Especially when they are bought to cheer up your poor, sad mother. Who is slightly depressed, because it’s still winter and there is a stomach virus in the house.
I think real flowers are among the most lovely things in the world.
P.S. Please excuse my poor, sad attempt at photography. 
My knitting needles, that is. I love to knit. Love it. I started this scarf last night, and I love it. I love the pattern, a lot. It’s very unique, and so beautiful. I just love the way it feels to knit, passing the stitches from needle to needle. It’s one of my favorite simple pleasures.
I got the pattern from one of my favorite crafty blogs. I’m obsessed with crafty blogs – I get such great ideas. With all the great ideas floating around the blogosphere and all the great ideas floating around in my head, I think I could keep myself busy for a solid decade.
A wonderful fact has occurred to me. There are only 53 days until spring. 53 DAYS! I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of winter! So, to keep myself occupied until the warm days begin, I decided to hold a ‘Wishing for Spring’ blog makeover giveaway! Exciting, right?!
Maybe your blog is in desperate need of a facelift. Or, perhaps you would like a seasonal design. I can create a design that is pleasant, and up to your specific standards. I design on Blogger, Typepad, Wordpress – you name it!
Those of you entering this contest are eligible for a free, full blog makeover package from Flibby Pie Graphic Design – a $40 value. My portfolio is currently under construction, but you can view some of my work here.
To enter this contest, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post with a valid way to contact you. Good luck!
I will draw a winner on Saturday morning. I’ll try to have the winners up by 9am CST.
For more great bloggy giveaways, click here!
Well hello there! Ever since I posted the reading list, I suppose I’ve been so busy reading that I’ve completely overlooked posting on my very own blog. Sorry about that. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with everything that I need to do, and want to do and I let things drop. I think I have too many hobbies. But which to drop? It’s an impossible decision.
But anyway. This week, my main focus will be the piano. I have two more weeks of piano lessons and then, I will be dropping lessons (while keeping up the playing, of course) and taking on my little sisters as students. Before I can finish piano lessons though, I have to join in on a rather large “concert exam.” My last official concert exam. But this is not going to be a normal recital. Far from it…
It all started back around June or July. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m obsessed with musicals. I had recently been listening to my new CD, the original cast recording of the Broadway Revival of South Pacific. I had been listening to it a lot, and singing all of the songs, and I even taught some of them to my younger siblings. One day I went into my favorite piano store to browse the sheet music section. All the new music is rather boring, and expensive so I went to my favorite area, the used music section. To my surprise, what did I find, but an old publication of the music to “South Pacific”, in perfect condition, for 50 cents! I bought it of course. I loved playing all of the songs. My sister Poppy enjoys following me along through my obsessions and had taken a particular liking to the score from one of the best and most famous songs, “A Wonderful Guy”. She decided to ask our lovely piano teacher to help her add it to her repertoire and brought her the book the next week.
The music had words. That was our mistake. Our lovely piano teacher looked at the music, and played it, and then decided that it wouldn’t be as effective unless someone was singing it. I have to agree with her. So, she fashioned an entire concert around this song! Oh how fun it would be! All of her students could pick songs with words, maybe from musicals, and then we’d all sing!
Don’t get me wrong, I adore singing. I also adore “A Wonderful Guy”, and I like to sing it… when I’m at home by myself. I’m even alright with singing in public, but A Wonderful Guy?! As much as I love the song, the lyrics are a little embarrassing. See for yourself.
This is a portion of the song, sung by my favorite singer. You get the idea.
Everyone else got to pick their songs knowing in advance that they were going to be sung. So we have an array of lovely tunes, “My Favorite Things”, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, “So Long Farewell”, etc. I have “A Wonderful Guy.” Oh joy.
But I digress. I’ve quite gotten used to the idea by now, and I love singing the song. So, if I can just keep a straight face during the “I’m in loves” I’ll be home free. We’ve even had a few rehearsals, so I feel much better about singing it in front of those who will be at the concert.
So, Poppy is playing “A Wonderful Guy” and I’m singing it. I am going to play “That’s How You Know” from Enchanted, with Poppy, Hannah Banana and MD-80 (these are three of my siblings) singing it along with me.
It’s bound to be fun. 
That’s what I’m up to.
A swarm of bees will arrive at my house on April 6th or 7th.
*inhale*
*exhale*
A lot of things have been stewing around in my mind these past few days. 2008 is already over, and 2009 is beginning.
When I was younger, the passing of time seemed so slow, it frustrated me. Christmas seemed to come only once in a lifetime, summer lasted for ages, and being told that something was a year or more away caused the event to be filed in a fantasy, ‘that-will-never-happen-so-I-might-as-well-forget-about-it’ area in the back of my mind. Things like vacations, holidays, special events, and being ‘a grown-up.’
All of a sudden, I’m staring life in the face, wondering what happened to my careless childhood years. I always wanted to be older, cherished every birthday, looked eagerly forward to the next one. My mother used to tell me to wish to be nothing more than a little girl. She told me that I would be an adult for most of my life, to enjoy childhood, it is fleeting. Of course, being young and naive as I was, I heard, but I didn’t listen.
This year, I have come across a realization. I will never again be eight years old. Does this mean, perhaps, that I will also never again be eighteen years old? That the next three months will be the last three months that I will ever be the age that I am now? 2009 will pass just as quickly as 2008 did. Perhaps faster. My mother also tells me that time flies at a greater speed with each passing year. With this in mind, my most significant resolution this year is to waste no time.
I want every moment of every day in 2009 to be spent in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. I want to make sure that I waste no opportunity to further His kingdom. I shan’t squander the days away, not investing in the lives around me, keeping to myself, for my own selfish gain. I resolve to be an encourager, gentle, helpful, and industrious.
I don’t know how many years the Lord has for me on this earth, and I don’t know how long I will be a stay at home daughter, but I’m determined to use this season of my life to it’s fullest advantage.
I am so grateful to God for His bounteous blessings! I marvel at His goodness. No matter what 2009 holds, my hope and strength is in Him.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14
That being said, I do have a few other, specific, and slightly more trivial resolutions for 2009.
This is because I have a new sewing machine now, and I have tons and tons of projects I want to try. Plus, I think it would be very handy to be able to sew anything I’d like.
I feel a need to reach out to those in my community and church family, if the opportunity arises. This might include volunteering at a nursing home, making dinners for families who are sick or have a new baby, jumping in and helping plan events, volunteering to play the piano during church services, or typing up a document for the pastor. Helping people in whatever needs arise. In the past I would tend to be a bit of an introvert, allowing others to take initiative in these matters, but I’m determined to do things differently.
I define success as keeping bees throughout the entire spring and summer without freaking out, getting stung numerous times, or my colony swarming away. Oh, and a little honey wouldn’t be too terrible.
My family tries to be very frugal, and my mom uses coupons and her CVS card to get lots of free items, and deals. I help her a lot, but I know it would be very nice if I were to take over this task for her.
I got this great idea from the Headmistress, over at The Common Room. I love to read, so this one shouldn’t be too hard. I do tend to read about things that I find interesting, and I visit the biography and ‘how-to’ sections of the library entirely too much, so this year, I want to complete several really tough books. I haven’t made my entire list out yet, but I want to include some history, theology, and other such topics. I’m open to suggestions!
Won’t that be fun? Quite ingenious, I must say. I wasn’t the one who thought of it. I’m very excited by the idea that my honey bees will help with the garden’s productivity.
I have to make sure to keep the laundry caught up and organized, otherwise I may end up like the residents of Pompeii. I’m also going to take on a new task: Planning and cooking dinner. Another big help to my family. This will go hand-in-hand with my next resolution…
Also, I must find out why 1 out of 4 batches of bread I bake either turns out hard as a rock, or doesn’t rise. Only two things will help me find the cause: Investigation and experimentation.
Last, but not least. I’ll use this blog as my means. You’ll let me know by the end of the year if I’ve accomplished this one, won’t you?
Now. I’d love to hear your resolutions. Go ahead.
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