Ooooo...Aaahhhh...

After feeling like dung lao schlar (a phrase most likely only used within our family...but you can only imagine the meaning behind it...) for the past several weeks, I finally got my groove back last weekend. I started sewing again and I can't wait to get back into my studio this afternoon. Here's a little hint about what I've been working on...

Hmmm...interesting. What will this lovely pile of strips and shapes become? Tune in tomorrow...

The One About My Tiny Toes...

Just as a side note, I went to have a hot stone massage a couple of weeks ago. By the way, yum. I would highly recommend it. I melted. Anyway, at one point during the massage, the therapist places very small, flat stones between your toes.

Yep, they wouldn't fit. The itsy-bitsy stones would not fit between my miniscule sausage-like toes. Nice. Really nice. It's amazing I'm able to walk.

Good Peeps

I have some good friends. Travelling and moving around has taught that there are good people everywhere...people with kind hearts and gentle ways...people from whom I can learn.

Moving here to Wisconsin from Utah five years ago was a strange and wonderful adventure. I knew only Rit and her family. In fact, I'm ashamed to admit that my friend Banessa and I had to look on a map to find Wisconsin a few months before my move. We had the vague notion that it bordered Canada...which it does not.

But I love it here. I love the hot summers. I love Lake Michigan. I love the myriad of little bodies of water that dot the countryside. I love calling to tell my family in Utah that it's 30 below right now outside. I love the migrating geese flying overhead. I love the farmland and the dark richness of freshly tilled earth. I love the sunrises and sunsets over the lake. There is much to love here.

But most of all I love the people. Life moves at a slower pace here. I have learned from native Wisconsinites to be more empathetic, more willing to help another at a moment's notice, more aware of slowing down and enjoying life's small, frequent pleasures. These are good, kind-hearted people...and I have made some good friends during my years here.

I've been feeling quite under the weather lately. I was surprised yesterday with a knock at the door and a happy smile beaming at me through the window in the front door. My sweet friend Kim stopped for a quick visit to bring me a beautiful bouquet of daffodils.

I love you, Kimmie G. You made my day!

My Laptop Can Eat Your Laptop...

Several weeks ago, I decided that it was time to upgrade to a new laptop. With the recent addition of Office 2007 to my cache of software goodies, my little Dell could no longer keep up. I asked my all-knowing computer guru brother-in-law for a little direction on what to look for. With his advice in hand, I dove into the search for a new love.

I become quite attached to my laptops. I spend much time up to my eyeballs in the accounting and marketing and other doldrum-inducing tedium of my business. Then there are the blogs...and the nonstop emails...and the games...and the photo editing...yes, yes, I become quite close with my laptop. Knowing what I wanted in the down and dirty guts of a new laptop, I really didn't care what it looked like, what size it was or any other "cosmetic" issues. Last Friday, I finally found what I needed. Imagine my surprise to see that the refurbished laptop I picked out was even red. Yippee! I went ahead and placed my order.

Fast forward through the weekend...the daydreams of me and my new laptop sitting outside this summer...me and my new laptop hanging out on the couch together...I drooled at thoughts of a quick start-up, smooth software transitions, and multi-tasking.

Monday morning I heard a shuffling at the door. The dogs went crazy. I peeked out the front window and saw a DHL delivery man jogging to his van across the street. Could it be? My laptop had arrived already?

I sprinted down the stairs and threw open the front door. (Okay, it was really more of a slow, methodical stride, both hands securely bracing my descent down the stairs...more about that later....but the feeling was still there.) There it was. I brought it inside and ripped open the box.

Huh. Interesting. I was certain that the white box on top held the actual laptop. That thing packed below it must be a case or something. Weird. It took me a minute to realize that the case thing was the laptap. It was HUGE! MAMMOTH! There are no words to describe the unimagineable size of this thing! Why hadn't I taken a moment to look at the specs?? Good grief! Can I even lift it out of the box without throwing out my back? I spent the next 20 minutes laughing... laughing at myself...laughing at this monstrosity sitting before me on the ottoman...it was one of those great gutteral laughs that comes from deep inside. I needed that.



I don't think Rit really believed me when I tried to explain the size of this new thing over the phone. When she finally came home that afternoon and saw this thing perched on the couch, she just sat and stared..in awe. Then she said, "I thought they were making laptops smaller these days." We played around with it a little bit...trading off holding it as it does tend to cut off the circulation to one's lower extremities.

I will be sad to say goodbye to my old Dell. We've had some good times together...and I could lift it with one hand. But it is moving on to a nice home with my good friend's teenage son. Who knows what wild times lie in its future. But, I do love this new monster. It's fast and convenient and it never breaks a sweat.

Right now it's cooking a roast and vacuuming the living room, all while checking my email.

The One about Seven Things...

All right...one more to go...I was tagged by my bff Kimmie G. to reveal seven strange or unknown things about me. Hmmm...

I don't know how strange any of these are...but they are unknown, for the most part...

1. I love action movies...the dumber the better. I also love scary movies. Unfortunately, Rit does not like either of these genres, so I typically watch these alone while working or working out.

2. I love playing video games. I have a PS2 for which Rit gives me a couple of games every Christmas. I don't have much time to play with it during the year, but I pretty much play non-stop over the holidays. I also love computer games.

3. I crave down time by myself. I need it. It keeps me sane. Working by myself in my studio all day is heaven to me. I can set my own schedule and I don't have to put up with annoying people. I love it.

4. Working in the yard is completely rejuvenating to me. I love to feel the dirt between my fingers and grass beneath my toes. Planting and weeding and watering is healing for me. I don't think I would survive living in an apartment in the city. The dirtier I get, the better.

5. I really enjoy cleaning the house. I am a whirlwind of activity when I set aside some time and put on an audiobook or some excellent music. I work nonstop until I'm finished.

6. I have really small toes. Weird, I know. They're like little sausages. And they curl under slightly which makes them practically disappear. Rit often wonders out loud how such small toes can balance my body. Nice.

7. By the time Rit leaves for work in the morning, I've already watched the morning news. So I usually watch "Saved by the Bell" while I eat breakfast. Wow. Now it's out. They say that the first step is admitting that you have a problem...

I'm so embarrassed.

Tag, you're all it.

The One about Eight Things...

I was tagged by a fellow blogger to divulge the following info...here goes!

8 Passions in my life:
My family
Being happy and content
Living a good life, a balanced life
Homemade gifts
Creating
Color
Being cozy at home surrounded by the people and things I love
Music

8 Things to do before I die:
Own a huge piece of land with trees, water, fruit trees and a huge garden
Travel, travel, travel
Find balance
Be well and fit
Become an adoptive and foster parent
Visit Machu Picchu
Witness a more caring, more peaceful mankind
Refresh my French, Spanish and Portuguese

8 things I often say:
I love you.
Sorry we quarreled.
Oh, hello.
Nothing you can do about that.
Thank you so much.
Adoption is the longest process of my life.
Don’t look at Maggie right now…she’s just too cute.
Wolves are just wild like that.

8 books I’ve read recently:
Deep Storm by Lincoln Child
The Family at Home by Anita Kaushal
Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
7th Heaven by James Patterson
Now and Then by Robert B. Parker
Daddy’s Girl by Lisa Scottoline
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

8 Songs that mean something to me:
Dear Mr. President – Pink and The Indigo Girls
This is Home – Lucy Kaplansky
Where You Lead - Carole King
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
9 Crimes – Damien Rice
Favorite Adventure – K’s Choice
Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen
Just Like a Pill - Pink

8 Qualities I look for in a friend:
Honesty
Compassion
Humor
Charity
Loyalty
Uniqueness
Silly/Fun
Loving

8 TV shows I never miss:
Lost
Amazing Race
Survivor
Bones
Dexter
Prison Break
Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles
48 Hours Mystery

Okay, so the next category really isn’t applicable to me…8 Radio shows I listen to…since I never listen to the radio…so I changed it to 8 things I do in my spare time:
Sew, sew, sew
Work out
Make stuff
Play the piano
Dance
Organize
Read
Cook

I hate doing these, and quite frankly, I think that's way too much boring information about me to share with the general Internet population. Whatever. I've still got one more to go...just suffer through it with me.

I'm not tagging anyone, but if you'd like to endure torture similar to being hanged by your toenails, by all means dive in and expend time and energy that you will never get back. Enjoy!