Tuesday, January 31, 2012

McCall Winter Carnival

I spent the weekend at Pat and Leslie's cabin in McCall and attended the Winter Carnival for the first time since college.  We got there Friday afternoon and worked around the house.  P & L had bought some new rugs so we moved furniture and laid them.  They were great additions!  Wish I had taken some photos!

In the evening, we drove into to town and watched fireworks over the lake at Greg & Helen's house.  Out on the deck we enjoyed wine and fantastic fireworks in the cold night air.  It was a perfect place to watch.  Afterwords, we ordered pizza and Mollie and her friends arrived.  We spent the remainder of the evening catching up with Mols and getting acquainted with the girls.

Saturday morning, we went to the parade in the middle of town.  The parade was typical small town fun with civics groups, fire departments and kids participating.  The theme was Mardi Gras so the entrants threw lots of beads.  It was too cold for anyone to duplicate New Orleans to receive the beads.  We ate lunch while wandering through the vendors and ran into Mollie, and then Gabe.

The girls went tubing and we went back to the cabin and just hung out.  Jack and Chelsea arrived and headed out to the tubing hill until Jack drove through a road which wasn't plowed and got stuck!  It was a couple of hours before Pat and Jack got the truck dug out.  We fixed dinner and Greg and Helen came over to eat.  It was a splendid evening with old friends!

Sunday we headed home.  What a great, relaxing weekend!



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Pillows

I am changing my procrastinating ways and today was a beginning.  I embroidered a couple of pillow tops several years and geez, even bought the backing fabric.  Well, today, I finally finished those babies.  This was no minor feat for me because I don't really know how to sew.  

I never took home economics as a high school student(I was going to be a career woman- why did I need to know how to sew or cook???)  That was great thinking, wasn't it?

I had to watch a YouTube video to be able to thread the sewing machine.....I practiced on some scrap fabric and then got busy!

I am, actually, quite pleased with the results.  Not too bad for first attempts and I am ready to make some more!

Cute little mittens!


I love the little snowflake and house buttons on this one!







 

Friday, January 13, 2012

Tragedy

Eleven years ago today, our lives were forever changed.  Tim, then 16, and Mitch, then 13, left early in the morning to hunt geese on the north side of the canyon their friend, Ryan, 16.

I was braiding Mollie's hair before her basketball game when the phone rang and Chuck (Ryan's dad) was on the other end.  He told me that the boys had been in a car accident and were in the hospital.  He assured me that my boys were walking and talking but added that Ryan wasn't doing as well.  I dropped Mollie off at the gym and asked another dad to coach my team and keep Mollie with him.

I got to the hospital in about 30 minutes and discovered the seriousness of the situation.  Tim's injuries were superficial.  Mitch was to be loaded into an ambulance and taken to Boise because his spleen was torn.  Ryan was air flighted to Boise with severe head trauma.  I rode along in the ambulance praying the entire 100 miles.  Mike made sure Tim and Mollie were supervised and then headed to Boise with our parents.

Several hours after we were at the hospital, Ryan's grandfather told Mike and I that we should come say good bye to Ryan.  His family had decided to remove him from life support and donate his organs.  Ryan died with minutes.  Mike returned home to tell our kids and I stayed with Mitchell at St. Al's.

I have such strong memories.  Eleven years seems like so long ago and yet, merely months ago.  Our families now share an incredible bond.  We have experienced real joy in the years since but there is always the emptiness of our loss.

Tonight we will make our annual trip to the cemetery and release balloons.  As I write this, I am wondering who Ryan would be as a 27 year old man and I am so thankful for the very lives of my sons.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Epiphany

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, as celebrated in the United States. The Feast is actually January 6, which is the 12th Day of Christmas. What a lovely way to celebrate the peace, love and joy of the Christmas season. Think how wonderful it would be to plan our Christmas parties during the 12 days.

Maybe if Christmas was extended 12 days, the consumerism and secularism might diminish. I am so dismayed that our society reaches a shopping frenzy and the success of the Holy Day is measured by whether or not you received the "perfect" gift. I am saddened that celebrating Christmas ignores the "Reason for the Season". Church seems to be an afterthought, even for many Christians. I pray for a society that returns to worshiping Jesus' nativity.

The Magi traveled to worship even though they were not even of the Jewish faith. They were Wise Men, indeed. 
The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11.
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Adoration

Each Thursday night from 10-11 p.m. I go to the chapel at my church for an hour of Adoration.  Catholics believe that during the mass the host becomes the body and blood of Christ and that he is a real presence with us in the Eucharist.  This single belief is what distinguishes us from Protestants.  

I spend the hour reading the Bible or other religious books and praying.  I love the hour and my relationship with Jesus Christ has deepened and become so much more personal since I signed out to serve an hour.  What a privilege to spend an hour devoted to my Lord and Savior.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Resume Workouts

I am wondering why I haven't been to the gym for so long.  I finally hit the Y tonight and already feel so much better.  I have been lamenting a weight gain but haven't done anything to combat the "battle of the bulge."  That is so frustrating to me.  I actually like to workout.  I love the way that I feel when I do workout....I love the energy that I have.  I sleep better and actually even eat less.  I am quietly celebrating my first step towards wearing a size 6 once again!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Weather

Currently, at 10 p.m., it is 37 degrees outside.  It snowed before Thanksgiving and then we have only had a skiff or two.  Winter, where are you?  I need an excuse not to be walking and exercising outside.  I need an excuse to be sitting in a chair reading and drinking tea because it is too frigid to be outside.  I want to ski.  I want to have an excuse to craft inside because it is too cold outside to do anything constructive!  C'mon winter let's get busy here! 

Monday, January 2, 2012

Welcome 2012

Happy New Year.  I plan to continue working through the list that I made last year....101 things to do in 1001 days.

This new light fixture is now hanging in Mollie's room.  2012 will be the year that I spend making a number of improvements and this is the first.  I bought the chandelier @ the Re-Store for $5 and painted it green.  I plan to add some beads and bling.  It looks very cute in her new "grown up" room. 

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Pillow

I made this pillow for Leslie as a Christmas gift.  I took it to McCall and gave it her there.  This is really just the "prototype" and I am making another.  I was actually pleased with the way this turned out but I want to make a larger version with a little more bling.  The colors matched her bedding at the cabin perfectly.  
Tip 
Junkie handmade projects