Serious Catch Up

Wow...it has been quite awhile. And I think it has been quite an August. Loss, change, new opportunities, housework...you name it. Too much to cover in one post so we'll start somewhere. Let's start with the general theme: change. As my friend LCB said yesterday, "God was showing me the signs and I was not getting it so he took matters into his own hands...". Well said. That was definitely the case at State Farm and likely the case at United. I could not let go on my own so he rolled me right into the RIF.
But hey...because he did that I managed to do the following in August:
- participated in a craft fair and found out about some others
- went home for my dad's birthday and hung out with Shella
- found a storage place and moved all of my empty moving boxes there
- was able to open some of the other moving boxes and find long lost items
- cleaned and cleaned and cleaned
- continued to clean and engage in a serious bout of mice wars (more on that in another post..)
- did some beginning organization of said possessions
- went two days early to Creative Escape and hung out with Amy and KAK and Kim and just had fun...umm..and did some shopping too (cough cough).

Of course now it is September and now I seriously have to get my act together. But at least I had an August which allowed me to regroup a little. Right before my 49th birthday. More about that later :-)

Happy Birthday Daddy!

In the sense of equal opportunities, Happy Birthday to my dad. Rita and I travelled down the road a piece this weekend to swelter in Dad and Ann's house (apparently one must swelter a bit before one can turn on the air!) but otherwise enjoy a semi relaxing weekend. A few highlights:

- dinner with Shella....our favorite Chinese!
- a few new pieces of paper and some Tim Holtz stamps
- hanging with the kiddos
- helping Dad with the computer
- finally pizza and salad with everyone...
- a long drive home behind semis and motorcycles and other crazies...oh well!

Good weekend and happy Monday. More photos soon..

This is starting to look familiar

In the great book holding the grand plans for all of us, someone is turning a page again. Below is the picture of my fortune at the Chinese restaurant last Sunday. I picked two out of the basket and gave one to Donna. This was mine.

I get it, God...or chinese government, one of the two of you.

Behind

Behind is what she tells the Orkin man when he looks at the piles of paper and boxes he wants her to clean up. Behind she tells the landlord when he asks how long it has been since she mopped the back hallway. I tell the dog, my friends, my neighbors...the list is long and ugly.

On August 5th, we are in the beginning of recreating our life again. But more on that later. And more on the new inhabitants of our house too. For now, it is simply five on the fifth.

5. Delightful weather. I did break a bit of a sweat today (not a real sweat but a baby sweat) - today was 81. which brings us to number 4
4. Upcoming 90 degree plus weather. bring out the water and the beer :-)
3. New phone...how the heck do I check messages.
2. Cleaning and more cleaning. Mice pee stinks.
1. Getting ready for Katydid Designs. May she at least not stink.

5 on the 5th - July

Life seems to speed by faster than the speed of light. The last two weeks have been incredibly hot and then cool, crazy at work, crazy trying to finish up things for my Flea Market debut (more on that later). In the end the weekend was different, not at all like I planned, but still fun. Happy Fourth of July Weekend all! Let Freedom Ring!

5. Sleeping till 9 a.m....how did that happen?
4. Brunch with my dad on CJ's outdoor patio...watching the airplanes and talking about life and cameras
3. Driving through the countryside, looking at our old homes, with the top down in the red convertible
2. Driving home through a different countryside...watching the barns and the flags and the awesome spirit of our state
1. laying in bed, drinking a cold beer with a happy puppy by my side!

Happy Birthday Debbie Lou

I mentioned it on Facebook but forgot to write here about what would have been the 74th birthday of my mother, Debbie Lou Dolley Kraft. Really unbelieveable that she has been physically gone for more of my life than she was in it. But she is there everyday...I talk to her and think about her.

My mom was the cool mom on the block. She made coffee or hot cocoa for the bus driver. She came to drive us home but let us ride the bus so we could stop for ice cream. She decorated the house for every holiday. She treated birthdays like the big deal they are. And she loved each one of us crazy five kids in our own unique and special way. And she loved her dogs.

As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate the qualities I have of each of my parents. I have creativity from my mom but also my dad; my mom taught me paper crafts and fun and cooking and dad taught me photography and gardening.

My dad taught me perseverance and insane ongoing curiosity..while my mother taught me to never stop believing, especially in myself.

I am who I am because of their love and differences and similarities and I am grateful. So Happy Fathers Day, Dad and Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope I am making you both proud!

Happy Fathers Day from Qwackerqueen

I think I have mentioned before that I was the oldest and the only girl out of five kids. That's right...four brothers. Lots of testosterone in my house. With all of that stuff happening in our house, there were lots of nicknames to be found. I had (and still have) many ranging from K2 to K to Kat to Kath to "Hey You!) also some others which will not be shared :-) But one I remember the best is Qwackerqueen. When I was still not reading cursive well, my father bought a mailbox and he and my mom had our names painted on them. My father told me had put Qwackerqueen on the mailbox and in my still untrained eyes I read it and believed it. I cried for days until my mother took me out to the box and traced the letters to Kathleen for me.

Fast forward 40 some odd years. My dad is still teasing, and laughing and pretending...pulling a good one over us. And he is now at work on the new generation.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad.