Fairy Godmother

I'm addicted to fabrics.

I love their textures, weights and colors.
I love looking at fabrics and dreaming up projects.  I've got a zillion in the works, so I've had to discipline myself.


To avoid temptation, I can only enter a fabric store to find materials to FINISH a project.

That's how Noah and I ended up there Sunday afternoon. We found fabric not only to finish one of my projects but also for Noah to begin his own. We refrained from getting a complementary one. I assured Noah my storehouse could provide for that need.

This morning as I dug through multiple 18-gallon plastic-storeage totes, I pulled many selections from which Noah can choose. I also found many vibrant cuts from other dream days.

This inspired me to set aside one day a week - just for sewing!

As I looked for a PJ pattern to fit Noah, I ran across and old favorite that I'd used many times for my own boys as well as their cousins. I even found two pieces of flannel that I used two years ago to create nightgowns for my goddaughter and her sister. The youngest was wearing hers the last time I arrived to visit my parents and her grandparents.

"I can't believe it still fits you," I said in awe. Her sister explained, "It's mine, but Mom said I had to give it up because it didn't fit me anymore. I didn't want to."

Their mom explained how the littlest one wore her own to shreds by wearing it nearly day-in-and-day-out. When the older one out-grew hers, it made sense to hand it down. "She loves her Aunt Wendy jammies!" my sister said with a wink.

 



At that moment, I made a mental note: Sew new PJs for both girls - when I get time. The trouble is I rarely GET time. I have to MAKE time for the fun of sewing.

Well, today—just moments before finding the flannel and the PJ pattern—I'd already pledged to set aside one day a week to sew!

So - that's what I did.

Needing Noah to choose his complementary fabric as well as fit an adult-sized PJ pattern to him, I ruled out further work on his project. Today I sewed for my nieces.

I love using up fabric to finish projects. (Yep, these two flannels are all gone!) And I especially love playing Fairy Godmother.

On Safari

I was
on my way
home 

when I entered
the birch grove

and noticed

the bracket fungi

consuming

loose bark,

a twig

and

a leaf.

Then I wondered:

"Was I too

being watched

On Safari?"














Isaac and I argued about the last photo and whether the "two curves and corresponding dots" were
"smiling eyes and nostrils" or "eyebrows and eyes."
Click on the photo for a closer look. Any thoughts?

Compliment Day

Has your mother ever told you: "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all?"

Today's a great time to exercise this lesson and offer sincere compliments to at least five different folks you know. Be sure the compliments are genuine or you will do more harm than good.

Why? It's Compliment Day!

Thanks to two New Hampshire residents, Kathy Chamberlin, of Hopkinton, and Debby Hoffman, of Concord, this day of positivity began in 1998.

For more every-day celebrations, check out this website: http://www.holidayinsights.com/everyday.htm

Today I let Tickles, Aaron's nine-year-old mama cat, know she's still a kitten at heart by making her a unique chew toy to use while she's holed up here in the house during the deep of winter! Earlier, she was shooting up and down the hall, grabbing ornaments off the tree, biting and flicking them with her rabbit feet and acting crazy. I took two hints: 1. It's time to get out the boxes and pack up Christmas.
2. She needs to something to keep her lioness-like skills sharp. Since my sewing machine was out for mending, I went to work for the Kitten-Within!

 

Four more compliments for me to go!

How about you?

The Gr. 5 Health Project

Besides giving Mom a break from cooking, the best part of the meal-making homework project is capturing our youngster's capabilites!

Snapshots of the Day

"Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær."

I thought about this Norwegian rhyme as I walked the dogs today. I ventured outside at noon when the thermometer read -8°F/-20°C—almost subtropical compared to -22°F/-30°C temperature reading at 8 a.m. 

With Norwegian-wool socks warming my feet in my old Sorel boots, snowpants over my insulated wind pants, a hooded sweatshirt and flannel blouse on my upperbody, a fuzzy scarf around my face, gloves covering my hands and a hooded-barncoat zipping in the works, I faced the elements and grasped the Norwegian rhyme which could "very-loosely" translate:

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only an inadequate sweater."


The wind blew. The sun shone.

Even as I walked the Arctic Avenue, I was warm. So warm, in fact, that frost begin to form over my glasses, on my hood and even in my exposed hair.

I held out the camera for a snapshot to see just what kind of havoc this bad weather was wreaking.

I snapped another of wintry way.

At home, I checked my email to find one from my husband who was stationed for the work week in "Sunny Jacksonville." He'd sent me a Florida beach photo. 

"Ouch!" we responded in turn.

Me to him. And him to me, after I sent him my two Snapshots of the Day!

Are You Connecting With Your Fifth Grader?

Noah's a fifth grader this year. When his science teacher assigned the class a biome project, Noah chose to research the tundra. He wrote:

"The tundra is a place with permafrost, which is ground that barely thaws. This biome has a short-growing season which makes life hard on plants and animals."

In his studies, Noah learned the earth has two types of tundra: the arctic and antarctic kind as well as the alpine sort. For images to use with his project, I opened a coffee table book called "Rondane" - a publication about Norway's oldest national park. We found images of reindeer habitat, food and young.

We also opened my treasure trunk and found a lichen-covered "map rock" from Rondane. When I suggested Noah bring the rock and the reindeer skin hanging in our entryway to show along with his project, he said, "YES!!!"

As we carefully removed the nails tacking it to the wall, Noah asked,"Why did you even bring this reindeer skin back from Norway?"

I explained how skiers roll up these skins, attach them to their backpacks and use them to cover the snowbenches they build at lunchtime.

"Before I left Norway, I bought cross-country skis, boots and poles so I could keep skiing when I came back to Minnesota," I said. "While traveling the west-coast mountains with my host family, we came across a vendor selling reindeer skins at a reasonable price. I bought this one to continue the tradition."

Then I confessed, " Only, I never did take it out on the ski trail. Instead, it's hung every home I've made. It's hung here for 14 years now."

"Oh!" said Noah. "Then maybe it's good we're taking it down— "
"For a dusting!" I interrupted. "Probabably..."

Today while Noah was off at school with his tundra trifold project and visuals, I set out on foot to walk the dogs down our gravel road.

As I crossed the large expanse between the glacial moraines to our north and south, the frigid temperature and wind brought to mind my fifth-grader's biome project.

When I returned home, I made my own tundra trifold project using photos from my morning walk.

"Why?" I asked myself, and answered the question with another:

 "Are you connecting with your fifth grader?"

My First Article - Written in Norwegian

"You're officially part of Eidskog history!" 



That's how I started a letter to the ladies from the 2008 NorwayBound trip this weekend. Our photograph - taken back then while picnicing at a lake with my host parents - was featured in the annual norsk Christmas publication, "Jul i Eidskog."

Just after New Year's Day, I received my copy from the book's editor. Not only had he taken the photograph, but he had also convinced me to contribute an article - "a little greeting" explaining my connection to the community located an hour east of Oslo on the Swedish border.

His request came early last fall - while I was up to my ears in projects. I told him if he could wait until October's end, I'd help. He agreed to the deadline. When I emailed a month later asking for a word-count size, he said not to worry, just let the article run its course. He could cut out an article he'd written on the area's last three cowboys to fit in mine.

I sent him my draft of "Julebrev fra Amerika" (Christmas Letter from Amerika) and wrote, "I won't be disappointed if you don't use this and instead focus on real Eidskogingers - also, folks who live there now." He returned my article with "not many" edits and the intended photos, including the lakeside one, another with the boys and me leading a Norwegian Christmas program at our local elementary school, plus our family standing on the snowy hillside behind our north-central Minnesota home.

The editor's decision to use the article gave me a surprise gift for my host families. The publication came out well before Christmas. In his holiday greetings, my host dad wrote, "Many people have read your article with the fine photo at Hesbølsjøen. Another host mom explained how the thread that binds us is strong indeed. To increase its strength, she sent a framed version of Eidskog's lumberjack poet Hans Børli's

Road to Eternity and a pair of house nisses.

When my copy finally arrived, I was happy to see "The Last Three Cowboys" didn't get cut. Instead the book grew to 128 pages. I showed my article with the photos to my husband and sons.  They said, "Now we're a lasting part of Eidskog history too!"

To the editor, I wrote:

"You Norwegians are clever to help others widen their horizons. Now I've published my first article written in Norwegian!"

Not too bad after nearly 30-years' exposure to the language.

(Click on individual photos for closeup view, including the English translation to the left.)

"Were You Santa?"

she asked me

following the costumed visit

for the Extended-Family Talent Show

on Christmas Day.

Dressed then in regular clothes, I replied,

"That was the Julenisse who visited!"

Knowingly, she smiled,

"Well,

if it was YOU,

 'THANKS!'"

 

Who knew that

pieces of fruit

dressed up

in brightly-colored

tissue paper

could make

such festive hit?

 

Still Wrapping Up Seasonal Memories

Along Life's Road

Wrappin' Up Christmas

Before I

can take

down 

the

Christmas

tree,

I've

got

a few

(Click for textile angel post.)

related

tasks

to

complete.

Here's to the patience of those thank-you and gift recipients. It's in the mail - for you now!

A Buggy Ride

Just when I wondered

about what I'd post today,

I spotted

our neighbors

out for

a Buggy Ride.

Pre-Dawn Light

No one

was ready

but me.

I drove

alone

to start

the new

day.

Chocolate, Caramel and Vanilla

I
went

for
a
walk

with

Chocolate, 

Caramel

and Vanilla.

Or

maybe,

it

was

they

who

walked

me?

The Road to Eternity

"The road to eternity
crosses the farmstead for home.
A well-worn trail
with dewy grass in the middle
is guide enough for the seeing."

Hans Børli
Norwegian lumberjack and poet





There's something gratifying in solving puzzles, especially when it comes to translating the work of the man from my norsk "hometown."

With the report
on the Twelfth Day of Christmas!

January Jingle

On the 11th day
of Christmas,

my true love
gave to me:

One Sign
of SPRING!



Celebrating today's
48°F/+8°C weather
Along Life's Road.

Fish Fry

It's that time

of year again...

...for a
Fish Fry!

Tasting Minnesota Winter!