Starry-Eyed

I really like hanging out with him.

He got this in one shot.

I asked, "Try to get the star behind our heads."

And he did it.

Anything to make me happy.

Good Question

I am thankful that John knows clearly what he wants emotionally, and knows how to ask for it. Good husband quality. He encourages me to be more vocal in articulating my needs.

"I need a nap."
"I need some alone time."
"I need to feel safer financially."

Working on that.

Some good contacts from friends pushing his resume to their contacts. We are thankful for the support and help from everyone.

More color on BeckyT's quilt!

And how some of it got there...

Bodies Are Good, part 2

Normally we use anatomically correct words for body parts around here. But word play will always make me smile.

Close up of some colors in Becky's quilt!

Bodies Are Good

Sweaty after a fun multi-family laser tag adventure! It is a 45 minute work out, running around in the semi-dark. John and I were on opposite teams.



Mall date photos..Still working on smoothing out the jiggle parts.

A second Becky quilt preview: I did sew some of it, but not all...

I Found Him, He Found Me

Local college sign advertisement.

What can you tell about a sewer by looking at their ironing board? And where it is? I found this one at a thrift store and bought it for the cool legs--not necessarily to iron with, but it does get used for that, too!
Valentine bow ties in process. They get mailed out on Thursday!

And a teasing pre-view for client BeckyT: You are going to love this. I've already decided all my daughters and future-daughters-by-marriage will get a matching/similar one. Yes, I do quilt commissions. Yes, that is a pair of scissors CUTTING...

How Do I Say What I Feel?

All month long I want to show sweetheart pictures. Another one from our mall date!

(From 02-02-10. I didn't know John was going to take a picture. I thought we were just hugging during my lunch break.)

Love is in the Air

Relax a Little

Good advice. Relax A LOT! It is Sunday, the Day of Rest.

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." -Chinese proverb, quoted in Feb10 Reader's Digest.

Do something today that is just for you. It isn't being selfish. It is rejuvenating, so you can help others later. No guilt.

The one thing I do for me: nap. Luxuriously. With ear plugs and a microwaved warm rice bag for my back (thanks Emma) and my feet (my old lime green one).
(Saturday picture-to show Emma the headboard)

I look forward to my Sunday after-Church-and-lunch naps.

How Sunday is different from other days in our home:

1. Two meals as a family-lunch, dinner. Rarely breakfast, and sometimes it is hot and not boxed! (Early childhood skill is learning how to open a new box of cereal and eating it dry until they can pour the milk by themselves. I used to put a smaller pitcher of milk in the fridge, so they could reach that solo, and spill less in their quest for independence.)

2. No TV in our house (this is funny. We have no cable for money-saving reasons, but we do download shows and watch on the computers, but not on Sundays, as a personal family rule. It is not a Mormon commandment, just what we have decided).

3. Three-plus hours at Church. John leaves earlier for leadership meetings.

4. Family Home Evening in addition to our usual family devotional-scripture reading and singing and praying, so we get a lesson in, a game, treats, family council correlating, calendaring, etc.

5. Kids interact more, gaming, talking, playing with each other. No friends over--it is a family day. We are resting from our social peers.

6. No shopping. Yes gas, if we are travelling to family events, but we try and plan so that doesn't have to happen (full tank the night before, treats in car, etc.)

7. No sewing/painting for me. Personal commitment. A way for me to make Sunday unique and reserved.

We still cook, and make messes, and do dishes. Spend time with extended family. Email/blog/skype more with far-away family. It is nice having grandparents and cousins two blocks away, but we still have to make appointments to gather.

What do you do for your day of rest?

Do you do it for religious reasons, or other?

Gifts of the Heart

I have an emotional reaction to jewelry. I tell people I don't like bling. Not like sparkle G-ma Billie who drips wonderfully in coordinated outfits and jewels.

I like sentimental stuff.

I love my engagement diamond (Billie gave it to Johnny when he told her he was going to ask me to marry him. She said, "You better!").

I love my CTR $14.99 silver ring. Because it reminds me to Choose The Right. Remember The Covenants, reading it backwards.

I have some favorite earrings, leather punched dangly daises that I wear at least once a week because they remind me of being an artist in high school, wearing flip-flops and jeans and hippy flowered shirts.

I've told John to PLEASE DO NOT BUY ME JEWELS. I would rather have IKEA furniture.

It is a nice thought. Nice gesture. He showes me he loves my by doing laundry.

Wish they made mass media commercials that glorified the helpful husband as incredibly sexy and loving. That's real life, for me!

Orange by Design or Default?

I love this color!

When I was 10 or so I had a bright, fluorescent orange swimsuit that I remember choosing at the store. It is a happy, exuberant, energetic color for me. I didn't wear it as a teenager (the camoflauge years, trying to blend in and NOT be noticed) but started to wear it 10 years ago after one of those color-make-up-make-overs. The expert told me I glowed in orange and really looked good in it.

Hmmm. Brown hair, golden-brown eyes, freckles, easily blushes. And orange? I was dubious, but started to wear it anyway.

I get more compliments when I wear pink. NONE in black. Some in light blue. Some in orange. Some in rust. Some in the right shade of green (sometimes it makes my red face look redder, by contrast).

Not that I let compliments control my life or color choices! I do know color is very subjective and influential. Powerful colors. Whimpy colors. Colors that make you feel good, or at home. Colors that repel you, either with memories or visceral/emotional reactions; colors that hurt your eyes or soothe you instantly.

Mom chose dark teal green curtains for the living room when we lived in San Jose. I have the same color curtains now in my living room. They just look "right" to me.

When Stewart and Max were little I would choose orange for Stewart, green for Max. Toothbrushes, coats, blankets, cups. It was an easy way to keep track of what was whose stuff, with just over a year between them in age, they looked almost like twins. Now if you ask them what their favorite color are today, they say...orange, and green, respectively.

Is that weird? Do parents suggest/influence?

Car Dreams

A married couple walking by asked, "Aren't you supposed to be in a swimsuit?"

Reflections

Please visit Tiffany's "Likely Stories" for a Valentine's Day gift plug! Who do you know that needs a cute bow tie?
(That's my oblique way of asking you to buy some of my bow ties)


Untouched photo in car shooting at moon roof. This was the end of our Malldate photos. It is nice to hang out with someone I trust and can have fun with doing silly things. I never feel made fun of by him. I feel safe.

Holding Hands Through Good & Hard Times

Dream-I talked about my tower room remodeling dream at the dinner table, a place to read, with windows on all four sides, soft pillows, plenty of light, comfortable. John laughed delightedly, "A $50,000 remodel for a place to read?" He isn't making fun of me. Window seats, built-ins, a huge mud-room, landscaped yard (we found some bamboo on non-private land that I may be able to transplant to create the privacy screen I want!) all house dreams that are on hold for now.

Believe-I believe things will get better. John says I am a mystic in many ways, even if I scoff at superstitions. As soon as I am patient, and accept what is happening, will the trial end? Is it my fault, my lack of acceptance that is keeping John from finding a job? No, I don't believe that.

Imagine-new colors, new possibilities to use what we have. New quilts, new paintings/murals. New talents discovered. New books. Old and new friends over for dinners. Old bad habits pushed out.

We listened to "The Spoken Word" on the way to Church Sunday, talking about the Wright Brothers and their greatness, doing the hard work, discovering by doing ordinary acts over and over and perfecting them by trial.

My life is filled with lots of ordinary acts. I hope for greatness in just enduring to the end.

Which Way Are We Going?

I ran away from home on Saturday. I had so much I had to do here and just ran away.

Only for 6 hours. I drove east and south, and turned onto that road directing me to "Slaughter Beach." Always wondered if that meant an actual beach.

It was great seeing the waves crashing. Deserted. Cool rocks on the sand. I saw dolphins. Picked a direction and started walking.

I walked with a somewhat-sarcastic-angry prayer in my heart "I am looking for TREASURE!" I even had a specific amount in mind, how much our family needs to get by each month. How much money we need so I could stay home again and be a house mom. I have been shocked at how much I miss being home. Realizing how much I have taken for granted. I felt burned out. Tired. Discouraged.

As I walked I started picking up rocks. They were beautiful, and I kept finding more and more amazing ones. I put them in my orange (of course!) polar fleece jacket pockets. They got heavier and heavier, but I kept finding one more beautiful one I couldn't bear to leave on the beach. Then I started thinking of great object lessons I could use them for in daily seminary--the 21 kids I teach every school day at 5:55 am (no wonder I am tired, you might be thinking). And realized abruptly how those students are my treasures.

And the lyrics to the Hymn "Did You Think to Pray" came to mind. Loudly.

"When sore trials came upon you,
Did you think to pray?
When your soul was full of sorrow,
Balm of Gilead did you borrow?
At the gates of day?"

I brought home the sandy rocks. There are 98 of them. Plus one shell and two pieces of driftwood.

Sunday in Church another hymn made me cry: "How Gentle God's Commands"

"His Goodness stands approved,
Unchanged from day to day;
I'll drop my burden at this feet
And bear a song away."

That was me on the beach, adding rocks to my pockets, slowly burdening myself, unwilling to cast them on the Lord. Feeling stubborn. Pitiful. Woe-is-me pity party.

I came home. Talked with John. Talked more this morning. He is a good man, full of hope and faith that things will be okay. Went to Church and was glad to be there.

When people asked how I was, I could say I was thankful to be there. As opposed to lounging illegally in some one's empty beach-vacation home. I didn't say that last part. Long confessionals are hard to dump on people in the hallway at Church when they are expecting a "Fine" answer.

My Favorite From This Photo Shoot

Reasons to Laugh Out Loud

Organic vs. Bio. Tickling.

Missing Signs

This one is for Steven: my future sister-in-law has the same name and would probably choose the same font, feminine, classic, lady-like.

I finished painting this Wednesday before the 3 year old Alyssa's nap time.


Another Mall Date photo. We tried to imagine what could have been bolted to the mall wall here. I thought they looked like bullet holes.

I am having trouble saving photos in Picasa --or I would show you the incredible vertical stripy nursery I finished. I used two rolls of "delicate" edge lock blue painter's tape, and would recommend it.

Weird Blue Dragon

Dragon breath. Dragon hoard. Time to de-clutter.

Our Relief Society now has a monthly swap, bring what you don't want/aren't using. We sort them by subject, and then browse, take home what we want, and the rest is donated to the Clothing & Housewares exchange in Baltimore. It is like DI, but FREE. Great way to re-cycle. Each ward donates a month of Saturdays twice a year to organize and sort.

Twice a Year?

I am trying to think what other things are semi-annual? NOT dating! General Conference. Stake Conference. Deep house-cleaning (end of summer when kids go back to school and after Christmas).

What do you do only twice a year?

I don't have photos yet of yesterday's painted nursery--I have to go back tomorrow and finish up the cars and names. Coming soon! But I came home and told John the stripes looked awesome. Straight stripes, from careful measuring and taping like crazy. And touch-up, but the client doesn't need to know that part. What they can't see, they don't need to know about.

Today is more census testing. Smile, be accurate and quick, efficient and friendly.

Kids are all home with John because of teacher inservice. It is hard to not resent my working when they can stay home and play and have Lord of the Rings marathon.

I should feel more thankful. I am thankful.

Time To Be Busy

Painting today for a client: nursery with stripes and cars for new baby boy and big sister's name in her room.