exceeding expectations


i am currently caught in the holiday drift, mentally and physically i am wishing to extend the spirit and joy surrounding the events of the last month. i turned thirty on the twenty third and had a brillant dinner at the meeting place with my family-all of us. a nice potato crusted trout. things sprung on me, as much as i anticipated the crush rush, now thinking i'll leave the tree up for another week or so. with all of my unwrapped xmas and bday presents underneath. a slomo progression, not to be so materialistic and eager beaver. my desire to extend the feeling of generosity and spirit of giving.

i felt too, that finishing things, really at the end of ooofive would be immensely important. so instead of collecting misc. resolutions and empty promises i'll never keep with myself i did what i know best, to do. made a 2006 project list and sell/buy list. but before i get to that...

the surprises, just because i know you'll be shocked too. my aunt c. got some very nice ransburg canisters for me, for my bday, inside the smallest was the lovely little pockybook from little paper airplanes. i never would have expected it. this was the year of the bird for me. baby blue bird salt n pepper shakers, baby blue bird chimes, ms rooster dishtowels and pier 1 swizzlesticks with roosters. three baby gold-glittery owl ornaments and a beautiful yellow finch (and the hottest/coolest/cutest baby blue flower shoes from "me too") from kate and joel. on top of that the most beautiful calendar from dandelion, gnome soap and a handmade key holder from my sweet sis n law l.c. on top of that baby smoore and emoore my little sis's shopped in atlanta for xmas/bday gifts for me and the rest of fam c. they're kindness and thoughtfulness is overwhelming each year.

so with that...to my lists. i had so many leftover origami paper flowers that i thought i'd make a xmas wreath. i mentioned getting the foam wreath and trying it out a little. i realized though that for one: i didn't have enough flowers to cover the entire wreath, so i made a bunch more. second: i did like that the white foam could be seen through the flowers, so i wrapped the entire foam piece in varients of green pipe cleaner. that was cool in itself, but proceeded to attach paper flowers. COMPLETED AND PHOTOGRAPHED (fotos to follow-in development)

next on the list are more "thank you" notes to write and send out. snailmail x-changes to h and l. i entered the 2006 postcard swap presented to us by my little mochi. i have already got my doggie ideas and color choices made. i think i'll be doing four different postcards. a lot but worth the efforts.

alright, so i also worked on making christmas gift tags and actually completed the hardcopy, but i had extended my ideas into cards and such. i called image works last night, come to find out a good printing company writing in my front yard. i mean literally in the same building. so next year i'll have gift tags and cards to match for sale that's a promise! no more of the shananigans!!!

other projects included, the not forgotten aporns to k and h. 4-piece cityscape painting for aaron and laurie's new home.

spring fling out the old-yard sale. selling a wack computer, fussball table, broken locker/trunk, and lots lots more. i am looking forward so to the new year. i've decided not to move, but i'll be painting and cleaning the ole 204, shades of white. i cannot wait to have all the new pics. borrowing camera lenses from the uncle d. wide and micro. and i am now the proud owner of a pro flickr acct. is that so bad?

god certainately has a way of exceeding my expectations. i am still going to work at the rx. i have several other big personal goals and they are priorities. i'll explain and be more upfront as time allows and i feel more comfortable. peace and great joy for the newest year. terrible to waste another breath.

reflection of


i can spend a whole lot of my time in reflection. this view of the north wall of my apartment. looking out across the city. i know that this is not a true reflection of myself in a mirror, glass or spoon, but it is the way i tend to look in my apartment. plus my mom got me a brand new coat and i so love it. i had not had a coat sense the housefire and the coat has made my year. just a perfect fit for the day and the year. who needs anything else? i felt a whole lot better after talking with kate the other night. i had things nagging at the inside of my brain and i needed a different perspective.

one of the things about living the single life is that there isn't this sort of thing, holding a mirror up to who i am. i am fortunate to have a great mother and father who hold a mirror up to what i am and what i do. but it isn't quite like having a husband or children to show you who you really are. if you're a total jerk they're certainately going to let you know, but with me i have so very little to be accountable for and to. it is a strange place, solid but strange. i was telling kate how i feel so much more focused than i used to. how that has freed me from feeling as though i have to fight all these personal battles or insecurities. i have to make a conscience effort to be vunerable and open, so that i never stop changing, never stop seeing the good and bad things, becoming a better woman.

the events are stacking up around me and i am so glad that i worked last weekend. i'll have off for the next five days, starting friday 12:30 pm. this time is a very very much needed break from the rush and crush. i was able to go shopping a little last night and have gotten some really nice things, mostly on sale. i wasn't feeling like time was on my side. i also went to walmart-ugh! not a place to love. but i have been wanting a foam or wire wreath so that i could make a wreath like kate did last year. i have already done all of the paper flowers, origami strawberry paper, and target wrapping paper from last year. i'm not sure if i want to do the origami blow ups or not. but mine won't even touch kate's true beaut.

i may be moving out of the ole grand??? i do not know quite yet, just made a call to c.n.e. now i'm just waiting to see what the stipulations will be moving out mid-lease. my brother and sister n law have bought a new home and they're little/big house in st. elmo is opening up. it will be one hundred and fifty dollars cheaper a month. although i'll have to take on electric/water/gas expenses because presently that is included in my rent at the grand. i really really want a home. some place with space to make my art, two extra rooms wow! wouldn't that be a blessing. i also really wanna down size, even though i do not have a whole lot, i'm sort of tired of feeling cramped. pray that i make the right decision about this. i already live alone, so that's not a concern of mine and...that's it. smoore said she'd like to live with me after a couple more semesters or something, we shall see. i need a change. although i'll be sad to move from downtown. st elmo might be a little quieter though. not as many sirens, horse hooves, and drunken "whoknowswhats."

i am also turning thirty tomorrow, december 23. i will need to feel a break (coming up), i feel that i'll rush through my ages and never really see them for what they were. i dislike being so reactionary, wishing that things were slomo, like when i was a kid, crawling through the ditch from one end of our street to the other. i do not have any hestitation about becoming older. i am barely an adult and wish i had the wisdom and maturity of some forty year olds. compared to last year i feel really at peace, other than stress-jobs and wrapping presents with kitchen towels (what a cool idea!) i still have not made my snowman cookies and i'm rambling. age is the most perfect thing about being me. i still feel 18 and look a little like i'm 18 still. i have so much to look forward to. cannot wait to eat at the meeting place. seeing family and friends. i'm gonna crank up the tunes and shout for joy, reflection isn't so bad when i am happy, right? peace and more love.

patience please


there is nothing about this photo that i took that is a reflection of what have to say or feel. although i am tired this afternoon, fortunately i have been in good spirits. i had a good weekend even though i had to work at the rx. friday night was the uoha holiday party. as usual it was a the mtn city men's club. i left early than the last several years. it was nice and of course the blessing is the bonus and jewelry. saturday and sunday i worked at the rx. it was super busy, funny how some people do all of their shopping at the rx, even christmas shopping. i also think people go brain dead about this time of the year. after being out in traffic or at the mall, they'll come into the store with blank fried faces on, zombies roaming the first aid/painkiller isles. it is sad what this time of the year does to people. or should i say what people allow this time of the year to do to them. i mean it is a choice. why get so rattled and chaotic and pissed and rushed. let it go, let it go, let it go. this time of the year always makes me crazy because other people seem to be going crazy. have you noticed.

A side: on sunday my parents came over to help me decorate my little pre-lite xmas tree. i have all bird ornaments now, developing quite a collection. my aunt even sent a paper bird ornament from the 1920's that she got of ebay for me. i'll have to post fotos later. i had a really nice time with my parents. a special little time, not so complicated or crazy. just us in the quiet of my apartment. so my plans are to take carolyn in the city to nashville to catch her flight to san diego, then i work. sometime i'll shop. i am going to make the almond snowmen cookies and there is one other project i'd like to finish, christmas cards, and wrapping. i cannot wait.

sweet and spicey


i must share my favorite christmas cookie recipe with you. although the recipe does not originate with me or my family i am quite thankful to beth ward and k. knuton for this wonderfully simple cookie.







Spice Cookies

2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter
1 beaten egg
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

directions are as follows: cream sugar and butter
beat in egg
stir in dry ingredients
mix well
roll it out 1/4 inch
do the cookie cutter thing
preheat and bake at 350 degrees
for 6-8 minutes
(recipe works poorly in hot weather)


while visiting kate in atlanta this past weekend we went to the ikea down there. i was really super fortunate to beable to bring jenn kring with me. the three of us, just like old times. we spent the day with one another on saturday, in the evening we went to harry's international food market. i bought sushi and sunflower seeds, shampoo and conditioner. as well as a few christmas gifts for the fam. sunday we went to the high museum to see the andrew wyeth collection. we were truly hoping to see the nude helga's but unfortunately it was a no go. besides that small disappointment the collection was incredible. i was moved to emotion, feeling a bit teary eyed. wyeth seems to be such a sad sort of man and i felt a connection between my experiences in new jersey and the still landscapes of his. it was such a pleasant afternoon. so nice to be with other artistic friends.

on monday i took a personal day and we then went to ikea. omg! i know you all are fair and aware of ikea and all of it's good and bad parts. i'd say honestly that ikea isn't for a home home. the products are specifically designed for small living spaces, flats and apartments, even offices. so i came home feeling like i needed to downscale. i got the sweet pillow covers though, just $4.99 each. i got a few other christmas gifts there too.

tonight is the christmas office party and so i'll be there, working this weekend at the rx and then back again in a few days. have a wonderful weekend. thanks kate for your spectacular hospitality and jenn you are a gem girl!