...mlk weekend...?
It snowed this weekend! I was so excited! I think it only snows like once every 10-15 or more years here, so we were VERY excited when the snow actually stuck to the ground! When Knox saw the snow blowing all around, he kept whispering, "Wow, wow, wow."I thought Knox would enjoy the blowing flakes, but when we stepped out in it, he cried. Its finally too cold for even my flip-flop self to wear sandles. I'm heavily layered with the scarves I've been knitting all year. Mom dropped by this weekend with a bounty of quilts she has picked up. I am very grateful for her good timing! My favorite quilt is ladened with bright poppies that is obviously hand-sewn. I am so impressed by the thought of women sewing such beautiful and useful objects. When I look at such an intricate quilt, I cannot but think, people are so foolish to think that married women of the past were stifled in their homemaking. They had wonderful creative outlets that the arts of are being extinguished today, such as quilting. It seems to be such a time consuming thing, and yet, what beauty out of scraps and what would normally be trash! What a way to renew the earth.
hello again.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
I'm dreaming of a white...
... MLK weekend...?
Saturday it SNOWED!!! I know this may sound insignificant to most of you out in blogger-land, but if you don't realize, it NEVER snows here. Seriously, the only time I know of it snowing was when I was on a field trip in town while I was in Kindergarten, and I didn't go to the window when they said it was snowing, so I never saw it. It melted immediately. It ices over occasionally (meaning once every few years), but snow is probably once every 10-20 years.
So, I was thoroughly excited when I awoke at 8 on a Saturday morning to my cellphone ringing to the joyous news that it was SNOWING!!! :o) I built a snowman about 6 inches tall from the snow that had accumulated on my car. We put Knox's tiny handprint in the pile of snow on a lid outside, and he cried. Apparently he doesn't care for the snow. I, along with many other people I know (judging from the enormous influx of snow pictures on facebook over the weekend), took lots of pictures of the snow. I even have a video of my dad throwing a snowball.
Here's a shot of Wesley I'm working on. I like the lighting. We're well into the CD process, and I think it's going well. We've been working on the actual recording lately, and soon we will be working on design and duplication phase. We are excited about seeing it release!
Saturday it SNOWED!!! I know this may sound insignificant to most of you out in blogger-land, but if you don't realize, it NEVER snows here. Seriously, the only time I know of it snowing was when I was on a field trip in town while I was in Kindergarten, and I didn't go to the window when they said it was snowing, so I never saw it. It melted immediately. It ices over occasionally (meaning once every few years), but snow is probably once every 10-20 years.
So, I was thoroughly excited when I awoke at 8 on a Saturday morning to my cellphone ringing to the joyous news that it was SNOWING!!! :o) I built a snowman about 6 inches tall from the snow that had accumulated on my car. We put Knox's tiny handprint in the pile of snow on a lid outside, and he cried. Apparently he doesn't care for the snow. I, along with many other people I know (judging from the enormous influx of snow pictures on facebook over the weekend), took lots of pictures of the snow. I even have a video of my dad throwing a snowball.
Here's a shot of Wesley I'm working on. I like the lighting. We're well into the CD process, and I think it's going well. We've been working on the actual recording lately, and soon we will be working on design and duplication phase. We are excited about seeing it release!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Some pictures from Christmas
I've just rediscovered scrapbooking. Wow. I really enjoy it. However, I have also rediscoverd why I stopped it in the first place: it is expensive and takes up all my time. Wesley and I are still pondering whether or not we should go back to school soon or not. We haven't really gotten anywhere with the process.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tacos for dinner.
Eating at the Townsends' house. They have been feeding me and Knox most meals this week. Thanks girls. Yum.
Wesley is driving in the rain. He's trying to find a gas station. I hope he's safe.
I may Christmas shop this weekend...hmmmm...not sure what to buy. Not sure I want to. But it will be good to visit my sister and my mom.
Little Sam has my phone right now. (He's the other little boy Knox's age that stay with the Townsends.) He's practically in heaven. He's never allowed to touch phones, so this is great for him. My phone is basically a piece of junk, so it works out well. His face glows when he reaches for it. Its pretty funny. He's walking around right now with only one shoe on. Both socks on, though, so, that's good. Here's a good question: Can you ever juice a banana? Robin says no. She juices stuff all the time. She says they're "unjuicible" and would just turn to pulp, or mush. I have no clue.
Wesley is driving in the rain. He's trying to find a gas station. I hope he's safe.
I may Christmas shop this weekend...hmmmm...not sure what to buy. Not sure I want to. But it will be good to visit my sister and my mom.
Little Sam has my phone right now. (He's the other little boy Knox's age that stay with the Townsends.) He's practically in heaven. He's never allowed to touch phones, so this is great for him. My phone is basically a piece of junk, so it works out well. His face glows when he reaches for it. Its pretty funny. He's walking around right now with only one shoe on. Both socks on, though, so, that's good. Here's a good question: Can you ever juice a banana? Robin says no. She juices stuff all the time. She says they're "unjuicible" and would just turn to pulp, or mush. I have no clue.
random...
Work. Yuck.
Christmas parties, Yay!
Sleep, even better! :)
Christmas parties, Yay!
Sleep, even better! :)
Grrr.
Last Christmas
Again, Last Christmas.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Thoughts on parenting
Wesley is in Nashville, and we are at home. Well, we're really at my in-laws' house. I am having issues latley with disciplining Knox. At the risk of shocking the world through a discussion on disciplining a 13 month old, here goes.
I guess I should start this conversation with the preface that we believe that a child-centered family is not beneficial to neither the parents, nor the children, nor the rest of the world, for that matter.
We began this process of trying to let Knox understand that he integrates into our family, and is not the center or purpose of it, quite early in his life by letting him cry himself to sleep. You may not initially think that coorilates to teaching him that he is not the center of the family, but let me assure you, it does. I know this from experience. I would have thought a year ago that this perspective is nuts and couldn't possibly make sense, but I know from experience it is true. Knox is a very strong-willed child. He demands his way. But when I give him no other option at nap time (or at bedtime) but to sleep, he cannot have his way. His body gives in to sleep eventually, and any crying (aka rebellion, in many cases) just helps my case by tiring him out more. When he got old enough, we started to teach him "no" by thumping him firmly, but not too hard, on the hand or foot. He did not imidiately respond to this, because, as I said before, he is a very strong-willed child. He would sometimes look at me like, "what do you think you are doing?" and continue to reach for whatever he shouldn't. But he quickly learned what "no" means. He now has an understanding of consequenses for his actions. By the way, let me also add that he responds sometimes well to praise, so I do not want to give the illusion that we only punish him. No, we understand that at least equally, he needs praise for him to understand to do certain things. We cheer his obedience and creativity on with gusto.
Well, lately (within the past month, noticably) a new streak of rebellion has popped up. He tries new tactics. Where formerly he would mainly cry to get his way, now he whines and yells. He actually told me "no-no" after I told him no. I have seen him laying down on the floor and crying in anger (throwing a miniature temper tantrum) after he doesn't want to do what I tell him to do. Knox is about 13-14 months. He is starting to have more responsibility, and with that, is also learning that he can be more rebellious. His little rebellions are even so funny and almost sweet sometimes in that I can see what a frail and tiny man he is, and it makes me almost laugh with joy about who he is becoming, but I know I cannot laugh when he is being disciplined so that not to cause confusion.
It amazes me the capacity to learn that he has at such a young age. I would never have guessed that he could actually put his toys away on command this young. I didn't know he could understand how to sit down, stand up, or lay down when I tell him to do so. But he does. Anyway, parenting is so much more than I ever thought! :)
I guess I should start this conversation with the preface that we believe that a child-centered family is not beneficial to neither the parents, nor the children, nor the rest of the world, for that matter.
We began this process of trying to let Knox understand that he integrates into our family, and is not the center or purpose of it, quite early in his life by letting him cry himself to sleep. You may not initially think that coorilates to teaching him that he is not the center of the family, but let me assure you, it does. I know this from experience. I would have thought a year ago that this perspective is nuts and couldn't possibly make sense, but I know from experience it is true. Knox is a very strong-willed child. He demands his way. But when I give him no other option at nap time (or at bedtime) but to sleep, he cannot have his way. His body gives in to sleep eventually, and any crying (aka rebellion, in many cases) just helps my case by tiring him out more. When he got old enough, we started to teach him "no" by thumping him firmly, but not too hard, on the hand or foot. He did not imidiately respond to this, because, as I said before, he is a very strong-willed child. He would sometimes look at me like, "what do you think you are doing?" and continue to reach for whatever he shouldn't. But he quickly learned what "no" means. He now has an understanding of consequenses for his actions. By the way, let me also add that he responds sometimes well to praise, so I do not want to give the illusion that we only punish him. No, we understand that at least equally, he needs praise for him to understand to do certain things. We cheer his obedience and creativity on with gusto.
Well, lately (within the past month, noticably) a new streak of rebellion has popped up. He tries new tactics. Where formerly he would mainly cry to get his way, now he whines and yells. He actually told me "no-no" after I told him no. I have seen him laying down on the floor and crying in anger (throwing a miniature temper tantrum) after he doesn't want to do what I tell him to do. Knox is about 13-14 months. He is starting to have more responsibility, and with that, is also learning that he can be more rebellious. His little rebellions are even so funny and almost sweet sometimes in that I can see what a frail and tiny man he is, and it makes me almost laugh with joy about who he is becoming, but I know I cannot laugh when he is being disciplined so that not to cause confusion.
It amazes me the capacity to learn that he has at such a young age. I would never have guessed that he could actually put his toys away on command this young. I didn't know he could understand how to sit down, stand up, or lay down when I tell him to do so. But he does. Anyway, parenting is so much more than I ever thought! :)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
one christian's thought on godliness in art and daily life
Ah, lately i have begun to paint again. My fingers feel alive for the first time in about a year. Wesley and I have been thinking about what it means to glorify God in what you do, and what to do to glorify God. How does one do this on a daily basis? More specifically, what does this mean to me? Even more so, what does this mean to me as an artist? Truely, I don't have to paint crosses or Jesus on my for or label it "Christian" for it to glorify God. And the things I create don't have to be just (or at all?) appreciated by Christians for it to glorify God, so what is it that glorifies God in what I do? And how do I do it?
And that brings me to my current thought: I am much more content about all of life when I paint (or sculpt, or whatever). Not just an "I'm happy" contentment, but a deep overwhelming contentment that doesn't come from reading a good book or eating a good meal. Something much larger than that. And I know that in and of itself is not something that creates godliness, but I cannot deny that God, being a creative and purposeful God, created an aptitude and desire for it for some reason.
And now for some pictures I have been meaning to post.
And that brings me to my current thought: I am much more content about all of life when I paint (or sculpt, or whatever). Not just an "I'm happy" contentment, but a deep overwhelming contentment that doesn't come from reading a good book or eating a good meal. Something much larger than that. And I know that in and of itself is not something that creates godliness, but I cannot deny that God, being a creative and purposeful God, created an aptitude and desire for it for some reason.
And now for some pictures I have been meaning to post.
This is from Knox's first birthday party. Here he is with his great-grandfather Poppy, or as I call him, Granda:
Grammy KK and Aunt Lee:
With Daddy:
and an older picture from the Fourth of July: (Note the crazy outfit on Knox that my mom picked out. It had a hat that matched.)
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