Hanging in there…

Yes, I am still alive!

My family keeps asking me why there are no new posts.

They’ve reminded me that several holidays and events have passed-with no new blog updates. 

Yes, the camera has had some workouts!

Yes, this is a sort of family record for us.

Yes, I know and realize all that, and I have been quite frustrated with my lack of effort.

With all that said, I have been completely brain-dead.

All my creative juices have completely dried up!

The tank is empty.

Sigh…

If you happen to know any school teachers, then you might understand.  This time of year is draining as we head in to testing, warm weather, restless students, and my 26th class change (move ins-move outs) since September.

HOWEVER…

I did take time to notice and appreciate these beautiful blossoms!

I almost missed the peak blossoming photo days, and I really didn’t quite capture the vibrant colors, but they were still amazing.

So, even though I’ve been “blogging absent”, I have enjoyed nature’s splendor and miracles.

It is a beautiful world we live in!

Have a great week.

JoAnn

P.S.  A co-worker of mine shared this funny response one of her students  recently gave on a test.  When asked who settled Utah, the 8 year old replied, “The Shoshone and the Morons.”

Made me laugh!

Spring Break-Portland style

This year’s Spring Break meant a very short trip to Portland, Oregon, (with very LONG drive) to spend time with our daughter Heidi, her hubby Ovidiu, and little Paul.

We managed to cram in the Children’s Museum, The Portland Aquarium, a train ride in the rain, Voodoo donuts, and some hanging out time.

It was a fun break!

(Why is it that after a break you always need another break?)

Good memories!

Wish we could have had the whole family there!

Love,

JoAnn

Crazy weather…

This morning I worked out in the yard, with only a sweater on. 

Right now it is raining and cold, and I have a fire in the fireplace.

(Did I just hear thunder?)

On Sunday I went to church without a jacket, with the sun shining brightly.

It snowed as we drove home.

My one big question is:

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT TO WEAR?

JoAnn

P.S.  Thank you, Spring Break, for the variety of weather!

I’m looking forward to an interesting week off from school.

 

Blame it on the potato salad!

Tonight, I am missing my mother!

I always miss my parents, especially when I think about all the things they didn’t get to know about me as a grown up, and about my little family,

but tonight I am really missing my mother.

I can’t tell her that I finally mastered her potato salad recipe.

(Well, my remembering of her making it-without a recipe.)

I inherited her cooking by instinct:  eyeballing-tasting-trial and error-and guessing-method.

(For the recipe go here.)

Everyone loved her cooking.  I have been told, (“My friends like to tell me…..”) that I make potato salad just like she did.

(The above reference refers to one of Jane Austin’s overly confident characters.  Unfortunately, I can’t remember which book it comes from.  Emma?  Can any one help me out?)

But,

I think my mom would be pleased.

I can’t tell her that I have incredibly talented, kind,  and wonderful children, or grand children who can sing at the top of their lungs every single word from the movie “Frozen”, and can do all the dance moves that go along with it.

They like to stand on the ottoman (their stage) and take turns belting out the songs. 

Sometimes their turns get blurred and someone might get pushed off the stage before their time is up, but they never miss a beat in the songs.

 

 

I’m pretty sure she would be proud of them, too.

I can’t tell her how sweet little Aubrey fell asleep at dinner tonight.

 

Or how worried we were when little Zachary ended up in the hospital last week with breathing problems.

 

I’d just love to tell her how excited we are to get to go and visit  this cute little guy soon!

I know she would love them all as much as I do!

So, there you have it.

I MISS MY MOTHER!

If you are one of the lucky ones who still has your mother around, please tell her how much you appreciate all she does for you.  Thank her for teaching you how to cook, or sew, or iron a shirt. 

Spend some time with her.

Maybe you could make some potato salad together!

JoAnn

Love you, mom!

Dusk…

There are certain times of the day that seem to stand out a little more than other times.

A moment when something makes us pause and look around, maybe noticing something that we might miss during the busy day.

Some are morning people.

They appreciate the quiet beauty of a sky just starting to fill with color.  They can enjoy the stillness of a house not yet encumbered by the noises of the dishwasher, television, phone, and family.  Our children are grown up and living away from home, but memories of blow dryers, toasters, and someone looking for missing shoes or homework isn’t so far behind us that we forget that morning chaos.

Other people seem to relish the early evening,

when a hard day’s work makes one sit back and relax with a cool drink and a striking sunset.  I love working in the garden, hoping that the last ray of light will give me a few more minutes of pleasure before darkness forces me inside.

Do you have a favorite time of day?

Sometimes it seems like days go by without my noticing those simple, miraculous moments. 

I let myself get caught up in the busy tasks of life.

Frustrations move in and take over that part of my brain that can find beauty and peace, pushing it back where I forget all about it.

I find myself too tired to get up and appreciate the morning sky, and too exhausted to go outside and watch the sun set.

Tonight I just happened to walk by the piano just as the sun was starting to set.  The shadows on the wall made the room look different, a bit foreign, almost like I was in somebody’s else’s house.

The little statues on the piano, gifts from people I love, seemed to call out to me, reminding me that someone appreciates me, and that I need to slow down and enjoy life more.

Tomorrow I am going to seek out more of those moments.

I need to go outside and start walking again.

Soon the weather will be warm enough to allow us to start gardening.

Maybe I will even take my camera along for some new photos to share.

(Yes, there has been a photo drought here!)

 

Wish me luck as I try to refocus.

I hope you find pleasure in those small, unexpected  moments, too!

JoAnn

Ready or not…here is the new bed!

The pillows are done!

That means I’m ready to show off the new bed my husband made.

I’d thought I’d start with a little “Before” picture to make everything look better by contrast.

This is how the room looked when we first started.  It was functional, but not very cozy.  The molding wasn’t up yet and the bed was just a Hollywood frame.  The mismatched bedding had been pulled out from storage, the stool by the dresser was just draped with fabric, and the wall was decorated with a framed Warren Kimball poster and a clock.  The  old dresser (my grandpa Palmer’s) was peeling and in need of some repair.

We were so excited to have another guest room that we tried to overlook the lack of style and just focus on the function.

Before:

These curtains hadn’t made the statement I had hoped they would.

Here is the after:

I love the headboard!  We painted the old dresser to match it and the stool is now officially recovered.  I bought the white comforter at Ikea ($20.00).  Notice the Euro-pillows?  I used the fabric from the catalog curtains to make them, and I had enough red flowered material left from the stool to make one more pillow for the bed. 

 

We changed out the wall pictures from other rooms in the house.

The white curtains were from Walmart. 

We brought a tan recliner down from upstairs to make some comfortable seating.  This room was decorated on a shoe-string budget, but it seems so much more cozy now than it did before.

Now, don’t you think it needs some guests?

 

JoAnn

P.S.  Hope your weekend is fun and relaxing!

 

Hunting, waiting, and surprises!

Who doesn’t  love a good bargain?

We’ve been looking for a headboard for a guest bedroom in our house for quite some time.

Since it wasn’t a real necessity, we only allowed ourselves a small budget.

We’ve checked out the local want ads.

Walked through Ikea.

Checked the want ads again.

Waited.

We actually found one we really liked-but someone beat us to it.

(Somebody got a steal for $40!)

A week ago my husband surprised me with a little creation he just  put together in the garage.

He ended up spending around $70, and some manual labor time, but he surpassed my goal by a long shot.

Here it is before he painted it.

I married a real craftsman!

Actually, he has so many amazing projects to his credit.

Lucky me!

It is now in place, just waiting for a couple of pillow cases to be stitched up. 

(Now, if I could get him to learn to sew!)

I’m hoping to get things finished up this weekend.

JoAnn

P.S.  Do you love making something over, or do you save up for something really nice?