Twenty Ate

hey, I'm twenty eight.

i love my life.

Use It, Don't Lose It.

Say it, don't spray it.  Today I will make some changes and it will be good. 
"Cease endlessly striving for what you would like to do and learn to love what must be done." - Goethe

On Saturday morning, I had the house to myself for three hours.  What did I do?  I dusted and rearranged our bookshelf (ahhhhhhhhhhhh!) and I watched whatever I wanted on Netflix (ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!).  When Kale got up, I took a nap.  Then I made sure the house was tidy (surprise!) and I spent the rest of the day in a pool.  I took note of simple pleasures and the sweet guarantees of routine and I kept my head on pretty straight.  Today I will remember to keep noticing.

My Ladybug

On my seventh or eighth birthday, my big present was a dollhouse. My uncle Frank built it and my family furnished it over the course of many more birthdays. It was always a treat to go to Versailles to visit the dollhouse shop and pick out a few little things. My "bug," Genevieve, will turn five this month. I am so fulfilled to connect with her through passing this house down. I had big plans to refurbish, paint and electrify it, but she spotted it in the basement and I couldn't hold out any longer. There are lots of legs broken off tables, some pieces have already been destroyed by little brother "bug" or Zelda, but it's easy to let go. This is a much loved bunch of goodies and I'm glad to share it with her.

We went to The Great American Dollhouse Museum in Danville KY as a birthday treat for her. It was a lot of fun for all four of us to explore the tiny houses. Vivi chose a new couch, a bathroom set, a new bed, and a new family to celebrate her new ownership. Over the next few years, we'll make great additions to the house. I have two wings to give her and I am so excited to fill them up with her.

"Let Me Show You My Boat."

Let me tell you about my day job.

I'm a secretary.

I log entries into a database. When I've added the whole pile of paperwork, I make one half of an X on two copies. On one, black, on the other, red. When the paperwork is processed, I complete the entry in the database and complete the X, only on the red copy. Then I file the paperwork. I do this all day. Occasionally, I answer the phone. I also set up "high level" meetings, once a month in the summer, once a week in the winter. I listen to Pandora. My stations are "Folked Up," "Radio Radio," "Radio Betsee" and "Jazz Hands." I usually run out of my month of free listening minutes.

I have a much cherished degree in Art Education. See how I capitalized it? It means a lot to me, but doesn't mean much in the real world. If I had the time, I could become an excellent potter. When I went to college, I wanted to be a painter. (I haven't painted in so many years.) Then I thought about majoring in English. (I'm four credits short of a minor degree in writing.) I graduated a capable art teacher. (I quit three months into my first school year.) I think I should have majored in ceramics and cared for the notion that a master's degree is valuable. I guess I could be teaching people how to throw pottery, but I don't think you need a master's degree to do that ... or to do much of anything. I'm a secretary, an assistant to people who went to school longer, make more money, and are less talented at things I consider valuable to the quality of this life.

 

I don't really get to do what I want to do, what I think I could be considerably more successful doing, what would actually expand my mind and my existence. I have some free time, but I don't have many options for changing the grand scheme of things. And while I know this is not limited to just my predicament, I sure do feel alone in it. Buried in bills, buried in responsibilities, buried in expectations, buried in wishes and wants.

Do you feel equipped to succeed in life without really trying? Did anyone ever teach you to really try?

Birthday Season

An easy trip to the Dollar Tree resulted in a full days work in the kids' room decorating for our May and June babies who will be 3 and 5 years old this year.  Our recent trip to Dinosaur World sparked a great interest and we found plenty of stuff to create a jungle in their bedroom.  I pinned felt dinosaur sillouettes to the curtain, we strung table fringe on the underside of the top bunk and stuck tropical flowers in the railing.  Vivi now has a volcano at the foot of her bed, made from a couple of stacked baskets, balloon weights, and curly ribbon.  I made palm trees from pool noodles, yarn and palm leaves.  Kale created the dinosaurs with two dinosaur hats, cardboard, spray paint and duct tape. We followed the Kentucky Derby this year with the request that we bring in stickhorses for our kids at daycare.  In an evening, we created two unique stickhorses; Lynden's is blue, Vivi's is red.  Kale drew a pattern for the head, cut the lauan and broomsticks at the kitchen table, I wove the horses' manes, Kale attached the foam ears and reins.  We have two beautiful stickhorses to keep forever.  The daycare suggested we stuff a sock and put it on a broom stick.  PFFFT!

So Far, So-So-So Good

We've had one deliriously decent Spring weekend in Kentucky. We hopped on it and took a vacation, two hours down the parkway to Cave City. The weather was so nice, I said multiple times that it felt like we truly had escaped. The four of us (five - including our puppy, Zelda) can now say that we have slept in a wigwam. It was delightful. Very quaint, but kitschy accomodations and lord knows this family loves kitsch.

Our mutt, Zelda. Somehow, I have grown to love dogs.

When I was young, my family vacationed in the Mammoth Cave area. I remember it as well as any other beach vacation. We played miniature golf at a location with horrifying hillbilly fiberglass dogs (which I found resurrected in a couple of local junk shops this time), hiked through the caves and visited Guntown Mountain. It was incredible to jump in the van and take my own family there. Countless times I have driven past the Guntown Mountain sign and the giant dinosaur, "You Just Missed Us!" at Dinosaur World, on my way back and forth from college.
I'm so happy to be all grown up.

Now We're Getting Somewhere

In the new craft room, I have room for my sewing machine, thus the curtains continue!

Modern Dining

Our small, cozy house is just the right size for us to share. Our "dining room" has served as such, but also a computer room, a junk depository, a pass-thru, a music room/sitting room, and now a craft room. We attempted to make the wet, gray basement a craft haven, but it was more a craft dungeon and when I found a spider and asked, "what kind of spider is black with red on it?," we decided it is time to face the facts and make the spare room something useful. The bushel baskets are perfect for storing everything. What is safe for the kids is within reach and accessible. I'm going to start posting their creations here. Vivi's "rocket ship" has found a new home with Aunt Cindy.

Lookey!

I don't think I cussed once.

I am so proud.

She-Ra Gets a Make-over

Angella Double Trouble Frosta

Castaspella

HeMan

Sweet Bee

Peek A Blue

Catra

Glimmer

Bow

Flutterina

SheRa

Tink

Last night I found myself alone on the couch with The Love Bug noisily buzzing in the background and a book on my lap, lots of thoughts meandering and forming into lists. It was welcome. However, the same thoughts now formed in lists are not welcome this Monday morning. Lists tend to either overwhelm me or push me on track. I'm not sure what will come of today. I neglected to put on socks, there's a dusting of snow. Enough. Two big things to do this week. Just be, most importantly, and then create a project for the book proposal. From there the next book endeavor is to flesh out another project. It will be good for me to do whether the book becomes reality or not. Soon, pictures of She-Ra.

Another One.

I haven't embroidered in over eight months.

I changed my name.

I renewed.

I worked with my hands in new ways.

I celebrated another year with them.

I captured a lot of love with a lens.

be Betsy

capture more love

celebrate one more day

embroider everyday

learn to sew

love this