The Amazing World of Hannah

This is what I think I would consider my all-time favorite “green” project. It is fun, recycling. (and waterproof) You need: plastic grocery bags, self-healing quilt mat, rotary grid, rotary cutter, and a brain. Luckily, the brain doesn’t play a huge part, because of how easy it is to do.  First, flatten your bag on the mat. Then, position your grid over it, so that the top & bottom of bag are not covered. Slice off ends. Throw away the top & bottom. (they’re junk) slice up the rest of the bag at 1″ intervals. You should get about 12 pieces. Open them up, and they are big O’s. Put 1 O over another, and hitch them together. Pull tight & repeat /w other O’s. Then roll into a ball. You will need to do this to lots of bags if you want to make anything. String can be crocheted, or if you are a particularly adventurous soul, knitted. Have fun!

I have recently (/w the help of my BFF) been working on a little bit of neo-hippie. Before you all call the prayer chain, let me explain. There is a lot of stupid hype of global warming, the supposed desecration of our environment, and independent energy. Most of the folks interested in this stuff are humanist, Marxist, socialist, anti-religionist, spacy, and deluded. But, hey! Why do they have to have a corner on liking organic veggies, natural healthcare, or interesting crafts? While I don’t buy into the global warming (bunk!) or the environment issue (we still have a LOT of room) I think if I can do stuff that is fun, good for me, and happens to be good for the earth, then why not? We are supposed to be stewards of 1. the critters & 2. the land. DON’T WORSHIP THEM!! Just take care of them. Like using good old-fashioned sleep, water, and garlic when you’re sick, instead of going on antibiotics. Or drinking out of glass instead of plastic. Or drinking water instead of energy/carbonated uh, liquid.

But why am I talking about this?!?! This is NOT the green that my title refered to. I was speaking of Green. If you haven’t been to Melody’s new site, I earnestly implore you to skip on over there. LDM has updated their site, released new (LIVE, hooray!) albums, and published great tracts and bios. Plus they have a great new format. There is a forum for sharing memories of Keith, and an especially good article by him + a great gallery! Well, I must go do laundry now, so go enjoy yourself, and avoid those micros!

Fifth Month, Twentieth Day, 2008 Anno Domini

I, Hannah Elizabeth Vestal, upon the event of my demise will the following of my earthly possessions to the proceeding named persons:

1. I hereby will my atlas of horse anatomy to Mr. John McLean.

2. I hereby will my bedroom trashcan to Mr. Matthew Underhill.

3. I hereby will my varied writings and related articles to Mr. Mitchell Underhill.

4. I hereby will my sewing patterns and supplies to Ms. Megan Comstock.

5. I hereby will my sculpting books and supplies to Ms. Raijoice Mallery.

6. I hereby will my stuffed animals to Mr. Isaiah McLean.

7. I hereby will my playmobils to Mr. Honour Mallery.

8. I hereby will my book on raising goats to Mr. Remington Mallery.

9. I hereby will my extensive collection of toe-socks to Mr. Roman Mallery.

10. I hereby will my book of Dickinson to Mr. Ridge Mallery.

11. I hereby will my four-poster bed to Ms. Angie Murry.

12. I hereby will my hats and scarves to Ms. Raideemie Mallery.

13. I hereby will my box of interesting beach pebbles to Mr. River & Mr. Roshua Mallery

14. I hereby will my shoe collection to Mr. Eric Underhill

15. I hereby will my yarn stash to Ms. Nora Underhill.

16. I hereby will my wolf hat to Mr. John Mark Brubaker.

It is my last wish that you divide the spoils in a lawful, gracious, and orderly manner, with love towards one another in the joint memory of your deceased friend. (and throw a huge party afterwards, complete with pizza, door-prizes, and Randy Newman music,)

Since I don’t have a lot of time to write today, I will post a joke.

Why are hill-billy criminals so hard to catch?

1. There are no dental records.

2. All the DNA is the same.

Yesterday was that dentist appointment. I came away with a sore, but none-the-less Dr. Nelson approved mouth. I also had an epiphany: I realized (now you see how smart I am) that besides a few close friends, (very few) the dentist & his assistants are pretty much the only people who ever touch my face. Odd, I know, but still a novel thought. Anyway, after they had probed my mouth, felt my teeth, and worked their pain-inducing magic, they announced that this summer I need to have my wisdom teeth out. I wish I had the X-rays to post, but they were frightful things. I need to go now, I have a crochet lesson to teach in a couple hrs, and I still have school to do.

My {loyal and ardent} fans may be interested to know that my original wallpaper is back by popular demand. (and for lack of anything better) Now I have to fix the wrong alignment issue.  Bye ’til later

(the 2-minutes-later update) I just got my problem fixed! HOORAH! Order again reigns supreme (and Hannah’s a wee bit wiser)

 Chimayo

by Fernando Ortega

I have seen the golden summer light
Flicker in the trees,
In the orchard where the long grass
Sways in the breeze.
In the shade across the fence
An old man in a chair
Dreams of the names and faces
Who’ve been there.

But lately I have seen you fading
As the world is changing,
As the seasons fly.
Still my heart in secret
Holds on to the deepest colors
Of the earth and sky.

In the graying of the year
When leaves and sunlight fall,
Make the shadows of the orchard
Deep and tall.
Then the winter comes and covers
All that does not move
Underneath the Sangre Cristo
Stars and moon.

But I will come and find you
When the spring unbinds you
Singing of an older time,
Still my heart in secret
Holding to the deepest colors
Of the earth and sky.

Hello ya’lls. I had what could be considered a very pleasant weekend.The concert went well, and Sunday was GORGEOUS. After church, the Comstocks and our family /w my cousins & Matthew Underhill, went to Echo Lake. Megan & I swam across the lake. That was fun. We had gone under a couple weeks ago, but the water was still quite chilly. Now it’s nice. We went to the island, and saw some new goslings. Their mother was not at all pleased with our presence. Us three girls took a turn at canoeing around the lake, and we found that we are pretty lame at that. We (M. & I) are starting to get down to the wire /w plans for our party. We still haven’t figured out how we are going to aquire logs and rocks for the events, and I need to finish my costume. (EEG!) Today is that dentist appointment I spoke of earlier. I really don’t like the dentist (or any Dr., for that matter) but hopefully this will be the last time I need to see him for a LONG time. I need to go sew a bit, so bye bye.

P.S. I’m sorry I lost some comments. I switched my format here, and didn’t know it would foul things up like that. You are welcome to make up for it, though.

P.P.S. Honk if you like Ortega

 The past few days have been so nice! Yesterday, I flaked out on the trampoline like a lazy old thing, and read Wakefield.  Tonight I have a choir concert, which I am not looking forward to, so that kind of threw a pall over the pretty sun.

       I think this is a great opportunity to ramble on about myself some more. (like there is ever a time that isn’t a good opportunity) So, I shall entrust you folks with even more information about your’s truly than you already know. As the song says, “these are a few of my favorite things.”

 Clothes:

1. Denim skirt

2. Columbia t-shirt

3. organic socks

4. anything cashmere (my one guilty pleasure)

5. straw hat

6. Mary Janes

7. Leather backpack (not really clothes, but might as well be)

8. sinister-looking kidskin gloves

 Art:

1. Fraktur Trausheinn

2. white-on-white embroidery

3. 50’s kitsch

4. unusual knitted items

5. doilies

6. quilts

7. paintings of pastoral things

8. Belgian lace

9. Eric Thorson bronzes

 Music

1. Keith Green

2. Fernando Ortega

3. Michael Card

4. Kenny Loggins

5. Donna Fargo

6. Randy Newman

 Movies:

1. Fiddler on the Roof

2. The Sound of Music

3. The Elephant Man

4. Animal Farm

5. Jakob the Liar

6. Andersonville

 Books:

1. The Set of the Sail

2. The Royal Way of the Cross

3. The Cost of Discipleship

4. Fruit in His Season

5. Animal Farm

6. anything Hawthorne or Tolstoy

 Food: (the one all the guys want to see) (poke, poke)

1. mashed banana /w peanut butter

2. red pepper soup / spinach

3. marinated artichoke hearts

4. sun-dried tomatoes

5. sauerkraut

6. carrots

7. apples

8. guacamole / tons of garlic

 Fabrics:

1. denim

2. calico

3. eyelet

4. dotted Swiss

5. anything embroidered

6. camouflage (do I hear laughter?)

7. anything with little mushrooms printed on it

I have decided to relocate to WordPress, because not only was my old site monochromatic, but I want ed to include pictures of my marvelous life. I will also make this my main posting place. Every once in a while, I might blow the dust off the other one. All that to say, “Hi, glad you could come to my new digs.” If you think this was a good idea, drop me a note. By the way, any “related posts” that the computer generates, is not mine, so don’t click!