Thursday, January 31, 2008

We're heading south for the weekend.




OK, not that far south. And the view won't be quite that tropical. It'll be something more like this.



That's the ice castle from the St. Paul Winter Carnival. We're going to check out ice sculptures, snow sculptures and of course the Hot Dish Tent. It's Minnesoooota, ya know? Yeah sure ya betchya. I hear it's supposed to warm up to a cozy mid 20's as far as temperature.. darn right tropical for us lately. :P

So St. Paul bound and relaxing in a hotel. We'll be back on Sunday, early enough to watch some Superbowl commercials. Not really into the game but the commercials are always quite entertaining.

Have a great weekend everyone!


Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Please watch this if you haven't.

Changing the World




Monday, January 28, 2008

A Belated Birthday Wish

Diana beat me to it. I am a day late. But, I also want to acknowledge a special person's birthday.

It was Zenmomma's birth day yesterday. And do you know how thankful I am that she was born?



I have a hard time putting it into words. Mary was on the unschooling.com discussion list back, oh, 5-6 years ago and she was so helpful to me. Her words put calmness in my heart. Her words gave me courage to do what felt right to me. Unschooling became a reality for me and my family. Largely due to this wise woman's words.

So thank you Mary.

I'm so glad you were born. And I'm so excited to be closer to you... very, very soon :)

Playing with Fire

About a week or so ago, we finally got our christmas tree out of the house. It was pretty dry and Tim decided that the fire pit was a good place for it.



I kept asking.."who wants to see how long it'll take the tree to burn?? huh? huh?"

Well, yesterday we finally decided to check it out.

Tim did put a few paper shavings at the base, but man.... it burned quick!









OK Tim, step away from the blaze.


TIM... STEP AWAY FROM THE BLAZE...




Maybe 5 seconds and it was done.




Kyra and Saddi decided that this distance was good.




We decided Jack Skellington would like this tree :)





Thursday, January 24, 2008

My First Thursday Thirteen

These are the 13 Things that warm my heart on Cold January mornings, figuratively and literally..

and we all know I need warmth on mornings like these:







1. My stuffed Backyardigans sitting on my kitchen window sill.



Yes, I love the show. Kyra and I will watch them and sing along. We love the color, imagination, the adventure and yes.... even the voices. :)


2. My slippers.





I Love Acorn brand stuff, one step into them and you will never want another brand of slipper. You'll think *kooosh* as you step into them. Although I think mine are in the later phases of their "kooosh".


3. My new coffee maker.




Tim got me this maker for christmas. It cranks out the delicious beverage in the utmost haste and temperature that a true coffee addict can admire. (sorry for the glare on that photo..eek!)


4. Favorite coffee mug.





This is a mug I picked up from a cute artsy town in Virginia, named Floyd. The Lovejoy's dream home destination. I originally bought the mug
for my dad, his name is Floyd. But, as I held it and thought about it I thought it would only bring my large fingered father frustration and stress so I kept it. Not only is the finger hole small but the bottom is multi-faceted... so easy spillage.

Well, I do believe fate taught me a lesson in my egotism, thinking I could avoid the spill. Should one place a multi-faceted mug near a keyboard?

I am now without a certain wireless keyboard.

5. These 3, of course.





Obviously.


6. My phone


with the words on it saying "new text message from Tim's cell"


7. Our floor heat in the basement and garage



Isn't this wall just amazing? Can you see the little tubes going into the ground? All of those things attached to the wall are part of the whole floor heat thingy. I thought of Scotty when I took this picture. I think he'd like it. I'm not sure what's in that barrel but I'm thinkin' it's scary lookin'..


8. The coffee


A Mexican French roast, the best I've ever tasted, from a little coffee shop in International Falls, MN. Do you see the shininess of the bean, the richness of color...oooohh... aaahhhhhh. Now that being said, the Sunnyside Up does have some fantastic coffee. I'm sure once we're out there I'll have the time to find one that is just as good. And I'm looking forward to that!



9. The Morning Show with Dale Connelly and Jim Ed Poole


and The Current both on Minnesota Public Radio.


If you enter my kitchen area in the morning, these are the shows you'll hear. I listen to them right on my computer as I go through e-mail and peruse my igoogle with my fav blogs :) The Morning Show is hilarious and has really fun music and skits. The Current will have new music and classic old stuff too. Love them both.


10. igoogle






diana told me of this wonderful resource from google. You can load your favorite things right onto it, which in my case are blogs. Not only do I like the blog aspect but I get at the top what it's like outside... yeah I can look outside or look at a clock, but how fun is that??? hee hee...I like the header setting thingy :)


11. A new blog. (To me anyway) I missed this one for my "excellent" nominations.





Laura in Virginia is CenterDownHome. I love her blog. I love the colors, the images, and the words she writes. I'm sorry I missed your blog, Laura, You are MOST excellent.


12. Blueberry pancakes




yum, what can I say. Warm, sweet, blueberry goodness...along side, of course, my coffee.

and finally

13. My computer.



It is now the oldest computer in our house but it's my workhorse. It's my connection with the rest of the world, from my existence here in northern MN. Tim was kind enough to pick up more memory and.. hmm.. something else for it this winter, so I can actually play WoW with it, again. Check out my kick ass screen! (that's pretty new too) And notice I picked a flat bottomed mug today (look diana, it's your mug!)


Well, that was fun! Maybe I'll do another one sometime :)

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Spontaneous Happiness and Being Patient

This morning, Kyra bopped out of the bathroom and exclaimed...

"We're moving to Oregon!!"

**big smile**

We just can't believe it sometimes.

Then later, I'm doing some dishes and ask Kyra to put on some music. She puts on James Blunt and as "1973" comes on I have visions of Mary and Qacei, because Mary is who told us of James Blunt and I think...

"We're moving to Oregon"


So excited to be going to a new place. So excited to be near some friends. So excited to be near all sorts of new opportunities.

It's hard to wait. It's hard to think of anything else.

While we're waiting we're starting projects:

Wish ME good luck with this one.

For Abbi:




Abbi is working/writing on new storylines on her roleplaying website.




Kyra is making a new hat.





And Alec is now on challenge level for a new Ratchet and Clank.





Takin' it 1 day at a time.
Breathe.... right?




Monday, January 21, 2008

It's a Hair Thang

oh yeah...



I got a cut and Kyra got some color.

Yes we are EXACTLY where we need to be~

A Most Excellent Day


I was awarded the "excellent" blogger award from sweet Laura.

Thank you Laura! :)

I'm going to list some ( yes I read more) *g* of my favorite blogs. They are most excellent reads and they find their home on my iGoogle. Several of these will have probably already been listed on others "excellent" lists but it looks like I can repeat them, cool. They are in no particular order. For those of you that I nominated, it looks as though if you choose to accept this award ***mission impossible music***** you must also nominate at least 10 other blogs.

Happy blog reading~~

http://another-roadside-attraction.blogspot.com/

http://awesomeunschooling.blogspot.com/

http://hannahbearski.blogspot.com/


http://barn-raising.blogspot.com/

http://derfwadmanor.blogspot.com/

http://thewonderfulhappens.blogspot.com/

http://exactly-me.blogspot.com/

http://retroactivespaceheater.blogspot.com/

http://centerdownhome.blogspot.com/

http://hahamommy.blogspot.com/

http://furrowedbrowsmile.blogspot.com/

http://zombieprincess.blogspot.com/

http://sandradodd.blogspot.com/

http://troiselephants.blogspot.com/

http://zenmommasgarden.blogspot.com/

http://waynforth.blogspot.com/

http://www.xanga.com/juliepersons


http://thewildtribe.blogspot.com/


http://muddpiesplay.blogspot.com/

http://radicalunschooling.blogspot.com/

http://fivefreebirds.blogspot.com/


http://learningalwaysandallways.blogspot.com/

Saturday, January 19, 2008

More excitement

Not only are we excited about moving to Oregon, but I just saw where the 2010 Winter Olympics are going to be held.

Vancouver!! (OK, I've missed the news lately. OK, I don't hardly ever watch the news.)

We will be close.. Oregon is close to Vancouver! We will be able to go to some events (if we can afford tickets) but I LOVE the Winter Olympics! And I'll probably see some Bemidji natives.

Gillian and Craig I'm reserving our room for February 2010 now!

Wahoo!

Ooh, and Feist will be singing there :)


It's official!

We've made the decision...

if all goes well with the house sale (please St. Joseph help our buyer's sell their home!)

we're planning on moving here




We have our eye on a house that is nestled in the hills outside Corvallis. I believe the view may be like this




And even though the home is about 15 minutes from downtown. I'm pretty sure they'll be having to kick us out of here




We're very excited!

Now my hope for all who read this or hear our news is that you can find the joy and happiness in your heart that we are experiencing :)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Video game players = couch potatoes


I think NOT. Yes, Alec is walking and playing a motorcross game.

And the whole multitasking thing, these kids of mine have taken it to a whole new level. Abbi will be talking with a couple of people on aim, working on myspace and roleplaying on World of Warcraft. Amazing...

yeah, they really won't do anything if I don't force them... hee hee





And if this ain't the cutest pic ever, the queen writer. I say queen because yes, she is an amazing writer and writes all the time, but also because after her name, queen was the next word that she learned to write. So at age 4, on her pre-school papers (yes, before unschooling had made its entrance into our world) on the name space is "Queen Abbi"

Love it.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

The Expense of Truth

This meme called for me to do it. After doing it I see why... right??? Nice band name huh?

From Mary's


Here's the meme, you design the cover of your band's album using these links:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first article title on the page is the name of your band.
2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.
3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover. You then take the pic and add your band name and the album title to it, then post your pic.


Introducing:

Hyperion Wastewater Treatment Plant

and their first album: At the Expense of Truth






Saturday, January 12, 2008

I Love Daily OMs

I was going to link a Daily OM on Thursday. It was so wonderful, about deciding what we want and change. It was so spot on for our family right now and even relevant to the last few years of our life. Well, I decided not to, thinking I'd done that enough. ;)

Then.. this morning, I'm over at Heidi's blog and saw yesterday's OM, Wow! How could I have missed that, I guess I was still reveling from Thursday's that I missed Friday's and it totally addressed what we were living with on Friday.

It's wonderful:

Inner Hierarchy
Listening With Your Heart

Most of us were born and raised in cultures that value the head over the heart and, as a result, we place our own hearts below our heads in a sort of inner hierarchy of which we may not be conscious. What this means is that we tend to listen and respond from the neck up, often leaving the rest of our bodies with little or no say in most matters. This is a physical habit, which sometimes feels as ingrained as the way we breathe or walk. However, with effort and awareness, we can shift the energy into our hearts, listening and responding from this much deeper, more resonant place.

The brain has a masterful way of imposing structure and order on the world, creating divisions and categories, devising plans and strategies. In many ways, we have our brains to thank for our survival on this planet. However, as is so clear at this time, we also need the wisdom of our hearts if we wish to continue surviving in a viable way. When we listen from our heart, the logical grid of the brain tends to soften and melt, which enables us to perceive the interconnectedness beneath the divisions and categories we use to organize the world. We begin to understand that just as the heart underlies the brain, this interconnectedness underlies everything.

Many agree that this is the most important work we can do at this time in history, and there are many practices at our disposal. For a simple start, try sitting with a friend and asking him to tell you about his life at this moment. For 10 minutes or more, try to listen without responding verbally, offering suggestions, or brainstorming solutions. Instead, breathe into your heart and your belly, listening and feeling instead of thinking. When you do this, you may find that it’s much more difficult to offer advice and much easier to identify with the feelings your friend is sharing. You may also find that your friend opens up more, goes deeper, and feels he has really been heard. If you also feel great warmth and compassion, almost as if you are seeing your friend for the first time, then you will know that you have begun to tap the power of listening with your heart.

****************************

I know I need to always remember these words. Whether it's when I'm talking and experiencing others or when I'm sorting through my own brain.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Lord of the Rings Heaven

I haven't been a Lord of The Rings fan for so very long, just since the movies came out. I'm not sure how I missed all the contagion of the books, but I did.

I'm a fanatic now. Indebted forever to Mr Jackson's vision, Tolkein's amazing mind and all the artists whose work went into those movies -- I am now a LOTR's head.


I have this poster hanging in my house... without the autographs (no, this is not me but.. man, I am jealous!)



I sent for my free "collector" box, to house all my extended versions of the dvds. Yes, it looks like that, isn't it cool?






I even got to see the traveling movie exhibit when it was in Boston. :)

Uh huh... I got to see this gown... and Viggo's sword... and Viggo's crown..
wait, Aragorn's that is ;)




I can watch the movies over and over and if I had the time, I would sit for hours and pour over the cool book set I purchased for myself a few years ago as a birthday gift :)



And now I can ... immerse myself (along side my children) right into a virtual Middle Earth, thank you Turbine! It was really easy for us to check out this new game when the price dropped to $19.99, (yes you still have a monthly subscription fee of 9.99, but we did one for a trial and 3 free additional ones for 10 days :D


So, yes, we've taken a break from another MMORPG.. (we still have our accounts) , and are thrilled to be checking out Bag End.

That's me in Bilbo's study! hee hee





Today we may even get to Rivendale! ahhhhhhhh.... a fantasy lover's paradise!




Monday, January 07, 2008

House ramblings..

We have an offer on our house. We're discussing it with the perspective buyers.

Looks like it might happen.


Now lots of thoughts on relocation are circling in our heads.

I'd like to say that my thoughts are swirling around in my head like this:

delicate, deliberate




But I'd have to say they more closely resemble this:

crazy, rambling, colorful


Nothing too surprising is it? :)

Sunday, January 06, 2008

Saturday, January 05, 2008

Frosty Images

I just love frost on pine needles






These were taken this morning.





Now I looked outside and it's brighter and I'll have to take some more.

*******************************************************************************


Now the blue in the sky is peeking through.










Is there frost in Oregon?