Something New For Me

I've never posted a link on my blog hoping to win a giveaway. However, these fabrics were so pretty, I thought I'd give it a go. If I win, I'll have to learn to quilt. :D

http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/

Perception of Beauty

I hadn't seen this video until a friend posted it on Facebook. I tracked it down on Youtube because I can't stop thinking about it. I'd love to hear your feedback.



This just amazes me. Makes you think about what real beauty is all about.

The Importance of an Apostrophe...Or Lack Thereof

There is a company that advertises on the radio here. Their spokesman bugs me to no end. He always strikes me as greasy and untrustworthy...which is really bad when you are a mortgage company. I've heard him deliver the company's motto countless times and today I finally had to look it up to see what I have been hearing. The motto is: Committed to Saving Our Neighbors Money.

But, I swear to you that every time I hear him deliver the line on one of the commercials it feels like he's saying: Committed to Saving Our Neighbor's (or Neighbors') Money. Right into his own bank account. :P

So, there you have it. Was that post random enough for you? :D

Ring Around the Binkie

I don't know exactly what is was...and I'm not really sure I want to know. However, the boy is cute, so I thought I'd share. :)

I laughed, I cried, it moved me, Bob.

Tonight Renaissance Man and the kids were watching some Rube Goldberg machine videos on You Tube. One of the videos had Bach's "Air on G String" playing in the background. Part way through the video, Bob says, "Daddy this pretty music makes me want to cry."

Who knew my busy boy would be so touched by classical music. I think we'll have to listen to it more often. Goodness knows I own more than enough to get him started.

Later, as Bob and RM related the story to me I asked a rather flippant question to tease RM. "Are you sure he was reacting to the music? With Daddy's engineering genes, are you sure he wasn't reacting to the beautiful machine?" Where upon Princess Bug burst into a fit of giggles that didn't end for several minutes. Apparently I'm even funnier than I thought. :)

A Fond Farewell

I was rather sad recently when I heard about the passing of Mary Travers. I'm guessing that most of you won't recognize that name, but I'm also willing to bet nearly everyone will recognize the trio she sang with, Peter, Paul, and Mary. I grew up listening to this Peter, Paul, & Mary album.

I remember putting it on the record player and listening to it over and over and over. I still have it somewhere. I knew the album practically by heart. (I still do.) I knew exactly at what place during "In the Early Morning Rain" the record was scratched and would begin to skip and repeat and just how hard to press on the needle so that it would play through instead.

Somewhere in my teens or twenties I picked the album up on CD as well as one or two more. I love the harmonies, the beautiful guitar melodies, and the infinitely singable lyrics. I'm sure that Peter, Paul, and Mary have influenced my preference in music far more than I've ever given them credit. They are fantastic singers and great storytellers. To this day I'm rather fond of folk music on the whole and also of kindred styles like New Grass/Blue Grass (but NOT most country :P). I love great vocalist with songs that tell stories like Alison Krauss, Sam Payne, Norah Jones, and Sting.

I think that music has lost one of the greats in Mary Travers. I hope she's not forgotten. In fact, I'm going to make sure that I rip my Peter, Paul and Mary albums to MP3 and add them to my kids' MP3 playlists. I hope they love the music as much as I do.

I took a few minutes to search about for songs from the album that I love so much. I was able to find 8 of 13, not too bad. I hope you take a few minutes to enjoy some of the best music ever recorded. :)

Prepare for Randomness

As you know, canning and other labor intensive projects have taken over my life in the past few weeks. Well, I finished canning my peaches and pears yesterday. I'm taking a couple of days break from canning anything else to scale up Mt. Washmore an excavate my floors. However, I'm also feeling rather bloggish. So, don't be surprised to see several randomish blog posts in the next few days. Just sayin'.

I Crossed A Big One Off My List Today

You might have noticed that I haven't been blogging much lately. Truth be told, I have been running my dogs off so hard and fast lately that I just haven't found the time to park my fanny in a chair and type. Shall we make a list of just some of the things I've been up to?

PTA meetings
Birthday parties (most 45 minutes away by freeway)
Canning (green beans, dilly beans, dill pickles & tomatoes so far)
Bridal Showers
My best friend's wedding
A writer's workshop
Back to school shopping
Preparing craft samples and sign up sheets for a Super Saturday Craft activity
Catching a cold
Preparing for a huge Enrichment activity
Attending a concert
Relief Society Presidency meetings

I'm sure there are others, but I'm drawing a blank.

Things I have been ignoring:
My laundry
My dishes
My house cleaning
My blog
The blogs of my friends
And to at least some degree, my family

Again, I'm sure there is more that could be added to the list.

However, I'm thrilled to say that I crossed a major consumer of my time off the list tonight. Tonight was the Enrichment activity that I have been planning for months.

This is the one where we discussed low energy cooking methods (dutch oven, applebox oven, wonderbox, solar oven, rocket stove), invited everyone 18+ to attend and arranged for a nursery. This is the one where we had 50 sign up to come (and had an amazing 40+ show up). The one where we prepared most of dinner for 50 people using the aforementioned low energy cooking methods. The one that got moved to a new location two days before it was supposed to happen.

It went really, really well. (Someone commented to me that we have had ward parties less well attended. ;)) People were very receptive to the information we had for them (low energy cooking methods great for emergency preparedness). They liked what we cooked for dinner and they asked lots of questions. I think it went just about as good as it could get. We had a few minor glitches (like my Enrichment Committee who didn't stay to help clean up) but I was so happy things went well that I didn't mind too much.

And, there was also a really lovely Karma moment related to why we had to move things at the last minute. You'll have to ask me about it someday. :D

I am so grateful to Renaissance Man. I couldn't have done this without my wonderful husband. He has been so supportive and worked so hard helping me find resources, building projects for me, putting up with a bombed house, and generally being indispensably helpful. I love him so much. I'm also grateful for a very supportive Relief Society presidency and Enrichment Committee (who, despite leaving the clean up to me, the committee chair and the other members of the RS presidency, came through for me with the critical things at the critical moment).

But, mostly I'm glad it's all over. :D

Now it's time to tackle a few more of those projects, big and small, on my list.

P.S. Did I mention that I have 40lbs of fresh chicken breasts in my refrigerator waiting to be cut up and canned/frozen tomorrow?

9 Minutes...And Totally Worth Your Time

As I watched this video, I could feel the emotions of that day on my heart. I don't think any of us who lived through that time will ever forget, but it is nice to know we can heal.