Dark and Cold

We got our power back on yesterday evening, but I couldn't get connected to the internet until today. I thought, rather than trying to describe it, I would just show you the pics.

Robb is home now, too. (He flew out on Sunday to Nashville for work.) He came home Wednesday night with a bag full of fire-logs as that was what we were running out of. On Monday, I got a new propane tank to cook on the grill with, and a box of firewood, but we quickly burned through the wood. It was not too bad, but the temp on Tuesday night was supposed to be about 10 degrees and I was worried about the pipes freezing again, as was my landlord! I just turned on the fuacet a bit to drip. Being in town, we still had water, which I could heat up on the grill for tea and hot chocolate. The kids loved having a fire in the fireplace and spent quite a bit of time cozied up there, while I was out looking for more stuff to burn. It's going to take me a little while to get out of the mode of looking at everything asking "Could I burn that?"

It was kind of exhilarating matching wits with the storm, fighting off the stomach flu, keeping kids warm and fed. But when Robb got home it all kind of hit me, and I was pretty much asleep five minutes after he got home. I cleaned up as soon as the power came on, but I'm a little sorry he didn't get a chance to see the bow-saw by the fireplace, furniture moved helter-skelter to accomodate doing all our living in the living room, and keeping the space in front of the fireplace clear to prevent a spark from doing more damage.

Things are a little tense right now. We've gotten news that our house in MI needs extensive repairs and has not gotten the kind of TLC we've given this house. It makes me really sad. It's going to take a few days to start to feel normal again, let alone deal with what has to be dealt with up there.

I know lots of others don't have power, though, so keep praying for them and for us as we deal with the aftermath.

Dang Robb, welcoming storms. Dang.

Before the Power Goes Out

I'm pretty sure if it keeps coming down like it is, the power will likely be lost, so I am scurrying to put up some of the pics out my windows this morning. We've already lost the tv satelite and I could hear the branches cracking like mad when I let Sid out this morning. For my part, I'm back in bed after being up all night with some kind of vicious stomach flu. Thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere! Hope everyone's doing ok out there!

To Mother You

This is the song my dear friend Candice sang at Vintage yesterday. I've been humming it all day and thinking about that service. This was the last in a series entitled, "God, is THAT you?" where we looked at ways and times God reveals Himself in ways we do not expect. Yesterday, we saw a clip from the excellent NOOMA, she, and examined passages where God shows his feminine side. Uncomfortable with that? Don't be...it's a rich and untapped way to experience God....the way he births, nurtures and cares for us. When I think of God being like my Dad, I think of God accepting me and thinking everything I do is pretty awesome, because that is what my Dad does. When I think of God being like my mom, I am struck at how much work goes into forming a person's character...the daily sacrifice of keeping a human baby alive until they are old enough to function on their own. I think of the shock and awe that only a Mom can bring...I think of the way that only your mom can talk you off the ledge sometimes.

Not all moms are as warm and caring. As I looked around the room yesterday, the tears feel freely as I felt the loss and disappointment that many in the room felt with their own moms. They weren't being whiny and compaining...some of their moms really failed them. But God fills in the gaps. God is the perfect Mom. His fondness for his children is what we all want to bask in.

I wish you could hear Candice sing it...if I was a bit more tech savy, I could load the video and let you snuggle under the sound of her voice. But Sinead will do nicely as a substitute.

Coffee Table Mosaic

What a stellar title to this post. So creative and engaging. Really, I amaze myself sometimes.

This is a six dollar thrift store table with free broken tiles on it and of course, a little paint job. It's not the flashiest, prettiest mosaic I ever did, but I must say that working on it at odd moments this week was really, really enjoyable. There is a quiet contentment about this piece that I hope someone will enjoy very much.

It goes off to booth number 8.

The Heartwood Gallery

Drumroll please:

Here's booth number 8 in the Heartwood Gallery. Right there with all the real artists!

The gallery is located at 428 S. Government Ave., one-half block north of Sixth Street in Fayetteville.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Sunday or by calling 444-0888.

My Friend Arlo

My friends, Arlo and Aley came to play the other day and we had a good time. A nice lady in Australia bought this 1972 silhouette picture from my Etsy shop and I was getting it ready to ship out when I noticed a little resemblance!

And on a completely ridiculous note...

what would you call this footwear? Because they can't really be called "socks." And I'll probably keep them....

To Make A Change

At our last women's group, we talked about Change. Specifically, change you want, not the kind that just happens to you.

I began to jot down notes about the things that really affected change in our lives. While the specifics of group stay at group, I don't think anyone would mind me listing here the things we shared as catalysts of change in our lives.

1. planted seeds from long ago.

2. God Himself

3. long process

4. when others notice a difference about you (and confirm it)

5. relationships

6. small victories

7. observing change in someone else

8. awareness of a need

9. remembering and looking back

10. joining a group to focus on a particular need (ie. 12 steps)

11. examining our desires

12. change in belief

Very few of us had any success making a change by just pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and keeping our desired change to ourselves until we could unveil it like a an extreme makeover. No quick change seemed to stick. Most of the positive changes that stuck in our lives came in the context of relationships.

I yearn for change right now. I am deeply dissatisfied with certain things. When Mick Jagger sings "I can't get no satisfaction" I understand. When Bono sings, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" I understand.

I had coffee with a new friend yesterday. I like her a lot. She asks big questions. I felt like I'd had a good yoga session after talking with her. She helped me to think out loud about what's going on with me lately. About what I'd like to see change. I'm still thinking and gathering my thoughts, still trying to bring things that have happened in the last six months into some kind of focus. I told her that it feels like I have three jigsaw puzzles in front me right now, all mixed up. Every day now for awhile, I get up and wonder, "What am I doing with my life?" At times in the past, I have had razor sharp focus, completely clear on what the objective and goals are. But lately, it's all gotten very muddy and confusing.

I'm ok with the crazy feeling as long as I know that at some point, I will be clear again. I'm okay with not knowing what the changes need to be. Some of you are reading this thinking, "Have a drink and lighten up!" Some of you are reading this, thinking, "You need to read your Bible more." (I assure you, I've tried both.) But some of you are reading this thinking, "Yeah. Me too." And that's why I write.

What HE said

I love this. Thanks Knack Studio and Poppytalk

Whatever it takes to feel pretty.....

You Might Be a Parent

I love those lists of Church bulletin bloopers...you know...verbal mishaps by over-worked or undereducated church secretaries. My favorite...

"For those of you who have children and don't know it, there is a nursery downstairs."

OH! If only there was a nursery downstairs. If only there was a downstairs! But in case you don't know for sure, here's a few indications of parenthood from my morning:

You might be a parent if:

Your day started with a kid running in to tell you they forgot their lunchbox at school. At 6:22 a.m. (You don't get up til 7.)


You might be a parent if one of your kids is putting lotion all over the other kid to get their finger out of a nerf gun. At 6:23 a.m.

You might be a parent if you wake up to the smell of burning soup and really REALLY strong coffee. Because they were "just trying to help!"


You might be a parent if you arrive to deal with the burning soup situation and find kids cleaning up a bag of frozen blueberries with the broom you use to clean the bathroom floor.

You might be a parent if, after mopping the floor, soaking the burnt pan, making oatmeal and cream of wheat because two out of three kids will eat oatmeal but one out of three will eat cream of wheat, while simultaneously yelling at the children to just do their job and let you do yours and then everything will be just fine...and then you find half a basket of coffee grounds sliding down the front of the garbage can and a sink full of toothpaste blobs after you just cleaned the sink...TWICE...yesterday....well, I could go on, but it's too sad....

You may also be a parent if you convince your four year old that cleaning with Clorox wipes is fun.















You might be a parent if these are considered clean rooms.













You may also be a parent if you have been presented with anything resembling these as your birthday gift:




And also if you have ever used the phrase, "Son, you need to be careful where you draw Swastikas. People could get the wrong idea.









And also if you got "help" with all of your jobs, but the children's chore of feeding the dog was somehow forgotten in all of the "helping"












You may be a parent if you look out your front window (which is smudged with a hundred thousand finger prints at about the 3 foot mark) and see this:







You may also be a parent if, at this time, when all the kids have gotten out the door and you are left reflecting on your morning, you find it a little amusing.








TOMORROW:

You might be an artist if you have a jigsaw in your dining room.

Fake it 'til you Make it

So I was born with the family curse. I cannot be photographed. Well, that's not exactly true....since my image does appear in cameras. I cannot be photographed without looking like a moron. So in my mature 30s, I have embraced the moron. I'm letting go of the fact that I will never be a 17 Magazine Model finalist. It goes in the file folder with "Never gonna be an Olympic gymnast" and "Not going to give my Valedictorian speech (I wasn't even close, but I had a speech just in case....)

This is the face I've gotten used to. This is me. With a few props to set the stage.

Orange and Blue

I saw the roses Robb gave me next to an old piece of blue McCoy pottery and was inspired to make this mosaic. I've never used this grout before, but I will absolutely use it again. Anything the color of coffee can't be bad! I'm not usually drawn to this look, but I am very pleased with the end result, and as you can see, it looks great in my bedroom. I might have a hard time parting with this one....

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Mattie painted this with tempera paint at school. I popped it in this frame I found while out and about the other day and liked the effect.

A Good Start

When I sat down and looked at the calendar, I realized my northern upbringing had colored the facts. When the owner at Barbara's Gardens said she would be doing her grand opening in the spring, I thought April/May. I keep forgetting that spring here is FEBRUARY. So in the next three weeks I need to stock the booth at the Gallery AND make a whole lotta flower pots!

Of course, I have tons of ideas, but the first thing that had to be done was organize the studio. And organize I did, after complaining and whining a lot. When I finally bit the bullet and spent some money on plastic bins that hold each color of china, things got a lot better in here.

But what to start on? When I saw this tray at Target, it all started to come together. By the next day, I had this piece worked out. I spent a lot on the tray to begin with (20 dollars) but it's such a great theme piece to work around, I think it will be worth it. It got the ball rolling and I was able to put a small tray together in a couple of hours last night. I want to do a jewelry box next, a candle tray, and then a framed bouquet of flowers....maybe like the beautiful bouquet my husband brought me on Saturday? He is the sweetest man.

We are finally cleaned up from the flood and I have boric acid out to fight the roaches, and the tree is now completely gone out front (So sad). Etsy sales are surprisingly steady. Charleigh is listening to her "Kiss Your Brain" CD. I walked the kids to school this morning. It's a good Monday. I hope your week is starting well, too.

Christmas Presents

Now that the holiday is over, I can show you the mosaic presents I made this year. The picture collage shows my mom's side of the family and covers 6 generations.