Today I'm thankful for...

We started a new tradition of saying what we're thankful for every day.  It makes for nice dinner conversation.  

The other day I was thankful that this knife I dropped didn't land on my toe.

I'm also thankful that I'll be done soon with this class that's keeping me up too late.  Thursday!

Even Katie is joining in, saying "Thank You, Anna.  Thank You, kids"

I found this idea in the book "Mitten Strings for God" which was recommended on the blog On Clover Lane, which was recommended to me by Sarah at In the Mix.  It was in my Easter basket this year and I enjoyed it.  She talks about slowing down and being peaceful and thoughtful.

At one point I rolled my eyes at the "healing basket" when she was talking about taking the time to really take care of ouchies.  Then she ended the chapter with this sentence:

When I comfort my children with love and care, I teach them compassion.

That gave me pause.  So being nice teaches compassion?  And doesn't just make the children into big whiny babies?  Shoot.

I also liked what she had to say about resting on Sundays-something I've been trying to work on lately.

I've read it, now I'd like to pass it on!  Leave me a comment and tell me what you're thankful for today.

I'll give it away Friday-ish.  :)

How to spend a blustery morning

Fire, blankie, nap.

Jimmy and Poppa Marion know how to relish the day.

Lydia Leigh

Here's a quick sneak peek at what I'm working on for a nice niece.  If I'm going to work this hard on classes, I have to have a little fun too.  Today somehow I managed to sew for an hour with ALL THREE in the sewing room with me.  I only fished 5 or 6 things out of Jimmy's mouth.  It went great!

Futility

This weekend I went shopping with Katrina.  (And you should all just say a little extra prayer for her because anyone who goes shopping with me should get extra blessings.  I annoy myself to no end, so I can't imagine how awful it is for someone else)  I told her to pick out a pair of sunglasses for me, because I can't seem to help ending up with something ridiculous.  She carefully had me try on lots and lots of pairs and picked out some nice ones and I was all set until I spied these.















Heart shaped

                                               Multi colored

I bought both pairs they had in Target so I'd have a spare.

They make me smile every time I remember them.

Really, there are so many areas of life where we HAVE to be grown ups.  Sunglasses are not one of those.  Right?  

My quilt!

I made myself a quilt for the couch 3 or 4 years ago, and finally took it to the quilter and then finally put the binding on it and it's perfect and makes me happy every time I walk down the hall.

I found an old sheet for the backing (Goodwill) and it's just right.

This is my first post from the ipad thingy. I don't know how to organize the pictures in order or anything yet.

Let's just see what happens when I press "publish". Whee!

Time

This week I cleaned up my craft room, which was delightful and since then I've mended several things that were in a pile, and put the binding on my quilt that's been hanging there since November, and cut out fabric for Lydia's quilt and put together the binding for the quilt that I'm picking up tomorrow, and I layered the quilt top and batting for the quilt I need to tie.  

A clean room is more important to my spirit than I ever give it credit for.  

I also started work on this lovely basket full of soft and pretty yarn for a graduation blankie for my darling baby sister.  

    This picture didn't make the cut, but I like it.

  Now if I could just figure out some magic formula for working on the class that I am behind on.  I can't think of any other time I've been this horrible about school.

Goal for this week:  CATCH UP!  One week every night.    

Quick Spring

Winter 2013 goals:

1.  Relax.  Look around and breathe in the chaos and laugh and enjoy it.  
2.  Get passports for the whole family!
3.  Make a 13 list for the kitchen to replace the Manifesto (Anna's idea!)
4.  Put the binding on my quilt for the couch.
5.  Figure out a way to integrate Spanish into my new life. Kind of.  I'm doing some more translating.  
6.  Move the files-old year out, etc.  
7.  Hallway and 8x10's for 2012.

There wasn't much on that list, and I said that I was able to relax and enjoy, but I wonder if my family would agree.  And I say I'm integrating Spanish, but that's mostly because I have been able to get some more translating work.  But I think that'll count.  I get to work my brain and remember, and it's not speaking, but it's something.  I got to translate for conferences too, which was fun.  And  I felt lots less pressure just translating as a bilingual person, and not as a Spanish teacher.  So what if I mess up?  That was fun.  

Spring 2013

1.   Renew Driver's License!

2.  Make a 13 list before the year is half over.

3.  Put the binding on my quilt for the couch.

4.  Make Lydia a blanket.

5.  Make Abby a blanket.

6.  Finish dumb required Library Class and enroll in Summer class.

7.  Finish moving photos to new albums.

8.  Choose patience and gentleness. I'm working on it, anyway.

9.  Plant vegetable garden. 

10.  Plant flowers.

11.  Play outside whenever possible.

12.  Sew with my aunts-Anna's 4H project.

13.  Run away with the kiddos.

14.  Go shopping with Katrina.

15.  Make a baby gift (or just be honest with myself and buy one)

16.  Something to the college nieces and nephews.  I missed this-why is college over so early?  I feel bad, but I'm hoping just crossing it off will help me to LET IT GO.

17.  Get enough sleep.

18.  Don't "work" on Sundays.

19.  Tidy up office.

20.  Have fun at Easter.  Don't worry about any of it.  

That's a giant list.  Spring makes me feel that way.  I really probably need to adjust the way I look at life and time, but it's hard.  

Last day of Haiku Month.

Hurry up and post the rest you've missed!  It's the last day of Haiku month!

Looky look we have
new books in the Library!
Please take only one.

2/18/13

I have read many
biographies and now
I know some great folks.

2/19/13

SNOW DAYS!!!


Big blizzard fakeout
Students, teachers are watching
Waiting on the snow

2/25/13

Daisy-Head Mayzie
grew a flower on her head
and they still loved her.
(written with students based on the book Daisy-Head Mayzie by Dr. Seuss)

2/26/13

A change for the world
Goodbye to Pope Benedict
We'll watch for white smoke.
2/27/13

Today is Thursday
February twenty eighth
Two thousand thirteen.

2/28/13  (This is one of my favorites)

Titled Haiku

On taking your Mom's clothes to Goodwill

The thing about it
is that you never really
believe that she's gone.

2/15/13

Haiku catch up

2/11/13

Annabelle could knit.
The box of yarn was magic.
She transformed her town.
(written with students, based on the book Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett)

2/12/13

In a crib last night
so far away from Mama
my baby boy slept.

(A huge favorite with the kids!)

2/13/13

Water, milk, V8
No sweet yummy drinks for me
This year's little Lent.

2/14/13

It's Valentines Day!
Books and friends and family
Are things that I love.

Budget

Oh, Budget Meeting.
I'm flummoxed!  Ambushed by my
own naivete.

Thursday

2/7/13

Sleepy six o'clock
Thursday mornings are rotten
Wednesday nights; too late

Two! Haiku

Rita Katherine
lively, loving, bold and kind
Grammy's sparkle shines.

Happy Birthday Katie Bug!

Haiku!

February is National Write Haiku Month (NaWriHaiMo).  In the Library, I'm posting a haiku for each day, and the February challenge for the kiddos is to read five books and write a haiku about each one.  I thought it might be fun to keep track of my haiku here. 

2/1/13

February days
are short and cold and perfect
for writing haiku.

2/4/13

Crescent moon morning
tinted sky from blue to gold
on the way to school.

2/5/13

Snuggly warm baby
wrapped in blankies and in love
as I leave the house.

Ooh-maybe you'd better comment in haiku!  ;)

1000

You know what's funny?  This is my 1000th post.  Ever since sometime in the 800's I've been thinking I should have some kind of wonderful post for my 1000th, but all of this wonderful, delicious, messy LIFE kept happening, and here I am, typing this out with one hand while Jimmy wiggles on my lap.  Katie puked on MJL (who has the sniffles) today and Anna helped me grocery shop and then there were baths and in two minutes I'm due upstairs to watch Poirot and fold a mountain of laundry.  Thank you all for sharing this life with me.

I'll leave you with one picture from today.  It's not a bit cute.  You know how you're supposed to clean out your dryer?  Not just the lint trap, but some other part?  Apparently you have to take screws off to get there.
  

MJL did that today.  This is 1/2 of what we removed.  After the first 6 handfuls to the trash can he stopped getting up and walking to the kitchen and started piling it up.  The dryer works great now!  For years I thought the timer was broken because the "more dry" auto stop quit working.  It looks like it was just covered up with lint.  Oops.  Thanks, God, that we didn't catch the house on fire!  

So go clean out your dryer.  Probably you all do that.  But just in case.  You might need a screwdriver.  :)  

Here's to 1000 more!  

Biografiesta

Wanna hear about my new job?

I decided to make the big crazy goal of reading all of the books in the library.  I have a 5 year plan.  The kids  love it/think it is crazy.  This semester I'm reading all of the biographies.  547.  If I read 6 per day I can do it.     I made a poster and I'm keeping track of my progress there, and online with our school library software.  The kids can see what I'm reading on the program, and one boy came in today to check out something I read yesterday.  He was excited "You read this one!  Is it good?"  I did really like it, and he checked it out.
  A Pocketful of Goobers

Reading biographies every day has proven to be very inspiring.  People do amazing things!  I've challenged the kids to read 20 this semester, and I have grand daydreams about the wonderful things they'll achieve once they've read some biographies and realized what they are capable of.

I also recommended my very favorite book of all time to a 6th grade girl last week.  I was nervous.  I didn't know if kids would still love Anne of Green Gables.

She came in yesterday, holding the book above her head.  "This is a GREAT book!"  Her eyes got big when I told her there were 8 books about Anne.

I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but that's OK.

Vitally important opinion poll.

Can I get my hair cut like this?

(image source)

Or will it just drive me crazy because, you know, hair would touch my face?

I discussed it with my hair friend (stylist sounds funny to me) and she suggested we go for it in summer, because I'll be in the pool all summer anyway, and if I hate it it won't matter too much.

I can't decide if the hair is cute, or if it's just that Ginnifer Goodwin is cute.

Emergency dishes

I saw a set of dishes the other day at Goodwill, and tried really hard not to buy them.

But they were pretty, and in nice shape, and I thought they kind of went with my dishes, and I knew I could use some extras, and I ended up bringing them home.  MJL laughed at me and when Anna asked, he said they were emergency dishes.

But this week we've fed lots of hungry workers, and we've used my new bowls several times already.  So there, world!  I did need them after all.

MJL did point out that even if I am able to resist the dishes 9 out of 10 times, we are still going to end up with too many dishes.  He's right.  I just love dishes.

The cat came back

When I was little I had this white cat that my Grandma Madge painted on my dresser.  I loved her.

I got her from Dad's house and she's on my dresser again.  She makes me happy every day.  Isn't she regal?

Juxtaposition

My favorite thing right now is listening to my ipod on shuffle.  Now, that's always fun, but right now, I have a Dramatized Audio Bible on there along with the music.  



So at any moment, we could hear a chapter from the New Testament, and then a song after that.  

For example:  

Acts 12:23:    Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

And then Adele's breakup song "Someone Like You"

It's super fun.  And quite thought provoking.