On Style

Sense of style is an evolving thing, and mine is still a work in progress.  While I am by no means a trendsetter, I'm happy to have developed a stronger sense of what I like over the years, which helps me to make better buying decisions over time.  That said, here's a list of "what I like" in home furnishings.

1) Pottery.  Hand-crafted.  Favorite:  Ayers Pottery in Hannibal, Mo.  http://www.ayerspottery.com/ 
We received several pieces of Ayers Pottery for our wedding, and have been slowly adding to our collection ever since.  

2) Fiesta Ware.  Cobalt blue is my shade.  Both of my aunts use Fiesta Ware, and they got me hooked.  Love how durable their products are.  My dad gave me several pieces, which makes them even more special to me.  I have a long list of other pieces I'd like!  Again, it's nice to have a collection like this that can be added to over time.

3)  Folk art.  My favorite is Warren Kimble of Brandon, VT.  http://www.warrenkimble.com/  I have three Warren Kimble prints, and wish I had more!

4)  Distressed tin.  I have it in picture frames, ceiling tiles, and wall art.  This is probably fairly trendy, too, but it's one of those things that I started collecting before it was "in", so I'm going to keep mine!

5) Trend of the moment:  mercury glass.  I saw this trend emerging in the last year or so.  Around that same time, I really felt that the display space around the TV needed brightening up, so I picked up a couple of mercury glass pieces, and they did the trick!  I didn't spend a lot of money because I know eventually this fad will pass!

Cardinals Nation

Growing up, I remember the snug, all-is-well feeling of riding with my family in the car, listening to a Cardinals game played "under the lights."  My grandmother, who was 70 years old when I was born, listened to greats like Jack Buck call every Cardinals baseball game every summer for countless years.  She never owned a television set, but her trusty AM/FM radio was her constant companion, and she always liked to discuss the Cardinals at length when we came for visits.

I don't remember the 1982 Word Series, but I remember well the 1985 Word Series, and understanding how special it was that both teams (Royals, Cardinals) were from Missouri.  My dad gave me a commemorative poster from the series that I hung proudly in the place of honor over my desk, and somewhere I also obtained two souvenir rabbit's feet, one dyed red for the Cards, and one dyed blue for the Royals!  I don't know where any of that memorabilia wound up, no doubt lost in the countless moves my family made in my growing up years.

Of course the player I remember best is Ozzie Smith.  Like everyone else, I couldn't get enough of those backflips before each game.  I loved his fantastic plays at shortstop and the rare but celebrated home runs.  I didn't follow the Cardinals closely during high school, while my brother and I went through a big Duke basketball phase, but then I met Jason in college and he rekindled my love for America's pastime.  It didn't hurt that the Mark McGwire years were in full swing (ha, ha) during that time! 

While we were in college, I also got to experience Cardinals games at Busch Stadium for the first time.  Jason and I went to opening weekend games several times while we were at Truman, and we also went to several games the summer I lived in St. Louis.  This year, I got to see my first playoff game at the NLCS Game Five at Busch.  Now that we live in Missouri again, we're able to take our kids to games, then next generation to continue the family tradition as part of Cardinals nation. 

Go Cards!

 

For Today: October 20, 2011

Outside my window...one of the first cool fall days.

I am thinking...about picking my kids up from school.

I am thankful for...flexibility.

From the kitchen...pumpkin and pecan pies.

I am wearing...purple.

I am creating...2-1-1's holiday assistance guide.

I am going...to stay home for a few days.

I am reading...The Mitford Series.  Once again.

I am hoping...to prioritize.

I am hearing...My collection of chick flicks.

I am praying...for Mae.

Around the house...a dog and cat have taken over.

One of my favorite things...autumn.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Watch the Cardinals win the World Series!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

For Today: January 10, 2011

FOR TODAY: January 10, 2011...


Outside my window...I am waiting for the snow to start.

I am thinking...about the last six months of my presidency of the Truman Alumni Board.

I am thankful for...Jacob's great 2nd quarter report card.

From the kitchen...Jason's blackberry smoothies and homemade chicken soup.

I am wearing...St. Louis Cardinals pajama pants.

I am creating...a full-scale disaster exercise Master Scenario List.

I am going...to write more thank you notes this year.

I am reading..."Becoming Your Husband's Best Friend" by Lisa & David Frisbie.

I am hoping...for a snow day.

I am hearing...Pandora radio.

I am praying…for Mary Niemann.

Around the house...rooms overflow with Christmas presents.

One of my favorite things...new hairdos.

A few plans for the rest of the week:  a cozy winter week.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...My album cover.  I was so pleased with how this game turned out.

MAD LIBS FOR "GROWN-UPS" 1. Go to wikipedia.org and hit "random article" on the left. 1st random article you get = the name of your band. 2. Go to quotationspage.com and hit "random quotes". The last 3-5 words of the very last quote on the page = title of... your first album. 3) Go to flickr.com and click “interesting ...uploads from the last 7 days” at the bottom of the page. 3rd picture no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Thankfulness

There are a lot of people to be thankful for this week!  We are blessed by the service of so many:

1) Thank you to all the volunteers who gave of their time to deliver Meals on Wheels this week.  The people I can think of off the top of my head:  Bev, Roy, Joe, Bob, Abby, Marisol, Jesse, Matt, Tyronza, Scot, and Gavin.

2)  Marvin - for doing our winter landscape spruce-up at the church this week.

3)  Rachel & Aaron - for cleaning up the children's church playroom after Kidz Night on Wednesday.  That was a chore!

4)  Barb - for graciously hosting our ladies' luncheon at her beautiful home this coming Saturday.

5) Janet - who gives so much time to serve as our treasurer, and who is so wonderfully efficient on Tuesday mornings!

THANK YOU!

The Cauliflower is Lonely

I was recently informed by my physician that I have high triglycerides (essentially, too much fat in the blood, how gross is that). High triglycerides are a risk factor for everything from stroke to heart disease to diabetes. The prescribed course of action? Stop eating all white foods: white potatoes, white pasta, white rice, white bread, white pastry, white sugar. I'm taking this seriously, since I know high tri's run in my family anyway, so I've begun overhauling my diet and thus, my pantry. Now in: citrus fruits, berries, greens, avocado, fish, chicken, beans, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, reduced fat cheese, almonds. Now out: everything else.

In truth, I actually like all those foods that are good for me. I like every kind of fruit and almost every kind of vegetable (even brussels sprouts). Can't stand tuna or mackerel, but I like salmon. Don't enjoy any kind of artificial sweetener, but I'm going to give Truvia a try. I'm looking forward to learning how to cook collard greens and how to prepare a spaghetti squash. Here's the sticking point: CARBS! I love carbs. Every kind of carbohydrate. Donuts. Croissants. Cereal. Granola. French bread. Crackers. Pretzels. Chips. Muffins. Cookies. And, as has been well documented, Pie.

So at this point, three days into the diet overhaul, I've become completely obsessed by food. What I can have, what I can't have. Whether I'm hungry, and what I should eat if I am. When I'll eat again if I'm not. I hate all food commercials. Everything seems to have a hidden form of sugar in it, in a most unfair manner. I'm telling myself that this phase will not last. I'm focusing on how proud I'll be when next year's blood tests come back with better results.

Meanwhile, the cauliflower is lonely, the only white food left in my fridge. Maybe I'll move it next to the skim milk for company.

Character Counts

My son Jacob is one of the sweetest children I know. Of course I am biased, but seriously, if you've met Jacob, you would probably agree that he just has a sweeter-than-average disposition. I'm not saying that he's wimpy, or girly, or anything like that. He likes to wrestle and get dirty and play with trucks as much as the next boy. And I'm also not saying that he's perfect. But he is considerate, and empathetic, and kind. In that regard, he seems to be one of a relative few, and I wonder what to do about it.

Because of course, Jacob has met with a lot of bullies. He's encountered a lot of overly aggressive kids, who are quick to take advantage, or be mean or rude or selfish or hurtful. And he's encountered them everywhere: on the playground, on the soccer field, at Cub Scouts, even at church. These are kids who don't take turns, who don't share, who don't play fair, who don't understand about cooperation or generosity or give-and-take.

Are we not supposed to be teaching our children these values anymore? Are these attributes no longer valued at all? We've just tried to instill in our children the importance of being a good person, a nice person. Basically, we're teaching them the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. What more could we ask for our children, what other attributes could make us more proud?

I'm glad that the first topics of our new children's church program will be about the Fruit of the Spirit. I believe we could all use more reminders, more instruction about these Christ-filled traits. But meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out what to say to my son, who doesn't understand why his friend insisted that they trade Bakugons, Jacob's two for his one. Or why the kid at Cub Scouts "hogged" the rubber band airplane and wouldn't take turns.

I am trying to encourage Jacob that it's okay to stand up for yourself, to speak up when something isn't right, and to be thicker-skinned when things go wrong. But I wish these lessons weren't so bruising.

I don't know why other kids are just plain mean. I didn't understand it when I was a kid and I don't understand it now. But I do know why my kid is nice. Hopefully that's all that will matter in the end.