i just returned from an interview with the good folks at my local PaperZone and i'm pleased to announce that i now have a regular teaching gig!! i'll be teaching once, maybe twice, a month, which is the perfect amount of time for me right now. i'm so excited!!

there is an unexplainable kind of glee that accompanies successfully completion of a task that has puzzled you in the past.

i am building a toy.

and by toy, i mean that it's work related, and is so much fun that i feel guilty being allowed to work on it at work!

one of my goals this quarter is to strengthen some of my geek-abilities in preparation for testing our new product that is currently in development. i won't bore you with the details, but my bosses' attitude is that i should find a way to practice to better my skills - and build something. it doesn't matter what. it could be an online pet store. just build something.

so. i am building a toy.

i use a site well-known to many scrapbookers - those seeking publishing at least - to submit many of my projects to magazines. this online tool, however, has a few usability issues, and a few major bugs that can make using it very frustrating. i've always wanted to build my own tool, but knowing how it would stretch me to do so, i simply knew i didn't have the time for it.

well, now that i'm being told that i can build something, even if it isn't directly work-related, just to better myself, i finally have the time for it.

and oh boy am i having a blast.

even though i haven't technically gotten the project approved by my supervisors yet. shhh. don't tell on me. ;)

no drama allowed.

Thanks for calling the Familial Drama Reporting Station. The Drama Reporting Station is closed for the holiday season. No drama is allowed. Please call again after January 9th, when we will re-open for normal business hours.

so. very. cold.

i have no idea what the temperature is, but there was a thick coating of frost on the ground as i left for work at 7:20 this morning. as we rode through the city, you could see the same thick coating uniformly covering the tops of every house and building, making the city seem like a little display of porcelain 'snow village' houses. almost magical. except that, it's

so. very. cold.

it's a shame i have to walk to work in such "magic".

hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving... matt & i got away, to my dad's for the weekend. we planned to come home saturday night, but changed our minds at the last minute, and stayed until sunday morning. dinner on thanksgiving was informal and brief, but a good opportunity to visit, albeit quickly, with family i don't get to see nearly enough.

friday, my stepmom & i braved the crowds to be at JoAnn's at 6:15am. 15 minutes after they opened, and it was an absolute zoo. i got a gorgeous $50 tree skirt for our christmas tree - i've never owned a real tree skirt, just a white sheet which vaguely resembles a "blanket" of snow... - for $16. and their open stock paper was 6 for 96 cents, so i stocked up on 8 1/2 x 11 DCWV cardstock. i love sales. also headed to target, for no particular reason and encountered two notebooks of my favorite kind. one has been altered for a publishing call (will post pics later) and the other has been altered for a christmas gift. i also made a trip to Scrapbook Zone in Silverdale, which was a fun little side venture for me. that's the only local scrapbook store that i'm aware of in my dad's neck of the woods, so i drop in every time i'm in town. they're pretty good at keeping the new, fun, hip stuff in stock, and they have a lovely collection of bazzill. bought stuff for my christmas cards, now finally getting excited about them. (it's about time.)

friday afternoon, matt & i trekked over to my grandmother's, quite literally over the river (okay, it's a pond) and through the woods. it was so nice to get to sit and visit with her. most of saturday was spent moving my grandfather & his wife into their new condo, closer to the hospital than where they'd been staying. i was so glad that the timing worked out that we could help with this. there were quite a few of us helping, so it went quickly.

the highlight, i think, of my weekend was discovering hundreds upon hundreds of 35mm slides that my grandmother gave to my dad to store. we viewed those that were in trays on the projector, and flipped through the rest, holding them up to the light. my grandfather always seemed to have a video camera in his hand when i was growing up, and when they came home from a trip, we would get to see much of their adventures on tape. the scenery, the locals, the freeway, the flora and fauna. apparently, this fascination with film was not acquired with the invention of the video camera. he's had this fascination for most of his life, and i have slides of scenery, locals, freeways, flora and fauna, dating back to 1958 to prove it.

our first mission was to weed out the inapplicable. so many pictures of cacti in arizona, the dog playing in the river, etc. we narrowed them down to photos of family, memorable events, and any photos that would help me "place" a group of images, for instance the "welcome" sign at the san diego zoo. we also took care to hang onto photos that were just really great pictures. grampa does have an eye for beauty. lots of pictures of moons, sunsets, sunrises, stunning snow scapes, glowing fall colors, impressive rock formations, etc.

last night, i spent a few hours sorting each event into it's own ziploc baggy, and noting the grouping on paper. tonight, i will go through them again to make sure every slide is in it's appropriate baggy, and that the date stamps on the slides roughly match the event. when i'm done with those, i have two smaller boxes stuffed full of slides that are not in trays. we've weeded through them already, but i've not yet sorted them into events, (thank goodness my grandmother was diligent in labeling the boxes) or designated them a label. finally, each slide will get a serial number ("anal, party of one? your table's ready!") and then i'll find some type of long-term storage system that will work for our family. last, i'm investigating the cost of scanning the slides, to preserve them digitally. this looks prohibitively expensive, so i'm hoping to acquire some parental financial backing. ;) hey, they're his slides too, right??

well, that's it for me, for now. hope you all had a smashing thanksgiving!

this was shared with the group on 2Peas this morning, from David Letterman's Top 10, November 20, 2001:

Top Ten Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Tips

10. To get turkey golden brown, use a high-grade shellac.
9. Buy a wreath at K-Mart and tell everyone you made it yourself.
8. Bite the head off of a live turkey.
7. So nobody gets drowsy after dinner, liven up the stuffing with half a can of Folgers Crystals.
6. Don't call the Butterball talk-line tonight, you may get a moron.
5. Tired of turkey? Roast a raccoon.
4. No time to bake homemade pies? Well then, you're a horrible, horrible person.
3. Decorate your turkey with pinecones -- how do I come up with this crap?.
2. Get the family as drunk as possible, as early as possible.
1. To spice things up in the bedroom, dress up like pilgrims.

now don't get me wrong - i LOVE martha. but i can't resist a good David Letterman list. :)

a few years ago, i co-directed a christmas play with one of the choir-mom's at church. i handled the music, she handled the drama. i love this woman, she's terribly sweet, and her youngest daughter was one of the sweetest most well-behaved and dedicated students in the choir group.

as we wrote the production together, she really wanted to include the song "the little drummer boy" and i gently refused. as a bible student, i have this thing about biblical accuracy, and this song was not biblically accurate. since we strive for biblical accuracy in our church, i felt it would be inappropriate to include this song. i've maintained this position for years.

saturday, i was driving to the holiday open house and this song came on the christian radio station {they start early with the christmas music around here}. i went to change the channel, but decided against it. after all, it was being performed by jars of clay, one of my favorite groups. surely i could tolerate 3 minutes.

i knew the words. i knew the message, and yet, this one time listening through it, i was brought to tears. the words suddenly had new meaning to me. i want to share with you a few of the lyrics that particularly touched me, and you can read the rest here if you wish.

Little Baby (pa rum pum pum pum)
I am a poor boy too (pa rum pum pum pum)
I have no gift to bring (pa rum pum pum pum)
That's fit to give the King (pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum)

Shall I play for you (pa rum pum pum pum)
On my drum?

Mary nodded (pa rum pum pum pum)
The ox and lamb kept time (pa rum pum pum pum)
I played my drum for Him (pa rum pum pum pum)
I played my best for Him (pa rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum)...

suddenly, the message of the song was not about portraying the facts of what happened on that night, because let's face it - we don't have a whole ton of facts.

it's about something completely different. if you consider that Jesus told us all to be like children, then this song is especially powerful, because while wise men were bringing gold, incense and myrrh, this child, so humbly, recognized that he had nothing at all that was a worthy gift for such a King. so instead, he blessed the Baby with the gifts with which he himself had been blessed.

so i'm looking forward to finding a way this season to honor the humility of our little drummer boy, to honor our King with my gifts. maybe he wasn't really there to play for the Baby Christ, but the message of the song shows that his heart sure was in the right place.

finally friday...

i feel totally exhausted from this week. i haven't slept well at all this week - not enough, not well enough - and all i can say is T.G.I.F. so, today's entry will be in 'list form' for lack of the desire to consider flow and consistency in my words... yeah...

-tomorrow's the 'big' holiday open house, and i'm very excited... i really hope it goes well. i was starting to think i didn't have enough 'inventory' but it's only a 3-hour deal, so i'm guessing that what i have will be fine (if not too much... oh Lord, how i hope it's not too much...). i am totally, completely prepared, except that i need about 2 yards of silver ric-rac for one make-your-own set... i also need some brilliant ideas for the table set up... {got any?}

-one by one, i'm picking off the items on my christmas shopping list, and i'm thrilled.

-i need new shoes. i'm thinking a good pair of {water-proof} boots to get me through the winter, and a new pair of mary-jane style slip-ons, because mine look tired.

-the house really needs to be cleaned. it's getting embarrassing. and it must be done before thanksgiving, because i hate going away for the weekend and then coming home to a pig sty.

-missing: one red glove. and i refuse to buy a new pair, because i *know* that other glove is around the house, *somewhere* and it will drive me crazy knowing that there's a single glove lurking in the back of some long-neglected closet.

-i think i'm finally starting to lose weight. man, this is hard work. i'm getting comments, and suddenly, my coat feels too big... though i dunno why. my pants are still tight. *pout*

-i simply can not make it through this day without coffee.

so, i was introduced to this blogging game today. the idea is to google your first name, followed by the word "needs". the results are quite amusing. here's mine:

Kate Needs A Shave {I take offense at this.}

Kate Needs A Hand... {Ain't that the truth.}

Kate needs a priest; Kate needs to be hooked up; Kate needs to leave everyone alone; Kate needs to grow up; Kate needs to know why demons are taking over... {All from one site. These people apparently have very strong feelings about my needs...}

Kate needs to be exposed for everything evil she has done...Kate needs to be brought to her knees. {Again, strong feelings.}

Kate Needs Your Help {A lot of people seem to think I'm in need of help... Serious help...}

Kate Needs A Priest {Yeah, that seems to be a common theme...}

Venomous Kate Needs New Fangs. {Wow - didn't see THAT one coming... I like my current 'fangs' just fine, thank you!}

amusing, eh? try it with your own name... if you have a blog, post the results on yours and leave me a comment! if you don't have a blog, feel free to post the results in my comments section. :)

oh, and confession #12...

i like to plan parties, but when it comes time to *have* the party, i find that getting the house ready for company {by my standards anyway} is not worth the effort! and every time i plan a party, after the party's over, i look at my husband (or my best friend) and say "remind me about how much work this is next time i get such a 'grand' idea." but do they? ever? nope.

so now i want to host a caroling party for our young married's group at church sometime in december. can my house fit more than like 8 people comfortably? haha. no. am i probably going to get myself into this anyway? haha. probably.

but really, i just want an excuse to make the pretty invitations, and lyric sheets, and glass markers {for hot cocoa}, and blah, blah, blah.

update... sorta...

i don't have a whole lot to say today, {just watch, i bet this turns into a novel}, so pardon me while i ramble...

i have fallen hopelessly behind in the photo-a-day challenge. actually, not too terribly, but enough that i'm not even going to bother to *try* catching up - i'm just going to keep going. so, you're missing 11/9 and 11/10, but here's what i have after that:

{11/11 - good news: i've finally finished the *last* project for the open house on the 19th. bad news: this is what my desk looks like now. note the landslide of paper scraps on the right hand side...}



{11/12 - this is a typical saturday morning at our house... matt camped out in front of his video games. sometimes he trades in the video games for cartoons.}



{11/13 - he's such a good sport. i drug him out to our damp back yard for a photo shoot, as i needed some photos for my thanksgiving mini-album. love this one. got the idea for the chalk on the pavement from Cari. wanted to write "happy thanksgiving" but it was waaay too long.}

so, other things... i'm so ready for the open house this weekend. packaging is coming along nicely. i just need to finish packaging the make-your-own christmas card sets, and then price them, and it'll be done! still haven't *really* designed the table i'll be setting up on, mostly because i have no idea what to do for a table cloth... a white bedsheet i guess...

my grandfather's health is still turning for the worst, so if you could keep him in your prayers, i'd appreciate it. he's had a long, happy life, and he knows the Lord. i'm thankful for that much. i just hope his wife and my dad will be able to recover from his passing, when the time comes. and i really hope i'll have a chance to see him on a 'good day'. i really want him to have enough energy to take a picture with me...

confession #11

i'm not very good at keeping my own secrets. and for this reason, i should not be allowed to purchase christmas presents before 12/20.

as it is, i've already done most of our christmas shopping and i'm having a hard time keeping it all to myself. it's a good thing i haven't bought matt's gifts yet. i'll probably have to store them elsewhere.

photo-a-day challenge update

i know, i know - i'm slacking. here are a few, though i'm still behind in posting.

{friday, 11/4 - i tried so hard to make this shot work as well on camera as it did in my head, and i'm afraid i failed. love her sitting on those antique books though. she always likes to be on the highest surface of the room. took this standing on a wobbly dining room chair, to get a more interesting angle.}

{saturday, 11/5 - "pace e bene" or "peace and goodwill". my dear friend natalia brought this door blessing plaque to me from italy. it hangs over our front door. again, i struggled to achieve what i wanted in this photo - that's why there's two. i wish i could've included more of the door, but then the focus is not on the plaque, and it becomes too small to read. any suggestions??}

{sunday, 11/6 - unauthorized cat nap. these two are not allowed in our bedroom, so when given the opportunity - an open door - they dive in.}

{monday, 11/7 - i arrived in the office monday morning to find, much to my horror, that a week after halloween, we still had gobs of candy laying around. i call this photo "yes, still...".}

{tuesday, 11/8 - i realize this photo has absolutely no real photographic purpose. i was messing around on the way home one night (no worries, matt was driving) and had great fun watching the little light trails on the images. i like the squiggles. and yes - that blue & red orb is indeed the pepsi logo... one of the more out-of-place landmarks in seattle, since - near as i can tell - there is no pepsi building anywhere near the neon sign. i took advantage of the light it was pumping out.}

of marriage & football...

my in-laws are not exactly the disgustingly sweet romantic type. in fact, i don't think i've ever seen them kiss in front of 'us kids'. but having celebrated 26 years of marriage, i know they've had their rough spots, and have come out for the better, with a strong bond, and a loving marriage.

my father-in-law is an avid football fan, so, not being able to picture them as ooey-gooey lovers, i was impressed to hear that, while they were dating, she learned to like football as an excuse to spend time with him.

i've never liked football... never really understood it, never really cared. and then one day a few weeks ago, i sat down on the couch next to matt as he watched the seahawks, and a lightbulb went on. all of a sudden, i understood the game. {well, the basics anyway.}

so as we were planning our day on sunday, we decided that we'd stay home and watch the football game. and it clicked -

what a great way to spend some time together.

thanks, clarice. great idea.

boundaries...

they've been on my mind a lot lately.

are you good at setting boundaries? boundaries that protect you, boundaries that help you make your life what you want it to be - and keep your life from becoming what you don't want it to be?

i'm not.

but i'm learning, i guess. i just wish i could learn faster.

i have a huge problem with saying "no", and i suspect it's a learned behavior, because i know my mother had the same problem for many years. i get myself into too many things, many of which i am doing obligatorily, because i don't say "no" and i get burnt out. i've made myself sick doing this before. i've caused hours of anxiety, frustration, and even dischord in my home.

and yet, i still suck at saying "no".

the negative results of not being able to set boundaries have flooded my personal life, my social life, my extended-family life, and my church life. and more often than not, i feel guilty when i do set a boundary, even though i know in my heart that this boundary must be in place in order to preserve my - and my husband's - happiness and well-being.

i am a fiercely protective person. fiercely protective of my family, my friends, my husband. why am i not fiercely protective of myself? i suppose it has something to do with my rediculous need to be liked & accepted. i don't like it when people don't like me. i'm sensitive about that, and often i jump quickly to the conclusion that someone doesn't like me, or is upset with me, just because *their* mood is a little off. even worse, i hate the idea that someone might not like me, and might tell other people bad things about me. i lay awake in bed at night, picturing the conversation i'd have with the person who doesn't like me, or is upset with me, telling them exactly what i want to say. rehearsing. and then i'm confronted with the issue, and i can't do it. all of those things i had to say are gone.

so, boundaries... today, i'm trying to learn to say "no" without having to tack on an excuse. i *really* suck at that. when matt encounters something like this, i provide the wise counseling to "draw the boundary. if you don't, you'll only build resentment in your heart, you'll drive yourself to burnout, and you'll be miserable every second of it." but i'm all talk and no walk in this department, and i freely admit that. it's easier said than done.

photo-a-day challenge update

ok, i admitted right off the bat that i just don't have the time to download my photos and resize them and upload them and post them, yadda yadda yadda, every day, so i hope you'll forgive me for posting a fistful of photos every couple of days. :)

here we go:

{tuesday, 11/1 - the gorgeous sunset outside my office building. surrounding buildings just glowed in shades of gold.}

{wednesday, 11/2 - the pretty, pretty packaging i saw during our weekly trip to starbucks.}

{thursday, 11/3 - fall leaves. *love* this shot. i've been composing it in my head since last week.}