Notation

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I keep a personal journal full of tiny writing and a planner of TO DO lists. The blog only shows a few thoughts each week from our lives.

At the beginning of January I began a project to keep my daily TO DO lists in a planner. I know that I am not original in doing this. However, I didn’t appreciate the patterns that I would see emerge from my lists or the story that they would tell.

Here are a few randomly picked dates from the past 9 months and what I listed along with a little commentary.

Saturday, January 5
Piano lessons 10:45-12:45
Piano lesson 2:00 (Timothy)
3:00 Paige and Dan
Pay piano teacher

Apparently the only thing I did on this day was drive kids to and from piano lessons over a span of 5 hours. Even if this was actually all I did, I think that it would be enough.

Saturday, March 23
SPARKS This was the day we drove from Elko to Sparks to visit my Stewart Grandparents.

Thursday, July 4
Paint trim (2 coats) in Daniel’s room
Integrity goal #5: Stand as a witness day 4
Family barbecue 1pm (Spring Lake)

Summertime brought a lot of painting and Young Women Personal Progress goals. The Stand as a Witness goal that I mentioned was to write about my experiences as a Mormon on the blog.

Tuesday, August 13
library
lego shopping with little boys
work on Knowledge #9
type out YW calendar
vacuum upstairs
garden assignment: 3 needed

Summer was winding down; I was trying to make the most of the last days with my little boys by shopping for their favorite toys with them. Knowledge #9 was a Young Women Personal Progress goal where I collected and compiled my favorite quotes from General Conference talks by topic. The garden assignment was for the Church garden which supplies the nearby Bishops’ Storehouse. The big boys and Richard took the assignment.

Thursday, September 5
Drive Richard 5:45 am
Drive Daniel 6:50 am
30 minutes Virtue project
Pick up Richard at work–sick day
YW presidency meeting
10% of Richard’s group laid off today (notation on the side of the to do list)
Costco trip
Bring doctor’s note to school for Mark’s absences
Piano lessons 5:30-7:30
continue paint work in craft room

This was a very stressful day on many levels. There were extra errands because of illness and there was worry about Richard’s job. The Virtue project is my current Personal Progress goal to read the Book of Mormon. Thank goodness most days are not this busy.

I love my life, but I don’t always see the beauty in the little pieces. Keeping my little planner has been a good exercise to help me see that I’m going somewhere in all of my circles of errands and small efforts.

 

Rescued

One day when we were asked to introduce ourselves to a room full of new people, Richard decided to tell the group about one of the times I was rescued by first responders.

I have a few dramatic rescues in my life story and they continue to teach me.

One thing I have learned from being in peril is the quality of selflessness that emerges in the rescuers. They become my friends immediately, willing to do whatever they can to help. I’ve held hands with strangers who have run to my aid. They have carried me, watched over my family, and taken me to safety.

Most rescuers I have never seen again, but I have been blessed to have a few chance meetings with some of them.

They have met me with arms extended, tender encouragements, and even a cheer. “Here she is!!” and “I’m so glad to see you back with us.” They are the regular people and I am a small person, but I was worth their time and they cheer me on. They are my heroes.

Gratitude, love, and self worth are a few of the things I have gained from being someone who has been rescued.

These experiences have also taught me a lot about our Redeemer who has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. When we meet him someday, he will have a measure of love for us that can only be earned by a rescuer.

I’ve heard it said that everyone is in peril of some kind, or they soon will be. We can be rescuers with a smile, a note, or even consistent, mostly unnoticed efforts. We may never know that we have been rescuers or the depth of feeling others have for our service. Ready? Let’s go rescue somebody.

 

Two Updated Rooms

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

DSC_0383I bought a few chairs so we have a little bit of seating in the piano room.

DSC_0384For 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!

DSC_0394 DSC_0386 DSC_0385There is an open closet with shelves near my sewing desk. I like to keep those shelves hidden behind a curtain.

DSC_0387One 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.

DSC_0388I love the warm look from the paint and the clean white trim. It’s a nice space to work and have ongoing projects.

Tim Plays Fall Ball

The kids have been in school for a month now. Four weeks seems to be the magic number for finding a routine at our house. Our mornings begin around 5:15. For the next 3 hours I watch the family leave one by one. I try to interact with each one before they leave. The evenings and mornings go by quickly, but we’re finding the time to do the homework and extra curricular activities.

Timothy is playing fall baseball 2 or 3 nights a week. Here are a few photos of him as pitcher and catcher. Richard handles all of the practices and games while I go to Wednesday night youth activities and chauffeur the kids to piano.

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Canning Tomatoes & Old Fashion

DSC_0365 DSC_0368Richard 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

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Poppies and Gears by Paige, 2013

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.

DSC_0338 DSC_0339DSC_0341There 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

Starred Photos7I 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.

Books?

In my recent foray into the world of child psychology literature I am now up to date with the worn out lingo of the five love languages. I’m probably the last person on the planet to read about these. Do you know your “love language”? What do you register as the greatest acts of love? Are they service, words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, or gifts?  I have learned that my primary love language is words of affirmation. I guess that’s why I don’t allow comments on this blog. A snarky line in a comment would send me reeling for a decade. This also explains my hoarding of every kind email, text, and note anyone has ever sent me.

Here’s something that you can do for me that will appeal to my need for words of affirmation without you needing to come up with a heartfelt comment. Perhaps you can give me a book recommendation. I’ve had a dry year in reading. If you want to see what I read, I have a list of the books I have read the last few years in my sidebar.

And remember, if you share a book title, you will really be saying, “Angie, you are so weird, but I like you anyway.”

I’m shaking. What if no one gives me a book title? I’ll just have to continue slogging through C.S. Lewis. Help!

Do you feel manipulated?

Sorry.