I'm Planning to Get Some Kind of a Plan.

Proverbs 21:5: Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

How true are these words in everyday life? Yesterday, I stood at the doctor's office, trying to mentally picture a calendar of my life. I was trying to set a future appointment. I was failing miserably, and finally said, "Let's just say (this date), and I'll call you if I can do it sooner."

Mother of five, sewer, writer, cook, Indian Chief, bottle washer. I have fooled a whole lotta people into thinking that I have it all together.

Last night, Rose came home and came in to just say goodnight. She often does this and I treasure those conversations -- but we were talking about school, and she looked down at a little weekly calendar she'd sketched out.

I realised at this point that my kid is much smarter than I am.

A good friend told me recently "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail." God has been bringing those words home to me again and again. And since I'm on a schedule now, having become a full-time student as of Monday, I need a plan.

Hunk O Man is always asking me "What's the plan?" I usually reply with "How should I know?" I tell people that I have little idea what's happening with scheduling; I generally just get in the car.

This must stop and soon! I have papers due, projects to finish, places to be, coupons to clip, and then there's the laundry. This is to say nothing of the household budget.

I think I need a new iPod touch. Maybe I can ignore that household budget thing . . .

xoxoxox

New, New, New

I love new stuff.

I've done Once-A-Month-Cooking for several years now. I have tons of recipes for freezeable stuff, so I thought I'd start another blog -- with just recipes that freeze well.

I'll try and post every couple of days or so over there. If you'd like to visit, it's here.

Today I redid my kitchen and it looks SO much better! I moved all my cookbooks so they wouldn't be such an eyesore. The improvement is considerable.

Smells good too. Pay no attention to the oven that desperately needs to be cleaned!

xoxox

Can This Mean I Am Truly An Artist?

The signs of a great mind? Well, at least I console myself with that thought.



It's everywhere. Mess everywhere. The results of a creative weekend --

And I will not be cleaning it up. I will be creating some more for the Etsy shop and our local Craft Fair in December.

At least I have some kind of validation for the way my house looks. I made this and gave it to Hunk O Man the first year we were married --

I definitely need another cup of coffee.

xox

Thank God

Today is the first day of school. And Babydoll is babysitting for someone else this morning.

Deep, cleansing breath in, and blow it out. Aaaahhhh.

I got up and made pancakes for them, and some of them even ate them. I have done laundry and partially completed yesterday's crossword. And now I am having my morning time. It is time that is mine, all mine.

Aaahhhhh.

This is only a half day of school, so it will all end shortly. Good thing I got up early.

On another note, Hunk O Man and I have decided that for the twins, this is the Year of Freedom. That means since they are now 17, almost 18 years old, and they will no longer have any real rules. No curfew, just the regular expectations of any adult. They have to show up for work and school on time, get decent grades, do their chores at home. But checking in and out with mom and dad is optional (although encouraged and preferred), and the spending of money they earn and that which allotted to them is up to them.

The basic idea here is give them enough rope to hang themselves, and have them do it while they still live at home and are safe.

We'll see how it goes. Also included in this is a monthly conversation with mom and dad to talk abut the pros and cons of how they're doing. Hunk O Man and I are definitely taking notes.

Washer's done. Dryer's done. Duty calls. In my nice, quiet house with the messy kitchen and sleeping dog.

Aaaahhhhh.

It's a Schoolish Sort of Day

Sssshhhhh! Babydoll and Bug are taking their end-of-year tests.

Hunk O Man is administering these tests, because he has a Bachelor's degree and I do not. When I explained that apparently he knows more about doing these tests than I do, he laughed. I took that as a nice compliment. Which I needed, after a heart-to-heart with one of my teenagers about where her life and priorities are versus where I think they should be.

I am also doing Bug's transcripts so she can return to high school for her senior year (after coming home and completing her junior year as homeschooling as of April). I'm glad she's doing this; she'll graduate with her twin sister Rose, and that's important. There are a lot of things that happen your senior year in a high school that are so common to us as Americans that I think they really shouldn't be missed.

I spent the day shopping with Bunny yesterday. She is a riot. I always enjoy her company. I made her promise she would always come home and shop with me for Christmas, wherever her life takes her. I think there may be airline tickets in her future.

I've spent a lot of time with people this week, and that has worn me out. But it's good! Monday, I took Ms. Myrtle to her doctor's appointment and heard all about her life. She narrated to me the years of five children and five husbands, and working and living in NC and FL. It took her mind off a potential procedure she was to have, that was uncomfortable. Turns out she didn't need it after all! I got lunch for she and Wiley and I at Chick-fil-a and she nearly had a fit trying to pay me for it. I was having none of it. I won that one.

The next day, Tuesday, I drove them both to Rocky Mount to have Wiley's dental work done. I was at their house at 6:00AM -- a true departure for me, as I'm normally up around 8, but I was glad to do it because they are such dears. We drove down, had breakfast at Hardee's (GREAT chicken biscuit, by the way!), and once again we befuddled the poor cashier by Ms. Myrtle attempting to pay for my breakfast and me refusing. I won that one too.

And then yesterday, I met Ms. Nancy (church secretary and unofficial associate pastor, person who knows everything and everybody and everything about everybody, and general person who runs the church) for coffee at Starbucks. She gave me a Starbucks card and said "This is from Myrtle." I looked and her and sighed. She immediately said, in her soft, southern drawl, "You know you can't do anything with her." I laughed. She's right. You just can't.

Yesterday Babydoll and I rode over to Ms. Myrtle's and had a brief visit. She was glad to see Babydoll and insisted they go out to lunch once school starts. I think that they will find no lack of things to talk about. Ms. Myrtle mentioned that she hoped I had enjoyed my coffee that morning with Ms. Nancy. Talk about a small town.

Wednesday was a tennis match and more town gossip with Michelle, the tennis coach. That woman knows everyone as well, and certainly has her ear to what's happening in the town. I finally know why the bugs are so thick this year. And I have zero idea as to why the tennis courts aren't finished yet. Hmmm. It pays to know people around here.

And a wasp stung me yesterday! I have never been stung by anything other than a sweat bee, so far as I know. These things hurt! It seems I can't go outside for five minutes without getting bitten or stung by something. If only squirrels ate bugs, we'd be in business. The girls constantly scream about all the spiders -- but I like them. They eat the bugs. Perhaps this is why I've never been much of a gardener. Flying, stinging, biting bugs. True definitions for the word "pest."

So it's a low-key day, and Hunk O Man wants me to listen to something called "Straight from the Mouth of a Pastor's Kid" from "Defining Moments," which is an audio journal from the Willow Creek Association. I am hopeful that it will shed some light on my relationship with my girls. I'll let you know --

So it's back to normality here, and possibly a giveaway in the near future --

So What's on Your Fridge?

I think a fridge can say a lot about a family. I'm curious to know what's on yours.

Mine actually contains some truly fantastical, almost magical things --

Like the amazing, invisible, color-coded Chore Chart:

The Bible Verse that Nobody Ever Sees Anymore:

The Coolest of the Cool Uncles, my brother The Droid:

The Never-ending Project List:

The Ever-Changing Grocery List:

The Magnetic Words that form Ridiculous Sentences:

Earnest T:

Hunk O Man Many (Skinnier) Years Ago:

Comic Relief:

And always, Chocolate on Top.

So what does your fridge say about you?

xox

They've Taken Over. Somebody Help Me.

Lord have mercy.

Makeup, toothpaste, squirt gun, hairbrush. Teenage girls have been here.

Tennis stuff everywhere. Teenage girls have been here.

Dirty dishes not done yet. Whose week is it? Teenage girls have been here.

Rock Band has overrun my living room.

HAS SCHOOL STARTED YET?

It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's SUPER JB!

My kid is amazing. She is not even 14 1/2 yet, and she is a genius.

I know every mom says that. But mine really is, honestly and truly. I kid you not. (no pun intended)

And here is why:

A long time ago I bought a new faucet for the half bath. I was astounded at how much water was dripping out of the old one, and thought it should be replaced. It was one of those old single-head knobby models that is what we refer to in decorating as "absolutely vile."

So of course I sat the box with the new faucet in there on the counter as a decorative item. This is what we refer to in decorating as "yeah, yeah, I'll get to it eventually; it's on the list."

I have been pushing the girls to complete some rather big tasks this summer before school starts again. Namely, clean out the side attic and have a garage sale. They have been avoiding me. Nobody meets my gaze anymore when we pass in the kitchen. Hmmm. Could this have something to do with the fact that I ask if their chore is done and if the project is finished before they go play on the Gamecube? Everyone knows that they'd better be busy when they see me.

So JB asked yesterday if she could replace the faucet.

"Sure," I replied.

Huh? What did she just ask me?

I went back to the taxes. I was thinking she would get as far as reading the directions -- if she remembered to do that -- and then wander away having given up before she even started.

Not so. The next time I saw her, she was asking me if we had any WD-40. I looked up from the the taxes, and I told her to ask Dad.

And then I see she and Hunk O Man leaving to go to Lowe's. They apparently needed new pipes. And WD-40.

There was a sound to my right as I typed and ciphered. It was JB in that bathroom under the sink, trying to get connectors to fit.

They mysteriously disappeared to Lowe's again, Hunk O Man and she, and then they came back again.

Then I heard water running. So I went running.

There was a new faucet on the sink. With running water. And none on the floor.

I am not even kidding you. No leaks, no problems, just a beautiful new faucet and stopper.

The dead faucet was laying in the hallway, looking very, well, dead. And ugly.

She actually did it. She disconnected an old faucet, and installed a new one. ON HER OWN. The only real question I had to answer was when she asked where the water shut-off valves were.

I got her on the phone with Pappy immediately. The Master of All Things Handy had to know that finally somebody else in this family has the Handyman Gene. I hooted and hollered and high fives went all round.

And now I am in search of a bumpersticker that says

"Proud Parent of Kid Who Can Install Faucets On Her Own."

To go right beside the one I have currently, which says this:

"I WANNA BE BARBIE. THAT CHICK HAS EVERYTHING."

Which is under my license frame, which says "I'M NOT SPEEDING. I'M QUALIFYING."

More photos of spoils

I just finished doing taxes today. I am surprisingly in a relatively good mood because God is good! I started out thinking we owed and then fixed something and all of a sudden we get a refund!

I hate money. It comes, it goes. Life is about people and beautiful things. Enough about money!

I know you're all dying to see my photos of the fabulous fabrics I got at Hobby Lobby. Since that one of the messy table was so -- well, messy.

Anyway, I have to tell you that I think I alarmed the woman who showed up to cut everything. After all, these were all on bolts, and the bolts are big, and I had about 400 bolts stacked up . . .

I looked at her, smiled, held out my hand, and said this: "I know, but let me just say first of all that I LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. The closest fabric store is at least an hour away."

I'm not sure that really helped, but she was a little happier when I said "If there's less than a yard left on the bolt, I'll take that too." (since she offered it at half off!)

Then we started talking, and I found out she previously lived in southern CA like I did, and we reminisced about how it's changed over the years.

So on to the fabric. I got things in threes if I could, in order to make bags, aprons, etc. Here we go:

Pink, Green and Black:

Pink and Black:

Pink and Brown:

Black and White:

Blue and Chocolate brown:

Japanese prints I knew Bug would love:

Couldn't resist this, now, could I?

A couple of remnants I loved, and the blue and white china print -- loved that --

Chiffon for a skirt for Bunny, who was helping choose:

And her skirt will be kind of like Bug's, here which is just a couple of squares sewn on top of each other and hemmed, and an elastic waistband attached:

Bug actually wanted two skirts like this, and we already had the purple print. So I got some solid purple to go with it.

And now that all the money stuff is done, I will be able to endlessly create at will!

(just as soon as I get the laundry done)

deep breath.

sigh.

I'm walking away now.

Maybe a game of Zuma . . .

This is What Happens When You Reorganise.

Yesterday, I spent the day rearranging my dining/sewing room. AGale's mom came over -- she's a good friend -- and we first measured and then got out the graph paper. Then we moved stuff. The result is magnificent! I now can get into the room and move around, and I still have my workspace. The best part is that when you walk in the front door, you see the computer and my beautiful poster of the ocean.

And she organized and made my cubbies all pretty --

And you have to actually turn around to see this --

Because everything went in here!

Ugh. More organizing to do with that. But that's out of sight and done for now!

Homeschooling stuff went here

Which meant that the bookshelf had to be brought in from the porch. So Bug decided that everything should be taken off the bookshelf and apparently left randomly throughout the porch.

Before it can go in this

Which has to be moved over here.

Nothing like reorganising your space. Never let it be said that one reorganisation does not necessitate another five.

Anyway. Aaahhhh. Now I can relax in my new workroom! Until, that is, I start putting the floor down in the laundry room later this week.

BUT -- school ends today, and homeschooling will largely end on Friday. Except for science and Bug's math and science and Narnia --

Ok, so homeschooling continues for a little while. But I will have help doing the laundry room!

But not from this guy. I think I may want his life most days.