Remembering ...

May 1, 2010

Earlier this month we went to the Air Show in St.Joe.  We sang the National Anthem while a C-130 [what Kyle's flies] dropped off two Navy Seals [Leap Frogs] & floated down with the American Flag.  It was so beautiful.

I cry every time I sing the National Anthem.  And My Country 'Tis of Thee.  And God Bless America.  I know I love being an American, but for some reason singing the words of these songs is what validates it for me every time.  By the end of the songs ... I can't even sing, I'm so choked up.  I am humbled that there are people who love our country, our citizens & our flag even more than that.  So much that they have given their life to protect all those things.  Today we remember them.  

Summer has arrived ...

[Our 2009 Summer]

As I type ... Kyle is picking up the boys.  And this afternoon will also be our last session of the time intensive program we've been doing three days a week for 12 weeks now [since the end of February].

Today ... our summer arrives.

As I look back on what the best part of summer has always been ... it's this: Backyard.  Hoses.  Splash rockets.  Sunscreen.  Bug spray.  Lightning bugs.  Ice cream.  Popsicles.  Messes.  Showers.  Then ultimately ... ending the evening in total exhaustion.

This is how I hope we spend a majority of our summer days & nights. This week I bought the bug spray, sun screen, ice cream cones & a gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream.  We are more than ready.  :)

It all adds up ...

So ... I haven't quite sold out from my "cREaTing awareness" items, but it was time for a tally.  :)  Of the items that have sold, this year we've raised $400 to give to F.I.R.E.  More will be given as the section sells out ... and after we do, we will be over $1000 [combined from 2009 & 2010] donated to F.I.R.E. in Brett's name via just some time + canvas + paint.  Oh & I can't forget all the super nice people who bought the product of my time + canvas + paint.  :)

I know I've referenced it before ... that it seems like sometimes as parents to an Autistic child we are spinning in circles with a blindfold on.  Sometimes we get pointed in directions, other times we just start walking.  But I'd rather be attempting to go somewhere aimlessly than stand still.  My "cREaTing awareness" fundraiser is just one of those ways that I feel better by doing something.  It's a forward direction.  You read the sentiments & it changes you for the moment or longer.  Or you purchase the artwork & it changes you in addition to those who see it in your home.  And lastly, the money raised from those items in my shop ... go to an organization that gives our local parish schools grants so that they can say "yes" to a student with special needs.  Which in turn changes people for a lifetime.

A special thank you to Lindsay, too, who generously created some artwork with proceeds going to F.I.R.E.  Just because.  :)  So nice.  And to Brett's grandparents, aunts & uncles who made a donation to F.I.R.E. in honor of Brett's 1st Communion in lieu of gifts.  These are all separate donations ... not even included in my own grand total, but definitely worth mentioning. :)

Thank you to all who have helped in all the various ways.  It all adds up ... to a positive change somewhere, that wouldn't have been there otherwise.  Big or small ... it all adds up to something better than we had before.  :)

P.S. I have a give-away in the works.  It's been pushed back a little [along with several other things] due to our perfect score of 5/5 ... with Strep.  All 3 kids came down with it this week.  We are all 5 part of the 2x a day for 10 days Amoxicillin Club.  It's not a fun club to be a part of ... but at least we're all in it together. ;)

Sidetracked ...

Wish I could tell you what brought this on ... but it would need to be its own blog post.  [Hint:  Severe Adult ADD & me needing the white planter boxes that were propped up against the fence at the end of this scraggly path, as seen in photo #3.]  But this tired, shabby brick path on the side of our house made me sad.

Brick is beautiful, timeless ... and not cheap.  So it made me so sad to see the condition of this brick walk.  When it comes to brick ... if you have it, flaunt it.   But the bricks in our walkway have spread apart, fallen into the sides & dug in below the earth & have unruly grass patches growing in between the large spaces. Several of the bricks have disintegrated into tiny bits & shards.  Hardly flauntable.

When we had a new driveway poured, we had to take out part of the brick walk that went around to the front yard.  We saved all the good bricks & I have used some of them here & there in the yard.  But we still had a ton left over ... so I thought,

"I'll just dig up & replace these 3."

I was just going to dig out the 3 in a row that all had disintegrated.  Wasn't hard, didn't take long.  And I think it's because it wasn't hard & it didn't take long ... that I kept tweaking.  And the tweaking turned into ...  repairing the entire path  [I still have about 3 feet to do].  I have dug out all the bricks, the dirt & grass in the path & started over ... with a tighter path that should [theoretically] only have paver sand between the bricks.  I also planted 3 little dwarf alberta pines, some white geraniums & evened out the daylillies.  If you could have seen it before ... well, you kind of did.  But before it resembled more of a back alley than it did the gated entrance to our backyard.

The photos above make me laugh ... as I inch down the path, you can see the entire side yard transforming along with it.  What movie is it reminding me of, Wizard of Oz?  Follow the yellow brick road?  Or is it the movie with Reese Witherspoon where they turn the black & white world into color?  Either way, I think it just goes to show that one small positive change can lead to many others.  And that's not a bad thing at all.

I am so glad I did it - no matter how I got to that point. ;)  The brick path really did deserve better.  I will let you know when I get back to my original project ... planting zinnia seeds in those white planter boxes.  And I'll be sure to take new photos when I'm all done with my brick project. :)

P.S. We have a new case of Strep in the house ... CVS pharmacy is LOVING US!

Counting to 10 ...

Modern German Numbers Print found here

by Grace Hester Designs

Also available in English, Chinese, French & Spanish.

Did you know I minored in German?  Now you do.  Well, I now mostly speak conversational Germish ... a German / English made up combo that my sisters & I do now that our German has slipped considerably.  :)

Anyway ... in case you didn't know, there are only 10 days left in the month of May.  I hope to get back to my list that I made back on May 5th.  Not a whole lot of time .. in fact, let me go back & look at that list.   [long, pondering pause ...]  Huh.  Definitely have my work cut out for me.  Especially with the dog quote canvas being added back on to my to-do list.

But, the good news is that all the craziness will [mostly] end in 10 days as well.  It will be the end ... of the boys' school 5 days a week, Brett's therapy 4 days a week & the antibiotics for the case of his & hers Strep we had earlier this week.  Yes, I think in 10 days ... I will be doing a happy dance.  It'll be on such a grand scale, one might consider it a dance recital.  :)  Don't worry, you'll be invited to attend. I know you're dying to see my moves.  And my costume.

Just what it needed ...

Just what it needed.

Don't you think?

You don't? 

Funny, neither did I really.

But a 3 year old seemed to think:

"A little turquoise .... therrrrrrrrre.  And herrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre ... and right up there stretched along up there - ooooooo na-ICE.  That kind of looks like a snake.  And that's the best "U" I've ever done. I just traced right over that like it was nothin'.  Time for some light blue.  Anddddddd.  Perfect.  Done. Nope.  Wait. There.  Anddddd. Now done."

In other news ... her parents are recovering from Strep Throat & the inmates are running the prison.

So that's that ...

For a man's best friend ...

It had been almost 2 months since I had done a custom order.  I stopped taking orders somewhere in the middle of March ... and the break has been really nice.  The current routine we're in as a family is just too much by itself ... it was nice not to be needed with cREaTe.

But there were a few people who were willing to wait it out ... and checked back during the period of time I had told them to.  It was a nice feeling to have people showing such patience, loyalty and for cREaTe to feel needed.  I don't think I was expecting it.  :)  So, I'm taking it slow ... but I finished this [12x16]  for a guy who has waited so patiently.  :)

Happy Monday ... hope it finds you finds you showing happiness all over, too.  :)

Chameleon paint ...

I painted our living room ... it's a strange color.  "Willow's Gold".  I like it on some walls in some light.  I don't like it on other walls in other light or even other walls in the same light [there is a difference].  Nor do I really like the way it looks flowing into the other rooms - at least some times of the day, depending on the lighting.  See?  It's strange.
I almost stopped.  Almost went back to the store to get another color.  But I decided to finish it.  I like the way it makes the red in the room "pop" [to use an HGTV term].  But it's a weird color.  Whatever.  I wanted something "sunny" since this is a shady room.  I got it.   It's growing on me.  In fact ... I think it's creating a domino effect.  I think I have to do the entry way now.  And then maybe I'll like it more?  Hmmm... told you.  It's weird.
P.S. Like my new step ladder?  I got it at an estate sale 2 weeks ago for $3.  Price tag's still on it ... just put it straight to work.  That's the sign of a good purchase.

Spring green & other colors ...

I saw the treasuries opening up ... and made one with pretty, colorful, petally gardens in mind.  It is awfully cold & rainy today.  Makes me sooooo glad I spent every hour I could out in the yard last week. :)  Treasury found here.

In the garden with my peeps...

All week long, I've been in the backyard.  First order of business was finding a new location for my garden.  The one from last year didn't work out for a myriad of reasons [not enough sun, too close to the house, not enough wind to name a few].  Our yard has gigantic, gorgeous old trees that tower over the yard.  I love them ... but they definitely create a problem when needing to find a spot for plants that require "full sun".

After surveying the yard ... I decided the tree my mom declared a WEED [that was just given too much leniency over the past 50+ years] was hogging the best sunlight.  This "tree" was not attractive, it was just there.  My husband hated it because all the woody dead branches got in his way when he was mowing.  So ... I cut [& mostly ripped] it down.  Kyle saw my "stump" & said "did you chew it off?"  :) ha ha Our bow saw is ancient & only got me so far.  We need to borrow a chain saw to finish it off.

Next, I got busy building the garden box [yep ... I did it myself.  That's why it's all cattywompus. Quit critiquing.]. I thought I was so cool & professional & careful getting out a level.  In the end ... it is, what it is; and it is, where it is.  I walked 160 pounds of organic soil around to the back, then planted 3 strawberry plants, 2 tomato plants & 1 green bean.  Oh & Davis had me plant his lima bean plant he grew at school in a Dixie cup.  It'll probably do the best of all ... and I won't know what the heck to do with all the lima beans.  :P [Watch]

Yesterday after school, we hung up the bird feeder in a new location. It used to hang in the weed-tree.  We have a cardinal family that flies around our yard & I wanted to be sure to set some seed out for them.  So we hung it up, then sat on the hammock to watch & wait from a distance [that's what the pics of the kids are from] We could hear their precious "peeps" & watched them fly around.  I love being outside with all my peeps.  So glad it's that time of year again.  :)

By the way ...

My friend Dana from Plum Tree Studio is doing a giveaway via Grosgrain.  Enter to win ... I sure did.  :)

May ... YAY!

[Found here...]

Here are some things I'm hoping get done this month:

• New quotes & color combos

• More 5 x 5 heart [and new shape?] quote canvases

• New prints

• A giveaway

• Get closer to selling out of my cREaTing awareness items

• Update my blog [please pardon the dust while I play around] ;)

Sorry this is so short & sweet ... but I am elbow deep in organic soil with the hope of someday soon being knee deep in tomatoes, beans & strawberries. :)

Circles ...

[tree ring paintings by focuslineart]

If you recall, we started a program for Brett over 2 months ago. We have about a month left. It has left us all exhausted. For 4 days a week [including the day he has Speech Therapy] ... we are rushing. After school we are rushing so Brett can eat snack, get changed & go potty ... then we're rushing off to therapy. During therapy I can usually be found rushing through a quick errand & time-killer with Davis & Libby. Then we rush to pick up Brett & rush home. Unless we're rushing to soccer practice or a cub scout meeting. Then we rush home. Rush through a dinner. Rush through homework. Rush through showers & bath. Rush getting the kids in bed.

I am sad to admit there is little enjoyment this time of day. I just feel stressed & like I'm going through the motions. It's not fun for Brett who hardly has any time to unwind. Not fun for Davis & Libby who get dragged into it. Occasionally, Kyle is here to help out. I do have to mention that or he'll get mad. :) But ... this is it. The blog post that I do admit I'm exhausted. And feeling the sacrifice of time and energy that I knew it was going to take.

Last Thursday, I was feeling the weight of it. Done. End of my rope. After I dropped off Brett, we rushed off to Target so Davis could finally spend his Birthday money. Getting Libby out, the high winds smacked my car door into the car parked next to me.

You. Have GOT to be kidding me.

Just what my blood pressure & my time crunch needed. Dent the size of a dime with some navy blue paint right smack dab in the middle of an otherwise perfect beige door. Sweet. I sat back down in the hot car [oh, 'cause the AC's out]. Left my dear, hardworking husband a [not so nice, wits end type of] voice mail. Contemplated what kind of information to put on a note. Or whether I should just spend the rest of my Speech Therapy time to wait & see if the owner came out ... before leaving a note.

Then a lady walked towards us carrying a bag & detergent. As she approached the car, I got out & said "is this your car?" I showed her what happened. She took her finger to it & said "you know ... I think I can probably just buff it out." Some of the paint came off the outer edge ... but there was still a dent with some blue in it. She said "You know what? With the week I've had ... this is the least of my worries." I said "Do you want me to give you my name & number?" [I think I asked 5 times] She insisted she didn't want it. She said "Really. I appreciate your honesty more than anything. That ... that's enough for me." Then she said "How 'bout a hug ... I'll take a hug." So right there in the Target parking lot I hugged a stranger whose car I had just dented. It was the result of 2 bad days ... and somehow we both made each others' day by something that should have certainly ruined them.

Hugs & Target are both represented by circles. Coincidence? I think not. Okay it is, but it sounds good to say it's not. :)