A Post of Colossal Proportions

I know… I know… I always seem to start out a post apologizing for not posting in a long time. Well, I’m not going to do that now. I was busy. Get over it. :-)

I guess I should update on a few momentous occasions that happened since I posted last August.

Late August 2009 – My brother married his sweetheart after a whirlwind courtship. Seriously, they courted for two weeks before becoming engaged, and then were engaged for almost seven weeks before their wedding. Whirlwind is right. On the Thursday before the wedding, I made eight chocolate cakes that I then stacked so that we only had four nice tall cakes before getting ready under extreme pressure (aka. very late!) for the bridal shower. On Friday, between directing and cleaning the entire gym for the reception, I had a cleaning job to do and I was exhausted. Saturday morning we got ready for the wedding and headed into town to take pictures of the bridesmaids and bride getting ready and do some last minute decorating and frosting. Before we had time to blink (figuratively), the ceremony was starting and Dad married the happy couple and it was all over. The reception and cake were lovely and the newlyweds waltzed so elegantly. Then they rode off into the sunset and started living their happily-ever-after!

Following right on the heels of the August wedding, we started prep for my sister’s November wedding including wedding dress shopping. After much contemplation, my sister decided that with some altering, the dress at the bridal shop would be perfect. I was asked to be the maid-of-honor and we found a beautiful silvery green fabric for the bridesmaid’s dresses. Booking the facility, printing invitations, and gathering decorations followed. I did some of the altering on the dress and it was ready the week of the wedding.

With watching the health of a certain sister, baking all the cakes fell onto my shoulders to do on Thursday. It took WAY longer than we thought and we made it back to our house late for our own bachelorette party. Oh well! At least, we got some ice cream! We had a lot of help setting up the day before the wedding, decorating the cake and arranging flowers. The rehearsal was full of laughter and we did it through three times to make sure we got it right. The grooms' mother and friends made a delicious dinner that evening that we purposely stopped and enjoyed. Afterwards, we went back to the cleaning and rest of the prep. My brother and sister-in-law graciously opened their home to us as the central station for all the wedding prep, so we ended up back at their house popping cookies into little bags for wedding favors. We tied them with brown raffia and attached little green tags.

November 7th, 2009 - We started the morning of the wedding out leisurely! It was marvelous! We finished our hair and makeup before we headed into town. We let the bride go get coffee with her groom for awhile and then he dropped her off at the facility. Our next step was getting ready and changing and taking pictures. Then we were whisked off to the other building to wait because people had started arriving. At 1:24pm, I took the bride over to the main building and we waited in the scio. At 1:27pm, precisely, Jay escorted Mom up the aisle to her seat and the wedding began. I walked up the aisle with the flower girl (very shy, but very cute!). Then, as I stood there watching (and holding the brides' bouquet), Dad married them.

Once cake cutting, photographs (that were hilarious) and visiting were over with, I helped the bride change and the bride and groom were off. We stacked up some of the chairs and pulled out our dancing CD and my little brother and I led the Virginia Reel. We also danced the Patty Cake Polka and the Posties Jig before we decided to clean everything up. After cleanup, we played Volleyball for a mere half hour and then we headed home where my brothers, sister-in-laws (with their children) our good friend, and the family just chilled. It was a late glorious evening!

November 8th, 2009 – I only mention this because it becomes more important later on. While playing volleyball Sunday evening with our game group in town, we noticed a huge fire right about where our house is across the valley. After some phone calls to the house, we were finally able to gather the information that it was the next door neighbors’ house. We packed up and sped home (yes, sped! I beat some of the fire trucks even!). By the time we got home, indeed by the time Dad and Mom went down there, the house was already lost. A very late night and few gallons of hot cider later, the fire had died down enough and everyone left. Because I know some of you will understand this when I say it: watching your neighbors’ house burn down is an interesting experience.

Christmas 2009 – We had a nice quiet family Christmas with the two married young couples. It also included a stray dog and a small herd of runaway cows or maybe it was a runaway dog and stray cows? Oh, well. I think either would work. The owner came and got the dog that evening, but it was a few days before the cows were retrieved and taken home. Anyways, we had our traditional turkey dinner and then a dessert feast later on. A relaxing afternoon and quiet time just visiting with the family. The day after Christmas, we were invited to an ice skating party and thus far it has been the only ices skating we’ve done this winter. Some of us also attended a special Christmas program at some friends’ church and had lunch afterwards at their house. It was a perfect opportunity to show them all Chinese Numbers! We quietly rang in the New Year as always.

February 2010 – I started working part time for the crisis pregnancy center here in town which services the whole valley. It took me a few weeks to settle into the routine and even now I find some things that surprise me still. I am officially the Office Manager/Receptionist, so I see most of the clients that come in. Thus far, it has been a very interesting job and I’m really enjoying it!

My newly married brother and sister-in-law announced that they have a baby on the way!!! My sister and brother-in-law also announced that they have a baby on the way!!! Several of us had our suspicions in both cases, but it was very nice to know for sure! This summer is going to be wonderful!

Valentine’s Day 2010 – A few days before the weekend, my brother and sister-in-law decided to come up and visit us. They had originally wanted to come at New Years, but their vehicle needed a new transmission and his work schedule is crazy. What a delight to see our niece again and spend some time with them all!

March 21st, 2010 – We had been very much looking forward to a good friend visiting us during her Spring break and we were able to “baby” her quite a bit because she injured her knee. As she knows our “group” here, we invited them all to our house Sunday afternoon for Bible Study and dinner and games afterwards. There was only one person in the group that we did not tell because we wanted to surprise him and the double take he gave was a sufficient reaction for all our efforts. We had an extra party on Thursday as well playing indoor games at the community center because our friend could really partake in those before we all headed up to my brother and sister-in-laws' for pizza and more games, also in honor of my brother-in-laws’ birthday. It was a marvelous visit and we have so many fond memories of it! My only regret is that my friend and I didn’t get much one-on-one visiting in with my work schedule and our planned activities after my work hours.

And, the latest date of importance is today (April 12th, 2010). Today, the deed was recorded for my parents’ purchase of property “next door”. This is the property that lost the house in a fire last November. The owners decided that they were not going to rebuild out here and offered us the property first. Through some circumstances and direct leading from God, my parents purchased the property. Now, we will be quickly turning the existing shop into living space and moving down there. The close proximity has been a huge blessing already. Four o’clock tea coming up! :-)

Until next time,
am

Long overdue update

We had rain a few days ago!

We haven’t had rain for quite awhile, so it was very nice to hear it pattering on the roof. The rain turned to snow and left a few new inches. We haven’t had snow for a long time either, so it was fresh looking and bright!

So far, I have escaped the cold/flu that is going through my family; I continue to hold my breath and hope for the best. There are a few others that have not had it, and considering that it started two weeks ago, I think I have a fairly good chance of not getting it. :-)

My siblings and I have been playing Ultimate Frisbee with a local group of homeschoolers in town. We started going to be able to practice dancing beforehand, but between sickness and the ball, we haven’t been going as much as we’d like; once a week seems to be a good balance of errands and play.

I haven’t done very much sewing in the last two months as I was trying to complete all my hand projects. The two major projects were crocheted afghans (one that I just started in November and the other has been two years in the making). After completing them, I needed to sew again. So, just the other day, I completed two projects. And, have great plans for more sewing this month.

There are many more things in life right now, like: re-arranging our room, a business trip for my dad, two of my sisters are house-sitting, my nephew is six months old today, the arrival of another nephew or niece here shortly, painting the kitchen and Spring Cleaning, and some very good friends visiting in a little over a week.

Until next time...

~am

Out with the old and in with the new

I'm the chairwoman of the "let's-take-the-Christmas-decor-down-the-day-after-Christmas" campaign. Well, sort of... I usually wait until the 27th or 28th to start campaigning. :-) I really don't seem to be able to stand it being up too long; I'm thrilled to return back to normal again after each holiday season. Hopefully, someone will feel so inspired today to bring all the totes down from the shed and we can start tearing the house down. Er... the decorations, rather.

I am sincerely sad to see 2008 going away. It was a year like none other (aren't they all?). I did things that I never thought I'd do, went places I never had a clue I'd visit, and learned some dances like I've always wanted to. I was gone from home for a total of three months! I always wanted to travel more, but this year quite surpasses them all! :-)

I can only think of one definite event that will take place in 2009; the arrival of another nephew or perhaps, it might be a niece this time. If this spring is anything like the last, a new life will brighten the dreary snow filled days long after his/her arrival.

Bring on 2009!!!

~am

Life These Days

This Christmas season has been just as hectic as any of the others, but in different ways. We have the same tall, narrow fake tree that my mother loves, fresh greenery that my sister loves, the nativity from my grandparents, baking of Christmas goodies and jolly spirits of strangers we encounter in town.

But, two weeks ago my just older brother moved and is staying in our little cabin. My second brother and pregnant sister-in-law moved into the same little cabin last week and will remain with us until they find a place of their own. All of them being here changes our routine. Not so much in the mornings, but definitely throughout the rest of the day. It's different having older brothers around again. My younger brothers especially love having them around and will go with them and do just about anything with them.

We've had snow for thirteen days straight now. We started with just a few inches and we're on a point so the wind periodically blows most of the snow away, but it's back again *very shortly*. This is NOT normal for this area! Town also has been hit with snow; they are 500ft below us and *rarely* get snow! It's strange, peoples.

I'm off to do some more stitching before tomorrow morn.

~am

Birthday thoughts

I guess I should try to say something wise and thoughtful. But, I haven't had enough time to really think about getting older yet. Some moments I feel very young still and other moments I feel extremely old. ;-)

There have been several cool things about today:
-No snow! And, it was unusually warm for Dec. 1st for this area.
-Phone call from my out-of-town older brother!
-Phone call from a certain set of way cool sisters! Thanks, girls!
-My favoritest chocolate cake in the world! It's not often that we have store-bought cake for birthdays (especially since there are so many around here!), but this particular one is tall, dark, and so rich. Some in the family can't eat too much of it without whip or ice cream, but I'll eat a small piece by itself anytime. :-) It freezes magnificently, too!
-Time to do lots of crocheting! I'm starting another afghan and it's taking forever, so large quantities of time are required to make progress.

Until next time,
~am

Fall Meme

When does fall begin for you? When the trees lose their leaves and the general landscape turns brown. Fall has then arrived.

What is your favorite fall memory? Making apple cider with all my siblings. We awoke when it was still very early, donned out warmest clothes and headed to the back porch to start the operation. We still froze while we washed and cut apples, ran the cider press and then tasted the delicious results. Something salty was imperative for lunch as we'd tasted enough sweetness by then.

What do you like to drink in the fall? Hot chocolate, hot apple cider, or tea.

What's your favorite fall food? Turkey, and cranberry deliciousnesses.

What is fall weather like where you live? Cold. Very cold.

What color is fall? Brown, gold, and burgandy.

What does fall smell like? Crisp freshness.

Holiday shopping in fall: yes or no? Yes, if need be.

If you could go anywhere in the fall, where would you go? East coast or Europe.

What is your least favorite thing about fall? Snow.

What is your favorite fall holiday? Thanksgiving.

What's your favorite kind of pie? Caramel pecan.

Which do you prefer, the Farm or the Fair? Definitely the Fair.

Do you have a favorite fall book? Calico Captive, perhaps.

How about a favorite fall poem or quote? Here's one that I just found and like: The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. ~Henry Beston

Six Random Facts About Me

1. I've glued a super-glue tube to my fingers twice. It takes forever gently working it over with nail-polish remover to get them off. My comfort is that time did elapse between incidents. :-)

2. I love driving! I don't see it as just a necessity or chore, but a real pleasure.

3. I like wearing turtlenecks in the winter, but it has to be really cold before I can stand the collar around my neck.

4. I am dab smack in the middle of all my siblings. Ten years younger than the oldest, ten years older than the youngest (give/take a few months).

5. I don't post *all* of my projects on my creative blog. If I decide it doesn't look good enough, it doesn't get posted. :-)

6. Sometimes I have to determine to finish a project or it wouldn't ever get done. I grow tired of things quickly and have to move on.

No tags, but if you want to do it, go ahead. :-)

Traveling first class

When it comes to dressing up while flying, we don’t do it by halves.

Back in 2007 when I flew for the first time to visit my grandmother, I made a brown and white hounds tooth suit specifically for traveling. The suit has a vintage flare, so I paired it with retro heels, my mother’s brown hat and my sister’s white gloves. Traveling with me was my dashing brother in his dark suit, bow tie and top hat! We really made quite the pair, if I do say so myself. Before we had even boarded the plane, a nice gentleman asked if we were actors and then wanted to take our pictures. He appreciated that we just wanted to dress up and set a standard for the modern traveler! We heard many other comments throughout the airports, including some from pilots and flights attendants, security personnel, etc.

My grandmother did not really appreciate how dressed up we were, but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. She has been affected by family near her and has become quite casual. Somehow I imagine it would have been the other way around fifty years ago; the kids wanting to be causal and the parents dressing up. Oh, well! On the way home, we dressed up again and had our older sister with us as well. It really was quite humorous to be casually eating breakfast with our aunt one minute and then be completely dressed up ten minutes later when she came back to pick us up! Movie stars!? Indeed.

When my four sisters and I flew to visit friends two weeks ago, we dressed up. Not quite as fancy as the trip before mentioned, but dressed up enough. Most of us wore wool skirts in various pleated, plaid or kilt designs with nice tops or sweaters, tall leather boots or classy shoes and hats. All five of us wore hats; pageboys, berets, or vintage hats. Five girls marching through the airport creates attention, but five girls marching through the airport with hats on creates *that much more* attention!

We really enjoyed some of the comments that we received! A lot of people asked if we were related. “Yes”, we replied with glee many times. Several of them went on to ask more questions and finally got to know how many siblings there are. It’s fun to shock people! At the Starbuck’s counter, a lady specifically asked “if we were from England?” She went on to compliment us on dressing nicely, because “nobody does these days.” She herself was attired in nice business-wear, but was just visiting the U.S. My personal favorite conversation was with the shuttle driver as we were exiting the bus. He asked, “Are you a singing or dancing group?” “Nope, we’re sisters”. “Nuns?” he asked in a surprised voice. “No. Sisters as in brothers and sisters” my older sister replied. I inwardly chuckled all the way into the airport.

Overwhelmed makes a tasklist

When I feel overwhelmed by everything I need to get done or feel like I need to get done, I make a tasklist. First I break it down into tiny little steps so that I can accomplish "more" or I write down things I've already done and cross them off the list. Either way works wonders! :D

Last night I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the sewing that I need/want to complete before I leave, so I made a tasklist.

Ball gown:
-Handstitch lining
-Handstitch hem
-Gathers on sleeves

Overskirt:
-Cut netting
-Sew netting to waistband
-Complete ties
-Handstitch waistband
-Gathers at hemline
-Finish bows and attach

Wool skirt:
-Sew front and back seams
-Check fit
-Serge side seams
-Install zipper and complete side seams
-Check that I like alterations I made
-Attach waistband
-Attach waistband facing
-Handstitch facing

Corduroy skirt: (finishing)
-Serge seamlines
-Install zipper
-Sew side seams
-Attach waistband facing
-Handstitch waistband facing
-Hem skirt

And on it goes....I feel better already!

Fall - A changing of seasons

Fall is the changing of so many things. Not just the leaves, grass, trees, etc. As I think back on the last few autumm's we've had, it was the season of the biggest changes for my family. If you had told me five years ago where I would be today, you could have knocked me down with a feather! :0

Fall 2004 - We were entrenched in politics. We lived, breathed and ate politics! My eldest sister worked for an official campaign and my dad worked for a state party in a tech position. The rest of us were volunteers. The late nights, the long hours. More often than not, we were in the depths of despair when each election came around, and while that election was no exception, it was somehow different. Our presidential candidate won, though he did not take our state and most of the good candidates statewide lost.

Fall 2005 was the culmination of a tragedy that began in January. It was with the heaviest hearts that we realized we could not do anything more about it. The healing and rebuilding came next. Yes, I could say it was a long, painful process, but it's not over. We are still suffering the devastation. But, God is merciful. He is our hope! We can look back and begin to see the blessings in the aftermath.

Fall 2006 was a joyous time for my family! My oldest brother "brought a girl home to meet the family"! In actuality, she flew to our town. :) Wanting our yard to be perfect for his girl, he supplied us with sod to lay in the backyard that he'd sprayed out a few months before. While we still jokingly resent the work we did, we had such a good time doing it! The excitement of gaining a sister-in-law grew for all of us. They were engaged and began wedding plans in earnest!

Fall 2007 brought the most dramatic change for all of us. We packed up the entire house, loaded it into two trucks and three vehicles and we were off for a new place, a new town and a new state. It was thrilling, hard work, and slightly frightening. We'd been in one place for over eleven years. One becomes attached to the same old; the familiar. I headed back "home" for a month to finish up my job and then I joined the family on Thanksgiving Day. Thus began life without my three oldest brothers within a few miles.

This Fall is an exciting time. I'm finally an aunt!!! I've longed to be an aunt for many years and now that it's finally happened, it's as grand as I'd imagined. And will be even grander when I get to meet my little nephew and the second one arrives! In just over a week, my four sisters and I are flying to West Virginia to visit my best friend and her funny sisters. We'll be attending our first ball, too! So, we are making ball gowns and learning dances.

My younger sister arrived home after six weeks living with my brother and sister-in-law and helping take care of the nephew, the house, canning, etc. That is the longest she has ever been away from her parents and we are all adjusting back into somewhat of a routine. She came with my older brother when he moved all his belongings up here in anticipation of moving here next month. I am very close to this particular brother, so I'm completely delighted that he will be nearby again! Plus, it's just strange doing some things without him!

Stay tuned for more fall memories...

The Big Read

The Big Read reckons that the average adult has only read 6 of the top 100 books they've printed.

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.

2) Italicize those you intend to read.

3) Underline the books you LOVE.

4) Reprint this list in your own LJ so we can try and track down these people who've read 6 and force books upon them ;-)WATCHING MOVIES DOES NOT COUNT!!!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell (not every word, but enough)

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma - Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte's Web - EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Intro-ish survey

I am: A child of God. After that, I am a sister, a daughter, and a friend.
I think: all the time about everything.
I know: when I am pushing myself.
I have: the Greatest Gift ever!
I wish: life was as simple as when I was a child.
I hate: messes and anything dirty.
I miss: my family whenever I am not with them.
I fear: nothing. Except heights, snakes, and spiders.
I feel: hungry for breakfast.
I hear: the teapot boiling.
I smell: good clean air after a soft summer rain.
I crave: chocolate, coffee and chicken, usually.
I search: for old books and patterns.
I wonder: what will tomorrow be like? Next week? Next Year? Ten years from now?
I regret: not using some of my younger years as profitably as I could have.
I love: driving with the windows down.
I ache: for green grass at home and the smell of it frequently being cut.
I am not: stupid.
I believe: that all men were created equal.
I dance: for no reason.
I sing: when I am in the car, washing dishes or showering.
I cry: never. At least, it has been a few years.
I don't always: drive like a maniac.
I fight: evil.
I write: when I am pensive.
I win: the most against my little sister.
I lose: sewing pins all the time.
I never: can pass up a good sale on fabric.
I always: kept my age secret.
I confuse: people as much as I can!
I listen: more than I get a chance to talk. ;)
I can usually be found: sewing, drinking tea or other handwork in my "off time".
I am scared: rarely.
I need: sustenance to survive.
I am happy about: becoming an aunt!
I imagine: that I am more normal than most people believe I am.
I am wearing: my favorite lightweight jeans and a brown and white floral top.
I look forward to: visiting my best friend in three months!