a few things

forgiveness

we delivered warm cookies

to our new neighbors last night.

do you know your neighbors?

neighborday is saturday, april 26.

making my head spin.  there's more.

i want to learn how to play cribbage.

do you play?

{my vintage cribbage board}

stayed up late waiting for banana bread to bake.

so worth it.

a friend who knew i was at the bottom

of the library wait-list for this book

gave me the audible version.

i'm listening to it every night before bed.

next step: hang the hammock & listen al fresco.

{thank you, mary!}

♥

-emerging-

that's how i feel.

finally emerging from the stress & chaos.

this has been such a relentless few weeks.

like we've been swimming upstream.

i would like to now simply float with the current.

here's my list...

spring break

yesterday, marian flew by herself to santa cruz

to spend the week with emily.

so now this is happening:

muppets

last night, ned and i saw muppets most wanted.  it. was. amazing.  it's like the universe is righting the "henson imbalance" from which we've all been suffering.  hilarious, never-ending cameos.

i loved ty burrell's good-natured caricature of europeans {tiny coffee, tiny car, 6-week paid vacay}.

hail

having our roof inspected & assessed for the damage caused back in september by this:

taxes

still haven't dealt with this.  ugh.

traveling mercies

recommended by our librarian, miss ruby.  i'm loving this book.  it is anne lamott's memoir of how she came to find faith - not a graceful "leap" of faith, but a series of staggers.  i want to meet her & be friends. 

this video

they are selling a leather duffel, but the story is really beautiful.

in case you have an extra $1000, the bag is here.

myel

missy's son.  one week from thursday, on april 3rd, he will turn 17 {seventeen?!}.  would you like to send him a card? thereby helping missy send her son a tidal wave of love from beyond this physical plane?  i just knew you would.

here is his mailing address:

     Myel Gilkerson

     3555 Thorpe Lane

     Kneeland, CA  95549

and if you are inclined to send a present, well...

being 17 and a new driver, i think the best gift is money for gas.

i'll post another reminder on thursday.

♥

time for a list

{source}

i have so many thoughts & ideas
swirling around in my head.
instead of a well-composed post,
how about a super-fragmented list?
perfect.

marian 4 prez

marian has loved being freshman class president this year.

this weekend, she'll be busy making posters and writing her speech.

her campaign for sophomore class president begins wednesday.

positive thoughts are most welcome.

odd coincidence? 

i have been reading redwall to ned for weeks.

in it, there is a hedgehog named ambrose spike.

a few weeks ago, at the same time, i was reading the signature of all things.  in it, there is a man named ambrose pike.

what???

bloom

the baby orchid from this post has been living with my mom & dad in las vegas.  this week, my mom sent me a photo of its very first bloom.

anne lamott

i just finished reading stitches, and just starting reading traveling mercies.

waiting

weeks ago, i requested the goldfinch at my library.

i am now number 111 in line.

someday...

minor tweak

in the 6½ years we've lived in this house, we have rearranged the family room furniture {big couch, 2 big chairs, ottoman, coffee table, 2 end tables} several times, almost always putting it back the same way.  i have been craving something new, and we finally have a slightly new arrangement that everyone agrees is an improvement.

soup

i love making a big pot of soup, then having it feed us for days.

i've been making minestrone and my own version of this potato corn chowder.

irritating

my email server has randomly decided this week that all emails i send will now say they are from "centurylink customer."  awesome.

homeschooling

ned is in 3rd grade, and this is our first year of homeschooling.
needless to say, we have good days and bad days.  so far this year, he has read an astonishing number of chapter books, and has nearly memorized his times tables.  he has started doing a weekly p.e. class that has been really fun.  in february, we took a backyard beekeeping class and a stargazing class.

wardrobe

since last fall, i have really pared down my closet.  like everyone else, i had lots of things that i never wore.  after accidentally finding a few nearly perfect pieces, i started to really consider my "uniform."  this allowed me to let go of the less-perfect things and focus on what works for me.  my "new wardrobe" has yet to be finished, but i am beginning the process of making some linen dresses.  i'm finding inspiration here, here, here, here.

garage sale

last year's garage sale never happened.  as a result, our garage has been stuffed with stuff all winter long.  add to that, purging every closet & drawer, and we are ready for the mother of all garage sales this spring.

spring break

in a couple weeks, marian is flying to santa cruz to spend her spring break with emily.  the two of them will fly back home together and emily will spend her spring break here.  we are all looking forward to seeing emily, and you can imagine how excited marian is to fly out to california to spend a week with her.

other things on my mind

the princess & the pea

dryer balls

dog collars

the beekeeper's quilt

spoon butter

taxes

homemade deodorant

little dishes

daylight savings

furoshiki

♥♥♥

mantel

♥

kitchen window

♥

tabletop

hand-dyed linen from georgia

french yogurt cups from pam

book from amber

burlap from anastasia

thank you, sweet friends.

♥

my cousin wrote a novel!

my cousin, stephanie, is one of the smartest,

kindest, most genuine people i know.

she recently published her first novel,

fall semester,

and you can download it

for free {the promotion has ended, but it's only $3.99}

☼right here☼

today & tomorrow

{friday & saturday}

please share the link & spread the word!

in addition,

an article of hers came out this week:

how to write a novel in 42 years.

you can read it here {page 46}.

♥

p.s. you don't need a kindle to download.
just select kindle cloud reader for instant access.
there's also a free kindle app for your phone.
fancy.

um...

i'll tell you what,

i have fabulous luck at our local library.

just plucking books off the shelf,

judging them by their covers.

dear reader,

may i present

a book you might fancy.

my favorite two pages

{please click on the image - read, read!}

there's even a little film, narrated by

none other than lemony snicket, himself

you can listen to the song in its entirety here.

i have reprinted the words so that you may sing along if you like:

There once was a Bird and there once was a Dog, 
And the bird was Despondent, or sad, 
A pensive frown on her Busy beak, 
No matter that Cake could be had. 

The Goat suggested a Convertible drive, 
To purchase a cheering up Hat, 
At a Haberdashery with a Scarlet door, 
And a Baby to sell them just that. 

The hats have Panache, of course, of course, 
A sense of excitement and style, 
The Mezzo-Soprano is done with her song, 
So let's all just eat for a while. 

Tra la, tra la, tra la, tra la, 
{my favorite line} And sing those tra las once more. 
Tra la, tra la, tra la, tra la, 
Try not to get crumbs on the floor.

♥

cozy night

baking this

it's delicious, & my house smells ah-mazing.

thanks to camille of wayward spark for the recipe.

reading this

perfect to read aloud:

outside the north wind howled in dirgelike moans,

scouring at the abbey's ancient stones.

within, each creature slumbered, safe and warm,

heedless to the songs of wind or storm.

♥

ned reads to dogs

ned reading to mac.

ned reading to maui.

tales to tails is a collaboration between

the eagle public library and helping idaho dogs.

kids can read to dogs on wednesdays from 4 - 5.

call the eagle public library

to register for 15 minutes of reading:

939-6814.

♥

some little details in my house right now

natural history, from near & far

{vintage french dishtowel from pam}

stones, agates, shells from here

good, old-fashioned communication

unlikely neighbors, living together in peace

a new way to tell old fortunes

kitchen window, spots & all

♥

thank you, sweet friends

my much-adored teepee sisters

have sent me the most beautiful things

in remembrance of missy

{bracelet from here}

{stones from sandi} ~ {sandi is my teepee sister}

{book from here}

{earrings from emily} ~ {emily is my teepee sister}

you soul sisters are simply the best.

my heart is full.

~thank you~

i love you.

she loves you, too.

♥