In pursuing The Gentle Art of Domesticity, I have, so far this year, made homemade pickles (which have yet to be deemed tasty–or even edible–this Friday will end the 2 week waiting period–so an update will be posted after the taste-testing), lasagna soup (so yummy) and rolled/frosted sugar cookies on two separate occasions. Each of my sons chose these are the goodie-of-choice to take in to their classrooms on their birthdays.

These were not meticulously decorated, impressive cookies. These were misshapen, come-as-you-are cookies topped with copious amounts of garish icing and M&M’s. They were very well received with their teal, fuschia, and chartreuse coloring and rainbow candies. There may at some point be pictures…

So what’s next for a domestic diva like me, you might ask?

Well, I haven’t gotten started on that knitting resolution yet. Frankly, I’m not all that certain what the best way to begin is. If I’m interested in knitting socks, should I just buy a sock pattern, or do I need to start smaller?

But any way you look at it, I’m evolving–and quite enjoying myself.

Today I attended my sons’ school Spelling Bee, in which eight students each from grades 3, 4, and 5 participated. My son was a third grade participant and had studied the spelling lists a fair amount but not assiduously. He was confident but not overly so.

The Spelling Bee was being held in the school gym at 8:30, and I walked the boys into school in time for the 8:15 bell and then went to wait in an empty gym. Chairs were lined up against the wall and I was told I could have a seat there. As I sat, I wondered if we’d be allowed to move our chairs into the center of the room, in front on the stage, where the spellers would be sitting. As all classes of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders started parading into the room, I realized we would have to stay where we were, on the fringe. Once everyone was seated, instructions were given, and the audience was informed there was to be absolutely no talking. As hard as it is to believe for kids this age, there wasn’t any. It was completely silent in the gym during the spelling. Well, except for me and my ongoing whispered commentary to my husband…

In the first round, my son spelled ‘canary’ correctly, and stayed in. In the second round, he spelled ‘powwow’ correctly and was one of only five students remaining (four of them third graders). He misspelled ‘finale’ in the next round, and at the end of the round it was down to the last two kids–both third graders. After an exciting round of head-to-head spelling, with both boys misspelling about a third of their words, a winner was finally announced. My son is happy to be able to say he beat out all the fourth and fifth graders, but happy too, I assume, that spelling practice is over for the year. He has high hopes for next year.

I have to admit, my favorite misspelling (by a fifth grader) was the word ‘tutu’, which she spelled ‘toto’. Second would be ‘goatee’, misspelled as ‘gotique’ (I think that’s what I heard).

As I left the school through the front office, one of the office workers asked, ‘How was it?’ I answered, “Riveting,” and the mom behind me said, ‘Well put.’ It occurred to me after I’d walked out that I should have said, “Riveting, r-i-v-e-t-i-n-g.” Or maybe I’m just a geek.

I’m curious. While I love to get comments on my blog, I seldom post my own comments to the commenter. Is this a turn-off? If you post on someone’s blog, are you hoping for a little conversation or are you just expressing your thoughts, confident that the blogger will read them?

Not only do I not banter with commenters, but I rarely think to go back to my favorite blogs to see if the blog owner has responded to my own witty commenting. No offense to anyone–it’s mostly a time contraint and an uncertainty over which sort of blogger (the commenter or the non-commenter) that I’m dealing with.

So…I ask you: Do you like a little personal attention on a blog? Or do you want to just post your comment and end it? (That was intended as a vague Seinfeld reference.)

Please comment. (If you request a follow-up comment, I will provide it.)