I am spent.

Having our booth over at the butt end of Flame Tree Festival wasn't all that bad. We were far enough from the speakers to where we could actually hear eachother talk, we got crowds of people without getting crowded, we had a nice breeze flowing all weekend, we were able to meet all kinds of people and share our creativity with them, and we got to listen to the live animal auction on Saturday morning.

Something else we got? The whole island, locals and visitors alike, asking me and Missy where we were from. The next time someone asks me where I'm from I'm going to say "Venezuela", "Argentina", "Iceland", "Djibouti". It wouldn't really matter where I say I'm from, I would still receive the same reaction as when I tell the truth and say "I'm from here". "You're from here??"

A woman once told me that because I am so white, she wouldn't have guessed I was Chamorro at all. I laughed. And I replied by saying the same thing about her. She did not laugh. She told me that she was full Chamorro. That both of her parents are full Chamorro. She was wrong on so many levels. The first of which, and also the level that reveals that there are more levels, being that one of her grandmothers is full Japanese. Second, I'm not just Chamorro and "white". Refaluwasch represent! Third, thank you for sharing yet another gem of your racist comments that you do a horrible job of hiding. And finally, can I tell you about this rule? It's Golden. It says that you should treat other people the way you want other people to treat you.

Thank you Arts Council for putting this massive event together. I'm really glad to have been a part of it this year.

All of Deece's Saipan's Own Mango Jam and Papaya Preserves were gone by early Sunday afternoon. I'm looking for a good mango supplier. Know of anyone?

I'm also looking for a logo. I could work on one myself, but I just don't have time, and my skillz are a little dull. So...a contest.

1. Create a Deece logo. The logo will be used on this website, on clothing, on labels, etc.
   
2. Email it to create (at) deece (dot) net
3. If yours is chosen, you get an ajinoMOTO Racing Team t-shirt and credit for the design. But I get the rights to the logo.
   

I'm looking for something gender neutral and hot. Crazy cool-hot, hip-hot, not racy-hot. After I choose a logo, I'll redo the banner and maybe even the site.

Peace out, yo!

Fotten Mamas

Last night was the first night of the 27th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival. Tamara, Missy, and I were there. Where were you?

Because there was so much confusion in our initial conversations with the Arts Council, we registered for our booth late and ended way in the back. At the butt end. Seriously. There are two parts to the Festival - the main part and the butt part. We are the in the butt part (now say that with a Filipino accent). So we're away from the main action, but we are over near the live demonstrations and workshops - which were not happening last night.

Also near our booth, or should I say in our booth, the crosswalk. Yes, if you cross the street at the MHS cross walk, you'll walk right into our booth. I'm not happy about this. Would it really have been that difficult to break up the line of tents and move them down one and a half feet in both directions to allow a space for the pedestrians to enter the Festival while not intruding in my personal booth space which we paid $150 for?? I'm sorry pedestrians, but I'm blocking it off tonight. Please do not walk into the back of my booth.

Since it was the first night and we were feeling things out, our booth was pretty bare. We don't have much compared to the seasoned Flame Tree artists and other professional artists, but it was still fun and we garnered a lot of interest. Particularly from the station Missy set up where we'll teach you how to get started with knitting or crochet.
Our booth will be spruced up a little tonight so come check us out. We're next to the Fotten Gaga booth. But perhaps we aren't as cool as they are. We are only selling one kind of t-shirt:

ajinoMOTO Racing Team
Powered by AJI since nineteen tinaki
An original Design by Deece

They're the Fotten Gagas, we're more like Fotten Mamas (don't steal that, that's mine).

Do you see it?

First the old lady jiggly arms, now this?! Do you see it? Do you see the gray hair? Oh sure, I've had the occasional gray sectional faded into my brunette hair. But those three incidents were brought on by stress.

Look at it! It is not two centimeters of gray in the middle of a brown strand. It is a new gray strand!

I stopped dyeing my hair in 2004. My hair had different personalities in college. I dyed it burgundy most of the time, but it has been purple, blue, and brunette with blond highlights. There was even that time when I tried to go all blond and ended up with orange hair. But one thing my hair was not, was gray. Am I going to have to start dyeing my my hair for necessity now instead of for the feeling of freedom that once accompanied my hair permutations? It makes me wish I still had my tongue ring (or my belly ring, or my nose ring....ai adai).

~~~

Have you ever heard the awkward lull of a conversation that only seconds ago was alive with boisterous laughter? Have you ever overheard it?

You know, the sounds of awkward silence and dying laughter as everyone waits for something else funny to be said? The sound of people racking their brains for something...anything funny and related. And then suddenly someone chimes in with a barely related anecdote of less than mediocre humor.

Yeah. Now that's funny.

Copy catter!

It appears that Grace Market in San Roque has its own WWII.

What is it?

RICE CRACKERS!

5 points to Deece. Wahoo!

(Please use in www.deece.net, not just deece.net. Thank you.)

Missed me?

I've been away. I have so much I've wanted to tell you. So much written down on loose sheets of scrap paper and receipts that float in my bottomless purse, yet it's been difficult to find time to sit at the computer and share it all with you.


Jacob Seth turned one year old last Thrusday. He is the son I've wanted since I was 12 years old. Both of my children are so loving and so unique. They care for eachother, yet they already fight like siblings are supposed to. At one year old he can do and say so much. His first word, like mine, was "bird", and now he can say dad, mama (as in food or eat in Carolinian), mom, Nen (Katelyn), Mau (Maui), ball, flower, there, that. He can throw kisses and climb the stairs.

Jacob, I love you more than you know. One day when you have children, you'll understand.

Some shots of his birthday party:

We gave him a motorcycle that is both a rocker and a moveable motorcycle.
His cousins gave him his very own ukulele!

We had pizza, chicken, and Thai food.
This is very indicative of my children. Katelyn eating something sweet and Jacob squishing something.
This is what he did to the cake. The yummy ummy Dark Chocolate Oreo cake from Herman's. This cake has become a birthday tradition for us.

I have much more to share with you. And I'm sure I'll have even more to share after the Flame Tree Festival. Flame Tree or bust! Please keep checking back, or simply subscribe in a reader, for more to come. And stop by our booth, booth 31, at the 27th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival for some nifty hand made gifts and Saipan's Own.

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last last week's Wednesday What Is It?

A light switch!

5 points to Glend558!
2 points each to Tamara, Missy, Bigsoxfan, Sheila, Kadukunlahi, Bruce, and The Saipan Blogger.
Great job, everyone!

You can blame a MCV for a poor connection last Wednesday for not getting back to you on time.

Because every diet needs a little wiggle room....

I got past my first quarter century and it seems that it’s all downhill from here. I got the old lady jiggly arms!
I’m too young for this! Oh that’s right, I don’t work out. Unless by workout you mean struggle with my son to keep his hands off his ching-ching when I change his diamond filled diaper.

~~~

I hate bugs. I don’t care what their roles in civilization are, I hate them. I hate the big ants! You know those big ants? The ones that live in my bathroom and run across the hall and into my bedroom? I kill them when I can. But after having one POUR INTO MY MOUTH the other night while drinking my Arizona pomegranate tea, I kill them much more forcefully.

I’m squishing your head! I’m squishing your head!

~~~

I don’t set goals for myself because I recognize how lazy I can be and I understand that I am a full-fledged procrastinator. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions because the inevitable outcome would be that nothing I resolved for would come to resolution. In fact, I rarely resolve to do anything at all. But I tell you today, my internet friends, that I resolve, from now on, to only buy adult shoes. That’s right. I’m twenty-s-s-something; gone are the days of chunky, heavy, all encompassing platform shoes. I will no longer buy cork wedges. Today I am an adult!

Dos Discoverios

That would be two discoveries, my friends. My internet freinds.

Discovery 1 - My two year old daughter likes Brie.

Discovery 2 - I like Camembert.

If you would like either, or both, you can pick up these cheeses and more....oh, so much more, at Expressions on Capitol Hill.

"I do enjoy a stinky piece of cheese. A pungent, ghastly, stinky piece of cheese!" ~The Roaming Gnome

Da BOMB!

I met Parker. You know the guy who performs at the Red Box…or is it Poky’s? Or is it someplace else?

You know why I met him? Because he helped me get registered for a booth at the 27^th Annual Flame Tree Arts Festival! Yeah! So if you want to buy some Deece’s Pieces or some Saipan’s Own, head over to the Flame Tree Festival next week. April 24 and 25, 6pm-10pm and April 26 and 27, 9am -10pm at the Civic Center. We’ll be in booth 31. Stop by to see who we is.

I think the 27^th Flame Tree Arts Festival should host the 1^st Ever Battle of the One-Man Bands! Da BOMB! That would be fun, but perhaps it would be a conflict of interest for Parker.

~~~

No Country for Old Men – um, I can barely remember it, and we only watched it about a month ago. I think it kept me interested while I was watching it, though.

Beowulf – It was good.

Nanny McPhee – Cute. I didn’t know what to expect – the cover says it’s a modern Mary Poppins. Um, I don’t know. If you think about that when you begin the movie I think you will be disappointed…at least, that’s how it was for me. But when I re-watched it the next day with my niece, I enjoyed it.

The Squid and the Whale – This was funny. I don’t know whether it was meant to be a comedy. But I enjoyed it like a comedy. Indy films with me are usually hit or miss. This was a hit.

Sweeny Todd - Um, whatever. I usually enjoy musicals. But I like musicals with good music and ones where they don’t sing every single word. If the music were better and there was some talking once in a while – or perhaps if it weren’t a musical all together – I’d have enjoyed it, and would probably recommend it. But....whatever.

Day Watch - This was the first Russian film I've ever seen. I don't think I will watch another. I think the movie could have had potential. Oh no, I worded that correctly - could have had potential. If you are a Great One or a Light One or a Dark One or even a Vampire and you can do everything and anything, then why can't you do everything and anything?

Wednesday What Is It?

What is it?

Here's how to play.

Wednesday What Is It? Results

The results of last last week's Wednesday What Is It?

Sashimi!

Also acceptable: raw fish, tuna, raw tuna.

5 points to Tamara!
2 points each to Bigsoxfan, Boni, Missy, Marianas Eye, Kadukunlahi, and Sheila. (Sorry, no doubling down over here...I'm not a gamblin' gal.)

Great guesses everyone!

I must apologize, yet again, for not closing the weekly WWII in time. I have a lot on my plate right now - you saw the post with my booth at the Concert at the Park. It's no excuse I know....but sometimes finding 10 minutes to post is difficult. In about three weeks, it should be easier. Keep hounding me and I'll get it done. ;)

Oops, I did it again!

I went to Cafe at the Park. I know, I know, I know! But it was work related. The service was very good; our server was friendly and prompt. And the Cafe Basil Wrap had more flavor than the last time I ordered it. But there were bones in my salmon. Bones in my salmon! I know, salmon have bones. But not when they're put into sandwiches....right? Who's with me? I was brought a replacement piece of salmon. Thank you, I appreciated that. Ah, but no. There were more bones in my salmon! Seriously, there were even more bones in the replacement salmon than in the first piece.

I didn't have to pay for my meal, however. Even though I still would have - and tried to. That was nice.

I think every time I walk through the door at Cafe at the Park the microwaves that are in use alter my DNA and change my name to Murphy.

~~~

On a happier note, I have more knitting buddies! Missy and I attended Knitting Night at a fellow craftster's home. They...I guess I should saw WE...meet every other Thursday for a night of stitchin' and bitchin'. Or maybe stitchin' and itchin'. Itchin' to see what everyone else is working on and what new yarns have been purchased. Everyone was swooning over Missy's Harmony Interchangeable Needles and Jill's sweater with Malabrigo yarn. Fun stuff!

Concert at the Park

You missed quite an event...unless you were there, in which case, you're awesome! And you were a part of an awesome event!

Alana'ia had a benefit concert today to fundraise for the medical referral funds of two of their family members. It was great! The amount of work that went into making this event so special was enormous. I only wish more people had attended. I hope they do something like this every year. Where were you? I was there....

This is me manning the craft booth.

No, I'm not vain (I mean, really, look at me...I could stand to lose 25 pounds). I wanted to insert my pictures last, but that is just a difficult task and I'm too tired to do it. It's 10:30 pm and I've got to get to work tomorrow morning...not to mention I only got 3, count 'em 3, hours of sleep last night.

Deece's Saipan's Own Mango Jam and Papaya Preserves were on sale...

along with fresh mwers, leis, and side flowers, so were handknit and handsewn Deece's Pieces (thanks for the name, Bruce). I'll be making more changes around here soon...and then you can see and read about all of the things I make. There are some exciting things in store!

Also available, genuine Rankin banana art! On your skin, that is. It was awesome! I wanted to get one done, but I wasn't able to...

...so instead I enjoyed the FIVE pieces Katelyn got. They were gorgeous!

And now for the action!

It was so good! It was music, it was dancing, it was audience participation. It was family. I think I was dancing and singing along the whole time. The dancers and musicians were so energetic and engaging. You could feel their love for the dance with every motion they made. I want to dance again. I miss it. If you missed them today you can always see them any night of the week...they perform nightly at World Resort.

(Sorry about the crappy pictures. I'm hoping James will buy me a crazy cool new camera for Mother's Day....or maybe my birthday?)