Gorgeous Woes

This morning before I left for work, I was full of scathing and semi-witty thoughts about the general state of being buried alive with all the snow we've been getting this February.  I should have wrote this blog at that point.

I was mad.  Mad about snow.  Mad that my house doesn't magically clean itself every day.  Mad that I had to wear pants instead of getting to hang out in my pajamas all day.

The only way to fix all of my woes would have been to:

• Have had a visit from a future me who now knows the secret of time travel, and who has decided to have mercy on this past version of herself by pulling me forward in time by about four months (I choose late May or early June, if you are reading this, Future Version of Me with time travel capabilities).
• Act out on my impulse to buy a ticket to Hawaii, throwing caution to the wind about any ramifications this would create.
• Find a housekeeper willing to work for hugs and the love of doing my laundry and housecleaning.
• Find a new society that despises the wearing of pants as much as I did this morning (and I wasn't feeling any happier about possibly wearing a skirt or dress).
• Wear stretchy pajama pants to work, whatever the consequences may be.

None of these things happened, sadly.

What DID happen, is I put the danged pants on, got in my car (leaving my messy house behind), and drove out on the snowy roads.  It quickly became apparent to me that although I still hate all of this crappy white stuff and the fact that we are in my LEAST favorite month of the year, it is still incredibly gorgeous out there.

In terms of beauty, today is every bit as beautiful as a day in mid-June.  I was fighting the same urge to pull over every ten seconds to take pictures (didn't bring my big cam though, just my phone, per usual), but couldn't really do much with that impulse as I didn't want to either a) park in the middle of the road to take the pic, as the sides are nothing but giant berms at the moment, and then b) get rammed by anyone coming up behind me who is unable to stop, or c) brave some of the more shallow side areas for parking, but then get stuck.

Anyways, by the time I made it to work, my bad mood was pretty much gone.  No witty burns on either snow or the month of February.

SO, I did take a couple pictures of the snow, and also a few pics of some of the projects I'm working on to help pull me through this month.

Down our street.

On the way to work.

I've pulled out all of my jewelry making supplies.  I'm loving the whole coral, turquoise, copper combo at the moment.

Dad gave me this guitar last time I was down to visit him.  It's old and very damaged- perfect for doing a guitar mosaic.  Going to start this project soon (hopefully this week).

A Finished Room and Some Travel Talk

We finished Kloe's room (for the most part) last week.  It is a small space, so making lots of places to organize and store things really helped create order out of the chaos.  It's hard to tell from this picture, but this is a captain's bed with extra storage underneath.

We finally found her comforter at Target.  I actually really like the one she chose.  It has a mix of a lot of my favorite colors (and hers too!).   The underside is orange, and super fuzzy and soft.

Here are the "Carmel" colored walls, which she chose all on her own.  We also thinned out her stuffed animals and displayed the ones she chose to keep.  The book shelf was also one of the craigslist finds.  My girl loves to read, and she loves to collect books, but she had nowhere to put them so they were a major contributor to clutter.  This is so much better:)

I made the curtain valance with a board and some material to bring more of the aqua color into the room.  Derrick was finally able to install the ceiling fan we bought for the room over a year ago (both the bunk bed and loft bed she previously used pretty much ensured decapitation of he'd installed it any sooner).  He also fixed her closet doors, and hung the stuffed animal shelf and new mirror (he can put things on the wall straight the first time he tries.  I always make a couple extra holes in my attempts).

This is the dresser, night stand and bed I bought on craiglist. 

Aunt Bean is going to paint an owl picture with Kloe's colors to go on this empty bit of wall above the lizard's aquarium.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy..."  My contribution to her walls:)

Most likely you can tell, but I am very excited with how her room came together.  I think this will be much easier for her to maintain. 

Now for a completely unrelated topic:

We get to leave this grey winter-ish land next week!

I have been holding in this little bit of personal happy-ness for awhile now, mostly so I don't create the winter hate mob this sort of news has a way of generating.

But now, I am too excited to care.

We are going to Cancun.  We've traveled to Mexico quite a few times, but we've never been to that part of the country.  This is also the first time we will be going to an all inclusive resort.  This is also the first time we are traveling with another couple (Deana and Rob) to such a far away place.

Yes, I am excited.

Aunt Nae is going to stay at our place with the kiddos.  We always feel a little guilty leaving the kids behind, but it is important to be able to have these times once in awhile with each other (plus we just took them to Mexico last March, so we don't feel too guilty).

My goals for this trip are:

• Don't get sick this time!! Mexico has not been very kind to me on some of our previous trips.
• Lay in the sun, and soak up mass amounts of vitamin D. 
• Play in the ocean.  Hoping for good snorkeling.
• Have fun with our friends! :)
• Write a little every day we are down there, and take lots of pictures.
• Gather great memories to carry us through to Spring.

A Whale of a Room

I've tried a lot of ideas to inspire my daughter to take care of her room throughout the years.

One time I labeled dresser drawers for specific pieces of clothing, labeled toy bins, labeled the garbage (with a list of things that should go into it)... you get the idea.  I hung a list on the wall that broke down what to pick up first and what to put away and in what order.  It worked for a while until one day I went in and saw that she had rearranged and added to all of the labels.  It resulted in nulling and voiding the system I had created.  

I think it was her way of reclaiming her room (and pulling it back into the abyss of chaos). 

Several times I stripped her room of toys.  This at first made her sad, but then ultimately made her feel rescued, so I had to rethink the benefits of that idea.  

Her room has been my white whale throughout the years, a whale that has kicked my butt so hard that have I lapsed into periods of avoidance.  But I always find my way back to crusader mode. 

This weekend, the saga of managing Kloe's bedroom had a new chapter installment. 

In an effort to make her embrace her bedroom and really make it hers, I decided an overhaul was needed.  She no longer wanted the loft bed she's been using (and before that a bunk bed), so I found a new regular twin bed.  Well, not really new, but a used and in great condition bed off of craigslist

(If I ever just up and disappear, you can fairly safely assume that I finally wandered to the wrong craigslist ad and am now chopped into bits floating somewhere down the river). 

I also found a taller/less space-consuming dresser for her (again off of craigslist), as well as a bookshelf and nightstand.  Between the extra storage that the bed has under it, and all of the extra storage all of the other new items, it should be easier to make a place for her things. 

Saturday, Kloe and I went to the paint store where she picked a new wall color completely by herself.  The last time I painted in there, I chose a yellow color (cheerful, right?) She never approved. 

She wanted her walls to be "carmel", and chose a warmish tan color.  We (and I mean Kloe and I) put the first coat of paint down last night (Sunday).  Fifteen minutes into the process, she stopped and said "Doing this is not as fun as it looks" (and I smile as I type that).  I replied "Yes, I know that because this is the fourth time I have painted this little room of yours, and the first two times I did the whole thing by myself".  My hope (which I expressed to her), is that by understanding how much work it is to paint a bedroom, she will have a better understanding about why it is so important to me that she try to resist the urge to use thumb tacks to display her ever changing works of art (I will be hanging a new cork board though, because her art really does need to be displayed). 

She has also chose a new comforter set for her new bed, which I will be ordering soon.  I have really had to resist the urge to take over this choice, because Kloe and I like very different styles and colors (I want lots of bright colors, and she keeps leaning towards more subdued colors).

 I don't consider myself a controlling person, but the amount of effort it has taken to put the brakes on just taking over and doing it my way has been considerable.  I've had to focus on the big picture goal, which is not having a bedroom decorated just as I would like, but instead to have a room that Kloe feels connected to.  I am hoping that this will create more of a sense of responsibility in taking care of it.  

Now, we wait and watch and hope for success.  :)

Camping at Painted Rock

“I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing.”—-Agatha Christie

Gah.  It is July 26th, a day that by it's sheer placement on the seasonal calender should be a feel good day. I, however, am stuck on my own personal calender of ups and downs which has declared that I will not enjoy it.  Feeling edgy and generally irritated both emotionally and physically.  It even hurt too much to brush my hair this morning.  It's one thing to be a moper during winter; heck, you are just joining the crowd on those days.  It feels recklessly wasteful on a summer day like this, however.  And yet, here I am.

Catching Rays and Reading

So, to get off of that downward train of thought, I will now think of only happy-ness. 



I'll start with last weekends camping foray.  We had such a nice time.  We went to the Painted Rock area (about two hours from here, on the other side of Darby).  There was an icy creek there that the men and kids spend hours reshaping with dams built from fallen logs.

The kids (and grown ups more adventurous than me)spent their time  floating up and down the creek on the myriads of tubes we'd all brought, and playing on the tiny sandy beach.  I spent my time down there catching some sun, chatting, and reading. 

Also spent some time in a lovely hammock.  There are few things are relaxing as rocking gently in a hammock, listening to a chilly stream and the voices of friends and kiddos talking and laughing.

We planned on doing a project with the kids while we were up there- Tie dye T-shirts. It was so fun! I know for a fact that the grown ups had just as much fun with that as the kids did.

They were catching brown trout

Twisting the material for a perdifying effect

Looks like a bucket of organs. huh?

Darby-Do, showing her awesome new shirt!



Oh Yeaaah, He is

EXCITED to be part of this



He did good!

Field of  Drying Tie Dye Shirts

 

Showing off our artistic and peaceful flair.

Spinning Onward

In hindsight, this week has been fairly productive.  I've delivered important things to our accountant, balanced QB and observed bills that need to be paid, cleaned the house (mostly), done the laundry (which is never *really* done, but I was counting myself a success in that department yesterday), finally framed the pictures I took of the kids months ago, and also worked on some other projects I've been putting off.  Actually went in service this morning to make up for last Saturday's bout of being ill. 

Despite all of this, I very much feel like I am spinning my wheels. *sigh* The list of things I should be doing is long, and there will never be enough time to do it all.

We are going camping this weekend.  Need to run into town to buy the 'Chef Bayha Approved' list of groceries (he also makes most of the food while there). I'm glad to have a list, or I'd just buy hotdogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And some marshmallows.  And anything else that can be roasted over a campfire.  While I might be okay with that kind of camping culture, I am almost positive my fellow campers there would not be.  I want to be with happy campers, so the list is appreciated.

 Hopefully, I will be awesome enough (as in remembering) to buy and pack everything we need today so we can leave first thing in the morning.

Different subject:  Jessie jumped up and bit Kloe's face last night.  Those little puppy teeth are sharp!  There was a small cut on Kloe's face; small, but gaping a little too much for my comfort.  I took her to the ER, thinking stitches, but then decided I was being a bit drama-queenish for such a tiny cut.  We went to the store instead, and I bought butterfly stitch bandaids and liquid bandaid stuff.  Seems to have worked- just looks like a little scratch this afternoon.

Alright... better quit dawdling around here and go gather camping stuff.  Hope y'all have a super dupe weekend!

Kloe (every morning)knocked out
after taking care of Jessie all night.

Ring Derrick gave me two years ago.
Finally figured out how to protect
inserted photos.

"Magic Gloss" bought in Seattle-

used for coating pictures on pendants.

Want to use the "Magic Gloss" more- I think
there are different brands of the same product

in larger sizes for a lower price.




Derrick bought three new Platties.  Store clerk
assured us they are tough as nails.

 

Finally just did my own frames for these pictures.  Never could find anything in the store that felt right.

My girl (with fancy face bandaid), and Ma'Self, striking a pose.

Paper Mache Weekend

K.  Been trying to think of something to write down in here all day, and I've got some sort of blockage going on.  So, in the hopes of loosening it up, I'm just gonna start writing.

Yesterday was the last day at my job.  It came two weeks earlier than planned, and I am grateful for those two extra weeks. I can now form a new work routine to help with Derrick's business before the kids are out of school.  I feel some pressure has been relieved.  I'll be filling in here and there this summer, and maybe, just maybe, it will work out that I go back next fall.  But for now, it's a different schedule for me.

Had a sweet weekend with Renae and Aiyana.  It was just good to get to be with them.  We did a fun project with the kids involving balloons and paper mache.  It was actually Aiyana's idea- she wanted to make a present for her momma while she's out of town by making a "momma head".  I've always wanted to do paper mache- this was a first for all of us.  I grabbed a couple pics of the "daddy head" that Kloe and I made. Renae sent a text pic with the finished "mommy head" :-). 

A Striking Resemblance.- "Steph a.k.a 'Mommy' Head"- By Aiyana and Gramma Nae

Newly formed Headling.

"Daddy, the 2nd"- creation by Kloe
and Mommy
Can you believe Derrick finds heads laying around
on the table "creepy"?

Paper mache is fun!  I'm sure we'll be doing more of these kinds of projects with the kids in the future.







I was going to write more about this weekend...  about eating at friends' house, watching The Derrin ride a bigger motorcycle than normal, and the girls getting pulled behind a four-wheeler on a sled (in the grass), laughing their heads off, going to the movies... but my brain is just not cooperating tonight.  Plus Blogger is being super difficult to operate.

Maybe I'll end this post with an awesome video from Tori (also on the subject of bodiless heads).  I can handle that.

Sickie

Kloe and I are at home again today, missing school and work respectively.  I almost sent her this morning, but she just looked too pitiful.  She was way more believably sick before she started talking and explaining her symptoms. "Mommy, I feel ok when I lay down but when my feet touch the floor *insert delicate and fragile cough here*, my tummy gets sick and my throat hurts." Um, okay.  We won't tell the school you just said that, little girl.  It messes with our credibility.

 So, now we are sitting on the couch watching "Cats and Dogs", while eating pickles and clam chowder.  If we weren't sick before, I'm sure we can get ourselves there with our food choices.

Since I'm at home today, I've been doing a little housework (very little), a little laundry (even little-er), and working on my painting stuff (just a tad) and reading.  I was a little more ambitious yesterday when I got home from work (Derrick stayed home with the girl yesterday).  The sun was shining out there so I went for a run.  I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I regularly get passed by other runners and bikers.  It always scares me- I can't hear them coming from behind (music in ma ears) so the first inkling that anyone is even there is when I catch them in my peripheral vision.  Then I'm always a bit embarrassed about being passed.  Really, if I knew that someone was coming up from behind I would at least try to give them a run for their money.  I am a *very* slow loper. The only time I feel like I should maybe try to do some speed work is the moment when I get passed by a non-slow runner.  The worst time was last summer when I was passed by a woman pushing a stroller.  But honestly, if that embarrassing experience didn't make me try to run faster, I don't know that anything will (maybe a ruthless trainer?).  I'm just happy that I'm out there at all- it doesn't matter to me if I am the slowest runner I know.

The weekend is almost here, and I'm glad for it.  Hopefully we will all get rested up and come Monday morning everyone will feel good again.

My New Winter Goals

Every fall, before winter falls around my shoulders again, I like to make a new list of goals- a Survival Guide if you will.  Last year I focused mainly on running, and I'm happy to say I actually stuck with it and it helped greatly.  I've been through a lot this year, and one of the benefits from all the turmoil (a dramatic word, but oh-so-accurate), is that it has given me plenty of time to pause and contemplate what I need in my life.  Hopefully my follow-through on this years list will be as good as last year (although my list is quite a bit longer).
Spiritual
1. Improve my prayers.
2.Service twice a week- Wednesday and Saturday mornings.  16 hours a month... better recordings of return visits.
3.  Meeting attendance... go whether I feel like being around people or not, no excuses unless I'm bleeding out of my ears.
4.Use Thursday after work as time to study better for that night's meeting.  Help the kids prepare an answer for bible reading.
5. Really read my bible every day- even if it's just a couple of verses.
6.Invite friends from our congregation(and not just the family kind) over for dinner at LEAST twice a month... quit being a chicken about having company.
 Physical
1.  Continue running- get back to 3-4 times a week.  Aim for m, t, f 4 miles each and 6 miles on either weekend day- 18 miles total.
2.  Continue green drinks daily.
3.  Buy more vitamins!!! Take daily!
Financial
1.  Make an arrangement to completely pay off our credit cards.  Financial freedom!!! Down with credit card slavery!!!
2. Continue to put money into savings every pay day.  Then don't spend it.
3. Start a separate savings account just for travel.  Start to save for the Europe dream trip that WILL happen someday.
 Art & Photography & All Projects
1. Do one photography project a week and post some pics in here.
2. Finish the paintings I started last winter before I start any new ones this winter!!!
3. Make the necklaces with the beads that Renae and I bought in Canada this summer (with Renae!)
4. Strip my end tables and stain them black so they FINALLY match my coffee table!  Buy the glass for the top of the coffee table.
5. Strip Kloe's dresser and paint it and her lizard's stand.
6. Paint my bathroom using fuex(fuax? Foe? I think I'm getting farther away from correctness) techniques Lyns and I are gonna learn this weekend!!!
Relationships
1. Keep in better contact with my friends and family.  Phone calls, emails, cards... so they know I love them, because I so do!!! NO MORE HERMIT TENDENCIES.  Winter or not- I MUST keep in contact with friends.  No disappearing.  I am not a bear.
2. Buy Derrick more gifts... do things for him that I like when he does for me:)
3. Play with my kids more.
4. Be more proactive in relationships- make the first move more.
5. Stop sweating the small stuff in relationships, and also the stuff I can not change.  Dwell on the positive, not the negative.

Confidence

It is officially 12:25 at NIGHT and we just got home from a wedding- my dear friends Kevin and Alta got married tonight! Yeah! They are both so awesome. I hope they stay in Missoula FOREVER so we can all just hang out and have fun... unless they really want to move... or WE really want to move... um.. well, anyways, tonight was super fun. Everyone was totally into the dancing, the food was awesome and it was just generally a great night.

They had me take pictures at their wedding. This is the second event where I've been able to take pictures this summer, and it has been GREAT. The light at both events was perfect, the people were happy and smiling, and I've just been generally happy with how the pictures have been turning out. After the Hospist Ball I sorta lost my... drive or "magic" with pictures because it was so NOT what I love about taking pictures. The love is back. Thank goodness. I missed it.

projects to keep sane...

October 31, 2006


projects to keep sane...

Every year as the leaves begin to fall and the days start to get a little greyer, I go into project mode. Call it a method to sanity. Call it my key to living in Montana during winter. I do like to ski and play in the snow of course, but I would rather just live somewhere else in the winter (Arizona, Mexico, Hawaii...) Summers here do make up for it all (floating the river, hiking, messing around in the garden...) but in the meantime there is the matter of surviving winter unscathed. So, this is the time of year when everything in my house gets painted, beaded, super-cleaned, moved around and basically anything else that crossed my mind during the summer months but I was just too busy to do. Sooo, project season having commenced, here is a picture of my latest. I am painting my kitchen table and it is BRIGHT (or at least the chairs to it are). It shall match my kitchen with it's so-yellow-it-hurts-your-eyes brilliantly. I need help waking up in the morning and the yellow glow helps. ANYWAYS, here is a picture of the as yet unfinished table and chairs. I also included a picture of my last project, a mosaic mirror I made for my super-neices wedding present.