Seven Quick Takes

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Remember last week when I mentioned that Claire and I were immersed in re-watching the PBS series Frontier House? Well, my fascination with all things pioneer has inspired me to use nature's dryer

I swear the whites really DO come out whiter! Luckily I have a large deck and a deeply wooded backyard so I am able to escape the HOA police.

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I have also been inspired to garden.
Wait, I know you are saying, "Kathleen??" the Queen of the black thumb? You are looking at BOTH of my beautiful basil plants, purchased at my local grocers, and still in the planter pots. But you gotta start somewhere. Let's hope I can keep these alive.

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My children have discovered that kindness begets kindness.
Last Sunday, Father's Day, we were driving home after trying to see Poppy. It was a hot Sunday afternoon. The temperature has been hovering around 95 with a heat index of 100+. Just before we got to our driveway I noticed a man sitting on the curb. I, OF COURSE, immediately stopped the car to ask if he was OK. [At this point I just ask that you insert your own interpretation of the groans that were coming from the backseat. You see, I have a habit of talking to strangers.] He was profusely sweating and said he was really tired. I offered him a ride home --about 7 houses down the street --which he happily took advantage of. He seemed to me to be a little "off" -even if I had never met the man. At first, I rationalized it as embarrassment or tiredness but it worried me-nothing new for me. So, OF COURSE, I decided to call (thank you whitepages.com) to check on him. OF COURSE, there was no answer. After much fretting, I decided I had to go and check on him. Overkill I know. Rhett suggested that I take Claire with me in case something had happened. I guess she could run screaming into the street for me.... Being the loving, devoted daughter that she is, she came but giggling to herself about her irrational mother. I knocked and OF COURSE there was no answer. I rang the doorbell, no answer... I pressed my face up against the door to see if I could see anything.
And, I did.
My neighbor coming down the stairs in his boxers after a shower.
Apparently that's what normal people do after sweating profusely on a 90 + day.
The next day I received thesewith a lovely note thanking me for going out of my way. I refuse to even entertain the notion that the flowers had ANYTHING to do with the boxers as "the college girls" might have suggested...
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We celebrated my hubbie's intelligence and determination this week. He is now LEED certified!.. That means a lot today in the architectural world. Green design is the new thing. Way to go honey!
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I finished #1 on my list of things to do. This is the list of things that I used to do when I was home all day and my kids were at school. What pray tell was #1? It involved spackling the ceiling, sanding, caulking and painting the ceiling in the foyer. I guess #2 and 3 were stripping the river rock floor and painting the banisters in my front foyer. Wanna see? Oh, yeah, I might have included the flowers too. Didn't know where else to put them.
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I am slowly de-cluttering the house and it feels good.
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I still ask for your prayers for my sister-in-law and my husband's cousin who are battling cancer. My sister-in-law thought she had qualified for a new drug trial out of Vanderbilt University Med School but learned Monday that she had not. She started chemo again on Tuesday. The good thing that this chemo drug has a great track record--
There is no nice way to put it other than
CANCER SUCKS.

more thoughts on Bella

Well, it has happened.

I have been bested by my girlie. Her recent blog post was a much more eloquent way to say "WAKE UP BELLA!"

Makes a mamma proud!

Buffy vs. Edward Just watch it

Buffy vs. Edward. What happened to our kick ass role models for girls???

You know, I read all the Twilight books, and to be honest, I liked them. There were some good messages in them, abstinence was one. Romance. Chivalry. Friendship.

When Claire was little I used to worry about her watching all those Disney movies. The message the "princess world" was sending her was the wrong one. My sisters and I would say to her,

"Never give up your mermaidness for a man!"

And then Bella comes along, perpetuating the myth.

Just something to think about.

back again

I have been gone for a while. No real excuse, just not feeling the creative juices flowing. This can be witnessed by my last few blog posts that were complete cop-outs according to my newest blogging compatriot and all around brilliant young woman who happens to share some of my chromosomes.

In an attempt to get my feet wet again I am participating in Friday's Seven Quick Takes....

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I am back! For better or worse. THIS time I mean it!

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Last week we celebrated Rhett's birthday and our 21st wedding anniversary by going to the drive-in double feature movies. It was fun, despite the small interruption from a mini-monsoon. Did I mention that I STILL have not remembered to get my windshield wipers fixed? UGH. Poor Rhett and Sean had those tall lanky bodies folded up in the back seat looking out the rear window of the mothership. I got to watch the last half of Night at the Museum through the rear view mirror. But you know what, tease me they will...but why am I up blogging at 1:30 am? Waiting for Claire and the girls to get home from THEIR adventure at the drive-in. I think I started a trend.

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Today we had the privilege of hanging out with yet another cousin. It was a blast. He and his parents were in town for a wedding (on the other branch of their family tree) and he decided to hang with us rather than go to a boring rehearsal dinner. Wise move -- especially when he was met at the door with "Hi, do you like Legos and X-Box"? That's all it took and they were off. In a sidebar... can someone PLEASE explain to me cousin genealogy? First, second, once removed etc. etc. Enough to make your head spin!

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Our movie watching has been curtailed by Rhett's studying for his LEED certification exam. Poor guy, thought he was done with school. Not sure how this is helpful, I think it just adds some more initials after your name, and hopefully makes you more appealing to the clients. In the meantime, Claire and I are loosing ourselves in fake history -- and have been wishing ourselves back in time to Frontier House...

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Speaking of which, his contractually obligated "no contact" is officially over. Hard to believe that it has been a year since the end of his days at the firm which shall not be named. So now the push is on to get some clients in...not that he doesn't need any additional stress. I keep reminding myself that every time we have had change it has worked toward the better-- NOT that I am asking for change again so soon...but in every case God has blessed us -- in ways it may have taken a while to realize, but there has always been a blessing.

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Much of this weekend will be spent trying to sell tickets to Isaiah it is the last ditch effort to get tickets sold. All proceeds benefit the Missionaries of the Poor and their new home for unwed mothers in Kingston. Remember when I said change works to the good? This is a classic example. A week with the priests and brothers of MOP changed our family, especially my husband. It's a good cause.

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Keep praying for my sister-in-law who is still fighting stage iv non-smokers cancer, and for Rhett's cousin Liz who is fighting brain cancer. I wonder if there is any correlation between environment, stress and cancer. After Katrina, I didn't think they would have to battle anymore. Ugh. But God is good and Biffy has been accepted to the drug trial in Nashville, and Liz will be getting treatment at MD Anderson. Miracles happen.

May Feelings II

Many thanks again to Deacon Greg over at The Deacon's Bench.

Put a tear in my eye ;-)

Some brightness on Sunday morning

SO, I totally copied this from The Deacon's Bench, a blog I really love. I liked this video so much I was afraid no one would use the link to see it. So, please watch and enjoy.

And, thanks for standing by me!


"Stand by Me" performed by musicians around the world from SKAT on Vimeo.

The urge to craft is rising its head again. I will most likely spend my creative urge searching the internet for the perfect craft. By the time I decide I have found the one -- the perfect one-- I will have lost the energy to do so. Such is the "perfectionism" of my brain. Perfectionism is paralyzing. You want to do it perfectly, and that need to do things perfectly keeps you from ever starting anything. Believe me, I know this well. You might look at my home and my desk and say-- this chick IS NOT A PERFECTIONIST! But no, I am, I am just researching the perfect way to clean a desk.

That being said, I just found this great idea AND tutorial from Wisdom of the Moon for personalized book plate stamps. How cute is that? Might be a useful graduation gift...and I get to play with sharp objects!

My bud Sara has been a great inspiration for all things creative lately. Check out her socks -- so cute, but too intimidating for me. Last week while we were setting up for the church yard sale she mentioned the new trend of "re-purposing". Mamma's Blessings has some cute ideas for crafting new items out of old.

My mom, sisters and I have been doing this for years. My mom's latest treasures? Button rings-- absolutely adorable. Want one? She only made 300...

Let me share my past "failed" attempts at re-purposing...

toddler dresses from t-shirts and fabric scraps;
oil candles made from old bottles-- then painted;
felting old wool sweaters into something (never got beyond the felting);
quilts out of old clothing (cut the fabric and then tossed it)

Looks like my time might be better served doing something else...

Cleaning perhaps?

Nah......

let there be cake

I have reached the next tier of my life.

The invitation tier...

You remember how it goes?

Think about that FIRST birthday party invite. For me it was a clown, announcing my best friend Maria's big day. She was cool, she had lots of big brothers and sisters, they all spoke in Spanish AND English and her house was loud. I was so excited....

Years of innocent birthday celebrations followed... 10...12...13...SLUMBER parties... Sweet 16 parties... Ah, youth. Usually, a lot of fun and a big cake.

The next tier? The drinking days... for us it began at 18 in NOLA. Birthday celebrations... sorority mixers...fraternity blow outs...All invitations were carefully crafted, xeroxed on neon paper and handed out in multitudes. Usually, a lot of fun and no cake.

Wedding showers and wedding invitations followed quickly there after. Remember the dread of seeing that big envelope? Another tafetta dress? Another wedding gift? At least it was guaranteed fun, and a promise of a BIG cake.

The baby tier followed. Especially in my Catholic circle of "girlies". Baby shower after baby shower. Parlor game after parlor game. Usually, it was fun and depending on the weight gain of the mother-to-be, there was cake.

Along side the baby shower invites was the stress of planning and sending my own children's invitations. If there is any doubt, see 100 things about me to know the real truth. Four parties a year to worry about, not to mention getting them to all the parties they were invited to. Usually, ours were fun, theirs were stressful, but they always had cupcakes.

Lately, things have slowed down. My youngest is 10 --still a few. My oldest is 18 and if they exist, I think it's better I not know.

I was ready to sit back and enjoy a "mid-life", all be it, aYOUNG mid-life" respite from the almighty invitation. And I was OK with that.

I don't really need cake that much any way.

Yesterday, I noticed that tell-tale big envelope in our mailbox ... a wedding invitation?

To the wedding of my friends' children.

I don't think I am ready for this...



Well, at least there will be cake.

Facebook has its time and place

I feel like I have been absent from Blogging for a long time. Heck my readership is like 4 a day now, don't even know why those 4 people even tune in. But today, that may be a good thing because I am going to use this time to vent.

I have mentioned before that my friends and I have joined the Facebook generation. And it has been pretty cool. Good things happened through Facebook.

I was able to re-connect as an adult with my cousins and really get to know them as the wonderful man and women that they are. This proved to be invaluable when the tragedy of my cousin Desha's death hit us. We were already connected and able to console each other, something that might have been difficult to do 6 months prior. I have learned through Facebook that they are some tough cookies, that they have friends that love them like sisters and that they really love their family. Sure, everyone thought that "25 things" was a total waste!

I have re-connected with college friends. I am proud to see that we have all turned into respectable, productive adults. I have agreed with my best high school buddy that the friends we made in college really and truly are friends for life. I know it sounds weird, but true.

All this is great and good, but there is a downside to this electronic wonder. Social networking has its time and place.

Here's my issue, my sister CALLED me yesterday and told me that my mother's best friend had lost her long, hard battle with cancer on Sunday afternoon. How did my sister find out? Cate's daughter told my mother on a WALL POST a day later.

30+ years of friendship -- a wall post? WTF?

I know it is hard. Making or receiving that heart-stopping phone call.

After 30 years of friendship...30 years that included potty training, carpooling, volunteering, and crafting. To parenting wild teenagers, sick children, even grandchildren. 30 years of mother-in-law stories, road-trips, vacations, prayers, and operations, to be reduced to a Facebook post. Social networking my ass.

I hope my kids hear me now, give my friends the consideration they deserve and call them please.

And for dear Cate, who for some reason I could still only call "Mrs. C" to her face even at 43:

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon her.
May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace.
Amen.

Give Jesus a big high five for me, make him some chicken wings and a have cold one on me.

Life with boys

"Get the baseball bat!"

Sounds of thumping, doors opening and closing.

"Over here, over here!"

Now, if you are the mother to girls, your immediate thought might be that they are organizing a quick pick-up game of softball. Mother to boys? Forget it.

All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind. My mind actually was miles ahead of my butt which remained firmly planted in this office chair. I actually had to will myself to get up and investigate.

My motherly instincts were correct.

Now before you pre-judge and assume that my children are juvenile delinquents setting out to straighten out the wayward neighbor, put your mind at rest.

They were just going to chop a tree down.

Heaven help me.