2012...

So, this year I had the goal of doing ten creative things.  The only problem is I for some reason thought I had planned on six creative things.  I had been feeling so good about reaching my goal and after looking up my resolution post I don't feel confident about having a new goal for 2013.  Joanie helped me come up with a few more creative things.  So I truly reached my incorrect goal of six things and I managed to eek out ten things.  I was sort of hoping to have a more ambitious goal in 2013.  I have a day to decide...we shall see...

My ten creative things were:
1.  knit dishcloth, red
2.  knit dishcloth, orange
3.  knit dishcloth, yellow
4.  collaged bottle
5.  Jem's Thor costume
6.  a star tree topper
7.  felt tree garland
8.  NaNoWriMo novel
9.  Peace of Wild Things watercolor
10.  splatter paint Union Jack (to be finished 12/31!!!)

(hoping to add photos!)

The Wreath of Khan...

*snort*  I am so easily amused...

p.s.  It is almost CHRISTmas!!  Woot!

Yep...

Too much cuteness...

Christmas is coming!!!  Yay!

Pondering...

Wendell Berry is a favorite poet of mine.  His The Peace of Wild Things is one of my all-time favorite poems.  Jonathan ran across this short poem and shared it with me...I can't get it out of my mind.  It's really wonderful so I wanted to share...

When I rise up

let me rise up joyful

like a bird.

When I fall

let me fall without regret

like a leaf.

                                                               

 --Wendell Berry      

How could I forget?!...

Another favorite Christmas album...

December 6...

Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

Mesmerizing...

The Snowman has been a favorite for years...our first copy was on VHS tape!  We were glad to find it on dvd and now here it is on Youtube.  Things sure do change!  Enjoy!

Don't forget you can click the title and get to the full-size on Youtube.

Awesome-ness...

This is the best version of 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'...ever!!

Let It Snow Baby, Let it Reindeer by Relient K is a great Christmas album, one of my favorite-est.

Merry CHRISTmas even though it feels like March, even the dandelions are blooming!

Ta da!!!!...

Current word count...

33,333!
35,176!
37,754!
38,756!
40,411!
41,278!
42,751!
44,404!
45,353!
46,064!
48,095!
49,014!
50,024!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NaNoWriMo...

5 more days!  19,000 words to go!!

and of course, GO BEARS!!!

Giving thanks...

The tofurkey turned out great!

Hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving! 

Wise words...

Elevators. Always awkward...

NaNoWriMo continues...

Fortunately, I do have fingers and I am up to 10, 000 words!!

yes, way!

NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month

http://sjape.blogspot.com/2012/11/nanowrimo.html

Pure awesomeness...

I seriously love those tubey, attention getting thingies...

if you do too you'll love this video!

Soon, Abigael, soon...

Election 2012...tomorrow!!!

NaNoWriMo...

And so National Novel Writing Month begins...

...50, 000 words in November.  Wish me luck!

All Saints' Day...

Trees are awesome...gifts from God.
Trees have always been a part of my life...still are.
Around 2928 trees were valued, cared for and abundant.
I have such fond memories of the trees around the house, walks in the forest and trips to the arboretum.
Yep, trees mean a lot to me and remind me of mom and dad.

In honor and in memory of mom and dad we donated a brick to the Morton Arboretum Tribute Walkway.  If you visit the walkway and stand in front of the bricks, look in the front row to the left.  It is approximately 30 bricks to the left of the bricks that spell out 'tribute walkway'.

We love you.

We miss you.

We give thanks for you.

Thanks be to God!

Happy Birthday...

Now for the important stuff of October 31st...ahem...

Happy Birthday, Janie Mae!!!

We love you!!

party squirrel is waiting for the bonfire

hopefully the gift of a blog post is just as exciting...enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!!...

Don't Blink! (and have a happy Halloween!)

Last minute costume idea?...

p.s.  Go Bears!!!!

Remembering...

http://sjape.blogspot.com/2011/10/happy-birthday-dad.html

love you ,dad

I know, right?!...

I was just thinking the same thing...freaky...

Go BEARS!!!!...

Need to grin...

still feeling blech and it's Monday...

Presidential debate...

My voice is back...

...that is all!

Hexaflexagons...

Remember, if you click the video title it will take you to 

YouTube and the video will be bigger!  Enjoy!

I have laryngitis...

Bleh.

On the upside, knowing some ASL is coming in handy!

LOL, no really...

So true...

Easily amused...

Colors...

I still love new crayons and giant packs of markers.  I still remember my first set of Magic Markers (thanks St. Nick!).

For those who share my joy of color I present the following link with this disclaimer: Do not click unless you have time!

You have been warned so here is a link to Design Seeds...a site full of awesome color palettes!  http://design-seeds.com/  Enjoy!

Bonus!  Do you remember Mr. Sketch scented markers?!?!  Watch this clip!  Enjoy!

Confuzed...

So Tuesday night I had to run to Jewel for a couple things.  The door I use enters into produce/bakery and usually there is a timely display of baked goods:  cupcakes in blue and orange for a Bears game...cakes featuring the Olympic rings this past summer...snowmen cookies in the winter etc etc.

Last night when I walked in there was a display of Irish Soda Bread and Irish Rye complete with shiny green shamrocks...  My brain immediately thought "Boy, they put this out early...it even isn't February!!"*  Then my brain went "Wait...whaaat?"  I stood there literally unable to really figure out what month it was.  I was working on trying to puzzle out this great conundrum when I notice a very important sign: "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day!"

Thank you bakery department for clearing that up.

What's fun is that the family got to experience the same sense of "Whaaat?" when they woke up to soda bread!

*yes, my brain thinks often with ellipsis, ellipsises, ellipsi oh you know... and exclamation points!

p.s. Arrrgg!  Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, Matey!

A little more Monday...

More Monday...

Monday...

Cheating?...

Is it cheating if I just link up to the kids' blogs regarding our trip?

(Probably so but it's what I'm gonna do!)

http://crayonsdrawblanks.blogspot.com/2012/09/vacationy-goings-ons_8.html

http://crayonsdrawblanks.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-dog-and-dragon.html

http://jedi-paralogic.blogspot.com/2012/09/from-where-i-stand-dunes.html

http://jedi-paralogic.blogspot.com/2012/09/vacation-compilation.html

Also, here are Joan's and Jedi's "Webbygram" (instagram on the web):
http://webbygram.com/joanofarkie/
http://webbygram.com/jedihorjus/

(I don't know how to link up to just the vacation photos so you might need to scroll down to see trip photos.  Vacation photos are the zebra and down for both.)

Long time, no post...

So, it's been awhile!  I have a draft post just sitting there, waiting to be finished...wait on blog post, wait on.

In the meantime, while blogger's-block runs its course, here is just some random stuff and most of all a big ol' virtual hug and a kiss on the forehead because it seems like many of us need it...

What the world needs now is a big ol' hug...and a kiss on the foreeeehead...
**sings in best 'bad' voice**

and always good advice:

Awesome...

Great job London!

*slow clap*

nbc is stupid

They cut Muse performing the official song...
see it here:
http://perezhilton.com/tv/Muse_Survival_London_2012_Olympics_Closing_Ceremony/?id=af677ec2db7b4&autoplay=true

They cut Ray Davies of The Kinks singing an iconic song about London...
see it here:
http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/music/articles/2012/08/12/20120812nbc-olympic-closing-ceremony-blew-ray-davies-snub.html

They also moved The Who to the later broadcast...which we didn't record.  This might be on the nbc website but it won't let me view because we don't have cable!

No reason...

Happy Saturday!

Get out of here!!...

Seriously...what are you doing here?!
There is awesomeness over at Jedi's blog.
Go!
http://jedi-paralogic.blogspot.com/2012/08/heres-bit-of-awesome-for-ya.html

Love ya!  Come back soon!

Oddly familiar...

This is what we were thinking too!

For want of a post...

I want to post something...something...anything...I've been wanting...but...

So much is swirling around...

Things are...

sad

wonderful

confusing

hopeful

exhausting

invigorating

clear

cloudy

I still don't know what to post so here's a hug...((hug))...
and an English muffin...

So cool?...

Matt Smith is so cool!  He's the Doctor, he's got this awesome hat and gave this little girl such a sweet answer...

...but just when you are about to be overwhelmed by his cool factor...BEHOLD:

                                                                                             RERN!