Sep 12, 2011 | This Life
I’ve become somewhat obsessed with the view out our hotel window. Ships coming and going. It’s particularly beautiful (if not a bit eery) Â at night, how silent and yet how present these behemoths are floating past our view. And of course, there is an interactive map that lets me spy on the inhabitants of the river. Obsession Information is good, right?
I’m hoping to do a house update tomorrow. You know, fingers crossed. It was on my agenda for today’s blog post—but I was up way past my bedtime into the wee hours of the morning—Ok, just 1:30 am, but I’m geriatric!—sourcing bathtubs and toilets and kitchen cabinets, OH. MY. Â So, I’m just a bit too bleary and frankly, drained, to talk about this house project today. However, I’m hopeful we’ll get there tomorrow or Wednesday.
In the meantime, how’s your week shaping up? Any grand adventures planned?
Sep 8, 2011 | This Life
Our niece and her new husband cutting cake. How adorable is it, that their wedding cake is actually cupcakes!
Best. Wedding. Ever.
I’m pretty sure that was said a thousand times on Saturday. But it really was perfect. The weather was hot at 4 pm (hello 90’s!), but it cooled quickly after the ceremony to “balmy.” The wedding was held outside at the bride’s parent’s home. They had a huge white tent and gorgeous round tables covered in white cloths with purple accents. Melanie carried lavender roses and hydrangeas…so romantic. The party lasted late into the night—since it was mostly family and close friends.
For me, a great wedding isn’t about decor or flowers or food—though those things help, right? It’s about intention. It was clear that the bride and the groom spent months working on their vows and planning details that would make people feel comfortable. I’ve been to so many weddings where groups of people sat at their own “lunch table” never to mingle. Where it’s clear everyone feels more than a tad awkward? I didn’t make it around to every table, but it felt like people were mingling constantly—getting to know distant cousins or catching up with old friends and I don’t think I saw any wall-flowers hanging on the edges the whole night. It really was an amazing wedding!
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Sep 7, 2011 | This Life
My adorable kid with Ice Cream. In Tillamook. Where else?
So!
We’ve survived the visit from the in-laws and they’ve been deposited with my adorable Sister-in-law. What she does with them is Not. My. Problem. Ahem.
And we’re back from The. Best. Wedding. Ever. All dress angst was solved last minute, though that just led to shoe angst. And shoe angst is never resolved, am I right?
And I’ve survived the LAST dental appointment in a year’s worth of dental appointments. I have the best dentist, but talk about relief.
And I have stories to tell. And I might just do that. OR, I might just pick up blogging like I never left. You’ll play along because you’ll be embarrassed that you didn’t notice I was gone. We’ll both just sheepishly enter the room and begin again.
And, I like beginnings.
Hello September.
Jul 25, 2011 | This Life
Day Thirty-five: Holding on to soothing images. (photo via Canadian House and Home)
To say I’m freaking out would be an understatement. I’m panicked. I’m cheating and putting up an inspirational photo—something to keep me calm and focused on the end game. But, in case you’d like a view of the real deal: here is a video of the state of our disasterpiece.
Jun 20, 2011 | This Life
Pesto and Roses—Kitchen and Garden — The beginnings of a summer list.
Tomorrow marks the Summer Solstice and the official beginning of summer. And as is my custom, I’m crafting my summer to-do list. Typically I’d have a well established list by now, littered with crafty projects and too many baked goods. This year the list feels more nebulous. More like categories of things I want to do, need to do, instead of specific tangible goals.
That scares me. Because I know that without concrete statements and specific goal posts, I’m likely to wile the summer away doing not much of anything. However, those categories, like the “get house ready for the in-laws visit”, seem overwhelming. The amount of items on that list alone makes me shudder.
This is what a year of ignoring your yard and house-hold to-do list will get you. Not that we’ve been in a financial place for action—but last year’s (and we still wait on the bank, in limbo even now) debacle with the bank left us emotionally crippled. It’s hard to consider “doing” when you’re so busy just “coping.”
But this year, spurred on by the specter of my mother-in-law crossing the threshold of this pit we call home, I’m motived. And overwhelmed. Â There’s no more time for worry and inaction, pity nor fear. Unless it’s the fear of being deemed an inadequate housekeeper. Then, I say, use the fear! No, instead it’s time to get cracking. (Man, I love cliches)
So, a list. I’m crafting a list today. It’s still unclear to me if that list will be a self-soothing category list because that seems more manageable than an itemized list, which feels a bit like  being attacked by wild cats; or if I will accomplish the impossible and herd the details into submission. But either way, by the end of the day I’m hopeful that I will at least have some direction for the next 94 days. Because summer begins tomorrow—with or without my list.
Do you craft a summer to-do list? What’s on yours?
Jun 14, 2011 | This Life
Hate the hair. Hate the dress. Love the dog. Guess which one I’m keeping?!
This hasn’t been my finest day. Tears and pity. I’ll confess, I’m struggling a bit. It’s all vanity and it’s all pointless, in terms of the bigger things in my life like my health and how to pay the mortgage —miniscule  when put on the earthquake and floods and war scale. But there are days when perspective cannot be found. Where you weep in your beer wishing things just weren’t so.
The thing is, I’ve lost nearly 12lbs since December. That’s nothing to brag about—except that it’s more weight than I’ve ever managed to get off at one time (unless you count that 6 month period when my thyroid went haywire and bumped up my resting heart-rate to 140). And while I have at least 10lbs more to go (ideally 15, but I’m a pragmatist about these things) my weight loss has S Â L Â O Â W Â E Â D to an nearly imperceptible pace. It’s not weight gain, but a half pound in 6 weeks is hardly worth counting.
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