Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Grasshopper Days


Grasshopper Days


For today, Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Outside my window...
no more snow,
no more ice,
(well, frosty mornings),
just a quiet cloudy day.

Gunnar working on a project for school

Hearing...
the dryer tumbling,
otherwise quiet.
(Are you sensing a theme here?
Because with three sons, the quiet...
it is a rare thing ;D)

Pondering...
Gunnar is doing his first round of final exams at the high school,
as the semester ends tomorrow.
So far so good.
He seems distinctly un-stressed.

Finishing touches on his Kwakwaka'wakw eagle mask

Praying...
direction and a JOB for Wyatt!

Thankful...
still reveling in the relief/joy that he GRADUATED!

The finished project delivered at school.
Yes, I drove him.
Can you imagine taking that on the bus?
Neither could I.

Creating...
just finished 2017 Baby Quilt #3,
but no pictures until it's delivered :D
And it's going all the way to Myanmar!

Going...
to put all my sewing gear away for awhile,
and turn to other projects.

Isn't my Aunt Myrna adorable?  She was being silly, no adult beverages involved ;D

Reading...
Saving Leonardo,
by Nancy Pearcey.

Learning...
to play the violin,
little by little.
I may have advanced from
"dying crow"
to "wounded crow."

My cousin, brother and dad at Wyatt's grad party.

In the kitchen...
hmmm, what's for dinner?
Probably chicken.
Always a crowd-pleaser.

In the learning rooms...
so glad Gunnar finished his mask and got it turned in.
He was really proud of it - lots of work!
He's got two days of finals, then a long weekend.
Tate is just launched into his new quarter - yay Tate :D
And Wyatt is a GRADUATE.
Have I mentioned that a time or ten?!
Still trying to get my head around it.

Cousins :D

Around the house...
a bazillion little shreds of cardboard.
*Ahem, Gunnar*

Noticing that...
how do all these projects multiply faster than I can do them?
Why???

Dinner and games with friends... too bad you can't hear how much fun they were having!

The Mother Load...
ditto.
It breeds when I'm not looking.
Cleaning my craft room is at the top of the list.
Quilting makes so much linty dust!
And all the clutter...
it's like mucus.
Makes it hard to breathe.

Something to remember for later...
one small victory in Kerry's battle for the garage,
thankfully NOT attached to the house!


Something fun to share...
cookies!  Cookies are fun to share!
Oh, that's not what they meant...

A favorite quote for today...
If you only trust your perceptions,
the world looks flat.
Jon Bloom

Because I can't leave you with a photo of a RAT... sunrise!

One of my favorite things...
spending time with friends.
Especially when they make dinner ;D

A few plans for the rest of the week...
new projects i.e. not sewing.

A peek into my world...
again, just to make sure the rat isn't the image you take with you...
New Year's Day morning,
coming home from church.



Wednesday, January 18, 2017

2017 Baby Quilt #1 - Illinois Road


So, Gunnar and I were in the church nursery recently,
enjoying two little brothers :D


I was lamenting to my friend Jane, our pastor's wife,
that there weren't any new chapel babies on the way,
except for a couple who live in Japan and are expecting.

Their baby is due ... early March?
But we won't see them until summer.


But I was wrong.

One of our young single gals is expecting... in February!

The circumstances may not be what we all would've hoped for,
but we love her and we're showering her with baby gifts,
for the little girl she's about to welcome.


I missed her shower (same day as Wyatt's grad party)
but had a flannel receiving blanket and burp cloth already made up,
and had enough time to put this Illinois Road block quilt together,
all out of fabric I had on hand.


The turquoise and red floral
as well as the gingham backing
both came from Ragfinery - woo-hoo!


It's a simple block,
and really brings out the red -
though not quite as eye-popping as in the photo.


#1 for 2017 :D

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Grasshopper Days


Grasshopper Days


For today, Tuesday, January 17, 2017

We've had some glorious sunrises lately

Outside my window...
it's a dark and stormy night,
no kidding.
Raining and blowing,
and my new-ish driver is feeling confident enough to drive
himself and his brother to CAP.

And I'm completely calm,
or so I tell myself.

The frosty weather makes interesting, though short-lived, patterns on my windows.

Hearing...
rain lashing against the windows.
What a crazy night!

It stayed cold long enough that our lake began to freeze over,
something that happens only rarely

Pondering...
the decisions Wyatt will be making.

The smaller pond up the hill from our house froze more quickly!

 Praying...
for my boys :D

Gunnar was jealous that I had walked on the ice, so I took him up the next day.

Thankful...
for the time to do projects :D

I don't usually see the pond... from the middle!

Creating...
2017 Baby Quilt #3

For Wyatt's grad party

Going...
to take my neighbor on some errands tomorrow.
(She broke her knee cap and can't drive just now.)
After PT she wants to go to Ragfinery,
and I'm always up for that ;D
New and second-hand fabric...
by the pound.

He wanted cookies, not cake.  Smart boy.

Reading...
quilt patterns!

My brother, Kerry, and Tate

Learning...
to play the violin!
I'm taking lessons with Gunnar :D

I'm two weeks in and let me awe you with my prowess...
I sound like a dying crow.

A dying crow, trying to croak out a D major scale.

I know.
Shock and awe.


Looking forward to...
the repairman is coming tomorrow,
because the fridge is out.
I'm looking forward to having a reliable fridge again!
(Oh the things we take for granted!)

So thankful for kind neighbors who happily clear space for me in their extra fridge.

Naomi cleaning up the wrappings

In the kitchen...
HA!
Half of our food is at the neighbors!
Good thing today was pizza day ;D

Aunt Myrna and Uncle Don

In the learning rooms...
Gunnar just aced a history test today - go Gunnar!
He's working on a mask for a project for his English class.
They all have to research, make, and write about a historical mask.
Apparently 90% of the class are doing Venetian masks
(which, quite frankly, creep me out - ick!)
but Gunnar and I found a really cool mask for him to study...
a Kwakwaka'wakw (Vancouver Island people) mask
that inspired the Seahawks' logo.

Wyatt's Grandma and his 2nd grade teacher!

Around the house...
candles at the ready,
because I wouldn't be surprised to lose power in this wind.

It stayed cold, and the lake kept freezing...

Something to remember for later...
The boys just HAD to go walk on the lake!
Love how the ice is so clear, that Tate's shadow doesn't connect to his feet!
Peter Pan, anyone?


The Mother Load...
Ugh.
Trying to get insurance clearance to replace
the power cels (batteries) for Tate's CI's.
I've been working on this since NOVEMBER.
(Life wasn't meant to be easy.)
But I think we're making progress.

I know what you're thinking...
Batteries?  Batteries?!
Why don't you just buy your own batteries!

Um, they're not like hearing aid batteries.
They're specific to his CI's.
He needs four - two to wear, and two to recharge.
And they're $270 each.
That's over a thousand bucks of power.

Just stay away from the bridge, because of the current beneath it!

Something fun to share...
Gunnar keeps telling me that next calendar year,
he'll be going to college.

September 2018.

How can that possibly be happening???


A favorite quote for today...
God designed your emotions to be gauges,
not guides.
They're meant to report to you,
not rule you.
Jon Bloom 

Here is the same photo again... but I marked the house I grew up in!

One of my favorite things...
when all my boys are home :D



A peek into my world...


Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Grasshopper Days


Grasshopper Days


For today, Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Outside my window...
cold and clear again!
I love the evening glow on the hills,
though my phone camera doesn't capture it very sharply.


All that bright sunshine is great for doing projects -
lots of light in my craft room :D

Hearing...
a pretty quiet house.
Kerry's working out in his office,
Wyatt's probably on a computer,
and Tate and Gunnar just left for CAP...
with Tate driving!
It's so nice to have another driver in the house!

Pondering...
what's on Wyatt's list for tomorrow.
Since he graduated (!!!)
and has yet to find a job...
I own him.
Every morning I leave him a list of chores.
One of yesterday's was taking apart the sink drain in their bathroom.
Gee, I wonder why it was draining so slowly...


Aren't you glad you know too?!

Praying...
* for direction for that boy -
he has decisions to make!
* for all of us to stay healthy through flu season - ugh!
* for Kerry to persevere with a lot of work to do (great "problem"!)
* and for pregnant friends :D

Thankful...
* I think we're still kind of pinching ourselves that we have a GRADUATE in the family!
* I'm trying something new... I'm taking violin lessons with Gunnar!
At least until June, and then we'll evaluate continuing.
Until then, I'm searching for quiet corners of the house to practice squeaking and squawking.


Creating...
can't show too much yet, but the photos give a peek ;D

Going...
to make cookies for Wyatt's grad party -
he's not a big fan of cake.

Reading...
Bill Bryson, Notes from a Small Island, and enjoying it!


Looking forward to...
Wyatt's grad party :D

In the kitchen...
dirty dishes.
Where's my kitchen slave?

In the learning rooms...
Tate is once again tackling 20 credits (whew!)
and Gunnar is plugging away at high school / home school.
The (current) bane of his existence is poetry analysis.
Oh, he likes poetry, some poetry,
but he's lately been assigned to analyze a rather
airy-fairy, heavy-on-the-angst-and-emoting poem
that I could barely make heads or tails of.

He likes poetry... please don't make him hate it!

How about some Robert Service?
would keep them on the edge of their seats.


Around the house...
the boys have bedrooms,
generously sized bedrooms,
with plenty of room for their stuff.
So why is it all over the dining room,
and living room, and family room?
Why???

Noticing that...
sunrise while I was out walking...
almost looks like a forest fire is over the ridge!


The Mother Load...
getting ready for the grad party...
have I mentioned the grad party,
a time or ten???

Something fun to share...
after two years of me sitting and listening
(and reading or knitting)
while Gunnar has his violin lesson,
now he has to wait while I have mine.
He has declared it impossible to do any homework
and has devoted the half hour to winning over his teacher's cat.
Meowy is a rescue cat and is very skittish.
She finally allowed Gunnar a brief moment of scratching her ears,
then turned her back and refused to acknowledge him further.
We'll see what happens next week.


A favorite quote...
(On being tempted to constantly do, do do...)

Only a few things are really important,
and for those we have
the promise of divine help:
sitting in silence with the Master
in order to hear His word
and obey it in the ordinary line of duty -
for example, in being a good husband, wife,
father, mother, son, daughter,
or spiritual father or mother
to those nearby who need protection and care -
humble work
which is never on the world's list
because it leads to nothing impressive
on one's resume.
- Elisabeth Elliot


A few plans for the rest of the week...
prepare for... you guessed it,
the grad party.
Doing a bit of sewing and planning.
Just found out another friend is expecting!
Baby quilts are fun because they're such a manageable size.
I like a project I can finish in good time!

A peek into my world...
New Year's Eve... 1992???
If you like Gary Larson's The Far Side
you'll understand that we're cockroaches
going to a fancy-dress ball.
Because, of course.
What you can't see
(and really added to the ensemble)
are my big Sorel boots, because it was snowy.


Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Grasshopper Days


Grasshopper Days


For today, Tuesday, January 3, 2017

We had a white Christmas!
Outside my window...
Sunny and cold.
But once the sun came out it warmed up... to about 20F.


It's a good day for tea :D


Hearing...
One of the neighbors who is perpetually working on a large diesel truck.
So far, all it does is idles, in a rumbly sort of way.

My phone camera doesn't take really sharp images of things at a distance.
When I tried to zoom in, it ended up looking like a painting!

Pondering...
the end of Christmas break and getting into new and old routines.
Gunnar started back to school today,
Tate goes tomorrow,
Bible study on Thursday,
and Wyatt is looking for work.


Praying...
* smooth adjustments into our old/new routines
* continued work for Kerry
* wisdom about $$$
* strong faith for the boys
* diligence in personal Bible reading for all of us
(ie not just a strong first-week-of-the-new-year...)
* healing for a couple friends with illness/injury

What a glorious New Year's morning!

Thankful...
* Wyatt GRADUATED - we're excited and relieved :D
* Tate has a car and a license and can drive himself to work and school
* everyone is recovered from whatever hit before Christmas

The boys just LOVE when we have to take the 4Runner
and they're crammed into the back seat. /sarcasm

Wearing...
jeans, striped blue turtleneck, lime green sweater, thick yellow (!) socks...
because I am All That And A Bag Of Chips.

Sure, we can make it to church...

Creating...
I have ten days to come up with a baby girl quilt,
but no specific plan yet.
I can do this...

Reaching the point of no return on a steep hill.
If someone made it up, we should make it down okay, right?

Going...
to make another cup of tea ;D

The sander had done its work _ whew!

Reading...
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson.

Christmas Eve sunset, about 4pm.

Looking forward to...
friend time this weekend!

Over the river and through the woods,
to grandmother's house we go...
Christmas morning!

In the kitchen...
pizza today and chili tomorrow.

All the boys were hit by a virus over Christmas break.
Gunnar spent a lot of time on the couch, especially when it was sunny.

In the learning rooms...
Tate's backpack is loaded and ready for tomorrow -
another 20-credit quarter.
Gunnar has one day under his belt,
and a tray of radish seeds started for a biology experiment.

Aaaaand we took down the tree.

Around the house...
I've taken down Christmas and am enjoying less,
less decorations (which can start feeling like clutter),
less visual busy-ness,
lots of clear, blue, silver, and sparkly-ness :D

Also New Year's morning

Noticing that...
today's high temperature: 25F.
That's -4 for you metric folks.

On our way to New Year's brunch!

Something to remember for later...
Tate wants to learn to bake the star-shaped cinnamon stickies he's carrying.

If you think the road looks icy, you're right.  *shudder*

The Mother Load...
going onto the second page.
*sigh*

"Our" Mt. Baker

Something fun to share...
doesn't Gunnar (below) look happy to be going back to school?
I hope he had enough layers on to wait for the bus in the dark at 20F.


A favorite quote for today...
Thanksgiving is a spiritual exercise,
necessary to the building
of a healthy soul.
It takes us out of
the stuffiness of ourselves
into the fresh air
and the sunlight
of the will of God.
Elisabeth Elliot


One of my favorite things...
Trader Joe's chocolate mint tea :D

A Bible verse...
Devote yourselves to prayer,
being watchful and thankful.
Colossians 4:2

Christmas at my parents' house.

A peek into my world...
a morning walk in the woods.

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