Flowers and Birthdays and Yarn. (Oh My!)

Last week The Girl turned eleven. In my absence several people went out of their way to make the day special. That gorgeous tulip was brought by her BBF (British Best Friend). Actually it was a bouquet of tulips. I am determined to figure out a crochet pattern for this flower...look how amazing it is with all its purple-y, yellowish love.

Speaking of crochet...Yesterday I promised to show you a hat I was commissioned (doesn't that sound fancy!) to make:

This is the Daffodil side....

And this is a (not so good) shot of the Orchid.

You really don't know how long I deliberated over which flowers to place on this hat... as if the whole world depended on it. But I think these are nice and springy and I cannot wait to see a certain Twinkie Girl wearing it.

Also, are you sitting down?

I know some of you have been waiting ever-so-patiently for a certain Tea Cosy Tutorial. Tomorrow is your lucky day! I am finishing up the flower making, photo taking, and pattern baking (it was the only -ing word I could think of) and it will be up by tomorrow. I am so excited to share this with you!

There have been a few of you who have asked if I will have some tea cozy's to sell... At the moment, I'm  only taking custom orders. So if you want something made, email me! I have two crochet orders in the cue right now, and they will be finished by the end of the week. I'm trying to fund a trip to NYC so now is the time to order! ;)

Last, but certainly not least...here is my Girl celebrating 11 wonderful years!

Love. This. Child.

Home is Where the Heart Is

The last ten days were nothing like I expected. I thought I would have time to blog and crochet while I waited by my mom's bedside. I learned its hard to focus on anything else when someone you love is struggling...

The good news is that my mom is doing well. Its been tough, but she's a trooper!

For those of you who hadn't heard, my mom had a quadruple Coronary Artery Bypass Graph thirteen days ago. 

I went home to Arizona to be with her and my dad. I just returned home last night.

Life carried on here in The La Vida House while I was away. There were basketball games and birthday parties and even some house cleaning! Everybody stayed fed and watered and managed to get exactly where they needed to be at the right time and day.

I'm thankful for My Mister. He did a good job. 

I want to catch you up on the last 10 days, specifically things I am grateful for... but I am still processing through much of it.... so lets talk about crochet!

The day before I left, I tricked my friend Becky into coming over for lunch with full intentions of putting her to work. 

She too is a crafty girl who knows how to crochet, so we made this heart garland for my moms hospital room.

I followed this pattern  but I added a twist....on Round Three I added a picot on the second of the three single crochets that make up the point. I wanted my hearts a little more pointy.

We whipped this project out in a couple of hours and still had time to eat grilled cheese sandwiches with salad. And these amazing cookies that The Girl made... which were very easy and pretty delicious! The recipe yields 7-8 large cookies, but the caloric intake is frightening. We made smaller cookies and got double the amount.

We were all quite proud of ourselves!

In all the busyness in Tucson I forgot to take a picture of the bunting hung in her hospital room; it made it look a lot more cheery. 

Right now its hanging in her own bedroom, so she'll know that my heart is with her as she recovers....

Tomorrow I'll show you an adorable (if I don't say so myself!) spring-time hat I made before I left. But right now I'm going to brew another cup of coffee and go hang out with my kids...

xoxo

Random Thoughts from a Scattered Brain

Yesterday was a long day...and I can't imagine how long it felt for my dad and brothers.

My mom made it through surgery and now begins the process of recovery.

I spoke to my dad around 7am this morning and (as of that time) she was still on a ventilator and needed a unit of blood overnight, but was otherwise doing the same. I'm praying that she will perk up this morning so she can get off the vent and get going on her recovery.

In between constant chain-praying, I have been scrambling to prepare my family for my not being here next week. Which means I have been shopping and tying up loose ends. Thankfully my sweet friend Becky gave me this portable list-keeper, and I have used that thing like crazy this week! (see pic below)

-I've kept my self occupied this week with gallons of hot coffee, a little bit of crochet, endless list making and a basketball game or two. I was also very grateful for the little bit of happiness  that happened yesterday as I was in the Target.

I had forgotten that its that wonderful time of year when York Peppermint Patties are made Valentine style.

I don't know what it is about this candy, but I love me a mint. And when that mint happens to be heart shaped and light pink inside...well, that's just a little bit of perfection for this sappy soul.

Its the little things, you know?

- I was also grateful for a quick cup of tea with a friend, and hearing from friends and family throughout the day.

- Today is busy, and I am trying not to freak out that my iPad is suddenly refusing to turn on...so I think I'll log off and try to get to the Apple store speedy quick...

- The Girl has been flipping through my new Cookie cookbook (Thank you Tracy V!) and is insistent that we make the Chocolate Whoopie Cookies pictured on page 418. I bought the ingredients, and then came home and read the nutritional content, which was a bad idea...turns out Chocolate Whoopie cookies have over 630 calories per cookie, and you don't even want to know how much fat. I kind of wish I didn't know.

So that's it...random thoughts from a scattered brain.

Ticker Trouble

Its been quiet here on the blog as I have been focused on thoughts elsewhere. 

We've had an adventure and it will continue on through the coming weeks.

If you are inclined to prayer, I would love you to lift up my mom and dad (Karen and Fil.)

My mom found out last week that she will need open-heart surgery. 

Through a series of events this surgery will most likely happened sooner than originally scheduled.

We are still awaiting news on the specifics. The good news is that at the moment she is in a top-rate hospital; she is in a really good place.

I am scheduled (based on original surgery dates) to fly out on Saturday, so in the meantime I am planning and cooking and cleaning and preparing things so The Mister can hold-the-fort while I'm away. Its likely the blog will be quiet this week...but I'll update through the comments on this post for those who have asked to be in-the-know.  

I know she is going to pull through like a champ, but I also know that she appreciates all who are praying on her behalf. 

xoxo

Because Sometimes Bathroom Humor Really Is Funny

It never fails.

The minute I say I'm going to do something on the blog my life completely gets in the way.

So if you are here for the Teapot Tutorial that was promised on Wednesday, I'm sorry. Its coming soon!

To add insult to injury, I'm about to tell you something not spoken of here....

I'm not a fan of bathroom humor.

Like, really, not a fan.


I don't know why, its just the way I'm wired.

However the DNA of anti-bathroom humor must not be a dominant trait because I happened to produce two offspring that think talking about (or making sounds like) obnoxious functions of certain body parts is pretty hilarious.

This fact is compounded by the fact that I have a thirteen year-old for a son.

If you have a three-year old, you know what I'm talking about...now add a decade (with a dash of wit and a few wacky hormones) and the hilarity adds exponentially.

The kids have been studying Astronomy for the last month in their science class.

The text has been great and they've really enjoyed this course. They've especially enjoyed the study of planets, in particular the planet of Uranus.

There were giggles and guffaws coming from downstairs last week that led me to believe school-work was not being completed. So I went to take control of my rowdy students....but when The Boy saw me charging down the stairs in haste, he said, "Mom, I've GOT to read this to you, the writers of this book HAD to have done this on purpose," and then he proceeded to read the following excerpts - out loud.

Seeing Uranus - At its brightest, Uranus can be seen with the naked eye if you know just where to look.

What Uranus is made of - The atmosphere of Uranus is mostly hydrogen gas, with helium and tiny amounts of other gases.

Moons of Uranus - Uranus has at least 22 moons, although there may be more that are discovered.

Uranus's Rings - Uranus has rings that are made up of dust. The outer ring is particularly dark.

People, I am not making this up. And while The Boy read these things to me I fell into a fit of laughter that rendered me useless for nearly an hour.

I was tickled. I was. 

I'm still kind of giggly about it now.

On Sunday I had The Boy read it to The Mister, and we all laughed again. 

It reminded The Mister of when he was in graduate school and happened upon the chapter on flatulence in the Merck Manual. Most importantly he remembered the clever writing of the Essay on Flatulence that just happens to be in the right-hand side bar at this link*. 

Seriously, who ever wrote that essay had to have had a fun day at the writing desk.

So there you have it...I have reached the pinnacle of blogger writing. I've managed talked about flatus and Uranus in one post.

I do believe my career as a blogger may be coming to an end.

*To see the essay on the Merck site you need to scroll down a bit.

Three Things

This weekend was a whirlwind that I was grateful to be a part of....

For the record, there is nothing that makes this girl more grateful for her health than having been sick for the majority of the New Year. It felt great to be out this weekend at several parties and then to church on Sunday.

Today I have three things to tell you:

First, if you are expecting glass pendant necklaces to show up at your door (or in my etsy shop) it's gonna be awhile.

I have had the WORST time with ink-bleeding after the pendants have been put together. They look awesome for 48 hours (see above) and then ever-so-slowly the colors begin to bleed. I had tried a half-dozen ways to figure this out to no avail. Some inks seem to be worse than others. But I won't be deterred, I've gone to the craft store and bought the biggest jar of sealant I could find: Modge Podge. (Fingers crossed) 

Next item on the agenda: Birthday Ideas

Its at this time of year I begin to think about The Girl's birthday. This year I am so behind on the theme but I am highly considering an New York City Theme. 

Why?

Well, The Girl doesn't know it, but I'm taking her to NYC in March!!! I'm so excited! (and I just can't hide it...what song is that?) I have wanted to go to NYC for a very long time, but The Mister isn't too keen. So when I found out a friend of mine is headed there in March and didn't want to go alone I jumped on the chance to tag along. She has two daughters about the same age as The Girl, so we're making it a girls weekend. 

Have I mentioned I'm excited?

Last, but not least, I have had several inquiries about this picture posted last week:

As you know I was inspired to make a Tea Cozy, but the original pattern was knit.  I had hoped to stick to that original pattern but the knitting took so ding-dang long I just. Couldn't. Cope.

So, I decided to try to translate that same pattern into crochet.

My plan is to share that pattern (if you could call it that) with you in a tutorial I hope to post by Wednesday...so if you are crochet inclined and in need of a fun and quick project, check back towards the middle of the week.

Here are some more pics so you can see all sides of the cozy:

Happy Monday!

Backpacking Through Joshua: Week 1

I am not a backpacker.

But I married one.

I'll never forget that date (toward the early part of our relationship) when he told me that he was passionate about throwing 7 to 10 days worth of supplies into the lightest backpack he could find and traipsing up a mountain...for fun.

One of The Mister's favorite memories (and was an event in his life that he remembers bringing lots of growth and maturity) was right after high school. He went on a 5-week backpacking trip with the Forest Service in the Grand Teton National Park.

Yes. As in, over-a-month, using an icy cold Colorado stream as a bathtub.

I'm not entirely fussy. As a matter of fact I'm fairly low-maintenance, but I do consider a hot shower and clean underwear in the Top 10 of my list of daily desires. So you won't likely see me backpacking for more than a weekend.

Which is why I am thrilled to be a part of the Backpacking Through Joshua: A Virtual Adventure Bible study, led by Amber from Still His Girl.  It's a six-week hike with the luxury of my warm bed and in-door plumbing.

The questions for discussion this week were:

1. What made you decide to join? And what do you hope will come with this study?


2. In what ways have you found God to be faithful recently? If you have a hard time answering this, why do you think why?

So...here I go...

I'm here because I love the book Joshua. Its filled with encouragement and hope. It helps me to remember that ordinary people can be used by God to do great things.

I have much of Joshua underlined...verses and passages I go to in times of confusion, trouble, sorrow, hardship, doubt, fear, and in times of unbelief.

Joshua's first chapter opens with a powerful encouragement to be "strong and courageous." The Author doesn't just give empty words without a way to be successful, between each admonition to be "strong and courageous" are applicable ways to be so: focus our sights on Gods Truth and Faithfulness,

In the chapters (and weeks) to come we will be given great encouragement to hold fast when confusions and doubt have laid claim to our hearts;

"...hold fast to the Lord as you have until now."

~Joshua 23:8

We'll be reminded of God's great love for us and how we should respond to that love;

"Watch yourselves carefully! Love the Lord your God!"

(NET)

~Joshua 23:11 

We're given hope that our real-life backpacking journey, with all its narrow, uphill moments that may come with weary bodies and blistered feet, are for a purpose greater than our minds can comprehend. It's a divine journey, and God has a Divine hand on those who are willing to trust Him through the troubled parts.

Its for these reasons and reminders that I am here.

As for God's faithfulness recently... I'm going to be honest: This week has been difficult for me, as it has for many of my friends and family who have ties to Tucson. I will readily admit that I have wondered why it appears that evil is allowed to prevail?

As they buried that precious nine-year old girl yesterday afternoon it brought back memories of two dear friends that buried their children nearly two years ago. I've had to process and pray about old fear that gets stirred up each time a tragedy strikes.

I've struggled with fear that makes me want to render everything dangerous...I shouldn't travel because of terrorists; I should avoid crowds for all the unstable people in the world; I should hold to my children tight, lest they be taken away.


But that isn't faith. Those things are not what God has promised. God's promise includes hope and a future.

Not one of God's good promises have failed...every single one was fulfilled. (Joshua 21:45)

When my heart cries out; when I see lives taken and troubles set in, I am tempted to despair...I don't have to choose to fear because know matter the earthly outcome, the Truth is that the goodness of God has, is, and always will prevail.

God will not be held back; not by people, or things. Not by circumstances, nor the evils of this world.

Because my mind and heart were low, I was having trouble writing down my thoughts this week, but as I flipped ahead in the book of Joshua and pondered how I would write of my faith in God's faithfulness and how I had seen it this week, I was wondering what-in-the-world I would say? (Which is a shame, because I have seen God's faithfulness countless time in my own life, and in those who have been brave enough to share their hearts and lives with me.)

As I watched and read stories coming out of Tucson, as I talked with those I love who live in the middle of that city, I was encouraged with glimmers of the promise of Joshua 3:5 being fulfilled once again...

...The Lord will do amazing things among you.

Is God faithful?

Yes. 

Yes, He is. 

And I thank Him for His encouragement this week. I thank Him in advance for the encouragement sure to come.

For this adventure through Joshua I'm a backpacker. 

I cannot wait to see what I set my eyes upon when I look on the vistas and valleys of my days on the trail.

In North Carolina News

Homeschool Hardknocks

The students of the La Vida Academy have complained loudly today at the unfairness of the administration.

While the students of traditional school are celebrating a snow day, the slave-driving head teacher, Mrs. CoffeeGal forced them to take the assigned English test.

When asked to comment on her decision to continue school in spite of the neighborhood kids who play in the icy streets, Mrs. CoffeeGal simply replied, "Too bad, so sad. Please take out your composition notebooks."

The school cafeteria worker wasn't quite as cold (pun intended). Feeling sorry for the students she put a kettle on the stove in preparation of hot chocolate with sprinkles and turned up the broiler for a cinnamon-toast breakfast. "Unfortunately, I burned the first batch, but the students don't mind when the fire alarms sound, they enjoy a good fire drill in the snow."

When asked to give a statement on having to work in such treacherous and blizzard like conditions she said, "I don't mind too much. I get to work in my fuzzy slippers and drink as much coffee as I please."

The students did back-pedal just a bit when at 10:00a a recess was called. They proclaimed their gratitude with rosy cheeks and runny noses and said, "Its really cold outside!"




While sitting down to a cup of tea, Mrs. Coffee gal seemed to thaw out a bit. "You know," she said, "its hard for these kids to work through a traditional snow day, but they will be happy come April when we declare a 'sunshine day' and head out for a day-hike or a picnic in the park."

Spring is Coming

This weekend I had planned a plethora of activity for myself that involved the selling of Girl Scout cookies, the seeing of freinds, a date night with my husband (both the kids got invited to a sleepover, so we had planned to go out alone) and making more necklaces.

Unfortunately, my streak of unhealthiness is lingering on and on.

So, my plans were changed. 

Its just as well...plans change, don't they? I was never more aware as I was Saturday at noon when my mom called to tell me about the tragedy unfolding in my hometown. 

Other than my oldest sister-in-law, all of our extended family lives there... it was surreal to watch an area that I've been to, landscape I know very well, be the focal point of a national tragedy.

My heart was sad. It still is.

All weekend long I sat and sniffled... and crocheted... and listened to the tragic news...and vacillated between heartache and anger... and choosing to believe.

I was trying to make sense of something that cannot be sensical, then I remembered...

Spring is coming...

We won't be able to wrap our head around the sad events in Tucson, and we'll likely not forget. But I do know that God is in the business of making beauty from ashes. 

So today, I leave you with the words of Steven Curtis Chapman's song, Spring is Coming... (written after he lost his 5 year-old daughter in a tragic accident)

We planted the seed while the tears of our grief soaked the ground 

The sky lost its sun, and the world lost its green to lifeless brown 

Now the chilling wind has turned the earth hard as stone 

And silently seed rise beneath ice and snow 

And my heart's heavy now 

But I'm not letting go of this hope I have that tells me 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 

And all we've been hoping and longing for soon will appear 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 

It won't be long now, it's just about here 

Hear the birds start to sing 

Feel the life in the breeze 

Watch the ice melt away 

The kids are coming out to play 

Feel the sun on your skin 

Growing strong and warm again 

Watch the ground: there's something moving 

Something is breaking through 

New life is breaking through 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 

And all we've been hoping and longing for soon will appear 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 

And it won't be long now, it's just about here 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 

(Out of these ashes, beauty will rise) 

And all we've been hoping and longing for soon will appear 

(Sorrow will be turned to joy) 

Spring is coming, Spring is coming 

(All we hoped for soon will appear) 

It won't be long now, it's just about here 

(Out of the dark clouds, beauty will shine) 

(All above in heaven, rejoice) 

(Spring is coming soon) 

(Spring is coming soon)

I believe its true: For those in the wake of tragedy. For those suffering in other ways. 

For me and for you....

Spring is coming.

Giveaway Winner!

I had a wonderful time reading all your good memories this weekend.

They were all so good that I couldn't pick one so I used the Random Integer maker on the internet to pick for me:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

12

Timestamp: 2011-01-10 13:29:36 UTC

So Diedre of For Such A Time As This, you won! Let me know which one you want...the bird or the house in the country.

Congratulations!

I hope to have more necklaces up in the etsy shop this afternoon!

Second Sunday

Matthew 6:26

Dark Morning at the Car Doctor

Last Tuesday I was denied when I tried to get my car serviced.

This morning The Mister woke me up at an ungodly hour and we are now sitting in the lobby sipping car-dealership coffee and waiting while both our cars get check-ups. Usually they have some delicious bread from the Great Grain Company sitting out...apparently even the bakers aren't up yet.

I've been dating this man for 18 years, and this is what its come too: early morning dates over free bread and java.

I'll take it!

Really my job this morning is to help my husband from the ledge...apparently the minivan has motor mount issues and is currently being held together by a wish and a prayer. The good news is it isn't anything a bagillion dollars can't fix.

I'm exaggerating of course, its only gonna be half-a-bagillion dollars... I think we'll have another cup of complimentary coffee to make up the difference.

In other news, I have a cold. I haven't been sick in five years, and now I've had stomach flu and a head cold within ten days. Hopefully, I'm getting it all done with for the next half a decade!

With all my sniffling and sneezing, life is good and I've really enjoyed reading comments from yesterday. Don't forget to sign up to win a necklace!

I guess we're going to have to leave the van here awhile. Maybe I can sweet talk my man into some Guglhpf for breakfast....on second thought, maybe I'll spring for the croissants since he just bought me a shiny new motor mount...its just what I've always wanted! ;)

Happy Saturday!

First Friday... and a Giveaway

It's here! It's here!

Friday. My favorite day of the week.

Let's eat cupcakes!

These are Maple Walnut cupcakes from my new cookbook.

See... I kept it close just so I could get my own batter stains in it.

These sweet babies are delicious. A very grown-up sort of cupcake if I do say so myself. The frosting is made from real maple syrup (and eggs and LOTS of butter) and it reminds me of the Maple Long-John donuts my parents used to buy when I was a kid.

I remember wondering why they would choose a boring brown donut when the rainbow sprinkled one was clearly so much better. Now I know.

I'm sure you're not here for the cupcakes...

You're here to see what I'm giving away today.

Well, here you go:

Actually, I'm gonna give you a choice (just in case you are not interested in birds and nests...)

I know this might be hard to see...it's a wonderful pastoral setting with a brook and a bridge and a wee little house in the woods,surrounded by flowers and Camellia in bloom.

Both necklaces come on an organza ribbon "chain" with clasp.

So here's what you do....

Leave a comment and tell me about something you love - now or when you were a kid. Then tell me what necklace you want if you win!

You don't have to have a blog, but you do have to have a valid email address. If your comment is a non-reply sort, then I cannot reach you to send you your prize!

If you do have a blog, I would love for you to tell your bloggy friends to join the fun.

I will pick a winner on Monday, January 10, 2011.

If you don't win I will have several necklaces in my etsy shop on Monday for $9.00 a piece (plus $1 shipping and handling).

Good luck!

Work(s) in Progress

I was gonna wait until tomorrow to post this topic, but I'm so excited to tell you... I can't wait.

Last week I mentioned I was going to try my hand at a little glass pendant making.

Well, I think I'm getting the hang of it...

Birds and flowers and newness of spring are my favorite. I love pretty paper, vintage art, and shiny things.

Bob Ross had Happy Little Trees, and these happy little crafts are making my week.

Here's a secret: These pendants are already spoken for, but I may or may not be hosting a giveaway this weekend here on the blog...so tell your friends, and come back tomorrow afternoon with your comments ready.

In fabric news, a have a new attachment (actually is was a quilting-set of four) for my sewing machine so I thought I would make a quilted spring-colored table runner for my dining room. This may take awhile...mostly because I don't have a pattern - I'm kind of making things up as i go - But also cuz im fairly convinced that quilting isn't one of my gifts. It makes me cuss.

You can see the quilt pieces beneath the yarn.

On the needles I've started a tea-pot cozy from a Crochet With Raymonds pattern (a blogger I originally found on Tangled Happy - which is a GREAT compilation blog on yarn-craft).

To be honest, I like knitting but it isn't my favorite yarn craft (I only cuss when purling.)

However, I'm going to love making the flowers for the top. I'm going to look at it like a marathon...knitting is the running 26-miles part, but crocheting the flowers will be the pasta feast before the race is finished.

I'm so grateful that spring, summer and fall come after winter. Those are my three favorite months.

Winter is...well... winter; pretty in its own right but so ding-dang frigid. The way I figure, when it's so cold outside that even your teapot needs to dress warm, she might as well be adorned in cheery attire.

That's the plan for this month - to surround myself with spring-type make-ables until the temps rise to at least 65 degrees. Then it will be time to tend the garden again...







Ah, the garden...now that is my favorite thing...but let's not count the tomatoes before they hatch.

Don't forget to stop by (and tell a friend!) tomorrow afternoon to see what I'm giving away!

Dinner Tonight?

We eat a lot of chicken.

My kids call it boring.

I call it consistent.

There is one recipe they don't complain about, and I love it because its quick, easy and tasty. Its a favorite winter meal.

So, I'm gonna share.

Lets call it  Kellie's Consistent Chicken

Uh, never mind, call it what you want...especially since there's a good chance I found this on someone's blog five years ago....if its your recipe, you can call it: Kellie's Chicken Recipe She Stole Off the Internet
please let me know, and I'll be happy to give you credit! ;)

Here is what you need:

1 Box stuffing (I use Stove Top in Chicken or Turkey)
1 apple
a handful of broken walnuts
olive oil
3-4 chicken breasts
Onion Powder
Pepper
Salt
White Wine (opt.)

Once I tried to go all Haute Couture Cuisine and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top...I thought it would add a lovely element of flavor to the palate. The Eaters in this house went mutinous. They hold very strongly to the cinnamon-belongs-in-baked-goods-only principle. C'est la vie!

Cook your stuffing according to package. I usually substitute 1/4 - 1/2 bottle cup white wine for the water.

Place stuffing in a baking dish sprayed with baking spray.

Take chicken breasts and place on stuffing.

Sprinkle chicks with salt, onion and pepper.

Slice apple.

Place sliced apple on chicks.

Sprinkle Walnuts on top.

Drizzle with Olive Oil.

Place in an oven at 375 for 35 minutes.

I meant to take a picture of the finished product, but we ate it.

Serve, and watch those around you talk about what a great cook you are (even your husband, who doesn't like "mixed" food.)

I usually serve this with a green veggie (green beans/snap peas) or a side salad. Never usually both.

Happy Eating!

PS: If you happen to subscribe to Cooking Light, this months recipe is DEVOTED to chicken....my kids will so happy.

Think Again

I thought this post would be coming to you via the car dealership where I get my oil changed. Well not my oil, but the oil in the minivan.

As it turns out my thoughts of multitasking maintenance between schLepping children to hither and yon was a pipe dream. The mechanic wanted three hours of my minivan-time and I could only sacrifice one...so instead I'm sitting in the parking lot (waiting for Girls Scouts to dismiss), trying to redeem my time.

The good news? The calendar is completely open in May!

Car maintenance make me grumpy. It's time consuming and expensive and I knowing nothing of engines and 60 weight oil. In the arena of autos I am completely out of control. That's three-strikes right there.

Let's look on the bright side...it's a beautiful day, and by the time I get home I'm pretty sure the UPS man will have delivered three large packages to my house.

While in Arizona my family was blessed with generous and thoughtful gifts. Unfortunately Pillow Pets and cordless glue guns take up a lot of suitcase space, so my mom was kind enough to send us the boxes through the mail.

It'll be like Christmas all over again! And it couldn't come at a better time. I have a tea date on Friday and I need my new Martha Stewart cookbook to make a tasty treat! I'll let you know what I make.

Well, thanks for killing time with me. I wouldn't want to type at anyone else for 20 minutes but you...

Happy day!

Mundane Monday

I'm seriously lacking anything of value to say today.

So let me tell you about a little purchase I made before the holidays that makes me happy.

Its my Batter Dispenser.

I know, I know, you probably all have one and I am the last to the party. Seriously, why didn't you tell me about this? Cuz it has revolutionized my pancake, waffle and muffin mojo. How did I live in my kitchen without it?

Today was a good first-day back to "reality", and although last night I was lamenting that all of life can't be one big party (wouldn't that be fun?), I was glad to hear the whir-whir-whirring of the dryer this morning while the kids scratched their pencils across paper and rolled eyes at their teacher.

How's that for a run-on sentence?

Unfortunately this day wasn't so mundane that I had time to be idle, or to blog before 9:00pm....which means I can't stay to chat because I'm going to keep last years goals (I don't make resolutions) pretty much the same but I'm adding one: be intentional in getting more sleep. 

Wait let me go read last years post to see if this is a goal I made and didn't achieve...Whew! Its not!

Truly, getting to bed earlier isn't the only goal I set this year, and I'll write more on that later this week, but it is an important one. I am fully convinced that lack of sleep changes so many things about how I perceive the world, and how I respond to it. Fatigue makes me weary and dull, and there is such an easy remedy! If I choose to lay my head down!

I'm not a good sleeper. Maybe its FOMO. Maybe its just that I want an hour or two without any distractions or to-do lists, but over the last six months I have gotten really out of whack with going to bed late and getting up too early. Whatever the reason, I'm gonna fix it and be intentional to get rested.

So that's it for this (not so) Mundane Monday. I gotta run, I've got 5 exact minutes before bedtime!

First Sunday

"My dear friends, I'm not writing anything new here. This is the oldest commandment in the book, and you've known it from day one. It's always been implicit in the Message you've heard. On the other hand, perhaps it is new, freshly minted as it is in both Christ and you—

the darkness on its way out

and the True Light already blazing!"

1 John 2:8

(MSG)

Happiest New Year To You!

It's here.

The time of new beginnings.

Some of you may know that I managed to spend my last week of 2010 with a stomach flu that laid me out.

Laid. Me. Out.

Nobody likes a complainer, least of all me, so I'll just tell you that I am thankful for good health...and the ability to keep down a cup of coffee.

I started out the New Year with a trip to the market to fill the pantry with food (the cupboard was reduced to a scrappy box of stale saltines and a couple cans of fruit cocktail. I have no idea what my family ate last week while I was sequestered up stairs, but they're all here and no worse for the wear, so I guess they didn't starve!) and "managed" to carry my weary self out to the craft store. It was a hardship, I can tell you.

All jokes aside, if you want a miraculous cure from what ails you, head to the craft store for the after-Christmas sales...I'm just sayin'.

Oh! I completely forgot to tell you that I got a cordless hot glue gun from my mom and dad, and if you want to see someone insanely happy...well, here you go:

Insanely. Happy.

But that's not what I came here to tell you today...Where was I? Oh, yeah, craft store...I had to go...to get proper glue sticks for the glue gun (who has yet to be named...cuz y'all know she'll have a name.)

I wanted to try my hand at a little pendant making. So I bought some supplies:



I'll let you know how it goes!

2010 has been a wonderful year. Full of so many good things, and the things that weren't so good brought growth and change that were worth the challenges.

New beginnings...sometimes I didn't even know what they were until I had the privilege to look back.

Sometimes it's better that way.

So there you have it, a very rambly post on this first day of 2011.

New Year blessing to you!

PS: I don't have to borrow my favorite baking book from the library anymore...time to make cookie dough stains in a copy of my own! (thanks mom!)

Happiest New Year To You!

It's here.

The time of new beginnings.

Some of you may know that I managed to spend my last week of 2010 with a stomach flu that laid me out.

Laid. Me. Out.

Nobody likes a complainer, least of all me, so I'll just tell you that I am thankful for good health...and the ability to keep down a cup of coffee.

I started out the New Year with a trip to the market to fill the pantry with food (the cupboard was reduced to a scrappy box of stale saltines and a couple cans of fruit cocktail. I have no idea what my family ate last week while I was sequestered up stairs, but they're all here, and no worse for the wear, so I guess they didn't starve) and then I "managed" to carry my weary self out to the craft store. It was a hardship, I can tell you.

All jokes aside, if you want a miraculous cure from what ails you, head to the craft store for the after-Christmas sales...I'm just sayin'.

Oh! I completely forgot to tell you that I got a cordless hot glue gun from my mom and dad, and if you want to see someone insanely happy...well, here you go:

Insanely. Happy.

But that's not what I came here to tell you today...Where was I? Oh, yeah, craft store...I had to go...to get proper glue sticks for the glue gun (who has yet to be named...cuz y'all know she'll have a name.)

I wanted to try my hand at a little pendant making. So I bought some supplies:



I'll let you know how it goes!

2010 has been a wonderful year. Full of so many good things, and the things that weren't so good brought growth and change that were worth the challenges.

New beginnings...sometimes I didn't even know what they were until I had the privilege to look back.

Sometimes it's better that way.

So there you have it, a very rambly post on this first day of 2011.

New Year blessing to you!

PS: I don't have to borrow my favorite baking book from the library anymore...time to make cookie dough stains in a copy of my own! (thanks mom!)