Cinderella gets put to work in spite of her fancy dress

I have a little copycat who wants to do and say every little thing that I do. This includes stuff I don't want her to do (like swearing and putting on deodorant) as well as stuff that if she were old enough, I'd totally let her do.  This for example:  (dressed in her favorite fou fou dress, of course! The wicked (real)mother puts Cinderella to work scrubbing dishes!! Muuaaahahahah!)

Growing

This little wiggler is making it's presence known.  I feel little pushings from something that is too small to BE pushing.  It's very early to feel this.  I know.  I've tried to convince myself that it's in my head, but it's not.  This little one wants to remind me, every day that he or she is there and on it's way.  And I can either surrender to the growing or I can pretend that I have all the time in the world.  If I do the latter, I get a headache.  I am waiting, hoping, praying, standing with baited breath for the first winds of autumn.  I am not sure it exists.  I have forgotten what crisp air tastes like in the muggy hot of August.  I hide underneath the shade of my roof and venture out in early morning or after dark.  Waiting for that first breath of cooler air and growing.  Always growing.

Better and Better

I've said this almost every month of Cora's 21 month life, but this is my favorite age. (I'm sure the next milestone will be my new favorite too)

Every day is an adventure of words, discovering, doing, making, and learning.  Half the time she is running around like a bedraggled street urchin because I can't be bothered to get myself out of my p.j.'s before 10am, much less her!  But we do have the best times.

At a recent baby shower, we talked a lot about second babies and what to expect.  I already know I'm going to be missing Cora when I am with the new one and she is with family or with her Papa.  I miss her when she sleeps or is in the nursery at the Y! 

She is my little buddy and we do EVERYTHING together.  Some things I wouldn't mind having to myself again, like going to the bathroom, but the dynamics will be different.  I'm curious and a little anxious.  I know it will be beautiful however it turns out.

In the dark

After an amazing show of electric skies we spent the evening in the dark.  I can't say it was a total loss. I really like reading by lantern light and candle light.  I hung on to this favorite pitcher in spite of the fact that it was broken and I couldn't use it for any beverages.  I think it works well as a candle holder.

Cinnamon-Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes

That's what's was for breakfast around here today.  I generally don't make pancakes because a.) I don't need that much carbs, butter, and syrup to start my day and b.) by the time I'm done making them, everyone else is finished and I have to eat mine all by myself.  I've tried keeping them warm in the oven, but it's not the same.  In spite of all this, sometimes the urge hits me.  I usually do a basic whole wheat pancake (don't tell the Geek it's healthy for him!) and add stuff (blueberries, bananas, chocolate chips etc.  Today's version was awesome!  Here it is.

Basic Whole Wheat Pancakes (and I'll put the added ingredients at the end)

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar (I often use a little less than this)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup veg. oil
(For Cinnamon-Blueberry ones add):
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup blueberries.  You can either mix them in to the whole batch or put 5-6 in each freshly poured pancake.  For these pancakes to come out right your batter needs to be pretty thick.  If the pancakes are not rising high, add a little more flour to your batter to thicken it up.  Runny batter = thinner pancakes

Sift dry ingredients and then mix wet ingredients together separately.  Add the dry to the wet, beat to a smooth batter.  Pour small circles on a hot UNGREASED griddle (or frying pan).  When they are ready to be flipped, they won't stick to the pan.  Serve with powdered sugar and butter, or my favorite, blueberry syrup.  Yum!

These were a great way to start a hum-drum Wednesday morning and as you can see, they were much enjoyed!

Adventures in Tennessee - Cummins Falls

I'm a huge fan of hiking and swimming and in general spending the summer months getting dirty and then rinsing off in a nice pool, either man made or natural.  After some coercion, I convinced the Geek, who is not very outdoorsy, but loves and humors his wife, to take a family outing to a nearby swimming hole.  We got our info at swimmingholes.info (or .org), and packed up for an adventure.  Matt was skeptical of our ability to do any serious climbing around waterfalls to find secret swimming holes with a 20 month old, but we went anyway.  Because I'm stubborn and hey, the worst that could happen is that we get there, take one look and decide to swim in the upper part of the river rather than climbing down a cliff with the baby girl strapped to my back.  Which is what happened. 

Swimmingholes.org provided directions and this description:
"Take the trail down to the overlook then switchback to the river. Wade cross the river (it's only ankle deep) and look for a trail that begins as a steep scramble up to the ridge top. Follow the ridge top trail for a few minutes until you see a rope and use the rope to (safely) get down to the river. Walk back up river to the hole. It sounds like a lot of work but it only takes about 15 minutes and its worth every minute!"

These falls are about an hour and half from Nashville, but most of it is on I-40 and an easy drive.  When we got there there were lots of trails, no switchbacks that we could find, until later.  We never did find the overlook on the road side of the gorge unless they meant the place where the waterfall begins to fall.  We scrambled to the ridge top with Cora in arms, got lost, wandered around in the wrong direction since we had no idea which way the falls were.  (They were downriver)  There were markers, but they led to something else and we eventually found a hunting or logging road that was on top of the ridge (it was not the trail).  Finally after much sweating, some mild swearing and sending Matt ahead to scout where the various rabbit trails went, we found the trail. Then we took a lunch break.

I wish I had taken a picture of the rope that you are supposed to use to "safely get down to the river".  Umm.  We took one look and said nope.  It was nearly straight down for at least 75 feet with a rope tied to some roots at the top.  True there were lots of rocks to climb down, but with me pregnant (and easily exhausted because of that) and a one and a half year old to get down the rocks (even in a baby backpack), it was just not worth the risk.  (And I'm usually a risk taker!) We played in the upper part of the river which was rocky and very chilly where there was a rope swing and lots of minnows to chase. 

 

 

 

My final review - great for a day trip with older kids who are experienced at climbing and hiking.  Go early before the beer cooler crowd shows up.  We left about 1:30 and they were headed in.  All in all, it was beautiful.  We will go back either when I'm not preggo and Cora is bigger and can climb on her own, or when I'm not preggo and we have pawned our children off on relatives or friends for the day.

4/13/13 *Edited to add*  Last year Cummins Falls became a TN State Park!  I have not gone back with my family to check out the new park and if they have added a safer way to get down to the swimming hole, but you can find more details at http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/CumminsFalls/
Enjoy the outside!

Sparkly Stars

This 4th of July, we decided to not take Cora to see any fireworks displays for several, supposedly good reasons. (she's to young, it's too loud, it starts at 9pm blah blah blah)  So she went to bed as usual around 7pm, and woke up, as usual, around 11:30pm, thirsty, or cold, or wanting Mama. (The result of traveling.  It happens every time) After a drink and a snuggle I was attempting to get her back to sleep, but outside our window, our neighbors were having a little fireworks display of their own.

Cora sat straight up and started talking about stars.  In my groggy haze with no glasses on, I looked at the window, confused.  Surely she can't see stars.  We live in the city.  But she insisted. 'Spark-ly stars!'  I realized what she was seeing and put on my glasses.  She was transfixed.  She was riveted.  She was amazed.  She talked and talked about it, using sentences I didn't know she was capable in an effort to communicate her wonder.  Matt came and joined us and we watched her watch the fireworks, enjoying her joy.  The next morning as she hopped in bed with us, she talked about it again, for 10 minutes straight until we went downstairs for breakfast.


How easily I forget to marvel at the beauty around me.  Fireworks are old news.  I've got them figured out.  I have a pretty good idea of how they work and while they are enjoyable, they don't mesmerize me.  Much like so many other things around me that I think I have figured out.  I'm so grateful for new little blue eyes to see through and remember the pure joy of life, the wonder, the beauty, the gift of it all.  And that fireworks are really sparkly stars, falling in the night sky.

The real reason I feel like puking all of the time

I can't keep it a secret any longer.  If you see me and I can't remember your name or that we were supposed to get together, or if I mention I feel like puking all day except this golden little window around lunch time, or I am in bed by 9pm, you will know why.  Yes, # 2 (#3 technically, but we hope this one will actually come out to see us).

At this point I am about 10 weeks along.  We have been keeping it quiet since I was a little fearful from the loss of our last baby.   Family knows and is rather excited, as are we.  I am patiently waiting for about week 12-13 when the fog will lift and I'll be able to remember things for longer than 5 minutes.  I know it's coming. Until then, forgive me for blundering through life.  A baby is eating my brain.

Bath-time for Bunnies

Cora has this favorite bunny and since she and I are packing up for a long trip to Texas, I thought it was time for Bunny's first bath to wash off nearly 20 months of snuggles, snot, and whatever else this bunny has become covered in.  I'm so glad she agreed to snuggle her Bear for nap-time today since Bunny wasn't yet dry.

Also, just to mention in passing, we have been accident free for days!  Cora loves her new panties that she got in the mail from Potty Patty.  My goal was to be done by 18 months and we are very, very close.  All that is left is night-time training and nap-time!  I'm so glad we started this journey early.  There is no bribing with candy or tears about potty time, she just accepts it as part of her life and it's pretty nice to not have to wash diapers any more.  Well...not as many.  We are down to one a day, if nap-time goes well.

The Chore Chart

{Greetings friends.  I hope to be back here more often but if I'm not as regular as I used to be, please understand that I am probably not taking my blogging fiber enough or that life is just moving too fast to grab a moment for this.}

I am attempting to get my home life organized.  I am killer organized in an office setting and our finances are so spick and span they practically shine, but the carpet, sadly, is coated in dog hair...again.  I had a great conversation with a friend recently about my inability to be a good, even passable housekeeper.  My house is either gleaming (and I'm collapsed on the floor while Cora whines around my ankles because I've been ignoring her so much) or it is a total wreck and I'm contemplating renting a bulldozer.  There is no in between!  The reason behind it all?  I get totally overwhelmed by my house.  I know what it takes to get it clean and instead of doing it a bit at a time, I want to do it all at once (which is HUGE job), so I avoid it. 

So this week I wrote out what needed to be done on a weekly or monthly basis and made a chart.  Much like the one my mama had for us when we were kids.  (Hmmm.  I find more and more nuggets of Mama wisdom embedded in my brain)  It divides up the house and jobs into days, so no one day feels overwhelming.  Now I can clean the bathrooms and for that day, ignore the hairy carpet because I know that vacuuming day is just around the corner and it WILL get taken care of, but just not today.   My favorite day?  Check out Sunday.  All it says is REST (and think about the menu for the week).  I can sit here and be in the moment, knowing that tomorrow I will tackle one bit of the huge mountain of chores around here.

And so begins the battle for my garden

I planted my first garden this year.  It took some working up to because, I'm one of those weird kind of perfectionists that if I can't do something perfect, I won't try.  It's strange.  I know.  You'd never guess by the state of my house!  But in an effort to work through that, I planted my first garden and didn't do it perfect.  In fact, I made mistakes that continue to irk me.  For example:  The only great garden spot in my yard that is not paved is right next to my house.  I measured, built a raised bed all by myself, bought a truck full of dirt, filled the bed, and planted my little seedlings in spite of wild weather and so much else.  Then I realized that I had put the back foot and a half of my bed UNDER THE EVES.  Yes.  Under them.  So every storm that fills up my gutters so they overflow makes water beat down in a waterfall.  Sigh.

Today Cora and I went out to 'garden' ie she plays in the water and the mud and I weed.  Not that there are many weeds, but I noticed that my squash plants are being devastated by some little critter or insect.  The leaves are munched on and/or clipped off!  Why??  Why??  A wise woman in my garden club once said plant one for the weather, one for the critters and one for your family.  At this rate, the critters and the weather are going to get them all!!  I've got some calls and emails out to wiser garden folk than me, but I'm no fool.  I recognize that the battle for my garden produce has begun.  Slugs, squash bugs, cutworms.  Whoever you are...your name is mud. (or diatomacious earth)

Photoshop and the death of imperfection

We all long for perfection.  They human eye, from birth, seeks symmetry, and contrast.  The long written about, never obtained state of nirvana.  Call it what you like.  We long for things to be as we imagine them in our mind.  I'm guilty myself.  Lots of the photos I post here have been, well, tweaked.  I amp up the saturation or contrast, or make it a bit warmer.  I try to make the photo show what I remember when I took the picture.  But a crappy old digital camera can never capture what I see in my head, for a camera cannot dream, or imagine.  It simply measures the light that will come in through the lens and records the image accordingly.

But what has the 'tweaking' created?  I see images and I no longer trust that they are real.  I assume perfection has been created on someone's computer.  I also have become so used to seeing images without blemish that an awkward photo is painful to the eye.  I delete every blurry or bad photo of me and my family and all that gets recorded is the beautiful.  There are benefits to this, of course.  You never see a picture of me where I have not done my best to hide that double chin and that 'days since my last shower cause the babe howls when I get behind the curtain' hairdo I'm sporting.

Pondering this today as I am unable to take pictures.  My camera has become stuck on a high exposure setting and everything is washed out.  I'm also pondering how often I scrub the image of myself that I present to others so they won't see my imperfections, not just photos, but words, facebook updates, ideas.  Food for thought.  By the way if I could take a picture of Cora right now, it would be amazing.  Seersucker top and pants, my black and white slouch purse over her arm and a purple safari hat from the Nashville Zoo.  My girl has style!

Nashville Flood - the story behind the story

In case you haven't heard due to oil spills off the coast and bomb threats in NYC, Nashville flooded over the weekend.  Torrential rains fell for two days filling reservoirs, lakes, rivers, and creeks then spilling over into neighborhoods, downtown business districts, everywhere.  The death tole climbs as the flood waters recede.  It's all over the news.  You can watch it here.  Read about it here.

There's a story behind the story, though.  It is in the volunteers that mobilized and helped those in danger, and those in need.  The local East Nashville (our little neighborhood) google group was abuzz with posts asking how people could help.  Alan Murdock and Tracy McTamaney had neighbors rally to the Art House Gardens and organized teams with buckets pumps, shovels, and manpower to head out into the neighborhood for recovery efforts.  Our house was flooded, but by comparison to some of our neighbors, we got off easy.  Still the volunteers came yesterday and removed a massive pile of debris from our basement.  It would have taken Matt and I weeks by ourselves and who knows what mold would have festered there in the mean time.  We have been blessed and cared for in abundance!   Here's another story about volunteering in our area.

As homes become accessible, the cleanup efforts will continue.  Your sweat equity (and trash bags!) are needed.  Want to volunteer or make donations?  Here are a few options:

Hands on Nashville -a great way to help locally

ArtHouse Gardens - local East Nashville effort, collecting supplies, mobilizing teams Call Alan at 243.5499 

Check with your church!  (City Church folks can call Catherine) Many local churches are sending out volunteers with supplies, food, and provisions.

Donate to the Red Cross at their website, or text message "REDCROSS" to 90999 and make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Donations will appear on customers' monthly bills or be debited from a prepaid account balance.

Head over to Do Something. org to organize your own local effort.  We've heard of former Nashville residents organizing clothing drives to bring into Nashville.  Right now, the needs are for bottled water, camping supplies etc.

Martha O'Bryan Center Emergency Food bank - needs volunteers to deliver meals to homebound folks. If anyone can volunteer, please call our Volunteer Coordinator, Judy Gaither, or Meals on Wheels coordinator, Jennifer Milam, at 254-1791

Here are a few more options posted by Nashville's local paper - the Tennessean

The Great Nashville Monsoon of 2010 - our little bit of it

Greetings from Nashville!  Over the past two days, we like many others in our area were  flooded with the heavy rains that fell.

Our basement was a grubby swimming pool, and we had (and still have) minimal power in an effort to turn off the basement electricity (which, in some places, is on the same line as upstairs!! Ug!) , and no gas (which means no stove, no hot water, etc.)  But the day dawned bright and clear Monday and we are slowly pumping out the estimated 15,000 - 18,000 gallons of water that filled up our large basement starting on Saturday night.

Here's what it looked like Sunday night and it got about 5 inches deeper before reaching it's final level.  You can't tell, but the water comes to the top of my thighs in this picture.  (About 2.5-3 feet)  It's not totally level, so some areas are deeper.

I wasn't able to get into the 'finished' room to take pictures in there, but the sheet rock in there is ruined.  It'll be a job to pull it all out!

Since most of the area was hit by this as well, sump pumps, fans, and dehumidifiers are going to be in pretty sharp demand for awhile.  The local DIY tool stores are not able to keep up with current demand.  We do have a plan, and thanks to Dave Ramsey, an emergency fund for events such as this

Today, after many, many promises of pumps, one finally arrived and in just a few hours, the floor of our basement was again visible.  "Carter" and his "water team" entertained us while they pumped water out. 

Libby shows Cora her mermaid doll

Later "Carter's" wife and third child joined us and we had a nice little chat on the back yard  lawn.  Cora enjoyed playing with one of the "water team's" mermaid doll.  Did I mention that the water team was two little girls?  Yes.  It was.  And they had so much fun!

Cora hangs out with Papa we slog around in the 'pond'.

 You can see how high the water got!  We are hoping our hot water heater and furnace are OK, but it looks doubtful.

So tomorrow we will rent dehumidifiers, borrow some more fans and start demolishing the soggy sheet rock.  Sounds like fun huh? If you want to join in, bring a hammer, a shovel and some work gloves!

Easter Dress - long overdue

I did actually get this done for Easter Sunday, but Cora was sick that day with a 104 fever and we didn't go anywhere.  So finally, I got her to model it for me.  The pattern was a Vintage 50's pattern #2392 by Simplicity, but as patterns go, was not so great.  I ended up doing a lot of modifications.  I guess in the interest of keeping it 'simple', this pattern cut a lot of corners and left a lot of inside raw edges exposed.  Even though I had read through the pattern, I'm a 'learn by doing' learner so I had to rip out a lot of things to get the inside to look nice too, or at least not be itchy.  Also the sizing was pretty off.  Cora is small, but still was squarely within the weight measurements for the 18 month size.  As I looked at it, I decided to go with the Medium (12 month) and when I got the bodice done, even that was huge!!  More cutting down and modifying.  Sigh.  It was worth it for how cute she looked in it.  It also came with a bonnet, but she staunchly refuse to wear that, except backwards and untied.  I'll spare you the photos of that and of the howling that ensued when I made her stand barefoot in the grass.

Inhabiting the days

If I could inhabit a color, it would be this one.  Blue like the sky, blue like a Caribbean sea.  Blue like a secret swimming hole.  Swim around in it.  Eat it for breakfast.  Wear it on my skin.  The spring brings this blue back to my spectrum, after the gray and white winter skies.  My part of the earth turns on it's axis to face the sun and the world grows vibrant again.  This week we are relishing and reveling in the glory of the colors of Spring, spending every waking moment 'aside' as Cora calls it.  She loves making pictures on our sidewalk amidst the tall, still unmowed grass that is full of flowers, dandelion puffs, and yes, our little snake habitat.  We stay out of the grass for now.  Soon our garden will start growing high and we will spend time outside weeding.  I look forward to it.

Much too much.

No excuses.  I'm just not a consistent blogger right now.  For all the same reasons.  Life and all it's responsibilities are just much too much right now.  I'm working a ton, all at home, for various folks, but it takes up all those little nap times that I'd use to blog or make something before.  Plus, add to that my very first garden and you have it all summed up, right there.  If you have about 6 and a half minutes, click the link below and think of Spring.  I am enchanted by this piece today and want to share it with someone.  (I was unable to embed it here.  You have to follow the link.  Sorry!)

Melodie for cello and orchestra Op.20 No.1 by Alexander Glazunov

An end to radio silence

My camera is not doing so hot lately and without fun stuff to show you and a sick girl on hand, I am less inclined to blog than ever.  Actually the radio silence began with the miscarriage.  There was just so much stuff going on in my heart that I didn't feel like sharing with the world in general and it seemed disingenuous to write silly or frivolous things while my heart was so full of sorrow.  So I stopped.  But I like writing here, so I will return, with more frequency, soon.  I hope. 

Until then, happy Spring, happy Easter (and yes, I did finish the dress, but someone was sick on Easter Sunday so it remains un-worn.  Next Sunday, I hope!!).  I am going to sit out on my front porch steps in the sun while the baby girl sleeps off her third day of virus related fever.  I will be holding a stick in case the little inhabitants from the nest of garter snakes that are living under my front steps decide they want to share the sun with me too.  I sometimes have to give them a poke and send them retreating. And I'll be enjoying the tall grass that is all over my lawn.  Our mower wouldn't start after sitting all winter and I am rather enjoying the crop of violets, clover, dandelions, and wild green onions that are making our front lawn a veritable feast for the local bee population.

MOMS Club of East Nashville

It has been total radio silence around here with just a few little blips on the line here and there.  I know.  Slacker blogger.  I'm feeling much better these days, though.  So a friend (who's baby, coincidentally is mama to the lump-a-lishious BFF to Cora who I keep 3 days/week at my house) and I have been working on a website for my local MOMS Club, which has been a lifeline to Cora and I.  (and perhaps to my husband as well, but not directly.  Without them, it is possible I would be sucking the life out of my husband in some attempt to have adult interaction!) 

I can't tell you how fun it has been to have people like me in some ways and not like me in many other ways around as I stumble down this path called motherhood.  I can't recommend them highly enough.  Also, their web gurus are pretty awesome too.  ;)  Check out our work!

Spring, you tease

 You fool me (and my trees!) every year with your warm weather and you birds singing, but I know you don't mean it.  You are just teasing me.  So what if the sun is shining!  So what if I can't bear to wear shoes!  If I try to plant something, you will hide your face again and send one last frost in your place.  Maybe even some snow!! As sacrilegious as that might be at this point, I know you are not above it. 

So I will content myself with the little things and wait until after Easter to put my little seeds in the ground.  I know, I should be content that I don't live in Canada or something where one must wear a coat until May, but seriously.  I've been patient through multiple snows this year!!  I need the vitamin D from a natural source, so please Spring, can you stop being such a tease and just get here already?  OK.  I'm glad we had this talk.  And if you don't mind, pass it on to your friend Summer to think about not broiling our faces off come June, will ya?  KTHNX!

The tradition continues - storytime with 'Hunka Deeb'

Storytime with 'Hunka Deeb' aka Uncle Steve is a long standing tradition in the Terrell (and now the Evans) household.  There were many a summer night of my childhood spent piled up on the couch with siblings, chin in hand as we listened while Uncle Steve, now known affectionately as G.U.S. (Great Uncle Steve) read to us such classics as The B.F.G, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  (He was very into Dahl.)  It was such a gift to have the joy of reading instilled in me at a young age.  So when he came over for supper tonight and Cora got to read a few books with him at bedtime, I couldn't help but snap a bunch of photos. 

Cora thought it was pretty terrific too.  Thanks 'Hunka Deeb'!

Weekending and Walking!

Just a few highlights from the weekend.

Walking! (finally for real!!  She has been walking between Matt and I for awhile, but has not yet tried it on her own)

Chatting on the phone - in panties!!  Potty training is progressing quite nicely.

 

Papa, taking a break and snuggle with Bear (Not staged, I swear)

 

Last, but not least, this child LOVES beets.  Really.  Who even LIKES beets, much less loves them.  Sigh.

Happy Monday!

At the Heart

Lest you think this blog is about knitting, sewing, cooking, or being a mama, let me reassure you that the heart of this blog is about living with and loving this fella I call the Geek (aka Matt, my dear, sweet , understanding hubs).  The crafting, cooking, opinions, and parenting are just outgrowths of our little life together.  And seeing as how we are so different, I'm just gonna tell you, it's not always a walk in the park around here.  I mean really.  I could also call this blog the Steam-roller and the Stone-waller or The Razz-a-ma-tazz and the Shuffle (if he danced, which he doesn't...much...lately...but I'm still cajoling)

That being said, the art of saying "I'm Sorry" reigns around here.  We do it a lot.  Stepped on toes, bruised egos, misunderstandings, totally not listenings...we have them...often...although not as often as when we first got hitched.  Perhaps somewhere in the world there are magical couples who just 'get each other', or 'understand without saying a word', or who never fight.  Yeah.  I don't know those people.  If you have to say I'm sorry, why not do it with a little flare?  Humor seems to work well with us.  I found this website recently which is very fun.

I've been thinking of someone who I owe an apology to lately.  For once it's not the Geek!  I'm sending that message out to that person right now.  It is long overdue.  My pride got in the way for a long time and my apology may be rejected, but it is the right thing to do.  Life is too short to live with walls in between me and the ones I love. 

Easter Sewing Sneak Peak

I don't know about you, but my making of things goes in seasons.  In the Winter, I want to curl up with a good book on CD and knit my heart out.  In the spring, it's garden dreams and sewing with still a little knitting and crocheting.  Summer, it is too hot to knit without running the air at full or sweating all over my projects, so it's sewing and cooking, tomatoes on the vine and toes in the grass.  Fall brings yarn back to me and I'm dreaming of sweaters again.

This Spring, in homage to my Grandmother - Kathy Terrell, I am making Cora's first Easter dress.  I don't think it even crossed my mind last year!  Ah well.  Every year, Gramma would go buy reams of cloth to make all of the children in my family (7) matching (yes, matching - think Von Trapps) Easter clothes.  At the time, I hated it.  I was a chubby little kid and the clothes never fit quite right and to cover my chubby arms, Gramma would sew me a jacket.  And by Easter, in Texas, it is HOT.  Who wants to wear a jacket and sweat your way through church?  But the idea behind it, and the work she put in was beautiful and sweet.  And now I start my tradition with Cora.  (Much to her chagrin, I'm sure, since she probably won't like the bonnet. Hats are fun to look at, not to wear.  Same with shoes.)

The pattern is a re-printed vintage 50's pattern with, yes, a matching bonnet.  How could I resist?  If there is enough time, I may just knit her a little sweater to go with it.  Oh, and that lovely avocado green linen table cloth beneath it all?  99cents at the thrift store.  Hurrah!

35 and still my favorite guy

The Geek (aka Matt) turned 35 today.  We celebrated this weekend with a very fun dinner party/rock band party with friends.  It was good to have something light and fun after weeks of hard days.  I won't talk about that any more right now, though.  This post belongs to my favorite guy.

There are so many things I love about this guy.  He's the best Papa ever to our little girl.  You should see them cook in her play kitchen.  Seriously.  I can hardly stand the cuteness.  Let's not even discuss marathon rounds of itsy bitsy spider!  It's a joy to watch him be a father.

I could brag on this guy for ages, but most of it is too sappy for this blog, so I'll just wish him a very happy birthday and show you fun pictures taken by our friend Paul (and sometimes by me with Paul's camera which I seriously covet.  Actually it's the lens that I covet.) And then I'll go write him a sappy love letter so he knows how I really feel about him.

 

Cookie Cake by me. Pillsbury Cookie chub, squish into a cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes. Decorate. Seriously. That easy!! And the reversed numbers?? I kid! I kid!!

 

My very own guitar hero. Squeal!!

(Cora did the drums for the rock band party.  Ha!)

And a few of the cuteness, because I can't resist.