thoughts from the deep recesses

I'm starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of my busy-ness. Not that I'm anywhere near the end of the tunnel - but I know it's out there... I'm actually beginning to soak in the knowledge that in less than two months, I'm going to have an unusual amount of free time and may actually get to apply some creative energy to my own personal projects . Can you even imagine? Tejan always used to say "Can you imagine, Auntie Cathy?" I totally got my tendency to say that from him. I cannot find my passport. I have been looking for it for weeks in anticipation of a trip to visit Corey next month. I know I had it when I got back from Sierra Leone, because they let me enter the country in Houston. But I can honestly say that was the last time I remember seeing it - or the purple document envelope in which I stored all my important papers for the trip... I really really want to find it. If you believe in prayer, would you toss one up for me that I ...

So yesterday marked the anniversary of the day we said goodbye to Tejan. I've been pondering this milestone for the past month or so... it's an especially hard occasion for me to write about. I struggle with putting my heart down on the page. A friend asked the other day how I was doing with missing T. - did I still miss him each day or had I settled into his absence in a way that it was only an occasional thought - a sort of passing sadness ? I struggled with answering that. Because yes - some days, I'm just fine. And I can even go a whole day without thinking of him as the busy-ness of life takes over and I find myself on auto pilot. But then I remember. Something makes me think of him and I feel horrible guilt over forgetting. I don't want to forget! I want to remember him each and every day and make good on my promise to keep him in my daily prayers... And yes - some days I miss him still so much that I have to steal away to my bedroom and shut the door and just let...

In April of 2003, I was featured in a newspaper article in our local paper in an article about scrapbooking. As a result of that article, I received a phone call from the owner of a small rubber stamp and paper arts store called Apropos. Kathy, the owner, wondered if I would be interested in teaching classes for her. She was wanting to expand her business to include scrapbooking supplies, and needed someone who knew the industry and could teach from a scrapbooker's perspective. Two days before that phone call, I had been talking to my mother on the phone and told her I thought maybe I'd go into a cute little store called Apropos and talk to the owner about maybe teaching for her. The rest, as they say, is history. For five and a half years, I've had the privilege of working for and with Kathy - not only teaching classes, but helping to choose product, make samples, and help gazillions of customers with their paper projects. It's been a dream of a job. I tell people all ...

Woke up to snow this morning. On April 14th. Silly Spokane weather. (Note to self: Change blog banner - it's April 14th, dummy!) BUT - it's supposed to be 70 degrees this weekend. Break out the flip-flops! Been gettin' the urge to spring clean... my closet is a horrible mess and desperately needs purging. One of these days - soon - I've got to get in there and clear it out. Gracie's leg is still bothering her. I'm a-feared we're going to have to have surgery. $800 surgery to be exact. Ugh. The vet thinks it's a torn ACL. And it's not healing. Ugh again. Getting excited about the Farm Chicks show in June... anyone want to join me for a fun girl's day out? Making a date with myself for Monday... it's the one year anniversary since T. left. Going to take myself down to the river for a nice long walk... time to reflect and pray and ponder and celebrate the ways God has changed me in the past year. More on this later... Just finished reading An E...

If you have a half hour, this is a heartbreaking and eye-opening documentary about the plight of the capital of Sierra Leone, Freetown. It certainly helps direct my prayers...

Oh, people - if I could transport you all here and take you back in time, I'd love to bring you back to yesterday. It was so sunny and glorious, Gracie and I spent the day going in and out the slider to the back deck. Inside the house to do some chores but then back out as soon as possible to sit on the deck and drink in the sunshine. It was actually WARM out there. Amazing what a little sunshine can do for one's soul. I even got to hang the clothes out on the clothesline. What bliss! Of course, this happens every spring in Spokane - an early warm day or two and we're all excited and thinking it's summer. But there's more cold in the forecast and I wouldn't be surprised at ALL to see more snow falling here and there. It's just WAY too early to get out the summer skirts and shorts. I know that. But it was SUCH a lovely day and I'll take whatever I can get. I took Gracie for her first walk in three weeks last night. She has a torn ACL in her back left ...

We woke up to four new inches of snow this morning... this chart is from Monday - so now I imagine our total for this year will be close to 97 or 98 inches. They measure it at the airport, which is at a lower elevation than our house, so it's always less out there... I say we should just go ahead and get 100 inches. Why not? At this point, we might as well try. And THEN spring can come.