Ghandi · Jul 1
I’ve been on an organizing kick tonight, at least when it comes to this website. Please don’t look in my cupboards! And especially not on the bookshelf next to my desk that serves as an impromptu filing system. In it’s dreams! And the pile of papers above the label “To File”? Yeah…
Sooo…about that organizing kick. There are some big changes coming up on this website. I’m quite excited about them, actually. There’s no telling when they’ll be ready to share, but in the spirit of those changes, and hoping for more organization I was digging through my archives, looking for un-posted posts.
You know those posts you start writing, and then run out of words, or stop yourself because the post is just sounding too lame but you can’t bear to not save it because you’ve spent so much time on it already so to pacify yourself you save it but you know you’ll never use it but you just don’t care? Or you can’t come up with a catchy close, and your post – a lesson on brilliance up to that point – just dangles helplessly like a sentence without punctuation and you think to yourself, “I’ll think of the appropriately witty ending tomorrow.” But tomorrow you are too busy and before you know it you’ve forgotten the whole thing.
Or those posts where you go on about something for so long you just know that all four of your poor faithful readers will have gotten fed up and bored by the end of your rant, so why bother them with it anyhow.
I was going through those posts, and I saw this post I started on the movie Ghandi, and thought I’d go ahead and post it. I started it almost 3 years ago, back in September of 2005. I had kind of forgotten that day, but reading this brought it all back, and was a great reminder of some powerful lessons.
Last night Brian and I watched the movie Ghandi. Watching this amazing portrayal of the life of an incredibly peaceful (while at the same time being very forceful and uncompromising) man made me feel a bit inclined to become a pacifist myself.
His whole life spoke of unselfish respect and love for his fellow man. The amazing thing (to me) was that he not only practiced these values himself but by methods which were passive (in the best sense of the word) and loving, yet very shrewd, he inclined others to do so as well.
In thinking about this movie and the way Ghandi valued other people, I was reminded of something that was said to me this past weekend. Brian and I went up to the mountains, to an amazingly beautiful outdoor chapel of Saint Anna on Saturday with a group from our church. Everyone brought a picnic lunch.
Father Christodoulos, a monk from the monastery that is responsible for the chapel, was sitting and eating with us, and he said something that just stuck in my mind. He said that when we greet each other – with a handshake, or a hug, or a holy kiss, or even a wave – we are, in a sense, greeting the image of God in each of us.
Isn’t that an awesome thought? And it makes so much sense. But the profoundness of it just floors me. Each of us, created in God’s image. Mirrors, tarnished and stained and warped, it is true, but mirrors nonetheless to the brilliant, holy Divinity of God. Essentially, it is what Christ was saying when He said “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:31-46 (The Sheep and the Goats)
I hope I am reminded of that more often. I think I would treat others with much more dignity and respect. And love and kindness.
Up To · Jun 17
This morning has been very peaceful. Bridget has been taking a nice long nap, and I have been on my computer, enjoying the quiet, happily clicking my way through blogs that I normally have to skim or skip over entirely. A nice lazy morning.
Then, about 5 minutes ago I realized what I was doing. Ack! I have diapers to put on the line! The house is a mess! The dishwasher needs to be emptied! I need to pack…iron…my thoughts stumbled over each other and tumbled into a heap. Does that ever happen to you? You have so many thoughts at once that your brain refuses to process them all and so they just get thrown on the “later” pile?
All is not lost, though. Bridget continues to nap, and, although I expect her to wake up at any moment, I do have the most important item checked off my mental list/heap. The diapers are in the sunshine, drying off, and although they probably won’t be dry by the time she wakes, I can always use a disposable. I doubt the world will come to an end.
In the meantime, as the rest of my list waits, I thought I’d update you on what I’m up to (besides juggling a baby who, as Brian puts it, is becoming “frighteningly mobile” – now rolling over both ways with ease, and grabbing at anything – including my computer keyboard – within her reach).
1. Regular stuff: this is the stuff that is the most boring, but takes up the most of my time. Laundry, cleaning, cooking and the like. I’ll spare you the gruesome details.
2. Summertime activities! Getting together with family and friends, gardening, etc. We have a lot of fun get-togethers coming up, which might make me a little scarcer than usual, blog-wise.
3. This month, a Fabric Swap at Oh, Fransson!
Bridget and I took a little field trip to arc, a thrift store, and picked up some nifty vintage-looking sheets.
I hope I got the right thing. This is my first swap, and I’m a bit nervous that I’m going to mess it up. But how hard can it be, really?
I washed the sheets last night but, even though I hung them on the line all night to dry/air out, they still have that weird thrift-store smell. Ick. I might have to wash them again on hot or something.
Anyhow, I’m very excited about the swap, and hope to get my squares cut and sent soon – sometime this week would be nice, but possibly not realistic. Next week?
That’s about it. We’re traveling this weekend, so I’m getting ready for that. It’ll be Bridget’s first plane trip, an experience I anticipate with no small amount of trepidation. Any fool-proof techniques, tips, or even just ideas?
And now, just because I can’t resist:
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Happy Father's Day · Jun 15
Happy Father’s Day, Honey! You are such an amazing daddy! And I’m so blessed…
I love you!
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Deep Breath · Jun 13
I’ve slowly been recuperating from the craziness that was the week leading up to the Big Party (a.k.a. Bridget’s baptism and the reception that followed at our house). It was really cool, and a very meaningful time for us. I hope someday we can explain clearly to her the significance of that event.
I have yet to go through my pictures, but here is one from later in the week, when we went to the pool with her Yia Yia (Grandma), who flew into town for the occassion.
In other news, Andrea over at Knitty Bitties tried out the Nike + iPod Tutorial that I made a while back. Check out the adorable results of her efforts here. She found a couple of weaknesses with the instructions, so if you had problems with them before, check back – I think they are more clear now.
That’s it for now! We continue to be pretty busy, but hopefully I will be more faithful about posting in spite of that! Post a Day in July isn’t nearly as catchy as Post a Day in May, but I would like to at least post every other day.
Oh! I almost forgot! On Saturday Bridget is going to her very first birthday party! Her cousin is turning 1 whole year old, and is having a (kiddie) pool party! So you can be looking for some Ultra Adorable pictures of that event.
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Gardening Pictures · Jun 2
I was getting in bed last night and thought, “Oh no! I didn’t do a blog post today!” Then Brian reminded me that it was no longer May, so my commitment actually ended the day before. Thus the Post a Day in May challenge ends. Rather more abruptly and unceremoniously than I planned. I hope to keep up the habit of at least quasi-daily posts, but this promises to be a very crazy week, so bear with me.
Next weekend is Bridget’s baptism, and we’re having a reception at our house afterwards, so we’re busy getting the place all spiffied in preparation. There’s nothing like having a bunch of people over to motivate a person to clean! And hang curtains…and frame pictures…you get the idea.
This past weekend we did a bunch of yard work. And I got to plant flowers! Hurray! Gardening is one of my hobbies, and since we hadn’t bought plants yet this spring I had a great excuse to go out and purchase some pretties. Thanks to my honey, they didn’t languish in their flimsy plastic pots all weekend – they’re trying out their roots in real live soil!
I planted the herbs in the backyard, and the hostas around the north side of the house. Grow, little plants, grow! I bought mostly perennials this year, so hopefully everything stays happy this summer and comes back bigger and better next year!
Grumpy Pants · May 31
Bridget’s been grumpy all day. I don’t think she’s feeling that well – it could be teething, or it could be germies. Whatever it is, it’s not endearing itself to Momma Warren. Making my precious baby cry.
In spite of that, and in spite of the fact that she had almost no nap at all (she just wouldn’t stay asleep!) I got all of my plantings done today. That’s right, all. Because my Superman swooped in and rescued me.
Brian was a huge help with Bridget today. Times like these when he saves me from pulling my hair out I marvel at how single parents handle it. It’s got to be incredibly difficult – not only does a single parent not have the emotional support of their spouse, but they miss out on the very practical help, like I received today (thank you, honey!). I just feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to have been given the gift of such a great guy. And then on top of that I got a great little gal!
All that to say our yard is looking pretty spiffy now, thanks to my hunny. I’m super excited about all my new flowers. I’m also very tired, but in a good way. I’ll post pictures tomorrow when the lighting is better.
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Treats! · May 30
This is what treats for Anna look like
Mmmm! Flowers and herbs and veggies! Oh My!
Bridget was such a trooper, and napped the whole time I was shopping for them. What a gal! Unfortunately, that meant that this afternoon I didn’t have “Mommy Time”, just “Mommy and Bridget Time” (also fun, but with more restricted activities. Which apparently include the current activity of blowing raspberries on my arm. Huh.) I tried to go for it anyhow, but I guess there are only so many ways to chew a ducky before it gets old. Ha! That should totally be on a shirt!
Maybe the planting can resume when daddy bear gets home and is doing Bridget cuddles.
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Fridge Box · May 30
How cool is this?! Now you can make a fort even if you don’t need to buy a new fridge!
fridgeboxworld.com
Found via RookieMoms
Amy Butler Lotus Cami Complete · May 30
Hurray! My top is all done. Actually, it was done last night, but my hair was funky then, and although it’s still kinda weird I couldn’t wait any longer to show you.
I made some changes in the pattern so that I can more easily feed Bridget when I’m wearing it (without the changes I would have had to basically undress every time she needed to nurse). I basically just sewed in two triangles to the front and made it into a kind of pleat. I’m a tad disappointed in how boxy it turned out, but I guess I’d rather it be boxy than not work with breast feeding.
If I somehow end up with gobs of time in between now and Bridget’s baptism (the intended debut for the top), maybe I’ll make another less boxy top. Somehow I doubt that will happen though. And I really am pleased with it. I think it will look really nice with my pearl necklace (which is MIA – uh oh!)
Ah, the drama of my life continues! :)
I should get to bed – Bridget and I are making an appearance at a breakfast in the morning, so no sleeping in super late like I did this morning!
Good night, all (or, if you are sensible and reading this in the a.m., Good Morning!)
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Again?! · May 29
(Yes, it’s Thursday morning, and no, I haven’t gone to bed yet so it doesn’t count! I’m still blissfully in Wednesday-land…)
Yes, indeed. I am yet again out of thread! This is all that was left. Even the bobbin thread was all gone! Crazy, huh? GOOD THING I’M DONE!!!
I kid you not! I’ve been sewing like a madwoman over here, and I’m FINALLY done with my cute little Amy Butler Cami! I’ll post a picture tomorrow when my hair (hopefully) is all done looking funky. G’night, all!