February | 2013 | Raising Jane Journal

V-day Gifts

Posted on February 15, 2013 by MaryJane

I’m curious. How did your significant other show-you-the-love on V-day? Me? I got not one (apparently he didn’t give me gooder grammar), but three, THREE baby dripping-with-sweetness, organic watermelons. (An out-of-season delicacy that had me swooning and spoonin’ in no time.)

And, AND … organic kale for my chickens. I kid you not. I’ve picked my greenhouse kale down to its very nubbins and was saying how sorry I felt for my chickens this time of year. “Poor things, I’m out of greens.” So what did hubby really give me in its most finest final form? Dark yellow yolks again, that’s what. (You know that’s what gives your homegrown eggs their vibrant color, right? Chlorophyll.)

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Happy Birthday, Rascal!

Posted on February 15, 2013 by MaryJane

Rascal was born on Valentine’s Day, and so naturally, we had a party yesterday to celebrate!

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photo-of-the-day

Posted on February 14, 2013 by MaryJane

Happy Love Day!

Paperman

Posted on February 14, 2013 by MaryJane

Happy Valentine’s Day!

“Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar-nominated short, “Paperman.” Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination, and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him. Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios.”

Airstream Love Shack

Posted on February 14, 2013 by MaryJane

Let your mind drift back to the ’80s…

Remember the “The Love Shack” song by the beehives ‘n bling band, the B-52s?

I know—how could you forget?

(And now you’ll have it stuck in your head the rest of the day.)

The love shack is a little ol’ place where

we can get together …

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

Now that I have you humming, come along with me to the decidedly deco desert getaway dreamed up by the B-52s’ red-headed bombshell, Kate Pierson.

LivePict.com (CC-BY-SA-3.0) via Wikimedia Commons

Kate has created her own oasis in Landers, California, that beckons visitors to bask in the exuberant glow of retro.

It’s called Kate’s Lazy Desert, a vintage-inspired resort destination housed entirely in re-fabbed Airstream trailers.

It all began a few years ago when Kate was tooling down a New York state back road in her orange VW bug …

“That’s when I first saw a gleaming silver Airstream with a ‘for sale’ sign on it, and I screeched to a halt … I called the number posted on the window, met the owner, and sealed the deal.”

That was Airstream number one, which became known as “Tinkerbell,” the first official Lazy Kate love shack.

Photo courtesy of Kate’s Lazy Desert

“The other Airstreams seemed to steer their way toward us by some magical force,” Kate says.

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Glacier Calving??

Posted on February 11, 2013 by MaryJane

When I first heard of glacier calving, I thought, “what on earth?” I mean, what a strange term. Come to find out, it has nothing to do with livestock giving birth on a cold winter’s night. Check out this AMAZING bit of footage (4:42 minutes) but make sure you stick with it to the end so you get the “drift” of its magnitude.

Happy RAOK Week

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Megan

Are you ready? It’s time to celebrate this holiday for an entire week! Beginning February 10 (today) and continuing through February 16, it’s National Random Act of Kindness Week. I know, I feel like we just celebrated the RAOK Day. I think there’s even a RAOK Month. Maybe this is because it really should, of all holidays, be celebrated year-round.

So what’s your plan? I’m thinking I’ll smile at folks a little more. Or give out more random compliments. We’re big fans of treating the next person in line at the coffee shop to a free coffee (or mint tea). Or leaving a little something (a Valentine, maybe?) on someone’s doorstep. Or … that person you’ve been meaning to pamper? This is the week! It’s official. (I love this stuff. It’s especially fun to do with kids. They GET IT big time.)

So, Happy RAOK Week! What’s your plan for paying it forward?

Social Media Manners

Posted on February 9, 2013 by Megan

Today, February 9, is National Stop Bullying Day. Cyberbullying wasn’t even a word before the invention of social media. In fact, my spell check says it’s NOT a word. But with the onset of social networking, we bring along all aspects of human interactions, for better or for worse.

Of course, no one wants a child to feel bullied or experience the kind of pain that goes along with being bullied. Who wants to hear a child say something hurtful to another child? But what about adult pain?

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