Grasshopper Days

Grasshopper Days

For today, Monday, February 6, 2017

Outside my window...

SNOW!!!

And there was much rejoicing :D

I feel for ya, if you have to drive in it,

and things are scary-slick,

but this is Kerry's commute to work:

... and back home :D

I don't think there's a school in the county open today.

And yes, I know, it's not really that much snow,

but we've had a silver thaw too.

If I get my friend's permission,

I'll share her gorgeous photos. :D

Hearing...

the furnace - yay for a cozy house :D

and my electric kettle warming my tea water - double yay!

Pondering...

I had a fun adventure with my friend Katlyn on Saturday.

We were invited to Nicole's for a card making party,

because Valentine's Day approaches.

But... SNOW.

Nicole lives way up the highway toward Mt. Baker,

and had eight inches and more was falling.

But Katlyn... isn't she cute?! ...

... is a native Alaskan (with studded tires and AWD!) so we ventured out to Nicole's :D

We had a fun crafter noon...

making cards and looking out her window, watching more snow fall.

When it started falling more heavily,

Katlyn decided it was time to head back to town. 

Lo, the driveway is long,

and her car is not a plow ;D

But the highway was fine :D

Praying...

* for a young gal at our church who had a baby on Saturday

* for the boys and their school work

* for Wyatt's job search *ahem*

Some of the people who live up the hill from us park down here when it snows.

Thankful...

* for a snow day!

* for a day to stay home and make bacon and pancakes for breakfast!

* for lots of leftover chili - so perfect for a chilly day!

* for the beauty of the snow!

* that 2/4 of our vehicles are 4WD!

Driving home from my parents' "Soup-er Bowl" party last night

Wearing...

time to dig out my Sorels

Just a dusting, and more coming down...

Going...

so happy to be going nowhere,

just out in the snow :D

Looking forward to...

healing.

This little piggy should have stayed home...

... and the males of the household need to

PUSH IN THE KITCHEN STOOLS WHEN YOU GET UP.

In the kitchen...

I have a ham all ready to go,

and wanted to slow-cook it in my crock pot,

but it's too big!

Good problem, right?

It'll go in the oven, then.

Name that tree, anyone?

In the learning rooms...

Apparently they are re-learning how to dress for snow.

Because boys are amazing.

It's 23F outside and one of my boys

- who shall remain nameless for his own protection -

just went out with a neighbor boy to sled down the big hill next to the house

"just a time or two or three"

in his track pants, tennis shoes, and a sweat shirt,

because, GENIUS, right?

No hat, no coat, no gloves...

Of course, they came in moments later,

covered in snow and shivering,

with numb fingers.

Let the record show that our boys DO OWN:

snow boots, snow pants (or "snowveralls" as they used to call them)

and hats and gloves.

But it's so warm in the house,

I'll just run outside in these clothes and it will be fine,

right?

Genius.  Just genius.

This scotch broom thought it was spring already.

Around the house...

that wonderful light a snowy day brings.

I just love how everything is bright with reflected light.

Noticing that...

I guess I am easily entertained,

because I could watch it snow all day long.

This is where we usually have a nice view of the lake...

Something to remember for later...

one long-ago snowy day Gunnar and his buddy Juliann got tired

of playing in the snow before their older sibs did,

and came in for a snuggle and a video.

The Mother Load...

I'm taking a snow day and not thinking about it.

Tate, however, took a break from studying

to shovel our elderly neighbors' walkway :D

Something fun to share...

did I mention there's no school today?

Ah, yah.

A favorite quote for today...

from an Amy Grant Christmas song...

Little bits of heaven,

floating gently by my window...

One of my favorite things...

when I was a kid,

we'd go out to play in the snow and come back in

cold and wet and shivering (that's not the "favorite" part),

and my mom would make this:

toasted bread, with peanut butter, and little marshmallows,

toasted under the broiler.

I experimented with adding chocolate chips,

because CHOCOLATE.

This seems like the perfect day for it :D

 A peek at my world...

more little bits of heaven :D

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.

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

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...

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?

The Cremation of Sam McGee

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.