A Period of Time

Shelby gave a speech near the end of school, on the Liberty Bell.  She did such a great job on her speech!  She made it sound like she was from the time of the Liberty Bell.  When she was practicing, I remembered having these old dresses that my mom had made when she worked in Brownsville and needed something for Pioneer Picnic Days.  I pulled out the dresses and petticoats, and while Shelby was reluctant, thinking she would be laughed at, she went ahead and wore one of the dresses for her speech.  Not only did no one laugh, but some kids said the dress was beautiful, and one boy said it looked like she had stepped back in time.  Another boy said she should get extra points for props!  I videoed her speech, haven't been able to upload it, but here are some pictures of Shelby in the dress.  She's standing on the front porch of our house.

Facebook Revelation

For over a year, my husband has had a Facebook page.  But would he do anything with it?  Basically he grumbled that he just signed up to stay in touch with his church mentee, and to see the information from Tristan's Boy Scout group.  He didn't know that I would find his FB page still signed on, and then go out, posing as him, and invite lots of people he knows to be friends with him.  He often grumbled about how many status, and e-mails, and irrelevant information he see's on his page.  So, I showed him out to change e-mail update settings, and how to hide some people's statuses so his page isn't so 'clogged' with stuff. 


Then, a revelation.  He was driving home one night last week and calls me with this giddy sound in his voice.   I thought he must've won the lottery because here is what he started out saying.   'Okay hon, I know I've grumbled and complained and fought this, but I went out today, and I've had a revelation.  I REALLY GET FACEBOOK NOW!'   It turns out that he had gone out and searched for a few people he used to go to HS with, and he found them, and he had already talked to several that day!  It was so uplifting to him to find that they remembered him, had things in common like family, faith and everyday life, and it was SO GREAT to hear him so excited. 

So yah honey, the next time I tell you that something is really cool, I'll remind you about the times I've taken you to see Steel Magnolia's and you grumbled but then raved about how great a movie it was AFTER you saw it, and the time you took me to see James Galway, and although you didn't grumble on the outside, you were probably doing so on the inside, (classical music after all) and were blown away by the fantastic talented performance, and yes, about the possibilities of technology enriching your life if you embrace the parts that work for you, and discard the parts that don't, I'll bet you'll still grumble, but I"ll be patient and wait til the revelation comes and enjoy watching you reap the rewards of my wisdom!

My life as a mom

Today I came home, and my husband was home from work.  He came home early to finish tallying candy sales for the boy scouts.  Part of this requires him to be on the computer, our one and only good computer, that can print.  We are out of ink.  Except for black ink, because he found a free black ink cartridge at work and brought it home.   In order to print anything out though, I had to change the printer preferences to use only the black ink cartridge.  Then I scanned the two documents, because changing the printer preferences on the pc, will not allow you to use the easy print 'Black' document button on the printer.  Got those copies going.  In the meantime, my son is trying to have his turn playing on the computer because he didn't get to on Wednesday, the kids usual day to play games after school.  Also, my daughter is working on her era study report, which is a half display board.  Now, I must mention, that there are 5 work surfaces in my office/den.  But all of them seem to be covered with stuff.  So in the midst of the candy paperwork, Civil War era reports, scrapbooking stuff (yah that's all mine) miscellaneous drawings in progress, and other craft projects, with all four of us trying to find space to accomplish things in this one room, there is a knock on the door.  Oh yah, I had a customer coming over to pick up scrapbook pages.  Somehow she found a surface to write on......and she's a great gal and very understanding!

Summer Fun, of the unusual kind

It is amazing what a pile of pillows blankets and a camera can become as an entertainment factor.  I'm happy to sit here at the computer and ignore an activity that just a few years ago, I couldn't have imagined allowing my kids to do.  I know my husband wouldn't be allowing this, but you know, sometimes kids just need to be kids.  I just got told by my dad the other night, that I'm no longer a kid.  He yelled at me because I was tickling my son and wrestling with him on the living room floor.  I remember him always saying things to my mom when she was playing with me or the grandkids, not wanting her to hurt herself.  Maybe that's his big worry, that playing hard, someone will get hurt, but you know, sometimes you have to just let loose, have fun and go for it.  I like to play that way with my kids, and I remember my mom and my grandpa playing like that with me.  My grandpa use to give me bucking horsey rides on his back, and they're some of the best memories I have.  I want my kids to remember me that way.

Bringing Tears to My Own Eyes

As we prepare to gut the attic space and convert it to an insulated, modern space for Tristan, we have come across quite a few things that had been forgotten over the years.  One of the boxes contained an old Floppy Disc organizer, complete with installation disks for WordPerfect 5.0, Dos 3.1, backups of checking statements from 12 years ago (a few more recent, also) and scrapbook papers that I'm obviously never going to use.  A phone cord, 128 Mb RAM, and a few manuals for software.  Oh!  Also the installation cd for the Nikon software that I've been looking for! 

The real jackpot though, were two floppy disks that I began in 2000, not long after Shelby was born.  I called them 'Love Letters to My Daughter', and I wrote to her faithfully, but not daily, for nearly two years.  I was excited to find them, but a worry nagged in the back of my mind that the files would be corrupted, the disk too old, and that the treasure intended for my little girl were truly lost, although right in my hand.  I set them carefully aside, and after sorting through the remainder of the box and ending with a garbage pile, a recycle pile, a yard sale pile and a keep pile, I put everything away but the disks.

After lunch, and after everyone else in the family had had their computer time for the day, I finally sat down to check Facebook and my e-mail.  The disks sat staring at me, and I finally picked one up and bent down to look at the pc tower.  Do I even have a floppy drive on this thing?  Hey!  There is one!  Cool!  In popped the disk.  First attempt through My Computer took a few minutes, ending with a message "the disk is not formatted, would you like to format?"   Heaven's NO! I thought to myself.  Never one to give up with just one direct try...I opened up MS Word, clicked open a file, and navigated to the floppy drive.....somethings happening.  Just then Shelby walks up and says....'What's that noise?'  'Well, that's what a floppy disk drive sounds like, instead of a CD Drive."  Oh! 

Suddenly a file list appearred!  Letters to Shelby 2001.doc.    It's there.  It worked!  It's SAFE.

I opened the file, skimmed through a few letters, and saved a copy to my pc.  In popped the second disc, containing two files:   Love Letters 2000.doc and Love Letters to Shelby.doc.  They're both saved on the pc and on a CD.  My heart is happy.

I did read about three entries to Shelby, we both ended up in tears and I promised her she would be able to read them all.  They are for her, after all.  

I have often wished I was a writer.  Not that I never tried.  I took advanced Language Arts in High School, wrote at home all the time, started many stories, never finished.  Took a correspondence course for writing for children, tried to publish a few short stories, without success.  Didn't try hard enough. But reading a few of these entries, I was really touched by some of the things I wrote, and how I wrote them.   Maybe I could do it.  While I continue to ponder that option, here is one entry that truly touched me, and I hope you enjoy.


December 31, 2000


And so this year in which you were born is coming to an end. It has been the most incredible year of my life. You are so full of life, curiousity, and joy. You bring new meaning to each day for me, and something for me to look forard to. It’s as if I have never seen geese fly, never heard a hickup, never seen a messy face or seen such beauty as can exist in the human face. My hope is to help keep that joy in your life, that wonder which you exhibit every day, and to give you some of the happiness which you have brought to me, just by being alive. I love you, with all my heart.

You will find, as you look back upon your life,
that the moments when you have really lived
were the moments when you have done things
in the spirit of love.  - Henry Drummond

Where've I been?

I can't believe it's been since November since I posted.  A bunch of things have happened:

Thanksgiving
Christmas
New Years
My mom hurt her back and is still gimping around
My aunt passed away at 88 years old
I met a cousin who is in her 60's that I've known about but never met, and another cousin who is 12 who is adorable
Tristan became a Cub Scout.
Shelby started 'Winter Wonderings' classes at OSU again. 
I have a great-nephew named Kyrian Alexander Wayne.  He was born on January 27th at 9:00 p.m. and was relatively nice to his mommy during the process. 
The no-contact order against our lunatic neighbor expired in January, and things have still been relatively quiet.  I still have this lurking feeling that it won't last forever, but I"m keeping the situation in my prayers.
Scott had reconstructive/replacement surgery on the thumb joint of his left hand.  Have to admit, the recovery is going pretty well, except when he tried out the new resistence band  by stretching it over Tristan's foot, and it slipped off and got Scott in the 'you know where'   - dang, I KNOW that was a 10,000 AFV moment and I missed it!
And as of two days ago - got my haircut!  No picture yet, but I actually styled it this morning and it turned out pretty good.  Now I just need to work on my hair texture, it feels like straw these days. :(

This Saturday we're going to see the Harlem Globetrotters with Tristans Cub Scout pack.  The cool thing is, we've had this free pass for Shelby to see them since she was born in 2000.  It was a special thing the Globetrotters did for all the babys born in the new Milennia.  We could've taken her once for free every year until she's twelve, but it just never seemed to work out.  So Saturday it is.  The kids really didn't know much about the Globetrotters, so we had fun the other day looking at Utube clips.  I'll post again with some pictures of that trip and more about what's been 'goin' on!

A friend in 'Deed'

What is a true friend?  There a many definitions, by many different people.  Some say a friend is always there when you need them.  Others would say a friend listens when you really need to vent.  Then there's the friend that tells you like it is, when you need to hear it, even if you don't want to hear it. 

I have lots of different kinds of friends, and it's really special knowing that because I can call on a different friend for a different reason.  It allows me respect the best in my friends, and not expect something of them that I know (or suspect) they're not willing to give.   I like friends that have those same considerate (some would say low) expectations of me. 

There are really two ways of looking at your friends.  You can expect everything of them, and wear them out like a pair of  favorite socks that are always the first ones you pull out of the drawer, wear them around the house, even sneak outside with just them on, inconsiderate of the damage you're doing to them.  Or, you can pull them out for both regular and special occasions, not every day, so as to not wear them out, but knowing the smile they bring to your face whenever you see them is that special smile just for those socks.  Yah, you're thinking, okay, is she talking about socks now or friends?

I think that's all I have to say, except this- I had a friend stop by unannounced today.  Well, kind of unannouced.  She told me a earlier this week she'd have a surprise for me in a couple of days, but I didn't know how it would be delivered, or when.  And the big deal is, this is a friend who just doesn't stop by unannounced.  Some people are uncomfortable with that, and they just don't do it, even if they've been told 'stop by', as I have done with this friend several times.  So I was a little surprised when I opened the door and it was her.  And she was bearing a surprise in her hand, thoughtful, cutely packaged, just for me.  Even in the midst of this crud I've been fighting for over 5 weeks, it cheered me up as you can't even imagine.  So I think our friendship has grown, with the whole showing up at the door thing, and I like it.

And I hope that friend likes reading this post, especially when she finds out that the reason it took me so long to get to the door after the 4th time (or was it 5th) she'd knocked was because I was sitting on my feet at the computer playing the 'What Drives Edward' contest at the Volvo website - trying for about the 15th time to wind my way through the red-hooded Italian crowd to save Edward.  When I tried to get up, my left foot was so asleep that I couldn't step on it- I tried and just about sprained it...so I had to crawl to the living room on all fours....(yah, like a DOG!') and then carefully stand up and act normal when I opened the door.

"It is better to be in chains with friends , than to be in a garden with strangers."

-Persian Proverb

Shelby's presentation on Hungary

I'm glad that's over!

Shelby's fourth grade class all did presentations on a country that part of their family heritage is from.  Yesterday was her turn so I went in and took a couple of pictures.  She said she was nervous but she seemed very calm about it!  She even answered a few questions of the teacher and class.  The most interesting part of the presentation was when she talked about how her great-grandfather, John Heineck stowed away on a ship coming to America.  He never went through Ellis Island so he was technically here illegally, but it's thanks to him that the rest of us have grown up as free Americans.

Halloween 2009

Out trick or treating downtown Lebanon...it was a big crowd and it poured part of the time...but luckily we were mostly under awnings during the rain.  Here's our favorite stop...Bi-Rite...Mark makes a perfect Frankenstein and Kathy his perfect bride!

I'm having fun with my digital scrapbooking!

I am having SO MUCH FUN with my digital scrapbooking software from Creative Memories - Storybook Creator Plus 3.0

As you can see, the creative possibilities are endless...all without dragging out ANYTHING!   I still cling to my need to touch paper, scissors, stickers and tools, but I have to admit, digital creativity is allowing me to do things with my photos and scrapbook layouts that I never dreamed of.

Less is More

So last Sunday, (not THIS Sunday, but last Sunday) we had a great Adult Sunday School.  I missed Adult Sunday School this week to watch the toddlers in the nursery.   Now, I'm not the most adept at recall, but I do remember this.  We talked about selfishness, and how sometimes that can create our own stress and stress to those around us.  Our sunday school leader said that he often is rushing the family around trying to get ready to go somewhere, yet if he'd just gotten out of bed and done a few things a little earlier, things would go so much more smoothly and it would alleviate so much stress on him and the 4 little munchkins (and wife) he's trying to rush around to get out of the house.

When I heard that, I thought 'God, that is so me!'  I made a pledge right then to try and make a change to be less selfish.  Less snuggling back down into the covers at 6:30 when the alarm goes off and I hit snooze every 7 minutes until 6:50. Less pretending that I don't hear Scott at 6:30 getting dressed, opening and closing drawers, the closet, muttering at the cat to get out of his way.  Less grumbling at the kids for the third or fourth time that we have to get dressed NOW or we're going to be late....Less stressing the kids out when they're enjoying talking to each other during breakfast ( I mean, what am I thinking we don't have time to talk to each other during breakfast???) Less talking through doors that 'you HAVE to get off the potty NOW or we're going to be late!'  Less blame about whose fault it is when we pull out of the driveway at 8:07 instead of 7:55.   Less guilt that I'm quickly dropping the kids off at school to walk in (quickly, of course, and some times I even roll down the passenger window to remind Tristan, 'Walk Quickly BUD!) without me, when I know they love for me to walk them to their cubbies, get a kiss and a hug and a wish for a great day at school.

So last week, I started making an effort to banish my morning selfishness.  It worked almost every day (yah I slipped up one morning, I'm new to this okay?).  When I thought about how much nicer the mornings were, more time to see Scott grumble at the kitty, more time to talk, more time to listen to talking, more time to go potty in peace, more time to walk nicely into school and give each child a hug and and a kiss, knowing that neither child was stressed about classing having started without them, I think God wasn't working in a mysterious way, just working on me.

So no time spent hitting the snooze button, no time pretending that I'm still asleep, no time stressing out my family, no time stressing out myself.  Yep, working on me.

Twilight Weekly Spotlight series on ReelzChannel

Quileute ties to Twilight featured on Internet video channel


The Quileute Nation and the tribe's ties to the Twilight story are being spotlighted this week by the ReelzChannel, which provides cable broadcasts nationwide on Twilight. Four online videos are being featured. The shows are hosted by ReelzChannel's resident Twilight expert and correspondent Naibe Reynoso, Twilight Weekly: Spotlight offers all the latest info on Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, and the fandom surrounding them.

Delivery from the Forks Forest

So I can't remember if I mentioned that during our trip to Forks, Washington, we went to the park where there were a bunch of Forks and Twilight related vendors set up.   My favorite vendor (and Tristan's too!) was the Forks Forest.  They are a local family, Tena, the grandmother, and her grandson who makes beautiful glass blown beads.  Tena then has created a beautiful line of Twilight inspired jewlery using the beads.   I couldn't make up my mind which necklace or bracelet was my favorite so I asked her to put my favorite bead together with the key size and tag that I liked.   It arrived in the mail last week, along with a pair of earrings as as special gift!  I'm so excited and I'll definitely be wearing my necklace to the opening of New Moon.  

In the meantime, Scott is chomping at the bit (or should I say the fishing line....) because Jim, who runs the hostel we stayed at just south of Forks, has e-mailed him several times letting him know the steelhead are running on the Sol Duc.   I'm ready to go back! 

A surprise from Forks!

You will never guess what happened! My daughter Shelby won the drawing at Sully's Drive In from Bella's birthday weekend! A box arrived in the mail on Monday addressed to her, with a return address from Forks, but no name. We thought, "did she forget something at the place we stayed and they're mailing it back?"

But no, inside we were ECSTATIC to find the Twilight Board Game, and a personal note from Bruce Guckenberg, the owner of Sully's Drive In.

We sat right down after dinner Monday night and played until bedtime.  It is a pretty fun game, you draw cards, answer trivia questions or do story challenges, and you try to manuever around the board and collect 8 scene cards.  Whoever collects the 8 scene cards first wins the game .....I won!

Here is a picture of Shelby just after she opened the package, and one later of us playing the game...be good to me and we might invite you over for a game!

An experience at Twilight

At Sulley's Restaurant

We took our picture with Bella's truck at the park, did a tour of the Forks High School, took a  picture at Dr. Cullen's parking spot at the Hospital, drove by the Police Department...One of the things 'the family' had a little confusion with was that the things we were seeing weren't in the movie....I had to keep reminding them...now this is where Bella was in the REAL story - the BOOK, they just weren't able to film here, but this is the REAL PLACE....etc.

We stopped at every booth at Tillicum Park. Tristan was mesmerized by a local young man creating glass beads, inspired by Twilight...His grandmother was selling the beads made into necklaces with little metal charms that say 'forks' or hearts that have B & E on them, with keys and just very cool eclectic style to them. I couldn't decide on one, but I found a bead that I loved and am having them rework the stuff on it with a Forks tag and a key that I liked. They're going to mail it to me. I'm also going to order a couple of the small beads for Tristan and Shelby to make their own bracelets with.  check it out at www.theforksforest.etsy.com   

My favorite store is 'Dazzled by Twilight' - every single thing in the store is Twilight stuff, including the window displays of Emmett and Rosalies wedding, Rosalies Wedding dress and veil, Jaspers Union soldier outfit from the civil war, and a certain 'baby vampire with a bottle of red liquid...The ambiance inside is amazing - trees, water, and a gazebo with lights for a 'prom' photo -op. In the back is  black light room where everything glows.  Also in the back are several cases displaying the owners prized possessions - autographed photos posters, and one of a kind collectibles from her experiences with the Twilight crew.   

After dinner, we went down to First Beach, and there was already a bonfire going...we thought we'd have to wait for sunset, but before long here comes Mark, the Quileute storyteller, with a gal who's head of the reservation school, and Tinsel Corey, who plays Emily in 'New Moon'!! After the storytelling Tinsel was available for autographs and pictures....I didn't have $20 cash to pay for an autograph so we got a picture with her - at least something. All the proceeds from her autographs and photos go directly to the reservation school. She also spent some time at the school talking to the kids and giving some acting advice/lessons. If we hadn't had dinner early, we wouldn't have been down to the beach on time to hear the stories and see her.  Amazing how things worked out.  Storytelling is a very sacred tradition with the people, so they ask that no one video tape or take pictures during the storytelling.   These activities also 'break the circle' the strength and vision that the storytelling circle create.  I did take one picture of Mark (ya ya, I ran back to the car for my New Moon book, and didn't hear the part about no pictures, so someone told me and I stopped - but no I'm not deleting the picture!), but it won't be posted here, out of respect for their wishes.  It'll be in my scrapbook, along with the picture of me and the kids with Tinsel.

LaPush

Tinsel Corey!

Sunday, on the way home, we stopped at Kalama High School and took pictures where the movie was actually filmed....all the scenes at the school in the movie are here, we even walked up the hill in the back of the school as if we were going into the woods like Bella and Edward and they thought that was really fun. Kalama is really charming (steep) early 1900's houses on hills and lots of beautiful views. I can see why they filmed there, but it was one of the few places actually in Washington where they filmed. Apparently it was to expensive with the sales tax in WA...and Twilight was done on a pretty small budget.

Not a volvo or

This is where Bella walked!                              a vampire    . but he's one in a million!

We plan on visiting few more of the movie locations in Carver, St Helens and Cannon Beach. I've never done anything like this before -but it is really fun!  If you want to see any of the movie sights, or travel to the REAL FORKS, check outForks Chamber of Commerce and Twilight film locations.

Zoo Trip

We had a great trip to the zoo last Sunday. It was a comfortable day, not to hot, not too cold. We got a later start than we intended to, but it all worked out well. We also treated the kids to Olive Garden for dinner (they've always wanted to go there, but OUCH!) so we headed home from Lake Oswego about 7;30 with full tummys and memories of a happy day. We didn't really take a big vacation this summer, expenses with the car, Scott had surgery on his right thumb, etc. but all in all it's been a pretty great summer.

I'm also working on my camera skills. I'm excited to be participating in a Creative Memories webinar about 'those buttons on your camera', and learning more about aperture, ISO, composition, etc...stuff that I've read about in my camera manual but I still just don't get! So hopefully you'll see some better pictures AFTER the September 1st webinar. In the meantime, here's a few pictures that I'm proud of from our zoo trip.

"Surfin' " USA

Sometimes we have a hard time
talking Dad into getting into the pool, yet whenever it happens, he usually

comes up with some creative way of entertaining the kids in a new, inventive way. Friday night, I heard yelling from the back yard. I went to the back door to find Tristan talking (yelling) that I HAD to come watch him in the pool with Dad, and this is what they showed me! Shelby had a harder time standing up, so I was lucky to get a shot of her up at all, but it's interesting where the sunflash on the photo showed up, covering Scott just enough to make it look like she's really surfing!

Boys of Summer

For love of the game? Well, I think so, but looking at some of these pictures, you would think playing baseball was torture. Tristan keeps telling me he loves it....okay, okay. Most of the last game of the year was grumpy, arm-folded, pouting, grumpy attitude. But by the end of the game somebody mentioned it was snack time, and then there was sprinting across the field! Go figure.