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Bastille Day

Published July 14, 2009 This & That 1 Comment

We don’t really celebrate Bastille Day but in the urchin house the month of July is all about Le Tour. Four years ago Papa was in Paris for the end of the race and what everyone thought was Mr. Armstrong’s swan song. Well, Lance is back and he seems to have brought some of the excitement that’s been missing these last few years with him — I actually think the excitement is also because there has been no doping scandal this year. We’re hoping that someday we can take a trip to France for the month of July. Wouldn’t that be so much fun to travel all around France and follow these guys?

Camping

Published July 13, 2009 Crafting With the Urchins , This & That 5 Comments

Sorry for being absent from this space. The reason, to be honest, is because the crumminess continues. I like to keep things here pretty and happy and everything I have to report is starting to feel like a bad country song complete with my dog dying. Why is life like that sometimes? Still, there is a lot of crafty stuff to report including some finished sewing, knitting, and a burgeoning vegetable garden.

We went camping for the first time with the kids last weekend and had a wonderful time until we had to abandon camp early because Katie developed a serious fever – can you hear the guitar and banjo tuning up? Stefan had a race on Sunday morning so we had planned to be there two nights but we still enjoyed the one night we did stay. One thing I realized is that I need to be way better organized next time. Do you guys have any great tips?

The other thing I need is better bedding. Friday night I woke up shivering. It’s July! Who knew I would need more than one blanket. The urchins were snuggled in the middle so they were nice and cozy, plus Katie at least was under the picnic quilt. And that got me thinking, what we need are camping quilts. But you better believe I’m not buying new fabric, this will be a scrappy affair. I’m thinking color-study log cabins like Blair’s and Amy’s. I love log cabins and I’ve already convinced Katie that sorting my scraps by color will be fun while she convalesces. There goes that country music again….

Recent Favorites

Published July 1, 2009 This & That , Through The Lens 1 Comment

Thank you all for all your kind words about my crummy week. We had a lovely weekend and this week looks to be a good one. I mean how can a week be bad when it ends with fireworks? So, I thought it might be time for more recent favorites from flickr. Enjoy.

1. modern grace hourglass , 2. a tiny tablescape, 3. hedgehogs, 4. it’s really all about the light, 5. OOCL, 6. red car, 7. huge granny square, 8. grandpa, 9. two swallows & the poppy (view A), 10. obviously i need a big flash., 11. Untitled, 12. seascape, 13. scrap log cabin for bea — top done, 14. kid season has started, 15. dandelion, 16. two owlets, 17. boy’s still life, 18. roads quilt, 19. almost done, 20. 1F4X7960, 21. film.423, 22. {film.311}, 23. april’s flowers, 24. easter egg collection, 25. firepit, 26. Quilt for Erin L., 27. three left, 28. Detail of "Spot On" Circle Quilt, 29. switching, 30. Tree House, 31. "city" block print collage, kindergarten auction project, 32. details, 33. patchwork crab, 34. afternoon’s work, 35. class project "city" block prints, 36. turtle!

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys.

Soft Boiled

Published June 26, 2009 This & That 12 Comments

I’m having a week. You know the kind right? And even though it is my first week with both urchins out of school I don’t think that has anything to do with it. Now don’t get me wrong, they’ve added to the stresses but more in the emergency visits to the doctor and not being able to stand seeing one of them disappointed kind of way. Sometimes I just feel so unqualified for this job I have. Add to that another bout of strep and what seems like a never ending struggle to figure out why I am always so sick and tired and I’m feeling a bit like that egg up there, quivery and weepy. So, I’m taking deep breaths — and antibiotics — and trying to just muddle through. My sister-in-law is arriving for the weekend this afternoon and that will surely lift our spirits. We’re having shrimp with barley for dinner. I bought two cases of hard lemonade at Costco. A robin’s made her nest on our front porch. All good things. Hopefully tomorrow the egg will be sunny side up.

Summertime, and the Living is Easy

Published May 26, 2009 This & That 3 Comments

Happy Easter

Published April 12, 2009 This & That 4 Comments

Six

Published April 9, 2009 This & That 8 Comments

when she was born she started screaming after just her head was out of my abdomen — I delivered both urchins via cesarean :: now she paints and draws beautiful pictures
she loved going for walks in the stroller :: now she can rollerskate and ride a two wheeler
she slept through the night at 4 weeks :: now she can read herself a bedtime story
that first summer she loved being outside and watching the clouds :: now her nature table is full of her discoveries
sometimes the only way to settle her was to sing :: now she loves to dance, everywhere, all the time
she made me a mommy six years ago :: I continue to be amazed by the blessing that is Katrina.

Happy Birthday Katie!

Weekend Report

Published March 10, 2009 Cooking , Gifts , In the Kitchen , In the Mailbox , Papa Urchin , This & That 6 Comments

March may have come in like a lion but we sure had a lamb of a weekend. Temps were in the 70s both days. Crazy. We’re back to more seasonal March weather now, blustery and colder. But about the weekend, it was a really good one, and not just the weather. Saturday morning Katie and I headed to Molly’s place to have lunch with Molly and Emily and their gangs plus Erin who was visiting for the weekend.

It’s always fun to go to Molly’s and it was great to meet Emily and Erin. We arrived a little early and Katie just took off to collect eggs with Mary and Emma and I helped Molly get lunch ready. How I wish we lived closer. I’m blessed to have such thoughtful and generous friends though, even if they live hours away. Both Emma and Katie were hoping to go in the swimming pool — apparently being 6 or 7 makes you immune to freezing water — but after Emily and Erin arrived we went to the creek instead. I brought some gifts for the ladies and we ate lunch, each helping with the other’s children. Erin and Emily left and I helped Molly clean up lunch while we talked about our girls.

On Sunday Stefan had a race in the morning and we celebrated his birthday with some of our extended family. Katie went to my parents’ and Tristan helped me make the birthday dinner — spaghetti bolognese — and birthday cake before everyone returned for a loud, laughter-filled evening with the windows open. A perfect weekend really, thank you March.

Three

Published February 28, 2009 This & That 48 Comments

Three years, that’s how old this little blog is. Wow and thank you. I never could have imagined the friends, the support, the laughs. You guys are the best, you really are. So let’s do a giveaway, or three. Leave a comment on this post by Monday morning and I’ll choose a few of you to receive a box of goodies from me. There might be some yarn, some fabric, some jam, we’ll just have to see. Tell me in your comment what you enjoy about my blog, maybe what you’d like to hear more about. Three years is a lot of time to pontificate about oneself so all topic suggestions are appreciated.

Happy Holidays

Published December 23, 2008 This & That 13 Comments

So, yeah, I was planning to post all last week and this one too but the holidays are just kicking my you-know-what. Stefan had to travel last week and I ended up calling him hysterical by Tuesday morning. I’ve made about 50 outfits for dolls and been the hostess to three parties in the last week. Who was I kidding? There are just a few more things to finish up, just in time for Christmas, but I don’t think I’ll be popping back in here until the weekend. Happy Holidays everyone.