princess ilsa

The princess has arrived and graced us with a stop on her grand tour of Almost Mexico, AZ.

nobody probably cares, but i love my new bedding!

This is the first change in bedding "look" we have had in thirteen years of marriage! I'm proud of the fact that we waited until the old stuff literally fell apart. I think we (well, the people who bought it for us as a wedding gift) got our money's worth. It pays to buy good quality, and to be patient and content.

This time we chose a Marimekko pattern called Lehtimaja. The Marimekko designer was Maija Isola, and she did it in 1958. Isn't it cool how the pattern looks completely fresh and modern, and it is 51 years old? I think this sure says "us". Now I need to be content and not pine away for a modern platform bed and matching dresser and nightstands....at least it modernizes-up our colonial-style, heavy, glossy cherry-stained mahogany bedroom set.

goldie, the garden, and grossification

1) Our 13th anniversary was two days ago; my darling husband made a giant announcement. He has a new love... his gold tooth that was put in place that morning. Strange, huh? This man just can't stop raving about how much he LUVS this gold crown in the back of his mouth! He calls it his personal bling. So since he can't go parading bling while wearing his uniform, he has this private little gangsta mini grille in the back of his mouth. PS -- He asked me to post this little tidbit...all his idea. I take no credit. He wanted me to post this creepy picture, too. Looks like a primal scream to me.

2) The garden is going to town! We now have 10 potato plants showing their happy little leaves above ground. We have eaten our first ripe tomatoes -- an orange cherry-type. Mmmmm. We have about 100 carrot tops, but I must have spilled the seed packet in one spot, because 90 of them are in one 6 inch circle. Ha! I attempted to not only thin then, but transplant those precious little roots into rows. It doesn't look promising, but I thought I'd give it a try.

3) I'm on my third antibiotic course in 5 weeks now. I won't grossify you with the details other than to say it is a persistent sinus infection. I'm using my neti pot religously, and my nurse gave me a rinse "recipe" that includes water, salt, baking soda, tea tree oil and aloe vera juice. I just haven't felt well enough to go out and get the ingredients. If you wouldn't mind praying, I know you are probably tired of reading my blog posts bemoaning my health. I'm just so ready for this stage of sickness to be done.

encouragement for moms over at "girl talk"

Having a tough day, moms?

Discouraged that your words of reproof and correction seem to bounce off of their beautiful curly little heads?

Check out this wonderful post over at girl talk.

this bag is not a toy

When Mommy is sick*, children invent their own games.

They've been going at this for about 15 minutes now.

*This time it is a sinus infection. To the "10 things for which I am thankful" list, I add an 11th: STRONG antibiotics.

i am SUCH a nerd

Today I read two separate reviews about the new J.J. Abrams (apparent masterpiece) Star Trek. The film premiered yesterday in London to rave reviews...

This is my predition of the plot: a smoke monster will attack the Enterprise, leaving Capt. Kirk without a memory and stuck in Hong Kong two years in the future only to find his love of a lifetime married to a member of the Dharma initiative and working in an antiquated lab in Harvard that has a cow in an ante-room, studying the Rambaldi sphere, and THEN finding out that Starfleet Command was really a cover for a shadow group of baddies that sit around a really, really, REALLY big conference table trying to find an island that moves in time being protected by a bug-eyed weirdo named Benjamin Linus. Well, it IS a J. J. Abrams production, after all...

10 things for which I am thankful

In no particular order:

1. Chad should be back in the saddle presently. The property portion of his bike accident claim will be settled very soon.


2. We will actually be filing our PCS move damage claim this week...only 20 months after the move. Well, I guess that's why they have a 2 year filing window. Ha!


3. Zyrtec, Sudafed, mint tea and my neti pot. I won't elaborate.


4. 150 pounds of Wheat Montana wheat berries (100 pounds of Bronze Chief and 50 pounds of Prairie Gold).


5. The Easter candy is almost gone...except for my secret Peeps stash in the closet for after-bedtime noshing.


6. Our carrots, potatoes and spring onions are poking through the warm soil.


7. My new size "J" Clover brand crochet hook


8. Pastor S.'s new year-long sermon series on being a counter-cultural Christian. Click to listen. The series is from Matthew 5 -- Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.


9. Being hated (See number 8): "...and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved." Matthew 10:11


10. That Ingrid thanks the Lord for being "Her Strong God" everytime she prays.

china's one-child policy

I can hardly believe that uber-liberal "Slate" webzine actually published an article putting abortion in a negative light! Good for them. Perhaps a case of journalistic integrity?



Click on the photo to learn the real facts about when life begins over at the Association of Prolife Physicians site..

hey hey! ho ho!

I'm raising a couple of little peaceful protesters. I took the girlies to our local Tax Day TEA Party yesterday, even though Ilsa and I remain quite sick (colds this time -- I'm tellin' ya -- they should do an episode of House on us). We only stayed for about 20 minutes, but it is an experience I'm sure they will both remember.

i'm baaaack

It was nice being almost-Amish for a week (I exaggerate), and off of Facebook since Ash Wednesday. It has been quite refreshing. I'm still contemplating what to do about Facebook. I know one thing: even if I do go back on, it will be on a much less frequent basis than before.

Crocheted amigurumi bunnies, carrots, nests and eggs and duckies for the girls...pink-trimmed for Ingrid and purple for Ilsa.

Hot cross buns for Good Friday.

We dyed Easter eggs on Saturday.

This was before church on Sunday..."No girls, you can't take your duckies and candy into Church!"