Motherhood IV

There never was a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

How to sew on a button

When I was an eager young 8-year-old (or there abouts) I took sewing 4-H from my friend's mother. I started with a pillow and pot holders and eventually made a skirt with gathers, stretch pants and a shirt with a collar and buttons. It was very impressive.

During these classes I learned how to sew on a button with flair (or something like that). It involves wrapping the thread between the button and the fabric. It is hard to explain, but I just happened on a great tutorial on The Purl Bee. You should check it out.

Kids make you rich

This morning at breakfast. . .

Scott: "Mom, do you want to be rich?"

"Oh, yeah, totally."

"What if I gave you all my money?"

"I don't think that would make me rich."

"No, if all your kids gave you all our money."

"That still wouldn't make me rich."

"What if you had 90 kids?"

"Oh, then I'd definitely be rich!"

"NO, a hundred, a thousand!"

Actually sweetie, just having you makes me rich beyond belief.

Brooke and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!

Last Sunday for us Utahans and this coming Sunday for everyone else (no snide comment inserted) I was/will be on Music and the Spoken Word with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Fortunately, I wasn't music-ing or spoken word-ing. I was just the model for the painting shown during the spoken word part. Fancy.

My friend Amy does many of the paintings for Music and the Spoken Word. You can see some of her work on Amy's Art.

Below I've included the good word that accompanied my sweet mug.

"In today’s world of mass production, handmade items are more meaningful than ever. Beyond being well-crafted, original workmanship, they can be manifestations of love, personal evidence of our care and concern.

"Think how heartwarming original drawings and less-than-perfect handwriting on a homemade card can be. Smell rolls fresh out of the oven, rather than in packages that preserve their shelf life; feel the warmth of a quilt that’s been pieced together one square at a time, hour after hour, day by day; touch the smooth finish on a handmade toy car, and you feel a connection with the person who made it. In every stitch, in every cut, in every shaping of such handiwork, is a little bit of its creator.

"A newly married woman found extra meaning in a handmade wedding gift, a blanket that had been crocheted by her elderly friend.

"Fingering the loops of yarn, the bride counted 108 blue and white squares and smiled at the thought of her friend resting the blanket across her feeble knees as she crocheted. The blanket was more than a warm covering to the young woman; it was a tangible reminder of her friend’s love.

"Whether a hand-sewn blanket or a handwritten note, such homemade items are filled with the human touch. Their mass-produced counterparts, though sometimes just as beautiful, don’t represent the same kind of time, effort, and care. Just as “the heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [showeth] his handywork,” our creations can tell of our love for those most dear to us. Sometimes, generations later, a family member or friend might still enjoy the work of our hands and think of the person who cared enough to make it."

Well, what do you think? Can I pass for a newly married woman with my 5 child body? Probably not in real life, but in the wonderful world of artistic impression and really good imagination, maybe.

A Beautiful, Soft-lit Living room

Isn't this beautiful? I think I need taller ceilings.
And more flowers.


Via Oliveaux

Make a list Monday (MaLM) - Fish Lottery

Make a List Monday -- Fish lottery

Did you ever read The Lottery? It's a short story about the cheery selection of a random towns person's doom. I read it in middle school just in time to form a rock-solid self worth!

Anyway, our fish are about to meet such a fate. We were told that our starter fish would die in the process of conditioning our tank. Except guess what, goldfish are the indestructible dwarf relatives of carp! So we have to "release" (I just reread The Giver) about 8 of the 12.

Just going by name, which would you choose to set free or keep?

1. Slip
2. Pedro
3. Sherbet
4. Sherbert
5. Gorbachev
6. Tiger
7. Dreamsicle
8. She-who-shall-not-be-named
9. Opal
10. Burn
11. I honestly can't remember the last two.
12. AHHHH I forgot maybe my favorite,
Rosita Chiquita Juanita Chihuahua


Which ones will live on?

A Spot of Sun

The creative output of my kids is sometimes overwhelming but always delightful. Here is a sample of how my house looks today. Go here to hear my husband rhyme his way through the paper jungle.