes known as Eglentyne.  This blog is one of my hobbies.  I also knit, sew, run, parent, cook, eat, read, and write fiction.  I have too many hobbies and don't sleep enough.

The title up there makes it sound like this is a knitting blog.  And it is.  Sometimes.  Mostly I talk about whatever is on my mind, and since I'm a knitter, knitting is sometimes on my mind.  When I can find my mind, scattered among three children, a spouse, some tropical fish, and a creepy frog.   

Books are frequently on my mind.  Almost all of the books I mention on this site come from my local library because 1) I love my local library and its smart librarians, and 2) I don't have enough money to feed my reading habit (or the insatiable reading habit of the three Sonars) with purchased books.  If the books come from another source, I'll let you know.  

I put together the images and the words on these pages with thoughtfulness and love.  If you would like to quote small passages, please feel free to do so as long as you attribute them to me and link back to this site.  If you would like to repost large sections or whole posts, please contact me for permission and verification.  I can be reached via Twitter (@eglentyne) or by email (eglentyne at gmail dot com).  Thank you for respecting my intellectual property and for promoting the free-flow of information and ideas.  If you're not respecting intellectual property, then you're stealing.  Don't be a stealer.  Steelers are ok sometimes, but I really don't like thieves.  

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    Entries in Alien Invasion (3)

    Sunday
    29Jun2008

    Packing

    Posted on DateSunday, June 29, 2008 at 12:16PM

    We are about to pack ourselves and our children into the Eurovan and drive 900 miles through the desert.  I would not necessarily say it is the bleakest drive in the world (that stretch along the border through El Paso is pretty bleak, but we're not going that way this year), not is it the most monotonous (SharpSticks wins that one for her drive through the wheat fields of, hm, Alberta was it?), but it does have a certain featurelessness that is typical of much desert driving.  


    Just to make things interesting, we're taking a hard right at Fort Stockton, Texas, detouring from the Interstate this year and going through Carlsbad and Roswell in New Mexico.  

    For those of you unfamiliar with NM geography, Carlsbad has what are among the most famous caverns in the world situated nearby.  Aptly titled, Carlsbad Caverns National Monument.  (I love that web address.  The simplicity.)  And Roswell has made itself famous for association with extra-terrestrial life.  Our terminal point in this grand tour is Albuquerque, city of my childhood.  We are still deluding ourselves that we will make it there in one day.  

    We are two drivers, and the drive from here to there is 14 hours, not counting pee breaks, leg stretching, dinner, and stops to appreciate the cultural/ educational/ social/ geographical/ historical/ silent and/or childless significance of any given place.

    So today we are deciding what to pack into the van with us and the three Sonars.  So far we have packed two audio books and a bucket of car-appropriate crafty/fiddly things.  Oh, and need I say there will be a bucket of legos and a kilo of stickers?

    Perhaps clothes and sunscreen would be wise additions?  And of course, some knitting.  I can't decide between a very weird sock (I tried to link directly, but it was weird... it's the Conservative sock, which will be decidedly unconservative in some actual colors) or a sweater for Partner (The Hacky Sack Hoodie from Son of Stitch and Bitch--though I tried to talk him into the totally hot Messenger sweater with the skull on the shoulder).  Go ahead and laugh.  Oh yeah, sure, 'take the sweater,' you might say, wiping away a tear of hilarity, 'to knit in the 100+ degree (Fahrenheit) New Mexico desert.   Good plan.'  But I will need some knitting to wile away the hours, knitting that isn't too challenging, so that I can follow the pattern over the wailing and gnashing of teeth ('My butt hurts' or 'I know we just stopped ten miles ago, but I will not pee in a cup!').  

    So, what must you have with you when you go on a trip?  Sedatives?  A travel guide?  A nanny?  Earplugs? 

    AuthorEglentyne | Comment2 Comments |
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    Saturday
    23Feb2008

    Stupid Mango Tricks, or Things to Entertain and Amaze Your Kids

    Posted on DateSaturday, February 23, 2008 at 9:58PM

    Half a ripe mango, scored inside and then turned inside out

    Sonar X4: "It looks like hair!"
    Sonar X7: "Can I put it on my head?"
    Sonar X3: "It's Mango Hair!"

    Later, to facilitate the fair-sharing of a pint of Ben and Jerry's "Fossil Fuel", I cut the ice cream, carton and all, into four pieces with a big knife. That was also met with delight by all three Sonars.

    Teaching them to scoop small bites, suck the ice cream off the fudge dinosaurs, and spit them into their hands for species identification: Probably not such a good idea.

    AuthorEglentyne | Comment3 Comments |
    tagged , ,
    Friday
    11Jan2008

    SLC Post-script

    Posted on DateFriday, January 11, 2008 at 7:10PM

    Taking down the laundry this afternoon (all dry but a couple of towels!!), the kids were running around playing. I had tossed the slightly damp towels in the dryer while I took down the other clothes. The dryer vents right underneath the clothesline. When the boys noticed the air coming from the vent, indicating that the dryer was on, they disappeared around the back of the house, returning a moment later.

    They had gone to check the electric meter, to see how fast the little wheel was spinning. Apparently, it wasn't spinning too fast, giving them hope that they'd have enough energy for the magic light that fought against the "rising darkness" and the "attack of the alien lasers."

    Energy conservation as Imaginary Planetary Defense Support.

    AuthorEglentyne | CommentPost a Comment |
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