Drive Time

We departed (shockingly) as scheduled by 6 am and were immediately blessed with an amazing sunrise. While I’ve witnessed many gorgeous sunsets in Rio Rancho, this was the first sunrise I’d seen… and it was impressive enough to make me contemplate getting up early just for the occasion.


At the Arizona/New Mexico border, I saw the most stero-typical oriental tourist… one shot from the driver’s seat captured her:


Gorgeous blue skies on the high-plains:


More blue clear skies in the mountains:


The blue skies stayed with us all the way down to The Valley of The Sun:


I also think of this mountain as being covered by “Marching Cacti Soldiers”.


I just love the desert-scapes as seen on The Beeline Highway.


We stopped by the house Tom and I owned in Mesa. I was delighted to see only two changes to the front yard landscaping AND to see how well the yard has come in (when we left it had only been planted about two years.)


Can you see why I so love to drive in Arizona? It is SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I love me home-state!

A Knight and His Squire

We made Jack The Greatest Costume last month for our Annual Pilgrimage to the Arizona Renaissance Festival. I've told some of you about it, and some have seen it in person, but I have hear cries from far away for pictures to be posted on the website. And so, without further ado, here is Sir Jack...


As I said, we've gone EVERY year since before the boys were born, but never had they had so much as a hat. Well, I decided, THIS YEAR, was the year to change that. I took a duffel bag of fabrics with me to Arizona to finally make the boys Renaissance Costumes.

Jack wanted to be a knight, with chain mail. Knowing this, I also brought along the template from last summer's Sports Camp T-Shirt Painting. Jack had been asking for his own Red Dragon ever since I painted Frank one.

I had this idea for Jack's costume. My Mom and I cut the top pieces. I sewed the tunic. Mom sewed the chemise. Mom's friend, Melinda, sewed the "Chain Mail". Then, I added the pants.

We never got around to making Jack a hat... and he never seemed to notice the deficiency. I do have a hat in my mind for him, I just have to put my hands on "the right" fabrics.

Frank, on the other hand, told me "Mom, I won't wear a costume; just make me a Fancy Hat."


Frank was right. Frank liked his hat, wore it a time or two, and has moved on.

I'd already realized that Frank's lack of interest in costumes was why I'd never yet sewn them Renaissance Costumes. Jack loves to dress up though, so we were able to really focus on his costume, and make Frank a quick hat with a fancy pin and feathers.

Here, are the boys with my brother. I've told many of you about my brother, and his hair (which is longer than either of his sister's), and so, here is a rare picture Ivan for you.


And that, is that.

Can you tell that I'm catching up on rest (and computer stuff) today? I did about 45 minutes of cleaning in my bedroom this morning and have spent the rest of the day (save eating quick snacks) on the couch with my feet up. It actually FEELS GOOD to just set and rest! :D

Time Moves On, but we're Staying in Arizona - For Now.

The boys and I won't be back in Wyoming until mid-April. Monday my 95 year old Grandmother Decided to Move On with Her Journey through Time and Space. So. I'll be spending more time here helping my Aunt (who's 75) to clean out my GM's place and prep it for sale.

The boys and I are fine with all of this... actually, they miss their Dad, but they are having fun in the warm weather with our friends and family here.

One of These Days

Do you ever give yourself too much to do?

I do.

All. The. Time!

This isn't a "posed" photo to cover sensitive information...
Someone is TRYING to get my attention!

I have so many great ideas and good intentions.

The first week on February I decided to leave "on or around" February 23rd. Then. I got it in my head to design a quilt before leaving... I even thought I'd like to have THREE patterns completed - HA!

I have an appointment in Phoenix on Saturday. I could drive it all in one day... but I've never done that. So, I can still leave today or even tomorrow, but, I don't know. I still haven't packed any clothes or loaded the van or even changed the oil in it yet. My pattern is progressing RAPIDLY in Microsoft Publisher... which is a good thing. The plastic pattern bags arrived late yesterday afternoon (they were due here last Friday). I guess I'll be bringing my mail and bills with me. All these little details.

Mainly, I just wanted to say, I always over-book myself. Always have. There are just so many things I want to do, choosing the best ones - and NOT feeling guilty about the others - has always been one of the hardest things for me to do!

Which makes me think of one other thing. Honestly folks, how DO you watch TV for hours a day? There are So Many things TO DO in life, I just can't figure out when / how to sit around and be unproductive! If I ever let myself do a Movie Marathon or Read a Book, I feel bad for "not doing anything."

Like my Uncle and Husband say, I need to Learn How to Relax.

Any pointers?

Quotes and Thoughts about "HOME"

So, on the drive back to Wyoming I REALLY resisted referring to our new house as "Home". I called in "our house" or "back in Wyoming", but my heart aches at the thought of calling this "Home." Which confuses me, for, I certainly want my boys to have a "home". I just think of MY home as being in Arizona.

By the way, we arrived back at 10:30 pm ... after JUST 14 hours on the road today!

In any case, being so tired from this trip, I wanted to get back to my own bed and my things. But my feeling of rest and home points me back to Arizona. Luckily, my Mom helped me paint a mural with a Sonoran theme. When I saw it I smiled and felt better... I also thought that I should put a heat lamp in the room it's in to make it feel more like a desert (the house was 67 and outside was almost down to 40.) Also, all around Shadona Central Speedway, I have Arizona paintings and pictures. Whenever my eyes rested on one of my Sonoran things, I smiled and felt better. At least I can keep pieces of my home around me.

In any case, I think some of these revelations came after searching out "home" quotes online. Here are some that I found:

• "Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." – William Morris, 19th Century Designer
• A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.- George Moore
• The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes. - Harold B. Lee (1899 - 1973)
• Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
  Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home. - John Howard Payne (1791 - 1852)
• My home is not a place, it is people. - Lois McMaster Bujold, "Barrayar", 1991
• Every house where love abides
  And friendship is a guest,
  Is surely home, and home, sweet home
  For there the heart can rest. - -Henry Van Dyke
• "Having some place to go is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both is a blessing." – Unknown
• "Home is a magical word - within that mystical circle are comforts and warmth never found outside it." – unknown
• "Home is not where you live, but where they understand you." – Christian Morgenstern
• "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in." - Robert Frost
• "Home is where there's someone to love, and someone to love us." – unknown

The quote that finally "hit home" (no pun intended) was this one:

• "Home is where your favorite memories are." - Peter-Dirk Uys

and these followed closely behind it:

• "Home is where your story begins" – Unknown
• "Home is where one starts from." - T.S. Eliot
• "May your home be a place where friends meet, family gathers and love grows." – UKNOWN
• "Mighty proud I am that I am able to have a spare bed for my friends." - Samuel Pepys
• "My home is where my books are." - Ellen Thompson 1909
• "Traveling in the company of those we love is home in motion." - Leigh Hunt

In any case, I've been pondering the simple little word "HOME" and what it means to us. It's strange how I resist using it because I just don't want to accept this Barren Wasteland as My Home...

So tell me, what does HOME mean to you?

Almost Out the Door

Well, the night before a two-week road-trip and I'm actually feeling calm and pleased with myself... both a rare thing to happen just before leaving! I planned my week out and pretty much stuck to the schedule. Imagine what it would be like if I did this same thing (organizing and breaking tasks up) for other things, like Christmas or trips or projects! I could actually get things done ON TIME and at ease!? Okay, not totally at ease, as I often do, I planned too much and was wiped out ALL WEEK. Thus my absence from these forums, but, I did get things done on time, so, that IS a step in the right direction!

Here are a few pictures from this week:

Tuesday - before afternoon class-time, I took my boys and three of our neighbor-kids (also homeschooled) to the park.



Wednesday


With so much going on lately with Jack, Aunt Lou sent Frank his "Road to Wyoming" Quilt. He ask her to make this the last time we visited (when she gave me a quilt made in the same pattern, but called it "The Road BACK to Arizona".) Mine is full of Arizona related fabrics. For the boys, there are things representing their interests and also fabrics representing the road (and views) between Arizona and Wyoming. The boys and I selected most of the fabrics on the way home from a trip, then, I cut them into 2 1/2" strips and mailed them to my Aunt.

Jack's top is nearly done, and I'm on a mission (for my trip) to find the backing for Jack's "Road to Wyoming". I like how the boys' quilts have "kids" fabrics, but overall have a more mature feel.

The pattern for all three of these quilts is "Arkansas Crossroads". It is one of my new favorites. I LOVE how well it works with scraps.

Where Are You Now?

I was reading Pioneer Woman's Introspective Post about where she is in life and where she thought she'd be. Here's the response I posted to her board:

14 - Go to school. Be an Elementary School Teacher until getting married. Stay home with kids, lots of kids! I wanted pairs of them, two or three pairs, spaced every couple of years. I wanted 2, 4, or 6 children, the house, dogs, cats, gardens, white picket fence. Back in Arizona (my home).

24 - I've been married five years. Made it back to Arizona; LOVE my time out in the desert! Still trying to go back to college and get my degree, but instead working full time to support my husband's "hobbies". Waiting ANXIOUSLY to have children. My sister (17) is pregnant. I spend several weeks with her as she has a child, trying to support her through adopting her infant out, while wondering how life can "play" such tricks on us!

34 - Now. Happily married (third time); FINALLY! Two sons. Dog. Two cats. Rural Wyoming town. Quilter. "Stay at home" but often out and about with the boys. Preparing for first year of homeschooling.

Biggest regret is that I still haven't got that college degree!

I NEVER thought I'd be divorced once, let alone twice!

I miss my step-daughter from my second marriage! I think of her often and wish I could interact with her. I find it very ironic that I have a former step-daughter and four nieces, but I don't get to spend time with any of them. Meanwhile, I have two happy, healthy boys. I enjoy them and also wonder what it would be like for me to have daughters.

Long ago, I expected more children in my home and thought they'd be nearly grown by now, instead, they are just beginning their lives (3 & 5 yos).

Where are you in your life? Where did you think you would be?

What do you do...

Throughout the year, I take care of the finances, but at the end of the year, my hubby does the taxes. I give him the folder with all the documents I've gathered and he files them. Somehow, for us, it balances out. Tom prints out a hard copy for our file and keeps an electronic copy on the computer.

Last year, in April we decided to move. For whatever reason, Tom still had the Taxes file folder on his computer desk... instead of back in my filing cabinet. We've just realized this in the past week as we prepare to file our taxes. I've gone to my filing cabinet (in storage) and found my taxes from 1991-2002. 2003-2006 are in the manilla folder which Tom had on the desk. Apparently, that file folder got packed with the desk contents instead of returned to the folder... which means, it could be ANYWHERE within a 10'x15'x8' storage unit which is COMPLETELY packed! :P

Never fear! We have an electronic copy... right? No. Tom installed an update of Windows a few months ago which wound up CRASHING our hard drive and formating a good number of files... including our electronic tax records. :P

Foiled again.

So. What do you do? Tom even tried looking back (online) at our banking records, since we received our refunds electronically, but, they only keep the past six months online.

One other thing... it's been delightful that Tom always does our taxes in February... but, if you'll recall, Tom spent most of February on prescription pain-killers... so, doing taxes was out of the question.

Anyway, if you have any ideas about how I can recover the records of my previous rebate, so I can pay taxes on a refund that I've already been taxed on, please, let me know!

Thanks.

High Altitude Cooking / Baking Adjustments

My Aunt's have had a cabin in the mountains since before I was born. It's actually the only "place" in my life that has remained constant. I've noticed that when I get there, I'm often sleepy and able to rest. I'm still pondering if I rest there because I instinctively know I can, if I take myself there when I "need" some downtime, or if it's some combination. I digress.

My Aunt Ginny was a great cook. Over many years, she gathered information for adjusting recipes to cook / bake at high-altitudes. Since I now live at a high-altitude, I was given these little treasures of info on my last visit. Now, I'd like to share them with you.

• Increase flour 2 teaspoons per cup.
• Increase liquid 1 Tablespoon per cup.
• Decrease leavening agent 1/8 teaspoon per teaspoon.
• Decrease sugar 1 Tablespoon per cup.
• Decrease shortening 1 Tablespoon per cup.
• Increase baking temperature 10 degrees.

When I ask about the source, I was told that this info was discovered by trial-and-error or that it was gathered a piece at a time, Here-and-There. I hope that they help you sometime.

What I SHOULD Have Said...

So, what I should have said in my last post was not "why aren't you writting me" but, "I really am isolated up here is Wyoming. I often feel alone and out of the loop. I miss my friends, family, and life in Arizona." That being said, I do enjoy living in Wyoming and I'm not sitting up here wallowing in misery, I just have occassional longings ... usually when I here my friends are getting together for a play date or a Mom's Day Out. Then, I feel a little sad.


All-in-all, life is calmer and simpler here. My hands (which are great barometers of my emotions, because they dry out and bleed when I'm upset) have only had maybe three minor outbreaks since moving up here.



I'm spening more time than ever with my husband and sons. Also, I'm actually producing things (like: fabric and yarn arts and baked goods). For instance, on Saturday morning, the snow was softly falling and I thought up, designed, sewed, and finished a product all in one morning. It felt so good and was quite empowering and encouraging to take something through the whole process (thought-up to finished item). Here is the fleece-lined, flannel poncho I created for Jack on Saturday...he loves it (but hates taking pictures)!


Why the non-water-proof poncho? Well, he has a rain jacket and he has a snow coat, but the snow coat, while warm, is too big to fit in his five-point harness car seat. I've found that it takes so long to get him in and out of the jacket, that we often just carry it while he rushes in or out of a building to the van. So, I wanted something snuggly and warm that would be quick to throw on him for in and out of the van trips. I'm thinking of closing up the sides, either by sewing them or buttons or something, but I do like that it can be opened flat and put on him like a blanket (especially when he's in his car seat, because this too is too big for his harness system. Also, I had this fabric (and even the Superman "S" Logo) sitting in my closet and ready to go.


The poncho's such a hit that Frank too wants one... though I think his will be used more for playing --- he always is running around with a blanket over his head, so, I'll make his hood HUGE so he can hide in it. :D

Suzy :D