7 Quick Takes

I had these Quick Takes about ready to go last week but we have been so busy didn't end up finishing the post. Maybe this week??  I have a bunch of ideas bouncing around my head.  My friend Tracey and I have been talking about raising boys, homeschooling mythbusters, and our roles.  We hope to share some of our musing here in days to come.  But there is a little road trip to be taken first. And a half dozen things to be tended to. Meantime here are the highlights of late:

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1. I did some sewing for the little girls.  Not a ton but a little.  I repurposed a really big and rather poor fitting maternity shirt of old into leggings and a skirt.  Abbie's legs are short enough I was able to cut those from the arms.  The body made for a skirt for Tess with some extra strips wound together to make a fabric bow.  I was rather pleased with myself truth be told.  These ventures don't always pan out like I think they will and it's always a nice surprise when they do. ; ) Ah well. Life is like panning for gold.  You've gotten swish around in a lotta mud to get these nuggets of wonderful. 

 


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2. I am taking an art class complete with homework to finish.  I haven't been a student for a lot of years and althought it's challenging fitting in this project around sports practices and grading papers and switching laundry, I am loving it.  Truly.   I can't tell you how stimulating it is intellectually and creatively to challenge myself in entirely new ways and to think about things and work with people whose paths I may not have crossed otherwise. But, of course this year has been all about shaking things up and moving right out of that comfort zone hasn't it? 

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3. On being light hearted:

Leave sadness to those in the world. We who work for God should be lighthearted. - St Leonard of Port Maurice

Check! This week for sure.  Last week not so much.  

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4. Polyester Poppies

This quilt shared at Turkey Feathers makes me smile. I want one.  If I was back in the States I would probably already have embarked on a mission to amass vast quantities of polyester.  I am that serious.  I don't want to swipe her image so promise me you'll humor me and click over to see it.  : ) 

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5. Signs

Speaking of seeing things out the car window, it struck me as way cool the other night when I looked up and saw this sign.  Who'd have thought last year this time, as my Gram was laid to rest and life was topsy turvy in all sorts of unhappy ways, that this year I would be driving under the sign heading to Paris. Thank you God. 

  

and yes, my windshield is pretty gunky... Taggin that as a boy job : )  And hey, I know just the boy for it....

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6. Uncle Sam paid us a visit this month.  Our son has been sworn in to the Army.  Not the son we might have expected to go this route....  

I admit I have wrestled with personal demons of worry, fear, and anxiety throughout this process.  These doggone old companions reared their heads at this prospect.  But they have been laid aside and I am embracing this new turn of life and anticipate great adventures for my baby boy.  Cause they know they are ALWAYS gonna be my baby boys.  He was that for four yrs, the longest break we have had between babies to date. And now he moving boldly into a new career.  Wild.  

A perk for us is that he will be coming to visit and travel for a bit before boot camp.  Woo hoo again! 

We love you Asher! 

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7. And another baby boy turned 11 this past week.  We celebrated with a football game and then a family movie night. He chose pistachio cream pie for dessert vs cake.  Reminded me of Gram again.  "We were a pie eating family," she once said to me.  This night we were too. 

 

Comments

[Barbara]

Love the quilt -- a LOT of work! I'll stick to my 3.5 inch squares. ;-)

Congrats to that young man. That's awesome, truly. I know a lot of folks aren't so keen on their sons joining the service right now. I can't blame them. But two of my brothers were Marines and they are good men. Can't say they would have been so good without the military. If I can send your young man a St. Michael rosary, give me a holler. My gift.

[Jen]

That skirt turned out adorable! Congrats and best wishes to your son, please thank him for his service to our Country (and yours too!) Looking forward to your post on raising boys. Have a great weekend.

[Tara]

A skirt and leggings out of a shirt? Really?! SO cute! I'm convinced there's nothing you can't do. I thought to myself today "When I grow up, I want to be like Kim." Then I realized I am grown up. :/

[Marla]

Funny thing. Your sign picture took me back. My first baby was born in Kusel at the krankenhaus there. The same firstborn who went to Army boot camp this summer, is now in Airborne school and going to start Ranger training after Christmas. Not what we would have chosen for him, but he is sure and God is on His throne, and I'm learning a lot about not borrowing trouble from tomorrow.

I'm enjoying your posts from Germany. I was in Baumholder for a year (1991-1992). It's so beautiful. We toyed with the idea of taking one last set of orders and going over next year, but we would also have to sell our farm and animals and aren't sure it's the right thing to do yet. Praying hard about that one. It's fun to live vicariously through your blog, though. Thanks for sharing!

[Laurie]

Hey, I found you through Moral Muses.... I take that exit off of the 6 and 62 to get to where I live. I think along the same lines as you when I drive under that sign every day.