Black Domestic Goddess

The know it all goddess learned something today - children are not only precious, lovable and ohso cute, they’re very useful as assembly line workers.  This is apparently sometihg that we Americans are  slow to learn, but Mexico and some Asian countries have it down to a science (right, Kathie Lee???).  All kidding aside, my top two (in age, not in ranking) kidlets helped me pack 40 samples off for company.  I was hemming and hawing, trying to work up the discipline to put the label on 40 little 1/2 oz containers, put a label on the back of a business card  with a coupon code and finally put the cards and the containers in an organza bag.  Believe me, as an Aries, this kind of grunt work was NOT up my alley.

Lo and behold, I looked around the living room and saw my 5 year old son, Mr. Mookie, lounging around, doing nothing.  I sat him down with a pile of cards (after making sure his hands were clean, of course) and with a quickness, those little fingers slid those cards right in those bags.  Wow.  I was able to go to the restroom, get a drink of water and read an article in the paper.  This is heaven!!! And he was happy to help too.

Uh-oh, forgot about Princess E, who cried because she was not able to help.  (Instead of taking a nap, like Mr. J, she chooses to stay awake, tired as heck, and cry at every little provocation, just to make my life miserable.).  So, after I got the labels on the samples, I sat her right down at the table with the samples and the prestuffed bags, set her up and let her go.  Whoo-hoo!  Done (those little fingers are nimble!!!) and with a minimum of fuss.  I didn’t even have to pay them either.  How wonderful!!

Of course, they would help me pour my oils and occasionally stir the shea cream as it was being created, but never in my wildest dreams imagine that they could actually be of such a great help.   And all I had to give them was a cookie!!

So, my samples are done, and boy do they look cute!!!  Off they go!!  Thanks, tiddlypeeps!!  (If you watch the hoobs, you’ll get it)

I used to be super crafter before I had children.  This was when I had the luxury of leaving my materials on the dining room table and knowing that when I came back, everything would be where I left it.  Not the case anymore.  Although I cannot be as carefree as I was BC (before children) I still manage to feed my crafting habit and spend moola at AC Moore and Michaels.

Let’s begin - I used to knit, crochet and do embroidery.  Embroidery had to go after a while - I eventually lost the patience and concentration necessary to sort all those yarn colors out  as well as count cross stiches to make the super cool looking picture on the front of the package.  Besides, the little ones, always wanted to help with my “sewing” which broke my concentration also.  Oh,ho, do it after they go to bed you say?  After a day of being outside, making lunch, crafting with them, and cleaning up behind the whirlwind I call my three young’uns, I just didn’t have it!

Knitting, you guessed it…those two pointy needles were wonderful to use as swords and/or to poke one’s sister (or brother) in the back.  Certainly, I could put them on a high shelf, but eventually, I didn’t even want to reach up and grab them!!

Ah, but my crochet - love it, love it, love it.  Give me a J needle and a huge skein of that 2.99 yarn and about two hours,  and I’ll crochet the beginnings of my stock afghan - chain about 110-120, double crochet across, flip, double crochet in every other stitch for about 5 rows, then double crochet in every one again.  (Those who are ‘hookers’ know exactly what I’m talking about).  It’s an easy pattern that yields a good looking products.

I also love to scrapbook.  Something about cutting and gluing paper to make a simple snapshot look great - can you really beat it?  Plus, the littl’uns can sit next to me and cut and glue right along.  What’s not to love about scrapbooking?

I’ve also got my little ones hooked on crafting too. I love to do things with them that involve the peel and stick stickers or cutting and pasting a picture together.   In a pinch, I break out the glue, some macaroni, Cheerios and construction paper and tell them to go for what they know - they really love it!

What’ s your craft?

I was taking a rare moment to watch something on TV other than Forensic Files and stumbled upon an old favorite of mine, Law and Order, the original.  Jerry Orbach was one of the detectives, and I remembered that he had passed in 2004.  Now, I think I’ve seen every Jerry Orbach Law and Order, and am so-so on the episodes that don’t include him.  Which got me thinking - I’ve been watching TV for over 20 years (as a real adult) - who are my favorite TV actors??  Now, I’m talking about those who are known mainly for TV acting, not those who started out in movies, then decided, gee, let me be a TV actor.  Remember the days when TV actors were strictly on TV and movie actors kept their butt on the big screen?  Now you can’t even tell the difference!!

Anyhoo, before the goddess gets on a rant, here are the actors/actresses whom I will bless with the goddess touch:

1.  Jerry Orbach (yes, I know he was in Dirty Dancing and voiced Lumiere in Beauty and Beast  - he was also a song and dance man, believe it or not!! - he’s the exception to the rule)

2.  Bill Bixby - no one can touch his Dr. David Banner.

3.  Avery Brooks - Spen-SER - He was a cooooool Hawk!  (Spener for Hire, for you young’uns)

4.  Robert Urich The aforementioned Spenser for Hire, Dan Tanna from Vegas.  (yes, I know he was one of the motorcycle cops from Magnum Force - but he’s a TV star, not a movie star!)

5.  John Forsythe - “Charlie” of Charlie’s Angels as well as Dynasty - “Hello angels!”

6.  Jack Klugman - Loved Quincy - the Forensic Files of 70-80s

7.  CCH Pounder - Lots of guest appearances on Law and Ordeer - you go girl!

8.  S. Epatha Merkerson - she keeps those detectives on Law and Order in check!

Who are your fave TV actors?  post in the Comments!