Grow mustache, grow! Now do the Hokey Pokey!

Somebody is coming home from Korea today!!!

In other news, today, I am sharing something that my old co-worker emailed me. I miss them. Is a 6 minute video, but it made me laugh really genuinely and then I really missed my old job (5 years clean!!) It was not the perfect job for me, but I was able to laugh with those friends like I haven't laughed since. We would get really bored (like A LOT) and we would make up different name for our "bands", you know, and then think of what we would call our "albums". Mostly we were in fictional 80's hair bands or or some kind of emo-British fusion kind of thing. Sometimes it would get so silly that we would laugh until we couldn't breathe. We would go through other cycles where we would listen to the "les Miserables" soundtrack until we were inspired to spend our entire day of lab work talking in song. Probably some people thought we were weird or annoying, but we just didn't care. I really miss that.

Yesterday my mother got YET more bad news about her cancer. I am so angry that it is hard for me to be sad. The pool of sadness is there, it seems to be really deep. I can feel it. I dip my toes in every so often but then back out again. I am somewhat worried about drowning in it. Somewhat is an understatement.

JMB

It is all about perspective..

We have been gifted in our neighborhood with a BEAUTIFUL bike/pedestrian bridge over to our River bike path system. Now, when the level of crazy hits TILT, I can get everyone outside and we have a safe walking destination (we live in a no sidewalk neighborhood= heart attacks for this momma.)

My perspective changes outdoors, as does theirs. It is not nearly as dark an dreary during the winter here, if you can make it outside. Then, this day, I was able to practice "good sharing techniques" and I let each of the boys take some pictures with the iTouch. I am so glad that I did. I now have my memory of the fun walk last Sunday, coupled with the fun pictures that we all took.

Brownie loves the ominous abilities of the Lenses app...

so spooky!

Blondie loves the pocketbooth app. Maybe it is more pictures per turn, I don't know, but I love seeing what he sees.

Myself, I like to just use what I have... my Rebel, to capture a tiny reader.
or the iTouch camera to quickly snap an attempt to outrun the hail storm.... We were not fast enough. We did laugh a lot though. Perspective. If it is not working for you, try and change it up. That is my helpful word for this week!

JMB

P.S.

Hopefully, I can overcome my sewing inertia and get some stuff together tonight. Whenever Big Daddy is on a trip I either sew up a storm OR I watch WAY TOO much Tivo...I am hoping to switch to the sewing!

Oh the love continues...

I can't resist these mosaics. These series capture the emotion of the moment for me and I love that the future me will be able to remember too. :)

These two are too much!

too much cute

too much smile

too much cheekiness (actual and attitude)

too much toothiness

too much love

JMB

Sunday stash...

I am seriously in love with this printed lace design...
Then there were plaid vehicles!! And this Anna Griffin piece looks like a storybook from the 70's.... I won't gush over the french general piece....TEXT!
Blondie was so very good at the store that I let him pick out 2 for himself. I think that he wants a wallet and a bag. I had better make good on that promise! (maybe he will share a smiling kitty with me?!)

Off to take care of the crying baby (I had to post first is that so wrong??) (she was playing with the brothers so not too bad!)

JMB

Brother and sister....

The other day I was too slow in supplying a snack after we got home from school.

"Don't worry little sister, your brother will take care of you"
"Here is a piece of bread."
"Let's sit here on the table in the sun and watch the birds."
"I love you."
"I love you too, big brother"*

I had been telling them both all week to NOT sit on the table, but they looked so cute. Instead of chiding them I got the camera and shot away, after all, how many sunny afternoons do you have in Oregon, in February? It's gotta be a holiday!
JMB
*narration provided by me... it is nice to add a happy script to remember a special moment, even if it is only for the mommy.

Happy Valentine's Day??

What is the Universe trying to me when this is what I find smuggled in to the bottom of my grocery sack on Valentine's Day?? I am so confused.

JMB

Getting my butt kicked by minutiae...

Well, this is what I have been doing since we last talked. Making little birds, and driving myself crazy trying to reinvent the wheel with these Darn Union Jack blocks (I am free-piecing something that is rather fussy...crazytown!), and taking crappy low light pictures. I don't know why I like them so much (the Union Jacks, not my off color images)... the graphic quality of the intersecting crosses?? Perhaps, I actually just like flags.

In Other News:
(this is the big "unload" folks)

Big Daddie has been chained to his desk at work for the last two weeks... I don't see him and it has been so long that I am starting to think that this is the new state of our existence...yucko! Catch me on Tuesday... he is "supposed" to be back to normal by then.

My poor mother had to change Chemo drugs and the new one is giving her very painful side effects. It makes me so sad for her. I just keep praying for strength for her. She has been really doing awesome and having a great attitude thus far. It has helped me to feel hopeful, I hope we can stay on the right track and that we all can be strong enough to support each other.

The plumber came out 3 times this week... nothing major, but the faucet is STILL leaking!

My new idea of interesting is figuring out how many loads of laundry I do in a week. I know, "Jessica, that is depressing" you say.... but I am really curious. Today I did 5. I still have 3 of them to fold and put away. (they are kids clothes and kitchen towels... SO many items per load!!!)

FUN THINGS (to balance out all the mind-numbing crap):
*Today we organized the kid's art cupboard and the boys were so exciting to rediscover all of the things that they have in there. It sounds like work, but it actually made me really happy.

*Lunch at the DQ in J.C.-- It was like the old days, when I just had one boy and we would sit and watch the trucks go by. Today we had 3 kids that were in to watching all of the street action. Wow, yes, 3 KIDS!

*Bald eagle in the grass field on the way home. It was maybe 20 yards away, so beautiful and always so thrilling.

*Lambs, sweet, little, cuties. Black ones, white ones, white with brown noses... so fun to watch them hop on each other. I swear that this one ewe had 6 babies surrounding her. I am sure that they all weren't hers, but some momma was having some free time!

*Taking pictures of moss on old buildings. The colors made me so happy that I can see.

And this is only one day--

Note to Future Self: remember to make the kids go see the lambs, they may not like it, but you sure do!

JMB
P.S.
I think that I would be insane had I not had Veronica Mars to watch on Netflix. A long time ago, we used to be friends....