Happy Dance: 2007 Family Christmas Ornaments

Once again, Better Late Than Never!

I've finally finished my family's 2007 Christmas ornaments.

Sometimes the best laid plans still don't come to fruition.

This first snowman was stitched for my husband, Dale.





The cute penguin is for my middle daughter, Julie.

The snowman doing the
happy dance is for my
youngest daughter, Jodie.

And this gingerbread house is the ornament I stitched for myself.


You can read all my trials and tribulations about trying to get these done in Cameo's Corner.

Sunday Secrets: Jan 20, 2008

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an amazing sociological experiment. A number of today's secrets resonate with me:

I HAD an afro when I was a senior in high school!
I always wanted red hair
like my sister Eleanore and my brother Carl.

I had a dream this week about my first husband, Albert.
We were happy and playful.
It's the first time in a long time I could remember him that way.

... and politics.
Amen.
And amen.

I just take the phone away from my ear and make faces.
Sticking out my tongue, wrinkling my nose and shaking my head is a favorite.

Your Gifts

I've begun a new tool that I use to help me keep my brain chemistry in balance. It's a simple 3-ring binder. So far, it contains just a few pages:

• Two photographs of myself — one as a 10 year old child; one taken on a day where my girls and I had a memorable time of bonding. I look beautiful in both.
  
• A collage I made — some of my life goals in images and words.
  
• A list of things I can do that calm me, help me feel special. Any one item takes only 15 min.
  
• My Personal Mission Statement — something I wrote that speaks to the person I wish to present to the world, my truest self.
• A love letter from my husband, detailing what he finds unique in me.
• A collection of quotations — some of the nicest words people have ever said to me and some words I long to hear.

I've been glancing through these pages each night before I go to sleep. It's my way of fulfilling the phrase above. To remind myself each evening of the best I have to offer, then rest well, encourages me to live that life each morning when I awaken.

Day 524: Just Because ...

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey
in my Photography section,
Glow

Jodie lit a candle today and set it on the kitchen counter.

"What's the candle for, Jo?"

"Just felt like lighting one."

"Oh." Pause. "It looks like a picture."

"Go get your camera."

Promises, promises

Yesterday I wrote of having the integrity to follow through on the promises I make to myself.

A flip side of that is to not hold others to that same standard. Just because I keep my promises, doesn't mean I can expect that other folks will always keep theirs.

This was really hard to learn when I went through a divorce many, many years ago. Divorce always hurts. So much betrayal. So many broken lives. But the part that was hardest for me to come to grips with was the fact that my former spouse did not keep his promises.

Sure, his broken promises to me hurt. But even more, he didn't keep his promises to his kids.

I held out hope that he would pull though some day. But then he died ... and I was left knowing those promises would never be fulfilled.

Eventually, I had to let go of that pain and resentment. I had to learn to let go of the promises now broken. To do that allows me a more peaceful life.

Day 523: Laughter

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section,

The Best Medicine

theme this week: "Medicine"

The 'rules' this week state:

In this season of colds and flus, we have decided that rather than go out, you may turn to your medicine cabinets and show us what you have. Any images cold/flu/illness/medicine related are welcomed.

Well ... ok. This wasn't in my medicine cabinet ... but there's a mirror over the cabinet, right? And this could be in the mirror!

That's me. Pushing the boundaries again ... and dancing on the borders.

Integrity

This is one of the primary phrases I try to live by.

It's not that hard for me to keep the promises I make to others. Usually, I'll say "No!" rather than make a promise I can't keep.

But holding onto the promises made to myself ... that's a little tougher.

Like ... getting to bed on time so that I am rested and ready for the next day's activities.
Like ... taking care of routine duties before sitting down to check my e-mail.
Like ... getting my exercise in every day.
Like ... thinking and making a wise choice before I turn into the Monster Mommy

Sometimes, those are the hardest kinds of promises to keep. The ones made to myself.

Day 522: More Fun with Food

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Carrot Flower

I couldn't quite figure out what kind of flower cluster this is supposed to be. A lotus maybe? Not sure. But it's cool!

Here's another interesting-looking title about making these edible works of art.

The ABC of Fruit and Vegetable Carving


Just what I need! Another hobby!
Yike!

What is the Kindest Option?

Lesson learned.

I did take the high road with my friend. We had the best of conversations this morning. We'll temporarily part ways for the next six months, then see where we stand.

Apologies.
Atonement.
Affirmations.

Clear communication does a world of good. And if it can be delivered with kindness, the outcome looks a lot calmer and rosier.

Day 521: Mamma Always Said ...

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Potato Rose

Mama always said, "Don't play with your food!"

Sometimes I'm a rebel. It's fun to play.

Obviously, the chef at the Thai restaurant thinks so, too. When Dale and I tried a new place for lunch, the scrumptious dishes arrived with beautiful carved vegetable flowers. Mine was this rose. I'll show you Dale's tomorrow.




In peeking around 'the interwebs,' I found this book:
Vegetable and Fruit Carving


Intriguing, yes?

Who's Your Competition?

When I was a kid working in my dad's pizza shop, I had two main duties:

1. Bus the tables
2. Bag the breadsticks

Busing the tables .... ick. If the tables were a mess, my dad would press a button in the front of the shop three times and it would make a noise in the back. It was really annoying:
BZZZZ BZZZZ BZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Bus .... The .... Front!

In the back room, my job was to take the crispy breadsticks out of the huge paper bag, and place them two at a time in the small glassine bags, fold the little bags, staple them, and put the breadsticks in a container so they'd be ready to go out with the "to go" spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna orders.

The job could be a bore, so I made a game out of it. I'd keep tabs on how long it took me to finish bagging one huge bag of breadsticks. I'd just try to get faster and faster and faster.

Later, when I worked in the Children's Room of our public library, we had a check-out system where we'd take a photo of each book label along with a card showing a check-out number and the due date. One of my jobs was to stamp the due date on the big stacks of cards. Tedious work.

Again, I made a game out of it and became one of the fastest stampers on the staff.

In general, I'm not a gal that enjoys competition. When I stack myself up against others, I lose too often. But I love being in competition with myself. Then I can see when I get better and better.

An example now is in my weight loss program. I weigh myself each morning so that the number on the scale is just that — a number — a score. Each time it's lower than the day before, I do a happy dance, call my husband at work and cry, "I got a new low score!"

It's a lot like golf. You really are playing against yourself, knowing your own handicap.

Day 520: Another View

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Columbia Gorge [2]

To the southwest, the Cascade Range towers over the mighty evergreens. The mists of the Columbia rise to meet the streaming clouds. The storm pushes east to the desert.

Day 519: A Birthday View

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Columbia Gorge [1]

My husband took me on a wonderful trip to the Columbia Gorge to celebrate my birthday a few weeks back. This lovely, lovely view was out our window.

We arrived in the rain. The snow fell overnight and draped the golf course. The clouds floated up river.

Little Changes

My oldest daughter gave me this quotation. She's been trying to fit exercise into her daily routine so that it becomes easy to do — a no brainer. She lives in a cold and icy place where it's not easy to get out for a walk. But walking around her apartment complex seemed like something she could do most of the time.

So I challenged her to just go out for a few minutes every morning, walking around the apartments. After a day or two, she decided to do two or three easy laps.

The third day, she noticed that there was an awful lot of trash on her walk. So she popped into her apartment, grabbed a trash bag, and on the next lap, she just picked up trash as she went along and dropped it in the trash can before heading back inside.

She wrote to me:

I was just SO TIRED of seeing all the garbage. So, I helped out our community and I helped out the earth by not procrastinating and just DOING IT. I kept reminding myself, I didn't need to get EVERYTHING. ANYTHING was better than nothing.

:: Proud Mommy Look ::

Day 518: Happy New Year

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Party Animals

Oh, yeah, Baby!

Dale and I really whooped it up on New Year's Eve. Can you tell?

I particularly like the bit o' confetti sticking to my sweater.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Still Small Voice

Those inner urges whisper to me ... lead me on to ... where?

Unknown.

Yet I listen to the still small voice. I write. I stitch. I sew. I sing. I capture images and share them. I care for my family and my home. I try to remember to pay it forward. I long for these things.

I'm 50 years old ... and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I know what I don't want to be.

I am learning who I am.

Sunday Secrets: Jan 13, 2008

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an amazing sociological experiment. Here's the one secret from today that resonates with me:

This is exactly how I felt after George W. Bush was elected president for the 2nd time. My stomach dropped to my knees. I set my jaw. I held my breath, and let it out v-e-r-y slowly. Then I bowed my head and shook it.

Come ON people! WHAT are you thinking?!

Now we're in a new presidential election cycle. Being married to a political scientist has its merits. My wonderful husband is not only politically savvy, but he is an excellent teacher and a great person to spar with verbally. We enjoy the whole thing.

Last week's primary in New Hampshire brought out the best in me. After being so full of chagrin for so long, it was great to go to sleep with a heart full of hope. I want a leader with a positive vision. I want to listen to a president who is a gifted orator. I want to follow a centrist leader.

We liberal souls are being offered the stirrings of hope. It's been a long time coming.

Possibly ...

I'm having a hard time believing this tonight.

As I write, one of my friendships has reached a critical juncture. How to hold my ground and not lose the friend at the same time? How to have faith that easing away from this friendship will be the thing that saves it? Or how to believe I'll be OK even if the connection with my friend melts away?

How to have faith that taking the high road is the right road to take ... when right now I'm bruised and want to throw rocks?

I'm having a hard time seeing the possibilities tonight. That's unusual for me. One of my self-proclaimed titles is "A Purveyor of Possibilities."

Tonight, my faith that 'good will out' of this situation is shaky.

Day 517: Frost 'n Rust

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, You've Got Mail

This is the 3rd image I captured on that frosty morning last month. I love the texture of the rust on metal, the frost on rust.

The way the frost sticks straight up off the metal is the same way the hairs in my nose felt in the dry, crispy air.

Day 516: Shivering in the Park

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Frosty Morning [2]

The 2nd in my series taken on the frosty morning last month.

The sunlight was just cresting the hill behind these trees. The frost would last only another 15 min. on the branches.

The grass crackled under my feet.

If at First You Don't Succeed ...

... try, try again.

And consider adding in some elbow grease.

Sometimes grunting helps, too. . . . ;)

---

Oh! Speaking of trying ...

I'd hit a plateau with the weight loss thing over the Holidays, but the plateau is over. When Dale and I went to see Jenny today, I'd lost some more poundage. I'm now ready for another 5lb loss weight treat. Not sure quite how I'll treat myself this time.

There's a cool online program I've been eyeballing. Might do that. Or maybe it's time to be a redhead. Whaddya think?

But my loss was minuscule when looked at side-by-side with Dale. He dropped TEN POUNDS this week! Yowsa! . . . . . =:O

I About Split a Gut!

I saw this on YouTube and laughed so hard my chest ached!

This reminds me of my daughter Julie's cat, Rolly!

Happy Dance: Snowtunes Ornaments

Better late than never?

I did manage to finish these before the end of 2007 and send them off to my daughter.

Stitched on perforated plastic, these are extremely easy to finish.

You can see all the bibliographical info in my Stitcher's Studio.

Day 515: Berry Cold

I added this new photograph to Creative Journey in my Photography section, Frosty Morning [1]

I've been away from posting my photos for so long that I'm feeling a bit rusty! That was one heckuva detour on my Creative Journey, lasting over a month and a half.

I'm still not sure I'll get around to posting a photo each day, but I'll give it a valiant effort. I was considering adding a bunch at once to "catch up" ... but why? I'll just pick up where I left off.

I actually took this photo in December 2007 on a cold and frosty morning. I have a few nice shots to share from that day.

It's up to you

Easier said than done ... so fake it 'til you make it ... Act as if ...
If you can, you'll be a shining example to those around you.

Road to Success

This is one my husband lives by. It scares me. I'm trying to get comfortable trying things with only a 25% failure rate.

Weird thing is, I admire my husband for all his attempts because he ends up with so many successes. I want to watch that, learn from that, then emulate that.

Teach Me, oh god of Experience!

Yeah, well. I've had my fair share of that bad stuff.

Perhaps, today, my experience will lead me to good judgment. I want more of that.

Keep It Moving

One of the biggest challenges I face as I get my brain chemistry back to sound levels is my problem with patience. I want to see results now! I work hard to make the needed changes, and get frustrated that I'm not better and stronger, faster.

(Traces of The Six Million Dollar Man here). :: snicker ::

My husband and counselor both remind me to slow down, to be happy to see progress, and to celebrate my small triumphs. They do!

When in doubt ...

When in doubt, don't.

Just sit tight, don't make a move, wait until that course becomes clear.

At the same time, don't be afraid to take a first step just because you can't see the whole picture if you know that the first step is a reasonable step.

Seems like a balancing act to me.

Sunday Secrets: Jan 06, 2008

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an amazing sociological experiment. Here are today's secrets that resonate with me:

Uh ... yeah. That's how I felt when I was married to my first husband. I never was part of that so-called family. Occasionally, it's how I feel some of my current in-laws see me, too.

Me too. Frank gets secrets every day. We fans have to wait. Hard for us impatient types.
:)

Faith

One of my very best friends is an atheist. Another is a Hindu. I grew up as a very active and enthusiastic Catholic, but have not attended church regularly in several years -- ever since that priest pedophile problem the church was working through a few years back.

Funny thing is, these two friends who talk to me about beliefs have taught me a TON about what is it to have faith.

One need not be Christian, that's for sure. Too many of the so-called Christians in my life don't live the principles, they just talk the talk, then throw barbs and zingers.

One thing I've learned by living separate from the church these last few years is that living my faith is really important to me. LIVING it, not just attending church, volunteering as a full-time campus minister for a year, leading the singing as a cantor, teaching others about it as part of the RCIA team. I did all that for years. But to learn to live the principles when I don't have the weekly reminders. That can present a challenge.

It's sharing with folks like my friends, the actions of heroes like Jimmy Carter, the everyday care the women in my quilt group give each other, being part of a group that embroiders quilts for sick kids, conversing with my husband and kids about prayer -- those are the actions that water and nurture the faith within me now. It's learning my faith by learning from each other. It's having faith in each other that we can find ways to live peacefully together, willing to give of our time, treasure and talent to make our corner of the world a better place.

That's where my faith lies today. For now, it works.

Self Aware

Being an "at-home mom," I sometimes get in a funk that my life is so small that I don't have a lot to offer the world.

Today, I heard from an old friend. We went through grade school together as friends, we were in Girl Scouts together, then went to different high schools, had separate lives. But when she heard my brother died (almost 9 years ago), she showed up at the funeral with sincere empathy and a bouquet of flowers. We've been exchanging Christmas cards and an occasional letter or e-mail ever since.

As I spelled out my 2007 life story to her in my e-mail reply, I realized that maybe even in my small life in Northern Idaho, I do have a thing or two to share. Living a small life, I am very in touch with myself. I need only believe that I have something good with which to touch others.

Routines and Discipline

Over the last three+ years I've been an active follower of Flylady. I've been a list maker for eons. Great at planning. Love to cross things off my lists. But tend to add on more than I can finish. That left me always feeling behind.

Flylady's system helped me learn to put those things I need to get done into a daily routine, then to have the discipline to follow through. It's taken me a while to learn, but the results are great. There's a lot less stress around here. Monster Mommy does not come out of her cave all that often any more.

One of the greatest lessons I learned by following this system is the sentiment embodied in the above quotation. By putting the everyday stuff into simple routines and having the discipline to follow through, it opened up much more of my time to concentrate on special projects — to set me free to fly on this Creative Journey of mine.

Some think discipline is a straight jacket that makes life boring. To me, it's the structure around which I can build my days, knowing I've set aside time to spread my wings.

I'm still trying to make exercise a normal and regular part of the plan. This challenge has come in fits and starts. So time to get off the computer, and onto the elliptical. I'll be happy when Spring arrives and I can easily go on my walks again. Maybe then I'll be apt to start taking daily photos to post, too.

I've Got ... Hiiiiiiiigh Hopes

I made a nice dent in straightening up my studio yesterday. Today I plan to spend time with my college daughter, getting her ready for the spring semester.

I managed another 30 min stint on the elliptical this morning, too. Go me!

Starting on a Positive Note

So! Let's get started!

My goal for today is to just put my studio back in order.
It exploded over the holidays!

Sunday Secrets: Dec 30, 2007

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. I find it to be an amazing sociological experiment. Here are last Sunday's secrets that resonate with me:

As a teenager, I used to go on walks by myself and make up this kind of scenario. I was looking for someone "important" to validate me.

Ah, yes. I could use a Do Over for some of those months ...

To me, one of the purest forms of prayer.

Happy New Year!

I found these funny napkins at the grocery store and bought them for our New Year's Eve party. They crack me up. Even though I won't adhere to these resolutions, they do have a ring of truth.

The thing is, I do have one New Year's Resolution this year:
I resolve to continue to improve my brain chemistry so that I can function well as an active, responsible, thinking adult.


Here's a story about me ...

When I was in 8th grade at the parochial school where I grew up, I was a very awkward, insecure, yet bright child. My classmates didn't like me much because I was a rule follower. The other side of that virtue is that I could be a tattle-tale when the other kids didn't follow the rules.

So I felt like an outsider.

One morning I found a card on my desk. It looked like it was cut out of a box of candy. It said:

I suspect that my 8th grade teacher, Sr. Grace Marie, placed it on my desk. I was never sure. But I took it as a private message that, bad as things might be, I had within me the power to change my life for the better.

The thought of that teacher's gesture still brings tears to my eyes.

Fast forward through my life. I'd been through college, a horrible year as a full-time volunteer for the Church, the birth of three daughters, a failed marriage, a wonderful new marriage that works, the deaths of two brothers and both my parents. It's now 1999.

As a student of literature, I have a love for words. And I think in part due to the card above, I collect quotations that inspire me to live a larger life. So in September of 1999 when I found myself trying to recover from my dad's death the previous February, I began a new routine. I called it Today's Phrase. I'd pick a favorite quotation, paste it into an e-mail, and send it to a select group of friends. I continued this routine until March 2003.

Fast forward again to 2007. I faced quite a challenge when I learned that my brain chemistry needed some major adjustments. A chemical imbalance led to faulty thinking and some unfortunate and costly decisions. With the help of my doctors and counselor, I'm now well on the road to recovery.

I've learned that besides being diligent about taking my meds, I can help my brain function better by feeding it new, healthy information on a regular basis. I can block some of the old loops of destructive thoughts by creating new pathways of more positive thinking.

In the spirit of that knowledge, I thought it might be time to resurrect Today's Phrase. So periodically I will post a quotation or affirmation here on my blog. Perhaps by giving myself these mental boosts and sharing them here, I can spread a bit of the hope I'm beginning to feel again.

In that context, I offer a January 1st Today's Phrase: