iLoves iPod

Not long ago iTunes was a foreign concept; the iPod a device of mystery and podcasts of no more importance than a mote of dust among the billions on the computer monitor. No more. The iTunes logo is prominent on my desktop. I’m a regular in the iTunes store and iPod goes where I go. I’ve become a podcast junkie.
Now everyone over 30 has rolled their eyes in contempt and turned away so it’s just us older folk left. Go now - download iTunes. It’s like a Bergren Forum lecture series available 24/7 at home on your computer or anywhere in the world where an iPod may whisper in your ears.
I bought an iPod because when we travel Rick likes to drive with the radio off. I, on the other hand, wish to be aurally entertained.
Emilie encouraged me certain that I would like an iPod and Jay said it was easy to understand. My friend, Susan, said that if she could download podcasts, anyone could. Buoyed with their reassurance and enthusiasm I ordered an iPod - engraved - Elaine Hardman, CEO StoneFlowerPottery.com.
ITunes is a free download offered with the Barbie-Doll philosophy which is that people will buy things to go with the free system. Not willing to disappoint I started with the iPod and added a docking station so I could listen in the studio and then needed a case to protect it and finally (or not) new headphones for comfort.
Ready to make nice with this technology I began by ripping the Dixie Chicks. I don’t actually know what ripping is but iTunes asked if it might perform the service when it registered presence of a CD and then it sped through the music. When it finished, the screen showed each song title, length, genre, artist, recording date and the name of the album. It even, as if my musical opinion mattered, allowed me to rank the songs with zero to four stars.
I ripped through every CD in the house including AU Concert Band music that I needed to become fluent with and all the great music from Emilie and Josh’s wedding. With the historic cowboy music Jay found somewhere and lots of old rock tunes it added up to 1270 songs in one day.
Either iTunes or the iPod can sort and play by many criteria and it will just play and play and play without juggling CDs. Who invented this thing and why didn’t they tell me sooner?
After ripping I dove into the iTunes store where it seems that the best stuff they offer is FREE. That’s my kind of store.
Waiting for me now are nearly 558 podcasts (19 days of steady listening) including 13 short lessons in conversational Spanish and countless lessons on technology and science. If I wasn’t born a geek, I have evolved into one.
While walking through Wellsville one week doing errands the Vinyl Café visited my ears. The VC is rather like the Prairie Home Companion but set in Canada and featuring Dave and his friends. In this particular episode Dave acquired and faced his fear of rats and brought one home for the kids after being locked in the trunk of his car with it. I likely looked the fool laughing while picking up toothpaste.
This American Life is often, and deservedly, at the top of the podcast download list. It’s always interesting - so interesting that I donated to the show because it’s just too good to be free.
Podcasts aren’t all fun and games. There are programs about philosophy and debates on moral questions. CBC radio offers Quirks and Quarks as well as Ideas. In the political arena I like Rachel Maddow’s information but not Bill O’Reily’s vicious streak. For balance I listen to Left, Right and Center. For daily living advice there is Stuff You Ought to Know and Stuff Your Mother Taught You. For emotional and human interest there is The Moth - a series of programs with real people telling about themselves or family members. One can download whole books and listen while walking the dog or weeding the garden.
My exercise videos nestle into the 120 gig hard drive along with a photo album, all that music and days worth of podcasts and vodcasts (videos) and yet 80% of the drive is empty, waiting for more - and it all fits in my pocket.
iTunes holds a marvelous world of information and entertainment with podcasts that are like winning the information lottery every day. The computer makes it work, the iPod makes it portable and all kinds of things make it really worth having.

December 26, 2008

Josh and Jay help to keep the wood stove going when they are around. It's fun for a couple of days but over the winter it gets a bit dull. Jay had to leave on Friday right after Christmas so the day was empty without him.
















Demetra Messoloras (Emilie's best friend in middle and high school) visited and cooked a delicious Greek dinner on Friday night. Here she and Josh are cooking and then we have Demetra dressing the salad. (I know the text does not line up with the photos but I can't figure how to make it work out right. Very frustrating.)



























Emilie tried to escape the camera but I got her (and her new scarf).






















Josh cooked the eggplant and it tasted super but the skillet was a total mess.

















We found this crazy dragon candle holder at a road side rummage sale in West Virginia in October and brought it home for Josh for a Christmas gift. It reminded us of the dragon they have hanging in their dining room/living room door way. It's a little over the top as a hood ornament but it would be super cool if they did mount it there.






































Emilie carried River downstairs to the car.























River went into the back seat so she could watch people but Oslo went in his carrier in the very back of the car because he travels better with sensory deprivation, so we were told.

2008 Gingerbread house

For 2008 we started with a Victorian house with a tower. It looked a bit rickety before the candy went on but after we dressed it with a chimney with a flowering vine and some gummy bear roofing shingles and a garden out back it looked like a solid dwelling. The cocktail umbrellas gave a lovely bit of whimsey, don't you think? Look, too for Emilie's garden and the purple and orange smoke from the chimney. Jay applied some windows to the tower side and did a gummy bear shingle roof. We have about 2 pounds of gumdrops left over.

Story Jar - Peace, Love, Flowers and Ribbon: The Wedding

Peace, Love, Flowers and Ribbon
Story Jar, November 2007





I want these words to turn to butterflies, rainbow wings floating with spicy scents amid the rich voices of a thousand violins but of course it’s not possible. Still, that’s what it would take to tell you how wonderful Emilie’s and Josh’s wedding was. I can’t pack the sights, the tears, smiles, pride, energy, love or even the colors of that wonderful day into words but their first anniversary is nearly here so it’s time to do my best.

Emilie and Josh were married. Allow me pause to smile and sigh. On that day Josh was no more our son than the day before because he’d already been in our family
for 6 years.

You might think that because you’ve been to weddings you have a pretty good idea about this wedding but it wasn’t like any other wedding I’ve seen. They were joined by Rev Connie Dutcher in an intentional, purposeful, conscious Celtic Handfasting Ceremony. Let me explain.

They were married at Peace Abbey outside of Boston. That’s where the Dali Lama and Mother Theresa stayed at times and it’s the location of a national registry of conscientious objectors. The chapel holds the holy books, prayer beads, prayer wheels, vestments and flags for all major religions – so many that it barely has room for people so Em and Josh were married in the library.

People who know Josh and Emilie realize that the library was THE place for these two readers, writers, masters of words, thinkers of thoughts, holders of ideas and histories and connections. The library was totally fitting.

Across from the entry door is a finely-crafted fireplace and seating is arranged in a U facing it. As people entered, they took a candle. Karn was there to light it for them. All the candles were placed on a table near the entry and then everyone sat and talked spreading the energy of anticipation. When the guests were seated Rick, Jay and I came in and we each put flowers in what Emilie called our “family vase.” Josh’s family (Patti, Dave and Johanna) added flowers to the vase blending our families and then it was time for Josh and Emilie.


Somewhere in the process I began to worry a bit about the vase. Emilie asked me to make a large vase but clearly I didn’t get it large enough. It was full when Em added her bunch but Josh had more flowers. How would they fit? One of them was a sunflower with a stem about the size of a broom handle. Josh paused a bit considering the situation and then grabbed the vase and shoved those stems in. His smile of triumph was well earned.

They walked to the center of the room, in front of the fireplace, within a circle of rose petals, holding hands, smiling, looking young and happy and whole.

Handfasting is an ancient tradition common in Scotland until 1939. For hundreds of years, only wealthy Europeans could afford to marry in a church. Peasants would fasten their hands together in public (“tie the knot”) as a sign of their commitment. The practice is also associated with the custom of shaking hands to seal a contract. This ceremony was an elaboration on tradition.

Emilie and Josh stood in the circle of flower petals and Connie welcomed everyone and then Emilie began reading her vows to Josh. I started crying, not that I was the only one. Emilie spoke of being a fierce friend and partner. She talked of loving and of being purposely and intentionally together.

Rick had tissues in his pocket so I nudged him but he was absorbed in the moment and ignored me. It took some powerful sniffs and a couple of pokes to get a tissue out of him and by then Josh was reading his vows. He talked of admiring Emilie for her spark, creativity, courage, compassion and sense of justice. There was a lot of crying by then.

They held hands through all of this and then the tying began. Jay was first with the blue cord representing water. He made the cord of ribbon and lace and described how it represented emotional depth, peace and security. Then he tied their hands together. (Sorry, I was crying then. Here's Jay and Em dancing.)


Johanna was next with the white cord made of ribbons and marble discs and representing air. Johanna said that the air-cord represented strength of spirit, healing and protection. (I made this cord and the others after spending hours in Joanne Fabric choosing from thousands of ribbons, cords, braids and fabrics and then sewing them together with embroidery threads and beads.)

Kyle presented the orange chord of ribbons and rope and shinny gauze. Orange represents fire and Kyle talked of passion, liveliness, kindness and encouragement while he fastened the cord.


Kjersten was next with the green cord representing earth. Green stands for energy, success and a full and happy life.

Adding to that was Patrick with the gold cord for metals. It represents activity, intelligence, unity and learning.





Finally was their friend Josh with the brown cord. Brown is for wood and represents skills, talents and love for animals. Like the others, Josh’s tying ended with hugs.




Then Connie spoke to pronounce them partners for life. People stopped wiping their tears long enough to applaud and as the fireplace log burned low, Em and Josh removed their hands from the cords which fell nicely into a wreath – now hanging on the wall in their living room.

Story Jar - Rummage Sales

The Story Jar Published July 4, 2007 in the Patriot and Free Press
copyright Elaine Hardman

One could skip the length of our attic today. Two weeks ago there was a maze of suitcases, boxes, a large train board, a dozen pair of skis and some striking orange ski boots that stopped all progress from door to window. In the intervening time, I’ve had a rummage sale.

My first involvement in a rummage sale was on Willets Avenue in Belmont at Rain’s house circa 1984. Rain invited people to bring things to her house, cover the lawn and driveway with merchandise and think marketing. Prior to the invitation I’d shopped at flea markets but this was different - a glorious experience. People took away things I no longer needed or wanted leaving me with money and space. It was like meeting someone and knowing we’d be friends for life.
Charlie called it

The Neighborhood Exchange because during the “set up” on Friday, we’d each find things we liked – wanted – NEEDED and we traded this for that gobbling up within our own group the best of the best. Before we put up the “open” sign, it was a success though the sales were great too. The purchases people were inspired to make and the amount of money one can gain by collecting quarters are both grand.

During the sale, we talked about marketing and display. We changed things constantly hanging a choice shirt in a tree or moving a large item toward the road to catch a driver’s eye. Visible things help bring shoppers and shoppers bring more shoppers most of whom leave with good stuff, stuff we would never move again.

Over the years Emilie and Jay had lemonade stands and learned to choose what
to sell and how to price. Counting money was no mere math exercise. It was serious work, well-rewarded. More than once, they earned their new school clothes by working at the rummage sale. The deal was that they could buy anything they wanted but they only had the money in their envelopes. The money was strewn throughout the Galleria Mall. Those were the best school-shopping years.

A few rummage sale items stand out among the thousands. One year we had about a dozen extra doors to sell then there was a Kohler sink purchased for $200 and rejected by every rummage attendee. It stayed in Rain’s garage for a couple of years and was finally dragged to the solid waste transfer station to begin its 100 year exercise in decomposition on county land.

I remember a beautiful wool skirt offered by Gail. I tried it on thinking it looked big enough for me though I clearly had 20 pounds on Gail’s well-exercised frame. A woman scooped it up as soon as I returned it to the table. “Do you think it will fit me?” she asked holding it at her waist with inches of hip shouting on each side of the skirt.
“It’s too small for me. Why don’t you try it on?” I suggested.
“No,” she said, “It’ll fit.”
Maybe none of us can see ourselves well.

There were years when we had bets about what would be the first item sold or which item would make someone the happiest. Sometimes Pat would recite over and over, "Someone has to buy that couch."

Once Rick took a load of trash to the dump before a sale started but this stack of plastic lawn chairs didn’t fit in the truck. He left them near the porch planning on a second garbage run but by the time he returned, I had given them to someone for their camp.

A few years ago a man paid for a set of maple chairs but he had to go home for his truck. He left the money and the chairs and never came back. The chairs waited for him on the porch for a month or more and then, well, what could I do? I sold them again. Now if someone can’t take a purchase with them, I keep their phone number or sometimes we deliver.

Once I offered a dresser we had purchased but never moved past the clean-it-up location in our garage. I priced it low so it would sell. People looked, thought, measured and offered half the money. I took a name and number as a back-up deal but near the end of the sale I moved boldly and raised the price to what we paid. The first man down the driveway wrote a check for the full amount.

When I retired I filled the van time after time to empty the classroom of my personal items - tables, chairs, a microwave, a small refrigerator, lots of games and puzzles and more books than even I could believe. It was the year that Emilie earned her Master’s from Brandeis but she didn’t want an audience at graduation. She wanted us to celebrate instead by being in the audience at Cirque du Soleil. The rummage sale turned books into cash for our family trip to Cirque in New York.

“Your rummage sales are legend,” Judy told me. I’m not sure what that means but I’m sure that we still have extra stuff in the garage and there are 2 closets in need of cleaning. Are you interested in a Singer treadle machine or an HO railroad board with tracks, switches and power supply? Where else could you find a blue shark’s skin suit from the 60s? Meet me near under the apple tree and we’ll make a deal.

Emilie's Green Cupboard

We have a blue cupboard in our kitchen. It was inspired, in a sense by an old door that was on a built in cupboard in our house purchased in 1985 as well as a punched copper panel. Rick was going to make kitchen cupboards with these punched copper panels until he decided that it wasn't really fun punching all those holes. He took the old door and built a copper panel into a new door and built a cupboard around them. This is the model for a new cupboard for Emilie and Josh in Boston.

I had a post of this story with photos in order but somehow changed the order of the photos and now can't get them sorted out so I will just post them without text. The photos show a finished cupboard and then the steps toward creating a second one. The new one will go to Somerville and hold the items of cookware for Emilie and Josh's Conscious Kitchen.

The cupboard is made in sections, dry fitted and then glued with biscuits (wooden discs that swell with the liquid glue and hold the pieces firmly in place. The frame of the cupboard is poplar, panels are pine, the shelves are birch inside and the hinges came from old cupboards in our house. The striking step-out shelf is bird's eye maple and the punched panel is copper. It seems to take a forrest to make a cubpoard.

Everything is constructed in the downstairs workroom or the garage.













A set of photos including one of the finished hutch is on flickr and there must be a way to see it by clicking on those little images in the border to the right.