lenting it all go

Technically, we don't celebrate Lent. But I want to, so I do, all by myself. I love the idea of a time of self- denial and improvement. A time to better one's self. And in the spring when I'm feeling all nest-y. It's perfect. For this year's informal Lent activities at my house I was inspired by my friend, Erin who had a great idea and my other friend, Linn who does this sort of thing all the time. Erin decided to purge her house, a bag a day for the forty days of Lent. I am slavishly copying this idea. I, of, course, got started late due to spring break vacations and such so my little project will be extending well into May. I am having so very much fun. I always think I am good at getting rid of things until I purge, and then I am appalled at the amount of sheer stuff that has piled up. It's a very first-world, lucky sort of problem to have. At any rate, I am quickly becoming a regular at Goodwill and Amvets, and every bag that goes away takes a little of the tension in my neck with it. Probably won't be able to stop at forty.

it is possible that i am an enabler

Yesterday morning we were running late. We often are. But unlike other rushed mornings, I had neglected to pack Tommy's lunch the night before as is my habit. I mentioned on the way out the door that perhaps he could simply purchase school lunch today. His faced creased in horror. You see, after much begging and cajoling on his part, I had allowed him to try school lunch a few weeks earlier to prove that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Apparently, he learned his lesson. Not a problem. I was heading back to the school in only an hour to volunteer in his class, I could bring his lunch then. Of course I forgot it. As I was getting ready to leave the school I informed him that he would have to eat the swill the school district provides after all. He looked stricken and so very sad and I felt guilty, guilty, guilty. After all, this was my fault. Twice. So I checked him out of school for an hour and took him out to lunch because, maybe your school is different, but at ours school lunch does not even qualify as food by my standards, and because I could. His grilled cheese on homemade bread came with handcut fries made from actual potatoes with the skins still on and it came in an awesome car-shaped container. And it came with a thrilled kid who couldn't stop talking about how his Mom was the very best.

just the beginning

This evening this child, when told he must finish his dinner if he wanted to have ice cream, waited until his brother who was finished wasn't looking and pulled the old plate switcheroo. He then gazed at me with those sky blue eyes wide and informed me that he was ready for his dessert.

He is not yet yet three years old. Sigh.

none of these were long enough for a real post so...

*It turns out that I am not good at voicemail anymore. I used to be, but now, am not. I check it like once a week. Maybe. Because I figure if it's really important you'll text me or email me or just come find me in person or something. Bad, bad, bad. I am trying to be better.

* Sort of hoping that the severe weather predicted this afternoon will come to pass. I don't (heaven forbid!) want a tornado to blow my house away or anything like that but I probably wouldn't mind  the loss of a few tree limbs. There is nothing like a really good spring storm in the midwest. Somehow all that chaos and lightning makes my soul feel soothed. Weird, I know.

* Have decided that bribing my kid to clean up his toys with the promise of a forbidden weekday movie is totally O.K. when said movie is of the National Geographic variety because it's educational and effective.
Plus, I love when he quotes random penguin stats to the nice little old ladies at church who think he's brilliant.

* Have found that now that the lamented decision I made last week is over, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Very relieved. This is a higher power telling me it's the right thing for sure, right?

*Plan on spending as many afternoons as possible this week tinkering around in my sewing room. I've been too busy and distracted lately and the number of hours I spend sewing ( and weirdly, running) seem to be directly tied to my overall sense of well-being.

* Also the roses have started blooming and every new bud that opens is absolutely thrilling. Am amazed by how quickly I have become obsessed with my little beauties. Just ordered three new heirloom english and their fall blooming will be spectacular. Thank goodness for big yards and husbands who are too busy and too indulgent to stop me from planting roses in every spare space I can find.



The End

Photo courtesy of me, thank you very much.

kindred spirits

Besides too many design blogs, I have also been reading the Anne of Green Gables (all seven of them) series again. When you are little sick of twitter and facebook and cell phones and always being available, these are perfect. Have you read them? I love Anne. Love her. She's lovely and makes me very happy. My favorites these days are the ones that cover her life from when she gets married through the raising of her children. I love how she finds beauty and joy all around her and I love that people know her by those traits, that she is known by others for her eternally good attitude. I love that hard things happen to her but that she finds her way through and that she doesn't let the awful things color the rest of her life. I love the Victorian housewives and how they all judge their own and others worth by their formidable house keeping skills. They are always peeking in one another's drawers and cabinets and gossiping about the quality of their preserves. Delightful. Everything came down to home and family. Also, Lucy Maude Montgomery lovingly describes each and every dress and hairstyle which I completely appreciate because really, it's all very picturesque. And calm and peaceful, which is just what I've been needing.

rhymes with hat and says "meow"

Guess what letter has stopped working on my new keyboard? I'll give you a hint. When I type my blog address it looks like this tymonandangie.blogspot.om. You see how this makes using the internet rough. And blogging. It's a more important letter than you might think. Working on it-returning soon.

tabula rasa

On December 26, I took down every single Christmas decoration. Just a month ago I was super thrilled to pull them all out of their bins and deck the halls. By the time the day finally rolled around, I was over it. My distinct lack of planning made for a rather stressful month. We had a lovely day together but by the next morning, I was finished. I didn't feel that urge to extend the season. Not this year. I am ready for the new year, ready for a new start, a clean slate. I want to purge every closet and cupboard. I want to re-evaluate my goals and adjust accordingly. This year I am getting it together for sure. Because we all know I love a theme I'm going to post many of my "stuff I want to do better" (I don't do resolutions). Supposedly, you are more likely to be successful at goals if you write them down and tell other people about them. Ta-da! Thanks to you lovely people, I can do both. Feel free to pass along your advice should it apply.

#1- Eat less sugar and more vegetables because then I will be heathier and skinnier and I won't get cavities..

sheepish

Dear Cassi (my super beautiful, sophisticated and completely put-together younger sister),

I made you a really great gift. What I mean to say is that I am still making you a really great gift. So........ I haven't shipped it yet. That means that, unless I am willing to buy the box containing the gifts for you and your delicious daughter and airplane ticket (so sorry, but I am not), it's not going to make it by Christmas. I did so well this year, so well. Everything else went out weeks ago. The Christmas cards went out a little later in the month than I would prefer but I send out a lot and they all went out eventually. It will be finished today. Promise. It will ship out tomorrow. I am really just trying to make the holiday last a little longer at your house. That was my plan all along.

Love, Me

            (This is me tooting my own horn by showing a photo of my sister and my niece while wearing aprons I made them. Adorable, no?)

the kindness of aquaintances-thankful

I often visit my favorite sewing machine shop here in town to drool over the fancy machines, buy accessories for my own machine, ask inane questions and to pet the resident cat. They are always lovely to me even though I never spend more than about $10. Sunday evening I was finishing up an order for a boutique here in town that stocks my stuff. They are a new client and I am trying really hard to be their favorite supplier. Needless to say, the timing on machine went out at about 9:00 p.m.. I took the entire thing apart, cleaned it and fiddled appropriately but you really can't fix the timing on your own. You need special tools. I went rushing into the store at 9:05 (they open at 9) and begged them to fix it and could they do it right now because I had an unfinished order due at noon. Pretty please? Nope, sorry, other people before me. My heart sank, but the bad news was followed by an immediate offer of a loaner machine so that I wouldn't have to go without a machine, even for the 24 hours it would take to fix mine. Free of charge. My order was completed in the nick of time and obviously I am making the guys at the sewing machine shop cookies. They didn't have to do that, I wouldn't have held it against them, I would have continued to be a loyal customer. They knew that and did it anyway. Bless them.

apprenticeship

Last time I went to the doctor, he had a new medical student. While she was taking my blood we got to chatting and she asked the question dreaded by many a stay-at-home mom (or at least, by me), "So, what do you do?"  I dread this question because it's not really a one-word answer anymore, it's an explanation. "Now I'm home with my kids but I used to be a teacher and sometimes I'm and actor and eventually I'm going to...." No one really wants or needs this much information. This time it came out "I'm a seamstress which is great because I work from home." I didn't even think about it, it just came flying out of my mouth. My dear friend Amber who recently abandoned me for the mountains, and is a master seamstress, is laughing her head off that I claimed to be such a thing. Who do I think I am? It's like this. All of the sudden I sew for money. People call me and tell me what they want, we take a few measurements and I make it. I do alterations and zippers and blind hems. I can even do embroidery for a little extra. I design many of my own patterns and alter most of the commercial ones I use. I sew most days and much of what I make is for my little business. It's kind of a lost art and while I haven't been doing it as long as some I have really put a lot of time and effort into learning the ins and outs and secrets of this craft. I am by no means a virtuoso yet, but I am more than competent and I am proud of the work I do . Proud to claim a piece or a design as my own. Proud to do something pretty well that many don't do at all anymore. I may not yet be an Amber-caliber seamstress, but perhaps good enough start growing into my new-found profession.

i love people who plan ahead for christmas

I was doing so well.

I was staying away from two of the places that get me into the most trouble. You guessed it, Hobby Lobby and Target. Yesterday, I had 45 minutes to kill and since I needed a few small pieces of material thought I'd spend it wandering around Hobby Lobby. Now, I have like six new projects. That is what happens at good ole' HB. You think of projects and then find yourself conveniently surrounded with all the supplies for said project. 'Cause I don't have enough to do.

This morning it was Target for the 30 minutes between when Tommy's class begins and when I can drop Johnny off for KDO. They put brand new things on clearance just yesterday apparently. Sigh. I shouldn't have even looked. But, of course, I did. Beautiful blue satin trench coat, but that's beside the point. I need to be saving for retirement and Disney World and and college and such. Ah, well. I didn't get carried away or anything, it's just the principle of the thing.

Luckily, I got several new custom orders yesterday so I had better be off to get them put together. Mommy has to pay for a new trench coat.

*Note-It's not yet on clearance on line, but it was in my store.

problem solving by johnny

Yesterday morning Johnny came bouncing into our bedroom at about 7:30 in the morning. As he often is, he was carrying a banana. He shoved it roughly into my face as his way of politely requesting that I peel it for him. Immediately. Because I really wanted to go back to sleep for just a little longer and the banana, combined with cartoons would give me that opportunity, I did as he requested. I handed him the banana, he shook with joy. I then handed him the peel and instructed him to put it in the trash can. There is one not five feet from my bed. He blinked at me for a few minutes. He then bopped his way over to the vent cover on the other side of the room, removed the cover, plopped the banana peel down the vent and replaced the cover. Super. I should probably check all my vents just to be safe. Who knows how long it has been since he decided that they were trash cans. Perhaps that's also where he keeps his socks. That would explain a lot.