It's Thursday, it's Valentine's Day, it's cloudy, but it's (relatively) warm! I left the boys to sleep in a bit so I could enjoy coffee and the paper at my favorite morning spot here in Nebraska City. I love coffee so much -- it's a lovely way to start my busy Thursday.
Thursdays are the days I feel like I'm running kids around from sunrise to sunset -- school, voices lessons, piano lessons, band class and soon, soccer practice. I do love Thursdays, but I definitely need coffee to help me prepare for the day -- it's my quiet time. Relaxing with coffee and the newspaper is my form of meditation:-)
Coffee links:
Starbuck's
Scooter's
Next on my list of books to read:
The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs
Favorite quotes of the week from my boys:
Trent -- "Reading non-fiction is the coolest thing in the world."
Luke, explaining his inability to "teach" our cat, Sophie -- "I tried to do kitty school with her, but she ran away, so I guess we only do it in the summer."
LOVE these boys so, so much! They make me laugh so hard every day of my life:-) Lovely!!!!!!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Valentine's Preview
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, one of my favorite days of the year. I love the colors, the chocolate, the flowers -- all lovely things on a cold February Day. Valentine's Day 2001 was my most memorable. I found out I was pregnant with Luke -- what a beautiful surprise!
This year, Luke has been hard at work creating valentines, stamping cards and mailing things out to his grandmas. He LOVES the post office, putting on stamps, the whole mail experience! So lovely!
Trent loves the day too because it means chocolate, and if there is one thing Trent loves, it's chocolate. Plan to bake my sweet boys (Carl included) some chocolate brownies to celebrate the day.
Looking forward to next weekend when my friend Melissa drives up from K.C. for a girl's weekend. Of course, the boys consider her family, so they'll want to hang out with her too. Can't wait to see you Melissa!
Reading three new books at once:
The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin. A look inside the current Supreme Court and how recent political events are shaping the court.
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. A mom's cookbook with ideas for hiding pureed veggies (spinach, squash, etc. ) in foods like chicken nuggets and brownies. Loving this book!
New Selected Poems by Mark Strand. Former U.S. Poet Laureate, awesome wordsmith:-)
This year, Luke has been hard at work creating valentines, stamping cards and mailing things out to his grandmas. He LOVES the post office, putting on stamps, the whole mail experience! So lovely!
Trent loves the day too because it means chocolate, and if there is one thing Trent loves, it's chocolate. Plan to bake my sweet boys (Carl included) some chocolate brownies to celebrate the day.
Looking forward to next weekend when my friend Melissa drives up from K.C. for a girl's weekend. Of course, the boys consider her family, so they'll want to hang out with her too. Can't wait to see you Melissa!
Reading three new books at once:
The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin. A look inside the current Supreme Court and how recent political events are shaping the court.
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. A mom's cookbook with ideas for hiding pureed veggies (spinach, squash, etc. ) in foods like chicken nuggets and brownies. Loving this book!
New Selected Poems by Mark Strand. Former U.S. Poet Laureate, awesome wordsmith:-)
Monday, February 4, 2008
February, Finally!
It's finally February, and each day it's a bit closer to spring (and then summer). All of the snow we have been getting is melting quickly -- a lovely thing! Taught a scrapbooking workshop last weekend at our local library. Small group, great fun, delighful completed pages. It kind of amazed me once I had all of my supplies spread out over several tables -- I've been in the scrapbooking game for 11 years now! It all began as casual mom-chat at a park in Maryville, MO while my oldest son enjoyed a play date.
Eleven years later, I'm teaching classes. It's so amazing, rewarding and fun to document the big and little moments in our lives. As I've matured as a life artist, I've also matured as a photographer to the point that good photography is essential for every page I scrapbook. I take pictures of everything -- my kids/family, birds, flowers, my favorite places, anything. I want to remember everything in vivid color, and photography is a great, creative way to do so.
Presidential politics have been on our minds a lot lately, as a family. Watching the debates, looking at the polls, listening to the pundits. Soon we'll know what direction our country is heading -- hope it's the right one!
Here are my favorite links right now. Lovely!!!
Ali Edwards
Hula Seventy
Ulta
Joslyn Art Museum -- Diego Rivera exhibit coming Fall 2008!!!!!!!
Rick Bayless' recipe for tomtillo salsa
La Paz, Mexico
When Asia Was the World -- non-fiction by Stewart Gordon I'm currently reading on Asia's "traveling merchants, scholars, warriors and monks."
Eleven years later, I'm teaching classes. It's so amazing, rewarding and fun to document the big and little moments in our lives. As I've matured as a life artist, I've also matured as a photographer to the point that good photography is essential for every page I scrapbook. I take pictures of everything -- my kids/family, birds, flowers, my favorite places, anything. I want to remember everything in vivid color, and photography is a great, creative way to do so.
Presidential politics have been on our minds a lot lately, as a family. Watching the debates, looking at the polls, listening to the pundits. Soon we'll know what direction our country is heading -- hope it's the right one!
Here are my favorite links right now. Lovely!!!
Ali Edwards
Hula Seventy
Ulta
Joslyn Art Museum -- Diego Rivera exhibit coming Fall 2008!!!!!!!
Rick Bayless' recipe for tomtillo salsa
La Paz, Mexico
When Asia Was the World -- non-fiction by Stewart Gordon I'm currently reading on Asia's "traveling merchants, scholars, warriors and monks."
Monday, January 21, 2008
MLK Day
School went well and quickly today. I took time to read aloud the Emancipation Proclamation as well as the Gettysburg Address. I then read a bit of history about MLK and the Civil Rights movement, including some of Dr. King's own words. Trent and I discussed how race is still a problem in our country. In the words of MLK, someday "we shall overcome" all of this. That will be a lovely day:-)
Friday, January 18, 2008
Snowy Day
Well, it's sunny now, but we've just had our second snowfall in two days. Did I mention I detest everything associated with winter? So here's my remedy:
When the snow begins to get me down, I picture myself with the perfect nude lipstick, with family and friends, sitting someplace delightful, like a little outdoor cafe in Omaha or KC. It's a beautiful sunny evening, and winter is so far away.
That's my happy place, for now, during these long winter days:-)
When the snow begins to get me down, I picture myself with the perfect nude lipstick, with family and friends, sitting someplace delightful, like a little outdoor cafe in Omaha or KC. It's a beautiful sunny evening, and winter is so far away.
That's my happy place, for now, during these long winter days:-)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
New Year, New Attitude
I've made a whole bushel of resolutions this year. Normally I think doing this is kind of silly, but this year, for some reason, I am determined to live, as Thoreau once said, deliberately. So here are, in no particular order, my resolutions for a lovely 2008.
I will surround myself with people who truly inspire me and whom I truly like. I am 36 years old now, and I feel I have a certain right to be choosy about who I spend my time with. It's important for my spiritual and mental well being to hang out with people who are creative, fun, positive and above all, faith filled! My family certainly fits the bill, but so do other people in my life. I resolve to connect more with these lovely souls:-)
I will read voraciously. Well, I already do this, but in particular I resolve to read more Church history, natural history, more American and world history. Although I studied literature for many years, I have recently devoted all of my time to reading non-fiction. Still plan to go heavy on the poetry though -- a little Billy Collins is a very lovely thing!
I resolve to commune more with nature. Yes, sounds a bit silly considering I have always been more interested in shoes, shopping and lipgloss, but last year the boys and I were outside all of the time, and it was wonderful. Plan to be outside, no matter where it is, even more.
Other resolutions: daily Mass, Kansas City, shopping, garage sales, fishing throughout Nebraska, more music, more coffee & conversation, more writing, the open road, more laughing over silly things, much, much more photography.
I will surround myself with people who truly inspire me and whom I truly like. I am 36 years old now, and I feel I have a certain right to be choosy about who I spend my time with. It's important for my spiritual and mental well being to hang out with people who are creative, fun, positive and above all, faith filled! My family certainly fits the bill, but so do other people in my life. I resolve to connect more with these lovely souls:-)
I will read voraciously. Well, I already do this, but in particular I resolve to read more Church history, natural history, more American and world history. Although I studied literature for many years, I have recently devoted all of my time to reading non-fiction. Still plan to go heavy on the poetry though -- a little Billy Collins is a very lovely thing!
I resolve to commune more with nature. Yes, sounds a bit silly considering I have always been more interested in shoes, shopping and lipgloss, but last year the boys and I were outside all of the time, and it was wonderful. Plan to be outside, no matter where it is, even more.
Other resolutions: daily Mass, Kansas City, shopping, garage sales, fishing throughout Nebraska, more music, more coffee & conversation, more writing, the open road, more laughing over silly things, much, much more photography.
Monday, January 14, 2008
It's Been So Long!!!
It's been so long since my last post, but the holidays have come and gone, and so here I am again, blogging away about all of the lovely things in my life. The holidays were a very lovely thing this year -- lots of family, fun and love:-)
We've gotten back into the swing of school, and this semester has been a blur of school work and grading homework assignments. Trent is progressing deeper into algebra and biology, and I am trying to stay one step ahead of the game so I look like I know what I'm doing! I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn aloud to Trent in the evenings, and Luke loves the adventurous Huck as well!!! We are also closely following the presidential election process, and we're planning a trip to the Nebraska unicameral in Lincoln before the end of the 2008 session in May. Trent has certainly learned a lot about civics, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the election process this year!
We've gotten out quite a bit this month to Omaha and Lincoln, and I hope to get to Kansas City soon for a girl's weekend with my friend Melissa -- maybe a little jazz club downtown and a trip to the Sephora beauty counter?
I have made a resolution to spend more time in 2008 with people I really enjoy. Of course, that includes Carl and the boys, but also good friends -- Melissa, Jen, Rachael, etc. It's a lovely thing to know so many great people!
I've also made a resolution to laugh a lot more. No one makes me laugh harder than my friend Melissa Pratte -- sometimes we laugh so hard our sides hurt! So Melissa, this blog is dedicated to you -- you're beautiful beyond belief, you're a confident, educated woman, you are so funny, and I love you. No one is EVER out of your league!
We've gotten back into the swing of school, and this semester has been a blur of school work and grading homework assignments. Trent is progressing deeper into algebra and biology, and I am trying to stay one step ahead of the game so I look like I know what I'm doing! I'm reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn aloud to Trent in the evenings, and Luke loves the adventurous Huck as well!!! We are also closely following the presidential election process, and we're planning a trip to the Nebraska unicameral in Lincoln before the end of the 2008 session in May. Trent has certainly learned a lot about civics, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the election process this year!
We've gotten out quite a bit this month to Omaha and Lincoln, and I hope to get to Kansas City soon for a girl's weekend with my friend Melissa -- maybe a little jazz club downtown and a trip to the Sephora beauty counter?
I have made a resolution to spend more time in 2008 with people I really enjoy. Of course, that includes Carl and the boys, but also good friends -- Melissa, Jen, Rachael, etc. It's a lovely thing to know so many great people!
I've also made a resolution to laugh a lot more. No one makes me laugh harder than my friend Melissa Pratte -- sometimes we laugh so hard our sides hurt! So Melissa, this blog is dedicated to you -- you're beautiful beyond belief, you're a confident, educated woman, you are so funny, and I love you. No one is EVER out of your league!
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