Home – Page 18 – Letters from Home

We bought some chairs

After a year and a half of deliberation, one night we decided to buy 6 bar stools to go around the island.

We paid our boys and a friend to build them for us. It was the smartest decision ever.

Stymied

Can’t… come… up… with… content. Sorry, family and friends. I have nothing palatable to write this week. I’ve been trying to write a thoughtful post for days, but I feel stymied.

Is it because I have been reading Tolstoy and feel my lack more deeply than usual?

Is it because I am trying to wrap my head around the new year?

Is it because I am so busy trying to get physical things in order at the house that I can’t write?

Is it because what I feel like writing about is too personal?

Is it because my internet has been wonky this week? (If wonky isn’t a word, it should be. It describes our internet service perfectly.)

It’s all of those things and probably more.

Here are some photos of what I have been doing this week. Hey, my life is boring, but it’s mine and I love it.

IMG_20140116_145814 — One day I went through all of the boys’ clothing and placed size labels on each hand-me-down. Apparently I do NOT need any more size 8 pants for boys. I feel defeated by clothing. Daniel’s current rate of growth means he wears something for only a few weeks and then it’s too short. Keeping him in adequate Sunday pants is too much for me, apparently.

IMG_20140116_145925 — Our current filing system just wasn’t working for us, (stashed beneath our bed on a box top which we would slide out when necessary) so this week I fixed that.

IMG_20140116_150041 — This may seem trivial, but I have gained a testimony of labeled photos, having worked on two significant family history projects this year. I labeled our photos this week and felt old doing it. Where have my babies gone?

IMG_20140116_150136 — I updated the photos on the refrigerator and put smiles on my children’s faces by doing it. I now have all of the new family members represented on the refrigerator and some highlights from 2013 to cheer us. I love my photo-laden refrigerator. It keeps me company.

IMG_20140116_150111 — I decorated the mantel and shelves in my kitchen. Oh, the clean, fresh start that January gives to us! I love how uncluttered things feel at this moment. Of course I loved every Christmas card and decoration that we had on these spaces a month ago, but the change is good.

IMG_20140116_150216 — Have I ever posted a picture of my food storage room? It’s one of my favorite corners of the house. Having food is comforting and it takes work. I shop often so I can keep these shelves full. This week I bought oodles of cereal, sugar, and crackers. I have one can of Spam, but I can’t bring myself to serve it. I bought it in 2008.

IMG_20140116_150444 — I went to IKEA with my sisters and mom the other day and bought some textiles. This is Mark’s new rug. I like it so much.

IMG_20140116_150508 — I have been working on the 2013 scrapbook. I’m terribly proud of it.

IMG_20140116_150522 — I had forgotten that we went to San Francisco. How does someone forget San Francisco? It’s good to revisit those memories. That was a good day.

Well, I feel better for the sharing. Not sure if you’ll benefit from any of this, but it was good therapy for me.

Tonight after doing some snow shoveling I decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. Snow was falling and the icing on the houses and trees made my neighborhood look like a little Christmas village on someone’s mantel. I took pictures so Richard could see what he is missing in Phoenix where it’s 65 degrees today. One neighbor caught me taking photos and I was a little embarrassed. All well. It’s best that he learns my odd ways.

The neighbors have really done a beautiful job with their Christmas lights this year.

I love how this house has icicles along with beautiful white lights everywhere.

Our house doesn’t have Christmas lights yet, but it has a little Charlie Brown tree. In fact, I shall name our house the Charlie Brown House of the cul-de-sac. One of these days we’ll get those lights up. But that’s just on the outside. On the inside, we are NOT a Charlie Brown house.

We have a Christmas tree upstairs and two downstairs. Our candy dishes are brimming, Christmas music is playing, nativities are on every shelf in the family room, and red berries and ornaments are everywhere!!

Color

This was a quick phone shot on our way home from school one day last month. I love the reds, but those yellow aspens up high on the mountains are spectacular.

I get to see this view of the mountain every day as I drive home. When we drove to the house for the first time, the realtor mentioned that it felt like we were driving right into the mountain. It still holds my wonder each time I approach it. Right now it’s blanketed in some white. It’s always beautiful.

Tonight the street lights are reflecting off the black pavement after a day of slushy rain. The sunset was blue and deep gray. I spend a lot of time marveling over sunsets, leaves, and snow, don’t I?

Two Updated Rooms

This month we focused on the piano room and the craft room.

I bought a few chairs so we have a little bit of seating in the piano room.

For the craft room, Richard and Daniel installed new outlets and I put fresh paint on the walls, trim, and door. I moved in a sewing desk (free from a neighbor). There is also a handle on the door now!

There is an open closet with shelves near my sewing desk. I like to keep those shelves hidden behind a curtain.

One end of the craft room stores my sewing stuff and the other end of the craft room is for Legos and craft supplies. Mark and Timothy always seem to have a Lego project going on in this room.

I love the warm look from the paint and the clean white trim. It’s a nice space to work and have ongoing projects.

Canning Tomatoes & Old Fashion

Richard and Timothy canned 25 pounds of our garden tomatoes this weekend. I did the dishes and listened for the cans to seal.

Those metal lids making that satisfying popping sound is an old fashioned sound.

I’m an old fashioned person.

I wish I could still wear barrettes and not look outdated. I don’t have a smart phone. I don’t own a maxi skirt in a chevron pattern. I hate the name “maxi skirt”. I don’t have any throw pillows in chevron fabrics. I stopped watching television years ago. I’m not on Pinterest or Instragram. I still write letters. Am I the only person who still does this? It seems like it.

It’s funny to joke how women tend to halt in their fashion at some point. They find something they like and they don’t move on. Maybe I’m there because I can’t get excited about maxi skirts.

Framing the Kids’ Art

This summer we had a few friends walk through our house and our framed children’s artwork drew a lot of positive comments. For years I have displayed their art in simple frames around the house because I love it, but it felt good to hear that other people loved it, too.

Today I framed Paige’s poppy painting and a couple of the boys’ Eric Carle inspired art projects from years ago. I like the shadow box frame for the beach scene. Maybe it would be pretty with a few shells inside.

There are many more to go, but I’m loving how this project is coming together. I also think that I might frame some of their piano compositions in the music room. The frames are from my first trip to Ikea. I truly thought that I would never find the exit in that store.

Texas

I missed a recent Austin reunion with friends because I had some car problems. How disappointed I was to miss some of my favorite people who had come to town.

I’m in the middle of painting the craft room. It’s not good blogging material. It’s lonely work, but Elphaba and Glinda have been singing to keep me company. I’ve thought a lot about Texas lately… the memories, the friends, the family.

Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.

My latest wedding gift idea

Wedding gifts put me in a quandary and I’m not good at them, but I have decided to fix that. I think it’s a good idea to have a stash of gifts handy for weddings. Certainly family wedding gifts require a little more thought and love.

Over the years I have been slowly typing up my recipes and putting them in a binder so they are all accessible in one place. When the kids move out I can print out the recipes that they want and send them off with their own recipe books. It occurred to me that I could share these recipes with my niece who is getting married next month.

I bought a small binder and small sheet protectors from an office supply store and some pretty scrapbook paper on clearance. I have used a normal sized binder for recipes for years, but it is bulky and wastes counter space, so I think the smaller binder is better. I printed out each recipe on a half sheet of paper and assembled the binder with lots of pretty paper dividers. I took pictures because I will miss it when I give it away. I still need to make one for myself.

What is it about recipes and memories? Every time I use a recipe from a friend from Texas or Arizona, memories of them surround me as I cook. My aunt compiled family recipes a few years ago into small binders and I experience the same thing when I use them. Suddenly I’m back in Grandma’s kitchen.

I know the recipes won’t mean much to my niece for sentimental reasons, but hopefully she can make some great memories of her own as she prepares these. I wasn’t much of a cook when I got married, so cook books were some of my favorite wedding gifts.

My most requested recipes over the years have been our whole wheat bread, decadent brownies, chocolate chip cookies, butternut bisque, Mexicali pie, and black bean salsa.

Things I need to face

My paint project: I’m whitening up the the basement doors and trim with semi-gloss enamel paint. It’s a bigger project than I expected, but I am loving the results so far.

My quilt project: the squares are complete. I *just* need to assemble them, do a border, select a backing, sew the backing, quilt and bind it. Quilters, do you really find this enjoyable? My mom says that it helps to have a good machine, which I don’t have, and I’m not asking for one. I am not sure I want to be a seamstress. Maybe I will change my mind when I fall in love with my completed Strawberry Shortcake quilt.

Someone said that it’s a good exercise to find out the activities that you can “get lost” doing. You lose track of the time and other thoughts when you are busy doing your special thing. For me, it’s writing and reading, but I also love to develop new skills. I want to be capable and well-read. This is how I will accomplish this today: I get up from the computer, walk downstairs and keep painting. Later, when my arm is tired, I will wash up and maybe sew a row of squares. If I do these things, I will reward myself with a little theology reading. Wish me luck.

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