I have this sudden insatiable urge to travel somewhere far, far away. With Brett (who I'm not really sure even wants to go). I'd leave my daughter, my house, and my animals behind and only take what I can carry, which would include writing/documenting devices, clean underwear, a thermos, and chapstick.
Maybe it's because I'm disenchanted with the absence of winter/snow. Maybe it's because my dream of an acreage in the country and a dozen kids is taking too long to materialize so my imagination is perusing Plan B.
Either way, exotic places like Alaska. Marpent. Sydney. Seattle. ...all sound a little less real-life and a little more romantic then having mold allergies on a 50 degree day in Minnesota.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
three down
Three weeks down, 13 to go! Just waiting for my love to make it safely home despite the icy roads. And today sweet Norabel reached the halfway mark in her fourth year - nevermind that she's been SAYING she's "three-an-a-half" for a few months; it's official now!
Monday, January 23, 2012
porthole aka library
Another room remodeling post! This past week a friend came over to help me paint and Brett put up our bookshelf (in it's 4th home in 4 years!). Oh, and we call it the Porthole because it is the port side of our house, but I like the allusion to "Portal" because books are like Portals to other worlds... Feast your eyes:
North wall - the color is Poplar Summer
East wall - only 9 ft wall in the house
South wall - it's really got a colonial vibe going with the cream & green
close to 700 books in storage from May 2010 - Jan 2012
ex libra dregge!
North wall - the color is Poplar Summer
East wall - only 9 ft wall in the house
South wall - it's really got a colonial vibe going with the cream & green
close to 700 books in storage from May 2010 - Jan 2012
ex libra dregge!
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| [new: March 2013 update] |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
evaluating
As a general rule, spending some time apart from loved ones only increases your appreciation for them. I have found this to be true of my parents, siblings, daughter - and it is especially true of my husband.
Weekends are more precious than ever. Meals are simpler and so are messes. Building a routine to keep me sane all 80-as-a-matter-of-fact hours each week that I am a single parent has, so far, been successful. I have to make more decisions myself, and I can't decide if that's good or bad.
For my half-birthday today he got a promotion. SO proud of & thankful for my steady man.
In other news, we are on the verge of painting the library. Here is the start of our Portage Palette:
Weekends are more precious than ever. Meals are simpler and so are messes. Building a routine to keep me sane all 80-as-a-matter-of-fact hours each week that I am a single parent has, so far, been successful. I have to make more decisions myself, and I can't decide if that's good or bad.
For my half-birthday today he got a promotion. SO proud of & thankful for my steady man.
In other news, we are on the verge of painting the library. Here is the start of our Portage Palette:
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
write/pray
Just picked up Gilead by Marilyn Robinson.
For me writing has always felt like praying . . . you feel that you are with someone. I feel I am with you now . . .
That is how I have always felt about writing for as long as I can remember.
Anyhow, I have a stack of books to read. Also a list of projects to ignore. All this talk of The Hobbit Part I has put me in a mood to watch Lord of the Rings, one disc at a time. So I just watched the first disc in Fellowship and laughed out loud over how all hobbits think about is food. Because yes I relate to Pippin, what if Strider forgets entirely about eating in a routinely fashion? Norah (snack-royalty if there ever was) asked me what was funny. Then she proceeded to ask me questions about hobbits and elves every 3 minutes for the rest of the movie. I think I'll be watching the rest after she's gone to bed from now on - the rest are rather dark anyway.
For me writing has always felt like praying . . . you feel that you are with someone. I feel I am with you now . . .
That is how I have always felt about writing for as long as I can remember.
Anyhow, I have a stack of books to read. Also a list of projects to ignore. All this talk of The Hobbit Part I has put me in a mood to watch Lord of the Rings, one disc at a time. So I just watched the first disc in Fellowship and laughed out loud over how all hobbits think about is food. Because yes I relate to Pippin, what if Strider forgets entirely about eating in a routinely fashion? Norah (snack-royalty if there ever was) asked me what was funny. Then she proceeded to ask me questions about hobbits and elves every 3 minutes for the rest of the movie. I think I'll be watching the rest after she's gone to bed from now on - the rest are rather dark anyway.
Monday, January 9, 2012
the odyssey
Love God, and do as you please.
-St Augustine
Bowl of peas, glass of wine; commence writing.
How do I distill my life, or a year, or one day into words? At any minute my husband will walk in the door and I can go on to the next thing. Tonight's particular next thing might be watching the premiere of ST:The Next Generation before falling asleep beside him. For the next 16 weeks he is getting his CNC certification on top of providing our living, requiring him to be gone from 7:30am to 11pm five days a week. I can promise you I would never be able to handle being a military wife, and only by the grace of God will I be able to endure these four months. I have tremendous love and respect for my "Bachelor of Arts" whose dream job is jack-of-all-trades! I greatly anticipate both hearing all about his first day of school as we wind down tonight AND the completion of this certification come May! I look forward to what God has to teach me, meanwhile. About lavishing love upon Norah and other friends & family who I can focus on during the week. About stewarding my talents and time. About His character, and becoming more like Him in every way possible.
Above all may I exude thankfulness, for I am very, very blessed.
-St Augustine
Bowl of peas, glass of wine; commence writing.
How do I distill my life, or a year, or one day into words? At any minute my husband will walk in the door and I can go on to the next thing. Tonight's particular next thing might be watching the premiere of ST:The Next Generation before falling asleep beside him. For the next 16 weeks he is getting his CNC certification on top of providing our living, requiring him to be gone from 7:30am to 11pm five days a week. I can promise you I would never be able to handle being a military wife, and only by the grace of God will I be able to endure these four months. I have tremendous love and respect for my "Bachelor of Arts" whose dream job is jack-of-all-trades! I greatly anticipate both hearing all about his first day of school as we wind down tonight AND the completion of this certification come May! I look forward to what God has to teach me, meanwhile. About lavishing love upon Norah and other friends & family who I can focus on during the week. About stewarding my talents and time. About His character, and becoming more like Him in every way possible.
Above all may I exude thankfulness, for I am very, very blessed.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
sew wonderful
I did it. I made my first quilt.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I feel amazing!
Here is how I did it:
Actually, it started a couple years ago when Norah was born and my dear mom mailed me some heavy duty butterfly print fabric she found in a thrift shop. I thought maybe someday I would make curtains or something for my little Elanor Zeforah. Then, this year, I decided to try to make my first quilt ever for her for Christmas.
I checked a few books out at the library, but they were just too putzy and I couldn't find the look I wanted, so I went to my church's monthly quilting ministry and watch the ladies piece together beautiful quilts - and asked a ton of questions! BONUS: I got to know some older ladies and work beside them. They even let me make up my own pattern.
After that I went home, measured my inspiration piece, and did some math to figure out the size and number of squares. I found scraps of fabric with colors I wanted and bought some more scraps, and washed and dried all of it.
I borrowed a few tools from my husband's aunt Cindy to cut my squares, and laid them out to play with the pattern a little. This was probably my FAVORITE part. **grin**
Next, I borrowed my mother-in-law Andrea's sewing machine and started sewing all the squares together. Then I bought batting and today I sewed it all together!! I still may add ties to the quilt to give the middle more integrity, but I can hardly believe how well it turned out, despite a few teeny tiny puckers. And the total cost? $5 for the fabric I found in scrap bins + $8.50 for the batting (with a narrow piece left over) = $13.50! I'm definitely not addicted to quilts, but I sure love this one. Now it needs a name...
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I feel amazing!
Here is how I did it:
Actually, it started a couple years ago when Norah was born and my dear mom mailed me some heavy duty butterfly print fabric she found in a thrift shop. I thought maybe someday I would make curtains or something for my little Elanor Zeforah. Then, this year, I decided to try to make my first quilt ever for her for Christmas.
I checked a few books out at the library, but they were just too putzy and I couldn't find the look I wanted, so I went to my church's monthly quilting ministry and watch the ladies piece together beautiful quilts - and asked a ton of questions! BONUS: I got to know some older ladies and work beside them. They even let me make up my own pattern.
After that I went home, measured my inspiration piece, and did some math to figure out the size and number of squares. I found scraps of fabric with colors I wanted and bought some more scraps, and washed and dried all of it.
I borrowed a few tools from my husband's aunt Cindy to cut my squares, and laid them out to play with the pattern a little. This was probably my FAVORITE part. **grin**
Next, I borrowed my mother-in-law Andrea's sewing machine and started sewing all the squares together. Then I bought batting and today I sewed it all together!! I still may add ties to the quilt to give the middle more integrity, but I can hardly believe how well it turned out, despite a few teeny tiny puckers. And the total cost? $5 for the fabric I found in scrap bins + $8.50 for the batting (with a narrow piece left over) = $13.50! I'm definitely not addicted to quilts, but I sure love this one. Now it needs a name...
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