Summer Fun, Treasures and Trivia


isn't it amazing how the sun comes back and everything gets a million times better, like fireworks, like quenching your thirst, like orange poppies or fizz or a hug. suddenly i can't wipe the smile off my face; i'm sweaty and working hard on various projects, and doing this every chance i get:


yep, i found myself a mini trampoline for $5 at hospice.


oh and the dress? i have a story about the dress. i found this baby a couple months ago at a little gem of a thrift store, U-Turn-For-Christ (kid you not) up the hill in Pollock Pines. the thing about U Turn is it's a bunch of rehabbing dudes working there and they are very well intentioned and fun to visit with, but it is the dirtiest thrift store in the world. i hold everything out in front of me pinched between two fingers that later tingle until i finally get to wash them. twice, with soap and scalding water. anyway i occasionally do find some good stuff there, randomly squished between the old navy sweatshirts with dribbles down the front. this dress was in the kids clothes and was FILTHY. i'm talking, yellowed allover like from old sweat. i had the saddest image of a heavyset preteen wearing it back in the 80s, walking to and from school, playing dodgeball and stuff, and she didn't have a mom who washed her clothes, so it just gathered up all this old musty dirt. sorry, i know, i shouldn't be telling you this rather long and disgusting train of thought. anyhoo, i really liked the cut of it and the floral 80's vibe, a la Desperately Seeking Susan, and so i worked a miracle on it! after taking it home and washing it the normal way and finding it still dingy and grayish, i soaked it in my new best friend: seventh generation chlorine-free bleach along with some nice organic detergent, then wrung it out and washed it again. although she's got some pilling, the dress is kinda clean and sparkly now. and very, very swishy and swirly the way i like them!




that was a really long story that told very little. okay! i'll keep the rest short...


the day the sun finally returned, i got a treat in the mail:
sugar sweet blossoms of the earth, like heaven's candy,
 and a vintage photograph from mary.


em and i recently scored matching vintage Camino Logging Days 1988 tank tops at the thrift store for 50 cents.


summer is the time for change.

haircuts and new tattoos...

don't worry, he's not as nervous as he looks. as long as i've got two beers in me, he's in good hands :)


time to come together.
doing voice-over work for darin's films,


or singing Ol' 55 together...



fact: if one of a male deer's testicles gets injured he will only grow one antler.

darin learned this from a strange little Quay Brothers short film and has been quite interested in the idea.
the very next day while checking the mail he found this lovely shed antler in our yard, a gift from the universe.



more animal trivia:
the pupil of an octopus' eye is rectangular
cats have 32 muscles in their ear
a pregnant goldfish is called a twit
an elephant can be pregnant for up to two years
the bones of a pigeon weigh less than its feathers



pops came over to help me put together a new shelf, i've been reorganizing like mad till 1 a.m. and also i got a new blow-up pool for my backyard. guess that really means summer's here! now if i can just get the dang pump to work (or call dad!)

cats can hear ultrasound.

hummingbirds are the only animals that can fly backwards.
a dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
it is physically impossible for a pig to look up into the sky.
the muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint - no two lions share the same pattern of whiskers.
the leg bones of a bat are so thin that no bat can walk.
a group of unicorns is called a blessing.

Comments

Unknown said…
Pigs can't look up into the sky? What a pity. They are such gentle and intelligent animals. Maybe if they roll over in the dirt they can take a look!
Cel said…
Hey, who's dangling that lizard by his tail! Dads are awesome for shelves and pumps that don't work. I think we share similar dads. Too bad mine is so far away again.

And yay for saving that dress! It's super cute and looks like tons of fun to wear. We used to have a little trampoline like that when I was a teen, I'd bounce around on it while watching TV heh.

And and, that tattoo is awesome.
Milla said…
A bee will fly the equivalent of to the moon and back to gather her share of honey for the hive. That share is about an eight of a teaspoon.

I love your summery starry sundances. Your trampoline, your dress made new (tell me about disgusting finds!!! I've had some gross thirft luck lately...), singing and recording and terrifying haircut moments, I'm loving and feeling it all.

I had a dream about you guys last night, where you were visiting(!!!!) and Darin was trying to get me to watch a movie that I didn't like to prove its greatness to me ;D You were roaming in the woods and he and I and Charlie and some other friends were discussing the merits of the thing and then you came in and demanded we all go out with you.

And in the spirit of summer synch guess who found a single antler too...

Love ya, a big hug for you both!
Amy Beatty said…
SWEET! I love this universe and all it's quirkiness. The kids are going to want to see this new pool. They beg all the time for me to buy them a pool like yours.
anne said…
i have a mini trampoline (or if you want to sound fancy you can call it a rebounder). i've been looking forward to getting back on it now that i'm not pregnant. great exercise!

love the dress! i use to LOVE desperately seeking susan when i was a kid. i'm not sure why i was watching it at 7 or 8 but we use to pretend we were madonna eating the cheese puffs. and i always wanted her round suitcase.

fun animal facts! so cool how the antler showed up in your yard! darrin must have been stoked.
oh, you cute little thing, you. i need a trampoline. you guys are so productive. i'm such a bum. i need to be more like you guys. loving seeing you so sunshiney.
Teeny said…
Whoop! I want me one of those mini-trampolines. Girl, you saved that dress from an ultimate landfill demise probably. And it looks brand new! We have a thrift store that is also manned by ex-addicts and mental health peeps....I have to say, the vibe in our one is pretty eerie. And i felt that way even before I knew the history of the storepeople. There is a sort of electric gloom about the place. And everything is dirty there too - but i can't complain too much, it's where we rescued by sewing table from. aw. Shazam! You give a good haircut, you must do mine one day. I promise ya. Take care sweetness.
Tx
Sailor Purrs said…
I'm so happy about the first comment. I love pigs, and that trivia made me sad, too! Love that trampoline, and yes, summer is time for change, and it's such a blessing. Like unicorns. xo
Anonymous said…
I love your brilliance! You're a lovely flower yourself, Heather, and look right at home jumping for joy in your floral dress.

I love Joey's new tattoo- beyond cool. I'd want so badly to get one, and have for a long time.

Hmm, how about a fun fact for you: Horses' teeth row continually throughout their lives, and a lot of folks get their equines' teeth filed to keep them under control. (we don't because 1) there's no one to do it, 2) They eat enough roughage around the yard that it does the job naturally).
Celia said…
I just absolutely LOVE coming here and reading about your fun adventures and your love of life!!! I always leave here with a big 'ol smile on my face!!
polly compost said…
whhaa??? lizard heaven! and i must say you did a pretty good job on that haircut. this post seems like summer-homey goodness love with the fam and the goin's-on's... that buck horn is the blessing. too cool.
Ahhh I want a trampoline!! Love these photos.

strawberry freckleface
ashley said…
Most of our little thrift stores are pretty dirty, but I do find that I find one reason or another to avoid U-Turn ..probably because I feel creeped and that the stuff is dirty- I hardly feel like I want to stick around to dig for the good stuff! My Mom goes there often though and finds tons of amazing treasures!

Keep up the trivia- We still have beer tokens to spend on the next Trivia Night!
Nicky said…
What a lovely find and such a lucky dress to have found it's way through time from the heavyset dodgeballer- hahahhahahah.... to your lovely hands. Sometimes I think the dirtier the items the better the treasure (once you clean em up of course). Such a fun feeling going one in those pictures- the summer fun just starting! Happy Tuesday :D
Missa said…
Nice job on rescuing the floral dress it's super adorable and so perfect for bouncing around on lovely summer day! Thanks for sharing all those wonderful animal facts too!

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