not dark yet

some people go to concerts.  other people to the bowling alley.  some to movies or to friday night fish fry or to museums.  other people play heroscape.  i was royally ruined with the roll of the skeleton dice this evening.  kinda dorky?  ”yes, totally dorky,” says jason, “but really fun.”  i’m so tired from battle…my back aches.

jay is heading to a convention this weekend.  henry’s heater took a dive [again] so he’s sleeping in the game/writing room because it’s balmy in there.  i bought some border fabric but got home & decided that i had settled for a color that i really hate.  am going back this afternoon to get a different lot.  [confession: i covet cool fabrics].  am watching neighbor’s daughter for a few hours this afternoon.  groceries i bought last night that still need to be put away [sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet! potatoes! all weekend!].  dishes piled a 1/2 mile high.  am waiting for the first strainer-full to dry.   i have 3 netflix picks & am not excited about any of them [the sea inside, the last sin-eater (recommended to me), & a prairie home companion]. all i wanna do is finish my quilt & sip my new favorite tea & eat those baked sweet potato fries…or read a book…or travel to india.

i bought a new mailbox a few weeks ago.  and today, after i take a short nap, i’m going to install it, regardless of the 8 degree weather.  i got three things in the mail today: a yard of retro laundry day fabric,  bread for the journey, by henri nouwen [i love paperbackswap.com], and a letter from a friend.  we cuddled under a wool blanket before nap, ready to read a book of fairy tales.  as i read an oddly illustrated, british version of “the giving tree” i was struck again at how quickly annabelle is growing up. she’s reading, likes to copy-draw, & does most basic things on her own.  and that’s the goal…maturity.  it’s hard to realize that these small ones are ours for only a short time…and when we got to the part about the old woman curling up on the stump & dying, i decided that i would take a short rest this afternoon.  

my back hurts, too.  i’ve been lining up fabric on the floor…crouched over these squares of cheap fabrics for a quilt i’m making as a practice run for another one.  hard to get excited to practice?  not tonight: the kids are soundly snoozing, jay is over at his folks’ house, & i’m in the house at 9:45 with plenty of energy, a DVD from netflix if i get too achy, & a great saturday planned.  things i’m excited about for tomorrow:

• breakfast with martha at childer’s eatery.  a farewell breakfast.  hrmf.
• my man picked up some new toothpaste for me tonight.  i love opening a new tube.
• caitlyn is home from college this weekend!  yay!  can’t wait to give a whap! on the rear!  
• getting up early & going “to town”.  haha.   

OH!  i almost forgot: daphne let me know about a special on TV: celine dion special that she happened to be watching with caleb.  she directed me to celine’s version of “alone”,  my favorite heart song.  doesn’t touch the 80’s version…but it was fun to imagine daph & caleb cuddling on the couch & swaying to celine. you two defy the sub-culture! 

today: if this happens, i’ll be amazed.

tonight: out with erin & corrie for dinner and browsing.

i am dreaming of…

*a raspberry bush in my backyard

*mud under fingernails

*riding bikes with my girls

it’s called “i hate packing“. i got this shirt for christmas.

our modem took a dive on wednesday night. i took it as a blessing to get a lot done: make a few meals & freeze them. problem: recipes stored online at whocarescooks & amy’s aldi queen. okay, i’ll do something else. i know! i’ll pay the bills…except i pay my bills online. oh! i can upload photos to print off originals. nope.

thwarted. BUT some other really great things happened (will include pictures later):

*went over to erin’s for coffee, cookies, the kids to play together…and for erin & i to bowl. oh yeah! erin/cam got a wii. i am here to say that erin mercilessly smoked my butt in all 3 games. very fun. reminded me of this other time (video).

*went to a pottery place. painted a mug in 5 minutes & then socialized while everyone else used stencils for elaborate designs. i painted this mug black on the outside, jade on the inside. met kate for dinner. we had chicken tikka & garlic naan. also got a new, *free* typewriter from a dude that repairs/refurbishes them as a hobby. i love freecycle. last month a woman donated her entire collection of real simple magazines (since 2001) when i posted a request for magazines for the fitness center in hanna city.

*martha called me the other day. i ended up weepy-talking to her about motherhood being so tough. the next day she left this great message, offering me a “go” with her sun box. she dropped it off tonight as we were on our way out the door for A DATE (!!)…can’t wait to try the sun box tomorrow. i’m gonna dig out my swimsuit & read a magazine while it’s on. god bless you martha. will miss you AND your sun box (should i say, SON box? hehe)

last night i finished the first disc of “no direction home: bob dylan“, a documentary about said musician.  i’d listened to the podcast of that a year ago, but the video really is fantastic.  dylan talked about not being able to create the way he used to…he seemed okay with it…

jason had the day off today so we ran errands in town.  i made some oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast (yum).  annabelle got a haircut (read: shaped), violet walked around target without breaking anything, & we bought some of our favorite beef sticks.

i’ve decided to pay no attention to feelings for the entire month of february.  i am always a bit off kilter for the last month of winter…so i’m breaking out the summer pop music early, gonna spread on some fake tanner (not really), & drink lemonades in the afternoon.  i am putting cabin fever to death!