Thursday, November 29, 2007

Morning Edition

I was a few minutes late to work this morning, partly because I couldn't get out of the car for listening to the radio! NPR did a story on the CNN/Youtube debate last night between the Republican presidential nominees. I found myself able to follow along and knit together what I was hearing with what I already knew and just really enjoying the story all the way around.

I even found myself chuckling aloud at something Fred Thompson said. Each candidate was invited to present their own youtube video, and his video was a collection of clips of his fellow candidates flip flopping or whatever. He explained his creative vision by saying he just wanted to give the other guys more air time.

And the youtube viewer who asked how the guys who hadn't specifically been tortured before could stand up there next to a guy who HAD been tortured before and, further, believes that waterboarding is torture, how could they stand there next to that guy and not admit that waterboarding is torture.

Oh! And the guy who asked, with regard to the death penalty, what would Jesus do? One candidate (I can't remember who) answered by saying that Jesus wouldn't run for political office, that's what Jesus would do! I'm still not sure what to think about that!

Anyway. Reminds me of my Dad and how much fun following politics was for him and how I'm going to let my Orvillelight shine by continuing to follow along and knit together what I know with what I hear. By caring.

I'm certainly not in danger of tuning into Fox News Channel and I won't install a tattoo of Ronald Reagan's signature over my heart -- or Barack Obamas! but I may march in a parade or two, and participate in any "Political Interest Survey for a Major News Network" dinner time phone calls that come my way. I will care! And I'll tip my hat to my dad, and give thanks to him for being such a top notch character who actually gave a hoot about the state of the Republic.

And so can you! Know Your Vote!

PEACE Quote


Do you know what is really new?
The latest is that breath that just came.
That's the newest thing in this whole universe.
That is the newest thing.

And you just got it.
And it left - and here comes a new one.
And it just left.
And here comes another one.

I'm trying to point out the magic of that existence to you. Just the magic that's there. That's heaven.
- Maharaji


Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Family Photo calamity

We've gotten a special request for a nice family photo, and we took a few minutes last night to try to make that happen. What a calamity! My goodness. The kids were bouncing off the wall, the parents were patiently trying to set up/stand in frame, keep things light. Then Maggie nearly smashed her face on the coffee table while trying to jump off the couch, smacking her hand instead and breaking down in hysterical tears. So we stopped efforts and comforted her, and decided to try the photo again when her tears had dried.

Only that second effort didn't go so well, more chaos ensued, more jumping about and acting wild from the kids, fissure cracks spreading like wildfire in the parents ability to keep cool, until KABLAM! it all went to hell and the eldest child mutinied and we had to abandon our efforts until another time for the four of us to be together long enough to regroup and try again -- which is looking like Thursday at this point!

Wish us luck!

p.s. it wasn't so bad. it sort of got ridiculous after a certain point. you wouldn't think it would be so difficult to fit the four of us in the frame, but I guess it is. These days anyway!

Great Minds Think Alike

On the way home from our terrific Thanksgiving vacation up in Maine this weekend, Henry and I were in line at the double D for donuts and juice. I made a joke about the Chocolate Stick donut and it's resemblence to poop, to which Henry politely giggled about.

When we got back to the van and everyone had their half a gingerbread donut in hand, Maggie remarked, "Hey. This donut is shaped like the poop I made last week."

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

PEACE Quote

Choice is destiny's soul mate.
- Sarah Ban Breathnach

Friday, November 16, 2007

Be You Ess Why

Well would you look at that. Another week has blown past. Jeff got home on Wednesday night and it is good to have him home. No less hectic, however.

I could type out a laundry list of my To-do's for the weekend and another list of What-did for the work week, but let me sum it up for in three words: home, work and family. and PTO. So, four words.

I shall now give you four things to sum up what my week did NOT include: Alone time. A decent cheeseburger. Sitting down before 8 or 9pm. Hanging out with friends (especially Matt, who is as busy as me and whom I am most desiring a hang out and chat with. Besides YOU, dear reader.)And, lastly, my week did NOT include.... drumroll please... anything more than I could handle.

Last week I made up some very cute little lunch bags. I used an apple tote bag from the produce department for a pattern and managed to whip out three bags in the space of a Sunday afternoon! The first one turned out the best in terms of finished quality, but the other two incorporated lessons learned and designs tweaked while making the first one that had me winging it here and there (resulting in a poor quality finished product). Which one might YOU get for Christmas?!

(Insert Sisyphus-ian blurb here about laundry and housework chores awaiting my Saturday and Sunday.)

I believe we are traveling to our family in Maine next week for the Thanksgiving Holiday! It will be terrific to see them again, feels like forever...

Yesterday, where I bought my sandwich, I finally checked out their used book nook and came away with two goodies. Witness to America by everyone's favorite Mans Man historian Stephen Ambrose (R.I.P.) and some other guy, I think he's related to Tom Brokaw. And also a book I'd given as a gift years ago that I have heard was very helpful to her and others she passed it to, Another Country by Mary Phipher, who wrote "Reviving Ophelia" and in this book explores the 'emotional lives of elders' So I guess if you are an elder that matters to me, I will soon be gaining more insight into your emotional life. And you can too!

Alrightie, have a good weekend blog!

Friday, November 09, 2007

TGIFriday

Goodness gracious what a week. I have made it to Friday! My house is a pit, my laundry is piled up, I have a busy weekend as well, but at least I'm taking Monday off work! That's the goal, get to Monday...

Maggie is really missing her daddy! We all really notice his absence in the mornings, when he is always around usually. The evenings can still make sense when Jeff isn't home, but the morning, it just doesn't make sense! Lots of whining and whimpering and very fearful of shadows and being left alone while in the house. :-( I guess her Daddy really makes her feel safe!

Henry is doing great, what a wonderful fellow he is. Last night my friend Bob watched the kids so I could get out for a couple hours, and I had told the kids that they could have a sleepover in my bed once we got hom. Henry said, on our way to Bob's house, "I feel like the luckiest kid in town! I'm going over to my best friend's house, but my best friend won't be there, I had corndogs for dinner, tapioca pudding for desert, I have new pokemon cards, I don't have school tomorrow AND I get to sleep in your bed tonight!"

There's a teachers conference today, so Henry is at the daycare all day today. He was laying in (my) bed this morning, whimpering about how it is supposed to be a long weekend for him, boo hoo, etc. I admitted to him that this is one of those times where I wish I hadn't gone back to work. Quick as a flash he assured me, "At least I have two days off..."

Then at drop off, I was feeling sort of overwhelmed because the ladies there don't exactly pitch in to get the kids settled, so I was sort of running all around and feeling funny/guilty by the lack of warmish welcome, Henry having to ask, "Where do I put my stuff?" to the ladies. Small feelings of guilt and doubt about what am I doing making my kid sit in day care so I can come here and click and drag, but not exactly wanting to stay home with a whimpering three year old all day either. Oy. Made me well up and almost start crying as I headed out the door. No fun.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Let the Pokemon begin!

Henry is beginning the Pokemon trading craze with his friends at school. It's been cute to listen to his plans for total domination of the Pokemon world. This morning he said that he had been going to trade two of one kind of cards for one of another but that he couldn't find those two cards so what he was going to do is trade THREE of a third kind of card to a different boy, who in turn would trade him the original two he needed to trade for the one, most important card of the day. Then he found the two cards he'd misplaced and happily scrapped the backup plan he'd put in place.

We have little plastic bags that are made to fit trading cards of this nature, so I gave him some of those to protect the cards he's got. I suggested that one way to build his collection would be to trade empty plastic bags to his friends for cards. Boy you'd a thought he'd figured out a way to print money or something. "You know, you've really given me an idea, mom!"

Hey Now

A good friend of the family passed away suddenly a day or so ago, and this guy was a classic character. Real decent fellow. He came to the family thru Jocelyn and Brooke, name of Duane. I guess Jocelyn met him when she was 3 months pregnant with Brooke, which would've made me about 10 years old when he came into the mix.

I was talking with Jocelyn earlier and we had a sad chuckle at the thought of our Dad possibly being there to greet and welcome Duane to the other side. Big smile, hand outstretched for a nice warm and welcoming handshake, laughing with Duane about not expecting to run in to him so soon, Duane countering with a quick quip about not expecting to be there so soon himself, etc. Then maybe the two of them go off to find a golf game or something good to eat.

Anyway, give your loved ones a squeeze and call all your good buddies to check in and let them know you're glad they're yours, would you? You know where to reach me.

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Online shopping for fabric

I have been drooling over fabric websites. Here is a good one I just found.

Reproduction Fabrics

ReproductionFabrics.com is a source of cotton reproduction fabrics for costumers and quilters. Fabrics of time periods 1775-1950, as well as indigo-dyed prints. We have the largest selection of reproduction fabrics on the web, including the "newest" of the old.

http://www.reproductionfabrics.com/

Thursday, November 01, 2007