‘Tis the Season…

To ‘discuss’ Santa… fa la la la la la la la!

Just kidding.

Though I am thinking that it’s time for a revised and updated treatise on the jolly old elf.  It’s been on my mind, but I’ll save that for later.

It’s getting chilly here in good ol’ Tennessee.  The yard is covered in leaves  – and I don’t see ‘em going anywhere fast.  Halloween blew past, and Thanksgiving is nearly upon us.  I know it’ll be next year before I know it.

Jme is done with college… at least for the time being.  Just a few more weeks and he’ll walk in a funny hat.

I’m busy with little projects and big.  Been crocheting tiny hats to sell on etsy and completely overhauling the house.

We made a decision… a ruling… and edict from on high…

There will be NO Christmas tree until the entire house is CLEAN and ORGANIZED.

Period.

The end.

No arguing about it or trying to sneak around the rule.

The living room is done – complete with a new (old) sofa.  I found an indestructible one!  Solid wood.  Seriously.  Like I grew up with… only without the pumpkin orange cushions.  They are ugly blue and tan plaid – but of course I’ve covered ‘em with a pretty patchwork quilt in cranberry.

The study is no more… it’s a dining room now!  And it’s ever so tidy.

The hallway is empty, except for the CDs (arranged alphabetically by a dear teen), bass amp, and a wicker hamper.

The girls room.  Oh, the girls room.  After tears, screaming fits, threats, ‘your the worst mom ever’ comments, and much work (not on my part!) it is CLEAN.  Organized.  Yes.  And has been for a week!  3 bags of recyclable paper, 2 bags of trash, and 1 large box of give-aways later it is a tidy and pleasant place.

Now all that’s left is the homeschool table (which was clean, but became a staging area for other cleaning projects), the sewing stuff, and the grownup’s bedroom.

Oh.

And the boys room…

 

 

North Jersey

Martin Guitar Factory

 

 

Well look who’s back in blogland…

Apparently I took the summer off.

It was not an intended vacation… and several times I came and stared at the screen thinking of things to write – but alas, nothing came out.  There are tons of pictures – but none of them got posted.  Lots of silly, crafty, happy & sad things happened (like summer vacation and sewing monk robes and the loss of our two beloved bunnies) – but I just didn’t have words.

But today I have a long awaited life changing moment to document… so I’m back.

Last night I had the privilege of taking the boy (who turned 13 today!) to see his first stadium concert.  The boy had a fantastic time and I’m really glad we got to go together… it was as much a present for me as him.

You see, my darling husband happened upon a couple of tickets to see a band that’s eluded my concert list for roughly 26  years (yes, you’ve read that right).

Backstory:

Daddy Linke (of super-spy-mandolin-making fame) comes home from work with a couple cassette tapes of this band called ‘U2′.  I proceed to listen to it with him, learn all about who’s playing what instrument for the regular ‘who plays what in the band quiz in the car.’   We also watched the ensuing borrowed video of Sunday Bloody Sunday, and I decided that someday, somehow I must see this band.

Last night I fulfilled a childhood dream.  They played the song… and yes, I cried.

And it’s true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality.
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die.
The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won…

——————————————————–

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn’t have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise …
Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar.

————————————————————-

It’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
It’s a beautiful day
Don’t let it get away
Touch me, take me to that other place
Teach me, I know I’m not a hopeless case

Super

It’s been a while… I’m busy… but this Super-Katie sighting simply had to be highlighted!

most monkly…

Two weekends ago we went to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA.

It was very quiet, I’ll just let my pictures tell the story…

I think we’re officially a farm…

Two weeks ago, these lovely little babies joined our menagerie…

Prince Thumper

&

Snowflake

Jme and I are leaving early tomorrow for a monastic retreat…

Silence here I come!

Press On.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.

Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.

Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.

Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

~ Mother Teresa

set it on fire

Sometimes the irony just makes me roll with laughter…

Peace. Be still.

I spent yesterday listening to my exit letter cd (hurry up and get your copy, there are only about 1800 left in the shed!)…  it’s darn fine.  I write good stuff.  I should get back to work on that front.

Oh yeah, Happy Girl Scout Birthday! 

fast to fast

So quickly the year has passed and it’s already time for another “Heather with ashes on her forehead” picture.

Every year at Lent I try really hard to think of what I should fast from.  Traditionally, folks do meat… or some other foodie thing they should consume less of.  Since I’m already a vegetarian, and started a new healthy diet at the beginning of the year – including (gasp!) only 2 cups of 1/2 caffeinated coffee each day – I figured I needed to look a little farther.

Then it came to me.

I am a pack-rat.

I don’t know if you understand what that means…

I save pretty pieces of paper and bits of ribbon and string and scraps of fabric and broken pieces of things in case a child wants to craft something from them.  I have at least 8 totes FULL of fabric… so much that I can’t fit my clothing in my closet (that’s where they are) and it just sits in a pile in the corner of the bedroom.  We have bookcases that are overflowing in every room in the house – even books piled on the back of the toilets!

And so, as a fast from my need to ‘keep’ things I’m cleaning out.

I’ll be sorting through all the stashes of “stuff” in our house and giving at least one “thing” away each day… and it has to a good, serviceable thing that someone else would want – not dryer lint or old socks!

We have been so very blessed with all this stuff – I don’t even know where some of it came from – and I’m hoping to share it with others who will put it to use, rather then letting it gather dust.

I’m not going to part with my real treasures – but I really need to take some time to make sure that the things I truly love are being cared for, not lost among brick-a-brack.

Wednesday started off with a bang as I cleaned off the porch.

I could say that wish I had a before picture, but honestly I really don’t!  We had truly become those people.

Yea, you know the ones that everyone in the neighborhood is whispering about – the folks with 37 pairs of kids shoes, 2 old suitcases, 9 dirty socks (none related to the other), garden tools, a stinky mattress, 3 broken jump ropes, a basket of pine-cones, 7 empty bottles of bubbles and 4 jackets… all on the front porch.

Well, it’s all gone now.  Except the basket of pine-cones.

This shelf is what makes me the happiest…

I finally have a place for my vintage bottle collection (remember what I said about treasures?).  Didn’t know I had one?  Oh, I do.  It’ s been living under the kitchen sink since we moved into this house… and it’s lived stashed in dark places for a long time.  I started it in high school, and have some really lovely pieces… if you like old bottles.  I’m going to add hooks and hang some of the little bottles wrapped in wire (this idea inspired by the neat-o bottle with a rounded bottom!).

Apologies to whichever neighbor my children stole the daffodils from.  They swear they were not “in a yard” just “on the corner near a yard” – whatever that really means.  But the flowers really did make my day!