Pink roses

I love pink roses.

These were left over from a party we had last week and I have enjoyed them so much.  They are just the right touch of soft, feminine, natural, and beautiful.

So, why not keep some in the house all of the time?  

I think I will!

In search of broom straw

I know that most people go to Target when they need a new broom, and usually I would, too.  Today, though, I decided to take a couple of little people and go in search of broom straw.  I had been seeing some that looked about right in a field close to home so we went on a hike to check it out.

We have used the same straw broom for years to clean up around the fireplace, but it is getting a little frayed and I have been looking out for some straw to replace it.  One thing I was looking for was that it be tall enough.  Looks like this will be just fine.

On the way back to the house Daniel sang a little song that went something like this:

I am helping Minnie.
She likes it when I help her.
I am a good helper.
Lalalala.

That is why grandmothers love grandchildren.

Bella made a little nest in the grass.

And here is the finished product.

 Looks like I need to use it :)

Do it

A lot of people are giving up the difficult task of making New Year's resolutions and have chosen one word to be their focus for 2012.  Like a one word mission statement.  They have chosen words like 'awaken', 'express', 'dwell',or 'jump'.  You can go to this website and it will explain the whole concept.

Last year I think I spent too much time planning things, thinking about projects, dreaming about places to go, wishing to be more fit.  

Pinteresting.

My word for this year is "Do".

When an opportunity comes up to get in shape, I will do it.

When I get a great idea for a dress to make for Lily or Bella, I will make it.

When I am asked to address wedding invitations, I will jump at the chance to help someone.

I've already had my season of not knowing when to say 'no'.  That's not what I'm talking about.  I won't do what I can't do.  I won't do what I'm not supposed to do.

This year I want to procrastinate less and spend less time on the computer.  I want to use my time more wisely.  When the year is over I hope to have more to show for it.

What is your word?

Okay.

Sometimes I just need to reboot my brain.

Several years ago I was working in my CPA job in a firm here in town.  I spent most of my days huddled over a computer or some green spreadsheets solving problems and getting the columns to balance.  After a couple of hours of intently focusing on the numbers I would need a little break.  I would get up, walk down the hall, come back to my chair and then I'd say,

"Okay."

I don't know why I had to say this, but somehow by taking the little break and by saying the word, I was rebooted and ready to go again.  Without it I would get a little paralyzed and not be able to think past where I was on the paper.

So, right now I am saying, "Okay".  Rebooting.

I've been busy for the past couple of weeks, not paralyzed at all, but I have felt like I didn't do quite enough to acknowledge the end of 2011 and the start of 2012.  Right now, though, I am putting 2011 to bed.  No need to rehash the good and the bad and to learn from it all.  No need to make some sort of big NewYear'sResolutionList.

Okay.

One more thing, though, about the end of 2011.  On December 15, Daryl and I celebrated our 32nd anniversary.  For the past few years we have tried to take a picture of ourselves on our anniversary.  When I see this picture I am so grateful for the years we have had together.  I'm happy that we have lived long enough together to be bald and wrinkled and still in love.

An April weekend in January

I hope your weekend was as beautiful as ours!  The weather was unseasonably warm so we puttered around outside some.  Not much, just a little.

Daryl had gotten a good deal on some pansies so we planted them outside the front door.  The only problem with planting flowers is Shiloh tends to think of flower beds as dog beds.  She thanks us profusely, digs a little hole in the soft dirt, does about three turns, and then plops down on the fresh plants.  We have found some thin, green bamboo garden stakes that we usually put out among the plants  That works pretty good at keeping her out.  We're all out of those right now, though, so Daryl built a fence.  Don't you love it?

Don't worry, I'll be headed to Lowe's soon to find some more bamboo.

Saturday was The Girls' Day Out.  They love to peck around in the yard, and I feel like a better mom if I let them out to be free every once in a while.  Everyone was in a friendly mood and we had some up close and personal time together.

When we came home from church yesterday, the horse posse had returned.

I went out to have a little chat with them and made a new friend.  I think I'll call her Rose.

She was even closer than this picture makes it seem like she was.  Really.  We snuggled a little and had a good talk, and by nightfall, they were all gone again.  Are they running away from home or just visiting with some new friends?  I wish I knew.

Firewood

On Monday all of the stars lined up just right.  Daryl was off of work.  Caleb was off work and was able to get the log splitter.  Webb was out of school and available to help us.  And one of the trees in the edge of the woods volunteered to keep us warm for the next few weeks.

Caleb is getting married soon and will live in a house with a fireplace so he is motivated to stockpile some wood.  Webb is agreeable and comes to help us for the price of a little food and a little cash.

In about half a day they were able to split enough wood for us and Caleb to get several good rows of firewood.

Isn't it just beautiful?  

I really love firewood.

A New Year's blessing

Happy New Year!


I like the sound of 2012 so much better than 2011, don't you?  There's something about prime numbers that doesn't sit quite right with me.  Except for the number 3.  I was born on a 3rd and so that number is okay.  And, in case you didn't know, 2011 is a sexy prime.  You don't believe me?  Just look here.  It just means that you can either add or subtract 6 from the number to get another prime number.  2011 + 6 = 2017, which is also prime.


Anyway...


The new year has arrived and I'm looking forward to it.  There is so much to do and experience and I'm just glad to be here.


The holiday busyness and family fun took priority over blogging and I have some pictures I want to post, but for today I just wanted to share a couple I took at the hospital last week.


Bennett has a yet-to-be-diagnosed gastrointestinal issue and had to spend a couple of nights in the hospital for observation and to get a blast of IV fluids.  He was unbelievably good for a one-year-old with a tube stuck in his vein.  For the most part he was content to play on the big bed in his room and to go for little walks down the hall.


This picture was taken the first night there and his eyes still had that sunken, dehydrated look to them.

Bennett making his rounds.

When he gets older he will want me to have said that he doesn't usually have a pink blanket.  All of his blue blankies were in the laundry when he had to be admitted.


The doctor let him out late Saturday afternoon.  He has felt better, but we still don't know what caused him to be sick.  When the labs open back up tomorrow, we hope to hear something.


What a blessing, though, that he made it home in time to start a new year.  

Moonset

This is the moon setting around 5:30 last Saturday morning.

Is there such a thing as 'moonset'?

Beautiful visitors

Look who came to visit yesterday!

I don't know where they live, but they seemed happy to be here.

They went home some time after lunch.  Their mom must have called them for dinner.

Toilet Wars

Today, I am so thankful that we are having carpet installed in our upstairs bedrooms.  It has been a long time coming and this is the realization of something Daryl and I have dreamed about for years.

With that said...

I see how dirty this toilet is, too.  I have known it was going to be replaced, but didn't think that I might take a picture of it.

We are also, having flooring installed in the bathrooms which includes removing the toilets for the day.  When we knew we would have to do that, we decided to buy a new toilet to replace the 40-year-old blue toilet in the guest bathroom.  


Daryl has a problem with laws about things like toilet tank size and he really doesn't like it that we are getting rid of a working 5-gallon tank toilet.

This was our conversation as we moved the 40-year-old blue toilet outside:

Daryl:  I'm not throwing this away until I am satisfied that a new one flushes right.

Me:  But this one isn't coming back in the house.

Daryl:  I'm not throwing this one away.

Me:  But this one isn't coming back in the house.

Daryl:  Well, all I know is that I'm not throwing this one away.

Me:  I guess you can use it outside, then.

Daryl:  I'm going to do an experiment.  I'm going to connect the tank to the downstairs toilet.  If it flushes better, I will replace the old tank with this one.

Me:  You think we are going to have a blue tank on that toilet downstairs?

Daryl:  No, I will take it somewhere and have it painted white.

Me:  The rest of the world is getting by with smaller tanks.  We can too.

Daryl:  I'm not throwing this one away.

I may need some help with this one.