Assembled on the Coffee Table

One of the perks of having big(ger) kids? Stacks of fun upon the coffee table.

I am still a little boo-hoo over the fact I have no pudgy-limbed doll-babies anymore, but there is always something new to appreciate about each stage. Books and candles be some of mine!

On the Foyer Table, Reminders and Otherwise

Life has been a busy swirling for me, lately. The blogging has taken a backseat, for sure. So while the absences have been many, by demand, I find myself missing the documented beauty about me that blogging brings. A reminder in bountiful sources of lovely in what can be an otherwise scattered day. Busy is good. Being still is good. But gratitude amidst it all? That is where my true accomplishment can be measured ...

... not in clean bathrooms, not in tidy cupboards, not in blogging posts and not even in well-groomed children (I said it. My kids get ratty hair, dirty fingernails, and if I could remember what a fortnight is, I'm sure I haven't changed their bedsheets in at least that long).

Accomplishment is in being where God calls us and doing what he asks of us. Right now. For this moment. Until He moves us forward.

It's busy. It's hard. Submission and obedience aren't glamorous words. But He is so faithful. And I am grateful.

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay ..." 

Ruth 1:16

Apple Cider and New Joys

 Isn't it fun to have fun friends? You know, the ones who have great ideas and invite you to share in their brilliance?

David and Apricot were pals with Pops and myself when we were all in high school youth group together. Somehow we managed to pair off and get married and still be in touch. Life has led us to different careers, different journeys and even different continents, but old relationships have a sticking power.

Besides. When those relationships are with people who like some no-nonsense fun, you make sure to stay on their invite-list.

 This weekend we went to an apple-cider making shin-dig in their backyard. We all came with apples, mason jars, and portable children ... just to keep it interesting.

 With all the heaving and cranking necessary, the men got to wield the massive strength they are naturally encumbered with and impressed us all. Particularly once the juicin' hit the cups.

  I love meeting new people and going new places. It's a visceral need of mine. But old, dear friends can never really be replaced. So much shared history. People who remember the self-absorbed 16 year-old you... the one with the massive bangs and talent for pretending that you understood all those Monty-Python movies ... and they still like you.

For as the years go by, we get to match up all that we knew we always loved with all that is newly there to love.

And just from making some cider ... there is more joy.

What Does the Front of Yours Look Like?

In My Slippered Dreams

I've never been good at picking slippers out. Or maybe I'm just plain picky. I want a rubber sole so I can go outside and get the mail and I don't want fuzzy fluff because it gets matted down and dirty. I want slip-on slip-off and I don't want Pops to call them my 'clod-hoppers'. They must be stain-resistant because I will undoubtedly spill some dinner on them. And in my slippered-dreams, they would be something cute enough that I can wear with regular clothes during the day and not feel like a frumpy-schlump when I open the door for the FedEx guy or hop in the van for the carpool rounds. I told you. I'm a high-maintenance slipper girl.

But then I found these. The good ol' fashioned Minnetonka moccasins. They meet all my criteria and they are crazy comfy to boot.

Dreams can come true.

**PS-They run a half-size large!

No Effort Needlework

 I do love a good throw pillow. They seem to snazz up a room with so little fuss.

I found this piece of needlepoint in a broken 'ol frame at a thrift store for 99 cents. Pretty sad looking in the frame, pretty fantastic when paired with some flax colored cotton, a vintage yellow zipper and slipped over a fluffy pillow!

My favorite part? I get to enjoy this artful needlework without any of the effort!

A Trampoline Series

 

 

Pops has wanted a trampoline for years. I resisted. I said the kids weren't big enough.

But then they got bigger. And we got a trampoline.

And we have had more fun than I ever imagined.

Even If You Aren't A Seamstress

Everyone should own a seam ripper. If you sew at all, you already are quite familiar with this little item. A multitude of errors can be undone with a seam ripper.

But even if you can barely sew on a button, you really should have a seam ripper in your stash of odds and ends. They cost about a dollar and can whisk off an icky Target tag in no time.

Just stick the pointy end under one of the stitches until it slices the stitch in half. Work your way down the seam or stitch line. Before you know it that cheapy tag is gone and you haven't harmed your garment at all.

A New Cousin Arrives

How to Roast Beets & Like It

Do you like your beets yet? No? Well, I bet you are thinking of pickled beets. I don't really like those either. But roasted beets. Now, that's another story. Sweet, earthy, and jazzes up a salad like nothing else can. (Except maybe goat cheese. And almonds. And balsamic dressing.) And as an added bonus, if you eat enough, they'll turn your pee pink. That's always a kid-pleaser.

So grab some beets, chop the the ends off and give the stumps and leafy greens to your rabbits. Coat your beets in some olive oil, wrap individually in foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Done.

After they sit to cool for a few minutes, unwrap, slide the peels off, and slice. Toss on salad, sandwiches, lentils, you name it.

I'm telling you. They're good.

Collected at the Park