it feels like friday...

and it's not. how obnoxious.

sorry for being so quiet this week - it's been unusually taxing. but we're moving through it.

so, i'm here today to confess some anxiety. i'm shooting for Choir of the Sound again on friday at the dress rehearsal of their spring concert. from the conversation snippets that are floating back to me, people are excited to have me back after the work i did at last winter's show.

that show was not quite as nerve-wracking. there were no expectations. now i have myself a bit of a reputation with them, and so there are expectations. no room for error. hence the anxiety.

so that's what i'll be doing all weekend. i'll take the majority of the photos at the rehearsal tomorrow night, and then i'll watch the two shows on saturday - sitting in a different place at each so i can capture a few shots missed during those "wow, i wish i was over there when they did that" moments.

and i'll have an ad in the program. and they've asked me to display some of my work at a sponsor's table. aside from the website, this will be the first real "public" display of my photography.

yeah, the nerves are especially sensitive today...

3-day weekend ahead...

and i'm quite thankful, because i need every hour of it. on the list: date night tonight, a meeting tomorrow morning, prep for sunday, some scrapbooking, a little housework - including organizing a closet (or two) that is making me crazy, and observing a kids ministry program run by one of my mentors on sunday. wheew. good thing sunday afternoon and monday are free. i'll need a weekend to recover from my weekend.

so, i leave you with - my niece, beth:

{someone forgot to tell her that sensible black pumps weren't made for rock-climbing...}


{but look at that happy grin...}


{goofy kid.}

wednesday thoughts...

talking to an old highschool friend today, and we realized that we've now been out of highschool longer than we were in highschool. 6 years for me, 7 for her. given how central our highschool years were to our personalities, our friendships and our futures, it's kinda crazy to realize how far away it is from where we are now. it seems so major when you're in the midst of it, and yet, in the grand scheme of things, it's quite minor. 4 years out of, what - 80?

and speaking of 'old' friends, happy birthday to my best girlfriend and major co-conspirator, allie.

sadly, this is one of only two photos i have of us together - both of which are from 2001. allie, let's take more pictures when you're home, k?

monday again...

but that's ok, because i had a good weekend. not long enough - but when was the last "long-enough" weekend??

scrapbooked a little, watched Anne of Green Gables, one of my favorite movies of all time. (go ahead, laugh.) church was great - fewer kids yesterday, and that was okay - the kids were (mostly) well behaved, and we had a pretty laid-back day.

slept like a rock last night - now my shoulders are sore. good grief, you'd think i was doing chin-ups. (and i guarantee, i most certainly was not.)

thought i'd share a few of my more recent layouts with you today. these are three of my favorites. honestly, i scrapbook in bits now - a few minutes here, a few there. a layout can take me a few days, and that's if i'm inspired. i don't put out much quantity lately. but i'm okay with that.

{a few photos taken around my birthday. didn't really document the birthday "events" any other way, thought this would be a good milestone marker.}


{you'll remember the conversation i posted last week.}


{from my neices dedication last fall. the notebook paper is a verse from 1 Samuel, when hannah dedicates samuel to the Lord.

ok, that's it. another busy week ahead.

thinking...

it's rare that you hear from me on a weekend, but this morning i ran across something that i just feel like sharing, because it's cool.

a little background: i've spent most of my week at work writing documentation (think "owner's manual") for a project we did for a client. and it was not fun. but i got through it, completing the last of the editing within minutes of my deadline. anyway, in the editing phases, one spends alot of time thinking about how to make one's point clearly in a more concise manner.

so, this morning, i was reading in Genesis, and I ran across this verse (17:1) -

"When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before Me and be blameless."

and i got to thinking... walk before Me and be blameless... two commands in one.

in the New Testament, Jesus tells us to simply "Follow Me."

so, now instead of walking in front and being blameless, we're now walking behind One who is blameless, and our blamelessness is implied. God made His point in a more concise manner.

it's almost like, as God was changing His covenant, He was editing His Documentation.

500 posts...

this is it - post #500.

i've always loved the romanticized notion of journal-keeping, but i've never been any good at it. i tried numerous times as a kid - when i got an especially lovely notebook with fresh blank pages, just begging for purpose.

but i was never consistent. and my sporadic entries were certainly never as interesting as Anne Frank's or Baby-Sitter's Club journal entries. so any attempt at regular writing eventually degraded to a less-than-fascinating record of the day-to-day of a typical childhood lifestyle.

when i discovered scrapbooking, my perspective changed a little. suddenly, words and memories - no matter how typical - were necessary. when i flipped through old family photos, i found myself wondering what life was like for my great-grandmother when she was my age. and then i was filled with this overwhelming need to document the typical.

at first, i scrapbooked for "them". that's the nebulous, future "them" that represents the intended generations to come. but that has progressed. i no longer scrapbook thinking "is that acid free? after all, i need it to still look this good in 200 years." now, i scrapbook for me. now, i think "does this make me happy?"

it's as much a creative outlet as it is documentation of a typical life. but it also serves as a sort of journal. it's just easier for me to "journal" with photos and artistic elements than it is with a pen and notebook.

so the blog is really an extension of my scrapbooking. sometimes i talk about my projects, but mostly, i'm documenting the typical for my projects. much of my "record" of events gets recycled as journaling on scrapbook pages.

and much like i don't scrapbook for "them", i don't blog for you. sorry - but it's true. don't get me wrong, i'm glad you're here. i certainly talk to you like i'm blogging for you. but the truth is that i don't feel a need to tell strangers (and some family and friends) about what i had for dinner last night or whether or not my freshly-planted poppies are sprouting. i do it for me too. call me selfish, but it's my way of taking care of me.

so there you have it. 25 months of blog entries. 500 posts. still loving it. and loving the archive i've built myself. and who knows - with technology being the way it is, it might just happen that my great-grandchildren don't stumble across my scrapbook in 70 years, but that they stumble across my blog archives instead.

i have photos to post, but i'd like to end this post here, being that it is what it is. i'll be back later. :)

goodbye tulips...

tulip season is over, and now i'm reminded of that very fact again - for i have totally exhausted my supply of tulip photos. well, of my favorites anyway.

say goodbye to the tulips...

but that's okay - i've got other photos to share too. like this one of my funny neice, who doesn't talk much, but sure likes grama's gee-tar:

look, she sings too!

it's thursday. hooray!

wednesday

warning: this post may not actually contain any real content. but at least there are tulips.

i'm really glad it's wednesday. my mood has marginally improved over the last couple of days, and by the grace of God, i'm getting through. and not a whole lot is going on this week - plenty, but not any more than usual. so it's life as normal, i suppose.

and we're halfway through may. kinda crazy. in 45 days, we'll be halfway through the year. even crazier. it feels like it just started.

the weather was beautiful yesterday, topping 85 degrees in the heat of the afternoon. i got home from a hot, muggy busride and camped out under our cherry tree. matt took me to dinner, which lifted my spirits immensely, then left me at home to enjoy the evening while he played basketball. a little productivity at least made me feel like i accomplished something worthwhile, after a day that otherwise felt like a waste of time.

so yeah, it's wednesday. tomorrow will be the last day of tulip photos... but that's fine, because i've got pictoral evidence of other stuff i want to talk about.

watching american idol...

home alone, so you get my random comments tonight. i'm watching american idol, and i have two thoughts.

jordin is so young. and ryan is so short.

ok, that's all.

(but do the math. she's 17. that means she was born in 1990. that makes me feel so old.)

conversations with a 3 year old...

[we interrupt your regularly scheduled tulips to record a conversation coming to a scrapbook near you.]

it seems that this is the age that they begin to enjoy knock-knock jokes... and every knock-knock joke is funny, even if it's not.

becca: knock-knock.
me: who's there?
becca: orange.
me: orange who?
becca: orange you gonna eat me?
[riotous laughter]
...
becca: knock-knock.
me: who's there?
becca: orange.
me: orange who?
becca: orange you gonna eat me?
[riotous laughter]
...
becca: knock-knock.
me: who's there?
becca: banana.
me: banana who?
becca: banana you gonna eat me?
[riotous laughter]

clearly, we're still working on our punchlines... stay in school, kid.

monday funk-iness...

it's monday, and i'm in a funk. but i'm not sure the two are related. feeling a little moody today, despite the beautiful weather, my chocolatey mocha and brand new pair of gorgeous khakis that look like they were made just for me.

but i'm still in a funk. a few things bugging me - and no, i don't want to talk about them - but it doesn't even feel like the funk is specific. i think i'm just in a funk.

thankfully (or that's what i tell myself), i have two projects slated for the afternoon, so at least i'll have work to occupy my mind.

weekend was good - but busy. spent friday evening with 5 over-sugared (sorry, parents!) kiddos, and thoroughly enjoyed their company. saturday morning, i made a few cards, prepped for sunday and started the Getting Things Done organizational methods on my work-desk in my studio. spent the evening with matt's mom and sister, and our neices. i love no-pressure family time. and she sent me home with a giant pile of white lilacs from her giant tree. so many white lilacs that i got one huge arrangement and two medium sized arrangements from them. my house smells so good.

sunday, we had 32 kids. 32. that's a new high for us. and it was chaos. structured chaos, but chaos none the less. we need more leaders, and this is something i struggle with. if i spend all of my time with the kids, i'm not really able to recruit among the adults. a constant dilemma, one that i know every other children's ministry director and children's pastor experiences on a regular basis. i guess it's growing pains.

so we celebrated mother's day in a big way at church yesterday. free portraits before and after the services for mom's and their families. such a great idea, out of our fabulous outreach team. and every woman who walked through the door (mother or not, because we believe that mentorship is a form of "mothering" as well) got a rose. i was beside myself when three of my kids brought me roses.

so now there are flowers all over my house. and flowers all over my blog.

and last night, we saw Rent. i'll just say i was disappointed. i generally prefer more comedy than drama in the things i pay to see. i had no idea how utterly depressing the show would be. the cast was great. the band, great. the dancing, the singing, great. but the plot. painful. homelessness, AIDS, death, hurt. i cried in the 2nd half, but not the way i cried when we saw Wicked or Mama Mia or Princesses. those shows made me cry because they were so good. Rent made me cry because it was so painful. and there was quite alot of other "content" that felt inappropriate... but i guess it's the culture.

so, that's it for me. hope you're having a happy, non-funk-y monday.

heading out for the weekend...

a few photos to tie you over...

lots happening this weekend, even after a busy week. i see early bedtimes in my near future. hanging out tonight with my 4th-6th grade girls for dinner & a movie. tomorrow, matt and i will spend a good portion of the afternoon with his mom, sister & our neices. sunday, the usual church and ministry stuff, a visit with my mom, and sunday evening, he's taking me to see Rent. should be a great - if not relaxing - weekend.

one more:

approaching 500...

huh. it seems i'm quickly approaching post #500 on this ol' blog. that's pretty cool. might just have to do something special to celebrate...

lots going on this week. not much time at home to do what i want - and when i am home to do what i want, i want to do nothing. but when i'm not home to do what i want, i want to scrapbook. bummer, huh?

wow, i'm really running low on things to say today... maybe because my mind is in 100 places all at once. well, stuff to do... out tomorrow, i'll be back friday. :)

sandal season has begun...

the forecast yesterday said 70 degrees, but i think that in the direct sunlight, it was hotter than that. and i'm quite certain that on the muggy, stuffy bus-ride home, it was hotter than that.

so i got home, roasted, toasted, and ready for lighter clothes. put on the first tank top i could find and rustled my dependable leather sandals (the ones that make matt pause for some smartaleck remark like "john the baptist called, he wants his sandals back.") from the dark depths of my closet.

and then we had the most lovely relaxing evening. he mowed while i did a little more yardwork. we puttered around outside, cleaning the grill, watering the plants. i made the tastiest, juciest homemade hamburgers with giant salads, and we ate on the steps of the back porch in the shade of our fully-leaved cherry tree. it was summery perfection in early may. the comfort and relaxation for which we hope our backyard project will be a catalyst.

getting down to the last handful of photos from the tulip festival, so i'm rationing you - 2/day now. i rather like spreading a batch of photos out among many posts... it keeps you coming back. {i hope!}

and despite the fact that i am out of nail polish remover and my toes bear the markings of a 5 week old pedicure, i am wearing sandals again today. and a sleeveless shirt. i love this weather.

good monday morning to you...

there is something to be said about the dependable, cyclical pattern of life... i realize that some find routine boring and monotonous, but not me. i think i thrive on it. it's secure.

it was a good weekend. the marriage conference was fun and edifying, though a little long. barely celebrated National Scrapbooking Day (i spent all of $23 in joann's scrapbooking aisle - that's the extent) on saturday, and a i'm little disappointed that i didn't have more time to shop.

but we did accomplish quite alot. spent some time working on the backyard yesterday, cleaning up miscellaneous stuff that gathered over the last three years, and getting rid of the last of the brush from last fall's cleanup.

we decided to build a picnic table with freestanding benches instead of buying a patio set. it'll be cheaper, and we'll have more control over how many people we can sit. i'm still going totally-martha and making one long cushion for each bench, a coordinating tablecloth, and while i'm at it, a few "floor pillows".

found my fabric for the patio project at joann's on saturday, and i think i found my dishes at target, providing i can talk matt into them. (who knew a guy would have such an opinion about tableware!) and a super-cute craft project to add to the atmosphere: candleholder chandeliers.

some more tulip photos? i know you're just on the edge of your seats for these.

loving this one, for it's uniqueness:


and this one - it's frameable. gorgeous. good color. nice, sharp detail. i can't stop staring at it:


and this one. nothing special. i love purple, and i love lilacs. last night, i raided the blooms from the lilac tree in my neighbor's yard that spills over into our yard. that's legal right? i mean, possession is nine-tenths of the law, and those things were definitely on my land. or at least hanging over it. and my living room smells great.


one day, when i grow up, i will buy a macro lense and take lots of big photos of those tiny little flowers. yum.

happy monday!

three photos, two thoughts, one recipe

photo:

thought:

matt has a job interview today at 2:30pm. we emailed his resume to 10 job openings on tuesday, and by thursday, we'd heard back from 6 of them. amazing, no? a few were too far away - more driving than would be worth the pay increase. a few were not consistent enough hours. but this one sounds right up his alley, and a good opportunity to learn new skills. if nothing else, he'll get to practice his interviewing skills.

photo:

thought:

still really enjoying the productivity book i mentioned yesterday. spent a few hours this morning getting my workspace at the office whipped into shape. figured i'd start using his methods at work, and then incorporate them into my home office for the rest of my life (which he recommends). but i need to start slow - i have a history of diving headfirst into something only to decide i don't like it...

photo:

recipe:

i'm eating this soup today for lunch, leftovers from dinner. it's a favorite. culinary masters, beware - it's probably plain to you. but i love it. i love that it's versatile and relatively easy. so i'll share it:

Irish Potato Soup

6 baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced peeled onion
1 1/2 cups canned evaporated milk (the fat-free variety works well in this)
1/2 cup butter or margarine (if you're concerned about this, substitute a portion of the butter/margarine with non-fat milk, and add more salt to taste later)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
herbs/spices to taste - any of the following are good: parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage, paprika

1. Place potatoes in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes. Stir in evaporated milk, butter, salt, pepper, herbs/spices. Heat until just below boiling. Serve immediately.

Makes 5 servings as a side; 4 servings as a main course.

matt's not a fan of food without meat, so next time i plan to add kielbasa (which I'd saute with the celery and onion, if you're unsure).

* * *

lots on the docket this weekend. we're at a marriage conference tonight and tomorrow through our church - should be fun, but i also have to squeeze in my usual weekendly tasks.

a flower and a quote...

i'm reading a book called "Getting Things Done" by David Allen, which has - ironically enough - been sitting on my shelf, unread, for years. anyway, at the suggestion of a colleague, i finally cracked it open. and i'm loving it. all that wonderful, organizational goodness.

anyway, today i came across a quote in the book that is just hilarious, and describes how i feel about ministry in general (and let's face it - lots of other things in life):

"I am rather like a mosquito in a nudist camp. I know what I want to do but I don't know where to begin." ~Stephen Bayne

and one more:

do you ever tire of pretty flowers...

i know i said a photo, but i just can't help myself. how about three.

lots going on. it's may, and in may i get spring fever. but not the lazy kind of spring fever. more like the productive kind. i think about spring cleaning, and making decorating changes in my home. need to finish up the bedroom project, so we can move on to our back yard. the biggest bottleneck in the bedroom redecorating is lack of photos for my 360 degree frame project. these tulips will help immensely.

for the backyard, we're both itching to grill and entertain more this year. love the season for that reason itself. decided to buy a patio set, because the one that "came with" the house (aka, leftovers from my mom) is nasty and ugly. (sorry mom, it's true.) since matt has this same backyard-beautifying-bug, he was easily talked into an acrylic/melamine dish set (as soon as we find the perfect set we actually agree on - hmm...) and letting me make the chair cushions (which would cost $25 a piece store-bought!)

and job-hunting for matt. praise God that it isn't an emergency, but he's itching to get out of there. everything about the job is making him nuts. we sent his resume off to about 10 different labor/construction jobs last night, any of which would be good while he waits on the apprenticeship program. heard back from two already - not a good fit, irregular work or too far away. oh well, God is in control, and He will lead us to the right job.

it's wednesday. and the sun is sorta shining. good thing. now if only we had time to work on our projects...

happy may day...

when you were little, did you ever make tiny baskets of flowers (sometimes real, sometimes tissue paper) from the green plastic berry baskets, and leave them on neighbor's doorsteps? i did. think of this post as me leaving flowers on your virtual doorstep...

and so you get three pictures today, because it's May Day, and because i have so many flora photos i want to share that i might just burst...

i didn't really realize just how busy life had gotten until i took a good look at my calendar today to fit something in - and realized that i have to schedule 3 weeks out. it's not because i'm 100% booked - i don't allow for that; i keep certain nights free for last minute activities i want to do, as well as general rest and enjoying my home. it's just that the time i *do* allow for meetings and functions and gatherings is pretty much scheduled already... wheew.

so i'm renewing my focus on simplicity. this is not a rat race, i do not need to do everything and attend every function. i do not need to be superwoman. redefining life, making the most of my time, enjoying the little things and the everyday moments, and not letting life pass me by.

boy, do i sound like i'm trying to convince myself or what? ;)