I is for...

My dear friend, CreativeLittleDaisy, has been working her way through the alphabet lately.

And as always, I am inspired by her.

And also, as always, I don't have even a fraction of the energy and dedication which she gives to her projects - so, I give to you an abbreviated alphabet.

I think I'll go with "I"…

As in "I is for irony".

Because how ironic is it that I whinged and moaned for three whole weeks about not having internet access – only to get my access restored and then take a break from it all???

I'd say that's fairly ironical.
But that's just because I've got a slightly better grasp on irony than Alanis Morissette.*

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Anyhow – I don't have any big exciting reasons for being AWOL – aside from the fact that I just needed to do it. However, some of the smaller, not-so-exciting reasons are listed below:

• As I've (also) whined, it's been hot, Hot, HOT! around here lately – and I've found it difficult to commit to anything, or even to get anything started.
  Face it, it's hard to accomplish much when you're lying on the floor right next to the A/C vent and muttering "It's hot! I'm hot! Sweet Cracker Sandwich, Georgia is a hellhole…"

• Also – I really wanted to spend the last week or so of summer just hanging with my boy, Schecky. And even though we didn't do anything particular cute, or fun, or "blog-worthy" – I did get to spend some good quality time, just me and a boy, hanging quietly together.
  There was a WHOLE LOT of lying on the floor, in front of the A/C vent, reading time. We've fallen in love with Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books…

• And, I'll confess – there was a period of introspective navel-gazing. Sigh. You all know that I just can't help it, right?
  I think a lot of it has to do with the time of year – the "Back to School" season, with all the promises of a whole new year? It gets me every time…
  
  There was a lot of the same old, same old: too much self-examination; too much doubt and questioning… "Am I good wife/mother/friend/person" / "What do I want to be when I grow up" / "Am I living a purposeful life" /blah blah blah
  
  Nothing unusual there. And, I decided exactly nothing on any of those fronts. Except for the fact that I am tired of introspective navel-gazing for a while… And that's all I'm going to say about it because it's boring.
  

• And lastly, the great decluttering project is still ongoing.
  
  Sigh.
  
  I've been working on this, pretty steadily, for the entire year. I just don't talk about it much, because honestly – how freaking boring is that?
  It's a little frustrating that I've been working on this for 8 months now, and I'm around halfway done. I have to keep reminding myself that it took me 15 years of living in this same house to get to this point, I'm not shoveling it all out in a week. (Although, how fab would that be if I could?) Plus, I lived in this house for 15 years with MrPackrat, and now MrPackratJr. And, at some point, much to my chagrin, I adopted a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality.
  
  Ah well, the good fight continues. I'm feeling good about the half that I have gotten done. And I'm feeling good about just how many wagon-loads** of still-good stuff that has gotten donated to Goodwill and the Salvation Army. So, even though the progress is slower than I would like – it's all good…

So – that where I've been.

Schecky started school on Monday – fourth grade! Yikes! – and I thought things would settle down somewhat, but I'm been shockingly busy with a barrage of PTA-stuff. I've got to admit, didn't see that one coming.

Hopefully, things will settle down soon, and I can get back to business. I've got lots of pictures from Tennessee that I still have hopes of sharing!
Y'all don't care that they're a month old, do you???

Kisses!
lla

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Updated to Add: I've always kind of wanted to do a give-away sort of thing. And as I was doing yet-some-more decluttering, I found a really pretty necklace that the mother of one of my old preschool students made for me (she was a wicked talented jewelry designer!) It's a pretty strand of multi-colored beads knotted on grey silk cord. It's lovely - very feminine and light - and I've never worn it. I'm just ungrateful like that, I guess.

But my ingratitude could be your reward: as a reward for wading through this long post – that didn't even have a single picture! – I'm putting the necklace up for grabs. Just leave me a comment of some sort below, and I'll do a drawing this weekend for it (and perhaps a few other little goodies, to make up for the "regifting" nature of the necklace…)

Leave your comment before the end of the day Saturday, and I'll announce the winner on Monday!

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*But don't get me started on that one. Seriously? That stupid song – there are lots of things she sings about which are disappointing, or inconvenient, or even just a humiliating kick in the crotch… but ironic they ain't. That song's a bazillion years old, and it still bugs me...

**Something funny? Apartment Therapy: San Francisco used my "going to the Salvation Army" picture to illustrate an entry on "How Do You Get Rid of Stuff?" Some more irony there – me, the poster child for getting rid of stuff! Delicious, delicious irony!

Thoughtfulness and Generosity - All Packaged In A Gorgeous Basket...

A wise man once said that the best kind of gratification is delayed gratification...

OK, actually - that's crap. I just made that up to try and excuse how long it's taken me to get to this post!

If good intentions counted for anything, well... then I'd have lots of whatever it counts for. Lots of good intentions around here the last week. Lots of good intentions, and not as much follow-through...

I find myself in an odd space... maybe it's Spring Fever? But I find myself starting to wonder if perhaps I am spending too much time following the lives and craftiness of others, and not focusing enough on my own.
I'm managing to take care of all the day in, day out stuff that life needs- but it seems there's not enough time for the "extras". I want more time for knitting and creating. More time for reading books again. More time to finish up on the great decluttering project of 2007. I'm craving the "extras" these days...

I'm not going to say I'm taking a full-out break... Let's face it - how many times have you read on someone's blog that they're going to take a little break? Sometimes it happens, and sometimes they're back 36 hours later -- more prolific than ever!
(Which, selfishly I kind of always cheer for! I miss my favorite bloggers when they go on a hiatus!)

So, no - I'm not announcing an official break. But don't be surprised or worried if I seem to be more quiet than usual. I might not be stopping by your blog as frequently, but I'll still be stopping by. I might not be posting as much here, or commenting as much out there* - but I'm still going to be around. Still blogging, still reading and commenting - but trying to examine my own life a bit more...
(guess it all goes back to the "Doing What I Can, When I Can, and In A Way That Makes Me Happy" thing...)

Now onto the GOOD STUFF!

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I've got my camera back - so I can share the loveliness that is my goodie basket from Daisy and Cookie's Big Weekend o' Fun!



Have you ever seen so much thoughtfulness packaged up so nicely?
(You can click on the picture to see it larger at Flickr - and see notes on what all there is!)



And did you check out Wee Bunny's face? Isn't he the cutest? I just want to eat him up.

And this:



I had actually seen this over at Creative Little Daisy - and thought it was beautiful, but I knew it wasn't for me. 'Cause I'm the Queen of Can't Sew.

But you know what? I do use needles** - when I put together a little bear, or when I did the face on SmittenKitten! So I have loved having this gorgeous case to put my needles in. Also - there is a little pocket on the inside cover, which is so clever. I've got lots of leftover strands of embroidery floss (you know, from when you use only two of the six strands, or somesuch) and the pocket is lovely for stashing all those leftover bits!

So, yes - I am horribly remiss in how long it took to get the post up...
But seriously, this kind of fabulousity? Worth the wait...

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*I have long suspected that I am a far better commenter than I am an actual blogger...

**Oooh - that makes me sounds all dark and damaged and stuff, doesn't it?

And the winner is...

Once again I'm following in Autum's footsteps and stealing borrowing her idea of using a random number generator to determine who gets the necklace...

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And the winner is:




5 = RohanKnitter!

(and how great is this site's name? Sometimes Random.org sums up my life so perfectly, that I regret that I didn't register that domain first...)

Congrats, sweetpea - send me an email with your address, and I'll get a package in the mail to you by week's end*!

And thank you to everyone for playing! I was excited to see some familiar favorite names, as well as to get introduced to some new people... Once I get things back on a more even keel (see whinging in the footnotes below...) - it looks like I've got some fun new blogs to check out!

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*I do realize that it shouldn't take me a whole week to get to the post office - but I'm still swamped with start-of-school PTA stuff. Note to self for next year: don't believe the PTA President when he/she tells you that your committee assignment will be a piece of cake... Apparently, PTA presidents are notorious liars... :)

Also - spent the weekend in the pursuit of yet more decluttering. Which somehow led to taking down a ceiling fan. Don't ask - I don't quite understand it myself. So now I've got a shiny new ceiling fan - in about 1,000 pieces that I need to figure out how to put together. So - realistically, it's going to be a few days before I get to the PO. Or 'til I get to post some of the pictures I want to share...

Bug. Ugh.*

Those of you with children, you know how it is: you spend the first half dozen years of your child's life trying to teach him/her to share.

"Sharing is good," we say. "Sharing is caring," the little ones are taught (although, that one he learned that at preschool, not from me!)

If I had a time machine, and could go back and do it all again, I'd still teach Schecky all about sharing. Except this time, I'd remember to add a codacil:

You don't have to share your icky tummy bug.
Ah well. Too late for that lesson. Share he did. And no amount of compulsive hand-washing and sanitizing every surface with which he came in contact could save me...

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Scheckster bounced back quickly, as young 'uns do. Thanks to all the "feel better" wishes that you all sent his way. I do love some good karma...

I didn't have it as severely as he did, but I've been dragging for days.

And for some reason, as I was in the process of slowly bouncing back, I decided that it was time to restart the Great Decluttering Project of 2007 by tackling the kitchen. The less said about the horrors of my cabinets, the better. Let's just say that I've lived here for 14 years, and I don't think I've ever emptied out the cabinets and gone through them. Did I already say "the horror"???
And I'm not brave enough to document them, not even for "Get Real Monday." I want no proof of how icky things were. I'm going to pretend like it never happened....

Between care-giving, and dragging around, and tackling the cabinets - it's not left much time for going through vacation photos. I did get them downloaded though - and I think I may have figured out where this "bug" came from in the first place...

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Ack! It's Got Schecky!

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Should have known this wasn't going to end happily...

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*Technically, I suppose this should be "Bugs. Ugh." But I'm obviously willing to sacrifice grammar for a silly rhyme.

And Now For Something Completely Different...

A departure from the normal format...

Although, around here, who's to say what's "normal" anymore??? :)

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Molly of MommyCoddle has a very interesting post today in which she essentially poses the question "How Do You Shop For Groceries?"
I really enjoyed it - both thinking about my own answer to that question, and going back and reading the answers from others.

But it got me thinking further: I think I've got the grocery shopping thing down. At least, I've got a system that works for me, although I suspect that it would have a more sane woman shrieking at just the thought of having to follow my involved process.
If you're at all interested in the way an undiagnosed OCD goes grocery shopping, you can read all about it in the comments section at MommyCoddle.
(And let me just say, preemptively, that all I'm saying is that this is what works for my crazy-ass self. The key is to find what works for *you*. Which will be, obviously, far less insane...)

However, you know what I don't have down? Not even the least little bit???

The. House. Cleaning. Thing.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I come from a long line of women who have always had someone "to do for them." My mother never taught me to clean, but how would she have known? Her mother never taught her, and so on.
Sadly, the mantle of privilege didn't get handed down to me. And so (alas!) I must largely do for myself.

Which is fine.

Except I suck at it.
I can "clean" a room, and 45 minutes later - it doesn't really show. I particularly struggle with dust...
Oh. My. Word. The dust in this house.

So - how do you do it? Do you set one day aside and pound it all out? Do you divvy it up, and if so how? Is Monday "laundry day", Tuesday "tidy and dust", Wednesday "vacuum and mop"? Or is it more: Monday "Living room", Tuesday "Dining Room", etc.

Before I became a "Trophy Wife", the house was a pit. Plain and simple. I wasn't here, so I didn't much care. But in the year that I've spent at home full time, I've gotten pretty good at tidying. (The never-ending-decluttering project is helping with that.) But if you look closely, the tidy surface is dusty. Or sticky. Or - bonus! - both.

I tried the big old honking Martha Stewart tome. I got it from the library and marveled for the full 28 days I was allowed to keep it at its mighty 752 pages. But it had absolutely no impact on my meager cleaning skills....
(perhaps I should have done less marveling, and more reading????)

So - genuinely interested here - how do you do it?

Another Most Excellent Mail Day...

Anticipation...

Today's daily grind -- the all-too-familiar decluttering, reorganizing etc. -- was pleasantly interrupted by the arrival of the mail man, bearing another package!

Yay, I thought, it's from Autum at CreativeLittleDaisy!

Autum had graciously agreed to swap some knitted goods for one of her beautiful purses.
She asked me what I wanted, and I trust her taste so much that I asked her to please surprise me. I told her a little bit about the colors that I usually wear, the bag that I typically carry, etc. - so I was very excited to see what was in the box!

When I opened up the package, my breath was literally taken away. It was perfect. It was so amazingly spot-on that I was actually speechless (which *never* happens!) What Autum made for me was exactly what I would have made for myself.

No, scratch that. It wasn't. Because for starters, I didn't even know that you could make a back pack! Which is what Autum did - she made the most beautiful backpack I've ever seen. The fabric choices, the workmanship - all of it just amazing. Plus, there is so much thought and consideration that she put into it - the inside is lined with pockets, so that all my things won't go sinking to the bottom. And I love the colors inside! There's also a loop for me to loop my keys to*, and the accessories! Did I mention the clever accessories? And the fabulous tone-on-tone monogram?
I just feel so stylish.

Even the inside is gorgeous!

My pictures don't even begin to do it justice, I am afraid (it was overcast today, and there was no light in the house!) - you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that it is truly, truly lovely and I am just delighted beyond belief. You can click on any picture to see a larger view, and get more detail.

Oh, and you know how I was saying that it's difficult to take a picture of your own head? I learned that it's even more difficult to try to take a picture of your own back. That last picture is included purely for comic relief. And the sad part is that I must have taken 3 dozen attempts - and that was the best of the lot!

Thank you, Autum!




UPDATE: Autum has pictures of her own up! Go see!

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* which Bubba is going to be glad to see! I currently just hook my keys to a strap on the outside of my former bag and he was always telling me not to do that, they'd get lost...

Is it kosher to have a Gratitude Monday???

Click the picture for
a larger version with notes!

Or maybe Appreciative Monday would be more apt. Either way, I am both grateful for and appreciative of the lovely, lovely package that I received in the mail not 30 minutes ago from Bekka.

She had some yarn from her stash that she was looking to winnow out, and I had expressed an interest in the Cinema yarn* - which she graciously offered to send me. So, when the postman hand-delivered** a nice big package to me, my first thought was "Wow, she packed that well!" But once I got in the house and began opening it - my jaw just hit the floor!

All the wonderful goodies!

In addition to the yarn (which is gorgeous, and I think I am going to blow everything else off today so I can start playing with it!) she included:

• Wonderful monogrammed note cards - which I have no idea how she knew this, but I had a desperate need! I used the last of the stationary that I liked last month writing birthday "thank yous" and had yet to get new ones.
  
  
• Cute little soaps that smell so, so good!
  
  
• LIP GLOSS! Yay! I am such a lip gloss whore...
  
  
• and last, but certainly not least, the most gorgeous headbands that she made. You can see the guitar print one in the foreground. And - get this - they are reversible! This one reverses to the cutest cowgirl print. You can't see the other in the picture because I immediately put it on, and I love it and I'm not taking it off because it matches my red shirt. I feel terribly cute in it, too - it has completely solved my bad hair day!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Bekka - I could not have imagined a more generous and thoughtful surprise!!!

It's really hard to take a
picture of your own head...

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* In the color "George Bailey", don't you love it?

**This was kind of funny, because he usually doesn't do this. But he did today. And my next door neighbor was outside and saw him ring the bell and wait for me to come to the door. So, my NDN says to the postman "No fair! You've never once hand delivered something to me!" and my sweet, sweet postman said "That's cause she's a lot prettier than you." (My NDN is a man - and he's a good looking one, too, so this didn't hurt his feelings)
What a sweetie! It's enough to make me want to forgive him for giving me a spider phobia... (He once told me that I should never stick my hand down into the mailbox without wearing gloves or some other protection because he'd hate to see me get bit by a spider. Of course, I don't put on gloves to get the mail - but I hold my breath a little everytime I get the mail.)
It was particularly sweet, because I've been at decluttering again and I am way hot and grubby and covered with dust. By no stretch of the imagination does "pretty" apply today!