Friday, September 28, 2007
Photo Friday: Redecorating Redeaux
Aqua and brown...perfect for a Tween Queen.
You'd never know this dresser used to be purple...or that the floor was covered in icky carpeting.
The hook-crazed mama strikes again...and a magazine organizer helps keep everything in its place.
The second half of the window treatment.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Thirteen mercies, big and small.1. My CT scan was squeaky clean!
2. My husband pulled extra carpool duty to allow the little guy and I to drive up to Tampa on Tuesday night.
3. There was practically NO traffic to fight.
4. My mom and her dh were able to cover babysitting so that my sister could still make her Wednesday Bible class.
5. My son got to spend a marvelous day with his cousin.
6. My first appointment was beautifully timed...again, minimal traffic.
7. NO waiting for the valet (this is weird).
8. The radiology department actually listened to my hissy fit and took me back first thing for my IV.
9. The nurse took my IV issues seriously and pulled out the big guns (had me lie down, warmed my arms with hot blankets, used the venoscope...). ONE stick, baby!
10. Minimal waiting in the lab...there were actually places to sit (this is odder than it sounds as the lab can be a hoppin' place).
11. I made it out of CT before the cafeteria closed at 2...good thing, 'cause I was NPO after 9am and too jittery to eat much.
12. The clinic was running 2 hours behind...but I had a chance to visit with some Moffitt friends who share the same clinic day as I do.
13. Did I mention the CLEAN scan. Hooray for actually keeping my eyebrows :-).
Monday, September 24, 2007
I'd pull my hair out, but I know from experience how silly I look bald...
Any veteran soccer moms know how to get nasty, black MILDEW out of neon yellow soccer socks?!?
Yes, mildew. Evidently that's what happens when one leaves socks in their soccer bag after their Saturday morning game.
And stores them in the hot, humid, garage.
For two days.
What's grosser...the child in question had the nerve to try and just slip this laundry disaster in to the hamper.
Updated Tuesday morning: Thanks to Mom and Sally...a good soak in oxyclean and a hot water was has seemed to minimize the damage!
Yes, mildew. Evidently that's what happens when one leaves socks in their soccer bag after their Saturday morning game.
And stores them in the hot, humid, garage.
For two days.
What's grosser...the child in question had the nerve to try and just slip this laundry disaster in to the hamper.
Updated Tuesday morning: Thanks to Mom and Sally...a good soak in oxyclean and a hot water was has seemed to minimize the damage!
Ora Et Labora
Translated, "pray and work", it's the Benedictine motto and the first phrase my children memorized in their study of Latin.
It also describes my frame of mind these days. Wednesday is check-up time. Again.
It's probably a sign of rude good health that I can see a day at Moffitt as an unplesant interruption of my week's routine. But I also see it as the end of my summer's reprieve. For three whole months I've been able to declare myself "well" and go about the business of living my life. Now I get to wait (and it is an all day process) and see if the label still applies or if another trip to chemoland is warranted.
So I pray.
I don't pray that the scans come out clean--God already knows the outcome of that one. I simply pray for grace to walk out whatever He has determined, in a manner that ultimately brings glory to Him. Don't get me wrong. Being sick again ranks right up there in the "things I NEVER want to happen" file. I just know that the plan for my life has already been determined and that I can't alter a day.
I also work.
My house is shiny, the Tween Queen bedroom is a funky aqua and chocolate haven, the refrigerator is full of meals for my time away, and my sewing machine has turned out goodies for several loved ones (Meredith and Beck, your packages are on the way!).
As I work, I find it's easier to pray. Together, work and prayer become my tonic...and I am truly anxious for nothing.
It also describes my frame of mind these days. Wednesday is check-up time. Again.
It's probably a sign of rude good health that I can see a day at Moffitt as an unplesant interruption of my week's routine. But I also see it as the end of my summer's reprieve. For three whole months I've been able to declare myself "well" and go about the business of living my life. Now I get to wait (and it is an all day process) and see if the label still applies or if another trip to chemoland is warranted.
So I pray.
I don't pray that the scans come out clean--God already knows the outcome of that one. I simply pray for grace to walk out whatever He has determined, in a manner that ultimately brings glory to Him. Don't get me wrong. Being sick again ranks right up there in the "things I NEVER want to happen" file. I just know that the plan for my life has already been determined and that I can't alter a day.
I also work.
My house is shiny, the Tween Queen bedroom is a funky aqua and chocolate haven, the refrigerator is full of meals for my time away, and my sewing machine has turned out goodies for several loved ones (Meredith and Beck, your packages are on the way!).
As I work, I find it's easier to pray. Together, work and prayer become my tonic...and I am truly anxious for nothing.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Thirteen reasons I love, love, love the fall:
1. Back to school means new clothes, new notebooks, new pencils, and spanking new crayons.
2. I don't melt into a puddle when the grass needs to be cut.
3. I can go more than four days without cutting the grass!
4. I'm a "autumn"...everything is in my colors!
5. I get to drag out my fall decorations and festoon the house with pumpkins.
6. Pumpkin Spice flavors are back at Starbucks!
7. Pumpkin Pie Iced Blendeds are back at the Coffee Bean...does anyone want to ship me one from the west coast?
8. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
9. I eventually may be able to wear a sweater again (but I'm not holding my breath).
10. Gators Football!
11. Soccer games that don't leave us all dehydrated and sun burnt.
12. Glorious baskets of fresh Brussels sprouts, okra, and new McIntosh apples at the farmer's market.
13. Lots of birthdays...my sister, my tween queen, my nephews...means lots of parties. Stay tuned for the upcoming tween bash news update.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Hair Watch
For Laurie...who wanted to know how the 'do was doing these days. Well, it's actually looking like maybe I look this way on purpose. This was Sunday morning at a champagne brunch for my little sis' birthday.
Mutual Blessings
My next door neighbors are a retired couple. He plays a lot of golf; she spends her time shopping and participating in parish and women's club activities.
She's sharp as a tack--a retired interior designer who helped me to pick out the blue I used to paint the upstairs and who is badgering me to join the board of our HOA, lest we all get hit with extra assessment fees next year.
Most of the time, he can't remember my name (or the children's)--but he's unfailingly kind, complimentary and delighted to spend time with us.
A few weeks ago, the little guy fell asleep right about the time I needed to pick the princess up from elementary school . As he only naps about half the time now (the other half he sings to himself in bed and plays with his Elmo), I was desperate not to have to wake him up. I ran next door to throw myself on her mercy...would she sit in my living room for twenty minutes while I made the run?
She wasn't home. He was. I explained why I had come over.
"Oh. She's not here...would you let me?"
I wish I had words adequate to explain the raw need I saw in his face at that moment. He told me how he used to help with his sister's children, and with his own grandchildren.
I paused for a tick and sent up a "flare prayer". What was the worst thing that could happen while I was gone? I took a deep breath and said okay. He got his paper and followed me home, settled in on the sofa, and cheerfully waved me off.
It went off without a hitch...and he welcomed us home with a hug, taking the time to sit with the princess and ask how her day was. Ironically, as he was leaving he thanked me--even though I was the one being done a favor.
We have a standing date now--his wife reports that he looks forward to the days when the little guy is napping and he gets to babysit for those twenty minutes--and talks about them for the rest of the day.
I guess we never outgrow the need to be needed.
She's sharp as a tack--a retired interior designer who helped me to pick out the blue I used to paint the upstairs and who is badgering me to join the board of our HOA, lest we all get hit with extra assessment fees next year.
Most of the time, he can't remember my name (or the children's)--but he's unfailingly kind, complimentary and delighted to spend time with us.
A few weeks ago, the little guy fell asleep right about the time I needed to pick the princess up from elementary school . As he only naps about half the time now (the other half he sings to himself in bed and plays with his Elmo), I was desperate not to have to wake him up. I ran next door to throw myself on her mercy...would she sit in my living room for twenty minutes while I made the run?
She wasn't home. He was. I explained why I had come over.
"Oh. She's not here...would you let me?"
I wish I had words adequate to explain the raw need I saw in his face at that moment. He told me how he used to help with his sister's children, and with his own grandchildren.
I paused for a tick and sent up a "flare prayer". What was the worst thing that could happen while I was gone? I took a deep breath and said okay. He got his paper and followed me home, settled in on the sofa, and cheerfully waved me off.
It went off without a hitch...and he welcomed us home with a hug, taking the time to sit with the princess and ask how her day was. Ironically, as he was leaving he thanked me--even though I was the one being done a favor.
We have a standing date now--his wife reports that he looks forward to the days when the little guy is napping and he gets to babysit for those twenty minutes--and talks about them for the rest of the day.
I guess we never outgrow the need to be needed.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Photo Friday Part 5: Odds and Ends
The "Sugared Peach" downstairs bath that started it all. The cross stitch on the wall was one of the first ones I did for my husband. It went with our double wedding ring quilt on our bed in married student housing. (Peach was the color in the early 90's!). The window valence is quilted, too...no, I was NOT up to sewing it (hooray for the JCPenny white sale!).
Photo Friday Part 4: The Kids' Bathroom
It's the same blue as the little guy's room...I loved the color that much.
Hand trim punches up my seven dollar window treatments.
IKEA shower curtain from my last Tempe run (sniff, sniff...). Gotta love baby wipes and Clorox wipes as part of the decor. I'm classy like that.
Photo Friday Part 3: Welcome to the Swamp
Yes, those ARE the official "UF Orange" and "UF Blue" Colors...what a mess to apply.
More hooks. Are you sensing an obsession, I mean, theme here?
We need a desk and chair for him still to go in this area. I'm praying for something to show up on Craig's List or the neighborhood garage sale next month. If not, IKEA opens here in November (not that I'm counting the days or anything).
Look how tidy his bookshelf is. Can you tell mom spent TWO HOURS in there throwing crud away (actually, that should read "neatening and organizing"? There are cute little drawers under his bed now for his extensive collection of comic books and magazines.
Look how tidy his bookshelf is. Can you tell mom spent TWO HOURS in there throwing crud away (actually, that should read "neatening and organizing"? There are cute little drawers under his bed now for his extensive collection of comic books and magazines.
Hooray for my dh...he constructed and hung my cornice box last night. I will take credit for matching all of those segments of Gator plaid. His bean bag desperately needs a refill. I'm looking on suggestions on where to get it on the cheap.
The matching pillow shams...and a cute soccer pillow picked up on sale at Kohl's.
Photo Friday Part 2: The Princess Sleeps Here
Pig treasures and pictures of Abby.
The pig collection (but not including the ones on her bed).
Reading nook (Charlotte's Web poster on wall).
More hooks, cousin picture, and funky WalMart clock.
The latest incarnation of "the chair"! She's lobbying for a throw pillow out of the extra fabric.
Updated to add: I'm a sucker for a special request. One fussy throwpillow for the Princess Piggy.
Photo Friday--Part 1: The little guy's room
Gotta love the recycled IKEA bulletin boards. They currently feature "Breakfast with Elmo" photos. Don't tell him, but Grandma and Grandpa are sending a train table for the spot under them and the toy box will be relocated to under the window.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Kind of like HGTV
Meredith lovingly reminded me that my last post was considered "cheating" as far as blogging goes. Maybe I'm just using up all of my creative energy at my sewing machine right now or breathing too many paint fumes, because I think of lots of things to blog--but not too many of them actually make the transition from brain wave to keystroke.
My eldest son's room has been the latest project--he picked a University of Florida theme as homage to his birthplace (Go Gators!). So far we've painted an orange and blue chair rail and I've sewn flanged pillow shams in a cool UF cotton print. (I was so impressed with myself--no pattern or anything). The cornice box is waiting on my faithful helper to build the frame, and as soon as we find a reasonably priced (used?) desk and chair, he'll be set.
My mom was down for a visit this weekend and she bought our eldest a new comforter set as an early birthday gift. This cascaded into a visit to JoAnn (for fabric and trim for the window treatment, not to mention some really cool clearance accessories), followed by a trip to Lowe's (for MORE paint--thank goodness her birthday isn't until October!) and an evening of sewing and trimming. We've also decided that while we want to Pergo her bedroom (the carpet is gross), the Phoenix housing market isn't cooperating, so we're going to get crazy and paint the concrete as a temporary fix. Hmm...I'm wondering how our marriage is going to handle that little project.
The Princess is loving her new bedroom and today I am refinishing a chair for her desk. Sanding it down was a study in archeology.
Base level--Scandinavian blond oak chair with rattan caned seat. Circa 1978?? (My parents were actually still married to each other at the time, so it's OLD).
Second level--Blond oak chair with peach/cream ticking striped seat covers. Circa 1992. I recovered them to use in our first apartment.
Third level--Firehouse red painted chair with white flowered seat cover. I refinished it for the desk in my daughter's shared bedroom about the time the Princess was born (2000).
Fourth level--Purple painted chair with jewel toned butterfly seat cover. We refinished it as part of an "extreme bedroom makeover" birthday gift for our eldest's 10th birthday.
The chair's newest incarnation is watermelon pink with a turquoise/pink/yellow flowered cover
New incarnation: Same desk, same chair, new look. Watermelon pink with turquoise/pink/yellow flowered seat cover.
(Do you think we've gotten our money's worth out of the chair?).
My eldest son's room has been the latest project--he picked a University of Florida theme as homage to his birthplace (Go Gators!). So far we've painted an orange and blue chair rail and I've sewn flanged pillow shams in a cool UF cotton print. (I was so impressed with myself--no pattern or anything). The cornice box is waiting on my faithful helper to build the frame, and as soon as we find a reasonably priced (used?) desk and chair, he'll be set.
My mom was down for a visit this weekend and she bought our eldest a new comforter set as an early birthday gift. This cascaded into a visit to JoAnn (for fabric and trim for the window treatment, not to mention some really cool clearance accessories), followed by a trip to Lowe's (for MORE paint--thank goodness her birthday isn't until October!) and an evening of sewing and trimming. We've also decided that while we want to Pergo her bedroom (the carpet is gross), the Phoenix housing market isn't cooperating, so we're going to get crazy and paint the concrete as a temporary fix. Hmm...I'm wondering how our marriage is going to handle that little project.
The Princess is loving her new bedroom and today I am refinishing a chair for her desk. Sanding it down was a study in archeology.
Base level--Scandinavian blond oak chair with rattan caned seat. Circa 1978?? (My parents were actually still married to each other at the time, so it's OLD).
Second level--Blond oak chair with peach/cream ticking striped seat covers. Circa 1992. I recovered them to use in our first apartment.
Third level--Firehouse red painted chair with white flowered seat cover. I refinished it for the desk in my daughter's shared bedroom about the time the Princess was born (2000).
Fourth level--Purple painted chair with jewel toned butterfly seat cover. We refinished it as part of an "extreme bedroom makeover" birthday gift for our eldest's 10th birthday.
The chair's newest incarnation is watermelon pink with a turquoise/pink/yellow flowered cover
New incarnation: Same desk, same chair, new look. Watermelon pink with turquoise/pink/yellow flowered seat cover.
(Do you think we've gotten our money's worth out of the chair?).
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
A big "Thank You"...
...to Sally and Amy, two of the nicest bloggers I know, for tossing this cyber-award my way! (Honestly, Sally, you can KNOW me all of these years and still call me nice? Distance must be softening your perspective!). Smooches to you both! I'm supposed to pass this along, but all of my blogging friends have received it already, so I'll just sit here and bask in your sweetness.
Name:
