More Mehndi Pictures

I apologize in advance if there are any repeat mehndi pictures. I looked and I think these are all new (to posting).  Although at least one was taken 6 months ago - the one with the Seek name tag must be from January (that is when she went).

I have no idea about the ones with all the dirty laundry as I do not recognize the floor. It is not from our house. It is not her college dorm. If it is at one of middle's friend's houses, the mom is just better off not knowing her laundry room was immortalized.

If you are interested in more mehndi, clicking on the link at the bottom of this post will take you to past posts.

No, it is not your eyes. The carpet is nicely in focus, the foot is actually out of focus. That is the one drawback of automatic focus.

The henna that middle uses comes in a tube/cone. We buy it at a middle eastern grocery store. Either the owner has a good memory for faces or middle is one of the few Caucasian shoppers, because as soon as she walks in the door, he points to the henna.

It is possible to mix henna also. Middle just is use to his supply.

(Can't say this loudly enough - NEVER use black henna nor let anyone put it on you.)

All of the above pictures are what it looks like when she first applies it. That is the best time to get a pic as the henna is very dark, in its paste form. Then that layer brushes/scrapes off and these last two pictures are what remains.

Middle went to stay with a family while youngest and I were on the east coast. She went with two full tubes. Half way through the week, they had to make an emergency run for more.

We saw an African American (very dark pigment) with white mehndi, done in sort of African looking style, this week.

My books - The Red Pony (1937) by John Steinbeck

Wiki notes:

The Red Pony is an episodic novella written by American writer John Steinbeck in 1933. The first three chapters were published in magazines from 1933–1936, and the full book was published in 1937 by Covici Friede. The stories in the book are tales of a boy named Jody Tiflin. The book has four different stories about Jody and his life on his father's California ranch. Other main characters include Carl Tiflin - Jody's father; Billy Buck - an expert in horses and a working hand on the ranch; Mrs. Tiflin - Jody's mother; and Jody's grandfather - Mrs. Tiflin's father, who has a history of crossing the Oregon Trail, and enjoys telling stories about his experiences; Gitano - an old man who comes to die at the Tiflin ranch. Along with these stories, there is a short story (taken from one of Steinbeck's earlier works, The Pastures of Heaven) at the end of the book titled "Junius Maltby." However, this last story is omitted in the edition published by Penguin Books.

In case you have read this book and are now wondering if your addition had that last story, here is a reminder:
Chapter 1 - The Gift
Chapter 2 - The Great Mountains
Chapter 3 - The Promise
Chapter 4 - The Leader of the People
Junius Maltby

Youngest just read The Red Pony and her version did not have the last story.

I found a 20+ page copy on line for her.  (Because it will bother her to have missed the last one.)

The version I listed to from Audible.com did not have the last story (Junius Maltby) either. I queried on the words "Junius Maltby" and did not find an audible version on Audible nor anywhere else on line nor at my library. I sent a note to Audible asking if they knew of a copy somewhere. However, my library did have one print version of The Red Pony which included this story.





What did youngest say about this book? She said she did not cry when one would expect. She bawled when one would not expect.

She is a crier. She cries at books, movies, plays. It does not bother her to cry. It is sort of her process. My husband cries at all those same things, plus Hallmark commercials . . .

Yes, there were very sad parts.

It is an animal story, it must be required.

Youngest does not mind if she cries, so it did not actually bother her.  It is sort of her sad meter for the book (which sometimes means to her that it was so good). But it does not impact her sleep nor her life.





It was youngest's first Steinbeck.

If you remember Steinbeck is oldest's favorite. And East of Eden is his all time favorite. So youngest was eager to add a Steinbeck to her book list.

She was a little worried about me reading it because it is animal stories.

I said I made it through Grapes of Wrath and of Mice and Men and those were people stories. So, I thought I would be fine. And I was just going to try/start out, and see how I did.

And I was fine. This book is set in the west, on a ranch, so as I said, real life happens.

If you have a good memory, you will understand my sensitivity came from being exposed to too much real life, on a farm.  

Youngest has that impression (of me) because her whole life I have not been able to handle certain kinds of stories, and now I mostly can. Not all, but much more than in the past.  Two recent things I have chosen not to subject myself to (at my husband's firm suggestion) were Unbroken and Heart of Darkness. A previous choice (not to read) was Sophie's Choice.  I have never read Unbroken, not going to read. The other two, I read long ago and made the choice not to reread.

The Red Pony - I listened to this on the road. It was a shorter stint of driving, this story (really a collection of short stories with the same characters) fit perfectly that day. Yes, real life, on a ranch can be sad. But again, like other books recently, it did not sink me (at all), it is simply what happened.

I do love Steinbeck. I love the simple language. The story he paints. Very much, he captures an era. He is never hard to understand. There are always good, universal messages in what he writes.

I thought it was most excellent.

Recommended age for this book? - I guess old enough that they are not traumatized by what happens on a ranch. And from the title, you might have guessed - what happens to horses and ponies on a ranch (which for some kids, would make a big difference.) And it is not just an age thing, but a sensitivity make up also.

More painted letters and a bonus project - the clothes pins

Here is the original post (with more pictures and information like wrapping with waxed paper only).

Hints for this post:
1. middle painted darker color first, then dry brushed lighter color on many of these.

2. She uses blue painters tape for stripes.

3. Random, often requires planning. Dots/circle designs are between lines on full names. Colors alternate every other too.

4. I usually pick colors for her. I usually suggest design. My quilting design eyes apply to many forms of art, even though I can't execute like she does.


Today's pictures are high school graduation gifts for friends (of middle). As you can see, these are more special friends than last year. Or maybe it helped that there were only a few this year instead of the masses from last year.

All of these sets are meant to hang on dorm room walls.

The J's go to one girl, the B's to another, but all drying on the same board, made a great picture.

These are regular, wooden, household clothes pins, painted, with a good quality magnet glued on the back with a hot glue gun.  

Middle's dorm (this up coming year) does not allow anything to be taped on doors. But each door has a metal frame/trim around the outside and magnets are allowed. 

She glued magnets on the back of all her door names tags too. 

Youngest had a friend visiting for part of a weekend. And they painted sets of clothes pin magnets, to use in their school lockers, too. 

And here is a multi year teaser for you. Youngest thought of a technique she can use to make painted letters for her friends in two years. She will be able to do it (she is not artistic). It will look great. She just finished her freshman year. We will do her letters the summer after junior year so they are ready for the end of an (always) busy senior year. It will probably be shocking how quickly that topic comes around to post. Time (absolutely) flies with growing kids.

Nice clean closet under the stairs (and a bonus closet)

Yes, that large white thing is a single mattress tipped up on end. It is zipped in a dust mite proof type protector. That mattress was under oldest's bed. It is an extra. Now the box spring that goes with that same mattress is out of oldest's closet and under his bed.

Peeking past the mattress.

The whole area is now empty, except for old athletic shoes and a battery lantern and a case of water. My husband has always wanted this area for a tornado shelter. It is deep in the middle of the house, with no windows. The sewing machines can be easily/quickly unplugged and set outside the room. That is an ironing board, far right side of the picture, leaning against the art shelves behind the door.

I now have room for a nice waste basket. When I am using the serger, I can pull the waste basket over in front of the machine so the cuttings fall directly into it.

Are you wondering where the masses of pictures frames (formerly in the nook under the stair treads) moved?

Oldest's closet, which is also more of a room than a closet.

These are the before pictures -

No idea how we ended up with top shelf empty and . . .

. . .everything on the floor.
The tall white item on the far right, front of the picture is boxed springs which are now under his bed. Mattress moved downstairs.

After pictures -

Those built in shelves are 39 1/2" x 69".
For comparison, a twin mattress is 39" x 75".I have not yet found the bin of Playmobile.
But, I'll know where that buffalo is when I find it.

All the framed pictures fit in three very large bins which I had (empty) in the attic. This is much safer for all the glass. As each picture is more upright and not leaning. Very little weight on each one. Downstairs, there was a lot of leaning weight.

This is the other wall, with odds and ends from college,
(oldest, on his list for when he is home)
and hanging over flow from youngest's closet.

There are three very large pieces of luggage, with smaller pieces in them, in this closet.

Bins on top shelf mostly hold seasonal decorations which I do not want in heat of attic.

There is a huge bin of Legos, a bin with several sets of Marbleworks, two bins of Polly pockets, ditto several sets of Lincoln Logs, American girl doll clothes, Brio train sets, play dough cut outs/rolling pins, a Lite Bright set, and probably several other sets I am forgetting. They stay very clean in bins. Easy to pull out when we have little visitors.

And some Costume pieces which are too big for white zip, hanging bags in laundry room - witches hats, broom, for example.

Blue bin on small shelves with oldest's college stuff is full of his snow gear (he is sledding and tobogganing and skating with friends when he is home over Christmas break, some years he is shoveling . . .).

Bins with white lids, on floor under huge shelves and on bottom shelf, are full of packed children's books. They are sorted and labeled.

Black file box, is full of oldest's important papers. Each child got one in grade school, made files, learned what to keep. When he needs something, he calls one of us, we go look for the number or date for him. Some times we scan and send whole copy. These boxes are source of pride and ownership and maturity for each kid. They also maintain an award, activity, service hours list on line so they have dates, contact names for filling out applications. Kids start filling out own paperwork in third grade. It takes a lot of years to learn to do all that independently. No one feels abandoned or parentified, it is a common goal to get them on their feet.